Bone Deep

I received a digital advance copy of Bone Deep by Charles Bosworth Jr. and Joel J. Schwartz. Bone Deep is scheduled for release on February 22, 2022.

Bone Deep is the true story of the murder of Betsy Faria and the wrongful conviction of her husband, Russell, told by Russell’s defense attorney and an author.

From the beginning, the evidence at the scene did not point to Russell. In addition, Russell had an alibi confirmed by four people and video surveillance footage from several locations. The last person confirmed in the house with Betsy was her friend Pam, who had just been named as the beneficiary on Betsy’s insurance.

Despite the pile of evidence clearing Russell and implicating Pam, police and prosecutors focus exclusively on Russell. The judge assigned to the case seems just as determined to see Russell imprisoned. Schwartz does not give up on his client, convinced that the wrong person is on trial.

This book is told by a person who was involved from the case from start to finish, and includes tons of dialogue and quotes from documents, interviews, and the trial. The result is a tale that pulls the reader in, placing them in the same state of incredulity Schwartz found himself in as the investigation and trial progressed.

Overall, Bone Deep is an intense and engaging dive into the ways our legal system failed in one specific case, and the determination of one lawyer to fix that error. While the events of the story are deeply frustrating, the telling of the story maintains that feeling that we can fix the wrongs done by a system that is not perfect.