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Sunshine, secrets, and swoon-worthy stories—June's featured reads are your perfect summer escape.

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He doesn�t need a woman in his life; she knows he can�t live without her.


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A promise rekindled. A secret revealed. A second chance at the family they never had.


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A cowboy with a second chance. A waitress with a hidden gift. And a small town where love paints a brand-new beginning.


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She�s racing for a prize. He�s dodging romance. Together, they might just cross the finish line to love.


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She steals from the mob for justice. He�s the FBI agent who could take her down�or fall for her instead.


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He�s her only protection. She�s carrying his child. Together, they must outwit a killer before time runs out.


The Life We Bury

The Life We Bury, October 2014
by Allen Eskens

Seventh Street Books
Featuring: Carl Iverson; Joe Talbert
300 pages
ISBN: 1616149981
EAN: 9781616149987
Kindle: B00JTA9Z7G
Paperback / e-Book
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"A debut novel that will keep you reading late into the night"

Fresh Fiction Review

The Life We Bury
Allen Eskens

Reviewed by Sharon Salituro
Posted January 11, 2015

Fiction

Joe is a college student. One of Joe's assignments is to write a biography of a total stranger. Joe has no idea where to start. So he decides to go to an old folk's home and interview one of them. After speaking to the manger of the senior citizens home, she suggests that he interview Carl. Carl is a convicted murder, and has served his time. Carl is at the senior home, because he is now dying of cancer. Joe is very hesitant to interview Carl, as he has no idea, what kind of story any one would want to hear about a convict. After meeting and talking to Carl, Joe is sure this is the man he wants to interview. After several meetings Joe finds out that Carl may not be the killer people think that he is. Joe's goal is to try and get the real story behind Carl's life. And maybe help him clear his name. Joe has no idea all of the trouble that he could get in by trying to make this happen before Carl passes away. Joe takes on this assignment with some help from his neighbor Lila. Joe and Lila have no idea what they have gotten themselves into. THE LIFE WE BURY by Allen Eskens is a very interesting read. Since this is Allen Eskens' first book, he has a great career before him. I would have no problem reading his books. I really like how he got behind the story about these two main characters that had nothing in common.

Learn more about The Life We Bury

SUMMARY

College student Joe Talbert has the modest goal of completing a writing assignment for an English class. His task is to interview a stranger and write a brief biography of the person. With deadlines looming, Joe heads to a nearby nursing home to find a willing subject. There he meets Carl Iverson, and soon nothing in Joe's life is ever the same. Iverson is a dying Vietnam veteran--and a convicted murderer. 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. 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. 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. Thread by thread, Joe unravels the tapestry of Carl's conviction. But by the time Joe discovers the truth, it is too late to escape the fallout.


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