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Mike Bowditch finds himself exiled to poverty-ridden northern Maine in this third mystery starring the game warden. Although the previous two books provide background as to why he ends up in a rundown trailer surrounded by drug dealers and hunters unfriendly to game wardens, this book can stand alone and makes a good entry point to the series. Doiron's skill as a writer has grown throughout the series, and in this book it is his descriptions of setting that shine. Early in the book, Bowditch is caught in a snowstorm, and the temperature surrounding the reader seems to drop precipitously as Doiron pulls the reader right into the storm. Similarly well-described situations in which Bowditch finds himself make the book impossible to put down, as the reader hears, sees, smells, and otherwise finds him/herself right in the middle of the action. Bowditch's welcome to eastern Washington County, Maine, is heralded by a coyote skin nailed to his trailer door along with a note from "George Magoon." The threat is obvious, as Magoon was a turn-of-the-20th century poacher credited with killing game wardens in the area. As he attempts to make sense of the threat while coping with the tough side of life in this rough town, Bowditch spends more time dealing with petty thieves and drug dealers than he does with animals. The cast of characters includes Doc, the local veterinarian, and Kendrick, a dog-sled racing university professor. On his way home from a dinner with the two, while he's reflecting on the loneliness of his new life, Bowditch gets a call to help with a badly frostbitten man, Prester, who collapsed at the doorstep of a local couple. The body of Prester's companion and fellow drug-dealer is discovered with a shot through his head in the middle of the snowstorm, and police assume that Prester is the murderer. Thus begins a complex story involving drugs, isolation, warped relationships, suicide, and an autistic boy. Bowditch becomes involved with Jamie, Prester's sister, the autistic boy's mother, and the girlfriend of the murdered drug dealer. He digs deeper into the investigation of the murder to help Jamie, and in the process he is further threatened by "George Magoon" and is nearly killed; all the while learning more about himself. This book is more introspective than Doiron's previous books, and Bowditch's motivations make more sense. The conclusion to the book makes sense, although I didn't see it coming. This third book in the series is the best so far, although there is less true game warden activity than I would prefer. Bowditch learns more about himself, and he carries the reader along with him on the search. I'm looking forward to meeting up with him again in the near future. § Sharon Mensing is the Head of School of Emerald Mountain School, an independent school in the mountains of Colorado, where she lives, reads, and enjoys the outdoors.
Reviewed by Sharon Mensing, September 2012
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