Some children quietly carry tremendous burdens, and Allen Eskens is masterful in exposing the frustrations of a young adult trying to escape the clutches of an abusive, alcoholic parent-all while trying to take college classes, protect a younger brother, and investigate a murder three decades old. A rich and highly satisfying mystery!' -LYNNE RAIMONDO, author of Dante's Poison 'This tale of inequality lured me in from the first page.

Smart, stylish writing sets the tone in this absorbing debut about Joe's efforts to unearth the truth behind a brutal murder while caring for his autistic brother. Thriller fans should keep their eyes on Eskens he's a comer.' -BOOKLIST 'Joe Talbert is an everyman hero-thoughtful, unassuming, and determined to rise above his circumstances. satisfying resolution.' -PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, STARRED REVIEW 'The tension builds to an all-stops-out finale that works on every level. #7 OCTOBER LIBRARYREADS PICK! 'Allen Eskens delivers a mesmerizing debut, unfolding decades of secrets in a rewarding tale of redemption.' -JULIE KRAMER, Minnesota Book Award winner and author of Delivering Death ' masterful debut. Will Joe discover the truth before it's too late to escape the fallout? But as he and Lila dig deeper into the circumstances of the crime, the stakes grow higher. Thread by thread, Joe unravels the tapestry of Carl's conviction. Joe, along with his skeptical female neighbor, throws himself into uncovering the truth, but he is hamstrung in his efforts by having to deal with his dangerously dysfunctional mother, the guilt of leaving his autistic brother vulnerable, and a haunting childhood memory. As Joe writes about Carl's life, especially Carl's valor in Vietnam, he cannot reconcile the heroism of the soldier with the despicable acts of the convict.

With only a few months to live, he has been medically paroled to a nursing home, after spending thirty years in prison for the crimes of rape and murder. Carl is a dying Vietnam veteran-and a convicted murderer.

There he meets Carl Iverson, and soon nothing in Joe's life is ever the same. With deadlines looming, Joe heads to a nearby nursing home to find a willing subject. His task is to interview a stranger and write a brief biography of the person. A USA Today bestseller and book club favorite College student Joe Talbert has the modest goal of completing a writing assignment for an English class.

The lives we bury book