"Dead Man's Wake" by Paul Doiron is a thrilling addition to the Mike Bowditch crime series, delivering a fast-paced and suspenseful story that will keep readers engaged from beginning to end. As the 14th installment in the series, it successfully captivates both new readers and dedicated fans alike.

The story opens with an unexpected twist that sets the stage for a gripping narrative. Mike Bowditch, the series' protagonist, is celebrating his engagement when the discovery of a severed arm interrupts the festivities. This shocking event leads to the unraveling of a double murder, plunging Mike into a dangerous investigation.


One of the strengths of "Dead Man's Wake" is the author's ability to provide enough background information for new readers to understand the characters and their relationships. Despite not having read the previous 13 books in the series, I found myself easily connecting with Mike Bowditch and comprehending the underlying dynamics of his personal and professional life.

Paul Doiron's writing style is concise and engaging, maintaining a steady pace that keeps the story moving forward. The narrative is filled with unexpected twists and turns, which adds to the suspense and makes it difficult to put the book down. Each chapter ends on a cliffhanger, enticing readers to continue reading to uncover the truth behind the heinous crimes and their perpetrators.

Another aspect worth mentioning is the vivid and immersive depiction of the setting. Doiron's ability to bring the Maine wilderness to life adds an atmospheric layer to the story, creating a backdrop that is as captivating as the plot itself. The descriptions of the rugged landscapes and untamed beauty of the region enhance the reading experience, making it feel as if the reader is right there alongside the characters.

In conclusion, "Dead Man's Wake" is a gripping and fast-paced crime novel that will satisfy both long-time fans of the Mike Bowditch series and newcomers alike. Paul Doiron delivers an enthralling narrative filled with suspense, well-developed characters, and a captivating setting. Prepare yourself for a wild ride as you follow Mike Bowditch on his relentless pursuit of justice in the face of danger and deception.

So this is a sequel but it doesn't read like a sequel, thankfully. I have never read a Paul Doiron novel, but I think I will need to read the rest of this series. His writing is fluid and keeps you reading.

This story is intriguing and lots of twists. Definitely recommend for those that like mysteries.

I was excited to receive this book and then I realized it was #14 in the series, normally I would never start a series at book 14, but I didn't have time to go back and read thirteen books. I'm one of those people who has to read a series in order, so this was a first for me (considering the number of books).

The book starts at Mike Bowditch's engagement party, which is all light and fun for about ten minutes, then Mike as an investigator for the Warden service can't handle the jet skier breaking all the rules on the Great Pond. The action begins then, with first the discovery of a severed arm and then the body. Mike's job is to investigate the boating accident that damaged the body and/or discover if the person was killed by a boat. Things get complicated when they discover another body and that's when the action really kicks in with twists and turns and an excellent story that leads to an explosive ending. The only weird thing to me - it seemed like the author dumbed down Mike to mansplain some things to the reader, which was kind of insulting. If anyone reads crime fiction, they already know the things he did this on. He also used it to give his father-in-law to be a chance to "show off." It made the rough and tumble Mike appear not very bright for an investigator and after fourteen books, I would have hoped he was smarter than that. I didn't take a star off for this because it might have been a pet peeve of mine. I'll definitely read more of this series.

Thanks to Minotaur books and NetGalley for this digital copy. All opinions are my own.

Maine Game Warden Investigator Mike Bowditch is celebrating his engagement to Stacey Stevens with their families when Mike and Stacey hear a loud noise. Mike discovers a severed arm in the water and later, the man the arm belongs to at the bottom of the lake. He's thinking he has a fatal boating accident on his hands until another body is found murdered. Mike works with Maine State Police to solve the case.

I really enjoyed this one. It was nice to get to know more about Bowditch and Stacey, along with their families. Since one of the deaths relates to boats, there is a fair amount of technical information about boats. I felt like it didn't get in the way of the story though. The pacing was good and the plot engaging.

This is the 14th in the series, so if you need to start with book 1, then this one isn't for you. Someone who jumps in here, would probably be a little lost here and there. I've read books 11 and 12 and did ok with this one. Overall, I'd recommend this to those who've read the series.

My thanks to Saint Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, author Paul Doiron, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

Book Summary:

Game Warden Investigator Mike Bowditch and Stacey Stevens have the unfortunate luck of witnessing a speedboat hit-and-run. It's probably not the sort of event most people would expect to hear about, but it's just another event in a long line of strange and morbid occurrences.

Only this one is about to get stranger. Upon closer inspection, this accident looks more like a calculated and brutal murder and less like a horrible accident. Now Mike and Stacey must investigate the crime and hopefully remain alive.

My Review:

So....I did it again. I accidentally dove into the middle of a mystery series. Why do I keep doing this?!? I picked up Dead Man's Wake, unaware it was the fourteenth (fourteenth!) book in a series. That said, it was still a fun read that I had no issues keeping up with. Though I'm confident, I missed out on a lot about Mike's past.

Onto the actual review! Dead Man's Wake starts fast, and I mean that. We're quickly thrown into the murder mystery, which our leading character was unlucky enough to witness (sort of?). You can see how it would quickly spiral from there.

This fast-paced race made staying invested in the plot easy, even when I didn't know all the backstories. Paul Doiron's writing is witty and approachable, making it the perfect mystery read. I must go back and check out the rest of this series.

Highlights:
Mystery/Thriller Series
Lots of Action
Tense

Trigger Warnings:
Speedboat Accident/Murder

Do you enjoy going on boats? Or what is the weather like for you today?
I used to love going on boats but just last year I learned that on smaller boats I get seasick when we go fast! Not a fun thing to learn on my way to vacation! I did do fine on a cruise ship, so maybe it’s a size thing.
At their engagement party Game Warden Mike and his fiancée Stacy are interrupted by a hit-and-run speedboat crash. They dive in to start investigating. With the hunt for the killer ramping up, Mike starts to wonder if some of his fellow patrol members are in on the crime. Will Mike be able to figure out who the killer is before time runs out?
I didn’t realize going into this one that it was part of a lengthy series, and in this case, I would have enjoyed some of the backstory as we were just plopped right in. I think that reading some of the previous books would have helped me become more engaged. This one was not a badly written book in any way; it just didn’t hold my attention like I prefer for a thriller. This is very much a heavy police procedural novel, so make sure you are prepared for that. I didn’t get a ton of plot outside the procedure, which I would have enjoyed. It was a solid middle of the road read.
If you are looking for a solid thriller, with the twist of being a game warden versus a police officer at the protagonist, then check this one out June 27th.

Thank you to the publisher St Martin’s Press, @stmartinspress, Minotaur Books, @minotaur_books, and Netgalley @netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, Paul Doiron is a new author for me, and his story telling ability kept me engaged throughout the entire thing. The character were all complex with their own stories and he takes his time revealing the details so as to keep you on pace with the first person perspective of the investigation. A unique aspect of this one was that it focused on crimes within a context that I was not accustomed to and learned a lot about. Crimes committed on lakes or in water are treated differently in their processes than most mysteries I've read before. Would read more from this author!

Doiron has done it again! This 14th in the Mike Bowditch series is another hard-to-put-down thriller that works equally as well as a continuation of the Bowditch saga and as a standalone outdoor adventure mystery. Bowditch's character continues to develop into the more mature version we've been seeing in the most recent books and is nicely contrasted with the introduction of another young maverick who manages to show the reader what could have happened if Bowditch hadn't reined in his disregard for authority. For those who are new to the series, this will read as a character-developing contrast; for those who have followed Bowditch from the start, it is interesting to see how Bowditch manages being the authority himself.

As the book opens, Mike Bowditch is taking a short vacation at the lakeside home of his stepfather and new wife. Mike and Stacy are about to get married, and both Mike's side of the family and Stacy's are at the luxurious home for an engagement party. While watching a variety of boating misbehavior at dusk, and reminding himself that he's not on duty, Mike hears the thump of a boat hitting something floating on or just below the surface of the lake. Upon investigation using his stepfather's party boat and accompanied by his about-to-be father-in-law, Charley, Mike discovers that the object that was hit was not a log as he had suspected, but a human body. Thus starts Mike's official investigation into the boating event and unofficial involvement in a murder investigation.

The plot is convoluted with holes opening up and closing, many twists, and Doiron's trademark high tension action to bring the plot together and keep the reader reading no matter how late the hour. Stacy and Charley play more significant roles in the investigations, compared to most of the past books, which seems fitting as they are about to play more significant roles in Mike's personal life. The denouement of most of the series books involves a criminal who wants to talk about his motive, but in this most recent outing Mike encounters a new type of villain who is unforthcoming. This leaves both Mike and the reader questioning the killer's motivation but seems realistic and in character. Doiron plays fair with the reader, so that while the villain may come as a surprise, it is one that makes complete sense.

We learn a lot about boating and investigations on/under water, all of which is fascinating. But the beauty of Maine's outdoors in Doiron's hands transports the reader. If Doiron's writing doesn't make you want to see Maine for yourself, nothing will.

Fast pace, depth of characterization, and beautiful writing all make this book and this series a great one. You can jump into the series with this book, but I will bet that if that's the case, you'll want to go back and read the rest of the series in order. And, of course, there's book #15 to look forward to!

So many people have been telling me to check-out this series and I am so glad I did. This book is the 14th in the series about Mike Bowditch, but I read it as a stand alone and was totally fine.

This story is a police procedural that is set in Maine. It starts with Mike and his fiancé celebrating their engagement, when they hear a crash on the lake. Mike and his fiancé head out to the water to see if there are any survivors. When the couple finds a severed arm, the story kicks off!

I really loved Mike and his fiancé as characters. They were well developed and helped push the story forward. This book has terrific pacing. The plot moves at a speed fast enough to keep you interested, but you never find plot holes. I also enjoyed the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

On the evening of their engagement party, Maine Game Warden Investigator Mike Bowditch and Stacey Stevens witness what seems to be a hit-and-run speedboat crash on a darkened lake. When they arrive at the scene, their spotlight reveals a gruesome sight: a severed arm beneath the surface. As day breaks, the warden dive team recovers not one but two naked corpses: the dismembered man and the married woman with whom he was having an affair. Mike begins to suspect the swimmers' deaths were not a senseless accident but a coldly calculated murder. Alone among his fellow officers, Mike begins to sense the involvement of a trained professional, smarter and more dangerous than any enemy he has faced. As Mike and Stacey get closer to identifying the killer, their own lives are suddenly put on the line, leading to a confrontation designed to silence them forever.

Ever go on a Netgalley spree and request a book that you didn’t realize was book #14 in a series? Whoops! Great thing it read fine as a stand alone!

I read this one as an ebook as well as audio, although I listened to most of this on audio. There are several characters and I found it to be easier to listen and follow along.

This story begins quickly with Mike discovering the murder. There is a lot of information given about boats and about Mike’s job that lost me a little bit, but the story is filled with secrets and twists that kept it moving. It was fun to hear Mike’s POV while investigating this murder mystery and linking it all together. Enjoyed the action in the end!

Dead Man's Wake by Paul Doiron is a highly recommended procedural and the 14th book in the series featuring Game Warden Mike Bowditch.

His stepfather, Neil Turner and his new wife Jubilee Batchelder are holding an engagement party for Mike Bowditch and Stacey Stevens at their lake house. Her parents are also attending. The party is interrupted when mike and Stacey hear a crash and are sure it is a hit-and-run speedboat accident. When they arrive at the scene, they find a severed arm. Later, upon further investigation, the dive team recovers two bodies. The two were both married, not to each other, and having an affair. Mike suspects that the deaths were purposeful. The hunt is actively on for the killer and the suspects are plentiful.

Dead Man's Wake is a well-crafted, compelling procedural. Since it is the 14th novel in the series, readers who start here may feel, as I did, like they have missed a step or two, but it doesn't matter once you continue reading. The details of the investigation help build suspense as leads are tracked down and the danger seems to increase with each step of the investigation. The plot is unpredictable and fast-paced.

Mike and Stacey are great characters and work well together. They are both highly intelligent, determined and persistent. The other characters all represent a diverse collection of characteristics and everyone feels like a fully realized character. Anyone who enjoys procedurals will enjoy Dead Man's Wake.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of St. Martin's Press via NetGalley.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, Edelweiss, and Amazon.

This book is one in a series of police procedurals that I was delighted to read. It can be read as a stand-alone novel. The story takes place in Maine, with Mike and his fiancé celebrating their engagement. When Mike and his family hear a crash in the lake, he immediately borrows his father’s boat and rushes to aid any survivors. Mike is a game warden, and in Maine, as I have now learned, game wardens have the same arrest powers as sheriffs, and serve as an auxiliary police force when no other officers are available.

And a severed limb is found, and the investigation begins. These are clearly defined characters who move the plot forward seamlessly. Inter-agency squabbles, a hapless deputy out to prove himself, love affairs all make an appearance in the book. I will definitely be looking to read more of this series.

In Dead Man’s Wake, the fourteenth entry in the Mike Bowditch mysteries series, author Paul Doiron gives us another superfast-paced suspenseful page turner. It’s been about 7 years since Mike Bowditch was a newbie game warden. A lot has changed. He’s matured, gained experience, and is now an investigator in the Wildlife Crimes Investigation Division of the Maine Warden Service. His cases have involved everything from busting poaching rings to solving hunting homicides to reconstructing boating accidents. But a lot hasn’t changed: he’s still impulsive, hard-headed, like a dog with a bone when he thinks he knows how to solve a case, even if it’s not strictly part of his assignment. So still often getting himself in hot water with his superiors.

Mike is now engaged to Stacey Stevens, Charley and Ora’s daughter. Relationships have never come easy to Mike; no wonder considering his early life, his father’s crimes, his mother’s instability until she married his stepfather Neil. His relationship with Stacey may have been on and off to this point, but the knowledge of Stacey, the idea of Stacey, a little buzz in his head, has probably been there since the first time he crashed overnight in what used to be her room at Charley & Ora’s. You can’t help but be happy for him. He’s been through so much in his life, and however impulsive or distracted or cranky he might get, he draws you to him and you want the best for him. And just maybe that best is Stacey. Mike’s mother has been dead for five years and Neil has remarried. He and new wife Jubilee are hosting the engagement party. Mike and Stacey witness what seems to be a hit-and-run speedboat crash on the lake and the story takes off from there. And from this point on you have to pay close attention because there is a lot going on. Even though the pace is fast, the suspense builds slowly, leaving the reader a trail of breadcrumbs that may or may not help you solve the mystery. Or mysteries, because as I said, there is a lot going on. We’re once again in the middle of the wild Maine woods and lakes with their cruel and unforgiving weather and the uncooperative, uncommunicative residents of those woods with their long-hidden secrets that are now bursting dangerously out.

Mike was a very skilled game warden and is a very skilled investigator with an in-depth knowledge of the woods. A quick learner, fast responder in an emergency with excellent instincts and insight that others don’t always have. However, because of that still ever-present impulsiveness, the inability to let something go if he thinks he should dig deeper and the guilt he feels over the times he didn’t do more, you know he’s going to put himself in danger and get himself in trouble with his bosses yet again. We admire him but still shake our heads at him never knowing when to quit, when to ask for help, when to slow down for a minute. But he gets results, never hesitates for a second to put himself in danger, to go the extra mile. Sometimes he seems as wild as those woods.

Mike’s search for answers is thrilling, full of well-drawn characters and a plot full of twists, turns, danger, chases, dead ends, questions that seem to have no answers. The setting is so richly described that you are in the woods, on the lake, underwater. The duties and scope of the warden service are fully explained. In addition, over the course of the series we’ve come to realize that although Mike still struggles with relationships and sometimes pull away he has a good heart. He’s dedicated, loyal, and cares about people who deserve justice. What would he have done all these years without Charley and Ora, and is it possible for him to relax a little and accept the affection Neil offers? Whatever his quirks and faults, Mike is a compelling, sympathetic man who has only become more so over the years. Lots of still waters running deep to continue to explore.

Author Paul Doiron is doing a masterful job with this series. When I received the advance copy of Dead Man’s Wake he was a new-to-me author and as always I wanted to read all the previous books first. I wasn’t able to completely catch up because of the time constraints for the publication date of this book, but I have started reading the series from the beginning and will read each and every one. Each book is not only a self-contained satisfying tale of a crime to be solved, but also another stepping-stone on the journey Mike has taken to become the man he is today. The insight into his early life and experiences is riveting and adds to your reading pleasure with each subsequent book.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Publishing Group, Minotaur Books, for providing an advance copy of Dead Man’s Wake via NetGalley. I recommend it and the entire series without hesitation. I voluntarily leave this review and all opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Mike is celebrating his recent engagement when the party is interrupted by boaters on the lake. Mike and his fiancé witness a potential boating accident, and when they investigate further they find a severed arm that was beneath the surface of the water and two naked bodies. Mike starts his investigation and begins to realize that this might not have been a boating accident, but instead a calculated murder.
*
This is the 14th book in this series, however I have to start this by saying that you definitely don’t have to read the entire series to understand this book. I really enjoyed following along with this story and seeing how Mike’s brain works in order to solve the murder. It was such a fast paced book, which I also love because I felt like helped move the story along. i also have to say that I enjoyed the scenery of the book. I love it when the characters are set around water and the author does a good job with describing the scenery. Overall, definitely one I would recommend and one that I would love to pick up more books from this series!

This review will be posted to my Instagram blog (read_betweenthecovers) in the near future!

Wow. I’m late to this series. Dead Man’s Wake is the 14th book in the Mike Bowditch series but it happens to be the first one I’ve read. And that’s both exciting and daunting because if they are all as good as this one that means I’ve just found a giant stack of books to add to my TBR list, lol.

It all starts late one evening at Mike Bowditch’s engagement dinner. As a game warden in Maine, the sounds of someone illegally racing across the lake at night irks him, but he tries his best to ignore it and focus on the party. But when he hears the sounds of what can only be some type of accident out on the water, he and the rest of the party go to check things out…where they discover a severed arm…and then a body. But that’s just the start of things and it’s not long before the body count rises causing Mike to suspect this was way more than just a simple accident. The opening chapters absolutely hooked me. I lost an entire weekend to this one. Great characters, a wonderful setting, and an excellent story with near perfect pacing. I don’t know how I’ve managed to miss this series for so long, but I really hope the rest of the books are as good because I’ve already picked up the first three from the series so I can see how this all began. Thanks so much to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review an ARC of Dead Man’s Wake.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dead-mans-wake-paul-doiron/1141976501?ean=9781250864390&bvnotificationId=7e91cff2-150c-11ee-be1a-121f72274b53&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=gmail.com#review/251811920

As soon as I read the discovery of an arm floating in the water, I knew this would be a book that I read only in the daytime. DEAD MAN’S WAKE is author Paul Doiron’s 14th novel in the Mike Bowditch Mystery series. I have not read the previous books, and I was still able to follow the plot. The characters are strong and clear, and I loved the picturesque descriptions of Maine.

Game Warden/Investigator Mike Bowditch and Stacey Stevens work together to identify and try to apprehend the murderer. The plot becomes dicier as they find themselves as the prey. Honor, justice, and protection of the innocent is a theme that runs strong throughout the story.

I loved the quick pace and short chapters. The most interesting part was learning about underwater retrieval of a body. Readers who enjoy police investigative work will love the author’s detailed narrative. Lots of twist and turns keep the reader guessing until the end. What a thriller!

Dead Man’s Wake is from a well established series. I have only read part of the series, so I may have missed something in the characters. At this point, though the case itself was interesting, I found the main character to be pretty flat. When the reveal happened at the end I found it to be a bit uninspired and uninteresting. I just didn’t feel that the case came to a satisfactory conclusion considering who did it and the background of the character. It was a quick read. I think that is partly because of the tone the writer created with the characters. There was not much that differentiated them or made them seem like fully fleshed out people.

One of the best books read this year. It had it all: compelling mystery, interesting characters and a setting that enhanced the story. Although part of a longstanding series, can be read alone. Will probably inspire you to go back and read earlier books.Thanks to #NetGalkey and #DeadMan’sWake for advanced digital copy.

Police Procedural Featuring a Maine Game Warden

In this addition to the Mike Bowditch Game Warden series, Mike and his fiance Stacey Stevens are celebrating their engagement with his stepfather, his stepfather’s new wife, and Stacey’s parents at his father’s lake front home. The party is interrupted when a crash signals that a boat has hit something in the water. Investigating, Mike and Stacey find a dismembered arm floating in the water and a submerged body. This is the beginning of an investigation that involves a wealthy home owner, his current mistress, and her biker husband.

This is a fast paced thriller. Mike, as usual, finds himself in life threatening circumstances from which he almost miraculously escapes. Stacey is supportive, understanding Mike’s need to solve the crime in spite of the danger. Mike also continues to build his relationship with his step father and his new step mother.

The plot is intricate. It’s hard to guess who the murderer is until the very end, although there are hints along the way. I thoroughly enjoy this series. The atmosphere of the Maine woods is a nice change from the big city or suburbia where most police procedurals are set. Although the book is part of a long series, it’s fairly easy to catch up with the back story. I recommend it for fans of police procedurals.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for this book to review.

I haven't read this entire series, but have enjoyed the ones I have.

Game Warden Mike Bowditch is attending his own engagement party when a body part is discovered in the water. Eventually the body is found.

At first it appears a simple boating accident. But Mike investigates and finds more.

I like Warden Bowditch and would love to continue on with this series. The scenary and seclusion adds to the mystery of the stories.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for both an ARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review.