The area known as the “Hundred Mile
Wilderness” is some of the most remote land, not just in Maine, but along the
entire Appalachian Trail system. Two young women, recent graduates from Pentecost
University, who were hiking the entire trail have failed to check in with their
families as expected. Hikers that have been hiking the entire system in a trek
up from Georgia and were
experienced by this point on the trail as well as known
to check in on a regular basis. It is September and it has been over ten days
since they last checked in with their families who finally alerted law
enforcement to the problem.
Maine Game Warden Mike Bowditch is
on a romantic weekend with Wildlife Biologist Stacy Stevens. Called back to
duty to help with the search and rescue operation, Bowditch is troubled by
Stacy’s reaction to the news. He gets the sense that something really bad to
her years ago when she hiked another part of the trail. He also knows what can
happen on the trail by way of nature as well as mankind and does not hold out
much hope that either of the young women are still alive.
As Bowditch expected the bodies of
the hikers are eventually found. The recovery quickly turns into a media circus
thanks to the remote possibility that a pack of rampaging wolves caused the
deaths of the hikers. While there is not any question that Bowditch saw a wolf
behaving strangely when he was on the search, the idea that wolves could be at
fault is something Stacy does not want to hear or accept. Instead, she blames a
human killer and launches her own private investigation and further distances
herself from Bowditch.
The Precipice is the sixth in the series that began with The
Poacher’s Son. While this one could be read first, earlier events in
the series are mentioned briefly in the backstory. The hallmarks of this series
are once again evident --- multilayered characters, a complex mystery, and a
love for the Maine woods. The result is another engrossing and very satisfying mystery
from the very talented Paul Doiron.
The Precipice: A Novel
Paul Doiron
Minotaur Books (St. Martin’s Press)
June 2015
ISBN# 978-1-250-06369-4
Hardback (audio and e-book
available)
333 Pages
$25.99
Material supplied by the good folks
of the Plano Texas Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2015
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