The Life We Bury

I was so happy that I gave this book a chance, after passing it over a few times. Joe Talbert is a wonderful protagonist, and as the father of a son with Autism, I felt that Eskens did a wonderful job portraying Talbert's brother, Jeremy.

As someone who works in a college environment, I see essays and other compositions on a regular basis, each one composed under soft conditions, with results leading to low consequences. In short, they are harmless. Mostly. So, I found the premise for this thriller utterly captivating.

What if getting an A on a simple college writing assignment means encountering life-threatening dangers for yourself and the people you love? Is it worth it? In a time when most students don’t even want to think about the details, much less put in the “extra effort” to write something most people would want… show more.

This debut novel by Eskens, while categorized as a mystery thriller, exhibits the qualities of a sophisticated character study.

Joe Talbert, a college student, stumbles upon an unexpected encounter with Carl, a Vietnam War veteran dying of cancer, during a semester project assignment. Inadvertently, Joe becomes entangled in the pursuit of solving a murder mystery. What captivates me most is Eskens' skillful storytelling, where he adeptly weaves his narrative.

It is clear that he possesses the knack for captivating literary agents and editors by expertly pressing all the right buttons.

Joe Talbert’s not your average college student but a hero easy to love for all he’s up against. He’s escaped his mom’s unstable household and her revolving door of abusers, but barely and not really. With his autistic brother Jeremy still in her care, Joe’s in a constant tug-of-war between his family and his future. Joe’s survivor-tough but with a soft side. He needs both when a biography assignment leads him to Carl Iverson, a dying Vietnam vet and convicted felon. How can this war hero be a killer? Chasing the story with Joe is as thrilling as rooting… show more.

College student Joe Talbert takes on a writing assignment for an English class to interview a stranger and write a brief biography of the person. With deadlines looming, Joe finds a dying Vietnam veteran in a nursing home and discovers that he is also a murderer convicted for the crimes of rape and murder, for which he served thirty years in prison. Carl has only a few months to live, as Joe attempts to reconcile the heroism of the soldier with the despicable acts for which he was convicted. Joe finds the truth while dealing with his dangerously dysfunctional mother,… show more.