Publication Day Review: Storm Tide: A Novel by Paul Doiron

 

In some sense what began in The Poacher’s Son long ago is about to come full circle. As Storm Tide: A Novel by Paul Doiron begins, Maine Game Warden Mike Bowditch, who had a very problematic relationship with his own father, is about to be a father. His wife, Stacey, is just a few weeks away from giving birth. The clock is ticking on the arrival of their child in a world that has seen dad demoted back to patrol and about to lose his career with the Maine Warden Service.

 

On this October night others have lost far more. The roaring blaze in the shattered remains of the house means people have lost their lives. Somehow, a baby made it out, and a nearby neighbor has the child. Allegedly, the father brough the baby out and went back in for his wife. Bowditch had made it to the scene fast after the call came out and tried the same feat. The intense heat almost killed him as he entered and saw a man in flames collapsing to the floor. Bowditch managed to pull the man out of the raging inferno, but it was too late.

 

It is only in the aftermath with the arrival of Detective Sergeant Delphine Cruz of the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit that Bowditch realizes something is up. Originally from Boston, she has made it to the scene before the Arson Investigator. So too has her attitude as she doesn’t like Maine or, as she sees it, what Bowditch represents. Through her, while answering her questions, he learns this is the home of the Malloys.

 

Specifically, the home of the infamous Brian Malloy who has been in the news for over a year due to his infidelity, a child out of wedlock, and the disappearance of the child shortly after he was ordered to pay child support. Many in the area searched for the missing child that has yet to be found. The court of public opinion has found them both guilty as people think dad took and killed the child and his wife lied for him. Their alibis had proven unshakable. There is a lot of anger amongst the locals who believe the Malloys got away with it all.

 

Now, both are thought to be dead in what is left of their relatively new home. Bowditch is pretty sure that something is off about the fire and the situation, in general, but he isn’t an investigator anymore, and never has been one for arsons anyway. Nobody is going to listen to him on this. Especially with his record and the fact that he is about to lose his job due to his recent actions.

 

Then some really weird things start happening. Somebody is once again toying with Bowditch. To mess with him is one thing. But, now Stacy and the baby are at risk.

 

What follows is a complicated read full of twists, turns, and links to the past. If Maine Game Warden Mike Bowdicth does not figure it out fast, he and his family may not survive.

 

Storm Tide: A Novel by Paul Doiron is the latest outing in a strong series best read in order. It finds Bowditch contemplating faith, fatherhood, and family, while also trying to prove that he isn’t just a conspiracy nutcase with a badge and gun. Sometimes you aren’t paranoid if they really are trying to get you.

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3Mia20a

 

 

My digital ARC reading copy came by way of the publisher, Minotaur Books, through NetGalley, in early November 2025, with no expectation of a positive review.

 

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2026

Review: Pitch Dark: A Novel by Paul Doiron

 

Recently Maine Game Warden Investigator Mike Bowditch and Stacy Woodson were married. As Pitch Dark: A Novel by Paul Doiron begins, they are talking about the important changes to their lives when they are interrupted by a phone call. Game Warden Brandon Barstow is a young warden and unsure of himself, but thinks he might have a missing person’s case.

 

It is the first week of May and pouring rain, as it has for weeks now. Game Warden Barstow gradually explains that a man from Idaho, Hammond Pratt, is missing from his rented cabin at Seboomook Farm located up in the Rockwood District. Pratt rented an ATV from the property owner and left on it after asking questions about some guy and his young daughter that are supposed to be in the woods, somewhere nearby.

 

Game Warden Barstow knows that a guy by the name of Mark Redmond and his young daughter are in the area at Prentiss Pond building a cabin. The work site is very close to the Canadian Border. Apparently, they are the ones that Pratt was asking about before he left on the ATV.

 

Game Warden Barstow tells Bowditch other things that paint a seriously odd picture. It becomes clear that, regardless of the weather, he needs to get up there and assess the situation, in order to know what to do. He has to make a determination in order to start a search and rescue operation. At this point, Bowditch does not know enough to make that determination.

 

As it turns out, the horrible weather will be the least of his problems.

 

What follows is a page turning story that gets increasingly violent and convoluted. Much is happening in Pitch Dark: A Novel by Paul Doiron and all of it keeps the reader highly entertained. The situation is complicated. Bowditch is going to be lucky to have a career, let alone his life, when things are said and done. Highly recommended.

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3VtpJmn

 

My digital reading copy came from Minotaur Books, through NetGalley, with no expectation of a review.

 

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2024

Review: Dead Man’s Wake: A Novel by Paul Doiron

Dead Man’s Wake: A Novel by Paul Doiron opens with an engagement party. Stacy Stevens and Mike Bowditch are being celebrated by Mike’s stepfather, Neil Turner and his new wife, Jubilee, as well as Stacy’s parents, Charley and Ora Stevens. They are at the stepdad’s lake house in central Maine. Great Pond was the inspiration for the play and subsequent movie, On Golden Pond, and is busy this Labor Day weekend evening. The roar of speedboats as well as the loud noise of occasional jet ski has been something all day and evening. The fact that it is dark has not slowed down those racing across the surface of the lake.

All too predictably with so many racing around after dark, the sounds of a crash are heard. It is clear to everyone in the group that a speedboat and a jet skier collided out in the waters somewhere around the nearby Moose Island. Mike sees a speedboat circle back and then the running lights are turned off. The person or persons on that boat know they hit somebody and are trying to hide in the dark night.

With limited resources, and as the only law enforcement around and available, Maine Game Warden Investigator Mike Bowditch has to go out to the general area of the crash and look for any injured survivors as well as anyone deceased. After some investigation, a detached human arm is found. Most likely, the person that lost the arm is dead.

What follows is a complicated read featuring a watery crime scene, a wealthy family and their legacy, and a past full of resentment and hate. As is benefits the long running series, the read is not one that focuses on character development as many here are long running characters that readers well know and love. Instead, the primary focus is on the case. Identifying the victims out in those lake waters, the suspects, and working the case. A complicated and entertaining read, the latest in the long running series, Dead Man’s Wake: A Novel is very much worth your time.

 

My reading copy was an ARC via NetGalley.

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2023

Review: Hatchet Island by Paul Doiron

While my review previously appeared here in early May, the book was published earlier this week, so I am reminding you of it today.

 

Stacy Stevens and Maine Game Warden Mike Bowditch have planned a quiet getaway on Spruce Island as Hatchet Island by Paul Doiron begins. The plan was to paddle out on their kayaks and get away from everything. That was before Stacy got a concerning email from her old friend Kendra Ballard. As it happens, Kendra Ballard is on nearby Baker Island working as part of The Maine Sea Bird Initiative Project as Stacy did long ago. Kendra Ballard supervises the two interns and organizes everything from May to August. Her email was concerning and she specifically requested Mike to come with Stacy and bring his badge and gun.

 

Baker Island is in a dead zone so they have to go out there to learn what is going on at the island. Fortunately, the island which is home to numerous types of birds, is close by and not much of a detour on thus July morning. They make it out to the island in the fog, despite the near miss with a boat moving at far too high a speed for the weather conditions. Once they arrive at the island, they are met by an armed intern who clearly does not want them to land. The intern, Hillary Fitzgerald, is eventually persuaded to check in with Kendra who makes it clear she is in charge and she wants Stacy Stevens and Mike Bowditch to come ashore.

 

Maeve McLeary, the person in charge of everything overall, has gone missing and none of the researchers now where she or her boat is or why she is not on the island with them. In addition to that, some of the locals are harassing one of the interns. They claim it is all in good fun, but Bowditch knows it is racism and is disgusted. There are other strange things happening as well.

 

Within hours, all that will be eclipsed by the murders.

 

Stacy Stevens and Game Warden Mike Bowditch are soon in the thick of it and there are suspects galore. Hatchet Island is a complicated mystery filled read that shifts across several islands and puts Stevens and Bowditch in peril several times in the often violence filled read. Hatchet Island is another solidly good book in the long running series.

 

 

My reading copy was an ARC via NetGalley. 

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2022

Review: Hatchet Island by Paul Doiron

Stacy Stevens and Maine Game Warden Mike Bowditch have planned a quiet getaway on Spruce Island as Hatchet Island by Paul Doiron begins. The plan was to paddle out on their kayaks and get away from everything. That was before Stacy got a concerning email from her old friend Kendra Ballard. As it happens, Kendra Ballard is on nearby Baker Island working as part of The Maine Sea Bird Initiative Project as Stacy did long ago. Kendra Ballard supervises the two interns and organizes everything from May to August. Her email was concerning and she specifically requested Mike to come with Stacy and bring his badge and gun.

 

Baker Island is in a dead zone so they have to go out there to learn what is going on at the island. Fortunately, the island which is home to numerous types of birds, is close by and not much of a detour on thus July morning. They make it out to the island in the fog, despite the near miss with a boat moving at far too high a speed for the weather conditions. Once they arrive at the island, they are met by an armed intern who clearly does not want them to land. The intern, Hillary Fitzgerald, is eventually persuaded to check in with Kendra who makes it clear she is in charge and she wants Stacy Stevens and Mike Bowditch to come ashore.

 

Maeve McLeary, the person in charge of everything overall, has gone missing and none of the researchers now where she or her boat is or why she is not on the island with them. In addition to that, some of the locals are harassing one of the interns. They claim it is all in good fun, but Bowditch knows it is racism and is disgusted. There are other strange things happening as well.

 

Within hours, all that will be eclipsed by the murders.

 

Stacy Stevens and Game Warden Mike Bowditch are soon in the thick of it and there are suspects galore. Hatchet Island is a complicated mystery filled read that shifts across several islands and puts Stevens and Bowditch in peril several times in the often violence filled read. Hatchet Island is another solidly good book in the long running series.

 

 

Hatchet Island is currently scheduled to be released on June 28, 2022. My reading copy was an ARC via NetGalley. 

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2022

Review: Dead By Dawn: A Novel by Paul Doiron

Maine Game Warden Investigator Mike Bowditch had a plan for the day as Dead By Dawn: A Novel by Paul Doiron begins. The plan is a vet visit for Shadow. The hybrid wolf/dog needs a vet visit as he continues to recover from recent events. Bowditch may also have to relocate Shadow from the acre and a half enclosure on Bowditch’s property as the new neighbors are upset that Shadow lives across the river from them. The new folks have a history of suing folks so Bowditch may need to find a new safe place for Shadow.

 

While in the area to see the vet, Investigator Bowditch can address a complaint from Mariette Chamberlain. Four years ago, her father-in-law, Professor Eben Chamberlin, died in the Androscoggin River. The investigators at the time, including those of the Maine Game warden Service, put it down as accidental. Mariette Chamberlain firmly believes the professor was murdered.

 

After seeing the vet with Shadow, it is on to meeting with Marc Rivard who was in charge of finding Eben Chamberlain. Rivard and Bowditch have a complicated history, including the fact that Bowditch played a major role in his removal from the service, so neither man is looking forward to the meeting. That meeting foreshadows what is to come as Mike Bowditch starts investigating the Chamberlain case and, within hours, injured and fighting to stay alive.

 

Dead by Dawn: A Novel is split between flashbacks and current time. Part of the tale is current as he fights to stay alive after crashing into the frozen and ice-covered Androscoggin River. A river that is lethal no matter what time of year. Not only is the river and the aftereffects of water immersion a major threat there is a shooter determined to finish the job.

 

The flashbacks are in alternating chapters and detail how the day had been going until the crash. Each flashback chapter is slightly forward in time as it details Bowditch’s thoughts and actions as he dealt with personal matters and worked the case by way of interviewing numerous people.

 

The result is a tale that slowly goes forward as it spends far more time in the preceding hours before he got himself in a life and death situation with few resources and no backup. A predicament that Bowditch manages to escape deadly consequences again and again by way of his training, inner fortitude, and with the occasional help of Shadow.

 

Set a few days before Christmas, the read is very much focused on Bowditch and his fight for life. Because of this, there is very little presence of Charley, Orca, and the numerous other folks who have always populated this every enjoyable series. They are very much missed in a read that also serves as a possible turning point in the series.

 

Dead By Dawn: A Novel is a suspense style read with some mystery present. There are a couple of mysteries at work, professionally and personally, but this is a read that is primarily a fight for survival. While a good book, it is not a great one. It also is a departure from what the reader normally expects in this series. Instead, the read here has much in common with the end of season television cliffhanger where the hero is in danger and yet viewers know that the series was renewed months earlier so there is no question that he will survive. Even when the situation is so dire a mere mortal would not. The only question is how.

 

 

Dead by Dawn: A Novel

Paul Doiron

http://www.pauldoiron.com

Minotaur Books (Macmillan Publishers)

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250235107

ISBN# 978-1-250-23510-7

Hardback (available in audio and eBook formats)

304 Pages

 

 

My reading copy came from the Polk-Wisdom Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2021

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: One Last Lie by Paul Doiron

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: One Last Lie by Paul Doiron: Please welcome back Kevin Tipple, long time reviewer and avid reader.  His blog , Kevin's Corner , is an award winning source of news ...

Review: The Imposter: A Mike Bowditch Short Mystery by Paul Doiron

The Imposter: A Mike Bowditch Short Mystery is set many years ago when Maine Game Warden Mike Bowditch was new to Down East Maine. In those early days, he had a bit of a reputation and his new boss is less than friendly. As the short story opens, Bowditch is on the dock at Roque Harbor watching as a body is recovered from the water.

It is a pretty July morning as the state police divers are eventually successful in bringing the body to the surface. The body has a driver’s license with the dead man’s name on it. Who he was claiming to be and what he was doing these past few weeks is the driving focus of this entertaining short story.

This read also includes a preview of the coming release this June of One Last Lie. The preview has the first two chapters of what appears to be a very engaging read. The book is currently scheduled to be released June 30, 2020.

The Mike Bowditch Series never disappoints and Imposter: A Mike Bowditch Short Mystery is a good one. A fast and fun read, it can safely be read as a standalone if you have never read the series. If you are familiar with the series, you will enjoy this tale set from Bowditch’s early days. 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3GmwW3q

I purchased the eBook using funds in my Amazon Associate account.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2020

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Almost Midnight by Paul Doiron

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Almost Midnight by Paul Doiron: Once again, we welcome back Kevin Tipple with a review.  Catch up with more reviews, book news, and interesting links at his blog,  Kev...

Review: Stay Hidden: A Novel by Paul Doiron

Large Print Hardback

The Maine deer hunting season has barely begun as Stay Hidden: A Novel by Paul Doiron begins, and already there are two deaths. The deaths are not are not hunting accidents. The warden service refers to them as what they are--- homicides. The reason a person is dead is because the person, the shooter, maybe both made a mistake that could have and should have been avoided.

Out on Maquoit Island, Ariel Evans lies dead in the yard behind the house she was renting. For Mike Bowditch, who was recently promoted to warden investigator four months ago, this is his first hunting homicide case. At least the case should be relatively easy one as the hunter involved has already confessed to firing the shot that killed the woman as she stood hanging laundry in the backyard. According to the constable on the island, the controversial author was hanging white underwear on the clothesline and should have known she could be mistaken for a white tailed deer running away. The flash of white caused by her hanging of her underwear may have so mimicked the movement of a deer tail, the hunter made a fatal mistake.

Hardback

Sent out to the island with Ronette Landry of the warden service and Steve Klesko of the Maine State Police, the trio has plenty of work to do even if the case is as simple as described. Upon arrival on the island they learn the hunter has recounted. There are other problems as well making it very clear this is not the simple open and shut case they had been led to believe before they headed out to the island.

For one thing, the controversial author, who recently wrote a book about living undercover with the Nazis in Idaho, is living on the island as part of her research into the island’s notorious hermit. Yet, the cottage she rented contains no evidenced that she is a writer or working on any project. It does contain evidence of her recent partying, something the locals have made clear she is well known among the residents for, as well as other items that do not fit the impression one would expect of her. Then there is the fact the next day the real Ariel Evans arrives on the island determined to find out what her sister was doing and who killed her.

Stay Hidden: A Novel by Paul Doiron is a turning point novel for the character of Mike Bowditch. In this mystery, Bowditch has a new job with increased scrutiny and pressure, his long term relationship with Stacy has abruptly ended, and there are other issues. He is a man with a lot of pressure, conflicted feelings about many different things, and very little help or an island where the locals deal with their own issues in their own way and don’t like outsiders. Especially law enforcement types.

The latest book in the series that began with The Poacher’s Son is another good one. Stay Hidden: A Novel is a read that, as they all do, quickly pulls the reader into the natural beauty of the Maine landscape. Things are always complicated in these books because of Bowditch’s past as well as the complicated characters in both minor and major roles. Nobody in this series is a generic placeholder character. Then there are the actual mysteries themselves to solve. A series that can only be fully appreciated if read in order, Stay Hidden: A Novel is another very good installment.

Stay Hidden: A Novel

Paul Doiron

http://www.pauldoiron.com

Center Point Large Print

http://www.centerpointlargeprint.com

August  2018

ISBN# 978-1-68324-874-3

Large Print Hardback (also available in audio, digital, and print formats)

478 Pages

$38.95

Material supplied by the good folks of the Dallas Public Library.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2018