Minotaur 2023
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Dead Man's Wake
On the evening of their engagement party, Maine Game Warden Investigator Mike Bowditch and Stacey Stevens witness what seems to be a hit-and-run speedboat crash on a darkened lake. When they arrive at the scene, their spotlight reveals a gruesome sight: a severed arm beneath the surface. As day breaks, the warden dive team recovers not one but two naked corpses: the dismembered man and the married woman with whom he was having an affair. Mike begins to suspect the swimmers' deaths were not a senseless accident but a coldly calculated murder. Alone among his fellow officers, Mike begins to sense the involvement of a trained professional, smarter and more dangerous than any enemy he has faced. As Mike and Stacey get closer to identifying the killer, their own lives are suddenly put on the line, leading to a confrontation designed to silence them forever.
"Doiron’s crisp first-person narrative is thoroughly absorbing and richly atmospheric. Readers will enjoy every pine needle–crunching step."
"Doiron pulls off a sucker-punch fair-play twist that puts entirely new suspects in play. That jolt, combined with vivid descriptions of the Maine woods and authentic depictions of the forensic science, make this a winner."
"Another well-crafted case beautifully built on a foundation of the local geography Doiron knows so well."
"Doiron packs in lots of twists and turns, and enough suspense to keep you reading well past bedtime."
"Doiron creates an array of colorful, well-drawn characters, writes in vivid, graceful style, and accurately portray investigative procedures — this time including the handling of underwater crime scenes. He spins his tale with enough twists and turns to keep readers guessing until the end."
[T]he mysteries are absorbing and cleverly plotted, but watching Mike Bowditch mature, knowing that he’s almost always the smartest man in the room, is equally felicitous.
"Doiron is a master of nature writing, and you can smell the leaves and feel the breeze in his descriptions of the woods and lakes. I also really enjoy the continuing family stories that are in the background but give depth to already fascinating characters."