Minotaur 2024
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Pitch Dark
Game Warden Mike Bowditch must chase down a cunning and dangerous fugitive in the North Maine Woods in this nail-biter of a thriller from Edgar Award-winning author Paul Doiron. Legendary bush pilot Josie Jonson can’t believe her luck when a skilled builder just happens to show up after she purchases land near Prentiss Pond. All Mark Redmond asks in return for building Josie’s dream cabin is that he be left alone to homeschool his 12-year-old daughter. For Maine game warden investigator Mike Bowditch, the intensity of Redmond's secretiveness is troubling―especially in light of suspicious criminal activity being reported around the area. When he asks Josie to fly him to the pond, he soon comes to regret his naivete. Hours after they arrive, Bowditch awakens from drugged unconsciousness to find Josie dead and Redmond and his daughter Cady on the run, making a mad dash to Canada. For Mike Bowditch, there is no choice but to set off through the impenetrable forest, alone and unarmed in pursuit of the mysterious fugitive. As he navigates a windblown landscape choked with deadfalls and blocked by swollen streams, he marvels at Redmond's bushcraft. The man possesses skills surpassing his own, and Bowditch can't tell if he is the cat or the mouse in this dangerous game. As they converge on the Canadian border, Bowditch pieces together the details of Redmond's past and is shaken by a his enemy is prepared to kill his own child rather than have her taken from him. Can Mike Bowditch stop the desperate man in time to rescue Cady, or will he be forced to watch another innocent soul die?
Booklist (starred review):
"The resolution is absolutely stunning, and the narrative, as always, is compelling. Mike is a truly driven and principled man, fierce and resourceful. A genuine hero. Maine native Doiron is an outdoorsman, which adds a rare authenticity to the series.”
"Tracking a villain through a wilderness is something of a staple for crime novelists who set their stories in America’s remaining wild areas. For example, C.J. Box and William Kent Krueger, whose books are set in Wyoming and Minnesota respectively, have written good ones. However, it would be difficult to find one more suspenseful or with more startling twists than “Pitch Dark.” As always, Doiron’s characters are well-drawn, and his cold, rain-drenched setting is so vividly portrayed that readers may find themselves shivering."
"“Pitch Dark,” the 15th novel in his series, continues Doiron’s high standards of showcasing nature in contrast to the motives of people."
Capes and Tights:
"Paul Doiron has created a thrilling, action-packed novel with Pitch Dark that could be one of his best outings featuring Mike Bowditch. He gives us vivid descriptions of Northern Maine, characters we care for, and action-packed chases that keep you immersed in the wilderness of Maine, quickly turning each page to see what happens next."
Pitch Dark is a thriller with twists and turns the reader won’t anticipate. It’s always a pleasure to read about Mike Bowditch, and this book gives readers a deeper insight into what has made him the man he has become. This novel is an outstanding addition to the series.