Death is not the end of this story. It's only the beginning.

Paul Doiron has outdone himself in his latest offering in the Mike Bowditch Series. Don't gasp at the #14. It reads fine as a standalone, but you'll probably be enticed to read some of the earlier ones. There's good stuff happenin' here.

What should have been a night of celebration turns into a night of horror. Mike Bowditch, game warden investigator, and Stacey Stevens, wildlife biologist, have announced their engagement on Labor Day. The champagne toasts have been sidelined because of an ear-splitting crash on the lake. Mike borrows his stepdad's boat along with Stacey and her father, Charley. Charley is a retired warden and still active pilot. What will meet them in this water is mind-numbing.

There are casualties here. Something floats near their boat......it's a human arm. Charley dives below the surface to verify the remains. Later, they find the remnants of a party for two on some huge rocks on Mouse Island. There's a missing woman to go along with that unidentified corpse of a man. What exactly is the story behind this unnamed couple and where is the boater responsible for this late night swim tragedy?

A swarm of law enforcement hunkers down in the area: State Police, the lake constable, the Maine Warden Service, and a diving team. Mike is put in charge and the tension permeates throughout these teams. Like herding cats, Mike. The story will keep widening and widening as more information surfaces......and the suspects do as well.

I felt the vibes of Paul Doiron's original writing game plan hitting the ground running in Dead Man's Wake. Just sayin'. Chapter 54 onward to the end is filled with such taut descriptive writing that the reader will almost hyperventilate. Doiron lays the scene wide open. Someone is casting a massive shadow over Mike and he's in the clutches of an evil being. Bravo, Paul Doiron, just bravo.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Minotaur Books and to the talented Paul Doiron for the opportunity.

I picked this out of the pile thinking it would be a swift sorbet, and was pleasantly surprised when it became more than a run-of-the-mill thriller. Yes, there is a mystery, several in fact, to be resolved by Mike Bowditch who solves crimes in his role as a game warden in Maine. But it is the State of Maine and its beauty at the cusp of seasons is what made me pay closer attention. What Doiron has managed to do is create a setting that provides such sensory elements that the reader can feel the nip in the air, witness the gradual turning of the leaves, smell the earth cooling. Although there are 13 preceding volumes in the series, this could be read as a standalone.

The beginning of the book was a bit boring to read and kind of hard to push through, but I kept going. There were also lots of technical terms that didn't seem to help the plot at all. As things picked up, it got a little more interesting, but not enough for me to want to pick this book up and buy it. The cover is really nice though.

*received a copy of this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Game Warden Mike Bowditch and his fiancée Stacey Stevens are at the home of Mike's step-father and his wife who are hosting an engagement party for them along with Stacey's parents. While out on the dock at the house Mike and Stacey witness a hit and run by a speedboat. What they find are two dead bodies in the lake. Trying to identify the boater and all that happened and why gets more and more complicated and dangerous for them as the clues and trails they follow nearly get them and their fellow officers killed.

This was my first Mike Bowditch book, but it certainly won’t be my last! I loved that I could jump into this without reading the backlist books—and didn’t feel like I was missing a giant chunk of the story.

Taking place at a Maine lake house, this suspenseful mystery follows the investigation into a boating death. Or was it something more sinister? I didn’t see the villain coming, it was a little out of left field. But made sense looking back. I wish there had been further exploration of why the villain did what they did, and what the total outcome for all parties was.

I adore books that take place in Maine. This setting was no different. The author really gives a sense of what it feels like to be there in the summer in this book.

Overall, good read and I can’t wait to see what happens in the next Mike Bowditch book!

This is the 14th in the Mike Bowditch series and I only just discovered it! Although I’m sorry I missed out on the earlier stories, this works well as a standalone.

Mike is a Maine Game Warden Investigator engaged to Stacey, an EMT. While visiting his step father and his new wife in their lakeside home, along with his future in laws, the couple observe what may be a hit and run boat crash. When they investigate, they discover a severed arm in the water. The next day, two bodies are found in the lake. The dead bodies bring out personnel from various law enforcement departments, with Mike and Stacey caught up in a dangerous quest for the truth.


I loved the unique take on a police procedural…featuring a game warden investigator.It was a fast paced, engrossing read with a solid plot and lots of action. Doiron created a good sense of place. I enjoyed learning some new information related to boating, water searches, float planes. Although there are hints of a rough background, I liked the main character. He was realistic. Mike respects warrants and there were minimal superhuman feats. I also liked Stacy’s character. She is a smart, capable female who plays an important role in the story.

I am adding this series to my list of must reads. I am looking forward to the next one.

Ebook/Thriller: What a great book; I read it in two days! The only other "Mike Bowditch" novel I've read is #9. This one was better. Mike was isolated in the last one, but is around other people where his humor comes out because he's around other characters. There is the whole family and fiance' family I had to figure out.
As for the plot, I really liked all the twists and turns. Mike is a game warden (who also has to investigate water deaths), so he has to think out of the box to stay on the case. I really enjoyed the novel and recommend it. I want to thank Netgalley for letting me have an advanced copy of the book.

I could not stop reading! Mike's engagement party is interrupted by the sound of a boat hitting something out on the lake. The boat speeds off and Mike goes out to see what was hit. Unfortunately he finds an arm. Things get very complicated very quickly. Dead Man's Wake is definitely a can't-put-it-down book!

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. When two individuals were found murdered, it will take everything Mike has to figure out who did it. This book grabbed my attention from the start.

Dead Man’s Wake is a fast paced murder investigation story dealing with a boating accident. Character development is well done. I was thoroughly engaged in this page turner.

An exciting, suspenseful and action packed story. Paul really knows how to keep you turning pages.i can't wait to read more from him.

14th on the series. I'll definitely be reading the earlier books. We'll developed characters and great storyline. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

When I look back at things it really seems like time flies, but when you're in the moment time seems to move slowly. I can't believe that I just read the 14th Mike Bowditch book, Dead Man's Wake by Paul Doiron.

I liked the premise of Dead Man's Wake - a boating accident under the cover of night on a dark empty lake, with all the lake front inhabitants as possible witnesses. Alas for me that was the best part of the story.

I felt that the story was rather wordy, laced with technical boating terminology that really didn't add anything to the story for me, and a variety of flat characters. Granted I loved the return of Mike, Stacey, Charlie, Ora etc and the mention of Storm but the new additions to the story were difficult for me to get on-board with.

Please don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy the book, it’s just not the best of the Mike Bowditch books. In my opinion there was very little “mystery or suspense”, just a good old fashioned who-dunnit, that didn’t progress like a police procedural, but more like a cold case being reviewed. I enjoyed the action in the last quarter of the book and the actual reason why Mike and the Stevens family and friends were at the lake to begin with. Let’s just say I expected more, especially with such a great book title.

I highly suggest for those followers of the series that you read this installment so that you will be up to date when the next book comes out. For new readers of the series, I would not start with this book (which can be read as a stand-alone) but start at the beginning so that you will have more background on the main characters, thus making their relationships make more sense.

I wish to thank Minotaur Books, the author and NetGalley for providing the digital advance reader copy of “Dead Man’s Wake” in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions provided voluntarily without any compensation to me.

The book will be published in all formats June 27th, 2023.

For me this was a 3 star out of 5 stars read.

Dead Man's Wake by Paul Doiron is the 14th installment in this series. I didn't feel like I missed anything by not reading all the books in this series. The story was entertaining and fast-paced. It took me a bit to get into the story, but it didn't let up once it got going.

The mystery was good, and the characters were well-developed and three-dimensional. It had enough false clues, suspense, and tension throughout the storyline.

I would recommend this book and this author. A 4 out of 5 stars for me.

#NetGalley @minotaurbooks @StMartinsPress

I am a huge fan of this author and warden Bowditch . This is a good one too . I really enjoyed the plot , pacing and setting as always. I just find these characters feel like old friends
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me ot his book

An awesome setting, fairly short chapters, a wonderful introspective protagonist, great characters, and a murder suspect that I at least didn't see coming. What's not to like? I'm looking forward to reading more in this series.

What a fun read! I was so excited to get an early copy of Paul Doiron's newest novel "Dead Man's Wake." His vivid imagery takes to the water as game warden Mike Bowditch is once again in the middle of a murder investigation. He gathers with his fiancee Stacey along with family and friends to celebrate their engagement. Hours before the party even begins he hears the sound of a boat impact out on the water. From there he takes on murder and mystery as he tries to unravel who is responsible before he and Stacey fall victim as well. From kayaks to airplanes they race to find an answer that will find them all safe.

I prefer to read books in order for a series, so it made me a little twitchy that this is book 14. However, it's fantastic. A slow start but it becomes riveting. There are a lot of characters to keep track of, so reading the other books in the series probably would have been helpful, but this can be a stand alone book. Mike attends his engagement party with his fiancée, afterwards they find a dismembered arm and also a dead body in the lake!

I really enjoyed reading Dead Man's Wake. Game Warden Bowditch is a complicated character and I really enjoyed the latest in the series. This one kept me guessing and kept me engrossed in the story from the beginning.

“Dead Man’s Wake” by Paul Doiron
Excellent Read !!
Never a boring moment in this story. There were more twists and turns than a bowl of well tumbled limp linguine. A tasty treat for stretching your who-done-it muscles for certain sure. Happy Reading ! !
Note: This review expresses my honest opinion.
I received an ARC of the story from the publisher via NetGalley.