At Mike and Stacey’s engagement party, the pair hear what sounds like a hit and run motorboat accident. They are thrown into the investigation of cold, calculated murders. Love this series set in Maine.

Dead Man’s Wake is book 14 in Paul Doiron’s Mike Bowditch series about the Maine Game Warden and the predators he encounters. This story takes place on the lake with Mike gathered with close family to celebrate his recent engagement to Stacey and while they are there they overhear a boating incident that leads to the discovery of not one but two bodies in the water near one of the islands. What results is a quick moving investigation uncovering open secrets, deception, and misdirection.

With this being a long running series I do think I missed out on some important background details by having not read the previous books but for the big picture stuff the author did a good job at reminding the reader who someone was or a specific detail. I can see why this is a long running series as the characters are complex and relatable and the adventures of a Maine game warden are certainly thrilling.


Thank you @minotaurbooks and @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

This story started with a bang! An evening boat crash leaving a severed arm floating nearby propels Paul Doiron’s story into a spellbinding full-blown investigation after a dive team discovers two corpses. A suspenseful ‘who done it’ with complex characters and well-placed drama and clues.

Book 14 in the series and a strong addition! I have loved the character development thought out this series and the addition of Mike’s family in this really added to it. I found the case to be interesting and enjoyed the different setting. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

First time reader of the author Paul Doiron. I started the series here at #14.
I liked this book, which is about a game warden and a suspicious boating accident that led to two people's death. I think I would have loved it if had I read the first book in the Mike Bowditch series. It was good solid writing and good development of characters. However, it took me quite a while to get through this one though, because it was filled with way more detail than I like in a book. I thought it was mundane and the author drew out the book. I purchased the audio book version to help me get through it faster and that did help. But I found my mind wandering and the book just couldn't keep me interested. I had to re-read or re-listen to the audio book many times because I was lost. I know I'm in the minority of rating it a three (3) out of five stars. Just too much information about the history of family members that did not matter in my opinion, and too many characters added to try and put suspicion on other characters of who commented the crime. In the end, I was surprised who the killer was, and enjoyed the ending. This book was definitely a slow burning mystery/suspense.
A very special thank you to Minotaur Books/St. Martin's Press via NetGalley for the Advanced Readers Copy in exchange of my honest review.

Dead Man's Wake follows game Warden Mike Bowditch as he and his fiance find a severed arm on the lake they are vacationing on to see his Stepfather, his wife, and his fiance's parents. Will Mike go too far this time or will he learn from his past?

This is the second book I have read in this series. This one works as a standalone and does not need to be read as the 14th book in the series (thank goodness). I love the character of Mike and how invested he gets in doing good. I also love that these books are about the Warden service. It is such a nontraditional law enforcement group to use in a novel but it works and it actually made me this of Warden's as more than just looking for poaching. These books are great and I cannot wait to read more!

Great novel and this was my first. Thank you to NetGalley for introducing new novelist to me. I look forward to more by this author

This book was entertaining, but I was definitely confused for a lot of it. There were a lot of characters thrown around and I read this as a standalone. Also, there was a lot of lake talk and I was kind of bored. The murder itself was also kind of boring.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC

This is book 14 in the series and of course I’m coming in late but I had no problem reading as a standalone. It was a bit predictable which probably should not be unexpected at this point, but I really enjoyed it. The audiobook was well done and I enjoyed reading it this way. This is a fast paced read and I liked the twist on the procedural with the game warden instead of traditional police and would recommend this one.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for the copies to review.

An enjoyable if predictable read. It reads like a movie and is as fast as one two. Even being thrown in an ongoing series I had little trouble keeping up.

This is my first book of this series but that turned out to be no problem. Overall, the book was entertaining even though it felt predictable. I found the story would be better suited for film rather than a novel. If you're looking for a quick, popcorn read then this would be for you.

Great twists in this book! Love the cover! Love how fast it all starts. This would make for a phenomenal movie!

The story was a tad bit predictable, but I still enjoyed it! It kept me on the edge of my seat and definitely had my attention. Double murder? Yes please. Mystery? Absolutely. What a fun read!

I received a free copy of Dead Man’s Wake from Netgalley and St Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.
Game Warden Mike Bowditch is on another case, this one a double murder on the lake at night. The hunt begins for a mysterious boater who left behind a severed arm (and eventually, the rest of the corpse is found).
Dead Man’s Wake is an exciting thriller that kept me engaged and sucked in. It wasn’t quite as good as Dead by Dawn in my opinion, but it was a great read and one that many will enjoy. The Mike Bowditch books can be read in any order as well, so feel free to jump in with Dead Man’s Wake!

This is an easy to read story in a series that can be read without starting with other books in the series. It was somewhat predictable for me - I guess in the beginning it was more intriguing but then flattened. It was a good story but not the page turner, sitting in the edge of my seat I expected it to be. The characters are likeable and interesting which kept my attention. If you are looking for a quick read and a storyline that will not keep you up all night then this is for you. Perhaps a rainy day read that will lead to picking up other books in the series. I received an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

My first book in the series and it was pretty interesting. The family members were interesting and helped round out the story. The story was interesting and the pace picked up about halfway through so I couldn’t put it down.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the arc.

First experience reading Paul Doiron, and Dead Man's Wake is book 14 of a series. I meet our main characters at their engagement party when they are suddenly dumped into the middle of a mystery. This who done it can be a intense at times, and also has plenty of walking the gray areas with regard to procedure. Very interesting introduction to the characters and the series! I did enjoy reading it as a standalone!

Maine Game Warden Investigator Mike Bowditch and girlfriend Stacey Stevens witness an apparent hit-and-run speedboat crash on the lake near Mike's stepfather's house. There to celebrate their engagement, the pair end up being involved in the investigation that results from the gruesome sight in the region of the accident. As the puzzling clues lead to more questions than answers, will Mike be able to help solve the mystery?

Having read all of the previous novels, the plot was not a surprise. Mike Bowditch is a predictable character: getting involved in investigations that often skirt the jurisdictional lines. As an avid reader of the novels, I am growing tired of the main character trying to be better but never learning the lesson. This novel is particularly convoluted, with many periphery characters that are there just for set dressing. Overall, Dead Man's Wake does nothing to further the character development or storyline. For these reasons, I hesitate to recommend the novel to other readers.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy by NetGalley and the publisher. The decision to read and review this novel was entirely my own.

Is there such a thing as product placement in novels now? How many times were we told about the protagonists inherently better Phoenix flashlight? Is there a name for this type of fiction, where the author focuses on the specs of the gear used instead of creating a well developed plot? Gear-fiction? Either way, you won't need a high-end depth finder on your blah-blah-blah speed boat to get to the bottom of this predictive mystery.

This title was purchased for my library as a way to introduce patrons to a series by way of a stand alone novel, thinking that if they liked it, they could then work their way through it from the beginning. Given the ratings here and the number of times it's been checked out at my library I seem to be in the minority for this novel.

I found the story interesting. The plot gives off that suspense mystery of intrigue. The story comes with the main character as the narrator. The need to find the killer grips the story spinning in a number of directions. I enjoyed that the book was a page turner for me. The chemistry between the characters worked well for readers to picture the story. I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.