It’s hard to bury the past when bodies keep turning up …
The Irish Travellers keep to themselves in the mountains, maintaining an uneasy coexistence with the “settled” townspeople of McCreary. But when Wilco’s training as a cadaver dog leads Brynn to a body in the woods, long-simmering tensions threaten to boil over. Forming a reluctant alliance with local sheriff Frank Pusser, Brynn must dig up secrets that not only will rattle her close-knit clan to its core, but may forever change her perception of who she is … and put her back in the line of fire.
“A terrific read.”
—Christine Carbo
“Heart-felt and pulse-pounding.”
—Harry Hunsicker
“Furlong will keep you on the edge of your seat.”
—K.J. Howe
“Brynn and her war-injured dog are characters readers will root for.”
—Suzanne Chazin
“Susan Furlong’s steel-tough, authentic storytelling delivers.”
—Larry D. Sweazy
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A lot of info. On a subject I knew nothing about!
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.
I enjoyed this book very much and would recommend it to anyone looking for an interesting book.
Good characters, great plot lines
This book lingered with me long after the last page. It made me look at my own prejudices and belief systems. Splintered Silence delved into the closed community of the Irish Travelers and the relationship with the local residents. Add in a returning veteran suffering from PTSD, a body or two and a four-legged hero and you have a page-turner. Hope she turns this duo into a series.
Splintered Silence is the first book that I have read from Susan Furlong.
The main characters are Brynn and her cadaver dog, Wilco. Both were injured by an IED and suffer from PTSD. They are very tuned into one another and support each other when one is suffering from a flashback.
I loved this mystery/suspense novel. I was pulled right into the story from the beginning. Susan has a way of writing that you can’t help but develop feelings for the characters. The one thing that surprised me was who turned out to be the murderer. That was one of the last people I would have suspected.
I’m so happy that this is book #1 of Susan’s Bone Gap Travellers series. When I finished this novel, I could see so many more books coming. I’m looking forward to reading more. Thank you Susan for writing such a fascinating story!
Susan Furlong offered this book for a review and I gladly accepted her offer. Before this book, I have never read a book by Susan Furlong. I was also unsure if I would like it only because I wasn’t sure I would like reading about Irish Travelers. After receiving the book in the mail, I read how she developed this idea – from personal experience with Irish Travelers. I started the book and was pleasantly surprised that I loved what I read within 20 pages. I love the pairing of a female ex-military and her dog. While PTSD can be a sad topic to read about, it was nicely blended into the story of her troubles, prejudice of the settled people and the Pavees, and what she has to offer to make her and Wilco feel valued and just maybe her ability to work with the settlers. I do hope there is a book 2 and I will read her other series. Love Susan Furlong’s style of writing. Effortless flows and before I knew it, I had read 50 pages and, I might add, did not read another book at the same time (bad habit of mine – too many good books). Character development was excellent. Thank you Ms. Furlong for this opportunity!
(Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book)
Splintered Silence by author Susan Furlong is written with a focus on the Irish Travellers, the Bone Gap Travellers, who live in the backwoods of Tennessee. Brynn Callahan and her service dog Wilco served with the marines in the Middle East. They were injured in an IED explosion and sent home. Both Brynn and Wilco suffer from flashbacks and PTSD.
Wilco is a trained cadaver dog and one morning sniffs out a terrible surprise for the residents of Bone Gap. Wilco leads Brynn to a pit where a dead female is discovered.
I won’t post spoilers, but this story has several layers of family secrets, old community prejudices, and very interesting cultural information about the lifestyles and beliefs of the clans of Irish Travellers or Pavees as they called themselves. Brynn is trying to live between two cultures in a modern world. Life has not been easy for Brynn and it is heartbreaking! Her mother ran away and left her with her grandparents when she was very young. Also according to tradition Brynn’s marriage to another member of the clan was contracted without her consent by her grandfather. The horrible things she suffered influenced her to run to the Marines as a way of escape.