Patch is a bit of a loner. Real name Joe, he goes by Patch due to the fact that he only has one eye and he wears an eye patch and therefore believes he is a pirate. He thinks like a pirate, talks like a pirate and plays pirate games which makes him altogether seen by the other kids as a bit of a freak and he is treated as such. Living with his mother who is ill-equipped to look after herself, never mind a young boy, he spends his days taking on the parenting role and doing what he can to survive. But life soon delivers him to the door of Saint Brown, his new best friend and knowledgeable about all things bee related. She just loves Patch and all his little quirks. The pair spend their days together and Saint and her grandmother quietly welcome Patch into their lives, making sure he eats and generally looking out for him. However, one day Patch intervenes when someone is in trouble and finds himself kidnapped and held in total darkness. His only company is a young girl who keeps him sane with stories of her life. But is she real or a figment of his imagination?  Saint Brown however never gives up looking for him and does everything in her power to convince Police Chief Nix that Patch is still alive.

Its so difficult to write a review for a book like this because I really don't want to give too much away about it. I want you to savour the wonderful plot with all its twists and turns and surprises along the way. Chris Whitaker has really delivered a book that is not only full of suspense and intrigue but is bursting with emotion, sadness and hope all wrapped up in an amazing book. But the main theme throughout is love. Patch and Saint's enduring love for one another from childhood to adulthood and the fact that Saint never gives up on him. I love her character so much. She is sassy, yet caring and has such a wonderful heart. Her own story also tore at my heartstrings and there is a plot twist with her I did NOT see coming. In fact there was a lot in this book I did not see coming!

Patch McCauley just simply broke my heart time and time again. His life was so affected by his experiences as a kidnap victim and his own experiences of having a parent who was effectively absent in his upbringing. He spends his life searching for not only a person he never actually saw while he was being held prisoner, but for everything else that was missing in his life, often not realising that he had all he needed in Saint and indeed in himself. The closing sentences in this book had me sobbing and when I went to bed that night I simply couldn't sleep because I couldn't get all the characters out of my head. So, at 2.30am I got up and began to make notes about the book and I started reading it again! All The Colours of the Dark is right up there with my all time favourite books and I'm so looking forward to an author event with Chris Whitaker on the 4th August in my home town! A highly recommended read. This is an author I will be following with interest.