The Bone Orchard: A Novel (Mike Bowditch Mysteries)

The Mike Bowditch Mystery series is one of the best series currently available. Paul Doiron brings Maine to life in this series. When an author can transport a reader to a local through his words, you know he is a writer worth his salt.

Mike Bowditch is a rebel, a non-conformist, but a man of integrity. The kind of man you would want as a friend. Kathy Frost is lucky to have such a friend. She is very rightly annoyed with him for leaving the warden service. Because Mike is a natural. He has the deductive reasoning skills combined with a knowledge of the outdoors that makes him perfect for a warden's job. But Mike has been disillusioned and he is spending his days as a fishing guide. Until he talks to his friend...then tragedy strikes. Is a suicidal ex-soldier's death to blame or is it something else?

Mike Bowditch may no longer be a Maine Game Warden but he can never stop investigating...he can never stop being a warden. Bowditch is relentless in his search for the truth and his hunt for the shooter who shot his mentor Kathy Frost. As with each book in the series, Mike Bowditch grows up more before his eyes. As always there is plenty of action and twists and I loved the ending!

Fabulous addition to a wonderful series. Highly recommend.

Having been a veteran Maine Game Warden - and having lived the dream - I can honestly say I found Mr. Doiron's series of books to be amongst the best mystery thrillers yet. Each one has a story within itself of events that relate to his storyline and he has cleverly incorporated them into the imaginary wardens career! I hope there will be more.

I don't usually read crime novels, but the Mike Bowditch series was highly recommended to me by a bookseller. I'm glad I listened. The Bone Orchard moved along swiftly with suspense, emotion, and superb storytelling. I read it in two days because I could not put it down. I look forward to reading the other four novels in the series.

Mike Bowditch is no longer a game warden in Washington County, Maine. Instead, he is a fishing guide for wealthy tourists. Mike learns his former boss and mentor, Kathy Frost, has shot to death a man in self-defense. This man was Jimmy Gammon, an Afghanistan war veteran who had been horribly scarred, both physically and psychologically, from an exploding bomb surgically implanted inside an innocent child. A few nights later, Kathy steps onto her front porch to see why her dog, Pluto, is barking; she is critically wounded by a sniper. Mike arrives at the scene and barely escapes death himself. He begins investigating, despite harassment from angry game wardens and war veterans, and more violence ensues.

Paul Doiron's "The Bone Orchard" is the most intriguing of the Mike Bowditch mysteries [following "Massacre Pond" ([[ASIN:1250033934 Massacre Pond: A Novel (Mike Bowditch Mysteries)]]) and "Bad Little Falls" ([[ASIN:B00D57HDY6 Bad Little Falls: A Novel (Mike Bowditch Mysteries)]])]. Poor Mike experiences a week of hell as he searches for the shooter responsible for putting Kathy into a coma. Wardens are angry with him for quitting the team. War vets are angry with him because one of their own has been killed by a game warden and they still consider Mike to be one. On top of that, he has many female problems. The girl of his dreams, Stacy Stevens, still holds a grudge against him for being responsible for her boyfriend's arrest. A former college flame, Sarah, tries using him as a sexual distraction while still living with her older boyfriend. Danielle Tate, Kathy's partner, detests Mike; she thinks he blames her for Kathy's shooting.

Despite threats and intimidations, Mike, who is a large, scruffy man, isn't deterred from trying to locate Kathy's shooter. While reading "The Bone Orchard," I kept thinking, "There sure are a lot of big men in Maine." Mike visits his friend, Billy Cronk, who is in prison; he is a humongous man. So are some wardens and Afghanistan vets whom Mike encounters. One of the shooting suspects is described as "Neanderthal" in appearance. I guess one must be strong and powerful to survive the harsh, unforgiving climes of Maine, which is a large, beautiful state. Paul Doiron describes it as though it is a foreign country, with exotic flora and fauna. Everyone has snow mobiles, all-terrain vehicles, and pickup trucks. I can understand why Maine is popular with the tourists. Furthermore, it is next door to Canada.

Why do I like "The Bone Orchard" more than any of the other Mike Bowditch novels? Why do I highly recommend it to mystery fans? Despite its spectacular setting; graphic (sometimes gory) violence; vast assortment of realistic characters; and emotional, human drama; it is the whodunit mystery that grabbed me. Who shot Kathy Frost? She's a good, hardworking woman who doesn't deserve to die. But someone hates her because she was forced to shoot someone out of self-defense. Someone has been hiding in the shadows, burning with vengeance, waiting for the right time to strike. And they will kill again and again to keep their secrets forever buried in the bone orchard.

The Bone Orchard: Paul Doiron

Twenty-eight years ago Kathy Frost shot someone in self-defense. Decisions are made that often come back and haunt you and you never know when. Kathy Frost needed to make sure that Jimmy Gammon did not kill her or her partner Dani Tate. Home from serving his country and both physically and mentally wounded, Jimmy could not deal with life and wanted to end his. But, when Warden Kathy Frost and her partner Dani Tate arrived, his mother at hand wanting them to wait for her husband to come home, the situation became explosive and the end result tragic. The author begins with a replay of a 911-phone call and the highly volatile situation that a mother was about to face.

Jimmy Gammon came home from war a different person. His father encouraged and advised him to join the Main Army National Guard. Jimmy’s family is rich and his father quite powerful. The father had a quite imposing presence and was lobbyist as we hear the voice of former game warden Mike Bowditch relate the events that caused a young man with unpredictable actions and behavior lead not only him down a dangerous path but a close friend. As Kathy Frost and Mike’s mentor shoots and kills Jimmy Gammon, someone out there wants to make sure she is permanently silenced. Trying to connect with her and renew a friendship Mike finds himself hunting a dangerous killer who not only shoots Kathy and puts her in a coma, but also destroys his vehicle and injures him too. Bone Orchard: Paul Doiron: Someone is going around killing people as the travel the apple orchards and the blueberry patches but who is after Kathy and why you won’t believe?
Mike resigned as a game warden but his instincts are still shop and investigating the shooting and playing detective will not endear him with those in authority or anyone close to Jimmy. Friends and the media dub Jimmy, as a war hero and the fact Kathy shot him even in self-defense did not endear her to anyone.

Mike decided to become a fishing guide and during one tour he finds himself face to face with a poacher. As a warden he could deflect this guy and get him arrested as a fishing guide he did not take him seriously. Stacey Stevens was Mike’s girlfriend and Sarah another both did not work out. When we met Stacy in Massacre Pond she was engaged to a man named Matt and as the events played out and a dangerous killer of animals was found, Stacy’s engagement ended and so did her friendship with Mike.

Billy Cronk is now in the state prison in maximum security for bad behavior yet Billy is a close friend of Mike and his wife wants him to visit him. Added in Mike besides working as a fishing guide has taken up residence in Betty Morse’s estate as the caregiver of her property, which is soon to be short, lived. When Kathy is shot and he finds himself in the thick of the investigation, he no longer remains on her property, never tells her why and finds himself involved in more than he might be able to chew or handle.

Drinking and getting drunk seems to be the mode of escape for not only Mike but many of the other characters too as he comes face to face with Kathy’s brother, Kurt when trying to assess the crime scene and find a killer. News clippings about Jimmy were filed, Mike collected information about his death but something about it did not ring true. A visit to Billy in prison would enlighten him about Jimmy’s death, who not to speak to and why and possibly find Kathy’s killer. Flashbacks about his career, his relationships with Sarah and Stacy are reflected throughout the novel.

Kathy was the head of the division K9 Ream. Most of the wardens as Mike relates worked with dogs. German Shepherds or labs were used and when Kathy was found her dog Pluto was the second victim. An argument that sent him away and a phone call that would change it all as Mike calls her back, finds his way back to her house and the bullets fly, she is seriously down and the end result would remain unknown for a long time. The investigator in charge was Wayne Soctomah, whom Mike met was his own father was running from the law. Statements given, wanting to see Kathy at the hospital and a young reverend guiding him all the way.

Mike puts his life on the line to not only finds Kathy’s shooter but the connection to an older woman’s death from an article that Kathy had torn out of the paper. Who was Marta Jepson and what connection did her death have to Kathy? With a brother that had a death wish and Mike babysitting him to protect him from himself just who was this woman, what link did she have to what happened to Kathy and why would Kurt, take off drunk? There’s a killer out there and he’s going to take another life if Mike does not stop him. Investigators on every scene yet no one saw what was right in front of them and no one thought to look to the past to find the present. Revenge is really what most was after, as Jimmy’s family wanted more than a pound of Kathy’s flesh for their son’s death. Someone else wanted the same as revenge and retribution seemed this person’s only recourse with the hate the filled him for so long. Kathy is in serious condition and the doctors have no idea if she will survive. Dani Tate her partner follows the rules, does not budge but a secret if revealed would change it all. Mike learns more about Dani as a call comes through and both risk their lives to safe a young woman and then end result would change things for both. Who tried to kill Kathy? What was the verdict on the shooting of Jimmy? Will she ever recover? What lessons does Mike learn as a result and if given the change will he return to his old job and do what he likes best be a game warden? When the Colonel puts in for retirement and someone else is at the helm will changes be made for the better? A killer at lodge and a clock that is running out of time if he’s not caught. Bone Orchard: Once again author Paul Doiron delivers an action packed novel filled with uncovered secrets, character doubts and a young man named Mike that hopefully will discover as the front flap says: The kind of man he truly is!

I was buying the book for myself so I decided to try a used book. It arrived on time, well packaged and in the good condition as described.

Absolutely love his books..

Love all of Paul Doirons' books.

A great writer bringing a wonderful cast of characters to life!

great book