Pitch Dark is an excellent, fast-paced thriller that is the latest installment of the Mike Bowditch, Maine game warden series. Although it's part of a series, it's definitely a standalone. There are SO many twists and turns in the book, and it's a definite nail-biter. Mark Redmond has been commissioned to build a log cabin for a woman in a remote location out in the Maine woods. Mark and his young daughter move out in the woods, where they can keep to themselves. Of course, he has a dark past. There is so much suspense. I absolutely recommend it. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for the ARC.

I came late to the party for this wonderful series, discovering it just five books ago (this is the 15th). Each one has served up an action-packed adventure with engaging characters like the star of the show, Mike Bowditch, Maine game warden investigator. No less interesting are his wife Stacey, now an EMT, and her father, retired game warden Charlie Stevens - the latter a long-time mentor and father-figure to Mike.

This time around, though, it's almost all about Mike; Charlie does play a crucial role, but Stacey not so much. The story begins as Mike gets a call from a game warden in a remote district, asking for Mike's help with finding a missing person; that, in turn, leads him and Charlie, who insisted on tagging along, to the really, really remote home of mutual friend Josie, who's a helicopter pilot. Strangely connected to the case is an equally strange man named Mark Redmond, who has been tasked with building a gorgeous home for Josie and, also strangely, is accompanied by his 12-year-old daughter Cady. Both, however, seem to have disappeared from Josie's premises.

Needless to say, they're all now in an area that has little or no access to cell phones; but Josie believes a couple who run a sugar mill in an even more remote area may know something. So, off Mike and Charlie go in Josie's helicopter to find out. They got it right, actually, but also very wrong; let's just say Mike, Charlie and Josie quickly find themselves in no position to do more chasing - a situation that goes from bad to worse.

But Mike is nothing if not resourceful; the situation gets a reprieve of sorts, freeing him to continue tracking the man and his daughter, who clearly want to get away fast. From here on, it's a battle of wits and who can withstand the most physical punishment interspersed with a few twists (and I'm not referring to the tree-covered terrain). The ending brings a bit of a cliffhanger as well as other news that make me hope that the next installment won't be long in coming. Meantime, I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to once again enjoy the exploits of one of my favorite characters.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and #NetGalley for the digital ARC of #PitchDark. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Mike Bowditch is a game warden in Northern Maine. When a curious "tourist" fails to return after renting an ATV, Mike heads into the north woods to try and get some answers. Pretty quickly, things take a dangerous turn and Mike finds himself pursuing a skilled fugitive toward the Canadian border. A decent mystery/thriller with a healthy dose of the Maine wilderness.

I got this unsolicited from the publisher. Hadn't heard of this author or this series, but the blurb sounded good to me. Happy to report that I wasn't disappointed and I'll definitely be reading other books in the series.

Game Warden Mike Bowditch finds himself chasing a cunning killer through the deep woods on Maine near the Canadian border. A possible lost tourist starts the investigation. Since the missing man Hammond Pratt had been asking about a reclusive cabin builder.

Since the cabin being built belongs to a friend of Mike's father-in-law and is a feisty type, Mike asks his father-in-law Charley to go along as they check out the builder and find out why the missing guy wants to find him.

Josie Jonson takes them in her helicopter to the site of her new cabin. There they meet Mark Redmond and his daughter Cady. Soon after arrival, they find themselves drugged and tied up to trees. Mark and Cady damage their transportation and take off soon after Mike comes to. The Mike watches Josie die as a result of the drugs. Charley also comes to and is able to get himself untied and managed to untie Mike.

Mike is determined to take off after Mark and Cady and bring Mark in for the murder of Josie. And so a wild chase through the wilderness begins...

Mike is both injured and short on equipment, but he is also determined to track down Redmond in part because he fears for his daughter. This missing man who started this investigation turns up and joins himself to Mike's search. It turns out he's a bounty hunter who has been after Redmond for a while.

The story was fast-paced and filled with action. I enjoyed the Maine wilderness as a setting. I like Mike's determined character and his willingness to throw his career over if that what he has to do to get his man.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
3.25 out of 5 stars.

Pitch Dark follows Warden Mike Bowditch as he investigates a possible missing person, a possible kidnapping, and possible child abuse in the North Woods of Maine. Mike Bowditch is home when he gets a call from another game warden advising of a suspicious character who was asking about a man living in the woods with his daughter, Mike’s spidey senses start a-tingling, knowing that his wife’s friend, Josie, has a mysterious builder who is also a recluse building her a cabin…and he has his daughter with him.

See my full video review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Eb2xQdD7cQ

Part of series. Interesting. I may look into reading it. Good characters and story. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Once again Doiron takes on a journey through the wilderness of Maine when Game Warden, Mike Bowditch, takes on his newest case. When called to look into a missing person case, things rapidly change as Bowditch and his father in law, Charley, head to check things out. Looking to talk to the last person to see Hammond Pratt, they head to a familiar friend’s house (Josie), one that will transport them to speak with Mark Redmond. Redmond, formerly from Alaska, is building a state of the art cabin for Josie near the Canadian border. Redmond lives in the woods with his young daughter, one that he leaves unattended while he works. When they arrive at Redmond’s home, Mike is immediately suspicious, why is Redmond living off the grid, is there a chance he kidnapped his daughter? From that point on, Doiron takes us on a merry chase through the woods into Canada, a place Bowditch has no jurisdiction, but a place he’s willing to go and take whatever consequences come his way, he is after a killer, but is he out of time? Fast paced with edge of your seat action, Doiron never disappoints. Can’t wait for what comes next! As a dual read/listen, Henry Leyva voices Bowditch spot on and takes us on a perfect wilderness adventure. Thank you to Minotaur Books, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ARC and ALC of this book.

I’m a huge atmospheric fan—if a book is set somewhere awesome, like the Northern Maine Woods, I’m usually intrigued, which is what brought me to Pitch Dark. This book was great! I didn’t realize this was a series when I requested it, but it read well as a stand alone and I’m excited to check out others in the series. Overall, it was engaging, fast-paced, had action, and was everything you want in a woodsy thriller!

Mike Bowditch is an Inspector with the Maine Wildlife Department. A new Warden calls him to let him know an armed man has disappeared from his hotel. Mike goes to look into the disappearance and thus starts an action packed story of murders, a runaway man and his 12 year old daughter, attempted murders and people who are not at all whom they appear to be. The plot is complex but surprisingly not convoluted and the ending unexpected. Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins press for the E-ARC.

I was super excited to read this book since I live in Maine and have been on the Golden Road a bunch of times.

It was a good book. Nothing crazy. I do believe it could’ve been a little shorter.

I did enjoy reading it but at some times it dragged on a little much for me.

It is a series and this is number 15 in the series I believe.

You follow game wards Mike Bowditch as he goes to investigate a man living in the northern woods of Maine. It becomes a chase that brings them to the Canadian boarder.

It was well written and a bunch of things happened, I just don’t think this book was for me.

🏞Relentless hunt through the North Woods: non-stop action🌿

I found this a compelling, action-filled suspense novel. It's got some twists spread throughout the story, but the main plot is a pretty straightforward chase by Maine Game Warden Mike Bowditch through water-logged, rugged terrain near the Canadian border to nab a fugitive killer. I liked how a missing person case turned into something so deadly and dangerous, with risks popping up on all sides and Mike needing to apply all his acuity and survival skills to outfox a very resourceful and desperate man. The action scenes at the border were definitely the most shocking and gripping for me.

It was fast-paced and exciting but I did not think it focused much on Mike's investigative skills which got me interested in this character in a previous novel in the series.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Being the next book in this series it didn't disappoint. Action packed, suspenseful and page turning this story is every bit as good as the others.

"Pitch Dark" by Paul Doiron adds another thrilling chapter to the Mike Bowditch series, with the game warden plunged into a rapid manhunt through Maine's rugged wilderness. This installment combines intense action with ethical dilemmas, driven by Doiron's sharp understanding of the setting and his knack for concise, impactful character development. Though some plot points may be predictable, the novel's swift pace and engaging narrative ensure it remains a compelling read for both series fans and new readers alike.

Thank you to, Saint Martin’s press, Minotaur books and NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review all opinions are my own.

I was late in discovering Paul Doiron’s Mike Bowditch series and have yet to find time to read the first books in the series. But I’ve enjoyed the ones I’ve read to date. And this book is another worthy addition to the series.
The book starts with Mike getting a call from a young warden, worried a man might be missing. But more concerning is that he was snooping around, asking about a local builder and his young daughter that live off the grid. The book quickly evolves into a hunt for a dangerous fugitive. This is a fast paced book with great tension throughout. There’s almost no down time. And several times, Bowditch is between a rock and a hard place when it comes to what choice to make. Scenes were easy to envision. Doiron was a Maine guide prior to becoming an author and it shows in his knowledge of the outdoors. I liked that it also raised some ethical issues about the responsibility of a parent.
I love Doiron’s descriptive writing. “My father-in-law had a long, weathered face that was mostly chin…”. I also have to give him kudos for being able to flesh out a character with just a phrase or two. “Ten years on the job and I was still too easy to bait: a bull looking for red capes and rodeo clowns.”
Characters, even the secondary ones, came across as realistic, never just cliches. I got a special kick out of Pratt, the bounty Hunter.
The book would work as a stand-alone. But trust me, you’ll want to read more of the series.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for an advance copy of this book.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for the copy of Pitch Dark, the newest entry in the Mike Bowditch series. It took me a little while to get interested in the story, but once it got going it was action-packed, even if the story itself wasn’t very compelling. I noticed in the last book how Mike was an implausible ‘hero’ because he knew everything and could do everything, even things he admits he wasn’t taught. I think now he and Stacey are married and possibly expecting a baby she will be even more of a minor character, which is fine if you love the Reacher kind of main character but not fine if you think women, even wives, can be equal partners or even sometimes have the expertise to take the lead. That being said, this could be a popular movie or even a series based on the success of Reacher.

Pitch Dark is the first book I have read by Paul Doiron and, honestly, will probably be the last. Don't get me wrong. The book is excellent. It's full of twists and turns and the unexpected. The description of the beautiful main countryside as well as Canada had me longing to travel north. Characters were so well written that I could actually see them. My only concern was the violence. There was never a moment where I could just relax and read without waiting for something to happen. I felt like I was holding my breath through most of the book. And it was a book that was difficult to put down because there was no stopping point. I had to keep reading to see what was going to happen next. Sometimes I enjoy books like this but this one was way too intense for my personal taste. But if that type of writing is what you love, then I could definitely recommend Pitch Dark. I voluntarily received a copy of this book from netgalley.

Pitch Dark is a suspenseful thrill ride through the Northwoods of Maine and Canada! Game Warden Mike Bowditch embarks on a search for a missing man who has disappeared while hunting for a reclusive builder and his young daughter, who is rarely seen and does not attend school. Mike discovers his friend and bush pilot Josie, has contracted the builder to construct a home for her, and she introduces Mike and his father-in-law to the builder and his 12-year-old daughter. But all is not as it seems, and the investigation into the builder and the still missing man takes a dangerous and deadly turn. Paul Doiron has written a fast paced, exciting chase through the Northwoods of Maine, full of surprising plot twists, hidden identities, long buried secrets, and murder. It is an edge of your seat thriller, that is complex, sometimes dark, with fascinating characters that gripped me from beginning to end. It is the first book I have read in this series, but it will not be the last! I thoroughly enjoyed the book!

This is my first Mike Bowditch Mystery. I was truly surprised by how much I liked this book and the fact that I never have read any of Paul Doiron’s books in the series. In this installment, Mike, now a seasoned 10-year veteran Game Warden in Maine, learns about a man who has disappeared in the area while offering huge sums of money to locate another individual. Being a game warden and a detective he is suspicious about all this and out he goes to investigate. Full or many moral issues, twists and turns- what seems obvious is not so. On my kindle it said 6 hrs. to read, I think it did take me that long to read but it seemed to fly. This series is a keeper, but my only criticism there a few too many coincidences need to bring the caper to a conclusion.
Thanks to net galley and St. Martin’s for providing this.

Pitch Dark is a fast pace, full of action and twists and turns that had me racing to the final page.

Mike Bowditch is someone you would want on your side as he stops at nothing and I mean nothing to get justice.

He just breaks a few rules along the way . Thankfully.

We are once again in the Main Wilderness and Mike is determined to catch up with Mark Redmond and his daughter after a friend is murdered.

Father and daughter are not who they appear to be and Mike is out to protect the young girl.

An exciting and dangerous chase through the woods and stormy weather has you sitting on the edge of your seat.

Pitch Dark might be Book 15 but its my favourite to date: until Book 16.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins Press, Minotaur Books for another exciting installment in the series.

I generally like Mike Bowditch books but this one didn't grab me. Without spoiling anything, I really don't think that a rational Mike Bowditch would pursue the bad guy all alone as he does. I believe that law enforcement agencies in Canada and the US would capture the fugitive despite the buddies who are shielding him. I also don't believe that the bad guy would do what he does.

If you can put these caveats aside, it's a very exciting story with a twist at the end.