The debut novel of a former Helias graduate is being hailed as "masterful," "mesmerizing" and "well-crafted" by a host of national reviewers this fall.
Called "The Life We Bury," the book was written by Allen Eskens, a former Jefferson City resident who now works as an attorney in Mankato, Minnesota.
He will make an appearance from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on Saturday at Downtown Book and Toy.
Eskens - whose family owned Eskens Drywall - still has roots here; five of his siblings live in Jefferson City. After graduating from Helias in 1981 and attending college in Iowa and Minnesota, he earned his law degree and now practices criminal defense law.
"But I always wanted to write novels," he said.
And so, a couple of years ago, he did.
"The Life We Bury" tells the story of struggling college student Joe Talbert. When a writing assignment introduces the student to Carl Iverson - a man dying of cancer who has been medically paroled after spending 30 years in prison for the murder of a 14-year-old girl - he has no idea it will send him tumbling into the heart of a mystery that will threaten to end his life.
Eskens said his novel runs on two tracks. One is a conventional murder mystery; the other examines the inter-workings of a dysfunctional family, since Talbert is caught between his bi-polar, alcoholic mother and his 18-year-old autistic brother.
"Throughout the novel, Joe has to intercede to protect his brother and is conflicted every time he has to once again leave his brother behind. The power of that guilt weighs heavily upon Joe," Eskens said.
Eskens said his legal experience informed the novel. Some of the characters in the story developed from people he'd met working as an attorney, and the unraveling of the mystery required an understanding of investigation and police procedure, he added.
In his online biography, Eskens described his goal as an author.
"An ingenuous plot won't carry a story if the characters do not resonate. I strive to give each character a depth that makes them real to the reader, telling their stories through subplots, giving them a history that make the characters come alive," he wrote.
Eskens has been gratified by the positive buzz the book has generated.
Numerous reviewers have praised the book, published by Seventh Street Books and distributed by Random House.
Kirkus Reviews reported: "Esken's debut is a solid and thoughtful tale of a young man used to taking on burdens beyond his year."
And Booklist noted: "The tension builds to an all-stops-out finale that works on every level. Thriller fans should keep their eyes on Eskens; he's a comer."
For his first attempt at a novel, Eskens did most of his writing on weeknights - churning out a chapter a week - saving his weekends for editing.
"I jumped right in the deep end," he said. "I'm very pleased with how it's going."