Game Piece by Alan Brenham

Detective Barry Marshall hunts for a hardened serial killer with the ultimate endgame, one intended to strip Marshall of everything he holds dear—his career, his wife, and his reputation. Unbeknownst to Marshall, the killer had dated his wife years ago. Seeing Marshall with her, the killer is pushed over the edge. He wants to punish Marshall for stealing his beloved by playing a cat-and-mouse game of murder. As the body count rises, Marshall is forced to face his worst nightmare.

The Big Thrill caught up to author Alan Brenham and had a chance to discuss his latest thriller, GAME PIECE:

How does this book make a contribution to the genre?

It’s not your typical mystery/police procedural. The main character, a 30-year-old detective, struggles with balancing his work loyalty and family life, while matching wits with a killer hell-bent on ruining him.

What do you hope readers will take away from this book?

That stories set in small towns can be every bit as interesting plus enjoyment in reading as a fast-paced mystery/police procedural

Was there anything new you discovered, or that surprised you, as you wrote this book?

The friendliness of the town people was very helpful during my research for the story. More so than novels set in a major city.

What authors or books have influenced your career as a writer, and why?

Michael Connelly with his Harry Bosch novels; Jeffery Deaver – suspense-building stories; Robert Crais, whose Elvis Cole novels are clinics in how to write in first person point of view; and, John Sandford – police procedurals.

No spoilers, but what can you tell us about your book that we won’t find in the jacket copy or the PR material?

Parts of the story were derived from events that transpired during my law enforcement career.

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Alan Brenham is the pseudonym for Alan Behr. He served as a law enforcement officer before earning a law degree. He worked as a prosecutor, a criminal defense attorney, and as a staff attorney with the Texas prison and parole agency. While serving as a Special Deputy US Marshal, he traveled to several countries in Europe, the Middle East, Alaska, and almost every island in the Caribbean. He was stationed in Berlin, Germany, for two years while working with the US military forces. Alan and his wife currently live in the central Texas area.