Pitch Dark, by Paul Doiron takes readers deep into the North Maine Woods with Game Warden Mike Bowditch as he hunts a dangerous fugitive. When bush pilot Josie Jonson enlists Bowditch’s help to protect a secretive builder and his daughter, their mission quickly spirals into a fight for survival. As Bowditch tracks the cunning killer through treacherous terrain, he finds himself questioning whether he is the hunter or the hunted.

With an intense plot and a vividly described setting, the story unfolds with a steady pace that keeps the suspense simmering. Personally I struggled with the MA language used in the book, and even more so with the representation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. While the character in the book didn’t do anything major to go against the values of the church, his MA language definitely was off putting especially when connected with a religion that values clean speech…

Thank you to #netgalley and @macmillan.audio for the advanced audiobook!

I had a hard time getting into this book. It started out rather slow and I wasn't sure where it was going. I can't say I'd recommend this one.

The narrator did an excellent job. It was smooth listening.

Mike Bowditch, a Maine game warden, becomes concerned when he learns a builder living in an isolated part of the country is homeschooling his 12 year old daughter., whom he never takes into town. He flies to the site, with his father-in-law Charley and friend, pilot Josie Jonson, to visit Josie's building site, where the two are based. The log cabin under construction is beautiful and Mike is impressed with the man's building and bush skills and with his daughter's obvious intelligence.

Mike is also searching for a missing man, who turns out to be a youtuber in search of a story. The man considers himself a bounty hunter and is on the trail of the mysterious builder and his daughter. He claims the man killed his wife and is hiding out under an assumed name. Bowditch wants to get to the bottom of it all and ends up finding the truth more complicated, and dangerous, than it appears.

When Mike, Charley, and Josie are taken captive, Mike manages to escape and ends up entangled with both American and Canadian authorities to set the matter straight. Can he save the girl? Does she need to be saved? This story takes some surprising twists and turns on the way to it's dramatic ending. Fans of Doiron and C. J. Box won't want to miss it!

Henry Leyva, narrator of other books in the Bowditch series, once again brings Mike to life.

Note: I listened to an audio book advance copy, courtesy of NetGalley.

Love love my favorite ranger, I'm sorry I mean Warden Mike! The problem with finding great book character when you stumble upon a series is now you have to consider starting in book 1 to get the whole back story 😪.I'm not complaining just saying!

I just stumbled on this character in the book "Dead man's wake" and I've been got ever since!

Our favorite Warden knows something is off when trying to find a missing person, he comes across a father and daughter living in the middle of nowhere whose story fails to hold water. Can you realize that the evil he seeks is right in front of his face and as he races to put all the pieces together, let's hope time can be forgiving and past offenses forgotten!

Meanwhile he obsesses over the fact that the wife may have bun in the oven 😅.

The twists here were awesome, loved every minute of it!

Thank you Macmillian Audio for this Advance Audio copy! Beyond grateful 🙏🏾
PITCH DARK COMES OUT JUNE 25TH!!!!!!

Thank you @macmillan.audio @pauldoironbooks #partner #macaudio2024 for the free ALC!

Get your hiking boots on, grab your big girl/boy pants and don’t forget your knife because the second you start this one it will be a race from start to finish and you’ll need all the outdoorsman skills you can get. For fans of the Alice Henderson “Alex Carter” series, this book felt reminiscent of those books to me a bit. It hits all the marks of an adventure deep in the woods trying to solve a crime all while surviving in not so easy conditions! It’s fast paced, filled with a lot of suspense with very bold characters and lots of heart pounding moments. Although we know who the culprit is the entire time I had no idea the extent of the crazy that would unfold! Paul does an incredible job creating the atmosphere in this one as I could easily imagine the setting which I felt added to the enjoyment. The audio also added so much to the story and in my opinion created a high stakes experience for me! If you are a fan of crime thriller and love the outdoors this book is for you! Also, even though it’s the 5th book in the Mike Bowditch series it read completely fine as a standalone!

When suspicious activity starts to arise in the secluded forest of Maine Mike Bowditch, a game warden, sets his sights on Mark Redmond. Mark is a mysterious recluse who lives in the forest with his daughter Cady. But when a strange man shows up offering large sums of money for any information leading to the whereabouts of Redmond, Mike decides it is time to pay the Redmond’s a visit.
The visit soon turns disastrous as Mike soon learns there is more to the father-daughter pair than first meets the eye. After being drugged and tied to a tree his pursuit of the enigmatic pair leads him through numerous trials and tribulations.
Overall rating 3/5
This book started off promising with mystery and intrigue. However, it started to verge into the territory of implausibility when most of the book was about a game warden traipsing across the wilderness in pursuit of a man he knew nothing about. I wanted more buildup to the cat and mouse chase giving the reader more character depth. I also find it hard to believe that he would not call in backup at first chance, but instead decided to go into action movie vendetta mode.
I do feel that the high intensity moments were well written and keep me wanting to finish.

*Thank you to Paul Doiron, Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

PITCH DARK by Paul Doiron and narrated by Henry Leyva is the 15th Mike Bowditch mystery, and this one was a thrill ride!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I am clearly a fan of this series. Naturally I found another 2 books after I took this picture, but I still have plenty to read in the backlist. The Maine Game Warden Investigator gets a curious call and wants to check it out. When it leads to a recluse with his 12-year-old daughter, Mike's intuition pushes him to find out more. This leads to a confrontation that results in a murder and a chase through the Maine wilderness with a cunning adversary.

I was engaged quite quickly with this story, feeling like I knew Mike a bit more. The side personal details, while easily read as a stand alone, added to the character growth as a series does. When the action really began in this book, it felt like it didn't let up until the end. I couldn't look away! I can't say more, but this one was a true thriller!

I love being able to pair the digital ARC with the audiobook, especially with all the fast action! Leyva encompasses Mike's being so well with his voice, I can't imagine it differently.

A huge thanks to @minotaur_books @macmillan.audio & @netgalley for this book and letting me rave about it! I don't normally stick with series' for long, so I am excited to have one I look forward to. This publishes June 25th, so keep a lookout for this one.

When it comes to writing suspenseful, intelligent, and completely addicting thrillers, Paul Doiron is an expert. In Pitch Dark, 15th in the Mike Bowditch Mysteries, Mike chases a murderer through the wilderness between Maine and Quebec, putting his job and even his life on the line. From beginning to end, the action and tension never quit and I loved every unputdownable minute of it. I read the novel while listening to the audiobook narrated by Henry Leyva who does an amazing job of bringing the many characters, including Quebecois, to life.

I received the novel from Netgalley and St Martin’s Press and the audiobook from Macmillan Audio

The book was good, but there were times when I would get angry at the main character. I would say that the book is worth reading, but there are times when I disliked it. It was engaging for most of the book.

This was my first novel by this author, and I found out its #15 in the Mike Bowditch series. I did not feel like I had to read the others to grasp this propelling novel.

Mike is a game warden and is chasing a fugitive in the woods in Maine.
In the word Mark Redmond and his daughter Cady live off the grid. His only trusted connection is which a bush pilot, Josie.
This novel is absolutely filled with scenes that have you reading what is will happen next. I really enjoyed the main character Mike.



Thank you Macmillian Audio and your program for this gifted audio.

First read from this author. Quick action packed thriller that kept me guessing until the end. I was excited about the Maine Ranger and looking forward to hearing more about the forest and service. The author spent a large amount of time on guns and ammunition. While it wasn’t a complete turn off it was definitely geared toward a specific graphic of reader. I am found myself able to enjoy the story overall despite this specific detail. I was unable to guess the twist and enjoyed the mystery.

I was approved for the audiobook about halfway through reading so I listened to the last half. The narrator was pleasant and I enjoyed the audio immensely.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

This was a really good and intriguing audio version. The narrator was easily to listen to and I really enjoyed it. There’s a murder witnessing and then the two characters are taken captive. It was fast paced, suspenseful, and over great.

Pitch Dark is a twisty thriller with a dark undertone and plot thread that’s a tough subject. You don’t see what’s coming until the end which is both great but jarring as a tough subject comes to the forefront. How far would one go to protect a deeply disturbed love one and how far should one go in the pursuit to apprehend a fugitive from justice. When it becomes a do it at all costs mission with a plot twist that unforeseen it leaves our MC rattled to his core unsure of what his future holds. This is a series but reads just fine as a standalone since it follows one mission in our MC’s career. I find the plot well woven and taught but towards the end the pursuit although harrowing looses some believability as the MC chooses to cross borders into another country without permission or jurisdiction to do so giving the end mire of a vigilante justice vibe which did change my overall view of the book as a whole. Despite this I greatly enjoyed the book and I would recommend it. However, be mindful of triggers if this touches on hard subject matter for l.

This book started off promising and immediately engaged me, reminding me of Allen Eskens’ writing. I was so intrigued that I googled the author, as I hadn't read anything by him before, and discovered he has numerous books in a similar vein. Though this is the third in a series, it stands well on its own. However, when the main action—a fugitive situation at Maine/Canada border- began, my interest waned. The protagonist’s constant explanations of police jargon and self-praise became tiresome, making me roll my eyes frequently. If this hadn't been an ARC, I likely would have DNF'd it, but I persevered to provide a complete review. While the plot includes a minor twist and is generally solid, the book would have been much better if it had been shorter and without the protagonist's excessive ramblings.

This is the first book I've read in the series, but it honestly reads enough like a standalone that that was perfectly fine.

My biggest complaint is that they were faffing about for the first 20-25%. I had to double check the synopsis and make sure I was reading the right book, because it was so unrelated and unwilling to start the actual plot. But once the plot picked up it was fairly solid.

This is peak Dad Book. There's (eventually) a lot of chases and high octane situations. There are explosions and fires and gruff men making their way through the wilderness and using niche knowledge to get out of impossible situations. Sure, the main character is a little too perfect, a little too lucky, a little too generally overpowered. He makes a lot of assumptions, often based on the jobs of other men, and it's only because of the author that he always turns out to be right.

This isn't a bad book, despite very much not being my kind of read, and I could easily hand it over to my father-in-law or other middle aged men I know and feel like it will keep them sufficiently entertained once the action picks up.

Audiobook Notes:
Standard male narrator, did a decent job. Could've injected just a wee bit more emotion or personality, but was all around average.

I have not read any of the other books in the Mike Bowditch series. I'm so glad I was approved for this audio ARC. It was completely worth it!
It was certainly a nail-biter. The great plot twists, thrilling action, and a superb ending had me glued to the story.

Game Warden Mike Bowditch has just been summoned to chase down a dangerous fugitive in the North Maine Woods. In these woods is a man named Mark Redmond and his daughter, Cady. Mark has chosen to live off the grid in order to protect Cady from the outside world and his looming past. He is a skilled outdoorsman and has a handful of people he leans on, including bush pilot, Josie Jonson. When Mike comes in contact with Josie, she is faced with the decision of betraying Mark's trust. After landing, Mike senses something isn't right about Mark and Cady and soon finds himself witness to a horrific murder and taken captive. After freeing himself, Mike is determined to set off through the impenetrable Maine forest in pursuit of a fugitive. But, because this killer possesses skills which surpass his own, he isn't sure he can stop his adversary in time to save a young girl.

Excellent thriller. Though this is the only Mike Bowditch book I've read, Paul Doiron writes so that I am welcomed into the storyline as if I've been a guest all along. He weaves suspense and plot twists into this thrilling chase so masterfully, it was difficult to emerge into reality again, as the reader. I don't know what it is about the woodsy setting that makes a thriller that much more intense. It certainly is intense in this story and the woods almost function as a character. I can completely see this book becoming a movie. I'd really like to connect with more books in this series.

Henry Leyva does an impeccable job voicing the Mike Bowditch character. His ability to change characters on a dime is impressive. His fervor added intensity to the storyline. And he spoke French like a pro!

Thank you NetGalley, Paul Doiron, and Macmillan Audio for this excellent Audio ARC in exchange for my honest review

This is my first Mike Bowditch series read/listen. It can be read as a standalone book. I thought Pitch Dark was well written fast paced suspense. Mike gets a call that a man has gone missing while looking for a father and daughter living off-grid. The whole book takes place within a day as Mike learns this isn’t a clear cut search and rescue.

This is a great book for readers who enjoy stories that take place in remote wilderness areas over a short period of time. The characters were authentic and unique. The narration was overall good.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audio ARC.

Pub Date Jun 25 2024

This was my first novel by Paul Doiron, and although it was #15 in the Mike Bowditch series, I was able to jump right in with plenty of context to know what was going on. This series reminded me quite a bit of CJ Box’s series with Joe Pickett - another detective style series following their personal and professional ventures.

I really enjoyed his personal story for Mike and his wife, wondering if she may be pregnant before heading out to go solve a case, and getting sucked into strange predicaments. The character development was fantastic and the inner-dialogue for Mike was great as he encountered many wild scenarios.

Thank you NetGalley for an early audiobook to review.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC audiobook for Pitch Dark by Paul Doiron.

I know that this Mike Bowditch series is popular at our library. So, I figured why not give the newest book a try. Jumping in on book #15 in the series seemed reasonable.

I have to say that I really enjoyed this book. I feel like it gave enough background without feeling like we weren't moving forward. I like this Mike Bowditch character. He knew his stuff but also admitted that he didn't know everything, which I like in a character. He did make questionable decisions and went against better judgement...but he would always hear his father-in-law in his head telling him what he should have done. Not in a bad way, just a cautionary way.

I don't want to spoil anything. It was a good, fast-paced thriller. Glad I took a chance on this book.

Game Warden Mike Bowditch must chase down a cunning and dangerous fugitive in the North Maine Woods in this nail-biter of a thriller, Pitch Dark by Edgar Award-nominated Paul Doiron.

Legendary bush pilot Josie Jonson can’t believe her luck when a skilled builder just happens to show up after she purchases land near Prentiss Pond. All Mark Redmond asks in return for building Josie’s dream cabin is that he be left alone to homeschool his 12-year-old daughter, Cady.

For Maine game warden investigator Mike Bowditch, the intensity of Redmond's secretiveness is troubling, especially in light of suspicious criminal activity being reported around the area―including rumors of an armed man offering large sums of money in exchange for the location of Redmond and Cady. Josie, though hesitant to violate the trust of her prized builder, eventually agrees to fly Mike and his father-in-law Charley Stevens to the secluded pond in an attempt to protect Redmond and Cady.

What happens after they arrive sets in a series of events that pushes Bowditch into impenetrable Maine forest towards Canada, alone and unarmed in pursuit of a mysterious fugitive.

Paul Doiron delivers a fast-paced and engrossing narrative that has us immersed into the atmospheric backwoods of Northern Maine. As a Mainer, Doiron does a wonderful job setting us directly into the woods with vivid descriptions adding depth the story being told, this along with some truly heart-pounding action sequences. With any action-packed fiction story, some of the scenes and situations can be over-the-top, but that is what makes for a great thriller.

This is not the first time Doiron has had the pleasure of writing a story featuring Game Warden Mike Bowditch, but continues to write a compelling protagonist with his persistence of trying to respect the laws. He definitely can be harsh and irritating to others, but also has a great sense of humor.

Paul Doiron has created a thrilling, action-packed novel with Pitch Dark that could be one of his best outings featuring Mike Bowditch. He gives us vivid descriptions of Northern Maine, characters we care for, and action-packed chases that keep you immersed in the wilderness of Maine, quickly turning each page to see what happens next. Pitch Dark is surely an unforgettable story based in my home State of Maine.

While we are sure the print copy is wonderful as well, we listen to an advance listening copy of the audiobook format of Pitch Dark. The narrator, Henry Leyva, was wonderful and allowed us to escape our real lives for a moment as we dove into Paul Doiron's latest novel.