🛩Crime investigation of a different ilk: good, unpredictable plot🚤

4.5🌟stars
Dead Man's Wake had a fascinating murder to solve and the mystery expanded as the story continued. Maine Game Warden/Investigator Mike Bowditch, his family, fiancee and friends all get swept up in the case of a boating incident just off their lakeside retreat that turns up a grisly victim and a lot of questions over the Labor Day weekend. I don't recall having read a criminal procedural based on investigating such a nautical crime and I really liked the out-of-the-ordinary plot.

I had no clue who was responsible for the death and sabotage going on. I love a murder mystery that tests my own ability to pick out the perpetrator, even when the story is written so well that I guess wrong (and in this one, repeatedly!). And Bowditch's personal life, particularly his obviously close relationship with his fiancee's retired warden father Charlie and his growing connection with his stepfather Neil, provided a nice balance with the tension of the case. Plenty of action and danger, too, plus those red herrings that led me astray!

Great read! I definitely need to find more Paul Doiron mysteries.

Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

A well done procedural that works as well as a standalone as it does as the latest in a long running series. It was meant to be a small family engagement party- and it was- but then Mike hears a boat hit something in the lake. Mike, his fiance Stacey, his father-in-law to be Charley, and his stepfather Neil find a severed arm and then the rest of the body. And once the rest of law enforcement arrives, they realize that a young woman is missing as well. Cheating spouses on a small island, sure, but how did they end up dead in the lake? HIs wife is housebound in Massachusetts and her husband, a biker, seems genuinely bereft. No spoilers from me on how this twisty mystery is resolved. There are some terrific atmospherics with a cadaver dog, on the dive boat, and in the air but best of all are the characters. Doiron does an especially nice job with Mike and his stepfather Neil (as well as Jubilee). Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. I'm a fan and very much enjoyed this- highly recommend for a page turner of a read.

If you love police procedurals you will absolutely adore this book. Game Warden Mike Bowditch shines in this story. The characters created by the author are wonderful. They are in turns witty and funny. Readers will enjoy the page turning plot as they try to figure who is involved in the murders.

I have enjoyed all of Paul Doiron's books. The character of Mike Bowditch is well-developed, as this is book 14 in the series. A double murder in this installment for Maine Game Warden Mike Bowditch to solve. A great thriller that kept me turning the pages quickly. Highly recommend.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC. All opinions are my own.

Dead Man's Wake was my introduction to the gripping series by Paul Doiron. It is the 14th book in the crime series featuring Main Game Warden Mike Bowditch. It worked just fine as a standalone mystery. I became interested in the previous books to learn more background of the main characters.

There is a vividly described sense of place. The location is a lake area in Main. Mike, his future wife, Stacey Stevens, and their families were compelling, richly developed, and likeable characters. In Main, a Game Warden has the same powers of arrest as the sheriff, deputies, and police officers in investigating crimes in and around the lake, along with the state police.

Mike's stepfather Neil and his wife are hosting an engagement party for Mike and Stacey. Her father, Charlie, and mother, Ora, are attending. Charley is a retired game warden and presently a pilot, friend, and mentor to Mike. Ora is in poor health.

Mike's fiance, Stacey, is a woman of many skills; a bush pilot, wildlife biologist, and emergency medical technician. She will be a great companion in his upcoming investigations.

During the dinner party, they hear a loud crash out on the lake that seems to be a collision. Taking his stepfather's boat with Charley and Stacey, a severed arm is recovered. The ship involved in the crash is gone.

State police, the lake constable, Main Warden Services, and the diving team assemble. The divers recovered two bodies from the lake. First, the man whose arm had been severed. He was known as the owner of Mouse Island and was rumoured to have had a series of affairs with women he brought to the island. The body of his latest woman was found in a different location and showed signs of being murdered and dumped in the water. The man's wife is in deteriorating health and no longer visits the lake area. The first theory was that the dead woman was killed by the man with whom she was having the affair. Then he went for a swim and drowned when the boat collided with him and injured him. It was learned the woman was married to a man from a criminal biker gang, and he became the police's prime suspect. Some believe he murdered her in rage for her infidelity.

The investigation finds many other suspects and witnesses who often lie. The story becomes an intense, puzzling, suspenseful crime procedural with well-placed clues. Mike discovers the drivers of the boat involved but does not consider them deliberate killers. He refuses to believe the guilty party is the woman's jealous biker husband. This leads to some tension with the police officers. A lake officer trying to prove his worth also falls under suspicion.

Readers with technical knowledge of small boats or seaplanes will be a step ahead of the casual reader. We learn a lot about the recovery of drowned victims, the preservation of underwater crime scenes, and the landing of a sabotaged seaplane. The role of the game wardens was interesting. Sometimes a minor character was identified by only their first or last name, which took some concentration to keep them straight in my mind.

Mike, Stacey and Charlie find their lives in Jeoprady, which leads Mike to suspect that the killings are the work of a well-organized, trained professional. The ending was pulse-pounding, intense, and charged with deadly action. The identity of the killer was unexpected.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of the book in return for an honest review. I recommend it to readers who enjoy a puzzling police procedural and pleasant main characters set in beautiful atmospheric Main. The publication is scheduled for June 27. 3.5 Stars raised to 4.

Suspense, murder, and danger are expected from Paul Doiron’s Mike Bowditch series. However, Dead Man’s Wake , the fourteenth book in the series, brings an extra intensity to the story mainly set in Belgrade, Maine and the surrounding lake area. During their engagement party, Maine Game Warden Investigator Mike Bowditch and Emergency Medical Technician Stacey Stevens hear and witness what seems to be a hit-an-run speedboat crash. Arriving at the sight via his stepfather’s boat, a severed arm is revealed in their spotlight. When two bodies are found, not one, Mike suspects there’s more going on than an accident. In Maine, game wardens have the same arrest powers as sheriffs, and he works the investigation along with the state police.

Mike and Stacey are likeable characters and work well together. Stacey has been a bush pilot, wildlife biologist, photographer, and a kayaking guide. She can intimidate others because she is so talented. Mike is a great tracker and wants to believe the best of others, but he can be fiery and bold. He also has a somewhat perverse sense of humor that isn’t always appreciated by others. I enjoyed getting to know their families better in this novel. Mike’s stepfather Neil is kind and enthusiastic. Neil’s wife Jubilee is perceptive and funny. Stacey’s parents are Charley and Ora. Charley is a good friend of Mike’s and a retired game warden. Ora was the only one of the group who wasn’t as well-developed.

This riveting crime thriller and police investigation keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. The novel builds suspense in a way that pulls readers into the lives of the characters. The plot is suspenseful, full of chasing down leads and interviewing suspects and witnesses as well as plenty of danger for those involved.

I enjoyed how the author provided unpredictable moments in the story. The conflict moves the story forward at a rapid pace. Why are some of individuals obviously lying? Themes include death, relationships, family dynamics, secrets, health, friendship, police cooperation across jurisdictions, and much more. The one thing that I missed in this story was the nature references that were much more prevalent in the previous book. There are short discussions around common loons and bears as well as a few other references, but I didn’t feel immersed in it. However, weather and the lake both play important roles in the story and they were immersive.

Overall, this fast-paced novel was engaging, gripping, and atmospheric with good characterization and great world-building details. Even though this is part of a series, it is a great stand-alone read too. I can’t wait to find out what is next for Mike and Stacey. I recommend this to those that like crime thrillers and police procedurals with relatable and likeable main characters.

St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books and Paul Doiron provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently expected to be June 27, 2032. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

Fans of Mike Bowditch, Warden Investigator, are going to dive into this new entry by Paul Doiron with enthusiasm. I’m a Bowditch newbie, and I willingly dived in myself. It’s a fast paced mystery with relatable characters.

Set on Great Pond in Maine, the novel opens with a pop-bang and Mike Bowditch realizing that a boat has crashed into something or someone. Mike and Stacey, his fiancée, are at the lake for a party celebrating their engagement. Mike’s stepfather and his new wife are the hosts, and Stacey’s folks are there as well. Everybody gets into the act pretty quickly. And what they find looks very much like—-what else?—-murder.

There are lots of plot twists and red herrings, which I’m betting is typical in a Mike Bowditch mystery. It keeps things interesting. I did not figure out who the killer was until I was told. Of course, there are close calls and hairsbreadth escapes.

Honestly, there’s not a lot more I can tell you without a spoiler. But I think you’ll like this one, and you’ll like Warden Investigator Mike Bowditch, whether you’ve met him before or not. It isn’t every series that you can jump into on Book #14. But the skill of the author is such that it’s eminently possible in Dead Man’s Wake.

Pub. Date: 27 June 2023

My thanks to the publisher for letting me read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

A good murder mystery that pulled me in right away. The book was set as much in the lake as the surrounding area. I liked the characters and found there were enough suspects that had to be investigated to keep the book interesting. It had a good pace and a good conclusion. I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened next. I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I just absolutely had so much fun and I was so sad to turn the last page. I can’t wait to read more wonderful stories from this author.

Paul Doiron has done it again!!!! Another gripping, tense, and hard to put down book in the Mike Bowditch series. This is by far one of my favorite series. Who knew I would grow to love books centered around a Maine game warden and those in his life! This is a riveting and brilliant series and if you have not read it, what are you waiting for????? Yes, this is book #14 in the series, but I feel it would work well as a stand-alone. But I highly recommend going back and reading this series from the beginning to get the character development and events leading up to this book.

Maine Game Warden Investigator Mike Bowditch and Stacey Stevens are celebrating their engagement with a party thrown by his stepfather in the beginning of this book. Fans of the series will know their relationship history and appreciate that they have finally decided to get married. But nothing is ever easy for Mike, and at his engagement party he and Stacy witness a hit-and-run boat crash on the lake. When they go out to investigate, they make the grisly discovery of a severed arm. When the warden dive team goes down the next morning, they find two naked bodies under the lake's surface.

Thus begins the investigation that leads Mike, Charlie, Stacy, and others down a dark and dangerous path in hopes of finding a killer. They are up against a highly intelligent killer who will stop at nothing to get away with murder. Woohoo!

I enjoy all the characters and their relationships with others. I especially love the scenes with Mike and Charlie. Mike has had great mentors and Charlie steals every scene he is in!

With the other books in the series, this one has a captivating mystery, and I did my best super sleuthing while reading this and did not come up with whodunit. As always, I was drawn in not only by the mystery in this book but by the descriptions of the lake and surrounding area. This book was well written, atmospheric, tense and well thought out.


I had both the both and the audiobook which made for a completely enjoyable reading and listening experience!

Gripping well thought out, atmospheric and full of tension! I can't wait to read the next book in the series!!!!


#DeadManswake, #PaulDoiron, #Netgalley, #macmillanaudio, #Minotaurbooks, #StMartinsPress

I should start this review by saying, I had no idea this was part of a series; I read it as a standalone. It would have been nice to know the backstory behind some of the awesome characters and the relationships although, it didn't ruin anything for me not knowing and worked well as a stand alone.

Dead Man's Wake is a fast paced, jam packed police procedural and a pretty damn good one at that. The short chapters and interesting crime / investigation made this a quick and fun read.

My only complaint was it wasn't thrilling enough in the sense of, I wasn't on the edge of my seat through the most exciting parts. It was pretty tame for my taste and I was missing the pazaz. I still enjoyed the writing, the twists and the book overall.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for a review.

Pub date: 6/27/2023!

I wish I had known there were 13 books before this one in this series before I chose to read it.

This can technically be read as a stand-alone but still I was missing so much of things that I felt a bit lost.

Fairly I am only writing my review on the writing style, plot twists, and prose.

The plot twist was a little predictable but still good enough not to actually care that you knew it was coming. At least you couldn’t tell when it came so the suspense was there.

I love the author’s writing and could put the book down.

Overall for what I am judging I give 4 stars.

I had no clue this was 14 in a series when I picked it up. While it absolutely can be read or listened to as a stand alone I did feel like I was missing some backstory on quite a few characters. But that is totally a me issue for not having realized it was in a mystery series.

This is a classic murder mystery book. No romance. no thriller elements, just a classic murder mystery. And a good one at that! I enjoyed the relationship between Mike and his soon to be father in law Charlie, as they are definitely the main characters in the book. The mystery didn't necessarily unfold like I suspected and that is always nice too.

The fourteenth in the Mike Bowditch series, Dead Man's Wake is a suspenseful thriller which takes place at a lake, Golden Pond, in beautiful Maine. The lake setting roped me in immediately and the action started early on which took me on a fabulous adventure with hairpin turns. Not only is there murder but also domestic interest (step fathers, step mothers) and deceptions galore.

Game Warden Mike Bowditch and his fiancé Stacy Stevens, an emergency medical technician, are enjoying Golden Pond views while visiting with family when the unthinkable happens. A sickening collision spells doom. The engaged couple investigates and discover a severed arm...and even more the following day. Lake Constable Galen Webb becomes involved and the team is led from one problem to the next as the web of secrets surrounding murder and betrayal becomes stickier. The writing is gripping and direct and the ending solid.

I really liked learning more about how water affects bodies, boats and the roles of those who patrol and provide emergency lake services. And, of course, the setting was very easy and pleasant to visualize. Who cannot be moved by bodies of water and trees?

If you are drawn to police procedural thrillers, this series is likely for you.

My sincere thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this arresting book.

DEAD MAN'S WAKE by Paul Doiron and narrated by Henry Leyva.

Mike Bowditch is a Maine Game Warden and on the night of his engagement party, a body is discovered. Well, a body part is discovered and it is presumed the rest will follow (and it does). This gruesome find at first seems like a simple boating accident, but Mike sees beyond the surface and it gets dicey. The high profile victim, the biker husband of the 2nd body discovered, and then the bumbling constable who has a questionable past all create a difficult case that Mike is trying to carefully piece together.

I have really enjoyed this detective series. As a game warden, Mike Bowditch is in an aspect of nature about which I like to envision. The scenery plays a part and brings a wildness that fits the building tension in the mystery.

The audio is a fun way to engage this story. Leyva did a good job with the various people, though I didn't love his female voices as much. It didn't distract me from the story, however, so it wasn't a huge deal for me. I am quite impressed with how he captured the intense action in those final chapters!

Speaking of the end, this one packed a punch. The careful piecing together of this story made me glad to have both formats. It was clever enough to make me think I missed something while listening, so it was nice to have the digital format to read and catch those details. That ending was so full of action, I didn't want to miss a beat!

Thank you to @macmillan.audio, @minotaur_books, & @netgalley for the opportunity to listen and read this and share my thoughts! This 14th installment of the series will be available on June 27th.

I will leave my review on Amazon and B&N on June 27th

I didn't even realize while reading this book that it was part of a series, I was able to read it just fine without knowing any of the backstory. This book can very easily be read as a stand alone. My first time reading a book by this author, and overall I enjoyed the book and the storyline. I would recommend this book to others.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Dead Man's Wake is a fast paced read that will have you turning the pages quickly

I love this series about Mike Bowditch and reading Book 14 is like visiting family.

The dynamic of the characters, the Maine scenery and the police procedural story are well written and like the other books in the series the story the crime keeps you guessing.

This can easily be read as a stand alone and I am willing to bet you will go back to the beginning to follow Mike's journey.

When Mike and Stacey hear a boat crash and find a severed arm and then another dead body the twists and turns will keep you guessing .

I cant wait to see what case Mike, Stacey and Charley will solve next

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press, Minotaur books for another great read in the series.

I didn't love the book. I'm not sure why...maybe because I couldn't connect with any of the characters, nor did I really love any of them. I also didn't know that this was book 14 in a series. Maybe if I started from book 1 I would be more invested in the MC.

However, I thought the writing was great. The author did a great job at describing everything! It made me want to go to a lake. I was also honestly surprised by the ending. I must say I didn't see it coming! I thought the narrator did a great job too!

This is a new author and a new series for me. Even though I am starting at #14 I don't feel like I missed anything not having read the previous books except maybe learning more about the characters. I do plan to read that back list to find out more about Charley, Ora and Neil.

Mike Bowditch is a game warden in Maine and on a visit to his step-father's to celebrate his engagement to Stacey there is an accident on the lake. A man has been run over by a boat and they find his severed arm. Was it murder or an accident? Was he dead before he was hit or after? Normally I'm not one for thrillers but there was enough of a police procedural and less action to keep me interested but there was action and it kept me going to the end.

I would like to thank Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a digital copy.

Mike is back and when he and Stacey are celebrating with their family there is a thud on the pond. When they go out to investigate they find an arm and then ultimately the rest of the body. Soon enough they call in the constable who has his own issues and then they find another body. Everything is not as it appears and Mike is does not follow along with where the investigation is going. Of course he thinks there is more to it, and there is. This one kept me guessing and kept me reading because I did not want to put it down.