Author Jon Buchan will speak about his new crime drama, “Code of the Forest” at the Lanier Library on Tuesday, Nov. 20 at noon.

The program is free and everyone is welcome.

A former South Carolina political reporter and a First Amendment lawyer representing newspapers and broadcasters in the courtroom for more than 30 years, Buchan was awarded the William C. Lassiter First Amendment Award in 2000 for his “tireless efforts to defend the First Amendment and protect the public’s right to know.”

More recently, for “Code of the Forest,” he received the gold medal for southern fiction in the Readers Favorite Awards. He grew up in Mullins, S.C. and spent most of his career in Charlotte, N.C.

Buchan drew on his expert knowledge from both journalism and the law to weave together a tale of political corruption exposed by a small-town newspaper.

Set in the Low Country of South Carolina, the book has received attention from both the legal and journalistic points of view.

The former chief judge of the South Carolina Court of Appeals, Alex Sanders, wrote: “With a sharp eye and perfect pitch, Jon Buchan unravels the Gothic politics and reside in the soul of the South. He reveals a great deal about law, love and life among the live oaks, as well as the power and influence that come from having ducks in your freezer.”

John Drescher, executive editor of The News and Observer (Raleigh, NC) said, “Jon Buchan knows the law. He knows journalism.

He knows politics. A riveting read . . . If you want to know how the South works, this novel is a good place to start.”

– article submitted by Frances Flynn