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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Susan Furlong is a new author for me. The story takes place in Bone Gap Tennessee and tells about the traditions and of clan of people called the Irish Travellers. I have never heard them called this but have read stories before about Gypsies. The storyline tells us about Byrnn and her canine partner, Wilco both whom were injured in a IED explosion and discharged from the military. The story revolves around the effects PTSD, alchol and drug problems can effect a persons life. I found this to be a quick and powerful read. I would definitely recommend it to anyone that enjoy suspense and mysteries.
Splintered Silence is the first book in the Bone Gap Travellers Mystery series.
Brynn and her cadaver (Human Remains Detection) dog Wilco have returned home, both having been badly injured by an IED explosion while serving with the Marines. They are also both suffering from PTSD as well.
Bryan is a Traveller or as some say a gypsy, having been raised by her grandparents. Her mother left and her father is unknown.
This book grabbed me in from the very first page and I could not put it down. I am very much looking forward to more of the series. Brynn and Wilco really stole my heart.
Twists, murder, horrible memories, secrets. An original, well written excellent story make this an exciting read.
I live in an area where Travellers have settled and are known for their mansions, deceptions and bad reputations. So it made it even more interesting and informative to me as I read about Travellers living in other places.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of the book from the author and voluntarily reviewed.
This was a great first-in-series! I already bought the second book and I can’t wait to start reading it.
The first in what could be a really good series – I’m anxiously awaiting the second which isn’t published yet. The main character is a vet and her military working dog, both of whom have been medically discharged following injuries and PTSD from an IED.
Having been a fan of Susan Furlong’s cozy mystery series, I was entranced by her foray into a grittier style of writing. Her story of a returning soldier with PTSD and a service dog (who served with her overseas) is fully absorbing. The characters are believable and real, and the scenes are vivid. This is one of the best books I have read all year.
The story follows the homecoming of Brynn, a female soldier returning to the small, close-knit community of Irish Travellers in Bone Gap, TN. She’s troubled by a disfiguring injury as well as her recent work as a retriever of fallen soldiers in the field. Brynn has a special bond with her trained cadaver dog, Wilco, one of the best canine characters I have ever come across.
In addition to all of this, Brynn is trying to cope with a chaotic past that includes the disappearance of her mother when she was young. When she stumbles across a grim find, this time close to home, Brynn is sucked back into the secrets, prejudice and lies that haunt both her past and present as part of the Irish Travellers community. To the Travellers, she presents difficulties: she both one of them and yet, her time abroad with the “settled” people mark her as an outsider. I learned a lot about the Irish Travellers, a fascinating aspect of this novel and one that makes it stand out.
Ms. Furlong’s masterful writing takes us on a journey right along with her complex, fascinating characters in a page-turning tale of love, loss, redemption and honor. I am looking forward to the next installment in the series.
Susan Furlong’s first Bone Gap Travellers mystery gripped me by the heart from the get-go and never let go. Brynn Callahan is as courageous a protagonist as I’ve ever encountered. Scarred both inside and out, she returns to her home territory in the hills of Tennessee, a place she’d hoped to escape when she joined the Marines, only to find that the bones of the past refuse to stay buried. Accompanied by her beloved dog Wilco, with whom she survived the horrors of war, Brynn finds herself enmeshed in a new battle–one in which murder, bigotry, and dark family secrets threaten to blow her world apart.
The characters in this stunning novel leaped off the page for me; each one was so starkly real and fleshed-out. I found myself cheering for some and denouncing others. At times I wanted to jump into the pages and give Brynn and Wilco each a fierce hug. Twist after turn, the story held me captive until the final word. Near the end of the book, I felt a surge of hope for Brynn’s future — a ray of light gleaming in the shadowy tunnel of her psyche. I’m anxious to read the next installment in this remarkable new series.
I liked her relationship with her dog. How each was helping the other.
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
Wow! What a fantastic thriller mystery. I won two books in this series but wanted to start with 1st book. I couldn’t put it down and can’t wait to read the next book.
Brynn has PTS after 3 tours of duty in Afghanistan. Both her and her beloved dog Wilco have physical and emotional scars. Brynn after wandering around stateside a few years has come home to Bone Gap to help her Grandmother with her dying Grandfather. They are Travellers, Irish Gypsies one of many names. They live only amongst their own kind, outsiders or Settlers not welcomed or trusted. But when Wilco a Marine trained cadaver dog finds and murdered women in a Ravine both sides must meet. Brynn has her feet in both worlds and doesn’t know how to handle it. The ex-Marine cop or a true Traveller. Great fast paced who done it read, with so much extra.
I have been putting off reading this book for months because I didn’t know if I would like it. Boy oh, am I glad I finally picked it up! It was amazingly entertaining. There will be tears and there will be some smiles but this is a book you can not pass by. MUST READ!!!! Enjoy!
Unique protagonist
Brynn Callahan is an injured ex-Marine that served three duties in the Middle East before being sent back home after an IED attack. She worked as military police during her service with Wilco, a cadaver dog, finding the dead bodies of soldiers so they could be sent home. Wilco was injured in the same IED attack as her and she fought to bring her home with her.
Now both are back in Bone Gap, Tennessee, where she grew up as an Irish Traveler, nomadic Irish people that came to the U.S. during Ireland’s Great Famine and are looked down upon by other people, who they call “settlers.”
This was a fascinating look into the life of people I had never heard of before. Not only that but it’s a well-written story about the emotional and physical traumas of war for Brynn and Wilco.
On a walk one day Wilco happens upon the body of a woman and that starts a cascading series of events that cross over across the Travelers and the other townspeople in the area, bringing back unwanted memories to Brynn and Wilco but also a renewed sense of purpose.
I’m glad that this is a series and I’m glad I found it late because now I can start to read book two FRACTURED TRUTH immediately.
Review for Susan Furlong’s “Splintered Silence”, the first novel in A Bone Gap Travellers series.
If you like mysteries you will love reading “Splintered Silence”. I must say though that this mystery is far from cozy.
It’s about the difficulties of an injured returning vet. The characters and relationships are complex and complicated.
I definitely recommend this, the mystery is suspenseful and keeps you guessing!
I received a copy of Splintered Silence from the author in exchange for my honest review. I loved the story. We follow Brynn and her dog Wilco as they return to her home of Bone Gap. Her clan is the pavees or Gypsies as some call them. She is swept into a mystery as dead bodies of women keep showing up, her neighbors sister is missing and fits the description of the victims. Will Brynn be in danger? And will her clan ever really accept her?
I literally couldn’t put it down and there were many nights I stayed up late reading because of it! Loved all the detail and grit of the story. Definitely recommend!
Totally enjoyed this book. I love the characters and the story line was awesome. Can’t wait to read book 2
I won this book in a contest from Susan Furlong on Facebook. Such a heart felt read. I really enjoyed this book. I loved the connection between Brynn and Wilco!! It caught my attention from the first chapter and had me guessing until the end! Thank you again for a great read!!
Good story
A wonderful book, I enjoyed reading it.
Different and amazing with Wilco and his talents.
I never heard of this group, very interesting history. Sad story, good characters, loved the dog.
Of course Wilco, the dog is my favorite character. Unlike some books that have a dog protagonist, this one really include Wilco as a valid participant in the story. Gritty and violent at times. The Irish Travelers were interesting but I had to keep
reminding myself that they were Irish and not NativeAmerican. Still, the author included some interesting facts about the culture which I hadn’t been aware of.