2023 Book Review #43: The Poacher's Son

 

I discovered this author a few years ago when I read his third novel in this series (Mike Bowditch, Game Warden of Maine series) titled Bad Little Falls.   At the time, I didn't realize the book was part of a series. They can be read as "stand alones" but when I was at the library and saw this character is actually part of a mystery series, I decided to read book 1 and if it was as good as book 3, then I'll get book 2 and continue.  I don't tend to read books in a series one after another so I probably won't get to book 2 for a while. I really enjoyed this book and the plot was really fast-paced.

STORY SUMMARY

Mike Bowditch is a game warden in the North Woods of Maine. He comes home from work one evening to find that there's a message on his voice mail from his father Jack Bowditch.  He sounds alarmed on the answering machine.  Jack is known throughout the north woods region as a womanizer, a hard drinker, and a poacher.  He actually makes his living poaching illegal game such as otter, mink, bear, moose.  Mike wonders what his father wants since they've been estranged for quite a few years now. 

The next morning, Mike gets another phone call but this time it's the police.  They are searching for the man who killed a beloved local police office the night before......and sure enough, Mike's dad Jack is their prime suspect. Jack escaped from police custody and is on the run.

But Mike actually believes his father might not be guilty. He didn't really have a motive!! And not only is the police officer dead, but a businessman from the Windago Lumber Company is also dead......murdered the night before as well.  Windago is buying out the land up in that region of Maine and many of the locals who own small shops and camps are not happy about it.  They fear that they will be forced to leave or sell their property to the lumbar company and then buy it back if they want to keep it. 

Jack's long time girlfriend Sarah has just left him and now besides that emotionally charged issue, his father is on the run from a crime he probably didn't commit. Mike is shunned by his colleagues for believing that his dad is innocent. Meanwhile, Mike also needs to come to terms with his haunted past.  He knows firsthand all about his father Jack's brutality. But he doesn't think his dad is capable of murder....especially that of a police officer! 

Mike feels desperate and alone in this. He strikes up a friendship with a retired game warden pilot who owns and operates a seaplane and has a camp with his disabled wife in the Rum Pond region where the murders were committed...and where his dad also has a cabin. 

Together, the two men (Mike and pilot Charley) begin to journey into the deep woods of Maine in search of a runaway fugitive. They meet a beautiful young woman who claims to be Jack's mistress. But..she is also guarding a deep secret and is also dangerous.

Will Mike find his father?  and more importantly, will they solve the murders of the two men?

MY THOUGHTS

I love books set in New England and this one describes the setting of north woods Maine as well as coastal Maine, so well. I could practically smell the balsam and ocean! 

The character development of Mike, Sarah, Charley, Ora, and Brenda Jean was well done.  The other characters were all well thought out too. I loved the relationship struggle between Mike and Sarah and I have hopes that they will be ok in the next book.  The one thing I didn't like was the explicit s*x scene in the beginning of the story. So unnecessary for the details.  Just ends up being crass.  But the overall story was excellent so I glossed over that part. 

The book is fast-paced and not predictable at all.  I  was thinking the murderer was some one else and instead the author totally surprised me.  It's going to make for some great emotional conflict, though, in future books with these characters. 

The main themes in this story seem to be betrayal, loyalty, friendship, emotional and physical neglect (backstory);  alcoholism, divorce,  poaching/hunting; bravery, gun violence, redemption. 

There was a very good quote that stood out to me and it was the very last sentence in the book: 

"People disappoint you so often, I hardly knew how to react when they surpassed all your hopes." (pg 324, The Poacher's Son by Paul Doiron c. 2010). 

There were a few editing errors scattered throughout the book.

I'm really looking forward to book 2 in this series. 

If you like fast-paced mysteries with good character development, you will like this series. 

In my opinion, this book is appropriate for ages 17 and older (due to mature content and language). 

On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, I rate this a 9.