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The Poacher's Son (Mike Bowditch #1)

by Paul Doiron (Goodreads Author)

3.6 of 5 stars 3.60 · rating details · 986 ratings · 254 reviews

Game warden Mike Bowditch returns home one evening to find a cryptic message on his answering machine from his father, Jack, who he hasn't heard from in two years. The next morning Mike gets a call from the police: a beloved local cop has been killed and his father is their prime suspect.

Coming to terms with his haunted past and desperate for answers, Mike and a retired wa

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Hardcover, 324 pages

Published May 11th 2010 by Minotaur Books (first published January 1st 2010)

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Feb 09, 2012 K.D. Oliveros rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: guy-lit, mystery, thriller, populist

At this time and age, to be a father is not a joke.

I have been a father since 17 years ago. My only child, a daughter, made me one. True, fathers used to be the sole breadwinner in their family. Somehow, a working spouse means that the father must relegate or share some of his decision-making powers. That, for me, changed the patriarchal setup that our own fathers used to have. But for most families around the world, a wife’s share to the family coffers is now a necessity. Times, indeed, have ch...more At this time and age, to be a father is not a joke.

I have been a father since 17 years ago. My only child, a daughter, made me one. True, fathers used to be the sole breadwinner in their family. Somehow, a working spouse means that the father must relegate or share some of his decision-making powers. That, for me, changed the patriarchal setup that our own fathers used to have. But for most families around the world, a wife’s share to the family coffers is now a necessity. Times, indeed, have changed.

I thought I had to mention this because Jack’s father in this debut novel of Paul Doiron has all the vices that a man could have: booze, cigarettes, drugs, women and poaching on illegal games. In my opinion, the father’s character is too one-dimensional. He is all too evil while his son is the angel. I remember George Orwell using a drunkard as an example of a person who drinks because his life is a mess but the more he drinks the more he gets into a mess. I know for a fact that there are fathers who have psychological defects and they could be really evil but those come far and between. I still believe that no father thinks of doing harm to his wife and children or anybody for that matter. All fathers celebrated with joy and probably tears when they first held their new firstborns. They dreamed of good things for their kids. They only meant to be good providers. Good husbands. Good dads.

But somewhere along the way, their ships did not sail through. They probably lacked good education. They were in the wrong places. Their lucky charms did not work. Their prospects did not materialize. So, they became depressed. They became hopeless. They turned into vices. They hit their wives. They became evil dads.

The Poacher’s Son is a whodunit thriller but I read so many like this so I concentrated on the relationship between the father and his son, the narrator. The prologue was full of promise and I thought and hoped that Doiron would use it as a preview to what the novel was all about. To my dismay, though. The concentration camp with the mysterious fugitive was just a tale to introduce the character flaws of the father. I thought it would have been more exciting if the father was that fugitive. The character of the son was more multi-dimensional and could elicit sympathy from readers since he was the only one who believed that his father was innocent. However, there was no convincing reason why he behaved that way considering that his father was all evil.

Other than these, if you are into fast-faced, plot-driven whodunit thrillers, go for this book. Doiron also has this ability to describe his milieu quite well that you’ll feel his setting while you’re reading especially the scenes in the forest while the son and his friend are trying to find the evil father. The ending also surprised me and you’dnever be able to identify who the real killer was. This novel was Doiron’s first and it got nominated in the Edgar Award which was not surprising. I also saw that he has just released a follow-up novel Trespasser. Neither did it surprise me too.
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May 06, 2011 Robert Brase rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

I would rate this above the three star rating and somewhere just below the fourth. So lets call it three and a half stars. The story is really well written and very descriptive. I enjoyed the outdoors of Maine as if I was out in those very woods myself. The pace was not bad. It was a bit slow, but as it reached the conclusion it seemed as if the author had a lot to pack in there. As I understand it this is going to be a series and I believe that it will be very succesful. This is an author that...more

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Jan 12, 2013 Raven rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Another crime thriller that paves the way for the arrival of a potentially great series featuring the character of Mike Bowditch, a young Maine game warden, thrust into an investigation where the chief suspect is his estranged father. With, at times, lyrical prose and a sense of location that eloquently portrays the natural beauty of backwoods Maine, this novel held my attention throughout and here’s why…

What this book most movingly conveys is a young man’s struggle, at the beginning of what co...more Another crime thriller that paves the way for the arrival of a potentially great series featuring the character of Mike Bowditch, a young Maine game warden, thrust into an investigation where the chief suspect is his estranged father. With, at times, lyrical prose and a sense of location that eloquently portrays the natural beauty of backwoods Maine, this novel held my attention throughout and here’s why…

What this book most movingly conveys is a young man’s struggle, at the beginning of what could be a promising career, to balance the demands of his profession with the demands of family loyalty. Despite his dysfunctional upbringing at the hands of his entirely irresponsible father, the nagging sense of duty Mike experiences to defend his father’s name when implicated in a senseless murder, leads him into an emotional case that could be the undoing of his own career. Mike experiences a maelstrom of emotions that cause him to act very much out of character, but highlight his single minded determination to not only solve the case but attempt to lay to reast the ghosts of his past life. As Mike disobeys the edicts of his superiors to track down his father on the run through the wild terrain, he takes an uncomfortable journey back to the source of his uneasy relationship with his father to determine his father’s guilt or innocence, with other formerly peripheral figures from his formative years, having their own part to play in his search for the truth. The characterisation is perfectly weighted throughout the book, not only in the central charaters of Mike and his father, but by those who seek to help or hinder this troubled young man in his emotionally difficult case. There are two particularly well-realised female characters in the novel. Mike’s colleague Kathy Frost, understands Mike’s torn loyalties and in her own straight talking manner endeavours to keep him on the right track, recognising the promise in him, and she is set against BJ, a figure from Mike’s past who re-enters his life, skilfully manipulating him and his father, in her role as a kind of backwoods femme fatale. Through the machinations of a great cast of characters, Doiron, weaves a great plot, which not only plays out as a solid murder mystery, but also encapsulates the struggle of life in a community now controlled at the behest of all powerful logging companies, who have tightened their hold, and dictate to a large extent the socio-economic life of this community and highlighting the tensions that arise within.

What struck me most about this book was the absolute attention paid to location and sense of place. I have read a number of contemporary American fiction writers, who in the naturalistic tradition of American literature, wield their portrayal of landscape as almost another character in their books and Doiron achieves the same effect. His grasp of description and the use of natural images is superlative throughout the book, appealing to the reader’s senses and awakening our imagination to a locale, that many of us will never witness, but feel that we can picture with astonishing clarity. With the destruction of the landscape and communities, I highlighted earlier, Doiron challenges us to weigh up the demands of big business, against the huge loss of a beautiful wilderness previously unspoilt. This he achieves by the emotional weight he pours into his lyrical depiction of this area and makes for another undercurrent of interest to the central storyline.

In closing I would say that this novel appealed to me on many levels with the sheer balance achieved between an engaging plot, solid characterisation and the strength of Doiron’s description of both the environment and the conflicts that arise within it. A very satisfying read and an author that I would most certainly recommend.
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Dec 26, 2012 Michael rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, mystery, nature, maine

This first of a new series featuring Maine game warden Mike Bowditch holds much promise for me. I was impressed with the plotting and his capturing of certain types of backwoods Maine characters. However, he doesn’t quite make his hero’s personality come alive.

A graduate from Colby College, Mike’s choice of becoming a game warden is a mystery to me, and I didn’t quite get a sense of his rewards in a thankless job. We do get that he is stubborn in pursuing justice, even to the extent of perpetua...more

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Oct 16, 2012 Lighthearted rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

Move over Anna Pigeon, there’s a new guy in town. Actually, he’s in Maine and he’s a Game Warden rather than a Park Ranger, but Mike Bowditch shares Anna’s loner tendencies and love of nature. One evening, while Mike is out responding to a call, his father leaves a strange message on his answering machine. As Mike hasn’t heard from his dear old dad for a few years, he’s puzzled and somewhat alarmed – whatever his estranged father called about is likely to be unwelcome news. The next morning he d...more Move over Anna Pigeon, there’s a new guy in town. Actually, he’s in Maine and he’s a Game Warden rather than a Park Ranger, but Mike Bowditch shares Anna’s loner tendencies and love of nature. One evening, while Mike is out responding to a call, his father leaves a strange message on his answering machine. As Mike hasn’t heard from his dear old dad for a few years, he’s puzzled and somewhat alarmed – whatever his estranged father called about is likely to be unwelcome news. The next morning he discovers that his dad, a jail cell regular, is the prime suspect in a double-homicide. Mike knows that his dad is a hard-drinker, a poacher, and a brawler – but he doesn’t believe that he’s a murderer. His belief in his father’s innocence raises plenty of hackles in the community – only one man, a retired Game Warden, agrees that Jack Bowditch doesn’t seem likely to murder someone over the sale of land to a developer – he’s used to moving from place to place and isn’t the sort to care about what happens to anyone else. Together Mike and Charley venture into the wilds of Maine to find Jack before someone else does.

I really enjoyed this book. Doiron deliberately sets a slow pace, interspersing Mike’s memories of his father with the search to find him today, giving readers a vivid picture of two flawed men and making us wonder about the bonds between us that refuse to let us go. Like the Anna Pigeon novels, this first book in the Mike Bowditch series creates a strong sense of place. The mystery is solid and I love the fact that I didn’t see the ending coming but it made perfect sense, looking back.

I have to admit that I didn’t quite understand some of Mike’s choices – it seems like a phonecall here and there might have lessened the potential fallout from his quest to prove his father’s innocence – but I was able to go with it. I had hoped that a certain part of the backstory would play more of a part in the overall scheme of things but c’est la vie.

Looking forward to Trespasser!(less)

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Oct 12, 2012 Lisa Vallier rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Poacher's Son came to my attention via my membership in the Maine Writer's and Publisher's Alliance. Granted I don't live in Maine but I summer there and (long story short) I incorrectly thought I had to sign up for the group in order to attend one of their events. It’s been a boon, however, because otherwise I won't have had a chance to read this unique and thrilling novel.

The Poacher’s Son is Paul Doiron's first in a series of future novels about a Maine game warden whose father is a recl...more The Poacher's Son came to my attention via my membership in the Maine Writer's and Publisher's Alliance. Granted I don't live in Maine but I summer there and (long story short) I incorrectly thought I had to sign up for the group in order to attend one of their events. It’s been a boon, however, because otherwise I won't have had a chance to read this unique and thrilling novel.

The Poacher’s Son is Paul Doiron's first in a series of future novels about a Maine game warden whose father is a reclusive animal trapper living deep in the backwoods of Maine. If you’ve ever been to Maine, this novel will bring back all those hikes through the tall trees and ruddy paths. The descriptions draw the reader into the heart of the forest where crazy characters live, breathe, and (mostly) drink. The weather, the seasons, and the Maine state of mind are living characters in this novel. In the middle of the Northern woods of Maine, Mike Bowditch, the game warden, is living a fairly ordinary life until one night he gets a startling midnight phone call from his father whom he hadn’t seen or spoken to in years. The message is cryptic and, for Mike, it brings back memories of nights spent in bars with his violent, drunken Dad. It’s a time he thought he had gotten past but when Mike learns that a real estate developer and a local policeman have been murdered in the Northern town where his father lives, Mike is quick to come to his father’s rescue. As Mike struggles to keep his past behind him while struggling to free his father from suspicion, he is never quite certain of his father's innocence. There are twists and turns throughout this novel. At one point I believe I literally said out loud on the train "Oh my God he can't be dead!" I won't share who I'm talking about or whether the person was really dead but I was so wrapped up in the book I forgot where I was (which I LOVE).

The Poacher’s Son reads like a mix between a John Grisham and a James Patterson novel. The ending was a wonderful surprise and left me hoping Mr. Doiron is working diligently on his next Mike Bowditch story. (less)

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May 09, 2012 Carl Brush rated it 4 of 5 stars

We’ve been anticipating this for some time, having been apprised of the literary pregnancy by the Doiron family early on. We’re friends with Paul’s family via my wife’s relationship with them before she and I met, and we’ve maintained contact through such traditional channels as holiday cards, attendance at family events, and the like.
I did meet Paul years ago (I doubt he’ll recall) and recognized him as one of those tortured/blessed souls who would always and evermore write, write, write.
We kn...more We’ve been anticipating this for some time, having been apprised of the literary pregnancy by the Doiron family early on. We’re friends with Paul’s family via my wife’s relationship with them before she and I met, and we’ve maintained contact through such traditional channels as holiday cards, attendance at family events, and the like.
I did meet Paul years ago (I doubt he’ll recall) and recognized him as one of those tortured/blessed souls who would always and evermore write, write, write.
We knew he was laboring in the vineyards of Down East: The Magazine of Maine. Then suddenly, we got the news that he’d signed a three-book deal with Minotaur. Not long after, we see that not only has the first book emerged, but that Publisher’s Weekly has given it a starred review. The news may have been sudden, but the success certainly was not. A great story of persistence in the face of adversity. We’re pleased and happy for him and everyone around him.

As for The Poacher’s Son, it’s quite a trek through the diminishing wilderness of Maine. Mike Bowditch, rookie ranger, has chosen a career as a professional guardian of the environment, but things aren’t going all that well. He’s split with his girl. A big land developer is gobbling up some pristine territory. One of the developer’s lawyers and a cop are murdered, and Mike’s fugitive father is not only accused of the murder but pretty much judged and convicted in absentia by all and sundry.

Weirdly, Mike finds himself defending the innocence of a man he scarcely knew, could never please, and certainly never liked much. But hey, you can’t dis the dad, right? His crusade endangers not only a number of his relationships and his standing in the community, but his further employment as a professional guardian of the environment. With all this working against him, you’d think he’d take it easy, be careful whose toes he stepped on. But nope. And the complications that ensue are often as much of his own making as of the surrounding hostiles.

Doiron tells his story with economy and grace, and he guides us skillfully toward a deliciously twisty ending. I don’t get surprised much by these things, but I was surprised by this one. And the best thing about the twist is that it is that it isn’t an author-manipulation, but a discovery that emerges from the characters and events.

Many in the MFA crowd like to divide books into action-driven, character-driven, and voice driven works. (There are probably a few other drivers around I don’t know about.). To them, The Poacher’s Son would be labeled as action-driven. To me, The Poacher’s Son is proof that such labeling is artificial and silly. The action that “resolves” this book is dictated by the characters and their relationships. So you can’t tell the dancer from the dance, and that’s the way it should be. I’d comment more on the actual relationships, and there’s plenty to discuss, especially on the subject of father and son. But that might take some of the joy away for those of you who have yet to taste this treat. Thanks for a fun trek, Paul. Looking forward to the next up in the series.

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Mar 27, 2012 Judith rated it 4 of 5 stars

Paul Doiron's debut novel, The Poacher's Son, is a wonderful read. The novel takes place in the North Woods of Maine, an area that has remained relatively untouched. That is soon going to change with the impending corporate invasion that threatens to drive the locals from the land that they've called home for years. As tensions rise, our protagonist, Mike Bowditch, game warden, finds himself at the center of an all out manhunt for his deadbeat father. Mike's father is accused of murdering one of...more

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Jan 23, 2012 Nikki rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, maine, mysteries

Some months ago I won a copy of Paul Doiron's second novel, Trespasser in a drawing. I put it on the shelf, though, because I like to start a series at the beginning. Now I'm looking forward to reading it, since I received Doiron's first novel, The Poacher's Son for Christmas.

The thought immediately struck me as I began reading that the title paralleled that of Margaret Maron's first Judge Knott novel, The Bootlegger's Daughter, in which a North Carolina bootlegger's daughter becomes a judge. Mi...more Some months ago I won a copy of Paul Doiron's second novel, Trespasser in a drawing. I put it on the shelf, though, because I like to start a series at the beginning. Now I'm looking forward to reading it, since I received Doiron's first novel, The Poacher's Son for Christmas.

The thought immediately struck me as I began reading that the title paralleled that of Margaret Maron's first Judge Knott novel, The Bootlegger's Daughter, in which a North Carolina bootlegger's daughter becomes a judge. Mike Bowditch, "The Poacher's Son," has chosen to be a game warden but the parallels end there. Doiron's book is much darker and the only similarities between his book and Maron's are the strong feel for place, the excellent writing, and the Edgar nominations (she won, he didn't.)

Doiron introduces us to Maine Game Warden Mike Bowditch and a couple of higher-ups, along with a retired warden and pilot, Charley Stevens. We meet Bowditch at a time when he has no close relationships; his girlfriend of several years has left him, he hasn't spoken with his father in two years and rarely sees his mother and stepfather. He's hoping to persuade himself that this lonely life is what he really wanted all along. Then he becomes embroiled in a double homicide where the main suspect is his father. Doiron takes the reader through many twists and turns of plot before the emotional and surprising conclusion. Along the way, readers will see a different Maine than the lighthouse and lobster coastal stereotype -- and it will be presented warts and all. As Doiron edits Down East: The Magazine of Maine (where everything is lovely), I have to admire even more the honesty with which he portrays the Maine woods and its people.

The character of Mike Bowditch is still being formed -- he's only 24 in this first book, and it's easy to forget how very young a 24-year-old man can be. There was one episode where I at first thought, "This guy is too stupid to live," but as I considered it further, I realized it was just the sort of thing this character would do. I look forward to watching Bowditch's character and career develop over many more books to come. Highly recommended.(less)

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Aug 30, 2011 Jake rated it 2 of 5 stars

Here's the thing I don't get. Your father was such a scumsucker to you throughout your childhood that you chose a career IN DIRECT OPPOSITION TO WHAT HE DOES. You father was a known criminal, drunk and barfighter, a guy who, upon hearing that you wanted to go home from his shitty trailer in the woods because he forced you to be part of a poaching scheme, refused to give you a ride and let a 16-year-old boy hitchhike home through the deep, dark forest.

Your father has never been anything but terri...more

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Jul 21, 2011 Debbie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

Doiron’s debut crime novel is set on the coast and in the North Woods of Maine, the home of rookie game warden Mike Bowditch. As tensions rise across the state with the impending sale of huge tracts of paper-company forest land to an out-of-state developer, Mike receives a strange message from his father, left on the same night the paper company rep and a state trooper are shot and killed after a heated town meeting. Doirin, editor-in-chief of Down State magazine, is well acquainted with the cur...more

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Jul 08, 2011 Scott Rhee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Paul Doiron's debut novel "The Poacher's Son" is an excellent murder mystery/thriller set in the woods of Maine. Mike Bowditch, a game warden, likes the calm and peacefulness of the Maine wilderness. It helps him forget a lousy childhood, a lousy father, and a failed marriage with a woman in which he's still in love. Unfortunately, his peace is shattered one night when he receives a phone call from his father, with whom he has not spoken to in over ten years. Several hours later, the local news...more

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Apr 24, 2011 Kathleen Hagen added it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-audio-books, 2011-mysteries

The Poacher’s Son, by Paul Doiron, B, narrated by John Bedford Lloyd, produced by Macmillan Audio, downloaded from audible.com.

This is the first in a series involving Mike Bowditch, a game warden in the wilds of Maine. He does not like land developers who are buying up the woods and then cutting it down to make luxury condos and hotels. He has no patience with the tourists who do not follow the rules, like having a life jacket for everyone in the boat, and thereby endanger their own children. An...more

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Feb 21, 2011 Paul Pessolano rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Mike Bowditch is a newly appointed Maine Game Warden. His father, Jack, has been a hard drinking, womanizing outdoorsman. Jack has a failed marriage and has failed as a father.

The logging industy controls most of Upper Maine and the land has been sold from one logging company to another. People that were living on the land, with the company's approval, are now faced with the new company evicting them. After a town meeting the lawyer representing the company and a police officer are shot, and Mik...more

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Apr 07, 2010 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

I received this book as part of Barnes and Nobles First Look Book Club. This was the sixth First Look I have participated in and I highly recommend the experience to anyone who loves to read and discuss books. It is really hard for me to make actual face to face book clubs for a variety of reasons, but since I can do these online and discuss the book with lots of different readers through posts it really adds to the story for me. Other readers will point out things I missed or connections are ma...more

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Mar 18, 2010 Lydia Presley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, arc, fiction, mystery

I'm going to split my review of this book into three separate parts. Beginning, Middle and End.

Beginning: It gets off to a slow start. The back and forth with only a bit of information given in both is, while I understand necessary, confusing and left me feeling, honestly, a bit bored. It didn't grab my attention like other mystery/suspense novels do at the start and it left me feeling like I might have a hard time getting into the story.

Middle: The story finally gets moving around chapter 7 or...more

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Jan 30, 2013 Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Poacher's Son is the first book in Paul Doiron's series featuring Mike Bowditch - a Maine Game Warden and was originally published in 2010.

It was the winner of the Barry Award and the Strand Critics Award for Best First Novel as well as being nominated for the Anthony Award, the Macavity Award, the Thriller Award, the Edgar Award for Best First Novel and the Maine Literary Award for Best Fiction of 2010.

This hardback edition has been published in the UK by Constable & Robinson - C&R...more The Poacher's Son is the first book in Paul Doiron's series featuring Mike Bowditch - a Maine Game Warden and was originally published in 2010.

It was the winner of the Barry Award and the Strand Critics Award for Best First Novel as well as being nominated for the Anthony Award, the Macavity Award, the Thriller Award, the Edgar Award for Best First Novel and the Maine Literary Award for Best Fiction of 2010.

This hardback edition has been published in the UK by Constable & Robinson - C&R Crime and was on sale from 17 January 2013.

Mike Bowditch is a rookie Maine game warden who finds himself involved in a murder investigation and a man-hunt. Two men have been killed in cold-blood and the prime suspect is Jack Bowditch - a hard-drinking, violent man who also happens to be Mike's father. Despite the fact that Jack was never a great father figure and that they have not even spoken for two years, Mike is pulled in two directions. He wants to believe that his father is innocent, he needs to prove that Jack has been set-up, but he is also a law-enforcement officer and has to abide by the rules.

The plot is fast-paced with many twists and turns, introducing red-herrings and new characters throughout the story. It is a well thought out and often thrilling tale and Mike is a great lead character, if a little flawed. Throughout the story, there are flash-backs to Mike's childhood - these scenes allow the reader to gain some insight into how and why he became a game warden - in total contrast to his father's 'career' as a poacher. Mike is not the best investigator in the world and has a lot to learn, but this is the first in a series and I'm hoping that his character will grow and mature over the course of it. In The Poacher's Son it is the supporting cast of characters and the location that really made the novel so readable for me.

Living in Lincolnshire in the UK, I had no knowledge whatsoever of the county of Maine, and didn't know anything about the Game Wardens that operate out there. Paul Doiron's descriptive prose brought the whole place to life for me - the desolation, the eerieness, the animals, the people who live there. He really does know how to paint a fantastic landscape with words and it is this that makes the series quite unique.

A great start to a series, I'll certainly look out for the next in the series.(less)

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Jul 24, 2012 Burgoo rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

Often contemporary mysteries seem to use the plot device of a murder as more of a macguffin than as any actual whodoneit. In this case, there’s a murder whose investigation allows for the exploration of the setting and the characters of the novel.
I found the setting to be very interesting and well developed. The world of northern Maine, and the routines of a Game Warden there, makes for unusual and intriguing reading. Doiron does an excellent job bringing the reader to this area that almost seem...more

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Feb 16, 2013 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Engaging, smart, and even funny -- this is the kind of novel you are thrilled to find, not least because there are two more in the series. The Maine settings are realistic (of course; the author is editor in chief of Downeast magazine) and the action is gripping. The characters are flawed but likeable, complex but surprising. Women in particular are varied creatures here, with one of the finest sargeant/supervisors I can think of along with a range of interesting and complicated other characters...more

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Jan 21, 2013 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: male-writers, crimepieces

Every now and then I pick up a book that I have absolutely no expectations of whatsoever. I've not read any reviews, never heardThe Poacher's Son of the writer nor the book, and I'm reading it solely because of the novel's premise. Of course this can be a mixed blessing as reading is such a subjective experience. However you can come across some gems this way and my latest find was The Poacher's Son by Paul Doiron, a writer who I will be reading more of in the future.

Mike Bowditch is a game ward...more Every now and then I pick up a book that I have absolutely no expectations of whatsoever. I've not read any reviews, never heardThe Poacher's Son of the writer nor the book, and I'm reading it solely because of the novel's premise. Of course this can be a mixed blessing as reading is such a subjective experience. However you can come across some gems this way and my latest find was The Poacher's Son by Paul Doiron, a writer who I will be reading more of in the future.

Mike Bowditch is a game warden in Maine who returns home one evening to find a rambling message on his answer machine from his estranged father. Hard-drinking and violent, Jack Bowditch left Mike's mother when he was small and despite a couple of attempts by Mike to bond with his father, he now keeps a distance from the man who makes a living from illegal game poaching. However, when he discovers that Jack is on the run from the police, accused of shooting a local cop, Mike is torn between his instinctive loyalty to his father and the demands of his job. When it becomes clear that Jack is being set-up, Mike gambles his career and his life to discover the true versions of events.

I think this is the first book I've read set in Maine, a US state that I know little about and whose location I had to look up. However the setting was a major attraction of the book and like the novels of CJ Box and Nevada Barr, we see the landscape through the eyes of a professional worker. However, Mike Bowditch has an off-hand attitude towards his employment and his loyalty is stretched even further when familial ties prove strong. The book gave a persuasive portrayal of the complexity of relationships and how superficial alliances can hide deeper attachments. All the characters were well drawn particularly Mike's mother who has escaped from her trailer park upbringing and and is enjoying suburban life with her lawyer second-husband.

For a first novel, it was paced very well and with a genuine surprise towards the conclusion. It was also well written with an engaging narrative voice. A very accomplished début by Paul Doiron who I can see has gone on to write two further books. Hopefully these we will see these published in the UK in the near future.(less)

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Nov 05, 2012 Larry Hoffer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Ah, family dynamics. You sometimes don't realize what an effect your childhood or your relationship with your parents, siblings, or other relatives will have on you until later in life. And other times these relationships define your entire existence.

Mike Bowditch is a game warden in Maine. His father, Jack, is a hard-drinking, often unemployed womanizer who poaches illegal game from the wilderness. Mike never seemed to get his father's approval—or even his interest—throughout his childhood, and...more Ah, family dynamics. You sometimes don't realize what an effect your childhood or your relationship with your parents, siblings, or other relatives will have on you until later in life. And other times these relationships define your entire existence.

Mike Bowditch is a game warden in Maine. His father, Jack, is a hard-drinking, often unemployed womanizer who poaches illegal game from the wilderness. Mike never seemed to get his father's approval—or even his interest—throughout his childhood, and once his parents' marriage ended and his mother moved away with Mike in tow, his relationship with his father was tenuous at best. Mike's decision to become a game warden was made in part because of a need to pay society back for his father's actions, a decision that also led to the dissolution of his relationship with his longtime girlfriend.

One night after responding to a resident's call for help, he finds an answering machine message from his father, which is surprising, since they haven't spoken in nearly two years. The message is cryptic, but it grows in importance when the next morning Mike learns that a local policeman and a lawyer representing a timber company were both murdered, and Jack is the primary suspect. Plus, Jack escaped from police and is on the run.

Mike believes that while his father has been proven to have a violent temper, there's no way he could have killed the men. But he's nearly the only one that feels that way, and as Mike tries to gather some facts and understand what happened, he begins to jeopardize his own career and his relationships with colleagues and loved ones. Determined to find out the truth, despite being warned against it, he joins forces with a retired warden (and one-time nemesis of his father) and begins searching for his father. And then he meets a woman who claims to be his father's girlfriend, who insists she knows what happened.

The Poacher's Son, Paul Doiron's first book in a series featuring Mike Bowditch, is a compelling and well-written mystery/thriller that is a bit weightier than typical books in this genre because of the emotional back story. Doiron, who is editor of the magazine Down East, has a terrific knack for creating an evocative setting—his descriptions of the isolated, wild, and beautiful places on Maine's coast and in the woods were tremendously vivid and set an appropriate mood for the book.

Doiron created the appropriate amount of tension in his story, and while not all of the characters are sympathetic, many are well-drawn and complex, although a few tend to hew closer to stereotypes. There were a number of times when I expected the action to go one way and I was surprised, which is always a good thing when reading mysteries like these. The truth is, however, I actually liked the story of Mike and Jack's relationship, and its impact on other aspects of their lives, almost more than the mystery itself. But I'm still interested in reading the two other books in this series to see how Doiron moves Mike's character forward.

If you enjoy mysteries with a great sense of place, this is one for you. (less)

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Nov 18, 2011 Spuddie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Mike Bowditch, 24-year-old Maine Wildlife Ranger finds himself distracted from his job duties when a state-wide manhunt for the killer of two men takes over the whole north woods of Maine. The distraction comes because the man they are hunting is none other than his father, Jack Bowditch, an alcoholic tracker, woodsman and poacher, who is believed to have shot a deputy and the head of a land-development company in cold blood. Mike has never been close to his father, since he and his mother left...more

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Dec 19, 2012 Andrew rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: audio-book

I enjoyed the audio version of Paul Doiron's "The Poacher's Son", first in a series about Maine game warden Mike Bowditch. Bowditch puts his career on the line after he tries to determine the truth about his father, who has been accused of killing a police officer and another man - and prevent any vengeful law enforcement officers from shooting first and asking questions later.

My prediction as to the murderer was wrong. My assumptions as to the motive were wrong, too. BUT, while I'm not usually...more

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Sep 08, 2011 Carol rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Carol by: review resources

Shelves: fiction, debut

I've had this one on my TBR pile for quite awhile.

The Poacher's Son is the first in a series featuring Game Warden Mike Bowditch. At the beginning of the story Mike gets a surprise call from his estranged father Jack. The two can barely speak to each other without getting into an argument so this immediately puts Mike on edge. The next day Mike gets a call from the police. His father is the prime suspect in two murders, that of a paper company rep and the good ol' boy cop who was escorting him...more

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Jan 20, 2011 Pam rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: maine-mystery

AUTHOR: DOIRON, Paul
TITLE: The Poacher's Son
DATE READ: 01/16/11
RATING: 4.5/B+
GENRE/PUB DATE/PUBLISHER/# OF PGS: Crime Fiction/2010/St. Martin's Press/324 pgs
SERIES/STAND ALONE: #1 Mike Bowditch
TIME/PLACE: Present/Maine
CHARACTERS: Mike Bowditch/Game Warden
FIRST LINES: A black bear had gotten into a pigpen out on the Beechwood Road, and it had run off with a pig.
COMMENTS: Great debut! Mike graduated from college & became game warden in the wilds of Maine. He grew up mostly w/ his mother &...more

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May 26, 2012 Myfanwy rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: thriller lovers, outdoor enthusiasts

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 02, 2010 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

This is Paul Doiron's first book and is technically not due out in stores until April, but I got an advanced copy from B&N as part of their "First Look Book Club". This story takes place in Maine. The lead character is Mike Bowditch, a young game warden, who recently broke up with is girlfriend and seems to be trying to figure out if he's made the right decision about that and many other things in life when he gets a message from his dead beat dad, Jack, a dad that he hasn't seen nor heard f...more This is Paul Doiron's first book and is technically not due out in stores until April, but I got an advanced copy from B&N as part of their "First Look Book Club". This story takes place in Maine. The lead character is Mike Bowditch, a young game warden, who recently broke up with is girlfriend and seems to be trying to figure out if he's made the right decision about that and many other things in life when he gets a message from his dead beat dad, Jack, a dad that he hasn't seen nor heard from in 2 years. He doesn't think much of it seeing as he doesn't think much of his dad, until he finds out the next morning that 2 people were killed in the same neck of the woods where his dad lives and hangs out. From there, the book just takes off. Jack is accused of the murders, but escapes en route to the police station. Mike believes his father is innocent, but he's the only one who does. Mike doesn't want to get involved at first, but eventually gets sucked in. Why is he sticking up for this man who never really cared for him? He doesn't really know, but his instinct tells him his dad is innocent. Mike is caught between a rock and a hard place and solving this mystery seems to be the only way out. "The Poacher's Son" was hard to put down. This book was very well written, especially since this is the author's first book. The fact that it was about a profession I knew little about made it all the more interesting. Being a game warden seems like an extremely challenging, at times scary and a horribly lonely job. Maine is a state I have never visited unless you count the years of watching, "Murder She Wrote," but who knows how much of that was shot on a back lot in LA and how much was actually on location. You can tell the Mr. Doirion loves Maine, so much so that I have added it to my "places to visit" list. It was also very interesting to learn about the hunters, men like Jack, who could if they had to, pick up very little and disappear into the trees and never be seen again. This book takes you on a wild ride with a great cast of characters. You never know who to trust and who to suspect. I definitely reccomend this book and look forward to further stories from Mr. Doiron.
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Feb 24, 2013 Lindz rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 13x13, mystery

Mike Bowditch is game warden in Maine, happy to be policing the very activities his father does - poaching, illegal hunting and the like. When his father is accused of killing a police officer and goes on the run, Mike is convinced of his innocence. Unfortunately, he's the only one who is.

A good thriller for those who like outdoor mysteries like the Anna Pigeon series and the like. The descriptions of the wilds of Maine and the changes the countryside is going through were excellent. I enjoyed M...more

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Jan 30, 2011 KarenC rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Readers of Box, Barr, Hamilton

Recommended to KarenC by: Edgar nomination

Shelves: murder_mystery, amateur_sleuths, better_than_tv, dysfunctional_family, edgar_nominees_2011

Mike Bowditch, rookie Maine Game Warden, gets involved in the hunt for his father, a poacher and woodsman in Maine. Dad is accused of murdering a sheriff's deputy and an executive of a land company, but Mike can't believe Dad's guilty, despite all of the circumstantial evidence against him. During the course of the novel we learn about Mike's relationship with his dad, get some idea of his mother, his ex-girlfriend, his co-workers, and the people who help or oppose him.

The Maine setting is well

...more

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May 19, 2013 Ronna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Acres and acres of wilderness land around a beautiful lake have just been purchased by a billionaire so that he can build a huge summer resort in wilderness Maine. This means that many long time settlers who have been living on these lands will be forced to leave their homes. Feelings run high and anger builds between the new owners and the settlers. After a community meeting, the owner, and the well love policeman escorting him home, have become murder victims

Mike Bowditch is a young Game Warde...more

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About Paul Doiron

Paul Doiron is the author of the Mike Bowditch series of crime novels, including THE POACHER'S SON, which won the Barry Award and the Strand Critics Award for Best First Novel and has been nominated for an Edgar Award, an Anthony Award, A Macavity Award, and a Thriller Award for Best First Novel, and the Maine Literary Award for "Best Fiction of 2010." His second book in the Mike Bowditch series,...more

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Books by Paul Doiron

Massacre Pond: A Novel (Mike Bowditch #4)

Eating Between the Lines: A Maine Writers' Cookbook

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“People disappoint you so often. I hardly knew how to react when they surpassed all your hopes.” — 4 people liked it

“Nature will forgive humankind just about anything, and what it won’t forgive I hope never to witness.” — 3 people liked it

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The Poacher's Son (Mike Bowditch #1)

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