Truth Beat

Brenda Buchanan

Feb 2016 · A Joe Gale Mystery Book 3 · Sold by Carina Press

About this eBook

A newspaper reporter struggles with unreliable sources while covering two explosive stories—the apparent murder of a priest who stood up to his church and a spate of increasingly destructive bombings.Shock waves reverberate through tight-knit Riverside, Maine, when an outspoken priest is found dead. After writing Father Patrick Doherty's obituary, Portland Daily Chronicle reporter Joe Gale learns that the good Father didn't die in the garden where his body was found—the cops say it was murder, and the killer went to great pains to cover it up.Friends and parishioners tell Joe that Patrick was sincere and selfless. But a vocal gang of rabble-rousers claim he was corrupt. Joe is nowhere near cracking the case when a second crisis threatens to tear Riverside apart: a poorly constructed bomb detonates near the local high school.On the eve of Patrick's wake, the police imply the dead priest was involved in criminal activity prior to his death. And as Joe races to sort truth from rumor, his two big stories collide, putting him in mortal danger.83,000 words

Ratings and reviews

Although this is the 3rd of the Joe Gale series, it does well as a stand-alone. There is no need to read them on order, although I always prefer to do so when I can. Joe Gale is an investigative reporter who always seems to land in hot water following a story. He's an old-fashioned reporter ... honest, relentless to get to the truth. Joe's friend, Father Patrick Doherty, was found dead with an empty bottle of sleeping pills in his hands. No one who knew him can believe that Father Patrick would take his own life ..and yet, to the naked eye, there's nothing to indicate it was a homicide. Father Patrick had a history of defending victims that were involved in the Catholic Church's sex scandals, much to the Church's dismay. At the same time, Joe is investigating a series of bombs that have been set off in or around the local schools. As Joe starts looking for the truth, he finds that Father Patrick may have had some deep, dark secrets and his death may have been tied to the bombings. The suspects are many. Motives are buried, waiting for someone to dig really deep to get at them. The book is very well-written. My favorite character is Stella Rinaldi, an 88-year-old lady who is a natural born snoop ... and has a thing for young Joe. She's a hoot! Joe's girlfriend, Christie and her son, play a small part. I hope in future books, she's given a more important part and I would love her backstory. Many thanks to the author / Carina Press / NetGalley who provided a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

About the author

Brenda Buchanan is a former newspaper reporter with deep reverence for small town journalism. Her mysteries feature Joe Gale, an old-school reporter with modern media savvy who covers the Maine crime beat for the Portland Daily Chronicle. Brenda holds a journalism degree from Northeastern University in Boston and a law degree from the University of Maine. She writes and practices law in Portland, where she lives with her spouse.