Book Review: The Poacher's Son by Paul Doiron

If you've ever wondered what it would be like if C.J. Box novels were set in Maine, Paul Doiron is an author you need to check out. As much as I love Box's writing, there are aspects of his books --, the sweeping Western vistas, the ranch mentality -- that I sometimes have difficulty relating to. While I am certainly no more a native of Maine than I am of Wyoming, the ecosystems described in Doiron's book seem a lot more familiar to me.

The Poacher's Son is the first in a series of novels featuring Maine game warden Mike Bowditch. As the story begins, Mike is a 20-something warden just barely removed from training and working in a small coastal town. He lives alone, having recently split with his girlfriend over his choice of occupation and her desire to live a more "urban" existence. Late one summer night, he gets a phone message from his estranged father. Events unfold and he finds himself defending his fugitive dad from murder charges, perhaps at the expense of his fledgling career.

We learn that Mike's relationship with his father is complex and fraught with ugliness. Doiron paints an accurate and disturbing picture of a basically good person coming to grips with the way he was raised and the limitations of his father's love and acceptance. Interjected into the story is a father figure, retired warden Charley Stevens, who is everything that Mike wishes his father had been. It's a touching portrayal that may be just a bit heavy-handed at times but ultimately works. Charley helps Mike get to the bottom of the murders, and in doing so, put his conflicted feelings about his father behind him.

As a mystery, the story is okay, especially for a first-time author trying to establish characters and setting while working through the narrative. I'll give Doiron points for not getting too cute with the big reveal or coming up with some out-of-left-field ending. Having said that, there was a point at which I thought the story might be heading in a different direction and I think that might have been an interesting path to meander a little farther down.

If, like me, you are a fan of Box, James W. Hall's Thorn series or the even quirkier Keith McCafferty fly fishing mysteries, you will definitely enjoy this book. I'm giving it a B+ and am looking forward to checking out the other eight titles in the series.

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