I enjoy reading true crime stories but sometimes reading this story I had to keep reminding myself it was true. It is a must read for any one who enjoys reading about true crime.

I received an ARC from Net Gallery but review is my opinion!

I found this book to be interesting. I live in St. Louis and this case happened locally. It was covered very heavily by the local news stations and it is such a strange case that I was eager to read a more in-depth look at what really happened. This is definitely one case that is stranger than anything you could make up. I do feel like I have a much better understanding of the case after reading this book.

I am not going to rehash all of the details of the case but it is rather sad. After finding his wife dead, Russell Faria was suspected and eventually convicted of her murder. This is despite the fact that the last person to see her alive was the same woman who had just become the beneficiary of her life insurance policy. At the second trial, he was found not guilty only to have the same woman attempt to frame him for a second murder. It is really amazing what Pam Hupp was almost able to get away with.

I knew a lot about the case going into the book since I have seen quite a lot of the coverage so the book started out rather dry for me since it was rehashing things I already knew for the most part. Things did get more interesting as the book progressed and I did learn a lot of things that I didn’t know before picking up the book. I do want to mention that one of the co-authors is actually Russ Faria’s defense attorney. I think that is important not only because he had a lot of knowledge about the case from an insider’s point of view very early on but also because of the possibility of some bias in the narrative.

I would recommend this book to others. I found this to be an eye-opening account of a case that I wanted to know a bit more about. I am glad I decided to give this book a try.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Kensington Books via NetGalley.

I had not heard of the Betsy Faria murder case before reading this true crime book. I don't follow true crime programs either, but when I saw this was featured as a Dateline series called Stranger Than Fiction and an upcoming March 8 premiere on NBC called The Thing About Pam starring Renée Zellweger. Count me in!

Well written and detailed, I flew through parts of it and other parts were a little bogged down with the repetition of some facts. I didn't really mind because of the depth and incredible research involved.

No one could ask for a more competent defence attorney than Joel Schwartz. He was unfailing in his pursuit of the truth and confident that the facts would prevail. After finishing the book, I was able to find some clips on YouTube and see all the real life people who were caught up in this most chilling murder. The reporter, Chris Hayes of Fox 2 was also credited in his investigative reporting that brought justice.

The Author's note mentions that most of the dialogue among the sources were taken verbatim from court transcripts, depositions, and video/audio recordings.

Fascinating!

Thanks to NG and Kensington books for my ARC. OUT Feb 22, 2022
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This book was so well written and will delight any true crime fan. I have listened to a few podcast about this case, so I was already familiar with it. This took a much deeper dive into the case and I really enjoyed it. Most things I’ve listened to focus all on Pam, so I enjoyed learning about Russ as well.

Bone Deep: Untangling the Betsy Faria Murder Case by Charles Henry Bosworth and Joel Schwartz

A big thank you to @kensingtonbooks for the opportunity to read this eARC! This is the story behind NBC’s mini series “The Thing About Pam.” Publish date is 02/22/2022 and you can reserve your copy now.

Betsy Faria was battling cancer for the second time and as a result had been suffering from depression. When her husband arrived home to find her dead body covered in blood and slashes, he sprung into action and calls 911 for assistance. Once on the scene, the police profile Russ and decide he is their murderer. Bias and some incompetent investigation results in his being charged and the true murderer not being given a second look until it was too late. This story sheds light on this side of the justice system and confirmation bias.


I realized once I as several chapters deep that this was actually a case that I had heard about on the #truecrimepodcast #myfavoritemurder. I really enjoyed getting to take an deeper dive on this one to learn how the seemingly wild court case came about. The format of storytelling in this book was great - start by setting the scene with the murder and then tell the story from investigation to trial. You’re guided with the facts and the amount of information given but also free to speculate and sympathize with various players. The narrating style reminded me of Helter Skelter, another true crime favorite of mine. This was well researched and well written. I would recommend for anyone interested in true crime and criminal justice books.

What I liked:
-Direct dialogue that put you in the action.
-Well researched presentation of the facts of the case, as well as the follow up thereafter.

What I thought could be improved:
-A bit lengthy with the background on certain players. Some information was helpful to understanding the judge’s decision but I found the background of the lawyers a bit superfluous.
-A weird glitch with the eBook format caused the page numbering system to be off. Sometimes I would turn the page and the page count would increase by increments of 3-4.

"The investigation and prosecution of Russ Faria was an unmitigated and unjust disaster of incompetence and legal prejudice that had to be exposed to the public."

The quote above pretty much sums up what happened during the police investigation and trial. I am not one for non-fiction but after hearing this was going to be a mini series and reading my friend Jan's review I couldn't pass up requesting an ARC...And am I ever glad I did. This book was shocking and had me shaking my head at the American justice system, if there is ever an example needed of why there should not be a death penalty this case is the perfect one. Can you imagine being found guilty of murdering your wife, when you are actually innocent!? This book gets into the nitty gritty of detective work, the judicial system and the prosecutor's office. I loved the intricate details and the fact that the defending council helped write the book. The Lord Byron quote "'Tis strange -- but true; for truth is always strange; Stranger than fiction; if it could be told, How much would novels gain by the exchange!" kept going through my head the entire time I was reading this. I am just glad justice was finally served and that Russ and Betsy's family family got closure and the real culprit is behind bars. If you love police procedural and/or courtroom dramas this book is for you!

This was an excellent book about the Betsy Faria murder case. If you've heard the podcast "The Thing About Pam", then you are already familiar with this case. Having listened to the podcast when it first came out, I had forgotten a lot of the details and was excited to read a book about it. I will admit thinking to myself "it's already a podcast AND there's a miniseries about it coming out, do we really need a book, too?". But after reading Bone Deep, I'd say yes, this book was needed.

Rather than just focus on Pam and the things she did, this book takes us through Russ Faria's experience and wrongful conviction. We get to essentially go inside the police interrogation room and courtroom with Russ and realize how poorly handled this case really was. It was mind-blowing to realize how much Pam got away with for so long, and how police were so focused on Russ Faria (despite his rock-solid alibi and not a shred of evidence against him) that they never really investigated Pam despite how obviously connected she was to this case.

I felt a range of emotions while reading this book - sadness and anger for Betsy, who lost her life, frustration for Russ, who should never have been arrested, and disbelief and anger at Pam who treated other's lives as expendable.

This book will be compelling to you if you have an interest in court proceedings, courtroom dramas, and/or true crime. Whether you know nothing or a whole lot about this case, I think you will learn a lot more from reading this book. It was very well-researched and written. I also enjoyed reading it before the miniseries comes out, because now I feel that I know so much more going into it and it will be fresh in my mind when I watch the television show.

Thank you to NetGalley and Citadel Press for the e-galley of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book was very interesting to me because I lived in the area at the time it took place. I remember reading about it. This overview of the crime is generally well done, especially if you like your non-fiction with a journalistic bent. The writers are journalists, and it shows, most notably in the first two chapters. Despite that, from the beginning it’s clear that the writers have a very definite viewpoint. They are biased, one could say, though eventually their beliefs are justified in the courts, though it takes some time. Overall, a good true crime read.

True crime!

I really don’t read much true crime. The last one I think I read was about 15 years ago but hey ho, it satisfied the “something different” itch. And what a story this is - a story of a monstrous travesty of justice! It’s hard to believe this is a true story. I understand it was widely covered in American media but, being from the antipodes, I had heard nothing about it.

Russ Faria returned home from his regular Tuesday game night night with friends to find his wife dead with a knife sticking out of her neck. He was shocked and horrified. He called 911. He assumed Betsy had killed herself as she had terminal cancer, had been depressed and had attempted suicide before. This assumption cost him dearly because under the blanket covering her were 55 stab wounds. The police believed Russ was trying to cover up the fact he murdered her and from then on they fitted him up for the crime, ignoring evidence that he could not have been present when she died and ignoring any possibility that another, very plausible, suspect was available. So Russ is charged with murder and eventually the case proceeds to trial.

Russ was very lucky he had such a good and staunch lawyer. Joel Schwartz saw straight away that Russ could not be guilty and believed the case would prove him right. Unfortunately Russ was saddled with a very inexperienced judge - how does a judge with no experience in criminal trials get to cut their teeth in such a high profile murder case? But worse was that the prosecutor was so convinced Russ was guilty that she twisted every bit of evidence or lack thereof to her purpose. Luckily the judge and prosecutor were so blatantly biased and plain wrong on many points of law that Schwartz had every confidence of getting a mistrial granted or, at the very least, having grounds for an appeal.

Russ was eventually exonerated but he had spent some years in jail and the real killer had gone on to kill again. It was a horrific story and you have to wonder how many people, who didn’t have such a determined lawyer, are wrongly sitting in a cell right now. This is why I am opposed to the death penalty. Mistakes do happen. Many thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books, Citadel for an e-galley of this book.

I think most people are not good at telling lies. Either their facial expression or their voice gives them away and the truth, in some form, is revealed. There is a character in this book who seems to get away with lies every time they open their mouth; and the police were evidently willing to believe all the lies or just found it easier not to challenge the information. I suppose it happens pretty often that lies are accepted as fact if the fact makes your own life easier. Untangling the Betsy Faria Murder Case is what this book is all about and the tangle was quite a mess. However, the telling of this story is written in a wonderfully easy style, so the pages seemed to flow from one police interview; one attorney/client conversation; one description of the crime scene to another with a smoothness and urgency that kept me focused on this book for hours at a time.

The law enforcement officials and the attorneys investigating and prosecuting this case certainly did an awful job. I also think the defense attorney missed asking some pretty obvious questions that just might have helped provide some positive evidence regarding Russ Faria, husband of Betsy and charged in her death. But then I've never been involved in anything even coming close to all the legal quagmire this case was. I'm sure most criminal cases are full of missed opportunities for one side or the other to get their point across. What I do know for sure is that I found this a fascinating book to read and I was able to read it almost as if it was a fictional murder mystery because I had never heard of the case. True crime stories are always fascinating to me because of the opportunity to see what goes on behind the scenes in real criminal cases. Sometimes, as was true in this criminal investigation and trial, things go terribly wrong. At least in this case the untangling resulted in the right person being charged with murder.

I enjoyed this nonfiction story about a murder and the failure of the justice system for the victims. A well written account of a husband accused of killing his wife. This is a fast paced story that kept me engaged and coming back for more. I enjoyed being pulled into this story by the author's attention to details and his writing skills. The characters took me on an emotional ride that made the story easy and entertaining to read. This is a great account of how an innocent man fought to get a conviction overturned and how the real killer is free. I really enjoyed this story and it is one of my favorites. I highly recommend this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books/Citadel Press for gifting me a digital copy of this true crime book - 5 stars!

Shortly after Christmas in 2011, Russ Faria came home from his weekly game night to find his wife, Betsy, dead on the floor with what would turn out later to be 55 stab wounds. But the police who showed up felt that Russ didn't show the appropriate grief and didn't believe his story. They overlooked the fact that first responders said she was cold when they arrived, that Russ had an iron-clad alibi that proved he was no where near his home when the murder occurred, and that there was a suspect close by that they barely looked into. This book, cowritten by the prominent defense attorney who took on Russ' case, goes into the entire unbelievable story of how justice was anything but just.

A riveting read of a case that has been featured multiple times on Dateline and is soon to be a 6-episode mini-series. This will have you shaking in your boots for a multitude of reasons - the extent that evil people will go to for money and that there can be so many people hellbent on prosecuting someone who is obviously innocent but grateful that there are people like Joel Schwartz who are equally as intent on righting such a grievous wrong. A must read true crime book.

I really looked forward to reading this book, and I was not disappointed. I have read several of Charles Bosworth's books and loved them. This is no difference. The story, the murder of Betsy Faria, turns out to not be open and shut as expected. The research behind this book was excellent and made the story easy to read and understand. Also, hard to put down! I had only recently heard of this case, and wow, it is twisty. The writing was great and easy to follow. I look forward, as usual, to his next book. I do highly recommend this book.

Bone Deep is the true story of the murder of Betsy Faria. Betsy’s murder was horrific, and the investigation and events following it were just as bad.

This recounting of her story follows shoddy investigations by the police, a prosecutor who blatantly ignore facts & spreads unsubstantiated claims, and the imprisonment of an innocent man. Betsy’s murder tore a family apart and almost let the guilty woman continue to live her life freely.

I LOVED this book. Coincidentally, I had watched a YouTube video by @kendallrae the day before on this case, only realizing it was the same case when I picked up this book the next morning. So I had a bit of knowledge on the case. But Charles Bosworth is an excellent writer who helped this story come to life.

This is easily one of the best true crime books I’ve ever read, it’s an enraging story that does have a decently good ending (which can be hard to find in true crime). I felt anger, relief, sadness, and joy while reading this book and I can’t recommend it enough.

Imagine that you are out at your friends house, watching movies.

Then imagine you come home [after running errands] and find your spouse brutally murdered. You call 911 and a nightmare that is so horrific it reads like a thriller begins, and takes almost 10 years to come to completion.

This is the story of the brutal murder of Betsy Faria and the trial of her husband Russ, who was convicted despite all the overwhelming evidence proving otherwise and the news reporter and the defense lawyer who fought tooth and nail to get that trial thrown out, a new trial given and finally had ALL the evidence presented in the case, which shows that Betsy's "friend" is the true killer. If not for the relentless diligence of these two men [as well as news coverage from Keith Morrison and Dateline], Russ Faria would still be sitting in a jail cell, convicted of a crime he did not commit, railroaded by the police, the over-zealous prosecutor and an inexperienced judge who just wanted to look good in her first murder trial. The fact that the police had already convicted Russ before he was ever formally charged and continued to both lie and ignore the facts that were right in front of them is horrific enough, but witness tampering and ethical issues, just adds to it. And until Pam Hupp murders again, no one ever really sees her as the real killer of Betsy. It is a horrific story that just infuriated me over and over again, even as Russ is finally found innocent but has to watch Pam Hupp walk away [though thankfully, not for long].

I am not sure how Russ has been able to walk away from all this without anger and bitterness, but he has and that is one of the best part of this stories. The fact that so many of the players in this story were fired, fined, sued, etc is just cherries on the top.

I was also able to get the audiobook from NetGalley for this and this was an excellent audiobook - it helped sort out all the players and really enhanced the story. Hearing the story was just overwhelming at times and I still can hardly believe all this is a true story. The narration really adds to that. I am so glad I got to listen to this and will be looking for other books narrated by this narrator - he is fantastic!!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Charles Henry Bosworth, Joel Schwartz, Gary Bennett [Narrator], Kensington Books and Tantor Audio for the kindle ARC and audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story about the Betsy Faria murder was well-written, as Victim F was (another true crime I just finished reading). The author was factual and kept it from running out of steam in that dreaded mid-section where many true tales fall flat for me. I think what was intriguing was the audacity and injustice of the crime(s) mentioned in the books-- not only murders. It had a few "real life that reads like fiction" moments. I don't doubt they happened; I was just astonished that they could happen! Sorry for being vague but I don't want to reveal spoilers here. I find it's harder to review a true crime/true life story because they usually revolve around one main theme, and revealing that gives away those "oh wow" parts. Try to avoid the blurb on Goodreads also.

Bone Deep is recommended for fans of true crime, fans of detective shows and podcasts, or maybe someone who is curious about human nature and wants to find out more about what happened to poor Betsy Faria. 3.5/5 rounded up to 4/5

Such a good book! I somehow had never heard of this case but am thrilled to see there is a show being made as well. It was wel thought out, well paced, and just overall a great true crime read. I was totally hooked to see what would happen since I had never heard of the case before

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

For all of you true crime fans, the podcast, The Thing About Pam, was riveting. That was my introduction to the story, and now I will need to watch the mini-series also, starring Renee Zellweger and Josh Duhamel.

For those of you who haven’t heard the story, Russ Faria came home one night and found a grisly nightmare, his wife, Betsy, dead from over 50 stab wounds. He then spent the next four years in jail and prison for the wrongful conviction of her murder.

Russ was at a game night with friends, and had an alibi with some pretty solid proof of his whereabouts. Nonetheless, the police and the district attorney made a case against Russ, and did all they could to convict him. From the police to the prosecutor to the judge, this was a miscarriage of justice from start to finish. I haven’t decided if it was ineptness or corruptness that so blinded all the players. Either way, Pam Hupp, the most likely real killer, was free to kill again, and again, and to profit quite handsomely off her crimes.

One of the authors is Joel Schwartz, Russ’s defense lawyer and the book gives us an insider’s view into a case that seems to defy logic. How could Russ have killed Betsy in a span of no more than 15 minutes, take a shower and clean himself up, not leaving any bloody water in the drain? Why was Betsy’s body already cold with rigor mortis setting in? Was there someone else who had motive and opportunity to kill Betsy, like Pam, who had become Betsy’s beneficiary four days before her murder and was, coincidentally, the last person to see her alive?

Russ’s trial is covered in detail, and that is an incredible comedy of errors. The judge ties the hands of the defense by not allowing testimony concerning someone else’s possible involvement in Betsy’s murder, allowing testimony from witnesses after they had heard others testify and allowing opinions, not facts, as the basis of testimony. Members of the jury later said they might not have voted to convict if they had heard the evidence that was withheld.

Without giving anything away, Schwartz eventually is able to bring Russ to another trial and the outcome is different. But what about Pam? You’ll need to read the book to continue hearing about her deadly deeds!

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Wow! I had watched and listen to the dateline shows/podcasts about this case. I remember being absolutely flabbergasted then. But after reading this book... it certainly stirred some emotions in me. I don't want to give too much away in case someone doesn't know about this case, but its so hard to understand how this case could have been handled so badly. I highly recommend that any true crime fans read this book!

I received a digital advance copy of Bone Deep by Charles Bosworth Jr. and Joel J. Schwartz. Bone Deep is scheduled for release on February 22, 2022.

Bone Deep is the true story of the murder of Betsy Faria and the wrongful conviction of her husband, Russell, told by Russell’s defense attorney and an author.

From the beginning, the evidence at the scene did not point to Russell. In addition, Russell had an alibi confirmed by four people and video surveillance footage from several locations. The last person confirmed in the house with Betsy was her friend Pam, who had just been named as the beneficiary on Betsy’s insurance.

Despite the pile of evidence clearing Russell and implicating Pam, police and prosecutors focus exclusively on Russell. The judge assigned to the case seems just as determined to see Russell imprisoned. Schwartz does not give up on his client, convinced that the wrong person is on trial.

This book is told by a person who was involved from the case from start to finish, and includes tons of dialogue and quotes from documents, interviews, and the trial. The result is a tale that pulls the reader in, placing them in the same state of incredulity Schwartz found himself in as the investigation and trial progressed.

Overall, Bone Deep is an intense and engaging dive into the ways our legal system failed in one specific case, and the determination of one lawyer to fix that error. While the events of the story are deeply frustrating, the telling of the story maintains that feeling that we can fix the wrongs done by a system that is not perfect.