Bone Deep is a chilling true crime about the inadequacies of a local police force who spent their careers following a template for a television film rather than good detective police work.

The murder of Betsy Faria was a big media story that seemed to have a lot more smoke than fire and using the ruse of blame the husband even though concrete evidence provided proved that he was not responsible. Using attorney testimony and case studies from the case, the author can dive into the case and look at the inconsistencies within the case.

The book also shows how prosecutors can run with the ball and ruin a person’s job due to laziness or incompetence. This is a very interesting read, and it shows that if you are not aware of what is going on around you, you could be a victim of misjustice.

The case unfolds and even points to the person that there is no question of a doubt may have had something to do with it. It shows how the police had a personal vendetta against the husband and ignored all other evidence. I am not sure why this tactic was used but the book does open a lot of questions on how this could have occurred.

The book spends a lot going through the case an informative and direct manner which makes it easy for the layman to follow. It goes from the beginning and leads us to where we are today or to the point the book is written. It is an interesting read and is a lot like the Staircase, a documentary series on Netflix and now a HBO Max television series.

This is a real page turner that keeps the reader involved. It will shock and stun and make you part of the case. It also makes you want to reach out to the husband to show him solace in his circumstances. A true winner.

This was so worth the read. I have never really read true rime but always enjoyed shows and documentaries on true crime. I was really interested in this book. While it took me a while to pick it up, once I did I was hooked. I can’t believe how inept the detectives and judge were. How could they not see what seems to have been in there face the entire time. I had never heard of this story before reading this and now I think I will have to binge all the media coverage.

It is such a tragedy what this family went through and Russell had to endure because of the deception on the side of the law in the first trial.

If you’re interested in true crimes or are someone who had heard of this case before then I’d recommend this book for sure.

Thanks NetGalley for the free review opt in exchange for my honest opinion.

This true crime book was just okay for me. I love true crime stories but this one didn’t seem to give me any real and different information than I had seen on dateline.

It was very very detailed and thorough. My hopes in reading this book were to see if there was any additional information not disclosed of in the dateline programs about it, but I didn’t learn anything new. I would recommend it to anyone who prefers to read as opposed to watch/listen to dateline

Interesting true crime saga of a woman, Betsy Faren and the mystery of her brutal murder. A cancer patient who had a good marriage, although the comments of certain people were judgmental of her husband's' treatment of her. Betsy's husband found her brutally murdered, after spending the night playing games, at a friend's house. to this day her mother believes that he was the assailant. The detectives did not have any other suspect's. One of Betsy friend's, Pam, supposedly was devoted to Betsy. she claimed that she gave her Betsy's life insurance policy to her to hold, upon death, to bless her children.
As the story continues, there was suspicion that Pam had a motive to kill Betsy for the money. After Betsy's husband spend time incarcerated, Pam was investigated & found guilty of the gruesome & senseless murder.
My interest was sparked to read this book because it was a True Story. It was very detailed which was intriguing. I feel that some of the characters were not sufficiently developed which caused me some confusion while the investigation was conducted My intuition told me that her friend was the criminal. Therefore the story did not create enough mystery for me.

I loved this book alot. I have always loved reading book thats a memior, biography, and a story about someone that died from either old age or being murdered or suicide. This story follows the life of Besty Faria and her tragic end. I think everyone should read this and I will be for sure getting a physical copy.

This is an awful case. I am starting to think that we need more women writing true crime. The men’s writing was a little flat and I wished the victim was more fleshed out. I didn’t feel like she was a person. They obviously did a lot of research but I don’t think long form crime writing is their forte.

Charles Bosworth Jr. and Joel J. Schwartz’s Bone Deep: Untangling the Betsy Faria Murder Case (Kensington 2022) is a classic true crime tale of murder, intrigue, suspicion, and wrongful conviction. The book is fast-paced, and the case is shocking: Betsy Faria was brutally murdered in her home and discovered by her husband, Russ. Russ is suspected of her murder from the beginning, despite the fact that he had an air-tight alibi and there was not a shred of physical evidence against him. Surprisingly, the police did not consider the last person to see Besty alive as a suspect in her murder. That person was Betsy’s friend Pam Hupp, and Bone Deep details Pam’s sordid and shocking tale.

One of the things I liked the most about this book was the way it details Russ’s trial. Every word that is said by the lawyers and the judge is relayed to the reader, making you feel as though you are watching Court TV. And, if there’s any trial to be a fly on the wall for, it is this one. The unethical and illegal conduct by the prosecution and judge were some of the worst I have ever seen and having an exact play-by-play of the trial really drove that home. This trial in particular is a great study of just how wrong trial can go, and just how little protections are built into the American justice system for the accused. The authors make this clear by relaying the trial carefully and clearly, spending more than half the book dissecting its events. Another element of this book that is very effective is the way that it examines the investigation done by law enforcement. The book’s criticisms of the investigation are plentiful and justified. There were outrageous missteps made by law enforcement and gross negligence that led to an innocent man being thrown in prison. The book details this negligence in full and does not hesitate to connect these dots for the reader.

Another really effective aspect of this book was its profile of Pam Hupp. The book goes into great detail not only about the crimes she committed or was suspected to commit, but also about her background. Bone Deep offers an explanation of how and why Hupp behaved so erratically, and this is something I appreciated as a reader. Some logical explanations are especially welcome in the case such as this one where the dramatic trial of Russ is only the tip of the iceberg. One thing I did not appreciate in the book’s profiling of Pam is the way the narrative would sometimes make comments about Pam’s weight or general appearance. This kind of approach is not unheard of in true crime narratives; these texts often want to establish or highlight monstrosity in a perpetrator, and they do this by presenting the offender in a grotesque manner. This is not my favorite practice and always reads to me as lazy and/or sloppy. However, this only occurs a few times in the text and the establishment of Pam as a criminal relies much more on the facts of the case than it does her physical appearance.

For its breakneck speed, attention to detail, and careful storytelling, this text is worth your time.

Please add Bone Deep to your Goodreads shelf, and visit Charles Bosworth Jr.’s website.

Don’t forget to follow True Crime Index on Twitter and please visit our Goodreads for updates on what we’re reading!

About the Writer:

Jesyka Traynor is an academic living in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. When she’s not writing or researching her dissertation, she’s consuming all the true crime and non-fiction she can find time for. Jesyka holds two degrees in English literature and is currently pursuing a doctorate in contemporary Californian literature. Her work on women in twenty-first century true crime has been published in Crime Fiction Studies.

I love crime books and this book hit the mark. Basically, Russ Faria came home to find his wife dead by knife wound. His wife had cancer so he though she killed herself. But like all true crime – the police looked at this and believe Russ killed her. The police, prosecutor, and inexperienced judge – all played a part because once they had a suspect they quick to convict. He was convicted and sent to jail. The miscarriage of justice as the whole system seems to fail as it breaks down at every turn like dominoes. This book was amazing with the information and research will keep your interest. So good, could not put it down. I will be checking out other books by this author. I would highly recommend this book.

***I received this book (ARC) in exchange for my honest review by Kensington Books and NetGalley.

I have now read this book, listened to the podcast and am up to date on the show. I have read/listened/watched a lot of true crime cases but have not come across anything quite like this before.

I really enjoyed the way this book provided many details about Betsy's case as well as much more information about Pam. It really helped me understand more about Pam and the timeline of events. If you watch the show or listen to the podcast, I think reading the book Is a must!

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Available Now!

Oh. My. Gosh. If you are a true crime person or and addict of the true crime world you’ve heard the podcast #thethingaboutpam which is also now a series. While this story is absolutely devastating it is also #mindblowing. This lady #pamhupp murders her “best friend” #bettyfaria all the while framing her husband. Which *spoiler alert* she manages to pull off for a hot minute. #bonedeep goes in to so much background and depth. Things you may have missed in the podcasts. It is factual and full of page turning oh my gosh moments. It is truly unbelievable what this woman did. From start to finish your jaw will be on the ground. #charlesbosworthjr #joelschwartz #kensingtonbooks #netgalleyarc I was so impressed with the writing style and story telling that these men offered. Five out of five stars ✨ #truecrime #truecrimepodcast #keithmorrison #dateline #murder #bookstagram #readersofinstagram

In his closing remarks at the conclusion of Russ Faria's second murder trial, the presiding judge told the courtroom the following: "The investigation into the facts and theories of this case by law enforcement is rather disturbing and, frankly, raises more questions than answers."

After reading Bone Deep, I have to say that's the understatement of the century.

The tragic murder of Betsy Faria occurred at the end of 2011, and in the years since Russ Faria's two trials, the murder has been widely covered by the media: It was featured on Dateline, it was the subject of a podcast and has been discussed on numerous other true crime podcasts, and it's the subject of NBC's recent limited series, The Thing About Pam. Co-written by Russ Faria's dogged, dedicated, and determined defense attorney, Joel Schwartz, Bone Deep is an insider's account of the facts surrounding Betsy's murder -- and the way those facts were misconstrued, manipulated, or downright ignored by prosecutors, police, and the justice system to result in the conviction of an innocent man.

The book is well-organized, impeccably researched, and totally riveting, with nearly all of the dialogue lifted from police interviews, court transcripts, audio and video recordings, and depositions. Even though I was aware of this case on a surface level prior to reading Bone Deep, my jaw dropped several times as Schwartz and Bosworth revealed the facts of the case and the various ways it was mishandled by police and the prosecutor. It's astounding that this actually happened, because it really is stranger and more outlandish than fiction.

He's probably not the most unbiased person to write this account, but regardless, Joel Schwartz is exactly the type of lawyer an innocent person would want to have on their side. He went to great professional lengths to get justice for both Russ and Betsy, confident that the truth would ultimately prevail...and it did. "The Thing About Pam" is...she's now behind bars, exactly where she belongs.

On December 27, 2011, Russ Faria was at his usual Tuesday evening game night, where he and his friends enjoyed role-playing board games and watching movies. On the way back to his house in Troy, Missouri, Russ had two sandwiches from Arby's and texted his wife Betsy that he was on his way back. Russ received no response and assumed his wife had gone to sleep after a tiring chemotherapy session for her cancer.

Instead of finding Betsy peacefully asleep Russ found her dead in the living room, with multiple stab wounds and a knife sticking out of her neck. Knowing that Betsy had been depressed about her health, Russ called 911 and cried, "I just got home from a friend's house and my wife killed herself."

Police detectives soon determined that Betsy was murdered, and in fact, the stiffness of the body indicated Betsy had been dead for some time. Nevertheless, the cops immediately dubbed Russ Faria the killer despite the fact he had a rock solid alibi for the time of death. The events that followed, with willfully blind cops, an obstinate district attorney, and an inexperienced judge are tragic.

If you're unfamiliar with the Russ Faria case, there are spoilers ahead.

SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT

Russ should have called a lawyer before speaking to the police, but hindsight is 20/20 and Russ allowed himself to be questioned by detectives for hours and hours, not realizing that every word he said was twisted to 'prove' his guilt.

When Russ finally got a defense attorney, Armani-clad Joel Schwartz, the lawyer immediately saw the obvious. In Schwartz's view, the major suspect for Betsy's murder should be Betsy's 'friend' Pamela Hupp. On the day of Betsy's death Pam maneuvered to drive Betsy home; Pam was the last person to see Betsy alive; Pam made a series of suspicious phone calls; Pam stood to gain $150,000 as the new beneficiary of Pam's life insurance policy; and Pam's story about what happened that night changed from minute to minute. Moreover, Pam went out of her way to badmouth Russ and to point the police in his direction.

In this book, Schwartz and his co-author Charles Bosworth, Jr. give a step-by-step account of Russ's activities on the night of Betsy's murder; the police questioning of witnesses; the police/district attorney manipulation of witnesses; the lies that were told; and the trials and re-trials that followed. In the midst of the hubbub, the NBC program 'Dateline' became interested in Betsy's story: "A popular, outgoing woman already stricken with terminal cancer stabbed fifty-five times in her home in a quiet Midwest town....A husband arrested despite a seemingly ironclad alibi that put him thirty miles away....A good friend who became the life insurance beneficiary days before the murder and was the last one to see the victim alive." Dateline may well have been instrumental in inflaming public opinion and securing Russ a second trial.

This is a fascinating tale of justice subverted, a debacle that left Pam Hupp free to commit additional crimes. If this was fiction, you'd say it stretched believability to the breaking point. In any case, this is now a HULU mini-series called "The Thing About Pam", starring Renée Zellweger as Pam Hupp and Josh Duhamel as Joel Schwartz.

The book is highly recommended to true crime fans.

Thanks to Netgalley, Joel Schwartz and Charles Bosworth, Jr., and Kensington Books for a copy of the book.

Bone Deep tackles the fascinating story of the murder of Betsy Faria and the wrongful conviction of her husband Russ. I am a huge Dateline fan, so I had heard the story. I listened to Dateline's podcast "There's something about Pam" as well. I was familiar with story, but having Russ Faria's attorney give insight into what went wrong in the initial murder trial was new. The Dateline focus is on Pam and how ridiculous she is. Bone Deep explores the mistakes that were made in the investigation that allowed Pam to go on to murder 2 more people.

Joel Schwartz is the defense attorney for Russ Faria and so you get to see the case from his eyes. He breaks down some of the missteps in the investigation, but also the missteps in the trial by the judge. There were decisions that were made that all but ensured Russ would be found guilty. If you are interested in wrongful convictions, this is a great listen. If you are interested it totally weird murders, this is a great listen! Either way, the story is fascinating! I switched back and forth between reading and listening, and the narrator is good. I find true crime stories easier to listen to than fiction for some reason!

This was such an interesting case. I had not listened to the podcast or watched the tv episodes so this case was new to me. It was shocking how wrong the case went right from the start. This book was very focused on the trial. I would say probably 70%of the book was recounting the trial or police interrogation. In this case, both were pretty interesting but it was sometimes a bit difficult to keep the timeline straight. Overall, this book taught me a lot about the case and held my interest which made it a great true crime book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I started this book, believing what most people would when they form an opinion on who did it, with the usual ..the husband did it. It was a harrowing story that kept me reading, and dumb founded that this could even happen. I am a huge fan of true crime novels, but this story had an unusual spin and you become anguished at the justice system as you continue to read. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

This is an absolutely shocking story of the murder of Betsy the wife of Russell at the hands of her friend Pam.A murder Russ was convicted of and no matter what his excellent attorneyJoel Schwartz did to get a fair trial an inept Judge and a district attorney put on a corrupt case so biased so unfair.This is abook that will absolutely shock reads like a novel but is true.There we’re so many heroes in this case Chris Hayes a reporter who watched the trial in disbelief and fought to help free the defendant.So well written y
I felt like iwas in the courtroom.Will be watching the series based on this shocking true crime story.#netgalley #kensingtonbooks

This book had me hooked from the beginning as it tells the story of how Russ Faria found his wife dead after returning from game night with friends , not assuming murder , and he winds up being the key suspect . His lawyer helps to paint the anguish he experienced throughout the ordeal and how he carried him through to fight his way to justice even when he didn’t have the strength to do it himself . A very good read which shows how greed can take over . Trial portions of the book are very lengthy but detailed and informative . Highly recommend it

I looooved this audiobook. It was like listening to a podcast but in super long form. I have been fascinated with this case since hearing about it from Dateline but this obviously covered much more than what Dateline could get in to. I would definitely read more from this author.

This case - and this boook - is a gift for true crime afficiandos. As much as I am one, somehow I missed this case when it happened. Maybe that was good though because reading this book made it as much a page turner as a great mystery by any favorite writer. It kept me engaged and feeling as sorry for the the husband charged as stunned as how the true perpetrator, the "friend" could be ultimately seen as responsible - and then equally angered by how the prosecutor and judge handled the case with inadmissability of crucial evidence. Even if you know this case - and by now most reading this will because of the current mini-series "The Thing About Pam" - you will be drawn in to the details in the book and the recounting of the story. Your heart will break even more for the family that lost their wife and mother and the totally innocent victim years later who had nothing to do with any part of the original crime. An advance copy of Bone Deep was made possible through NetGalley without any obligation or commitment for a supportive or positive review.