Paul Doiron |
Paul Doiron, born c. 1965, writes several series of books, all set in Maine.
The Mike Bowditch series follows the career of Game Warden Mike Bowditch. The Joe Pickett series by C.J. Box is similar in that the protagonist in each is a state game warden, a seldom-used law enforcement career in police procedurals. Both wardens have a hard time following directives to stay out of criminal investigations, and I enjoy both series immensely. Being more familiar with the terrain and ecosystem of Maine, I find these perhaps more appealing, but the exotic (to me) setting of the Wyoming mountains also appeals. Both series are excellent. Joe Pickett is better at understanding himself and is generally more mature, while Mike Bowditch has no ability to curb his restless nature or understand why he keeps alienating his girlfriend.
Doiron has won numerous awards for his books. Some of the entries are short stories, and these are indicated in the list.
One of the recurring characters, Charley Stevens, a retired warden who takes Mike under is wing, is a quintessential Mainer. The audiobooks are voiced by Henry Leyva who captures Charley's thick Maine accent and timing to perfection.
There is a fair amount of swearing, some explicit sex, and the level of violence is what one should expect in this type of book.
Recurring characters:
Mike Bowditch, game warden
Kathy Frost, his supervisor
Charley Stevens, retired warden, pilot, friend of Mike
Aura Stevens, Charley's wife
Sarah Harris, Mike's girlfriend at the beginning of the series
#1 The Poacher's Son 2010
A timber company has sold its vast holdings to another company. For decades, small inholdings on the many lakes have been leased to individuals and small businesses. Those arrangements are all about to end and many people face devastating business losses and/or must leave the homes they've known.
Mike's father Jack, is accused of killing a young policeman and the representative of the timber company. Although Jack doesn't seem to have a clear motive related to the ending of the leases, he's the best suspect.
Although Mike has been largely estranged from his father since he was nine years old, he's stayed in touch just enough that he does not believe his father to be guilty. Mike tries to dig out additional evidence and follow leads that would show Jack to be innocent.
He's living with a girlfriend, Sarah, who doesn't understand Mike's obsession with involving himself in every lead in the case, especially when he is repeatedly told to back off.
#2 Trespasser 2011
#3 Bad Little Falls 2012
#4 Massacre Pond 2013
#4 The Bone Orchard 2014
#4 "The Bear Trap"- short story 2014
#4 The Precipice 2015
#4 Widowmaker 2016
#4 Knife Creek 2017
#4 Stay Hidden 2018
#4 "Rabid" - short story 2018
#4 Almost Midnight 2019
#4 "Backtrack" - short story 2019
#4 One Last Lie 2020
#4 "The Impostor" - short story 2020
#4 Dead by Dawn 2021
#4 "The Caretaker" - short story 2021
#4 Hatchet Island 2022
#4 "Skin and Bones" - short story 2022
#4 Dead Man’s Wake 2023
#4 "Snakebit" - short story 2023
#4 Pitch Dark 2024
#4 Skin and Bones and Other Mike Bowditch Short Stories - a compilation of the short stories 2025
#4Storm Tide, Minotaur Books, 2026
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