Chris Whitaker's thriller
Over the years, I've read lots of mysteries. Many of them are interesting; some are heart-pounding, but few are memorable after a little time has passed. Chris Whitaker's All the Colors of the Dark, however, is a jaw-dropping thriller that I will NOT forget.
Remember Where the Crawdads Sing? It had vast popular appeal and best-seller success, including being made into a blockbuster movie produced by Reese Witherspoon in 2022. Part of the reason "Crawdads" found such acclaim was because it didn't easily fit into a genre. It wasn't just a romance. It wasn't just a -whodunnit." It was a nature study, a treatise on isolation and resilience, and a psychological study of compelling characters.
The same could be said of All the Colors of the Dark. This is a powerful story not limited to one genre. It's a mystery, love story, and crime thriller in one. It's about friendship, love, obsession, goodness, imagination, survival, art, and creativity. It's also a haunting survival/captivity narrative.
Most importantly, it's a look at how trauma affects not only individuals but also the psyche of an entire town. It's the ripple effect of crime, and how the impact of that crime continues for years.
A lot's going on in Monta Clare, Missouri
Girls go missing all the time, but when it happens in Monta Clare, people get worried.
Patch is a poor kid born without one eye who often pretends to be a pirate to explain his empty eye socket and the patch he wears over it. Saint is an orphaned, tomboy girl being raised by her grandmother. Saint is Patch's only friend. The most beautiful girl in town is Misty Meyer, who Patch idolizes, but he knows she will never even notice him. He is a poor boy without an eye. She is gorgeous, popular, and from the wealthiest family in town.
All factors that make Misty the target of a serial killer.
When Patch accidentally comes across Misty's attempted abduction, he is captured, beaten, and locked away for months in an underground cellar. The only way he survives is because of erratic visits - all in total darkness - of a young girl named "Grace" who keeps him alive by telling him tales of her travels mixed with a wild array of facts, experiences, and a description of the house she grew up in.
A fascinating cast of characters
Every town has eccentric characters, and Monta Clare has its fill, several that I came to care deeply about by the novel's end. The town drunk, gigolo, and wealthy art dealer named Sammy lives there. Saint's religious, manly grandmother, Norma, drives a bus and smokes cigars. The Police Chief, Nix, watches over his town and the poor kids like Patch. Dr. Tooms, Mr. and Mrs. Meyers, and Patch's sad, lost mother round out the characters, supplementing the characters of Patch, Saint, and Misty Meyers.
While I don't want to ruin anything, let me tell you that I was entranced, horrified, saddened, and exhilarated by the twists and turns of the novel and the flawed but endearing characters of Monta Clare.
Every resident of the town is dramatically affected by what happens to Patch, especially Saint, whose life's trajectory is altered by the tragedy that befell her best friend.
How art comes from imagination, creativity, and obsession...
For me, a writer, the book's most interesting aspect is the depiction of a true creative process.
Patch cleans Sammy's art gallery, and while there, he steals some paper and begins to sketch the memories of his captivity. Driven by the pictures in his mind, Patch discovers his talent. His thoughts come to life through his paintbrush, urged on by Sammy's brash support.
Because of his horrific experience as a captive, Patch vows to search for Grace and other missing girls. He travels all over the country to interview parents of missing kids. When families give him photos of the lost girls, Paint paints pictures of them using the photographs as inspiration. His art becomes valuable and sought after.
The memories in Patch's head - all based on conversations he had in the total darkness of his captivity with the elusive Grace - become fabulous portraits of girls, along with a beautiful painting of a big white house.
His art becomes valuable and sought after, even though most people believe that "Grace" - the inspiration for his art - was a figment of Patch's imagination, a vision he created as a survival tactic.
Could it happen???
Reading is not always about being informed, educated, or immersed in reality. Sometimes it's just about being absorbed in a great story. After I read this book, I asked myself whether this story could really happen. Was it realistic?
Maybe. Maybe not.
But then I decided it didn't matter.
All the Colors of the Dark was a great story that grabbed hold of me and wouldn't let me go. I wasn't reading the novel as a study in criminology. I wasn't looking for parallels to real-life crime stories. I was reading it to be entertained, taken away to a different time and place, It didn't matter whether the events could have occurred because they were real to me. Turning the pages took me deeper into the alternative reality created by a compelling story.
Bigger questions in All the Colors of the Dark
Chris Whitaker's novel even though fictional, pushes a reader to consider real-life questions:
Is obsession a destructive force, or can it benefit humanity?
Can lasting love be built because you owe someone a debt of gratitude?
What is the basis for a lifelong friendship?
Is it ever okay to do bad things for a greater good?
Does one person's tragedy change another person's life?
What other readers say...
I would be remiss if I didn't thank my friend, Judy, for recommending this book. It's a tremendous pleasure to talk books with other avid readers. So glad I didn't miss this great read, thanks to her!
My friend wasn't the only one who was excited about the book. The book was released on June 25, 2024, and it's been chosen by The Boston Globe as the #1 Thriller/Mystery of 2024 so far. The Washington Post picked it as one of the Best Books of Summer, and Whitaker's novel was chosen as a "Read with Jenna" Book Club pick.
Complimentary book reviews abound:
“All the Colors of the Dark is mesmerizing and intoxicating. Chris Whitaker is a poet who will leave you in breathless awe and suspense. Amazing. Haunting. Unforgettable.”—Patricia Cornwell
and
“This book hits like a sledgehammer. Equal parts harrowing and triumphant, Chris Whitaker’s novel is a haunting story of America, alternating between its twin strands of violence and love. An absolutely must-read novel.”—Gillian Flynn
and
My best read of the summer so far...
I've read some really great works this summer, North Woods by Daniel Mason. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon. The Secret Chord by Geraldine Brooks. Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See, and others.
None of them has been as exciting to read as All the Colors of the Dark.
I'd love to hear what you think!
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Buy All the Colors of the Dark from Amazon (online retailer)
Buy Where the Crawdads Sing from Amazon (online retailer)