Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I think one of the few people in the world who hasn’t heard of Allen Eskens or any of his books. Having just finished this novel, I genuinely can’t understand why. He writes with tenderness, toughness and a style that invites you to buckle up and enjoy the ride.

I believe that this is the follow up prequel to The Life We Bury but as I haven’t read it I can’t say whether The Shadows We Hide is ok as a stand alone or if the first book needs to be read. Personally I found it perfectly fine as a standalone but, like I say, I haven’t read the other novel.

The story moved at a good rate and without I didn’t once feel like I’d been left behind. The books’ characters were solid and my favourite was Jeremy, Joe’s autistic brother though I did like the main character Joe. The emotional journey that Joe goes through in this story is quite raw and it felt like a privilege to travel through it with him. In short, I enjoyed this very much and rate it as three and a half.

Many thanks to Hodder & Staughton and NetGalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my truthful opinion.

The Shadows We Hide is one of those books that’s draws you in from the very beginning and doesn’t let go. Allen Eskens creates a myriad of characters, all of whom have something to offer in their own right.

The main character, Joe Talbert, is an intriguing one - wrestling with his morals throughout the book, and definitely a character I would like to see appear in more books. I did not realise this was a sequel to another book, so I will have to go read that one too.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Imagine what it must be like to read the paper, see on tv etc a murder. Then find out the person who has been murdered has the exactly same name as you.

Joe has that problem and despite a terrible personal life, what with a girlfriend studying for the bar and an autistic brother to look after, he leaves Minneapolis and heads down to Buckley where the murder took place.

That is a good premise. Turns out Joe has a very complicated life. This is a sequel to another book however and I did find the story a little vague until I realised this. The author does a good job at providing backstory but I would advise reading the first one to get a better sense of the characters. These characters are back after years of being away and so I think this book is a revisit to see where certain ones have ended up.

Nevertheless I did enjoy this. Steady paced and a nice denouement. Makes me want to read the others in the series. I really like this author's writing style so for that alone I'm coming back.