I have heard Brian Panowich read from and speak about his work several times, so I was excited to see this book available on NetGalley. I understand it's a prequel to the other novels in his series set in McFalls County, in the North Georgia mountains.
The protagonist is Nelson (a.k.a. Nails) McKenna, a slow-witted giant with a deformed hand who suffered an abusive childhood. Fortunately, he has friends who understand him, such as Clayton, the youngest son of local crime boss Gareth Burroughs. Nelson is basically gentle, but if something angers him—such as seeing a woman mistreated—he lashes out. He doesn't know his own strength and bad things happen.
The story opens when Nelson and Clayton are still in school, and they have a confrontation with some bullies. Defending their friend Amy, Nelson beats one of the bullies almost to death. Panicked, they call Clayton's father to clean up the mess.
Flash forward to adulthood; Nelson now goes by "Nails" and works for Gareth as "an enforcer." He's hanging out in a local bar when he witnesses a group of thugs taking advantage of a young blonde. He ends up beating her boyfriend to death.
The bar owner gives Nails money, and Gareth arranges for him to disappear. Little does Nails know he has a stowaway—the blond girl, who goes by the name of Dallas. On the run, they get into more trouble but, as two outcasts, they develop a poignant friendship.
Clayton realizes his father has sent Nails into a trap where he is sure to be killed, so he vows to find his friend and bring him home to face the consequences legally. But Clayton's not the only one looking for Nails; Alex Price, brother of the man Nails killed, is also on the trail. He actually cares less about avenging his brother's death than about finding his blond companion, who has something he desperately wants.
Nothing goes well, and the ending seemed depressing. Then a last-minute twist, although a bit sappy, made me smile through my tears.

Another fantastic book by Mr. Panowich!! "Nails" McKenna is minding his own business, living his life in McFalls County and working for Gaerth Burroughs. That is until one night he walks into a local bar and defends a woman who is being attacked. In the process his kills the wrong man, setting off a chain of events that he could have never predicted. "Nails" and the woman go on the run. In the process leaving bread crumbs to where they are headed to disappear. The problem there is "Nails" can not take the woman with him where he is going. Some good and bad people are after them. Can you guess who gets to them first? Read it and find out!!

1989. McFalls County GA. Young Nelson McKenna and a couple friends are exploring a creek on Bull Mountain. Nelson is fodder for the local bullies because he is ‘different’. He has cognitive issues, a curiously constructed face, and his deformed left hand is more akin to a club. His mom died when he was very young, and his father used Nelson mostly as a punching bag for his own inadequacies. A couple jerks come upon Nelson and start messing with him. Pushing becomes shoving becomes hitting and Nelson hits the ground . . . where he starts to lose it. He comes up swinging. Swinging so hard one boy hits the ground (and maybe a rock). Nelson pummels the boy. As this happens on Bull Mountain and nothing happens on the Mountain that Gareth Burroughs doesn’t know about, he cleans up the mess and talks to Nelson about what kind of man he may become, given what’s happened. Two kinds of people in the world: those that are hammers and those that are nails. Gareth brings Nelson into the family and brings him up to be another enforcer in Gareth’s businesses – the birth of Nails McKenna.

1996. Nails has grown up. Considerably. He’s big. Bigger than Jack Reacher big. And he’s an effective enforcer for Gareth. But deep down, he’s not wired to enforce. He is wired to protect. And that’s what gets him in far too deep for what he is capable of understanding or solving

He, like many of the deadbeats on Bull Mountain, enjoys spending some time at The Chute, the local bar/club/meth house. But the owner, Freddie, knows Nails isn’t there for the ambience. He comes in for a couple cold pints of apple juice. The music is loud, and the dancing is fierce. Nails eyes a girl roughly his age dancing her ass off. Looks like she’s with a few other guys who’ve ascended the mountain to party. Nails spots them all go into the men’s room, but thinks the girl really isn’t a willing participant. He follows them into the can where one of the trio of guys confronts him and blocks his path to a closed stall behind which are 3 sets of feet, and one set doesn’t seem to be having any fun. He levels the punk in his path, busts open the stall door and picks up the girl and heads back into the bar so he can get her out. One of the punks takes issue with Nails, whips out a knife, draws first blood from Nails whose lethal left-hand club puts the guy down. For good. In front of a bar full of witnesses.

Nails and the girl, who calls herself Dallas Georgia, now become odd couple fugitives. Gareth gives Nails some money and a phone number in Jacksonville, FL. Tells them to get to Florida, call the number, and do whatever the guy on the other end says to do. The guy is a fixer. He will fix what’s happened and make it all go away.

Their road to Jacksonville is littered with tangential issues - related to the bar, to the victim, the fixer, Dallas’ parents, motel clerks, a kindly old gas station owner and others. And notably, Gareth’s son Clayton (before he became sheriff of McFalls County).

One of the kids with Nelson that fateful day by the creek was Amy who’d become one of his only real friends. She convinces Clayton that it’s in Nelson’s best interest if he tracks him down, brings him back up the mountain and turns himself in. That bar full of witnesses all know, and will testify, that Nails was just defending himself . . . mostly. Clayton agrees and sets out to find Nelson/Nails.

Upon finding Nails, everyone on God’s green earth that are looking for Nails descend on Clayton and Nails where Panowich delivers one thing he is well known for . . . a bloodbath.

This is Panowich’s 4th book based on Bull Mountain, and we’ve reviewed them all. Panowich is firmly entrenched in my Power Rotation. Bull Mountain was his first novel, and it blew me away as did books #2 and 3. Add #4 to that list even though it’s a bit different; more character driven about 2 unlikely fugitive/kids, both sort of on the run from failed family lives, who are running away from something that really wasn’t of their own making. Guess that makes them victims of both their past and their present. Yes, drugs and mayhem ensue, but the developing love story between Nails and Dallas is the driving force of the story. Not to mention:

1. Panowich give us a peak into some of the issues that drive wedges into the Burroughs clan seen in books 2 and 3 and . . .

2. A twist that I never saw coming. Maybe you will. But I didn't.

And I am truly sorry to say this: It’s not available April 16, 2024. But thanks to NetGalley for making an advance reviewer copy available. Trust me folks. This one is worth the wait.



ECD

This was a really well done novel, it had what I was hoping for from the author and the description. The characters were smartly written and worked in the setting. I enjoyed the plot and how good it was. Brian Panowich does everything that I wanted and can’t wait for more.

I like gritty back of the woods crime stories and this story was no different I look forward to more books from this author.

This wonderful book but you'll hate some of the lessons. Just read the book well worth your time! Honest!

I love this author and all his books about the Bull Mountain folks. He has a way of making the reader care about characters with all their imperfections. I hope he has more stories in him with Clayton in them.

Growing up in a small town where specific names held power, I was drawn to this book. I was surprised along the way. Love and friendship go a long way; this book proves just that.

I really like this author and his depiction of the gritty rural south. He has a way of writing immersively and has a enough to keep you guessing.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book .

Nothing But the Bones is my favorite Brian Panowich novel so far, and I've read them all. This novel was a tad bit less graphic, though still as violent, as his previous novels; however, it tackled a very controversial subject with compassion and positivity.

This book is a prequel to the other Bull Mountain stories. In this one, Clayton Burroughs is just a young man, a teenager as the book begins, and we're introduced to his father Garreth and the condescending, hurtful way he treats Clayton.

We meet Clayton's wife Kate before they're married, as well as friends Amy and Nelson. It's Nelson, aka Nails, who becomes the main character in the novel, as we trace his painful, gentle youth that soon follows a troubled, violent, and dangerous path, thanks to Garreth Burroughs.

A really good read, and I thank Goodreads and .St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

A really well written book that is making me look for other books by this author. The main character Nelson (Nails) has some learning issues and it tormented as a teenager. Something happens that changes his life's trajectory, and he becomes an enforcer for the local crime boss of the area. Under all his toughness is a good heart and when he tries to do the right thing, his life falls apart. He is sent away and here is where the story takes place. The characters are well developed and I wanted to keep the pages turning to find out how it all turns out. A must read.

Wow this was incredible! Action packed and such an immersive storyline. It had some well thought out twists that left me stunned.

So thankful to NetGalley for my ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wow! Another great book by Brian Panowich. Powerful and hard to put down. Characters that jump off the page and pull you into the story. And what a story! So good! Highly recommended.

This is my first time reading a book by the author and I was drawn in from the very beginning. I loved the bad cowboy vibe I got from the story and I connected with every character. There was not one character that I did not like besides maybe Stan. It’s a fast pace story filled with lots of action and violence.

Nelson is a teenager who is bullied but has great friends to stick up for him. Then one day the bullying got taken too far and Nelson fought back. The fight ended horribly leaving the teenagers in a tough position. They end up calling one of the friend’s (Clayton) criminal father to help clean up their mess. Claytons father took things into his hands immediately but this one incident would now shape Nelsons adult life turning him into a bad boy on the run with his Bonnie (Dallas/Riley).

This was my second book from this author, first read was Bull Mountain. Since I try to stay away from the synopsis of a book then I was a little surprised it brought a strong dose of Bull Mountain but still definitely read as a standalone. The characters were the pillars of this story, both interesting and intriguing. Uncovering the story will, yes, reveal some surprises to keep the pages turning until the very last word.

This book grew into a five star book with the title maybe having the only small disconnect for me.

Thank you to both Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity in exchange for an honest review.

I was disappointed with this book as I thought "Hard Cash Valley" was amazing. Panowich goes too far in making his character, Nails, whose brain often works slow, but is quick to anger, and has a damaged hand is more of a caricature than a real person. There is part of the Dallas character that I thought was unnecessary and included only because it relates to an issue that is currently much discussed in the news. The ending is just plain sappy. But, Panowich does know how to tell a story and the plot moves quickly.. The sense of place visuals work.

What a ride! Gripping, tense, and one twist after the other. Backwoods 'mafia', secrets and betrayal, and connections everywhere. A definite rollercoaster of a page-turner to that last page.

I have not read the other books in this series but this could be read as a standalone novel as the events happen prior to the rest of the series.

This story follows Nelson "Nails" who has a history of doing the bidding for Georgia "Bull Mountain" local Gareth Burroughs. Nails is described as a large, bald man with a deformed left hand. When Nails gets in trouble at a local bar trying to save a woman, named Dallas, from a sexual predator, he is instructed to go to an address in Florida, call a phone number and follow their directions. The woman ends up tagging along and the pair needs to be resourceful in their endeavor to Florida. Clayton Burroughs, son of Gareth and old friend of Nails, tries to track them down and help get Nails and Dallas out of danger he knows his father can inflict.

I do not generally read this genre of book but I was hooked right away. The story is fast paced with short chapters and you grow to really love the characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced ebook.

This is the fourth book in the Bull Mountain series, it takes place earlier than the events in the previous books, so it can easily be read as a stand alone. Nelson 'Nails' McKenna works as an enforcer for the local crime boss, Gareth Burroughs, he does unpleasant stuff and for an enforcer he has a soft side, after breaking someone's arm, he assists them to stand to make sure he's ok. A woman had seen this activity and decides that she wants Nails, though Nails is not your average guy, for one thing he's huge, 7ft tall and very large, he also has a deformed hand with webbed fingers. People make the mistake of thinking he's slow, and when they call him nasty names, he's quick to retaliate. Nails, while trying to help the woman who had saw him break the guy's arm, accidently kills a guy and he has to go on the run before the law can get him. His boss arranges for him to go from Georgia to Florida where he will meet up a guy who'll take care of him. The woman he was trying to help ends up with him, though not because he wanted her to. Along the way to Florida they get robbed and have to become resourceful in order to make it there by the deadline. Gareth's son, Clayton, was told by his father not to get involved, and of course he goes after Nails to help. The pace of the story was very quick, there were a number of surprises along the way, overall I really enjoyed this and would highly recommend. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Minotaur for the #ARC.

Nails, Nelson has a habit of killing men get under his skin. The Burroughs clan leader takes him under his wing to save for another day. When he has enough of Nails he sends him down to Florida to hide out under the wing of another crime syndicate. Nails and Burroughs son Clayton, who is seen by the family as an underachiever see through the motivation.

Panowich scores a huge victory here. I so much loved he centered this novel on the Gareth Burroughs mountain family. Great delicate character crime novel. Whew!