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.
Pitch Dark hits bookstores everywhere on June 25, 2024 from Minotaur Books. The audiobook is available via Libro.fm and supports local bookstores.
