This is # 15 in the series, but my first time to read this series. Maine Game Warden Mike Bowditch takes his job seriously. He asks hi father-in-law to ask bush pilot Josie to fly them to the construction site. He has heard of an armed man asking questions about Josie’s builder and needs to check out the situation. When they arrive at the construction site they find Mark Redmond and his daughter Cady camping near the building site. When questioned as to why Redmond needs to stay under the grid the anser is not what mike expects. The three end up being drugged and restrained while Redmon and his daughter head to Canada. Mike frees himself and tracks Redmond hoping to stop him before he gets to the border. There are some unexpected surprises at the end. This is a real thriller of a book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur for the e=galley.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book.

I had only read one other Mike Bowditch book and had forgotten it when I started this one, Mike is a Maine Forest Service Warden posted far up north in Maine near the Canadian border. So when he hears of a possibly lost visitor from Idaho who is spending large sums of money searching for a man and his daughter living off the grid, he doesn't know whether to pursue the case as a missing person's investigation, or something else. Mike's wife's unofficial godmother has hired a man to build her a cabin up north, and the cabin builder sounds a lot like the man being sought by the missing stranger. So Mike, his father-in-law Charley, and Josie Johnson fly to the building site in Josie's helicopter. The man and his daughter match the description of the wanted man, but when too many questions are asked, the man and his daughter flee. So Mike follows them all the way to Canada, with a lot of gunplay, storms, murder, murder attempts, and duped but mostly innocent people to literally fill a book!!

LOTS of action. Mike Bowditch is almost superhuman, but the man he is following, Mark Redmond/Paul Renaud is a trained survivalist and his daughter Cady/Chloe is also trained well. The climax, on Canadian soil, where Mike has illegally crossed, finds him arrested and charged with several crimes.

You WILL NOT be bored with this book. I read it practically in one sitting, I was so absorbed!

I had never heard of Paul Doiron or his Mike Bowditch series, which is set in the North Woods of Maine. So, when I started book number 15, I wasn’t sure what I was in for. No worries! I did just fine - more than fine - reading Pitch Dark as a standalone.

When game warden investigator Mike Bowditch goes searching for a missing man named Pratt who’s been asking about a stranger and his little girl, he is ambivalent about becoming involved. This stranger might be lost or even dead, but Mike wonders about him, and he’s also curious about the father and his young daughter. He takes his father-in-law Charley Stevens along. Flying is the only way to search because recent rains have washed out roads and felled trees, making travel by road impossible. Charley knows just how to approach the helicopter pilot, Josie Jonson, without ruffling her feathers. Josie lives alone in a home built by the man, Mark Redmond, whose only compensation is that she does not post any photos or advertise his work. He homeschools his daughter Cady and likes his privacy. When Mike and Charley meet Redmond and Cady, they are polite, but something seems off. Cady is “different.” Is she autistic? Mike needs some answers about why Hammond Pratt is searching for them, and as he questions Redmond over coffee, he begins to feel “strange.”

The warden awakens some time later. This begins a whole new saga that will lead him on a treacherous hunt in pursuit of a dangerous fugitive. Doiron describes the quest in vivid detail; I could picture the scenes in my mind’s eye and feel the cold, the dark, and the dampness. There is gun violence and a small amount of foul language. The author writes with keen detail and with great urgency. Mike is an experienced officer, but does he have all the facts?

As he makes his way in the dark, rainy night, Mike thinks about his wife. She thinks she may be pregnant. His own father was a poor role model; he is not sure how he feels about being a father. Stacey is waiting to do the test until he returns.

As the pieces come together, I realized that there were clues that were missed. There is resolution to this chronicle, albeit not necessarily a happy one. Under the circumstances, it is the best one can hope for. As for the pregnancy test, what will that show?

If you’re someone who likes a good mystery and rugged adventure, try Pitch Dark. It’s quite a ride!

I received a digital copy of Pitch Dark in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books, and Paul Doiron.

4 stars

Bowditch is a strange character. Lots of odd choices made. Full of himself even after being cautioned to watch out for certain things. Also not as perceptive as he’d like to think he is, kind of dim really. Other than that this was a pretty good thriller. I don’t really understand how the northern Maine folks voluntarily strand themselves. Surely more of them would have been out removing debris and logs and fixing things since they only have so many ways in or out.

Decent beach read.

My gosh I just love Doiron! Pitch Dark by Paul Doiron was a suspenseful and riveting law enforcement procedural with a compelling setting that's easy to lose yourself in!
This was so well written. I was engrossed from the first page and it ticked all the boxes of my expectations.

Thank You NetGalley and Minotaur Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

What a ride! I started this book expecting a good mystery, but I was pulled into an action packed surprise filled adventure. Once I got to the third or fourth chapter, I couldn't put the book down. The book is well written and paints such a picture that I almost forgot I was sitting in my living room and not out in the dark of night in the rain in the middle of a forest. I've only read a couple of books by this author, but this one is fantastic. I really like the main character, Mike. I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Mike Bowditch is no shrinking violet; the guy lives with a wolf, after all. Here he heads out in terrible weather to a remote part of northern Maine in search of a man who has been reported missing and who may well have take an ill-advised ATV trip into the woods at the muddiest time of year. The guy was known to have been asking around trying to find a reclusive perfectionist known for his cabin-building artistry. Accompanied by his father-in-law, Mike gets a ride from a local helicopter pilot for whom the mysterious man has been building a log cabin. The rest of the book is a whirlwind of near-escapes, violent deaths, frantic chases through nearly impassable woods, and confusion over just who everybody really is. It’s a life-and-death, fast-paced thriller with the added bonus of the author’s trademark beautiful phrasing and an occasionally almost poetic use of language. New developments in Mike’s personal life are an added bonus.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for a digital advance review copy.

I really enjoyed this book. It was nail biting to the end with a twist un the plot that was a really good one. I live the Paul dobson books and this one did not fail!!

A fantastic series that never disappoints. Mike Bowditch, a Maine game warden investigator, always finds trouble. The excitement of how he works to make things happen always keeps the author’s readers on their toes.

Set in Maine, Paul Doiron describes the State’s nature and beauty along with Bowditch’s adrenaline-filled work and love life, as only a native can. Love the addition of the game warden’s wolf-hybrid named Shadow.

Living in New England, it is such a pleasure to read about the local birds and game. We take a couple of vacations each year to visit Maine’s southern and mid coasts. Beautiful country.

Any one of Doiron’s books in the series can be read as a standalone. Starting #15 PITCH DARK would be a great choose. Loved it! I started in the middle of this series, and then went on to read every one of them. Can’t wait for the next…

5 out of 5 stars

Thanks to Minotaur Books, Paul Doiron, and NetGalley for the ARC.

Publishing today, June 25, 2024.
Posted to Goodreads on 6/25/24.

Thank you Netgalley, Paul Doiron, and St Martin's Press for the ebook! This story kept me captivated! I loved the Maine references and the story had twists and turns that had my head spinning!

Another great read in the Mike Bowditch series. Pitch Dark is packed with action and I could not put it down. I absolutely love this series!

I have never read anything by Paul Doiron and I don't usually like reading books in the middle of the series. However this seemed to be pretty self contained and anything from previous books was explained pretty well so I didn't mind stepping in the middle. LOTS of suspense in the book! The story takes place over a couple of days while Maine Warden Investigator Mike Bowditch is looking for a missing man. There were quite a few times I thought Mike would bite the dust, but based on where I was in the story I know it wasn't the case. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the story not knowing what was coming next. Great story when you have some time, it is a long story!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher.

I've read every book in this series and can say that this last one does not disappoint. I've loved following Mike Bowditch grow in his job and as a person.
I'm fully invested in this series and think all who read it will get just as easily invested.
Many thanks to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

This was the first book I read by this author, oh so good wow. I will say it won't be my last
A definite page turner.

The best kind .
A absolutely must read.
Don't wait grab yours today.

It is a gritty, intense, and exciting book with a vivid wilderness setting in the Maine north woods. The characters were well-developed, and their dialogue seemed realistic. I had read several previous books in the series and found Game Warden investigator Mike Bowditch a likeable protagonist. The story starts with an intriguing mystery. Why is a man who turns out to be a bounty hunter handing out money to locate a mysterious and talented builder, Mark Redmond, living in isolation with his twelve-year-old daughter, Cady? He is believed to be very protective of her since her mother's death and is home-schooling her. They live in a cabin he is building for Josie, a pilot and friend.

When the man searching for Redmond is reported to be possibly missing, Mike must decide whether to send a search team to find him. Josie agrees to fly Mike and his father-in-law Charley, a former game warden, to the secluded cabin. She hopes to protect her friend Redmond and has a close bond with his young daughter. She fears they may be in danger from the man hunting for them after discovering he is armed. Bowditch's interview with the Redmond father and daughter didn't go as planned. Redmond denied any knowledge of the man searching for them, and his daughter seemed quite hostile to their presence. Soon, they were drugged and fell unconscious. On awakening, Bowditch, Josie and Charlie find themselves tied up, and Josie has convulsions and dies. Redmond and his daughter went on the run through muddy trails toward Canada.

The Redmonds were armed and had a lot of contacts protecting them. It seems that through his influential father in Canada, members of the Border Control in Maine and Canada and families along the way were influenced to protect them. Bowditch was told that Redmond was from Canada and was a fugitive for killing his wife. He had passports from both countries. Bowditch frees himself and Charley, and he goes after the fugitives. There had been a ferocious storm, and the trails were muddy and blocked by fallen trees. Charley had warned them that Redmond was more capable in the forests than even Bowditch ( a Game Warden) and was dangerous. There were too many mentions of the types of guns for this reader. I thought the makes of the weapons were a distraction.

Mike Bowditch had his flaws. He was very arrogant about his tracking abilities, acted impulsively, and tended to make snap judgments about people. He was often very wrong, especially about information about the Redmonds. He was relentless in rescuing Cady from her criminal father. It is obvious to Bowditch that Redmond is emotionally abusive toward her and influences her to follow his actions.

Once he and the bounty hunter face the Redmonds in the deep forest, misconceptions and more deaths occur along with frantic action. Bowditch follows them in their escape into Canada, although he has no authority outside of Maine and could lose his job for entering Canada illegally. There are some shocking, disturbing twists once Bowditch realizes the truth about the Redmonds. How does he react, and how much trouble is he in for crossing into Canada?

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of Pitch Dark, which will be published on June 25.
It is recommended to those who like a good mystery with twists, well-developed characters, and plenty of action within an atmospheric setting.

Mystery/thriller keeps you guessing

I enjoyed reading Pitch Dark, the 15th in a series, although I hadn't read any others by Mr Doiron. Set in northern Maine, one can smell the forests and hear the rushing, snow-melt-filled waters as you follow the Game Warden Mike allegedly checking up on a missing person. Lots of twists to the plot, and, if you like to read before bed as I do, there's a lot of violence (maybe too much adrenaline before sleep!) A few unlikely plot items keep me from that 5th star.

Thank you to the publisher who lent me an e-arc via Netgalley. This review is optional and my own opinion.

Book #15 in Paul Doiron’s Mike Bowditch series begins with our protagonist, an investigator with the Maine Warden Service being informed of an armed man inquiring into the whereabouts of a father and daughter residing in the area. Correctly guessing that the father-daughter in question is the reclusive Mark Redmond and his twelve-year-old daughter Cady, who is never seen in public, Mike begins to suspect that there is more to the situation than meets the eye. Mike and his father-in-law, retired chief warden pilot Charley Stevens, approach Josie, a friend of Charley’s, who recently hired Mark to build a cabin near Prentiss Pond, to help establish contact with Mark. Josie, who considers Mark a friend and is protective of Cady, reluctantly agrees to help and takes them to where Redmond and Cady are camped. In a shocking twist, their meeting with Mark and Cady takes a dark turn as it becomes evident that Mark is harboring secrets that he would kill to protect.

We follow Mike as he navigates the Maine wilderness, inclement weather and an adversary who would resort to any means to evade capture. Complicating matters further are a bounty hunter who is also in pursuit of Redmond and Cady and the fact that Redmond has sympathetic neighbors as well as contacts within law enforcement who are aiding him.

I thoroughly enjoyed Pitch Dark by Paul Doiron. The vivid, atmospheric setting and the fast-paced suspenseful narrative drew me in and kept me hooked until the very last page. Mike Bowditch is an interesting protagonist and this time he was up against an equally (if not more) skilled and experienced adversary which made for a tension-filled cat-and-mouse game with some shocking twists and surprises along the way. Sharp writing, convincing characters and superb character development, and plenty of action and adventure make for a thrilling read. My only complaint is that I would have liked for Stacey to have had a more active role in this installment.

Though this is #15 in the series, it would work well as a standalone. The author provides sufficient background information in his books, which allows for a satisfying reading experience even if you jump in mid-series. This is my second book in the series ( I started with #14, Dead Man's Wake) and haven’t had any problem following the narrative in either book. I look forward to exploring more books in this series.

I paired my reading with the audiobook narrated by Henry Leyva, which made for a riveting immersion reading experience.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for the digital review copy and Macmillan Audio for ALC via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Book #15 in the excellent Main Game Warden Mike Bowditch series. The book could be read as a stand alone story but oh my......you'd miss alot. Readers have followed Bowditch from his first year as a warden in THE POACHER'S SON, to this seasoned investigator looking for a missing person and finding himself square center of a series of crimes that he must think his way out of. If you love CJ Box's Joe Pickett series, you'll love Mike Bowditch. Each book has seen the young warden refine his skills while adding characters that enrich the challenges he'll face just trying to do the right thing.

Dorion keeps the tension high in the latest in the Mike Bowditch series. The setting of the Maine-Canada border was interesting, and the plot contains a major twist. The adrenaline-filled chase through Maine woods will appeal to those who love outdoor survival thrillers and can easily stand alone. I prefer the titles with more character interactions and investigation, but while not my favorite of the series, this is sure to have high demand. Recommended.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

What can I say about Pitch Dark, the latest in the Mike Bowditch game warden series by Paul Doiron, except that it is exactly as I expected: excellent, riveting, enthralling, action-packed, suspenseful and just a good, good read, as always. Read one book about Mike Bowditch and you’ll be hooked. He’s moral, sincere, dedicated, honest and always seeking justice. And he’s also rash and reckless and stubborn and often finds a way to barrel on through even though he knows he shouldn’t or has been told not to but goes ahead anyway because it’s the right thing to do.

Mike is skilled, resourceful, and brave. And he needs every bit of that in Pitch Dark. Once again he stumbles upon something in the North Maine Woods that isn’t as it seems and is fraught with danger. His instincts are excellent, sometimes too sharp. Once he suspects things aren’t as they should be or discovers someone is in danger he is tenacious. Giving up or stepping back are not concepts he understands. No Weapon – No Backup – No Giving Up. That’s Mike Bowditch. He gets in such scary situations - sometimes his fault, sometimes not – and you are always on the edge of your reading seat, turning pages frantically to see if he is going to figure out what’s going on, if he will be able to escape, if he will be able to bring justice.

In Pitch Dark, he knows something is not quite right about the almost-recluse living with his 12-year-old daughter, building a dream cabin in the middle of the woods, but by the time Mike’s instinct becomes a certainty bad things have already happened. People he cares for have been killed, hurt or are in serious danger. A fugitive has escaped and is on the run. It’s not possible to tell who is friend from who is foe.

Mike follows the fugitive into Canada. Not a good idea for this Maine game warden, because he has no jurisdiction there. But this is Mike, and as he begins to figure out more and more about the secrets and devastating events from the past, the more determined he is to see this through to the end.

Once again author Doiron gives us twists, turns and huge surprises, nail-biting fear for Mike’s safety and his future, and breathtaking descriptions of those unforgiving woods, bringing his own experience as a warden and outdoorsman to the series; we are treated to more detailed descriptions of Mike’s abilities to fend for himself and just how dangerous the woods can be. Alongside this non-stop chase is the continuing story of Mike and Stacey. They are married now, finally. Is it time to start a family? With Mike’s childhood and his mother’s and father’s twisted relationship and his place in it, should he even want children? Does he want them? Does Stacey? Throughout the series Mike has grown from an uncertain young man trying to prove himself and understand his father’s actions and the impact on his life, into a mature man who has come to terms with a lot about his past and himself, but who still works hard each and every day to be a better man. And Stacey’s place in his journey is invaluable and rewarding to the reader.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press Minotaur Books for providing an advance copy of Pitch Dark via NetGalley. I came to the series with book 14 and immediately knew I had to go back to the beginning and meet Mike Bowditch and learn his whole story. Any book can be read standalone but it is amazing to watch the trajectory of Mike’s life and career and meet those important to him. Either way – read Pitch Dark now. It’s excellent and I recommend it without hesitation. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.