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. The son of a single and very alcoholic mother, he’s worked hard to save enough money to leave his home in Austin, Minnesota, for. Joe Talbert has had very few breaks in his 21 years. 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. A struggling student’s English assignment turns into a mission to solve a 30-year-old murder. 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. Book cover of Finlay Donovan Is Killing It Death in Lovers Lane. Carl is a dying Vietnam veteran-and a convicted murderer. About the Author Allen Eskens is the award-winning and USA Todaybestselling author of The Life We Bury, The Guise of Another, and The Heavens May Fall. 10 books like The Life We Bury Finlay Donovan Is Killing It. 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. With his autistic brother Jeremy still in her care, Joe’s in a constant tug-of-war between his family and his future. He’s escaped his mom’s unstable household and her revolving door of abusers, but barely and not really. The All Good Books group will discuss Allen Eskens' novel The Life We Bury this Thursday, Septemat 7 PM on Zoom. His task is to interview a stranger and write a brief biography of the person. Joe Talbert’s not your average college student but a hero easy to love for all he’s up against. A USA Today bestseller and book club favorite!Ĭollege student Joe Talbert has the modest goal of completing a writing assignment for an English class.

Books like the life we bury