This book is one that, if I didn't know it was true, I would be shaking my head at the sheer implausibility of it.

I had seen a number of great reviews for this one, so I requested the audiobook in order to hear it for myself. I had never heard of this case before (it took me literally 25% into the book to realize that Russ Faria was not actor Dennis Farina) and after my jaw hit the floor multiple times I had to Google the case and get the lay of the land before I continued. I vaguely recall watching at least one of the Dateline episodes featuring this case, but this book covers events up through the summer of 2021, so obviously there have been many developments over the ten years since Betsy was murdered.

If you're like me and have a very low tolerance for wrongly accused people (gives me extreme anxiety), let me tell you that this case comes out all right in the end. It takes a long time to get there, and the ineptitude and corruption in the legal system are shown in glaring light throughout. I realize that this book was co-written by Russ Faria's defense attorney, so it may not be as unbiased as it could be, but I also greatly appreciated his efforts to not back down from the fight because he truly believed that Faria did not get a fair trial and that someone else was obviously guilty of the crime because all evidence pointed to his innocence.

Like I said at the beginning, when I got to the end I was absolutely astounded that this actually occurred. Russ Faria now works with The Innocence Project, helping those who are wrongly incarcerated. This book did remind me somewhat of Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, in the realization that so many people are convicted of crimes that they could not have committed and how there must be accountability and reform in the justice system

Gary Bennett did a superb job with the narration of the audiobook, although his natural speech speed is quite slow and meandering. When I increased the speed, the book seemed to move at a pace that was easier to listen to and experience.

I am a true crime junkie and knew of this case. But dang the in depth look at the total miscarriage of justice that took place in this case is both appalling and alarming!

December, 2011 - Russ Faria went to a party goes to game night with friends as he does regularly. He returns home to find his wife, Betsy, dead on the floor of their living room. Betsy was undergoing treatment for her second bout with cancer, and Russ assumes she attempted suicide, as she has threatened it previously. Russ calls 911, every upset. And then the madness begins.

The murder of Betsy was brutal and horrific. But what Russ went was even worse.

This book shows the flaws in our justice system and how an innocent man can easily appear guilty when all involved believe he is.

I alternated between ebook and audiobook on this one. Thank you NetGalley, Kensington Books and Tantor audio for ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Methodically Crafted…
A superbly drawn narrative and true account of a brutal and tragic crime and the, frankly, appalling and grotesque miscarriage of justice that went along with it. Methodically crafted and immersive throughout. It does not make for an easy read but is enlightening, informative and shocking.

This book was absolutely crazy. If you didn't know it was true crime, you would absolutely think it was fiction. The way they treated Russ after his wife's death was absolutely disgusting and horrible, and seriously - how did they NOT look at Pam in the beginning too?! It was completely obvious to me that there was no possible way the husband did it, and not just because he had an alibi. Rule number one of a murder investigation - FOLLOW THE MONEY. Period. This book was well-written and very easy to follow, and I really hope Betsy gets justice in the end. Four stars.

This book right here shows you what greed and manipulation at its best looks like. Poor Russ comes home to find his wife dead. As the grisly details come out. That she was murder stabbed 55 times. The system failed him and let the real killer walk away therefore letting two more be killed. He may have went through years of legal process and progress. Glad justice was finally served and the real killer was caught. Can’t wait to see the movie.

The Case: In 2011, Russel Faria returned home to find his wife's body, Betsy, with a knife still lodged in her neck. Soon after, he is arrested, charged and convicted of her murder, despite his iron clad alibi and all other evidence pointed to - in what the defense called SODD (some other dude it) - Pamela Hupp, Betsy's friend.

My thoughts: This was a heartbreaking case of how a tunnel vision investigation and miscarriage of justice has robbed a man four years of his life. It was infuriating and there were so many missteps by the judge and prosecutor in this trial. But thank goodness for his defense attorney, Joel Schwartz, who fought relentlessly for his freedom.

Pamela Hupp. Ugh. What a conniving, and manipulative woman! A pathological liar with no conscience at all. What she did before, during and after the trial was just unbelievable.

This was a riveting true crime read that focuses a lot on the trial and Schwartz's fight to get Russel's conviction overturned. Some may find it a bit overwhelming and dry since almost all the dialogue and conversation in this book were taken verbatim from court transcripts, attorney interviews, etc. But I think it was done well! This is definitely the book to go if you want to learn more about this case!


Pub. Date: Feb 22nd, 2022

***Thank you Kensington Books and NetGalley for this gifted review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.***

This is the true story of the brutal murder of Betsy Faria in 2011. The complexity of what occurred between the accused and those surrounding the victim will have you engrossed page after page. The extensive research for this story paid off. From details of the arrest through the trial, the reader will ponder many questions. This is a five-star recommendation for those who relish true crime stories.

An AMAZING READ!!! What an excellent insider look at one of the most publicized true crimes of the century, the Betsy Faria Murder Case. A mind boggling miscarriage of justice with “incredible judicial prejudice & unfairness”. In collaboration with Russ Faria, Betsy’s husband, Bone Deep takes you along the timeline of events from the gruesome discovery of Betsy’s dead body in December 2011 through the mishandled investigation that eventually led to a wrongful conviction, a second trial & what was done to correct it.
Right from the beginning Russ Faria is already guilty in the eyes of the police, judge & the prosecuting attorney. Russ’s attorney faces an uphill fight the entire time. Critical evidence is kept from the jury in this high profile murder case making it impossible for Russ Faria to get a fair trial. The saga continues as this TRUE story reveals a judicial system not getting it right, a wrongful conviction with imprisonment along with the faith & perseverance needed to rectify the wrong.
Will justice ever prevail? Will the real killer get away with it? Will the judicial system be held accountable? If True Crime is your genre… then I highly recommend this explosive insider’s reveal!
Thank you @NetGalley & Kensington Books for this ARC. My review is strictly voluntary.

UN-PUT-DOWN-ABLE
5 big fat stars! This is one of the best true crime novels I've ever read. I'm from Missouri, I remember this case and thought I knew all about it-I was wrong. Bosworth & Schwartz go literally "Bone Deep" to tell the tale of the brutal murder of Betsy Faria. Excruciatingly researched and detailed, the reader gets it all. WHO, HOW, WHY; the behind the scenes and courtroom wrangling, every question I had was answered. It is very readable with the legal and scientific things explained so it is understandable. You can feel the attorney's anger and anguish in his defense of Betsy's husband as they fight an uphill battle against the police, the prosecution and the judge. The story is gut wrenching and unbelievably sad but the book is excellent. I received a copy-the review is my own opinion.

True Crime is what got me interested in reading again once I was an adult. It’s intriguing how the human works and the things people do. Half the time when I read these types of books I sit there with my mouth open in awe.

The one thing that drew me to this book is the fact that it happened close to where I live. I know exactly where the author is referring to in many of the locations, so that brought this really close to home. And the story was interesting as to how the cops jump to conclusions just to get a conviction,

Overall I did enjoy this book and the writing was good. I read the first half of the book and listened to the audio the second half. I think the narrator did a fantastic job.

***Thank you Netgalley for the ARC copy and audio in return for an honest review***

Imagine arriving home after a night out with friends to find your wife dead, stabbed 55 times, with a knife sticking out of her neck? Imagine the police so convinced you are guilty of murder they ignore evidence that doesn’t fit their narrative, and you are charged. Imagine going to trial with an inexperienced prosecutor and judge who prevents the jury from hearing key evidence. Imagine a prosecutor guilty of misconduct in the courtroom, yet allowed by the judge. Imagine a case based only on conjecture, without a shred of evidence against you, but plenty of evidence that it would have been virtually impossible for you to have murdered your wife. Imagine, despite all of this, being convicted and sent to prison.


Sounds like an implausible premise for a fictional novel, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, it happened to Russ Faria when his wife Betsy was murdered in December of 2011. The case has been in the news for years, was featured on Dateline six times, a podcast aired in 2019, and a limited series airs in March of 2022.

With so much already out there about this case, do we need a book about it? Yes, we do. One of the author’s is Joel Schwartz, Russ’s defense lawyer. It’s an insider’s look into this unbelievable case from start to finish with new revelations and previously undisclosed evidence. It details what can happen when those who are sworn to defend the rights of victims and the innocent fail to do their duty. It gives us the details of a person so evil and diabolical, someone who lies and changes their story multiple times, yet not one second was spent by investigators making sure her story checked out.

It demonstrates what happens when a defense attorney and reporter is dogged in their determination to make sure that justice prevails. It demonstrates the power of national media attention. But it also highlights the terror of what might happen to the wrongly convicted if they have no one on their side. Despite a judge and prosecutor who were seemingly determined to make sure Russ did not get a fair trial, the defense team and reporters made sure that after this sham of a trial, justice would be served. The conviction was overturned and a new trial was scheduled. But this time key evidence was disclosed. It was gratifying to read the evidence properly disclosed and the rule of law followed in court. Fortunately for Russ he was found not guilty. Unfortunately for Russ, he spent three long years in prison for a crime he did not, and could not, have committed.

This a riveting story from beginning to end, rivaling many crime fiction books. At times, I could hardly believe what I was reading. The sheer incompetence and hubris of the judge and prosecutor was mind-boggling and if I were to read this in a fiction book, I would call it silly and implausible. Scooby-Doo would have done a better job.

This is gripping and a must read for fans of true crime and courtroom dramas.

Would you kill for $150,000? Could you stab your victim over fifty-five times in what seems like a fit of rage! Could a husband, a friend, or anyone do such a thing? The case of Russ Faria is one that will go down in the annals of criminal injustice. Russ was accused of brutally killing his wife, Betsy, a woman who was just diagnosed with stage four cancer. However, Russ had an ironclad reason he could not have done such a thing. Yet, the police team in Troy, Missouri, along with the prosecutor, Leah Askey (Cheney), were certain they had their man. They didn't and fiasco of a trial ensued led by an incompetent judge. Russ was defended by Joel Schwartz, who firmly believed Russ was innocent and is one on the coauthors of this book, the other being, Charles Bosworth Jr. These two assembled a book that will make you question how this defendant couldn't have received a fair trial.

Then there is Betsy’s best (or so she claimed) friend, Pam Huff, who seemed to possess a shield that deflected any eyes turning in her direction. She was the master deflector, claiming a plethora of injuries and an even bigger story changer that was summarily ignored by the prosecution and police.

Why was this sham and what followed allowed to happen? How could the prosecutor, the judge, and even the jury been so wrong?

This book is a true crime story and one that made me wonder, is this fiction? The utter incompetence, the disregarding of facts, the sheer hypocrisy of this trial left me breathless. Then I found myself asking why? Why would they fixate on Russ? Why would they not cast a questioning eye at Pam Huff? Why would they possibly seem to frame Russ for a crime he obviously didn’t commit?

Jan and I were beyond appalled that our criminal system could produce a prosecuting attorney and judge such as the ones assigned Russ’s trial. We were in awe of the sheer railroading of Russ and the total lack of fairness.

It was beyond frustrating as we could feel Joel Schwartz realizing that not only his hands, but also his feet were tied. He believed in Russ and fought valiantly for him. However, they had gotten their "man” and were not going to change a thing, facts be dammed, and truths be buried.

I could say more about how this effected me and brought out so many strong emotions. There is so much to this tale, that one needs to be encouraged to read. They say truth is sometimes stranger than fiction and, in this case, truth takes a seat far back in this courtroom. You are going to ask yourself, how could this have happened and yet it did!

Bottom line is truth is stranger than fiction!

This story is soon to be a series on NBC staring Rene Zwellinger as Pam Huff.
Thank you to Charles Henry Bosworth, and Joel Schwartz, Citadel Press, and NetGalley for a copy of this tale due out February 22, 2022.

Wow! Holy cow! I am a die hard true crime fan and I’m also really hard to impress. This case blew my socks off! The level of detail was greater than that presented before the court by the prosecution or the defense! This was a well constructed courtroom drama and true crime at its very best… and reads better than some of the best fiction I’ve read. I was truly captivated and stayed up late to finish this last night. I have thought about it on and off throughout the day. This one rivals Gregg Olsen’s If You Tell and I can’t say any other true crime has come anywhere close… until now!

Wow! My mind is reeling after reading this true crime novel that is a roller coaster of injustice, high hopes, low lows, and an incredible amount of heartbreak.

I knew nothing of the Betsy Faria murder even though one of my favorite genres is true crime and Dateline is one of my favorite shows. Evidently I managed to miss their episodes on this case, but that will be remedied quickly.

The case is fascinating and the authors did a wonderful job making this book easy to read and all the various facts, supposition, and misdirection easy to follow. I would highly recommend Bone Deep to anyone looking for an excellent true crime read. I was pulled in almost immediately and didn't want to put this book aside because I just had to find out if justice was ever delivered.

Thank you to Netgalley, the authors, and publisher for an ARC at my request. All thoughts are my own.

The author tells the story of the flawed murder investigation and trial in the killing of Betsy Faria in lurid detail. I hadn't followed the case when it was made famous by NBC Dateline nearly a decade ago, so wasn't familiar with the controversy. It was apparent from the onset that the investigation was flawed and biased, as was the court trial. It was outrageous to read that the judge decided that there could be no discussion of Pam Hupp's whereabouts during and prior to the murder, leaving the defendant's lawyer little chance to launch his defense that "some other guy did it". If ever there was a case for a mistrial this was it. It was just sad that the legal process takes so long, while the defendant sits in jail or prison. The end of the book felt a bit rushed as if the author were trying to wrap it up and keep to a schedule or keep the page count down. The release of the book is very timely as the NBC true crime drama titled "The Thing About Pam" is due to air soon thereafter.

I’m a True Crime junkie, and this book, brought it all home to me. Based on a true story, this book, took you thru every experience, the killing, the arrest, the trial, the Dateline tv show., A women, who has cancer and is found dead, by her husband. Was it murder or suicide? The incomplete investigation by the police. The lawyer, who believe in the accused. I don’t want to give to many details. This book is a real page turner.
I just read that there will be a movie based on this book. Omg, I can’t wait.

Wow!! What an incredible true crime book! I mean, you just can’t make this stuff up!

This chronicles the life and murder of Betsy Faria, written by one of the attorneys that defended her husband who was accused of her murder. He uses transcripts from the trial to piece together this story, making for a very thorough exploration of the case.

I’m going to STOP here. Go in blind. Don’t look up the case. Just pick up the book. It just gets more and more unbelievable!

3, This book brought tears to my eyes 3 times as I was so touched by the huge sense of compassion and humanity others showered on a person showing extreme love and dedication!

This book could be seen as dry narrative, but it was not. I found myself wanting to constantly pick it up to proceed with the legal story that I was able to read in a few days vs the years that it actually took!

There were multiple Dateline shows about this case, the podcast The Thing About Pam and a new TV series being released March 8th about this case also titled The Thing About Pam starting Renee Zellweger. But I suggest reading the book first, of course!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the advance reader e-copy.

True crime books are a choice when I need a change in type of books I am reading. This one was a good selection and now that I have read it, I am positive it will stay with me a long time.
Bone Deep tells the story of the murder of Betsy Faria in 2011. It reads like an excellent written fiction book but in fact it is a true story. As I read, I keep saying to myself that things that are happening just can not possibly be true.
I want to say the authors – great job on telling the story so well.
If you are a true crime book reader you are going to want to get this book.
Thank you NetGalley, Charles Henry Bosworth; Joel Schwartz and Kensington Books for the ARC of Bone Deep Untangling the Betsy Faria Murder Case. This is my personal review.

In Bone Deep, we follow the case of Russel Faria, who was wrongly convicted in the murder of his wife Betsy. We find out the gruesome nature of the crime and the evidence that eventually led to his conviction of murder. We also find out the revelations that were revealed that led to Russel being exonerated of all charges.

spoiler alert

I found the book very informative and quite unsettling. The thought that the gut reaction of the first police to arrive on the scene can seal the fate of an innocent person is truly frightening. The readers will also be disappointed if they set their hopes on a court of law to set things straight.

Despite the interesting subject matter, I think many readers will find it too detailed and repetitive, especially the first half - the investigation and first trial. The style is mostly very dry and lacks the element of drama that one would expect in any legal case, let alone one as interesting as this one. The courtroom scenes were mostly reported in indirect speech. It is precisely the back and forth direct dialogue of question-answer that makes legal reporting so engrossing and gives a sense of immediacy and of being there in the court. The book would have been far better if it had been more selective in the reporting of the trial, but with more direct speech,

I also would have appreciated if the writers had given less detail about the police investigation and legal proceedings and more about other issues. What Ross goes through emotionally, the press involvement and the public reaction, were all in the book, but could have been in greater detail. . And I was left very curious as to the reaction of Betsy's family and why they continued to see Russ as guilty despite the evidence to the contrary and the strong case against Pam Hupp.