Member Review

Dead Man’s Wake by Paul Doiron is not what I expected. I did not realize it was the fourteenth book in the Mike Bowditch Mysteries. I wish it had been mentioned in the blurb. I found myself confused in the beginning. It takes time to get the characters straight (and there are so many of them). Dead Man’s Wake is a police procedural that focuses on game wardens in Maine (which seem to operate like police). There is a double murder for engaged couple Stacey Stevens and Mike Bowditch to investigate. There is too much arguing between the various investigators (petty arguing between the various agencies involved). It got on my nerves. It also did not endear the characters to me. Except for Stacey and Mike’s new stepmother, the female characters are unlikeable. The medical examiner could use an attitude adjustment. There is a significant amount of technical talk about boats. I can understand needing to get the jargon correct, but it was too much (overly technical which had me skimming over the information). Mike and Stacey do make a good team. She understands him especially when work gets in the way of their engagement party. The mystery was interesting and there is a good resolution. Most readers will be surprised by the identity of the guilty party. I wanted to like Dead Man’s Wake, but it was not my cup of tea. I was happy when I turned the last page.