Review: The Poacher's Son by Paul Doiron

The Poacher's Son by Paul Doiron is the latest First Look selection from Barnes and Noble. The book is set to be released on May 11, 2010. This book is rich in detail and beautifully, accurately describes the woods of Maine.

I don't want to do the book an injustice - so here is the synopsis from bn.com:

Set in the wilds of Maine, this is an explosive tale of an estranged son thrust into the hunt for a murderous fugitive—-his own father.

Game warden Mike Bowditch returns home one evening to find an alarming voice from the past on his answering machine: his father, Jack, a hard-drinking womanizer who makes his living poaching illegal game. An even more frightening call comes the next morning from the police: They are searching for the man who killed a beloved local cop the night before—-and his father is their prime suspect. Jack has escaped from police custody, and only Mike believes that his tormented father might not be guilty.

Now, alienated from the woman he loves, shunned by colleagues who have no sympathy for the suspected cop killer, Mike must come to terms with his haunted past. He knows firsthand Jack’s brutality, but is the man capable of murder? Desperate and alone, Mike strikes up an uneasy alliance with a retired warden pilot, and together the two men journey deep into the Maine wilderness in search of a runaway fugitive. There they meet a beautiful woman who claims to be Jack’s mistress but who seems to be guarding a more dangerous secret. The only way for Mike to save his father now is to find the real killer—-which could mean putting everyone he loves in the line of fire.

The Poacher’s Son is a sterling debut of literary suspense. Taut and engrossing, it represents the first in a series featuring Mike Bowditch.

I will admit that there were times while reading the book that the protagonist irritated me greatly. He seemed chilish and hot headed to me. However, he is forced to grow up rapidly and while learning more about him - I was able to understand and cut the character some slack.

Paul Doiron is a native of Maine and the editor of Down East: The Magazine of Maine. I think these facts are what enabled Mr. Doiron to write this thrilling book in such a unique and under explored locale.

I look forward to reading more by Paul Doiron in the future. I congratulate him on an impressive first novel.