The one that has left me utterly shattered—in the best way possible. After binging All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker in just 48 hours, I’m crowning it not only my top book of 2024 but also one of my 𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦. Yes, it’s 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 good 🥹

At first glance, the synopsis might make you think this is a dark, gritty thriller, but it’s so 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 more. Beneath the layers of intrigue is a profoundly moving story of love, friendship, and above all else, hope. Spanning decades and weaving together unforgettable characters, this book completely captivated me with its immersive storytelling and lyrical prose. (I’ve highlighted so many quotes that I’m tempted to tattoo one!)

Set against a backdrop of Midwest and Southern small-town charm, it carries the kind of soul and atmosphere you’d find in 𝘋𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 by Barbara Kingsolver, or even 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘳𝘢𝘸𝘥𝘢𝘥𝘴 𝘚𝘪𝘯𝘨 by Delia Owens. If you’re a fan of sprawling, heartfelt narratives with flawed but endearing characters, this is your next must-read ✨

And Patch the pirate? Saint the beekeeper? Their journey will sweep you away. Go in blind and let the magic of this story unfold—Whitaker has crafted a modern masterpiece.

Swipe for a few quotes that wrecked me (seriously, they’ll stay with me forever).

📖 Have you read All the Colors of the Dark yet? Or a Chris Whitaker book? Let’s chat in the comments! If you have a ton of questions you are dying to ask Chris - come join us on Jan 27th for our bookclub chat with him, link in bio or DM me how to join 🎙️

There are murder mysteries, police procedurals, serial killer thrillers, dual-timeline crime thrillers, coming-of-age thrillers, novels where the protagonist takes it upon themselves to solve a crime, vengeance thrillers, crime thrillers with a romantic arc... and then there's 'All The Colours Of The Dark', which has all of these and more. It's an epic crime novel that I can't even begin to categorise!

It's very rare to read a crime novel with such heartbreaking scenes, it was beautifully written and there are some moments which I know will stay with me for a very long time. I really wasn't expecting to be so involved in Patch and Saint's story but it's just impossible not to be totally swept away by this intense tale of friendship, unspeakable crimes and an obsessive need for justice.

A series of abductions form the basis of the book which obviously means that this story goes dark. However, these horrific moments are counterbalanced by moments of pure joy, humour, determination and such vivid descriptions of love, friendship and the sacrifices these characters are willing to make for one another.

I saw an interview with author Chris Whitaker where he said that the last two sentences in the book took six weeks to write, and I can see why. As hard as it was to finish reading about these characters I can imagine it was a million times harder to finish writing about them - a simply wonderful book!

I loved this book. It was both heart-warming and heart-breaking, dark at times and also so joyful and full of hope. I really enjoyed the writing style, almost poetic. Patch and Saint were so well drawn and I could picture the settings so clearly. One that stays with you. Highly recommend.

Chris Whitaker established himself as a star of the literary mystery with We Begin at the End, and All the Colours of the Dark is another beautifully written novel with vivid and unforgettable characters that will stay with you long after turning the final page. Recommended!

My first book by this author but it definitely won’t be the last. I really enjoyed the unique and beautiful writing style. I finished it a few weeks ago and it’s certainly stuck with me.

My First Christ Whitaker and it won't be my last - adored this from start to finish. It is as good as everyone says!

Wow... I don't know what to make of this book but I know it was excellent. I've never read anything like it. It was so complex yet so easy to read, so harrowing yet heartwarming. Such a bundle of contradictions, and clearly a future classic. It does transcend genre and I can see why everyone's talking about it. I'm still puzzled and outraged and charmed all at the same time! Highly recommended.

A great read! Felt fresh for the thriller genre and kept me turning the pages long after I needed to put it down.

I have previously loved the authors books, but I just cannot get into this, so I will purchase a physical copy to read. I haven’t given a low star rating as I know I will love the book, just not in this format

My favourite book of the year so far, and it will take some beating! Chris Whitaker writes people and places with a special kind of magic. The characters are flawed and real, and the story has so much depth to it. I’m often disappointed by the endings of books, but from first to last sentence, I loved this completely.

A great book! Kept me gripped throughout. Felt fresh and compelling, not an average thriller. I haven't read Chris' other work, but I will seek it out now.

All the Colours of the Dark by Chris Whitaker

Chris Whitaker has written some of the most memorable novels I’ve read in recent years, particularly managing to breathe life into troubled young souls who have the worst to deal with and overcome. And usually with them, we have the people, often flawed, who try and care for them. In his latest novel, Whitaker focuses on Patch, a boy so called because of his eye patch, a boy who likes to think he’s a pirate. One summer, Patch saves a girl caught in the woods of this small town in America. He is abducted instead and held in darkness for such a long time with a girl whose voice alone he knows, Grace’s voice. No-one misses Patch more than his friend Saint Brown who becomes obsessed with finding him, just as Patch for decades afterwards will try and find Grace. it is a tortured, haunting tale, wrapped around the mystery of the identity of the abductor. Possibly because I don’t like to descend too deeply into darker fiction, I found the novel a little too troubling for me, a bit too much, but I’m a lone voice with this. Everyone I know who’s read it, loves it.

This book started off really well but it somehow, quite quickly, became very slow. I ended up giving up at 35% as it feels like it’s not going anywhere.

I am definitely in the minority with this view as lots of other readers have loved it. Sorry this one wasn’t for me.

Many thanks to #NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This book wasn't for me, at times I found it just a little word-heavy but that's fine because despite it not being to my personal taste, I can't deny it was STUNNING. Breathtaking scenes, viscerally descriptive and vivid with emotion, intrigue, compelling characters and brilliantly written pacing that keeps you hooked on the dark mystery unfolding around you. A highly accomplished literary thriller with a dark, yet poetic edge.

Sometimes you come across a book that stands out from anything else you have read in the past year and for me this was such a book. The basis of the story is the consequences faced by so many people in the wake of the kidnap, imprisonment and subsequent rescue of Patch a thirteen year old boy with only one eye. Growing up with his struggling mother, his father having been a fatal casualty in the Vietnam war, Patch has only one friend a girl named Saint. Their lives remain closely tied even though following his rescue they take divergent paths over the next decades. It is at once a serial killer crime story, a love story of great depth and modern morality tale set in a small American township full of colourful characters and secrets.I found it deeply moving and thought provoking in the way only the best of authors can convey.
Some novels are enjoyable to read but soon fade in the memory as you move on but this one will stay with me for a long long time.

A story of three young people, forever bound together over a span of decades. Patch the pirate rescuer, held captive himself. Saint, the outsider turned hunter and Misty, the perfect princess. Patch’s imprisonment is shared by Grace and his search to find her when others don’t believe she even exists is his life’s mission. Superb characters, the best being Sammy the art dealer who gets all the best lines.

This was one of my most anticipated reads for 2024 and it was stunning. All the Colours of the Dark was all I was hoping for and so much more. It captured me from the start, made me cry (a lot) and laugh and smile and it deserves all the praise and plaudits and more. Thank you to Orion Publishing and Netgally for letting me read this. Saint and Patch will stay with me alongside Duchess. My book of the year for sure ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Superb thriller.
Monta Clare is rocked when a teenager is kidnapped as he protects a girl. His best friend Saint will not rest until she finds him. But finding him brings Grace into play - the girl whose hand slipped into his in the dark while he was held prisoner. and who may or may not actually exist. Now Patch is free but he isn't really free until he can find Grace.
Moving across decades this superbly constructed tale brings in a wonderful character ensemble and in Patch and Saint the author has drawn wonderfully on the joys and pains of friendship and love.
Highly recommended and a real joy of a read.

A little late. Sorry. It’s a ling book. Review on Ama already.

Just buy it!
All the mighty and worthy are going to come out of their caves to back this little pony. Top of this and winner of that but is it a good read?
This IS a good book. No. A great one. It’s landed into my top 10 books of all time, buttressing Possession, AS Byatt.
The book is about the journey not the destination so if you’re looking for something quick this isn’t for you. If you like exquisite prose and dialogue married with superb plotting however…

All The Colours Of The Dark was a book I thought I’d like with all the hype surrounding it but unfortunately it was t for me.
Saint and Patch are the main characters in this book and we follow the, through the years of 1976 to 2001, twenty five years in total. In this time we see the, grow up through their teenage years into adulthood and the different lines their lives take them. They live in a small town and nothing bad happens until girls keep disappearing. Patch is bullied throughout his young life but manages to turn his life around becoming an artist of high esteem and Saint who goes into the law enforcement probably due to the fact of best friend going missing and never returning.
This book was long, so long I nearly gave up but carried on, at 600 pages it was a mammoth read especially when the story is down beat. Nothing good happens and the short chapters are nothing short of irritating. I went with the hype with this book but it was to my detriment. I feel if 250 pages had been cut it wouldn’t have made the story any happier but would have got there quicker with less fluff.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Orion Publishing for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.