From the publisher: The explosive, first-ever insider’s account of a case that continues to fascinate the public—the shocking wrongful conviction of Russell Faria for his wife’s murder—a gripping read told by New York Times bestselling true crime expert Charles Bosworth Jr. and Joel J. Schwartz, the defense attorney who battled for justice, and ultimately prevailed.

I am not much of a True Crime reader, but something about being in a pandemic has me reading more True Crime than usual. Despite how all facts are already known about the case covered in Bone Deep, I was riveted by the narrative. I personally knew nothing about the case before picking up Bone Deep, although there has apparently been extensive media coverage, including five episodes of Dateline. If you already know a lot about the murder of Betsy Faria and conviction of Russ Faria for the crime, you might not find the book as interesting as I did. Or you might – the blurb introducing the book reveals most of the details in any event.

The authors do a good job of introducing enough detail but not too much as they describe people and places. There is some repetition as they move through the years, but it’s not excessive. They provoked outrage in me by painting a factual picture of what happened, rather than just telling me to be outraged.

The prosecution reflected how little society understands adults who like roleplaying games and fantasy movies. They painted Russ and his friends as complete weirdos. The story of Russ Faria also confirms that changes are needed in our justice system. Law enforcement and the prosecution had confirmation bias and never even considered that someone else might have murdered Betsy Faria. The judge in the case was also prejudiced; if she had allowed all the evidence to be properly introduced, it’s unlikely an innocent man would have been convicted.

The authors do show a very strong partiality for Russ Faria. I’m sure sympathy was great because the man was innocent and spent years in prison, but I also can believe that the marriage between Russ and Betsy was a rocky one. I would have liked to read more about Betsy’s family, especially her daughters, and how they reacted after Russ was exonerated and someone else was found guilty.

I read an advance reader copy of Bone Deep from Netgalley. It is scheduled to be published February 22 and will be available at the Galesburg Public Library.

File this one under what was she thinking/how did she get away with it? Pamela Hupp, that is, who in all probability murdered Betsy Faria, her own mother, and definitely killed an innocent intellectually challenged young man. This book follows the trial of Russ Faria, and his subsequent time in prison as an innocent man and also the various crimes of Hupp. It is an in-depth look at our often flawed judicial system, but one that shows that truth, in most cases, will triumph. It’s a very interesting, engaging, thought-provoking book, that I would recommend any true crime buff to read. Thank you to NetGalley for the advance read copy.

Extremely well written true crime book,"Bone Deep" is one of the best non fiction books I have read in a long while. The facts are presented in an objective and clear way throughout this book, you almost fly through reading it because of how organized each chapter is. Yes, I have to compare this to "Fatal Vision" as a must read....except in this case the defendant is a truly innocent man put through a witch hunt followed by two trials engineered by a corrupt and inept prosecutor (I can't tell which is worse) and corrupt and inept police investigators (again, seriously? are these men trained?). This is my opinion -based on the facts.. They were supposed to find the brutal murderer of Betsy Faria, but instead ignored where the evidence would lead them and charged Russ Faria, the husband with the crime. While reading this book at night all safe and secure in my house with a loving family, I sometimes felt I could not breathe because of the panic that overcame me thinking of how horrible it would be to be falsely accused of murder. Pam Hupp has a special place in Hell if there is any justice in the afterworld. Joel Schwartz and his team deserve many accolades for their ability to get Russ Faria out of prison and declared an innocent man. Finally, Mary Anderson, Russ' cousin is more than admirable because of her determination that Russ was innocent and for her fighting to prove that fact. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about the justice system and how it can be abused by people with power and read by others ..even if they think they know everything about Pam.

Thank you to the publisher and Net galley for the chance to read and review.

My thanks to @Kensington Books, as well as to @NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Bone Deep - Untangling the Betsy Faria Murder Case.

4.5 Stars

I thought I knew a lot about the Betsy Faria murder case. I didn't. What a fascinating book, whether one is familiar with the case, or not.

When Russell Faria arrives at his Troy, Missouri home a couple of days after Christmas, it's to find his wife, Betsy, dead, a knife still lodged in her neck. What follows is a horrific and majorly frustrating ride as Russ is taken to an interview room and grilled for thirty-three hours. The police “know” that he is guilty, and bend the facts to prove it. The prosecuting attorney "knows" he is guilty and bends the facts to prove it. The judge, who is overseeing her very first trial, seems determined to do everything in her power to make sure Russ's attorneys are denied the right to ask any questions about a much more likely suspect, Pamela Hupp. Seriously, I wanted to SCREAM! When Russ is convicted, his attorney (Joel Schwartz) promises him that it isn't over. He is going to continue to fight for Russ. This description just scratches the surface of everything that happened. It almost seems as though it must be fiction. Nope. It's true.

At times the court proceedings were a little dry but for the most part, I didn't want to put the book down!! (FYI: on March 8th Renée Zellweger stars in a riveting, limited series inspired by one of the most popular and compelling sagas ever told on "Dateline NBC." It's called "The Thing About Pam" and I will be watching it!)

#BoneDeep #NetGalley

I'd first heard of this case on Datelube years ago, then again on Kendall Rae's YouTube channel, and every time J hear it I become more incredulous about the inadequacy of the police work on this case. I found myself gritting my teeth and shaking my head so often while reading this, and it's pretty rare that a book elicits a physical reaction from me. I feel so bad for Russ, and truly hope the people involved in his investigation, trials and convictions get what they deserve in life. VERY interesting to read something based on actual transcripts from the case. I don't think I'll have to push this book much- for those interested in true crime, the book sells itself.

This is an excellent in-depth study of the murder of Betsy Faria and the trial of Russ Faria, as well as Pam Hupp’s capture. It was an enjoyable and interesting account of Russ’ trial and all of the dynamics that played into his arrest and release.

One issue I had with this book was the author’s repeated description of women being “stocky” and “chubby.” I’m not sure why this was indicated- women seemed to have more of a weight descriptor than the men did.

If this book was a work of fiction, I would dismiss it as totally unbelievable! I was not familiar with the story and therefore I found it shocking. To anyone interested in true crime, I would ( and already have) recommend reading this book. It’s the sort of story that movies are made of!! I don’t believe the author could have improved on it in any way. Outstanding book! Thank you to the authors for allowing me to read an advanced copy.

If you watch Dateline NBC, you probably saw one of their five episodes about Pam Hupp and the Betsy Faria murder, and are somewhat familiar with this bizarre case. Co-author Joel J. Schwartz was Russell Faria's defense attorney and he and Charles Bosworth, Jr. presents all the aspects of the case for both the newcomer as well as the true-crime aficionado.

The authors present their evidence clearly and concisely about the initial case, the police and prosecutor's singular focus on Russell Faria, the first trial, the retrial and Pam Hupp's murder of Louis Gumpenberger. It's a gut-wrenching ten (10) year period of time and the case continues, with Pam Hupp finally charged with the murder of Betsy Faria in July of 2021.

Reading this account, it is unimaginable that the police and the prosecutor made up their minds almost immediately that Russ Faria was guilty and Pam Hupp had nothing to do with Betsy' s murder .... despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. And even more disturbing is the growing evidence that the police lied, convinced others to lie, and sought to cover up the truth.

If you are interested in an insider's viewpoint of this case, I would highly recommend this book. 4.5 stars.

The true (crime) story, Bone Deep tells us about the murder of Betsy Faria found murdered on Christmas 2011.

A knife had been lodged in her neck and that was not the worst of it - the worst was the fact that she had been stabbed fifty-five times. Even though there was no conclusive evidence that the husband was the killer they still arrested him.

The story takes us on a ride to finding the real killer and it is sad to think an innocent man might have spent the rest of his life in jail for a crime he did not commit if it had not been for someone's tenacity.

A very well written story and one I highly recommend!!

I love true crime so when I saw this book being offered on net galley it was a no-brainer for me to click the request button.

The story deals with the murder of Betsy Faria, who was stabbed 56 times in her home. She was found hours later by her husband Russell who had been out when it happened.

The book is co-written by Russell's defense attorney Joel Schwartz, who believed in Russell's innocence, after all, there was no evidence against him. No blood traces were found on his clothing, there were surveillance cameras showing him far from his home, etc... He was arrested because the police thought his behavior did not match a grieving man...he didn't cry enough...he cried too much... No one should question another person's grieving process, we all handle our emotions differently.

Bone Deep is a very detailed account of the trial with information gathered from conversations, court proceedings, police interviews, and more. It shows us that the court system can fail innocent people and get things wrong.

A great book for any fan of true crime, the ID channel or nonfiction

What an outstanding book. The travesty of justice this man endured is horrifying and scary. The perseverance and dedication of the lawyer and the client was truly Inspirational. You will not want to put this one down. A great read!

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Well I'll be honest this book was a disappointment to me. It' the first true crime book I've read that was written in such a manner that it was boring. The author just didn't add any of his own writing style to it. For much of the book I felt like I was reading directly from what the court stenographer wrote. Which is such as shame because this book could have been so interesting. We have a murderer on the loose, tunnel vision police officers, and an incompetent judge. A very bad mix that unfortunately sent Russ Faria for jail for a crime he didn't commit. Which is another thing that bothered about this account. The author didn't allow you for a moment to suspect him. I found that very unfortunate because: 1)You were being forced into a view and 2) The evidence would have shown he was innocent and it would have been for interesting to discover that on his own. I think you're better off reading an article about this book instead of this longwinded book.

I got this book for free from Netgalley for a honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for my gifted copy of Bone Deep: Untangling the Betsy Faria Murder Case!

Wowza, this book was a wild ride. I went into this book blind, not googling or knowing anything about the case. I didn't know who was guilty, who was innocent or what even happened. This book is a true crime novel that read just like if you're watching a Dateline show (pun intended). This story is about a man named Russ Faria who was wrongly accused of murdering his wife. When left with the details of the night she died you would think it would be a pretty easy case to prove that he did not kill his wife however, it was anything but that. What I found so infuriating, frustrating and quite honestly frightening is it seemed the people that should have been looking for the real truth did anything but try and fight for what really happened. In fact, they worked against him to what seemed like possibly just to protect their ego. I was dumbfounded with the amount of evidence Russ and his defense team were not able to present in the first trial that would have shown his innocence. Thank goodness for the hard work of the people that trusted in Russ and stuck by his side until the truth was set free. As far as the real killer goes....whoa! It seemed too unrealistic to even believe really had happened. I still am stunned. If the details were laid out to the original jury the real killer would have been put away behind bars and less people would have died. I simply thought the detail in this book was perfect. It brought forward all of the feelings and frustration that I am sure Russ and his lawyers and family felt. If you love true crime shows this book is for you!

<i><b>Two days after Christmas in 2011</b></i>

Russell Faria returned home to find his wife's dead body on the floor -stabbed 55 times with a knife still wedged in her neck. First responders concluded that Betsy had been dead for hours. There was no blood on his clothing, friend's testimony, receipts, and surveillance video showed that he was nowhere near his home when she was viciously murdered.

And yet, the police officers involved in the investigation didn't feel he was crying real tears, his grief was not enough at times and other times too over the top for them. There must be some secret "how to cry when you find your loved one butchered" book out there that only these police officers in Troy, Michigan knew about. Gesh. Along with the prosecuting attorney, they decided he was guilty, ignoring the evidence and his alibis. In their minds they had their man, and the truth was not going to get in their way!

Talk about a mess and total devastation for Russ. He lost his wife first and then his freedom when he is tried and convicted for killing her. Can you even imagine?

Thankfully prominent defense attorney Joel J. Schwartz saw things differently. He saw the truth, the evidence, and the path to the real killer.

Don't confuse this book with fiction. This is a True Crime, and you may have even watched this case being told on Dateline. The author tells readers in the author's note that "Nearly all of the dialogue and conversation among sources in this book are taken verbatim from court transcripts, deposition transcripts, and video and/or audio recordings of police or attorney interviews."

This book shows what happens when those in power fail the innocent. It also shows how diabolical the real killer was.

This was a gripping and riveting book. The author's attention to detail, research, and telling of this case was outstanding. I thought he did a tremendous job in presenting what happened, the evidence, and input from Russ himself. True crime fans will love this book. It reads like an episode of Dateline or 20/20. It is very easy to follow, engaging and if you do not know about this murder case, you will be very educated on it by the end of the book.

**This book was written with Russell Faria's cooperation


Thank you to Citadel Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.


***There is also going to be a limited series titled "The Thing about Pam" about Betsy's murder and the conviction of the killer coming out in March.

I’m a podcast fan…also a big fan of Keith Morrison. So I listened to the podcast a couple of years ago, and then read it was being made into a movie (starring Renee Zellwegger). And THEN I got a copy of the book Bone Deep (thanks to Kensington Books Citadel / NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.

Written by Charles Henry Bosworth and Joel Schwartz (true crime author and criminal defense attorney), the book covers the murder of Betsy Faria, the arrest and wrongful convictiion of her husband Russ, and the incredible story of a truly evil woman, Pamela Hupp.

When I read that Betsy died from a knife attacked and had been stabbed FIFTY-FIVE TIMES, my first thought was “husband did it.” But there was no evidence, the first responders declared she had been dead for hours when he found her, and he had multiple alibi items, including vido, receipts, and the word of his friends who were with him all evening. But, the momentum of the police and prosecutors resulted in Russ’s conviction, even with the various lies Pam told about the event and situation (kind of suspicious that Betsy changed the recipient of her life insurance to Pam right before she died!!)

Classic true crime. Well done, which I expected since Mr. Schwartz was Russ’s attorney, and Russ cooperated with the authors on the book. Four stars. TC fans will love it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This impeccably written and absolutely chillling true-crime drama details the horrific murder of Betsy Faria in 2011, and the harrowing and twisty rode to justice that followed.

Co-authored by the criminal defense attorney assigned to the case, the story is packed with details straight from the case file - details that are as tragic as they are just plain outrageous.

Betsy, a young mother living with terminal cancer, was horrifically murdered on Dec 27, 2011 in a small suburb of St. Louis Missouri. Not familiar with the case, I was careful not to read any background, so I could experience the story first-hand. And what a story it is!

Without giving the plot away, (no spoilers here), this is clearly a story that begs to be told, if for nothing else than to ensure that the perpetuators behind this appalling crime, and those involved in it’s mishandling, receive their just dues.

Hard to put down, I read this book almost straight through, following detail after detail that eventually became almost outlandish in their very evilness. (Not surprisingly, I had no trouble at all understanding the publicity that has followed, including coverage on Dateline, a podcast, and now a tv mini-series).

Well worth the read, this is a densely factual inside-look at a terrible crime and it’s brutal consequences, an engrossing and valuable addition to any true-crime lovers library.

A great big thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the authors for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.

Russ enjoys his get-togethers with a small group of friends when they act out certain scripts written by one of the friends. This particular night was no different - a good evening with friends, a quick stop to buy some food and gas and then head home. Russel's wife has cancer and has had a chemo treatment that day but she texted Russ that a friend, Pam was bringing her home. When Russ opens his front door his whole life changes. His wife is dead on the floor. He calls 911 and immediately as he is the last person with her, he is found to be guilty by the local police. The story then follows the trial and the new evidence that is discovered.
This true crime book is well written and keeps you interested to the end.
I thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

In Troy, Missouri in December 2011, and just days after Christmas, Russ Faria returned home to find his wife deceased on the living room couch from what he believed to be self-inflicted wounds and with the knife still protruding from her neck.

Because of Betsy’s history of depression and facing terminal cancer, Russ initially believed her death to be self-inflicted and reported her death as a believed suicide to an operator after calling 911.

The first responding police officer immediately identified the death of Betsy to be that of homicide, not suicide, and soon after that, Russ became the number one suspect in the eyes of authorities.

It is not a spoiler to reveal Bone Deep is the true-life recounting of the murder of Betsy Faria and how her husband Russ Faria was investigated and arrested for her murder while obviously innocent of the crime. The book also shines a light on the true suspect and how almost immediately after the murder, this subject was not only completely ignored by law enforcement personnel, including the main prosecutor, but also how these officials actively resisted even to examine this person as a potential suspect even when preliminary information pointed directly in her direction.

While in cases similar to this one, it is not unusual for authorities to focus on a person closest to the deceased as a suspect, however in this murder, what was unusual was how investigating authorities and later court authorities, seem to have completely ignored not just ample evidence, but instead, overwhelming evidence that Russ Faria was not a viable suspect at all.

Types of evidence, both ignored and discounted, clearly excluding him from being any sort of suspect, included both eyewitness and physical evidence and was available from the very start of the investigation.

One part of me dislikes reading true-crime books as Bone Deep. This is not because books like this are bad, on the contrary, books like Bone Deep often are quite good. The disliking part is when these books reveal an avoidable and complete failure in our humanly created institutions, especially when there is no credible explanation for such failures to exist and when these failures have horrible repercussions for those sucked into these black holes of failure.

This is especially true when the information provided by modern technologies and advancements quickly introduces facts and evidence that easily exonerates a suspect such as Russ Faria. What adds to this dislike is when such information and evidence exists and is easily accessible and still, authorities do whatever they can to actively dismiss or ignore these facts and evidence out of self-interest, incompetence, or frankly, outright criminality.

While not excusing incompetence, one can almost understand how it can impede a criminal investigation, but to ignore factual evidence like what was done in the Betsy Faria murder should result in stringent penalties of some sort for those that discounted such evidence.

What happened in the Betsy Faria murder case raised my ire, as it should all people when familiarizing themselves with incidents such as these.

Bone Deep is an engaging true-crime book that exposes failures in the American criminal justice system while putting a human face on those involved and is recommended to those that enjoy well-researched books on subjects such as this.

Netgalley provided a copy of Bone Deep in return for a fair review and is set to be published in February 2022.

This review was originally published at MysteryandSuspense.com.

I really enjoyed this true crime read, about a fascinating case and a slippery character, and found it hard to put down. I usually skim through parts with written accounts of court cases/ trials but, despite at times being heavy on the legal detail, I mostly found the evidence and the back and forth between prosecutor and defender interesting. The case- which I hadn’t heard of before- had so many layers to it, it made for an intriguing read. This account was well put together, giving a strong impression of those involved. 4.5 stars. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Superb true crime tale with a twisty, incredible plot. The main protagonist Pam Hupp is so evil, it defies belief. The prosecutor and police in the first trial were biased and corrupt, and this helped Hupp to go on and commit more crimes. The defence attorney Joel Schwartz is the hero in this book. He believed in his client, and got justice for him. This book is highly recommended.