Fractured Truth by Susan Furlong is the second book of the mystery/suspense Bone Gap Travellers series. Each book of the series has had it’s own main case to be solved so this could be understood as a standalone. However, there are some things that have carried over from book to book that make reading from the the beginning the best option.

The series is set around a group of Irish Travellers that have settled in Bone Gap, Tennessee in the Appalachian Mountains. In the first book of the series readers were introduced to ex-marine Brynn Callahan and her cadaver dog, Wilco. Brynn had joined the marines after some things had happened to her but after an IED explosion had left her injured she’s returned to Bone Gap and the Travellers.

Brynn and Wilco have joined the local law enforcement with Wilco sniffing out victims and Brynn helping to solve the murders. Suffering from PTSD though Brynn is only one swallow of alcohol or pill away from endangering her position in the department. All the while Brynn feels the animosity of the Travellers for being involved but when another young girl turns up murdered Brynn once again finds herself walking the fine line between her own people and the towns folk.

Susan Furlong has yet again done a wonderful job setting the scene with this unique group of Irish Travellers in the mountains. There’s something completely compelling stepping into the world that I can’t help but become completely engaged in the mystery. Brynn is also one very flawed character, well she and Wilco both really, but it’s hard not to feel her emotions right along with her and want things to work out for her. In the end this was another great installment of the series I would rate at 4.5 stars and will looks forward to seeing what else is in store in the future.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I love the setting and cultural aspects of this story. Susan Furlong beautifully captures this group of people known as Travellers. We see how prejudice works from both sides, enforcing stereotypes and ensuring the Travellers remain on the margins of society. We also see how difficult life is for people like Brynn, who straddle the middle ground of the two while not completely fitting into either.

The mystery unravels at a good pace, held my interest, and kept me guessing all the way through.

Brynn's relationship with Wilco is one of my favorite aspects of this series. Anyone who has ever loved an animal will appreciate their bond.

The only issue I had came with Brynn's emotional unraveling and erratic behavior. She has a major chip on her shoulder, and is moody and difficult throughout the story. The reasoning is sound and it's handled well. But the book is written in first person, from her perspective, and so it becomes grating to spend the entire time with her this way. The setup for this began in book 1, but here in book 2 her problematic behavior takes center stage, often overshadowing the murder case. Consequently, while I sympathized with her plight, I found her more difficult to like. That being said, there is a profound honesty in the way her situation is handled.

I think this book works fine as a stand-alone read. The author does a great job of weaving bits of the past into this story, and the plot itself is resolved with no cliffhangers. Still, I recommend starting with Splintered Silence, book 1, in order to get a firm sense of Brynn and the Bone Gap Travellers.

Unrelenting from page 1. Couple times I had to put the brakes on myself and set the book aside. I felt anguish for Brynn, all she endured and all she stills endure, not just with her time at war, but home. I became attached to Brynn & Wilco and wanted to make everything all right. You become invested in the whole community and Ethan, OMW . There are twists, turns, sub plots and it is one wild ride. When you come to Bone Gap leave your expectations at that door, because no matter what, this will blow them wide open. I did not read book 1, but I am going to now. Thank you Susan Furlong, Kensington Books and NetGalley for this arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Brynn Callahan is a courageous young woman. She is also a cop in Tennessee, an ex-marine with PTSD, and a Traveller, an insular community she doesn't quite fit into. To say she is troubled would be a bit of an understatement and when a young Traveller girl she knows is killed all her worlds collide and life becomes intolerable.

This is a very good book, written in the first person so all of Brynn's problems are seen through her eyes. She is always accompanied by her dog, Wilko, who is as scarred as she is and it's fair to say he has more friends than she does! The isolation, addiction, and loneliness is so well done that you almost believe the lies Brynn tells herself to get through her days and nights alive but never in one piece.

I really enjoyed this story and didn't feel hampered by not having read the first book but it isn't, in my opinion, a stand alone and I now know some of the things which happened in 'Splintered Silence' one of which is a story arc which will continue into the third book.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this novel thanks to Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review and recommend it for anyone who read the first book or doesn't mind that they didn't.

The story and mystery were very interesting. Wilcox is still my favorite character. I don't like Gramps.

I received a free copy from the publisher and NetGalley for an honest review.

Fractured Truth is the second book in the Bone Gap Travelers series. Deputy Brynn Callahan is an ex-marine, Traveller, who has a cadaver dog named Wilco. This book is a great murder mystery that deals with PTSD Wilco's disability, prejudices, and an ex-marine trying to adapt back into society after War. This is a well-written book with a unique plot and I enjoyed the characters. I would recommend this book to anyone.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A great mystery a little bit dark .

I didn't know this was the second book of this series. Even though I didn't read the first book. I really got into Deputy Brynn Callahan and her dog. She a former marine but also a traveller from a long line of gypsies.

As she investigate a murder of fellow traveller she is pull from two different direction one by the travellers and by settled people who don't believe she can do her job.

As she put her career on the line the to find justice for the murder woman she also try to overcome her past and get a handle on her PSTD.

There are some twists and turns to figure out who the murder is. Ps I did like learning about search dogs and how they work.

Good mystery a little dark and brooding, but still good. I liked Brynn and her cadaver dog. It was interesting to learn about search dogs, and how amazing they really are. The setting in Tennessee sounded beautiful. It was also amazing to hear about the Travelers Community. I never knew they existed, but it almost sounded like a cult or religion that shuns you when you defy them or walk away like Brynn did to some degree in this story. Definitely, recommend.

I loved the first book so much that I jumped at the chance to read the second book in the Bone Gap series. Brynn Callahan, an ex-Marine with PTSD. has returned to Bone Gap in Appalachia. Her family is part of a clan of Travelers, known as gypsies to the "settled" community. The walls of prejudice and discrimination segregate the groups, and Brynn is an outsider for both groups as she and her beloved, Wilco -- a cadaver dog for the military, joined the police force.

Rich in descriptions, you'll learn about the cultural of the travelers while reading a top-notch mystery. While there is sufficient exposition to cover the events In the first book, you shouldn't deny yourself the pleasure of reading it.
Highly recommended!

Really enjoy this series, and will be looking forward to more by this autjor. Just hope the heroine gets stronger and finds the peace she deserves.

4 stars

New Deputy Sheriff Brynn Callahan and her scent-remains trained dog Wilco have found the remains of a woman in a cave off the Appalachian Trail. They performed the same job time and time again when they were in the military in a war zone.

The seventeen-year old girl’s name is Maura Keene and she is a Traveler, as is Brynn. Brynn is caught between a rock and a hard place. The Travelers believe that some non-Traveler must have done the killing, while the town people believe it was a Traveler. Tempers flare and Brynn is caught in the middle. Some of her fellow police officers don’t like her, whether it is because she is a woman, a Traveler or a former Marine is unclear.

The investigation begins. A person is arrested. Another person is murdered. What is going on? Who is killing the girls? And why? Brynn gets a major blow and Wilco becomes a hero.

The murderer of the young women comes as a surprise – at least to me. The reason is a very sad one. And the final outcome is very sad.

This is a well written book. The plotting is a little loose here and there, but pulls itself together at the major points. I don’t know if I like Brynn or not. She seems a little inconsistent in her behavior. Although I’m very sure that I would be too if I had gone through all that Brynn has gone through. There was sufficient background information given about the key players so as to flesh them out, but not so much that it intruded on the story line. I definitely like Wilco, however. The little town seems like a hotbed of trouble.

I want to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books/Kensington for forwarding to me a copy of this good book for me to read, enjoy and review.

4.5 Stars

Brynn Callahan is an ex-Marine and a newly sworn-in deputy facing her first official homicide along with Wilco, her trained K-9. Brynn and her dog are rather unique characters. Brynn is still suffering from PTSD, using pills and alcohol to help get her through her days. She was injured during her time of service, half her body is covered with burn scars .. but most of her scars are inside. Wilco suffered a hit the same time as Brynn. He lost a leg and his hearing. He's been trained to sniff out human remains.

Brynn is an Irish Traveler, which are somewhat like gypsies. They pretty much keep to themselves, handle their own problems and definitely do not trust the police. This puts Brynn in a precarious position.

The mutilated body of a young woman is found in a cave. Brynn is shocked when she recognizes who the victim is ... a fellow member of the Travelers. Caught between two people .. the Travelers and the 'settled' people .. neither of whom trust her to do her job. It doesn't help when her fellow law officers don't particularly like her.

Brynn must put her career on the line and her life at risk to find justice for a woman not unlike herself—haunted by her past, and caught in a vicious cycle she may never escape.

The mystery is a good one, pitting people of one side against the other with Brynn caught in the middle. She's a unique character, and I found myself more engaged by her and her dog rather than the who-dun-it. It seems like she's fighting everyone coming at her from every direction .. and she's getting tired of defending herself against them all. If it weren't for Wilco, she'd feel totally alone.

There are many suspects, several motivations for the murder of a young girl. The Travelers say that someone from the settled people must be responsible, while the settle people are sure that the Travelers did this awful thing. Old secrets will somehow find their way into the light.

Although second in a series, this works quite well as a stand alone. I highly recommend reading SPLINTERED SILENCE, the first book.

Many thanks to the author / Kensington Books / Netgalley for the advanced digital copy of this well-written crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Brynn Callahan begins her new job as a deputy on a cold winter day in the ominously named Bone Gap, Tennessee. Her first call out is for a murder, a woman has been found dead and mutilated in the middle of nowhere. Brynn a former marine and Traveller, recognizes the woman, also a Traveller as Maura Keene. Maura was well liked by everyone, making her murder all the more senseless. Then Brynn’s K-9 uncovers bones and other bizarre relics, sending the local community into a tizzy, bringing out suspicions and prejudices. With Brynn still struggling after her tour with the Marines, she must come to terms with the idea that those she knows best may be hiding some very ugly secrets