Nothing But the Bones is a rural noir, a story about families, friendship and a love story as well as a peek at the psyche of criminals. Panowich’s lovely writing style further elevates the intriguing plot.” –Sun Sentinel
“Both pulse-pounding and heart-stirring. This one should be savored.” –The Wall Street Journal
“Nothing But The Bones is an absolutely spellbinding crime novel, brilliantly told. The characters are wonderfully drawn, the plot is truly suspenseful, and Nails is a masterful creation. Brian Panowich has written another winner.” –Marilyn’s Mystery Reads
“Brian Panowich is one of the best shared world authors out there.” – The Hard Word
“The compelling tale, its tone alternately brutal and tender, unfolds at a breakneck pace. The character development is superb, the settings are vivid, and the prose is as tight as a noose. The plot is full of twists. Among them is a startling revelation about Dallas’s identity, introducing a sensitive subject that Panowich handles with understanding and grace.” –Associated Press
“Panowich keeps readers on their toes all the way through, and anchors his well-executed plot reversals in Nails and Dallas’s tender feelings for each other. It’s another standout Southern noir from Panowich.”—Publishers Weekly
"Brian Panowich goes all-in with Nothing But the Bones, a novel of all that is human: love and friendship, lust and sin, sacrifice and murder. There is profound evil in this story but also enduring goodness, and while not everything is as it appears on the surface, befitting a very satisfying crime story, what is clear from the beginning is that this is a terrific, mesmerizing read that satisfies from beginning to end." –Viet Thanh Nguyen, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Sympathizer
“A moving, deeply felt take on Bonnie and Clyde whose inexorable trajectory still allows room for plenty of twists.” –Kirkus
"Like so many skilled writers of rural themes, Panowich writes with precision, ensuring no word is wasted. He shares the common ability to vividly describe people, places, and times, making reading his work feel almost like walking alongside the characters within his stories. For those who enjoy this genre, Nothing But The Bones is highly recommended. Panowich’s stories and novels are also highly recommended to those interested in starting a new series or exploring the works of a different author." –Mystery and Suspense
“The author paints a thoughtful portrait of the aching loneliness that comes with outsider status, and how even the smallest amount of acceptance and trust can mitigate the pain it brings, and perhaps lead to healing and more.” –Rhapsody in Books
Brian Troxell navigates this gritty story of Nelson "Nails" McKenna, a backwoods enforcer for McFalls County's crime boss. All is well for Nails until one night in a grimy roadhouse he stands up to some villains who are abusing Dallas, a fun-loving young woman--and he goes too far. With empathy and style, Troxell allows a sense of desperation into his delivery when there's a body on the floor and dozens of witnesses to Nails's loss of control. Now even his powerful boss can't fix the situation. While on the run, Nails and Dallas are drawn to each other, and Troxell captures their longing. He ratchets up the tension as the slow-witted giant seizes his one last chance to escape. R.O. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
04/22/2024
The vivid fourth installment (after Hard Cash Valley) of Panowich’s series set in McFalls County, Ga., follows a criminal enforcer on the lam. In 1989, 16-year-old Nelson McKenna is confronted by a pair of bullies. Clayton Burroughs, son of drug kingpin Gareth Burroughs, intervenes on Nelson’s behalf, and one of the attackers ends up dead. Gareth cleans up the mess, but in return, forces Nelson (whom he nicknames “Nails”) to start working for him. Ten years later, Nails is collecting contraband for Gareth at a bar when he interrupts a man sexually assaulting a woman in the bathroom. In the chaos that ensues, Nails’s crew kills the woman’s assailant. Gareth refuses to cover for Nails this time, and sends him to hide out in Florida. On his way out of town, he links up with the woman he defended, who tells him her name is Dallas Georgia, and the two develop an emotional connection. Meanwhile, Alex Price, brother of the man Nails’s crew killed, grows hell-bent on revenge. Panowich keeps readers on their toes all the way through, and anchors his well-executed plot reversals in Nails and Dallas’s tender feelings for each other. It’s another standout Southern noir from Panowich. (Apr.)
2024-01-20
In this prequel to Panowich's earlier novels about McFalls County, Georgia, we learn that Clayton Burroughs, who's shunted into a supporting role here, led an eventful life before becoming sheriff.
Nelson McKenna’s always had it tough. Born with a deformed hand and a cloudy mind and regularly beaten by his father, he had precious few friends in high school, where his sudden, violent turn against a bully brought him into uncomfortably close contact with Gareth Burroughs, Clayton’s wealthy, unscrupulous father, who’s willing to do anything to protect his extensive interests. When Nelson, now known simply as Nails, senses a dispute between patrons of Tuten’s Chute, the bar where he works, he lashes out again, this time leaving Robbie Price dead. Given $8,000 in traveling money and promised a safe landing by Gareth’s agents if he makes it to Jacksonville, he takes it on the lam with Dallas Georgia, the girl he rescued. Their modern-day odyssey, revolving around a relationship that unfolds in unexpected ways, is further complicated by the fact that both Robbie’s brother, attorney Alex Price, and Nails’ old friend Clayton are searching for him with very different goals in mind. Clayton’s hunt puts him clearly at odds with his father, who’s protecting Nails for reasons of his own and only up to a point. The familiar story of fugitives on the run is intensified by the contrast between Nails’ mental challenges, which combined with his hulking stature make other people see him as a monster, and his essential sweetness.
A moving, deeply felt take on Bonnie and Clyde whose inexorable trajectory still allows room for plenty of twists.
