Welcome – draft

Welcome to the website of Brenda Buchanan, author of the Joe Gale Mystery Series, set in and around Portland, Maine.

Truth Beat, the third book in the series, will be released on February 1, 2016. Here is its evocative cover:

Truth Beat finds newspaper reporter Joe Gale struggling with unreliable sources while covering two explosive stories—the apparent murder of a Catholic priest who stood up to his church during the child sexual abuse scandal and a series of increasingly destructive bombings near the local high school. The story takes place in and around Portland, Maine, particularly in the imaginary town of Riverside.

Truth Beat is available for preorder—and the first two books in the Joe Gale series can be purchased—at any of the following ebook retailers: Carina Press, Amazon, Google Play, ibooks and Kobo.

The first two Joe Gale mysteries—Quick Pivot and Cover Story—have been praised by reviewers for their strong characters and well-constructed plots.

Here’s what Katrina Niidas Holm had to say about Cover Story in an October 7, 2015 review in Crimespree Magazine:

“Equal parts courtroom thriller and small-town mystery, Brenda Buchanan’s second Joe Gale mystery is destined to win her legions of new fans. COVER STORY is a whip-smart page-turner of a read.” Read the full review.

Sarah Graves, author of Winter At The Door and the Home Repair is Homicide Series, had good words for Cover Story:

COVER STORY gets Downeast Maine right, from its hard-headed, warm-hearted inhabitants to its remote, tragic beauty. Brenda Buchanan spins a devious, deeply-felt tale as dark as a Maine winter. Add a smart, seasoned journalist-hero Joe Gale and Buchanan’s own intensely readable prose and you’ve got another you’re-gonna-love-it winning entry in an excellent series.

Many kinds words also have been said about Quick Pivot:

“Brenda Buchanan brings her storyteller’s craft and her lawyer’s eye for detail to this powerful story of secrets from the past emerging explosively in the present. As compelling as the story itself is her deep understanding of Maine—the complexity of her generous, honest, grouchy, and shady characters, and the physical and social geography of a state where failing industries can destroy whole towns.” — Kate Flora, award-winning author of And Grant You Peace

“The brisk plotting and crisp dialog in Quick Pivot will suck you in immediately. This debut has action, heart, and twists in all the right places. Brenda Buchanan is a talent to watch!” — Steve Ulfelder, Edgar finalist, author of Wolverine Bros. Freight & Storage

“The surprises start on page one of Brenda Buchanan’s debut novel, Quick Pivot, when a skull rolls out from behind a collapsed wall of an abandoned mill being demolished to make way for real estate development near Portland, Maine. The story behind the story gets unearthed in this promising new series that introduces reporter/sleuth Joe Gale.” — Hallie Ephron, author of Night Night, Sleep Tight

To learn more about me and my work, please click through the pages of my website. If you have a question or a thought, feel free to drop me an email.

Thanks for visiting!