I was moved and impressed by this first entry in the Joe Talbert and Max Rupert Series. Allen Eskens is a wonderful storyteller and highly gifted writer and darn it. Now I have to fit in at least the rest of this series with my huge audible or kindle library. Still, The Life We Bury touched on so many issues. Joe is in college but only just making it from saving money and working during school. His teenaged younger brother is on the autism spectrum and his mother is, at best neglectful and at worst dangerous with her use of alcohol and choice of boyfriends. So Joe has found himself called home to care for his brother when she has yet another DUI. Her mental health issues lead to emotionally abusive behavior. Joe desperately wants to make something of himself.
On the same apartment floor as Joe is an aloof student, L. Nash. He is interested and she is giving him no encouragement. Even after she meets his little brother when he seeks help with the television set. Meanwhile, Joe has an assignment to write a biography about an older person. He doesn’t know his father and his mother is not a good choice, so he gets help from a nearby nursing home. Except one of the few residents who can remember his life and discuss it was released from prison to die at the nursing him. He was convicted of a heinous crime. As Joe gathers corroborative information for his paper, a requirement in the assignment, he gets interested enough to investigate the crime, the trial and the other people affected. This leads to some encounters with both wonderful and problematic people.
Eskens draws engaging characters and includes settings and backstories and details the way I like them. Plentiful. This is a well plotted mystery in present day that touches on the Vietnam war, on roles of men, women, bullies, murderers and more. Wonderful piece of work. It was well narrated by Zach Villa.
They Called me Bookworm 