A long time ago I read The Life we Bury and loved it.
Last year I read Nothing More Dangerous and thought maybe the author was a one hit wonder but I remembered liking the first book and so I decided to read one from in between.
This was an excellent mystery with lots of twists. ( )

Like any seasoned mystery author, Allen Eskens layers incident upon incident building a 'bomb' that will explode towards the end. So it is with 'The Shadows We Hide', the sequel to the first Joe Talbert book. What I enjoy most about this author is how he weaves humanity into the story 'fabric', affording the reader something more than crime alone. Rather than dazzle with gore, blood and explosive anger, he integrates compassion, forgiveness and family while the 'bomb' nears explosion. Joe's autistic brother and girlfriend studying for the bar exam are icing on the cake, the plot twisting until the last few pages, which is the mark of a great mystery writer. While he doesn't complicate plots with copious elements of research, he keeps the reader engaged with story; and that's what best selling authors are about! I've read three or four of his books now, and none of them let me down. If you enjoy mystery, interesting characters and constantly twisting plots, read his books; you won't be disappointed! ( )

There was a lot going on in this book - great story, lots of people's interactions, and very emotional. A lot of redemption going on, if you like that sort of thing, but makes it hard to read when you get all teary-eyed. But it helps prevent dry eyes from reading too much, which I kept doing.

You definitely want to read the first Joe Talbert book, [b: The Life We Bury|20758175|The Life We Bury (Joe Talbert, #1; Max Rupert, #1)|Allen Eskens|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1437077793l/20758175._SY75_.jpg|40090621], as this one continues on from that. But you won't regret reading it, as it was also excellent.

I will say that Joe became a slight jerk in some parts of this book, but not too much. I think he redeemed himself, though, and admitted to himself that he was wrong, then admitted it to others. Nobody's perfect, unfortunately, but fortunately, it wasn't permanent - I hope. ( )

A young reporter must come to terms with his past - and present - while investigating the murder of a man he believes could be his father. Joe is shocked to discover that the dead man was a loathsome lowlife who squandered his wife's inheritance - an inheritance that may now be Joe's. Mired in uncertainty, Joe must piece together his family history - before his quest for discovery threatens to put him in a grave of his own.

This was a so-so story that never really drew me in. Joe’s decisions and actions were often not believable as he investigates. His character was more appealing to me in the 1st book of this series. It did move at a good pace and had an interesting twist at the end. ( )

Sequel to The Life We Bury. Joe finds out who his father is and that he is dead. He solves the mystery and gets a better hold on his life. ( )