Maine Game Warden Mike Bowditch has had more than his share of scrapes since 2010, when author Paul Doiron introduced him in The Poacher’s Son, the first book in the Bowditch mystery series.
Young, inexperienced and cocky, Bowditch routinely found himself at odds with assorted bad apples in the novels that followed, not to mention his periodic run-ins with his superiors for breaking the rules, exceeding his authority and generally behaving like an all-knowing pain in the ass.
Over the course of 14 novels, Bowditch matured, learned the ropes, developed at least a modicum of restraint and even got himself married to the daughter of his mentor, retired Warden Service pilot Charley Stevens. But he’s still a bit cocky. His father-in-law likes to warn him to practice humility, “just for the novelty” of it.
In Pitch Dark, the 15th book in the series, Bowditch gets dragged into a case involving an Idaho man who is offering locals $100 for information on the whereabouts of a reclusive builder and his young daughter. Hammond Pratt, the man looking for the duo, disappears after renting an ATV. Has he gone underground? Is he stranded somewhere in the rain-soaked woods? Injured, perhaps, or even dead?
The man who is being pursued, Mark Redmond, is building a backwoods cabin for a friend of Bowditch’s father-in-law. Redmond lives in seclusion with his daughter Cady, whom he always prevents from going into town with him. The new cabin’s owner, a bush pilot, agrees to fly Bowditch and Charley Stevens to the construction site to interview Redmond.
At this point it’s still unclear who the culprit is here. Is it the guy doing the pursuing or the man being pursued? Or someone else entirely? That becomes a bit clearer in short order when a murder occurs. But not too clear. Doiron is too skilled a writer to reveal too much too soon.
Stevens stays put at the construction site, but Bowditch quickly finds himself entangled in a desperate bid to apprehend a killer and save a young girl.
The search takes him on a nighttime trek through the heavy woods of Somerset County, Maine, along the Québec border, where the body count grows. The armed warden must contemplate crossing into Canada without authorization in what probably would be a career-busting move that could also lead to his prosecution in Canada for illegal entry while armed.
Doiron has previously proven himself to be a master of pacing and suspense, and Pitch Dark proves that he certainly hasn’t lost his touch. I found myself racing through the novel, desperate to learn what would happen next as the twists and turns kept on coming.
Each of Doiron's novels is set in a different part of Maine, which makes them all the more enjoyable for Mainers but satisfying as well for people “from away,” as Mainers call folks who are, well, from away. A Maine native, Doiron is a Registered Maine Guide and a former editor of Down East magazine, so he knows the territory.
And Doiron has had access to high-powered professional advice as well. In his acknowledgments, he thanks the head of the state agency that includes the Warden Service for her help, as well as the colonel who oversees the Warden Service and a wildlife biologist, among other experts.
The novels can be read out of order, but an extensive backstory has developed over the years involving Bowditch’s upbringing, his relationship with Charley Stevens, his progress as a warden, and his romantic entanglements before he finally settles down with Stacey Stevens. For that reason, it’s best to read the books chronologically, starting with The Poacher’s Son. You may get through all 15 novels with surprising speed.
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