This is the second time I’ve inadvertently started a series not realizing that there were 13 books already published(oops). So, normally, I don’t recommend doing that, but since I had Dead Man’s Wake, I read it, and I did not feel lost.
Mike is celebrating his engagement to Stacey at his stepfather‘s house on Great Pond in Maine. Stacey’s parents are there too and they are all having a lovely time. Mike happens to be a Maine game warden, and this night will not end in the festive way it started. Mike hears what sounds like a boat crash and before you can say “it’s not a good idea to swim on a full stomach”, he is involved with solving how someone was killed on this lake.
Did I think I knew at least a little about murder investigations? Why yes I did but I had no idea what extra steps it takes to recover a body from the water. There was a lot of information about the process which I found so interesting.
But Mike needs to find out what happened, why, and whodunnit. As the story unfolds, there were a fair share of suspects that had me looking in all the wrong places. The pages just flew by and even though I feel comfortable saying, I read this as a standalone, I do want to go back to the beginning and maybe understand Mike’s personality a bit more. I really enjoyed this book.

A boating accident, two dead bodies, and enough suspects to drive you crazy pull together to create a terrific book. Everything is woven in enough ways to create a story that captures your eye and holds it to the end.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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.

This is number 14th in a series from this author and I didn't know that. I still understood the story and the characters easily. It was a police procedural instead of a thriller which I thought it was.

There was an overload of information on boating, which I can appreciate but it was on the heavy side for me. There was a lot of arguing between the investigators which made them all really unlikeable. I felt no attachment to any of the characters and honestly did not care about what happened. The book kept my attention but not enough for it to be memorable.

The unfolding of the mystery and the reveal were good. If you've read this series I'm sure you'll enjoy this new installment. It just wasn't a favorite for me.

✨️Thank you to @netgalley & @stmartinspress, @minotaurbooks, @macmillanaudio for my free ARC & ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: June 27, 2023
“Dead Man’s Wake” is the fourteenth novel in the “Mike Bowditch” series by author Paul Doiron. Yes, fourteenth. I went into this novel completely unfamiliar with both Bowditch and Doiron, and still found “Wake” to be engaging, entertaining and suspenseful.
On the eve of Game Warden Mike Bowditch’s engagement party, he witnesses what appears to be a boat accident on the lake near his stepfather’s home. Rushing to aid whomever may be injured, Mike rushes to help with his fiancée, Stacey, an EMT, by his side. But what they discover is far more sinister than a few wrecked boats. Their spotlights reveal a severed arm floating in the water and after investigating further, they find not one, but two dead bodies. Of course, the authorities are called in but Bowditch finds himself engrained in the case, determined to find out what happened. Mike knows that the answers to it all lie in who and what the dead man knew and Mike is determined to solve the mystery, even if his very life is put at risk.
Doiron’s police procedural series is unique on one factor alone- it really isn’t about a police investigation. Bowditch is a game warden and although he works with and has many contacts in different facets of the police force, he is not a uniformed member. I don’t really understand how all of the various levels of policing work, especially in some of the more remote areas, but Bowditch joked that he was seen as a “forest ranger”, and that actually helped me to understand his role a little bit.
I knew none of the characters’ backstories, as mentioned, but it didn’t really take away from my enjoyment of the novel. I was able to follow the plot, and keep up with the interconnected relationships between the characters without too much trouble. The plot of this one is a stand-alone, and Doiron keeps the adrenaline pumping as the pages turn.
The ending was delivered nicely, and came with a powerful twist, but still managed to be conclusive and satisfying. Bowditch is a powerful protagonist and although I did not follow his travels up to this point, I look forward to seeing where Doiron takes him next.

Fine entry in the Mike Bowditch series. Mike and Stacey's engagement party is interrupted by an accident on the lake that soon becomes a murder investigation. The cast of characters and the attention to detail make this a thoroughly interesting whodunit.


Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press,/Minotaur Books for an e-arc in exchange for an unbiased review.

On a lake in Maine, a boat runs over a swimmer, and a severed arm is found, along with a naked body. The search continues and a dive team is brought in, and they find another body. Game Warden Investigator Mike Bowditch starts to think this isn’t an accident and is determined to get to the bottom of this case, even if it puts his life in danger.

I started reading this book, after not reading the synopsis, and my attention was quickly grabbed when the narrator said that Mike’s buddy was flying in from the North Maine Woods. Then, Mike commented about a body that was found on Moosehead Lake near Rockwood and Mt. Kineo. I was officially hooked. My dog’s name is Kineo, named after Mr. Kineo and my summers are spent on Moosehead, so this book definitely got my attention. You can tell that the author loves Maine, and why shouldn’t he? It’s beautiful, and the perfect backdrop for this book, which has an interesting cast of characters that are pretty entertaining. My favorite character was Charley, Mike’s father-in-law who reminds me of a lot of an old-time Mainer I know. This book just all around felt like Maine, and I loved that about it!

This is the 14th book in the Mike Bowditch series, but you do not have to read the other books in the series before reading it. It’s a well written, fast-paced Mystery that will leave you wanting to read more of the Mike Bowditch series.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and @NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!

This is the fourteenth Mike Bowditch mystery, but the first that I have read. Mike and his fiancé Stacey are celebrating their engagement with her parents and his stepfather and wife when they hear a crash out on the lake. Since his future father-in-law is a retired warden and he currently works as a Warden Investigator for the State of Maine, they borrow his stepfather's pleasure barge to go out onto the lake and see what happened.

They were dismayed to find a severed arm. Calling in reinforcements including a cadaver dog who can scent bodies under water, they discover not one but two bodies. The man is the husband of the owner of the small island near where the accident happened, and the woman is the wife of the leader of a local motorcycle gang. Autopsies show that both were murdered and Mike is on the case along with the local police.

Mike's task is to find the boat that hit the man and then left the scene of the crime. Between on over-eager lake constable and a witness who keeps changing her story, Mike has a lot to investigate.

This story was entertaining. I enjoyed getting to meet Mike. I liked the setting of the story which is the lake the movie On Golden Pond was based on. I liked the information about law enforcement in Maine.

I picked this book not knowing it was part of a series, and it has left me with an exciting backlog of books to read! I found this to be a really interesting take on a typical "detective" police procedural. The boating and warden aspect were really interesting and fun to read about and explore. I especially loved the location, and the overall ambience of the book. I found Mike to be quite likeable and quiet honest with himself, and his self-reflections. He seems like he's a man who really understands his weaknesses. The extended family that we get to spend time with were all very interesting in their own right, and I'm hoping other installments in this series will have me getting to know them better. I ate this book up in one day camping, and really enjoyed the twists. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

What a surprise this novel was!!! I picked the book to read as I was looking for something different. I don’t remember what caught my eye - it could have been because it takes place in Maine. Nevertheless I am so glad I read the book - it was a good read. It certainly can be read as a stand alone. I realized as I started to read Dead Man’s Wake thatI read the prior novel (#13) and enjoyed it as well.

Mike Bowditch is a Maine State Game Warden. He is engaged to marry Stacey and they are enjoying their engagement party with their family. While they were celebrating a cloud crash was heard on the lake and everyone ran to respond. It was there on the lake that they found their first dead body and another one a few hours later. This started the mystery, but without any easy answers.

Who hit them? Were they dead prior to being hit by a speed boat? With very few clues and less clarity Mike inserted himself into the middle of the mystery. There were lots of twists and turns. I was drawn right into the mystery and have to admit, I did not have the killer identified prior to the final reveal.

Dead Man’s Wake, the fourteenth novel in the Mike Bowditch series by Paul Doiron was a great read.

This was the first book of this series that I've read, and I was surprised to learn it is the 14th in the series. Surprised because I didn't feel I was missing any backstory that was critical to the plot, and because the characters seemed fresh. There are clearly references to their relationships to each other, but again, nothing that made me wish I had read other books first. In other words, it's a good stand-alone novel.
The story itself is interesting, Game Warden Mike Bowditch witnesses a boat accident, and his initial investigation reveals not one, but two, bodies. Although his investigation should be limited to the boating accident, he manages to insert himself into the investigation of both deaths. The story line is a little bit winding, but never too confusing and the ending isn't completely out of the blue. It's a first person narrative from Bowditch's point of view, and he's a little bit high on himself but not to the point of being completely annoying.
The setting was extremely well presented. I've spent several summer vacations in Maine and the author has effectively captured the feel of rural Maine.

Dead Man’s Wake by Paul Doiron

My first, but not last, Mike Bowditch story was a solid read. Good, strong character development supports this mystery which takes place in present day Maine.

Game warden Mike and family members are at a lake house when a speed boat gets their attention. It’s non-stop action and all hands on deck from that moment. Bodies turn up and their deaths need to be explained.

What may be most interesting is the author’s real life details on drowning, currents, flying, boating as well as the flora and fauna of the region. The writing is just a good notch above your average mystery.

A strong four stars from this reviewer, I thank #StMartinsPress and #NetGalley for this ARC.

Mike Bowditch, Maine game warden, and his fiancée Stacey are visiting his stepfather and his wife along with Stacey’s parents at their summer house on a quiet lake in Maine. The peace is disturbed by the revving of a jet ski and soon after, they hear a crash. They find a man’s body was hit by a boat and the next day a woman’s body is recovered from the lake. Mike must investigate the boat hitting a body, but he also becomes involved in solving the murders.
I love this series with its descriptions of the Maine setting and the portrayal of the characters. Each character is well-rounded and as a long time reader of the series, I have enjoyed watching Bowditch mature from an impulsive, rebellious young warden to a more mature figure. The mystery is complex and kept me guessing.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martine’s Press for the ARC.

While this may be the 14th book in the Mike Bowditch series, I was able to jump right in without any issues. This procedural thriller cuts to the action immediately, weaving in important backstory details on the characters seamlessly (for those of us who jump in at broke 14 😜) so you feel caught up while the story moves forward.⁠
You can really tell that the author does his research. The details of Maine were great, and the depth of our MC's job as a game warden was spot on.⁠
The pacing was quick but not rushed, the story interesting, and I would absolutely go back and read more of this series!

Doiron’s writing is addictive and consistently excellent and this is no exception. He skillfully weaves details of game warden Mike Bowditch’s personal life, which readers have come to know and love, with a captivating mystery that will keep readers turning the pages and guessing until the end.

I can truthfully say that I couldn't put this one down! I read it in one day. The story is immediately engaging and I enjoyed the characters a lot, especially Mike, Stacey, Charley, and their families. The policing of the waterways was a fascinating subject to learn more about, and the rural Maine setting lends color to the action. The interaction between the Game Wardens and the State Police investigators also adds tension and interest to the story. The antagonists in the novel seem authentic, and although the perpetrator isn't hard to guess, the suspense of the climax still propels the story toward its end with plenty of excitement. I'll definitely read the other books in this series now and will recommend this one to lovers of mystery and suspense.

Book review: “Dead Man’s Wake” by Paul Doiron 👮‍♂️ 🔎

Game Warden Mike Bowditch and his fiancée Stacey are celebrating their engagement with family at a lake house when they hear a huge crash! Two swimmers have fallen victim to a hit and run on the lake .. and it turns out they are lovers having an affair. This is no longer viewed as an accident … but cold blooded revenge murder!

I did not know that this is Book 14 in the series. I think I would have liked a bit more of a back story so I wouldn’t have felt lost at the beginning! Regardless of this, if you are looking for a fast paced & action packed police procedural series then definitely check this out! I am excited to get my hands on the earlier books in this series!

Thank you kindly to @mikebowditch @minotaur_books @stmartinspress @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review. This book releases on June 27, 2023!

After a fantasy and romance binge, I was searching for the perfect mystery read and landed on Dead Man’s Wake. The description had my interest piqued and I jumped in blind and was not disappointed. From the opening chapters of a hit and run boating accident (or murder?) gone wrong, I was invested in finding answers. Game Warden Mike Bowditch is the perfect police procedural main character; curious, thorough, experienced, impartial, and dedicated to justice. His fiancée and future father-in-law’s participation in the case added depth and even some fun to the plot. I was unaware when I requested this read on NetGalley it was part of a lengthy series, but I now clearly understand how Bowditch could carry such a long running and popular series! If you love detective murder mysteries with shocking twists, a real threat of danger, and a buttoned up ending, add this read to your summer TBR!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I feel silly but I didn’t realize this was a series when I requested it. I thought it would be a fun thriller but, maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I read the rest of the series? With that being said I don’t have much to say about this one. It wasn’t as thriller as I hoped but, it was a fun read.

Dead Man's Wake by Paul Doiron
Love this series and this installment didn't disappoint. Can be read as stand alone. Quick and interesting read. Thank you Netgalley, Minotaur and the author for this and allowing me to leave my opinion.