Widowmaker

Author: Paul Doiron

After a mysterious woman gives Mike Bowditch disturbing news, the game warden goes looking for a family secret in a Maine ski town and discovers a vigilante who seems to be targeting sex offenders. After trying so hard to put his troubled past behind him, Mike is reluctant to revisit the wild country of his childhood and again confront his father’s history of violence. But Amber’s desperation and his own need to know the truth leads Mike on a desperate search for answers—one that takes him through a mountainous wilderness where the military guards a top-secret interrogation base, sexual predators live together in a backwoods colony, and self-styled vigilantes are willing to murder anyone they consider their enemies. Can Mike finally exorcise the demons of the past—or will the real-life demons of the present kill him first?

Widowmaker: A Novel (Mike Bowditch, #7)

The Washington Post:

The result is a violent, suspenseful, fast-paced tale written in Doiron’s customary tight, vivid prose, with his keen eye for both idiosyncratic Maine characters and the beauty of the natural landscape.

Booklist:

In addition to his ability to create an extraordinary sense of place, Doiron delivers a host of complex characters who are just full of surprises. Adding a wolf dog to the cast brings a dash of Jack London's lyricism to the narrative. The suspense is strong and the action is well rendered.

Library Journal:

The seventh Mike Bowditch novel (after The Precipice) continues to deliver vivid descriptions of rural Maine, a satisfying mystery (this one with tantalizing loose ends), and a conflicted main character. Those who relish outdoor mysteries, especially ones set in New England, will appreciate this latest entry.

The Portland Press Herald:

Doiron is skilled at balancing action – the hallmark of mystery series – with rich character development. From the beginning, Bowditch is someone readers come to care about. He has his foibles, but they serve chiefly to make him more intriguing and appealing. In this regard, “Widowmaker” marks a clear turn in Mike Bowditch’s increasingly nuanced character.

The Toronto Star:

Fans of the series are already well-acquainted with Bowditch’s strengths as a game warden (a fiendish dedication to the job, boundless energy) and his weaknesses (refusal to play by the game warden’s rules, readiness to shoot off his mouth when silence would be a better strategy). It’s unfailingly entertaining material and even if events often grow chaotic, it’s good to spend time in the ever valiant Bowditch’s company.

The Globe and Mail:

Paul Doiron is emerging as one of the new generation of American crime authors with six good books and an Edgar nomination to his credit. This is the seventh novel featuring Maine game warden Mike Bowditch and it’s the best of a fine series. Doiron’s love for the Maine landscape and his knowledge of the duties and expectations of game wardens makes this series even more fascinating to outsider readers.