“The bad are the few, but often they shout louder than the many. Don’t mistake silence for weakness.”
All the Colors of the Dark is a 2024 historical mystery book by Chris Whitaker. Set in 1975, readers are whisked to the Missouri town of Monta Clare; there, local girls are going missing. When the daughter of an affluent family is targeted, an unlikely hero emerges – Patch, a local who saves the day but, in doing so, leaves behind heartache. Patch and those who love him soon realise the line between triumph and tragedy is often fine. What follows leads them to truths that could spell the end for one another. Blending a missing person mystery, a serial killer thriller and a love story with unique twists on all three, Whitaker’s tale is an exploration of obsession and the power of hope. If you loved this New York Times bestseller, join us at What We Reading for the best books like All the Colors of the Dark!
We Begin At The End – Chris Whitaker
First up on our list of books like All the Colors of the Dark is another one of the best mysteries by Chris Whitaker, We Begin at the End. Duchess Day Radley is a thirteen-year-old self-proclaimed outlaw. She is the fierce protector of her five-year-old brother, Robin, and the parent to her mother, Star, who is unable to take care of herself, let alone her own children.
Walk has never left the coastal California town where he and Star grew up. Whilst he might have become the local chief of police, he continues to be haunted by the memories of the testimony he gave that sent his best friend, Vincent King, to prison decades ago. Now, thirty years on, Vincent is being released. We Begin at the End is an incredible novel following two kinds of families – the ones we are born into and the ones we create.
Long Bright River – Liz Moore
In a Philadelphia neighbourhood rocked by the opioid epidemic, two once-inseparable sisters suddenly find themselves at odds. Kacey is in the grips of addiction. Mickey walks the same blocks on her police patrol. They might not speak anymore, but Mickey continues to worry about her sibling.
Then Kacey suddenly vanishes. At the same time, a string of grisly murders begins to rock Mickey’s district. Mickey then becomes dangerously obsessed with finding the culprit – and her sister – before it proves too late. Switching between the mystery in the present and the upbringing of Kacey and Mickey in the past, Liz Moore’s Long Bright River is the sort of heart-pounding and heart-wrenching story that is sure to resonate with any fans of All the Colors of the Dark.
The Chalk Man – C.J. Tudor
In 1986, Eddie and his gang of friends are just kids entering adolescence. They spend their days biking around their sleepy English village on the hunt for any excitement they can find. The chalkmen act as their own secret code, leaving behind little drawings that only they can decipher. But then a mysterious chalk man leads them straight to a dismembered body in the woods, and nothing is ever the same for any of them again.
In the present, Eddie has fully grown and has attempted to keep the past behind him. But then he gets a letter in the mail containing a single chalk stick figure. When it turns out that one of his childhood friends received the same letter, Eddie is torn between this being a prank and something more sinister. When one of the friends turns up dead, he realises that saving himself means finally unearthing what really happened all those years ago.
Check Out Our The Chalk Man Book Review
The Briar Club – Kate Quinn
Everyone keeps to themselves at Briarwood House, a down-at-the-heels all-female boardinghouse nestled in the heart of Washington D.C. where secrets are lurking behind every white picket fence. But, when the lovely, mysterious widow named Grace March moves into the attic, her enigmatic neighbours are all brought together in an unlikely friendship.
The weekly attic-room dinner parties and window-brewed sun tea that Grace hosts soon become a healing balm for all of these women. Nevertheless, Grace has plenty of secrets of her own. And when a shocking act of violence rips the house apart, the Briar Club women must grapple with who the true enemy is in their midst. The Briar Club is a 2024 historical fiction mystery by Kate Quinn and the perfect follow-up for anyone who loved All the Colors of the Dark!
Before She Knew Him – Peter Swanson
Henrietta and her husband, Lloyd, have settled into a quaint and quiet new life in their house outside of Boston. Hen is an illustrator working out of a nearby studio and has finally found the right balance of medication to keep on top of her bipolar disorder. For the first time, she has some stability and peace in her life.
But, when the pair meet the neighbours next door, that sense of calm begins to disintegrate as she spots a familiar object on her husband’s shelf. The sports trophy looks exactly like the one that went missing from a young man she knew who had been killed over two years ago. Hen knows that case better than most. It’s an obsession that she doesn’t talk about anymore but has been unable to shake ever since it occurred.
The Return Of Ellie Black – Emiko Jean
Detective Chelsey Calhoun’s life is upended when she receives the call informing her that Ellie Black, the girl who disappeared years earlier, has resurfaced in the woods of Washington state. It’s been two decades since Chelsey’s sister vanished when they were teenagers; ever since, she has been on the search for answers, closure and other missing girls. For the detective, Ellie Black represents a rare happy ending.
But there is something wrong with Ellie. She won’t say where she’s been or who she is protecting. It’s up to Chelsey to get the answers from her. Emiko Jean’s The Return of Ellie Black is a searing feminist tour de force about the enduring power of hope in the aftermath of tragedy, perfect for any fans of All the Colors of the Dark.
The God Of The Woods – Liz Moore
Another one of the best historical mysteries like All the Colors of the Dark once again comes from Liz Moore in 2024’s The God of the Woods. One morning in August 1975, a camp counsellor discovers an empty bunk belonging to Barbara Van Laar. Barbara isn’t just any thirteen-year-old, she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first instance of a Van Laar child disappearing either. Barbara’s older brother also vanished fourteen years ago, never to be seen again.
As a frenzied search gets underway, a thrilling drama unfolds. Unveiling the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community in their service, Moore’s deeply layered mystery is an ambitious exploration of secrets and second chances, perfect for any fans of Whitaker’s novels.
Check Out The Best Books Set In The Woods
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
