Ten years ago, a beautiful 19-year-old cheerleader went missing from a small Texas town.  Her disappearance still haunts the place and the people who vowed to find Trumanell "True" Branson, but couldn't.  Although he has been cleared by the authorities, many believe True's younger brother, Wyatt, killed her.  Especially after a new documentary focuses the spotlight on him once more.  His standing in the town becomes even more precarious when a young girl is seen at his home.  The recluse claims he found the mute, abused child on the side of the road.  Is Wyatt, a presumed murderer, really being a Good Samaritan?  Or does he have more sinister plans for the mysterious girl he calls Angel?  Who is she, anyway?  Where did she come from?  And, most importantly, who hurt her?

Odette Tucker—daughter of the town's beloved police chief, now a cop in her own right—feels an immediate kinship with Angel.  She doesn't want to believe that Wyatt, her high school boyfriend, could hurt anyone, but it's her duty to protect her town.  As she investigates one lost girl in the present, her thoughts turn constantly to True.  What really happened to Odette's old friend?  Can the two cases possibly be connected?  The more Odette digs, the more dangerous her investigation becomes.  Will she be the next woman to disappear from a town steeped in secrets?

Tense, atmospheric mysteries are my jam, so I was all in for this gritty thriller.  We Are All the Same in the Dark by Julia Heaberlin stars a brave police officer with a tough exterior, a titanium leg, and a soft, loyal heart.  Odette has her flaws, but all in all, she's a likable, root-worthy heroine.  The supporting cast members (with a few exceptions, most notably Maggie and crew) are less affable, but still intriguing in their contrasting complexity.  An atmospheric Texas setting provides a vivid backdrop to the story, with some small-town politics thrown in for added tension and drama.  Plot-wise, the tale is gripping, with plenty of conflict to keep it interesting.  I saw the killer coming, yes, but not their motive.  There were a few other twists along the way, including a unique story shift that really caught me by surprise.  While I'm still not sure I liked the jarring swerve, it definitely added an intriguing layer to the story.  While We Are All the Same in the Dark is a raw, depressing tale, it's a mostly satisfying one that kept me burning through its pages, eager to know what was going to happen next.  This is the first book I've read by Heaberlin, but believe you me, I'll be checking out her others.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of other small-town-big-secrets thrillers, but no specific titles are coming to mind.  You?)

To the FTC, with love:  I received an e-ARC of We Are All the Same in the Dark from the generous folks at Penguin Random House via those at NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

Have you ever gotten so caught up in a book that you end up racing through it in one sitting, hardly daring to breathe, let alone get up and go to the bathroom?  What kinds of reads are most likely to have that effect on you?  I've zipped through plenty of books in one go, even taking my book with me to the bathroom, the kitchen table (I always read when I eat alone anyway), and to a college football game that I'm told was pretty exciting.  Usually, the books I literally can't put down are in the mystery/thriller genre.  Not always, as you'll see from the list below, but most of the time.  The way they're written—usually with short chapters, lots of action, snappy dialogue, and cliffhangers all over the dang place—makes them ideal for whipping through in one sitting.  Today's Top Ten Tuesday prompt is all about these kinds of reads.  I looked through my recent reading notes to find the last ten books that I sped through in one go (more or less).  Since I love me a good page-turner, I'm excited to see everyone's answers.

If you want to jump on the TTT train (and you do!), click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details.

Top Ten Most Recent Books I Read in One Sitting   

1.  The Lion of Mars by Jennifer L. Holm—Middle-grade books are easy to read in one sitting since they're generally short and written with kid-sized attention spans in mind.  This one, the first I had read by Holm, charmed me with its warmth and feel-good story.  I loved it so much that I proceeded to zoom through three more of the author's books.  I'm currently listening to another of hers.

2.  The Opposite of Everyone by Joshilyn Jackson—I'm a big fan of Jackson's warm-hearted Southern family dramas/sagas.  I somehow missed reading this one, which came out in 2016.  It tells a compelling story about a woman seeking answers about her estranged mother—and the surprise she left behind when she died. 

3.  The Quality of Silence by Rosamund Lupton—Although this mystery/thriller—about a mother and daughter traveling through the Alaskan wilderness in search of their missing husband and father—is a pretty tense read, I'm not sure I would have buzzed through it in one sitting if it weren't for the fact that I needed something to entertain me while my daughter got her hair done.  Getting a silk press, then having your very thick, curly hair straightened is not a quick process.  Needless to say, I got a lot of reading done during that appointment!

4.  The Disappearing Act by Catherine Steadman—I've read all of Steadman's thrillers, so I knew this one—her newest—would have me flying through the pages.  It did.  The story is about a British actress who comes to Hollywood during the chaotic pilot season.  She meets an enigmatic American actress, who later disappears.  At least it seems like she did.  Did she really vanish?  Or is the Brit going crazy?

5.  The Girls in the Stilt House by Kelly Mustian—This debut Southern mystery kept me totally riveted.  It's about an impoverished, abused young woman whose life changes irrevocably when her father is killed in a very unexpected way.  Suddenly, she finds herself in an unlikely partnership with a stranger, who has her own stake in covering up the man's death.

6.  The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny—The Inspector Gamache books are more about the characters than the mysteries at their centers, so I don't generally buzz through them in one sitting.  However, since I took this one on a trip with me, I spent a lot of time with it in airports and on airplanes.  It's another compelling installment in a series that I love.

7.  Shiver by Allie Reynolds—Despite the fact that this thriller is filled with unlikable characters, it's still a gripping read that had me burning through the pages with bated breath.  It's a locked-room mystery set in an isolated ski lodge with a storm bearing down on a group of acquaintances who are already feeling uneasy in each other's presence.

8.  Atomic Habits by James Clear—I don't read a lot of self-help books, but I found this one so engaging and inspiring that I read it in a matter of hours.  It gives some excellent advice on how to break damaging habits and create healthy new ones.

9.  The Wrong Family by Tarryn Fisher—This one has such a crazy, can't-look-away premise that I just...didn't.  I don't want to say too much about the story because the less you know going into it, the better, I think.

10.  We Are All the Same in the Dark by Julia Heaberlin—Gritty and atmospheric, this thriller was so absorbing that I read it pretty much in one go.  It's about a haunted detective who's desperate to solve two different, but seemingly connected, cases in her small Texas town.

There you have it, ten books that I read in one sitting.  Have you read any of these?  What did you think?  Which books kept you glued to your seat?  Which are your go-to authors for riveting, one-sitting reads?  I'd truly love to know.  Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

Happy TTT! 

Some Top Ten Tuesday topics are complete head-scratchers for me.  Others are no-brainers.  This week's is the latter and, honestly, I'm glad for a prompt that doesn't require a lot of thinking on my part.  Coming up with a list of My Ten Most Recent Reads was a cinch.  If you want to jump in on this easiest of TTT topics, use a past one, or even come up with your own, head on over to That Artsy Reader Girl to get started.  It's tons of fun!

My Ten Most Recent Reads  

1.  The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton—This swashbuckling adventure/mystery story is all kinds of entertaining.  Grade:  B

2.  Until I Find You by Rea Frey—Although the denouement of this one is far-fetched and dissatisfying, I liked the novel otherwise.  It's a mystery/thriller about a grieving widow with a degenerative eye disease that has rendered her nearly blind who is convinced someone has replaced her newborn with someone else's baby.  Grade:  B-

3.  The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein—Narrated by Enzo, a pooch with a soul that is "very human," this book tells the story of a race car driver who must deal with some paralyzing life situations.  His faithful dog witnesses it all and does his best to provide his owner with comfort and joy, in spite of their trials.  I listened to this novel on audio.  While the tale kept my interest, I didn't end up loving it for a variety of reasons.  Grade:  C+

4.  The Boy From the Woods by Harlan Coben—This missing persons mystery stars Wilde, a man with few memories of his life as a feral child living alone in the forest.  Although he still prefers trees to people, he agrees to help search for a teenage girl who has vanished.  There are elements of this novel that I liked, but overall, it was just an average read for me.  Grade:  C  

5.  The Second Life of Mirielle West by Amanda Skenandore (available July 27, 2021)—In this historical novel which begins in 1926, a Hollywood socialite receives a shocking diagnosis of leprosy.  Sent to a Louisiana sanitorium for treatment, she must come to terms with a life she never could have imagined living.  I found this one interesting and engrossing, although I didn't end up absolutely loving it.  Grade:  B-

6.  The Cold Vanish by Jon Billman—Lark gave this book, about the astonishing number of people who go missing in America's national parks, a rave review on her blog.  Like her, I found it fascinating.  Grade:  B

7.  All the Children Are Home by Patry Francis—Another historical novel, this one revolves around an agoraphobic woman who retreats to her home after a horrific assault.  Becoming a foster mother, especially to a young Native American girl who has been severely abused, changes everything for her and her family.  Grade:  B-

8.  The Daughters of Foxcote Manor by Eve Chase—I love me an atmospheric family secrets story and this one certainly qualifies.  It's about a nanny who's caring for the young children of a grieving, mentally unstable woman.  When a mysterious newborn arrives on their doorstep, it throws the whole household for an unexpected loop, one that ends in unthinkable tragedy.  Grade:  B

9.  We Are All the Same in the Dark by Julia Heaberlin—Odette Tucker's backwater Texas hometown is rife with secrets, number one being what happened to True Branson and her abusive father, both of whom disappeared without a trace ten years ago.  Everyone in town thinks True's younger brother, Wyatt, murdered them both, even though nothing about the case has ever been proven.  Odette refuses to believe her old boyfriend is capable of anything nefarious, but when a young girl is seen with Wyatt, she has to rethink everything she knows about him.  Grade:  B

10.  Dial A For Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto (available May 6, 2021)—I've been really excited about this much-hyped novel, which looked like a fun rom-com/cozy mystery.  It's about a woman who accidentally kills her blind date and enlists her overbearing Indo-Chinese aunties to help her hide the body.  It's funny, yes, but it also got so over-the-top absurd that it just annoyed me.  Bummer.  Grade:  C

There you go, the last ten books I've read, from the pretty good to the not-so-great.  Have you read any of these?  What did you think?  What are the last ten books you've read?  I'd truly love to know.  Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

Happy TTT!     

It's Tuesday again and you know what that means.  It's time to take a break from all the craziness happening in the world and focus on what's really important: books.  Kidding, kidding.  Top Ten Tuesday is an excellent excuse to take some time out for some bookish fun, though.  If you've never joined in before, you definitely need to give it a go.  Why?  Here are ten fantastic reasons.  Convinced?  Good.  Now, all you have to do is hop on over to That Artsy Reader Girl, read a few instructions, build your own list, then spend some happy hours spreading the love across our wonderful book blogosphere.  What's not to love?

I'm all over today's topic since I'm always interested to see what new books are coming out.  Not that I need to be distracted by the shiny and new when I already have TBR piles all over the dang place.  Still.  I just can't help myself.  I'm excited about all the books still to come out in 2020.  Today, I'm going to restrain myself and just chat about ten ...

Top Ten Most Anticipated Releases for the Second Half of 2020 (in order of release):

1.  We Are All the Same in the Dark by Julia Heaberlin (available August 11)—A small Texas town is still reeling after the disappearance of a local young woman.  When a mysterious mute girl is found by the side of the road in the same town, a young police office becomes obsessed with figuring out what happened to both girls.  I'm always up for an intriguing mystery!

2.  When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole (available September 1)—Concerned over the deterioration of her Brooklyn neighborhood, Sydney Green and her neighbor are trying to revitalize the place.  A delve into the area's history reveals some disturbing answers to the question of where all the residents are disappearing to.  Will Sydney be the next to vanish?    

3.  The Deadly Hours by Susanna Kearsley, C.S. Harris, Anna Lee Huber, and Christine Trent (available September 1)—Huber is the only one of these authors that I've read before, but her involvement is more than enough to make me want to read this book.  The story features a cursed gold watch and the havoc it wreaks on all who own it throughout several centuries.   

4.  Rated by Melissa Grey (available September 3)—This dystopian YA novel takes place in a society where everyone's behavior is rated in real-time 24/7.  Your rating determines your place in life.  When a shocking act puts the spotlight on a prestigious high school where ratings are everything, things start to get very interesting for six special classmates ... [Update:  Someone pointed out that Rated actually came out last year. Oops! At least we don't have to wait to read it :)]

5.  The Orphan of Cemetery Hill by Hester Fox (available September 15)—I've enjoyed Fox's two previous novels, so I'm excited for her newest, which concerns a young woman who can commune with the dead.  When she runs away from home and ends up in a Boston cemetery, she becomes embroiled in a sinister scheme that puts her and her future in grave danger.

6.  To Tell You the Truth by Gilly Macmillan (available September 22)—I got a good start on this one while sitting at the DMV for three hours today so my son could get his driver's permit.  So far, I am loving the story, which revolves around a bestselling thriller writer whose wildly popular fictional character is starting to take over her life.  When her husband disappears, the author must ask herself some very disturbing questions ...

7.  The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult (available September 22)—Picoult's been a longtime favorite author of mine, so I always look forward to a new book from her.  Her latest is about a married woman who's still infatuated by a man she used to know.  When she miraculously survives a plane crash and the airline offers her the chance to fly anywhere in the world, she sees an opportunity to live a whole new life.  And takes it.  Intriguing, yes?

8.  The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (available September 29)—Are you a Knives Out fan?  Me, too.  This YA thriller is being compared to the hit movie thanks to its similar premise.  When a penniless high school senior inherits a fortune from a man she's never meant, she's stunned.  Why has he singled her out?  And what crazy game is he making her play in order to get the money she so desperately needs? 

9.  The Searcher by Tana French (available October 6)—French is one of my favorite thriller writers, so I'm always on the lookout for a new book from her.  It appears her newest is a departure from her Dublin Murder Squad series.  Still, it sounds like a compelling mystery.  It features a retired cop who's ready for some R&R in the Irish countryside.  When a local boy goes missing, however, the child's brother talks the detective into investigating the disappearance.  

10.  The Arctic Fury by Greer Macallister (available December 1)—Twelve women join a secret Arctic expedition in the 1850's.  Not all of them make it back.  A sensational murder trial ensues.  Murder in the Arctic?  I'm SO in for this one!

There you have it—ten upcoming releases that I can't wait to read.  What do you think of my list?  Do we have any titles in common?  Which new releases are you excited about?  I'd truly love to know.  Leave me a comment on this post and I will return the favor on yours.

Happy TTT!