Nothing but the Bones

A Novel

By: Brian Panowich

Narrated by: Brian Troxell

"[Narrator Brian Troxell's] poignant depictions of a wife coping with her husband's relapse or a sheriff hearing a whippoorwill's song during a confrontation exemplify the emotional depth of his narration."—AudioFile on Bull Mountain

With lyrical prose and hard-hitting depictions of the hardscrabble life in the rural south, Brian Panowich, author of Bull Mountain, Like Lions, and Hard Cash Valley, delivers a gripping new chapter in his tales of McFalls County in Nothing But the Bones.

In McFalls County, local crime boss Gareth Burroughs runs everything on the mountain. And Nelson “Nails” McKenna has been his enforcer since he was a teenager, though his heart's not really in the dirty work. Then one night in a local roadhouse, Nails goes too far, defending a woman, and even Burroughs’s reach can’t get him out of this one. With a dead body and countless witnesses, Nails and the woman become fugitives on the run, and unlikely partners.

But on the road to Jacksonville, where a possible escape awaits, there’s more than one interested party on the pair’s trail, and the glimpse they had of getting away scot free suddenly seems elusive. In the end, Nails must make one final stand for his freedom—or pay with both of their lives.

A Macmillan Audio production from Minotaur Books.

©2024 Brian Panowich (P)2024 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"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

Amazing book and great narration

I couldn’t put this book down. Amazing work and the naration is as good as it gets on audible

Panowich makes time fly

Could not listen fast enough.

Brian Troxell never fails to always take these stories to another level.

Great storyline, I couldn't pull away

Another great book about the Bull mountain gang, Panowich continues to pull in the reader with plot twists and rich characters that keep you on the edge of your seat! I really enjoyed this book.

Brian Panowich does it again!

Just like his previous books, Nothing But The Bones doesn’t fail to deliver the twist and turns that keep you going from chapter to chapter!

brilliant story, exceptional performance

brilliant story telling, inspired performance, gripping action, gritty emotions. twists and turns on the road to true love and freedom

Fast paced with poignant social commentary

Highly recommended! This one is paced like a thriller, but has deep character development and important themes. The narration is excellent as well.

Outstanding

What an enjoyable story this was!! Grr this minimum word count requirement. Can't we just say THIS ROCKS

Outstanding!!!

Brian Panowich delivers another absolutely outstanding story. And Brian Troxell delivers another outstanding story telling, he's perfect for these Bull Mountain stories.
Going in I wasn't sure where we were going with Nails, but I knew we'd be in for a wild ride. It's gritty story and hits all the emotions. What a ride, loved it from start to finish.
Looking forward to more!!

Struggle

This is a tough review. I love BP’s writing and we waited a long time for this novel. It feels like an incongruous off-shoot of the primary story line. Nails appears (and is performed) as a slow, but monstrous enforcer in Like Lions. Here, his arc includes self-awareness, an education and an assumed new life path beyond his portrayal in Like Lions. So, it’s tough, because this story doesn’t fit. That being said, it was great to hear from the characters of Bull Mountain one last time

This author’s great writing, as always.

Colorful characters with plenty of action throughout. Brian Panowich with another compelling tale of good versus evil. Bull Mountain always has plenty of surprises and hidden mysteries to tell, and the narrator, Brian Troxell, is one of the best.