Former Marine Brynn Callahan and her canine partner, Wilco return to her home town of Bone Gap, Tennessee after an abrupt end to their tour of duty both of them left with battle scars. The Irish Travellers keep to themselves in the mountains, maintaining an uneasy coexistence with the townspeople of McCreary. But when Wilco’s training as a cadaver dog leads Brynn to a body in the woods, tensions boil over on both sides. Working along with local Sheriff Frank Pusser, Brynn finds out things about her family, those that live there and herself which doesn't set too well. What is it you ask? You will have to read the book to find out. I voluntarily reviewed a free ARC of this book. This is my honest opinion of the story.

This is an awesome story and very interesting mystery. Wilco the dog is my favorite character. I really want to read the next book in this series.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.

Splintered Silence is a tough and gritty book that deals with the effects of a veteran returning from serving in the Marines in Afghanistan, and a group that I had heard of, but didn't know much about, the Irish Travelers. Brynn Callahan has returned home to the traveler's settlement in Bone Gap, Tennessee after three tours overseas with her service dog, Wilco. Brynn's duty was body recovery, and Wilco is her cadaver-sniffing dog. Both are experiencing Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome as a result of their tour and assignment. We learn about the Irish Travelers who settle in one place for part of the year and then travel around the country finding work as handymen/women. The Travelers are a much-maligned group -- many think of them as thieving gypsies, and as a result, they keep to themselves, away from the "settlers" who live in towns and cities. When Wilco runs off and discovers a body in the dense woods surrounding the traveler's community, tensions mount between the travelers and the settlers, and Brynn unwillingly finds herself helping the Sheriff, who is not trusted by her community and consequently receives no help from them in his investigation.

This book is full of atmosphere, family loyalties, betrayals, prejudices, and mysteries. It deals with the devastating PTSD that has affected so many veterans returning from overseas combat who are trying to re-assimilate into pre-combat life. I also learned a lot about the Irish Travelers, their clans and clansmanship, and their deep distrust of the settlers. I was riveted to the pages and found this book to be an intense and emotional read and highly recommend it.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are solely my own.

No review. I did not complete this book because I found it was not the genre I usually enjoy reading. Nothing against the writing as I thought the writing was excellent, but I did not care for the storline.

I have been a fan of the two series that I have read by Susan Furlong. I was excited to see how this book differed from her usual genre. I wasn't certain that I would like the book because it isn't what I generally read but because of the author I at least wanted to try it. I was very pleased. I would recommend this book.

Splintered Silence is a terrific suspense. The book is well written with a good plot with many twists and turns. Awesome writing style. I highly recommend.

A new mystery series that stands out for the crowd. Brynn, a former Marine suffering from PTSD and her partner Wilco, a cadaver dog are back home in Bone Gap Tennessee. Brynn is a member of the Irish Travellers and not welcome in the surrounding community. She has a lot to deal with since leaving the Corps due to her injuries from an IED. When she and Wilco are asked to help find a missing woman, Wilco finds the corpse of a woman who turns out to be very close to Brynn and her family....and their secrets. I am certain that I will be reading more entries in this well crafted mystery series.

This is a definite page turner. Furlong introduces us to Irish Traveller's, Brynn a veteran with PTSD is the main character and her amazing dog Wilco. A very well plotted mystery with some unexpected twists and turns will keep you turning the page. I look forward to revisiting these characters as they are very intriguing and believeable

Splintered Silence is the first book in the Bone Gap Travellers Mystery series.

Brynn Callahan is an Irish Traveller, some may call them gypsy's, and has recently returned from the Middle East where she served as an MP in the Marine Corps. While on duty she and her partner, Wilco, a cadaver searching dog, they were injured when an IED exploded. The story centers around Brynn’s dealing with PSTD and returning to her home where Irish Travellers are looked down on by the local, or as the Travellers refer to them the settled.

In addition to dealing with her PSTD, she is also dealing with having been left with her grandparents by her mother when she was just a baby, an ailing grandfather who didn’t support her during a very traumatic moment in her teenage years and the local who feel she is another drunk Traveller.

Kevin Doogan, who has the trailer next to Byrnn’s grandparents, asks for Byrnn and Wilco to help him search for his sister, Shelia, who is missing. Reluctantly, Byrnn agrees to help Doogan. She cautions Doogan to remain silent and stay out of Wilco’s vision so that Wilco can do what he was trained to do. After a couple of attempts, Wilco catches a scent and soon finds a body in a small crevice. Once the body is removed Doogan is sure it is his sister, but tests show that it is Brynn’s mother who she was led to believe had died some time ago.

Now that she has learned that her mother hasn’t been dead all these years, she wants to learn more about her mother’s life and she came to be killed so that she can obtain closure. In her search, she and Wilco, find another body, learns of a possible drug cartel that is working the area and having to learn to deal with the “settled” (those people that aren’t Travellers) and who want the Travellers out of the community.

I really enjoyed this book and the interesting and believable characters. The reader will get an informative look into what challenges some of the soldiers face dealing with PSTD

Hopefully, there will be more books about Brynn Callahan and how she able to deal with the personal problems she was facing in this book and to see if she will put her expertise as a Military Policeman to use in the Bone Gap community and if she does how the Travellers will accept it

I usually prefer "cozier" mysteries, but I am certainly recommending SPLINTERED SILENCE by Susan Furlong. I read it in a day – staying up quite late because I wanted to know what happened to former Marine (military police) Brynn Callahan and her human remains detection dog, Wilco. Devoted to each other, they had spent three tours together in the Middle East, but are now recuperating after an IED explosion. Brynn brings Wilco to the Appalachians and Bone Gap, Tennessee, where her maternal grandparents raised her. Once again, she struggles with both prejudice against their Irish Travellers Clan and with the clan members' distrust of outsiders (the "settled"), especially police. Furlong said, "Through my writing, I hope that readers will come to have a greater understanding and appreciation for the Irish Travellers' unique way of life." I do think she succeeded, but I am still curious to see if the prejudice against them is as blatant and strong as she portrayed.

SPLINTERED SILENCE is a mystery involving multiple deaths from gunshot wounds. Spousal abuse, rape and drug trafficking are also involved, plus there is Brynn's and Wilco's efforts to cope with PTSD. That all makes for a rough, emotional read at times, but SPLINTERED SILENCE is a complex and intriguing story with appealing main characters. I am looking forward to more mysteries involving Wilco, Brynn, her family, and local law enforcement. Publishers Weekly sums it up well: "Readers will want to see more of the intrepid Brynn, who must face her personal demons as she tries to find her place in a hostile community." 4.5 stars

Well written story of division within a town. Two groups coexist, but do not comingle. Wonderful relationship between woman and her dog.

I’ve been a longtime fan of Susan Furlong, known for her cozy mysteries. I was anxious to read SPLINTERED SILENCE, her first foray into suspense and was captivated by her page-turning story introducing readers to the Irish Travellers. Ms. Furlong creates a vivid picture of a subculture that I’ve never heard about. She uses her deeply emotionally scarred protagonist, Brynn Callahan, to effectively delve beneath the surface of the tightly knit community, known as the Bone Gap Travellers. In addition to Brynn suffering a grievous event in her young life, she went on to suffer traumatically while serving as a Marine overseas. She returns to her community, bringing her equally injured service dog, Wilco, with her. Not only do they both have physical injuries, they both have PTSD. Ms. Furlong treats this heartbreaking subject with a deft touch, never minimalizing it. She writes with an emotional rawness that draws the reader in, bringing a realistic look at what the protagonist experiences.

The mystery surrounding the body that Wilco finds in the woods has many twists and turns. I found it interesting that the people of the Bone Gap Travelers have a deep-seated mistrust of the townspeople and the town has an equally deep-seated loathing of the “gypsies” as they call Brynn’s people. This distrust persists despite many, many decades of living next to each other. As such, Brynn doesn’t feel like she can rely on the town’s law enforcement to find answers. She is pulled into the investigation, drawing on her and Wilco’s training as a human remains detection experts. It is fully apparent that Ms. Furlong has spent many hours researching the procedures involved and I was intrigued by the insights she provides about training dogs for military and police use. It adds to the authenticity of the story. The suspense builds as you turn the pages and it was difficult to put the book down. I look forward to reading more about Brynn Callahan and applaud Ms. Furlong for an exciting foray into the suspense genre!

Former Marine MP Brynn Callahan and Wilco (her cadaver dog) have returned to the Appalachians of Tennessee to stay with her grandparents who raised her after three tours with the Marines. Brynn and Wilco (Will Comply) are both suffering from PTSD after an IED explosion ended their tour. Splintered Silence is the first in the Bone Gap Travellers Mystery series, featuring the Irish Travellers. Often in conflict with the "settled" of the nearby town of McCreary, the Irish Travellers prefer to keep to themselves as a strong knit clan. Brynn's Human Remains Detection (HRD) dog reverts to his training when he detects a body in the nearby woods.

Set in first person, the reader resides in the head of Brynn who is in conflict with herself, her grandfather and only now learning the story of the mother who disappeared when she was a baby, a story her grandmother kept from her. If the IED didn't kill her, she seems bent on self-destruction. Her only saving grace is the powerful connection she possesses with her equally powerful but war-damaged dog.

The prejudice against the Travellers, viewed as gypsies and mistrusted or worst, is palpable and returned by her clan, especially the older generation, toward the settled. There is conflict between them, she and her grandparents, and she and local settled law enforcement. But as a recovery expert, she and her Ex-HRD dog Wilco are valuable outside her clan. Wilco, wholly fleshed as well as his humans, is immensely sympathetic. He only knows that he gets to work again.

The relationship between she and her dog is compelling. The story hooks from the beginning and sets the stage for the suspense that continues throughout the book. Strong characters, interesting and unique premise (and an introduction for myself to an American culture I was previously unaware). Tight, gripping dialogue, protagonists (human and her dog) you quickly invest in, believable supporting characters, and a tale that turns pages quickly. I received this download through Kensington Books and NetGalley and greatly appreciated the opportunity to read and review. Thank you! Recommended as a bone-chilling, topical thriller suspense.

I am a huge fan of Susan Furlong's Georgia Peach cozy mystery series, so when I saw that she was writing a novel that featured a former Marine and her military working dog, I was ecstatic.

Brynn and Wilco, her human remains detection dog, return to Bone Gap after being seriously injured and traumatized during deployment. Her home is far from happy - a member of the Irish Travellers, the clan's values tend to clash with those of the "settled" people, and tensions are running high both amongst the clan members and the neighbouring town. Wilco discovers a body in a rocky area behind the Irish Travellers' settlement, and Brynn is soon juggling the demands of the police, her family, neighbours, and friends, while dealing with PTSD and her past.

The multiple issues brought up in this book, including prejudice, PTSD, addiction, and rape are seamlessly weaved together by Furlong, The character development is flawless, and the pacing and plotting of the mystery are perfect. Th relationship between Brynn and Wilco, as well as his training, are well researched and the most accurate portrayal of handing and working dog that I have read in a fiction book; I often shy away from books featuring working dogs as they are so inaccurate and often depicted as "cute". Furlong rises above this and does true justice to the bond between handler and working dog. Bravo! I could not put this book down and read it in 1.5 days, while my own Malinois was curled up in my legs (after he and I had completed morning training and a hike). I can't wait for the next novel featuring Brynn and Wilco.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Publishers for an advanced reading copy.

Splintered Silence by Susan Furlong
Bone Gap Travelers #1

Dark twisted and filled with tragedies and secrets this story is brilliant and a great beginning to the Bone Gap Travelers series!

Brynn Callahan and Wilco, her Human Remains Detection (HRD) dog, are a team that depend on one another for just about everything. Both have been scarred by an IED and discharged from service. Brynn has found her PTSD difficult to deal with even with affectionate deaf Wilco at her side. She has opted, for one reason or another, to head back to Bone Gap, Tennessee to be with her grandmother in a conclave of Irish Travelers known as Pavee living on the outskirts of a town of the Settled.

Brynn does not have fond memories of her time in Bone Gap. Pavee stay apart and are considered almost leprous by those not part of their clan. With prejudice, hatred, fear and bigotry faced almost every time Brynn steps into a group of non-Pavee it is not easy being home again. And, when Wilco finds a cadaver on one of their first walks and the police show up their lives become even more intense.

This book deals with numerous issues and introduces a significant number of characters that need to be kept track of. What were some of the issues?
* PTSD
* Female military veterans
* Scarring – physical and mental
* Abuse
* Rape
* Death
* Murder
* Lies
* Religion
* Life living on the outskirts
* Belonging and not belonging
* Addiction
* Loss
* Suicide
* Paternity
* Abandonment
* Betrayal
* Profiling
* And more

Every issue is woven into the story seamlessly. The characters are completely formed though often damaged and carrying secrets. The story was one that I could not put down once begun. AND I came away wanting to know what will happen next. I felt for Brynn and Wilco. I cared about the supporting characters (the good ones). I hoped the bad guys would get their comeuppances. I felt this was a book that made me think and know that it will stay with me for quite some time.

I am eager to read the next book in this series and thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC – This is my honest opinion.

5 Stars

This is my first book by Susan Furlong but I"m sure it won't be my last.

While not as fast paced as my usually books, i really enjoyed the plot and characters. there was a lot of depth and details, but it seemed to work (a little slo win spots but easy to overlook). I really hope they are more books in this series as the Irish Travellers are fascinating. Brynn and Wilco make an awesome team and I want to go on more adventures with them.

Outstanding book about Brynn and her dog Wilco. Impossible to put it down until I was completely finished. Appreciated receiving this book.

Splintered Silence by Susan Furlong is the first book in the new suspense Bone Gap Travellers series. The series is set around a group of Irish Travellers that have settled in Bone Gap, Tennessee in the Appalachian Mountains. After events in her past Brynn Callahan left the group to join the Marines but now after an IED explosion has left her injured she’s returned with her cadaver dog, Wilco.

The story has a lot going on to pull a reader into it as Brynn has returned with her own scars and a case of PTSD so you can’t help but feel for her. Brynn’s dog Wilco has also suffered his battle wounds and is now deaf so when he gets away from Brynn she has to give chase but little does she know he had gone into work mode and leads her straight to a body in the woods.

As the police are called in Brynn finds herself in the middle of the divide between the travellers and those they consider outsiders. Brynn being ex-military gets involved in helping investigate the murder but also finds herself with very close ties to the victim. As events unfold it becomes clear it may not be the only murder that’s taken place in Bone Gap either.

In my opinion I think the author did a wonderful job of taking on the setting of this group of Irish Travellers in the mountains. With every page there was tension set with anticipation as the story went deeper into the murder mystery and the world it was set in. With Brynn also being a flawed character with her own problems to dig into as the story went along it became quite the compelling read.

I’m also a sucker for any story with a canine that becomes a big part of the book and Wilco did not disappoint at all. He was the one thing that Brynn could cling to as she untangled the mystery in her past and the present in the book. In the end I found this one a great start to this new series and would definitely be interested in what happens with Brynn and the travellers in the next edition.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I received an ARC from Netgalley and Kensington publishing. I thank them for allowing me to read and review this book. These are my own opinions.
I am a big fan of Susan Furlong's Georgia Peach Mystery series and I was very interested to read Splintered Silence which is not a cozy. The tension in this book is thick. Brynn and her dog Wilco (short for Will comply) are suffereing from Post Tramatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Their PSTD is a result of an IED explosion in the middle east. Brynn served three tours in the middle east as a dog handler/marine cop.
Brynn has returned to her home in the Appalachian Mountains. Wilco, a trained cadaver dog, discovers a body in the surrounding woods and Brynn is plunged into a deepening mystery that leaves her torn between her loyalty to her clan and her training as a MP. As she searches for the truth, we witness the uncompromising bond between Brynn and Wilco. We also see the blind hate and prejudice directed at the Travellers by the townspeople.
I was impressed by the story delving into PTSD and showing what is like for one person. Having had friends who suffer from this, I know it’s not the same for all. Even Wilco suffers from it.
It will be interesting to see if Brynn can get the help she needs and can accept that help. I believe she is on the brink of accepting she needs to do something different with her life or her past and the IED explosion or she will be consumed by it.
Looking forward to Wilco & Brynn’s next chapter.