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Blaze Orange
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Expected 28 Apr 26In “Blaze Orange,” an original short story by bestselling author Paul Doiron, Maine game warden Charley Stevens suspects that a tragic hunting accident is really cold-blooded murder—if only he can prove it.
When a local man is shot dead during deer season in 1990s Maine, all signs point to a heartbreaking mistake, as the victim was dressed head-to-toe in brown, and the shooter is a respected family man known for his gentleness. But as Charley and rookie warden Kathy Frost sift through the quiet tensions of a small community, two details refuse to add up. The victim knew better than to wear neutral colors during deer season. Why wasn’t he dressed in blaze orange? And something that should be at the scene simply isn’t.
To solve the case, Charley must dig into old grudges and buried motives—and Kathy turns to the most unlikely investigator of all.
When a local man is shot dead during deer season in 1990s Maine, all signs point to a heartbreaking mistake, as the victim was dressed head-to-toe in brown, and the shooter is a respected family man known for his gentleness. But as Charley and rookie warden Kathy Frost sift through the quiet tensions of a small community, two details refuse to add up. The victim knew better than to wear neutral colors during deer season. Why wasn’t he dressed in blaze orange? And something that should be at the scene simply isn’t.
To solve the case, Charley must dig into old grudges and buried motives—and Kathy turns to the most unlikely investigator of all.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication April 28, 2026
24 people want to read
About the author
Paul Doiron
39 books2,344 followersPaul Doiron is the best-selling author of the Mike Bowditch series of crime novels set in the Maine woods.
His first book, The Poacher’s Son, won the Barry Award and the Strand Critics Award and was nominated for an Edgar for Best First Novel. His second, Trespasser, won the 2012 Maine Literary Award. His novelette “Rabid” was a finalist for the 2019 Edgar in the Best Short Story category. Paul’s twelfth book, Dead by Dawn won the New England Society’s 2022 Book Award for Fiction, as well as his second Maine Literary Award. It was also a finalist for the Barry Award. His books have been translated into 11 languages.
Paul is the former chair of the Maine Humanities Council, Editor Emeritus of Down East: The Magazine of Maine, and a Registered Maine Guide specializing in fly fishing.
His first book, The Poacher’s Son, won the Barry Award and the Strand Critics Award and was nominated for an Edgar for Best First Novel. His second, Trespasser, won the 2012 Maine Literary Award. His novelette “Rabid” was a finalist for the 2019 Edgar in the Best Short Story category. Paul’s twelfth book, Dead by Dawn won the New England Society’s 2022 Book Award for Fiction, as well as his second Maine Literary Award. It was also a finalist for the Barry Award. His books have been translated into 11 languages.
Paul is the former chair of the Maine Humanities Council, Editor Emeritus of Down East: The Magazine of Maine, and a Registered Maine Guide specializing in fly fishing.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Not being familiar with the author or the series, I thought this short story would be a great introduction to see if I would like the series. Well, that is a “Yes” and a “No”.
First, the main reason there is a “No” is because this is listed as a Mike Bowditch Mystery short story. The problem with that is, at no point does Mike Bowditch appear in the short story as far as I can tell. I never once caught his name mentioned. This story takes place in the early 1990s, so I’m not sure if the characters had met Bowditch at that point.
The “Yes” is because I would say this takes place in the Mike Bowditch Universe. The central character is a young warden named Cathy Frost. She is guided by her co-lead, Charley Stevens, who is there as her Mr. Miyagi. A quick search through the blurbs of the previous 15 Mike Bowditch novels shows that Charley becomes a central character in the life of Mike Bowditch. I am not sure if we will ever see Ms. Frost again or not.
Now, is this a good short story? Sure. It’s too short to categorize it as anything other than good. The audiobook is barely over an hour long. That is if you listen at normal speed. Henry Leyva does a good job narrating this story and is enjoyable to listen to.
Is this enough to warrant checking out the series, I believe so. Long time fans will probably want to check it out because of the background to an existing character. For new listeners/readers, I think it will still be worth your time. I like the laid-back approach to the story telling and interaction between the characters. For some reason, Charlie’s style in dealing with people reminded me of Robert B. Parker’s Jesse Stone.
Great meeting you Charley and Cathy. I look forward to meeting Mike soon.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing an ARC for an unbiased review.
First, the main reason there is a “No” is because this is listed as a Mike Bowditch Mystery short story. The problem with that is, at no point does Mike Bowditch appear in the short story as far as I can tell. I never once caught his name mentioned. This story takes place in the early 1990s, so I’m not sure if the characters had met Bowditch at that point.
The “Yes” is because I would say this takes place in the Mike Bowditch Universe. The central character is a young warden named Cathy Frost. She is guided by her co-lead, Charley Stevens, who is there as her Mr. Miyagi. A quick search through the blurbs of the previous 15 Mike Bowditch novels shows that Charley becomes a central character in the life of Mike Bowditch. I am not sure if we will ever see Ms. Frost again or not.
Now, is this a good short story? Sure. It’s too short to categorize it as anything other than good. The audiobook is barely over an hour long. That is if you listen at normal speed. Henry Leyva does a good job narrating this story and is enjoyable to listen to.
Is this enough to warrant checking out the series, I believe so. Long time fans will probably want to check it out because of the background to an existing character. For new listeners/readers, I think it will still be worth your time. I like the laid-back approach to the story telling and interaction between the characters. For some reason, Charlie’s style in dealing with people reminded me of Robert B. Parker’s Jesse Stone.
Great meeting you Charley and Cathy. I look forward to meeting Mike soon.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing an ARC for an unbiased review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was an engaging and enjoyable listen for me and left me wanting to hear more!
I typically lean toward longer audiobooks, so I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about a short story—but the description of Blaze Orange drew me in and listening to the brief story itself proved to do the exact same The mystery unfolds in a satisfying way, and the small-town Maine setting adds so much atmosphere.
The narration was a standout for me. I was particularly fond of the narrators portrayal of Charley and his genuine Maine accent, which brought such authenticity and warmth to a characters humble demeanor and gentle wisdom. Then there’s Kathy, a newcomer to the area, currently training under Charley as the first female game warden in their state’s history, whose past is briefly touched upon but left me wanting to find out more.
The only thing that gave me slight pause (and the reason for my 4.5-star rating) was that this is labeled as part of the Mike Bowditch series, yet Mike Bowditch doesn’t actually appear in the story. It caused a bit of confusion at first, though I later realized the characters are still connected to that broader series.
Even so, I truly enjoyed this and found myself wishing it had been longer—which is always a good sign. I’ll definitely be looking for more from this world.
A big thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio (Minotaur Books) for the advance audiobook—I really enjoyed the chance to listen early and share my thoughts!
#BlazeOrange #PaulDoiron #netgalley #MacmillanAudio #MinotaurBooks
I typically lean toward longer audiobooks, so I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about a short story—but the description of Blaze Orange drew me in and listening to the brief story itself proved to do the exact same The mystery unfolds in a satisfying way, and the small-town Maine setting adds so much atmosphere.
The narration was a standout for me. I was particularly fond of the narrators portrayal of Charley and his genuine Maine accent, which brought such authenticity and warmth to a characters humble demeanor and gentle wisdom. Then there’s Kathy, a newcomer to the area, currently training under Charley as the first female game warden in their state’s history, whose past is briefly touched upon but left me wanting to find out more.
The only thing that gave me slight pause (and the reason for my 4.5-star rating) was that this is labeled as part of the Mike Bowditch series, yet Mike Bowditch doesn’t actually appear in the story. It caused a bit of confusion at first, though I later realized the characters are still connected to that broader series.
Even so, I truly enjoyed this and found myself wishing it had been longer—which is always a good sign. I’ll definitely be looking for more from this world.
A big thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio (Minotaur Books) for the advance audiobook—I really enjoyed the chance to listen early and share my thoughts!
#BlazeOrange #PaulDoiron #netgalley #MacmillanAudio #MinotaurBooks
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC in exchange for an honest review.
I am not familiar with this authors work but I enjoy a good mystery from time to time so I figured I’d give this a shot. To my surprise, it wasn’t very long; the audio is just over an hour. I thought this was okay. I didn’t really have any expectations going in and this ended up being a straightforward mystery without any bells or whistles. This leans heavily toward the mystery side of the genre, I didn’t find it particularly exciting or thrilling.
The narrator was pleasant to listen to and it was a short production. If you’re into small town mysteries or have ever considered reading this authors other works, I would say this is a good starting point.
I am not familiar with this authors work but I enjoy a good mystery from time to time so I figured I’d give this a shot. To my surprise, it wasn’t very long; the audio is just over an hour. I thought this was okay. I didn’t really have any expectations going in and this ended up being a straightforward mystery without any bells or whistles. This leans heavily toward the mystery side of the genre, I didn’t find it particularly exciting or thrilling.
The narrator was pleasant to listen to and it was a short production. If you’re into small town mysteries or have ever considered reading this authors other works, I would say this is a good starting point.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me listen to this short audiobook. I love mystery short stories because they have to do so much in a small space, and that definitely happens here. The setting is kept to a minimum-- it's deer season in Maine and someone gets shot. The game warden investigates and doesn't think everything is adding up, but how much can she find out in this limited space?
The narration helped make it suspenseful and the mystery and ending were satisfying.
The narration helped make it suspenseful and the mystery and ending were satisfying.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my ARC.
I thought this was a fun small town thriller. Although it was a short audiobook, I enjoyed the character development of Charley and Kathy and cozy small town setting in Maine. Not enough time to develop a plot full of twists, but a solid story that makes me want to explore more of Paul Doiron’s work.
I thought this was a fun small town thriller. Although it was a short audiobook, I enjoyed the character development of Charley and Kathy and cozy small town setting in Maine. Not enough time to develop a plot full of twists, but a solid story that makes me want to explore more of Paul Doiron’s work.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to NetGalley and to Macmillan Audiobooks for the preview copy.
I’m a big Doiron fan, but I would much rather read his novels than his short stories. Always good settings, good basic story, but the genre doesn’t give nearly as much to really get/keep one interested.
I’m a big Doiron fan, but I would much rather read his novels than his short stories. Always good settings, good basic story, but the genre doesn’t give nearly as much to really get/keep one interested.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews