I requested this book as it takes place in Northern Maine and the main character is a Game Warden. It was a bit of a disappointment. It is number 15 in the series.The author is better than C.J. Box, but nowhere near the level of William Kent Krueger. The main character lacks common sense to a large degree and fails to listen to advice that is provided him. A number of reviewers have a much different take, but I will not be reading any more in this series.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Goodreads, Net Galley, Amazon, Facebook and my nonfiction book review blog.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this captivating eARC.

If you are a fan of CJ Box (only with a bit more action) check out this high-octane thriller featuring Game Warden Mike Bowditch.

Mike is dedicated, he will get those who break the law (or die trying). If you add fuel to his fire by hurting those he cares about, then he becomes a powerful nonstop force of dedication to his task

Not only are there jaw dropping twists in this clever mystery, the writing is top quality, and the supporting characters are well-rounded, loyal, and just interesting and flawed enough you would be proud to call them your friends.

I especially enjoyed the supporting cast of Josie Jonson, the pilot, and Charlie (Mike's father-in-law).

Another thing I enjoyed about this book is it was about nature, action, loyalty, and staying on course - what it WASN'T was a half-baked unrealistic romance novel masquerading as an unrealistic mystery novel.

Actually Mike is married and might be expecting his first child, but this fact is only casually mentioned as part of his life, I love that the author focused on the main storyline.

5 stars from this reader, and a grateful kudos to this talented author, bravo, for this excellent and engaging novel! 🌹

Wow hold on to your seat, this book moves fast! Pitch Dark is book 15 of a series with Mitch Bowditch, a Game Warden investigator in Maine. I have to say this one was intense, a lot of action and I did NOT see that twist coming!! Mike is alerted from another game warden about a missing heavily armed man. Long story short (your read the synopsis) this book grabbed me, and I read it easily in a day. So much happening it was impossible to put down. No garbage filler in this series. Thank you, S.E. at St. Martins and Net Galley for the ARC. Side note, I think you could read this as a standalone, however I would highly recommend binging the series.

This was not the book for me, I did not enjoy it.
This is the 15th book in a series about Mike Bowditch, a game warden in Maine. I found Mike to be very unlikable, he was very arrogant, and really showed no type of emotion whatsoever. I could have done without the gun and vehicle descriptions, which I found boring and unnecessary.
I don’t think there was anything wrong with the book, and past readers of the series will probably enjoy this one as well. But if you’re new to Mike Bowditch, I hope you enjoy arrogant stoney know it alls, otherwise you won’t enjoy this.

This was an amazing book. I highly recommend it to everyone. Great characters and a great plot. I will be looking for more books by this author. The book is superbly written. Lots of twists, turns and shocking turns of events. Quickly becoming a go to author for me!!!! If you love to read a book and be shocked by the ending then check out this author for sure. You will love this book and this author. Very enjoyable and I highly recommend this book

false-identities, false-conclusions, false-information, mental-health-issues, relationships, relationship-issues, relatives, unputdownable, lies, secrets, Maine, law-enforcement, game-warden, family-drama, family-dynamics, riveting, action-adventure, wilderness, crime-thriller, suspense, suspicion, friends, friendship, poisons, bounty-hunter, multiple-murder*****

Totally addictive and unputdownable! So many murders. So many who did murder one way or another for one reason or another and all in cold rainy weather up in the woods of Maine. Hold on to your coffee, because this is one wild ride!
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Super!

Mike Bowditch is a game warden investigator who lives in a part of Maine where the easiest way to get around is by water or flight. He hears that one of his friends, Josie Jonson, has a man and his daughter living on her property. The father is building her a beautifully constructed cabin. Mark Redmond is home-schooling his daughter, and they don't want any visitors. This concerns Mike, particularly since he hears stories about an armed man offering money to find the man and his daughter. What are they hiding from? When the father and daughter take off for Canada, Mike gives chase.

I highly recommend this suspenseful and surprising story where so much was not as it seems. I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley, and voluntarily read and reviewed it.

Game warden Mike Bowitch is interested in meeting reclusive builder Mark Redmond and his daughter
due to the disappearance of a man offering large sums of money for their location. The meeting results
in Redmond and his daughter going on the run. Mike chases them through Maine and into Canada,
wondering at their true identities and why all the secrecy.
Fast paced story.
#Pitch Darke #Minotaur #NetGalley

Mike Bowditch is a powerhouse of a character. He isn't just a game warden, he is a crusader for truth and justice that is ruled more by his internal moral compass than he is by any law. He begins his day by investigating a Maine visitor that may or may not be missing. The little details found about the missing man spark a hunt to find a reclusive man and his daughter living in the woods. Not much is known about the three people except that none are who they present themselves to be. In no time, this little investigation becomes a high action, no-rest search for the the people and the truth of their identities. This nail-biting, high energy, danger at every turn action does not let up until the last man falls. I could not put the book down once I started it! There are limited characters, but the manhunt is so intense and vivid that you hear the snap of twigs as you run through the woods with them. What an incredible and exciting read!

Maine Game Warden Detective Mike Bowditch is back in this pulse pounding chase through the northern Maine woods that proves Paul Doiron is at the top of his game. Bowditch may be in over his head as he tracks a fugitive with little more than his skills. I read this book in two sittings and can’t wait to sell it!

What starts as a simple injury into some suspicious activity concerning a local recluse rapidly turns into a life-or-death struggle for Game Warden Mike Bowditch. Mike & his friend turned father-in-law, Charley, enlist the help of their pilot friend Josie to head up a remote section of Northern Maine to check in on a builder working in the area, but upon arrival they're met by a very dangerous man. Drugged, knocked out, and tied to a tree, Mike, Charley & Josie must fight to survive. Freeing himself, Mike works to untie his friends before rushing off to catch the man responsible. Racing through the extremely remote part of Maine that borders Canada, Mike must move quickly without being spotted. It's cold, wet, and muddy, and on his way, he encounters several other complications.... both environmental and human. Moving quickly and maintaining the suspense, readers won't be able to put this one down as they follow Mike to the border!

I absolutely loved this one! It's fact paced and reminded me a lot of Dead by Dawn, which I also really enjoyed. While I'm aware this is not a popular opinion, I am not a huge fan of Stacey (I strongly preferred him with Dani) and this book had very little Stacey in it which really worked for me. I do love Charley, but having Mike chasing the bad guy alone- rather than with an eighty-year-old man tagging along- allowed for the pacing to stay consistently fast and made it very difficult to put down from the very beginning. The only thing I didn't love about this book is that at the end, on the Candian Border, the name choices for the people and places were primarily French and multi-word (L'Auberge Lac Portage, Saint-Georges-de-Beauce, Nadeau, Prolux) which I understand from a setting perspective (there are Candian words and people at the Canadian Border, obviously) but as an American reader actually reading (not listening) my brain tripped over so many words and the bits of French and I ended up looking them up to see how to pronounce them so it really put the brakes on the speed of the story. There are so many Canadian surnames or camp sites that would be less of a mouthful, In the end it didn't have any impact on how much I loved the story, just something I personally struggled with a bit.

Overall, absolutely 10/10, I am a huge Mike Bowditch fan but this one is right up there with The Precipice & Dead by Dawn for my favorite in the series!

Well that escalated quickly.

There's practically no set up before you're haggling with a persnickety lady for a ride to a remote logging house to a murder, kidnapping, international crimes etc. You'll learn a lot about rural Maine and things just keep happening. There's no stopping point, even when I'm like how is this dude (no spoiler bc you'll have no idea which one I mean) still up and moving. It's a lot and goes by super quickly. I've never read anything else by this author so I don't know if it's a series but I didn't need a lot of backstory to get engaged.

Pitch Dark is the latest in the Mike Bowditch Series and it's quite the nail-biter! This time out, when Mike, his father-in-law, and a famed bush pilot witness a murder, they become captives. Mike escapes and races through the unforgiving Maine wilderness to stop a mysterious killer before it’s too late.

He's forced to set off through the impenetrable Maine forest towards Canada, alone and unarmed in pursuit of a mysterious fugitive. As he navigates a windblown landscape choked with deadfalls and blocked by swollen streams, the killer seems to possess skills surpassing Mike's own. Natural predators aren't the only killers using Maine's wilderness as a stalking ground!!

The author is a native of Maine and is an outdoorsman, himself, which undoubtedly adds authenticity to the voice of the series. I recommend it!

Many thanks to both #MinotaurBooks and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of #PitchDark. This book is #15 in the #MikeBowditch series, with the expected publication date of June 25, 2024.

#MaineMurder #PaulDoiron

This story revolves around a Maine game warden who goes on a search for alleged missing person. The writing is great, but it was a little slow for me. This is part of an extended series, so it's helpful to have read the previous books, but not necessary to follow along in this one. There are many twists throughout the book, but I was able to guess the outcome pretty early on. I would definitely recommend picking this one up, especially if you want to get started on a longer, well-written series.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and voluntarily provided an hour review

Pitch Dark is another exciting title from Paul Doiron in the Mike Bowditch series. It's another wild ride through the wilderness that does not disappoint!

Another Paul Doiron classic. His writing and plot development never fails to disappoint this mystery reader. I also enjoy the Maine setting and the continuous tension created between man and nature. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the advanced reader copy of one of my most anticipated reads of 2024. All opinions are my own.

I began reading this series when my daughter was born 15 years ago. I am so impressed that Mr. Doiron writes one Mike Bowditch adventure a year. Mike is one of those iconic fictional characters who I find myself thinking about long after I've finished the books. I always look forward to seeing what's next for Mike.

This is also one of my favorite series to recommend to people who like a good mystery, an action-packed thriller or just overall a damn good book.

This book packed a punch right from the get go and never let up. Mike is called to assist in locating a man who has gone missing in the woods, a man who's been asking questions about a backwoods resident and his daughter. When Mike decides to start his investigation by visiting them, he and his father-in-law Charley stumble onto a MUCH bigger case than they anticipated. I love how each of his books has a moral dilemma as part of the plot, as well as a true appreciation for nature.

My only criticism of this particular outing was not enough Stacey or Shadow.

Highly recommend.

Maine Game Warden Mike Bowditch is my book BFF and this is the most exciting adventure in the series.

Mike gets a call from a rookie game warden about the potential of a missing man that went out on an ATV. Mike, of course, is going to investigate and calls Charley – his mentor and father-in-law. What seemed like a straight-forward welfare check, turns into a high-stakes adventure in the Maine forests on the border of Canada. And as the bodies add up, Mike is worried that his will be added to the total.

I could not turn the pages fast enough – it was thrilling, suspenseful and I’m sure my crush on Mike Bowditch upped the anxiety levels!

Read the entire series – I’ve loved all the books!

Having previously read The Trespasser, I'd jumped at the chance to read another in this series. Pitch Dark can be read as a stand-alone, but it would be helpful to have some previous knowledge of the characters. (I'm rather fond of Mike's father-in-law.) Paul Doiron is a talented author who immerses a reader into the Maine/Canada outdoors. As a game warden, he is faced with both danger and the beauty of the woods. In Pitch Dark, he is on a hunt where he lives through at least five things that would kill the normal person. At times, I found the story to lag, and while I saw the ending coming quite early, readers will find the storyline chock full of adrenaline and twists. Thank you to Netgallery for furnishing me with an early copy.

Once again, Paul Doiron, offers us another captivating adventure in book 15 of the Warden Mike Bowditch series. Newlyweds Mike and Stacey are spending a rainy evening in their cabin with their mostly wolf hybrid Shadow when a call for help comes from a fellow Warden in a far Northern part of Maine. A suspicious visitor who had been asking questions about a Cabin Master and his daughter has disappeared . Thinking that the Cabin Master may be in trouble from the stranger, Mike agrees to do a wellness check. As the cabin being built belongs to a friend of Stacey’s father, Charlie, a retired Warden, he offers to join Mike on a visit. The feisty, eccentric owner offers to fly them in. A friendly visit quickly heads to the dark side and Mike finds himself in a desperate chase that eventually leads him into Canada. As always, Mike quest for the truth gets him into trouble, but the ending is truly a shock. This is a great book! My only regret is that I read it too quickly and now have to wait for the next adventure. I was lucky enough to be given an advanced copy by NetGalley, but the opinion is my own. Well done!