What Lies Buried by Leslie Kain Book Review by Darla Yocom

What Lies Buried by Leslie Kain
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Immediately upon starting this book, I was heartbroken reading how the character, Gavin, was dealing with trauma, PTSD, and learning of the emotional abuse he experienced throughout his lifetime. Seeing the impact it had on his daily life, let alone his work in his and his wife’s restaurant is downright agonizing. On the flip side, his wife’s life is turned upside down and also that of their toddler daughter. They learn to recognize and gently react, as needed when the PTSD triggers a hypersensitive reaction from Gavin. Anyone who has dealt with or knows someone who has dealt with any aspect of this type of trauma can relate to the way the author describes these reactions and the consequences of them.

When Gavin reluctantly visits his father’s estate to wrap up any lingering issues, you learn more about his family, his past, and the mob. His personal struggles are causing him to behave erratically and being back in Boston isn’t helping his situation either.

Gavin’s wife, Katie has a lot on her plate. Besides constantly worrying about Gavin and his health, she is running the restaurant on her own, raising their daughter and running the art gallery. Due to her previous love of art, she is well placed with the art gallery. This incredible story shows Katie as her love and appreciation for art expands. If you are creative in any way, her art journey and passion will resonate with you.

The overall book flows well thanks to the creative way the author chose to tell this story. The characters are not perfect, so that makes them more relatable on all levels. I enjoyed reading this book and felt as if I could not put it down. I wanted to know what was coming next and lost a bit of sleep over it. I think the mysterious tone was consistent and not overly complex, which made reading this so satisfying.

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