By Kathryn Reed

Seeking justice isn’t what Joe Talbert was after. He just wanted an interesting subject for one of his college classes. He got that and then some when he chose convicted child murder Carl Iverson.

As a former defense attorney Allen Eskens has an authenticity with the criminal details that many writers struggle with.

“The Life We Bury” (Seventh Street Books, 2014) isn’t your ordinary crime novel. There is depth to it on multiple levels. The title is apropos in that most people are more than what appears on the surface; we all have a past, just some are more interesting than others.

Relationships are one of the key aspects of this book. Some are developed better than others, but all have relevance.

The book starts out full of clichés and is a bit overwritten, but then Eskens settles in to a good rhythm. The ending is a bit rushed; where it seems like the author just wants to be done.

But the meat of the book is well written and intriguing. There is enough substance to keep wanting to turn the pages.

“The Life We Bury” was July’s book club book. Unfortunately, I was not able to make it to the meeting to know what my friends thought of it.

While this genre won’t be for everyone, it is a good, fast read.