The Poacher's Son

January 11, 2010
Down East
editor-in-chief Doiron takes a provocative look at the ties between fathers and sons, unconditional love, and Maine’s changing landscape in his outstanding debut. Game warden Mike Bowditch, who hasn’t heard from his dad, Jack Bowditch, in two years, wonders what the man wants from him after he comes home late one night and finds Jack has left a cryptic message on his answering machine. Mike later learns Jack is the prime suspect in the shooting murders of a cop and a timber company executive. Jack, a brutal alcoholic, makes his living poaching game, but Mike can’t believe Jack is a cold-blooded killer. Mike’s belief in his father puts his job at risk, alienates him from the police, and drives him further away from the woman he loves. Fans of C.J. Box and Nevada Barr will appreciate the vivid wilderness scenes. Equally a story of relationships and an outdoor adventure, this evocative thriller is sure to put Doiron on several 2010 must-read lists. 100,000 first printing; author tour.

May 31, 2010
Doiron's strong debut features Mike Bowditch, a newbie game warden, who hears that his estranged father, a hard-living poacher, has been accused of murdering two men and has escaped into a wilderness area. Ignoring the orders of both his superior and the police, Bowditch sets out to find his father and prove his innocence. The author makes the warden's journey so rich in boyhood memories, vivid characters, striking scenic wonders that it's a pity John Bedford Lloyd delivers such a staid performance. Stiff and straightforward, he only seems to catch the mood when giving voice to the man on the run, gruff Jack Bowditch, and other growling denizens of the Maine woods. A Minotaur hardcover (Reviews, Jan. 11).

Doiron's debut novel is part travelogue of the Maine north woods and part a look into the life of a game warden. The opening chapters poke along, working hard to breathe life into a fractured but somehow interesting story. Just about every law enforcement officer in Maine is searching for Jack Bowditch, who is accused of double murder; at the same time, Bowditch's son, Mike, the game warden, risks his career to help clear his dad. Narrator John Bedford Lloyd's workmanlike delivery saves the day. His vocal characterizations of various woodsy folks are engaging and authentic. Lloyd's presentation intensifies as the plot picks up steam and chugs toward a surprising conclusion. T.J.M. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine