When a local boy saves a classmate from abduction, no one’s lives will ever be the same.

This is a slow burn saga of mystery, murder, love, and friendship with such beautiful writing. Ultimately it was too slow for my preference, but very high quality

"All the Colors of the Dark" by Chris Whitaker is a masterful exploration of the thin line between triumph and tragedy, set against the backdrop of 1975 America. In the small town of Monta Clare, Missouri, as the Vietnam War winds down and Muhammad Ali faces Joe Frazier, young girls are disappearing, shattering the community's sense of safety.

At the heart of this poignant and gripping narrative is Patch Macauley, a local boy born with one eye who transforms his difference into a symbol of resilience. His act of bravery in saving a wealthy family's daughter from an abduction sets off a chain of events that intertwines his fate with those around him in deeply affecting ways.

Whitaker crafts a story that defies genre boundaries, blending a missing person mystery, a serial killer thriller, and a tender love story. Patch’s journey is a testament to the human spirit’s endurance, as he navigates the shadows of obsession and the bright hope of connection. His relationship with Saint, his unwavering best friend, is beautifully rendered, showcasing the power of loyalty and persistence in the face of overwhelming odds.

The characters in "All the Colors of the Dark" are vividly drawn and unforgettable. From Saint, who never stops searching for her lost friend, to Misty, the girl Patch saves, who harbors her own secrets, each character adds depth and nuance to the story. The inclusion of Grace, a gentle soul who shares Patch's dark captivity, introduces an element of light and hope that is both heartbreaking and uplifting.

Whitaker's prose is eloquent and evocative, painting the American landscape with striking clarity and immersing readers in the time period. His use of short chapters and tight, compelling sentences propels the narrative forward, making it nearly impossible to put down. The novel’s pacing is akin to that of "Gone Girl," ensuring a thrilling, breathless read from start to finish.

The novel is also a profound commentary on the ripple effects of trauma and the various ways people cope with loss and fear. Patch’s evolution from a bullied boy to a celebrated artist underscores the theme of transformation, while Saint’s law enforcement career highlights the moral complexities of seeking justice.

"All the Colors of the Dark" is not just a thriller; it is a deeply emotional journey that will resonate with readers long after the final page. Whitaker has created a literary masterpiece that captures the essence of human vulnerability and strength, making it a standout read of 2024. This is a novel that demands to be read, shared, and remembered.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for providing an advance reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

Let me say that I adored the beginning of the book, it’s so beautifully written. I loved the setting, the characters, the time period, the storyline, but somewhere in the middle I said “Huh? What is going on?” It’s almost like it’s another book in the middle!

All The Colors Of The Dark by Chris Whitaker reads like Historical Fiction at the start, then moves into an almost Fantasy/Magical story, then in the end a Mystery.

Overall this is a 3.5 story rounded up to a 4 for me, just because I loved the beginning so much. That being said there were MANY times I felt Whitaker’s writing was a riddle that I was unable to decipher, or that couldn’t keep my attention.

Throughout the middle of the book I was quite confused about what was going on and what the author was really trying to explain. The book seemed to have gone on such a tangent. Though most gave it 5 stars so far, at times, I was bored. Sometimes stories don’t have enough detail, this one had too many. Too many unnecessary, uninteresting facts. Too wordy, too long, too unbelievable at times.

In the end the compelling saga of life long friends Saint and Patch, and the tragedy that took place during their childhood, was tirelessly illustrated through over 600 pages. The storyline started strong, but overall was much too dramatic, unrealistic, heartbreaking and depressing for this to be a favorite for me.

Most readers will love this story, for the beginning and the neat and tidy ending, where all is set right in the world!

Thank you NetGalley, Crown Publishing, and Chris Whitaker for this free eARC in exchange for an honest review. I honestly was thrilled at the chance to read this book.

Set in the 1970's and the following few decades, two best friends' lives are forever changed when a boy named Patch intervenes when he sees a classmate being abducted. His best friend Saint is determined to save him. With themes of friendship, obsession, murder, art as therapy, childhood trauma, and possible serial killer, this epic saga is layered and rewarding.

However, it is also long and slow. The plotting is very meandering, and I think it could have been edited down by a third (it is 600 pages). It does have short chapters and excellent writing, but the pacing and length of this book at times made reading it a bit of a slog and I feel like it inhibited the momentum of what otherwise would have been a 5-star book for me. I am still giving it 4.25 stars for the excellent, intricate plot and deeply drawn characters, but I would have not been so frustrated with it if it had been edited down.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

In a Nutshell: A literary saga spanning multiple genres and decades. It's not just the story of a tragedy but also of what happens after a tragedy. Will work better if you know what to expect. It isn’t a traditional mystery-thriller, so better if read as a character-driven drama.

Plot Preview:
1975. Monta Clare, Missouri. Patch is a one-eyed teenager who considers himself a good pirate. His only friend is the whimsical thirteen-year-old Saint, who lives with her grandmother. In their small town where everyone knows everyone else, Patch and Saint think they have their future paths clear. All changes when a mysterious man attacks Misty, the only daughter of a wealthy family. Patch emerges as an unlikely hero in this situation, but the life trajectory of the people involved changes forever as a result.
Spanning many decades and genres, the story comes to us from the limited third-person perspectives of the key characters.


Imagine this. You are visiting a tourist place that you have heard some good feedback about. You hire a tourist guide who promises to take you to your destination, but instead of leading you there directly, the guide makes you roam around myriad other places, telling you detailed stories of each of them. Most of his tales are interesting, but after a point, you wonder why he is traversing a circuitous route when all you wanted to go to was the destination promised at the start. Finally, after a long and somewhat frustrating journey, you reach your destination, and it turns out to be everything you hoped for. But as much as the joy of discovery is, you can’t help having mixed feelings about the rest of the day: yes, you gained insight about many other spots, but you also feel a bit irked at the amount of time it took to visit what wasn’t even on the agenda. It’s not like you didn’t enjoy the unplanned circumambulatory route full of surprises, but you wish you had been better prepared for it beforehand.

That’s me with this book. I was prepared for a thriller, but I got a slow-paced literary fiction. While I can often recalibrate my reading sensor according to the writing approach, it failed this time.


Bookish Yays:
😍 The main characters: Saint & Patch. Well-sketched, complex, grey, human.
😍 Patch’s being one-eyed, and this trait being turned into an intricate part of his persona than making it a disability popping in at random intervals.
😍 An excellent start and an great ending.
😍 Evocative writing, with plenty of quotable quotes and lines to ponder upon.
😍 Superb use of the mountain setting of small-town Missouri, with great descriptions that don’t overshadow the plot.
😍 A unusual approach to a mystery, focussing on myriad obsessions of varied characters. This could also be called a love story sans romance.
😍 Enough of twists and turns to keep you going on. You will not be able to predict the direction of most of the plot.
😍 Though there are many crimes that occur in the book, the content never gets graphic. Love it when authors don’t let gore do the talking.

Bookish Mixed Bags:
😐 As this is tagged as a mystery-thriller, I went in hoping for a steady-paced, thrill-inducing, mystery. But while there is a mystery in the book, it is not the prime focus of the plot, which is quite character-oriented, and stresses more on the lives of the people affected by the crime than on the crime itself. This definitely would have worked better for me had I been mentally prepared for a literary drama than for a crime thriller.
😐 The middle chunk of the book drags. A LOT! Had I been a willing DNFer, I might have even quit on the book at this point. But thankfully I didn’t as the ending was worth the wait. Either the middle section should have been tightened or this should have been marked as a character-driven literary work so that readers would know what to expect. (Especially those of us who haven’t read this author before and went in blind.)
😐 There are many side plots detracting from the core mystery. While these are intricately layered and well written, the fact is that I wanted to see the mystery resolved than to know more about other irrelevant things.

Bookish Nays:
😕 The story spans decades. Though there are years marked at the start of a few chapters, it is confusing at times to remember how old the characters are at that point. Patch’s age isn’t clarified at all (as far as I can remember; hope I didn’t miss any reference), so I just assumed him to be the same age as Misty. There are pop culture references to help out, but these would work only if you know the approximate period to which the references belonged.
😕 This book has 261 short chapters, with some of the chapters being hardly a couple of pages long. I know there are readers who like short chapters, but this was too many for my liking.
😕 The pacing is quite erratic, going from rushed at the start, to almost zero in between, to fast again at the end. In a 580+ page book, I’d have appreciated a more consistent tempo.


My reading experience of this novel reminded me of how I felt on reading Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch - yet another magnum opus that begins with a mystery but takes ages to be resolved. In both cases, I liked the journey, but I was more relieved than exhilarated to reach the end.

This is my first book by this acclaimed author, so I shall be better prepared for a literary approach the next time I pick up his work.

Mine is a slight outlier review. Most other reviews of this book are gushy 5 stars, so perhaps it was only my erroneous expectations courtesy that dratted “thriller” tag that caused my experience to go awry. I still recommend this strongly, but to literary fiction lovers who enjoy the artistic nuances of storytelling and character development. If you want a fast-paced mystery-thriller, pick something else.

3.5 stars.

My thanks to Crown Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC of “All the Colors of the Dark”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Chris Whitaker first came on my radar when I read We Begin at the End and I was excited when I saw he had another book coming out! All the Colors of the Darkis a gripping book about friendship, trauma, love, obsession, and loss.

Saint and Patch meet and become friends in the mid 1970's in a small town where they are outsiders, far from being popular, but unique and loyal. Patch has only one eye, hence his nickname. Saint is smart, keeps bees, and is devoted to her friend Patch. When Patch saves a local girl, he finds himself in a horrible situation. Saint is despondent without her friend. This incident will shape their lives and their friendship for years to come. Both will see their lives and relationship with each other irrevocably changed. Patch will go on an unrelenting search for the truth while Saint will go on to forge a career.

This was a dark and gritty look at how trauma shapes lives, how hope endures, how friendship changes, how love remains present, and how the search for the truth often leads the seeker down dark paths. This is a BIG book and at times I felt it's length. But that did not affect my enjoyment of it. Chris Whitaker is a gifted writer and he set the stage for this gritty and gripping book. Speaking of this book, it has many things: a mystery, a coming of age, a thriller, and a literary tale. There is search for a serial killer, a story of love, a story of life, and a story of trauma.

The writing is impeccable, the plot is well thought out, and this book evokes emotion.

Atmospheric, mysterious, dark, and gripping.

“Though it’s dark, I’ll always find you. Though you’re stronger than me, I’ll always make sure that you’re safe. To me, you’ll always come first.”

Four years ago I read Whitaker’s We Begin at the End and wanted to scream from my Covid isolated rooftop, just how brilliant it was. Instead, I started this account, to amplify books worthy of your attention.

All the Colors of the Dark opens with a small town Missouri setting of the mid 1970s. Patch, a young boy born with one eye, embraces his uniqueness and takes on the role of a pirate, not exactly for fun, but more for survival. Girls in the town have started to go missing and Patch prevents one of these abduction attempts, setting the plot into motion. The result is a decades long journey of obsession, devotion, loss and love.

There are 4 female characters who pact the most powerful punch in the ways they try to save a beautiful and broken Patch. One, so reminiscent of a certain “outlaw” in his previous novel, that it brought tears to my eyes. The use of art as a vehicle for imagery and discovery was unexpected and masterful, and enhanced a brilliance to the police procedural elements of the story. From small town to big city America, Whitaker paints the U.S. landscape with such vivid clarity that it’s hard to believe he wrote it from the other side of the Atlantic. The plot, layered in multiple genres and mysteries, is impossible to summarize without spoilers and would risk diminishing the wonderfully immersive experience I had while reading.

This novel has the heart of the Edward/Shea relationship in Dear Edward and the eloquent prose of William Kent Krueger novels, making it my top contender for Best Book of 2024!

Sincere thanks to Net Galley and Crown Publishing for the early copy in exchange for my honest review. I have already ordered the first of many copies to grace my forever bookshelf!

You know those books that you race through to find out how it ends? Then you’re sad that it’s over? ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK by Chris Whitaker is the PERFECT example. Don’t let the length fool you as every page is a masterful weaving of mystery, suspense, murder , love and a decades long search for answers.

When Patch was thirteen, he saved a local girl from what surely would have been an assault, leaving behind a trail of blood and no trace as to what happened to him. His best friend, Saint never gave up hope of finding him, and did! But when Patch was being hidden away in the dark, there was another, kinder, gentler soul with him. Even after his rescue, he spent decades looking for Grace. His quest led him on an unbelievable journey traversing the country trying to find her. Along the way he meets with the families of missing girls and ‘gifts’ them with their daughters. He gets in quite a few scrapes along the way, even doing some time in prison. But also becomes a celebrated artist.

Meanwhile, Saint goes on to a law enforcement career but never gives up trying to help Patch find Grace. Faced with very difficult dilemmas and decisions, she must follow her heart or follow the law. Which will she choose?

Then we have Misty, the girl that Patch saved all those years ago who moves on with her own life but never forgot what Patch did for her, and harbours a very big secret of her own.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! ONE OF THE BEST I’VE READ IN QUITE A BIT! I even got up at 2am to finish it because I just had to see how it ended. If you plan to be by the pool or on the beach this summer, TAKE THIS WITH YOU. But make sure someone else is watching the kids. And don’t forget the sunscreen!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

Oh my HEART! It HURTS! 😭 this book took me on a JOURNEY! and wowwweee😮‍💨

I loved WE BEGIN AT THE END so I was a bit afraid to start this one and play comparison…also because it’s ~600 pages (14+ hours on audio) but I loved it❤️‍🩹

✨spans nearly 30 years so you really GROW with these characters and fall deeply in love with them
✨a serial killer mystery but SO much more than that - coming of age, love, family, obsession, redemption, revenge, bravery, friendship!
✨slow burn + character heavy
✨SHORT chapters!! there’s over 250 of them🫣 but they flow seamlessly and end on lots of cliffhangers making it very binge-worthy despite its length

I could go on and on but I’ll stop! It’s epic, haunting, beautifully written, and Patch and Saint (and Nix, and Charlotte, etc.) captured my heart🥹 not necessarily perfectly crafted but deserving of 5⭐️s!

Another stunning story from Chris Whitaker. After reading We Begin At The End a few years ago, I knew any new books by Whitaker would be a must-read for me. Thank you to Crown Publishing for an early copy of All The Colors of the Dark!

This story draws on a lot of what I loved about We Begin At The End - strong characters that are younger and a deep mystery that you think you have figured out, but then realize you don't!

I fell in love with Chris Whitaker's writing when I read We Begin at the End and had been patiently waiting for him to release a new book ever since.

All the Colors of the Dark is similar to We Begin at the End in the since it is part mystery part drama and coming of age.

It is quite long but honestly, I didn't mind. You need the heft to understand the story that takes place over many years.

Heartbreaking, but uplifting at the same time. All the Colors of the Dark will be a favorite of the year for me.

(Thank you @netgalley, @crownpublishing for the #gifted copy)

Holy moly - I know the year is only halfway over, but I’m predicting All the Colors of the Dark as my top fiction read of 2024!

I am still unwell thinking about this book. It made me laugh. It made me sob. It made me question. It left me emotionally damaged. And I loved everything about it.

Saint and Patch are incredible main characters, and the cast of secondary characters is wonderful. I just love them all so much 🥹

This book is 600 pages, but please don’t let that deter you. Every word is important in telling this story that spans decades and connecting all the dots.

This one comes out on June 25 - please go grab a copy!!

This book is getting a ton of buzz, Like 5-star, favorite book of the year, kind of buzz, and even though this isn’t my typical genre, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

Ok, I get it.

Both a thriller and a love story, All the Colors of the Dark is one of the most hauntingly beautiful books I’ve ever read. In this brilliant literary novel, spanning decades and genres, Whitaker manages to be both heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time.

The writing is stunning and the characters are fully realized, warts and all. The story, which will have you up reading late into the night reveals itself to you slowly and then all at once. It is certain to end up on all of the Top Books of the Year Lists. It certainly will be on mine.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the advanced reader copy. I’ll be seeking out Chris Whitaker’s backlist, and I look forward to devouring his other books.

This review will be published on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

All the Colors of the Dark is a gritty, bleak, but, at the same time, beautiful thriller.

And my gosh. Chris Whitaker can write a character. Watch out, Charles Dickens! Whitaker’s characters are complexly original—no one is a cliché.

The pages fly; the book is action-packed, compulsively addictive, and the finest of the mystery genre. It is written using perfect structure: short paragraphs, sentences, and chapters. If you liked the pacing in Gone Girl, this is your book. Mark my words. One day, this book will become a fantastic movie!

Two thumbs up for this breath-stealing thriller.

*Thanks, NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and unbiased opinion.

Was first book by this author. This was a long read but it kept you engaged.

The authors writing was definitely unique but was great writing and character build. It has a little bit of everything.... mystery, romance and it follows Patch and Saint.

If you read quarry girls and like it you will like this as well.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

All the Colors of the Dark - Chris Whitake
PUB DATE: June 25th
4.5/5 Stars

I started this book thinking it would be a thriller or mystery, but this is a character-driven coming-of-age story that reminds us that usually there is not one defining moment that changes our life, but instead a series of decisions and consequences.

The story follows best friends, Saint and Patch, as they navigate life starting in their late childhood through adulthood. The beginning of the book sets up a thriller/mystery but the story develops into so much - one of epic friendship and love. Besides Saint and Patch, the other characters are so well developed and feel essential to the story. The writing is so beautiful and complex and while this is a long book, the chapters are incredibly short (which I love). The end of the book is heartbreaking and stunning. This will likely be one of my favorite books of the year and intend to gift this one all year long.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Crown Publishing for the Advance Readers Copy.

This was a very good book and I think if you enjoy the previous book by this author, We Begin at the End, you will enjoy this one just as much. Saint and Patch are friends, Patch, so nicknamed due to his like of Pirates and being born with one eye and Saint hang out as much as they can, one day Patch is walking along a path and hears a noise, he ends up saving a young girl who's was being assaulted. Patch ends up going missing, Saint puts every effort into finding him, she does track down where the assault/abduction occurred, but there are scant clues as to where he went. The story goes back and forth between Patch and Saint and covers a significant period of time, during the time Patch is being held, there is a girl with him, both are kept in the dark, they can't see each other, and they talk constantly, these talks are the foundation for Patch's eventual almost lifelong search. He becomes consumed with finding the girl, Grace, the smallest of clues could have him travelling across the county to talk to people who had lost their daughter. Saint stays at home, finishing school, pursuing higher education, marrying a fellow who is desperately in love with her. The life choices of both Saint and Patch follow a trajectory that is both heartbreaking and reaffirming a truly astounding journey both make. I would highly recommend this book, though it's 600 pages long, it doesn't seem like that as the chapters are all very short and the story moves along at a quick pace. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Crownpublishing for the ARC.

I came into All the Colors of the Dark with high expectations. I loved We Begin At the End and have seen nothing but rave 5 star reviews from friends for this one. I thought about dnfing early on but looked at those rave reviews again and thought maybe I just need to give it more time.

However the truth is that books don’t hit the same for different readers and this one was a giant 600+ page miss for me. I had to listen to one chapter 6 times because my mind kept wandering and by the end I was lost about what was happening.

Somehow this felt like there was both too much and not enough happening for me. So many characters and side plots and huge spans of time passing. And yet also so many long descriptions and time when nothing much was happening. And then the moments I think were supposed to feel heartwarming or deep just rang as cheesy to me.

Thank you to Crown Books and PRH Audio and Netgalley for the free book/audiobook to review.

One of the best books I’ve read. Chris Whitaker is a modern day Mark Twain, his books will live on for many many years. Eloquent captivating writer. Many thanks to the publisher for providing this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a long book that begins with a young girl saved and a young boy abducted. Followinh the boy and his best friend as they try to deal with the trauma they endured and find justice, the book ranges from the 1970s to the early 2000s. Ultimately, the book was a bit too sprawling and long for me, and some of the characters a bit unrealistic in their choices in service to the plot.