I've had this book on my Kindle Unlimited list for a couple of years, and needed to read it so I could add something else. I'm sure the only reason I selected this book to begin with is because of fond memories of my sixth grade teacher reading us the book, Carry On, Mr. Bowditch, by Jean Lee Latham back in 1970. I absolutely loved that story, but it bears no resemblance at all to this book's Mr. (or should I say Warden) Bowditch. This Bowditch is Mike Bowditch, a new Game Warden in Maine who makes a bunch of mistakes trying to clear his father of suspicion of murdering a developer and his police bodyguard. The problem is that Mike's father has fled the scene (after beating up another law officer), and no one else believes in his innocence. Mike does his best to tank his career, dump his girlfriend and alienate everyone around him except for an old retired game warden, who seems to believe in Mike, even if he doesn't believe Mike's father is innocent. This is the first of a 15 book series, and I did actually buy the second book, but I doubt I'll read all 15. Life is short, and I'm not that interested so far. ( )

(2010) Pretty good introduction to Maine game warden Mike Bowditch.A Maine Game Warden fights to clear his no-account father of murder charges in this deeply felt actioner.Even before his parents divorced, Mike Bowditch wasn't close to his father, and after the breakup, when Jack Bowditch descended into a swamp of womanizing and drinking, Mike had less and less to do with him. Since the last time he saw his father two years ago, he's become a Game Warden¥a slap in the face to both his poacher father and his girlfriend, Sarah Harris, who left Mike when she realized he was never going to go to law school. Now Jack's back in Mike's life with a vengeance. Someone has shot Jonathan Shipman, the spokesman for the deeply unpopular corporate purchaser of a 100-year-old campground that's obviously planning to shove the current residents aside in the name of development, and Bill Brodeur, the deputy who was guarding him. Det. Wayne Soctomah is convinced that Jack was the shooter. So is almost everyone else in Somerset County except for Mike and his mother, Marie Turner. Scorning Marie and her second husband, attorney Neil Turner, who go into hiding to avoid Jack, Mike vows to do whatever he can to vindicate the father who's been phoning him for help. His decision leads to a series of disastrously self-destructive actions that Doiron makes perfectly credible, all interspersed with a series of flashbacks to Mike's childhood that are both tender and chilling.C.J. Box goes East. Like Box, Doiron will have his hands full trying to top his accomplished debut.Pub Date: April 1, 2010ISBN: 978-0-312-55846-8Page Count: 336Publisher: Minotaur

After reading the second book in the Mike Bowditch series, I decided I really needed to read the first, even if I did have to read it on the telephone rather than my Kindle. There were just too many unanswered questions going on in the second book that would likely have been discussed in the first.

Mike Bowditch is a young Maine Warden, just getting his ears wet, so to speak. Then, word comes that his father might have murdered someone in another part of the state. Mike, who is impetuous, can't seem to keep his nose out of that issue. He is sure his father is no murderer, even though he is somewhat of a rogue in other ways, an alcoholic womanizer and poacher.

In this book, we get a rather clear picture of Mike's back story, which helps make later books easier to understand. Mike has a number of adventures and misadventures while he tries to clear up what actually happened up around, the Rum Ponds Sporting Camp, where his father lived, and where the murders went on.

Jack, Mike's father, appears to have fled after the apparent murder. Jack does make a call to his son, and also to his ex-wife, but is deliberately vague as to his whereabouts. Some folks think he might have made it to Canada.

Sorry, I got distracted and didn't manage to finish my review. Too late to do so now that we're in 2024. FWIW, the book merits a on it's rating, were that possible on Good Reads, i.e. *** .
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Book #1 in Mike Bowditch series ( )

The Poacher’s Son is the explosive start to author Paul Doiron’s exciting Mike Bowditch series. When we first meet Mike he is a young game warden, comfortable in the wilds of Maine, competent in rescuing and saving the animals under his care and capable at managing the people who come to hunt and fish. If only his personal life was as calm and orderly as his game warden activities seem. Mike is long estranged from his alcoholic, womanizing, poacher father; he hasn’t had much contact with him since his parents split up when he was young. He is something of a drinker himself and has just destroyed his relationship with the woman he cared about for years. Seems his early life has left him with some demons to wrestle.

Things go from borderline bad to very bad when a popular local cop is killed and the prime suspect is his father – who just escaped custody. Everyone except Mike believes he is guilty. Mike desperately wants to believe that however bad his father was – and is – he’s not capable of murder. He’s ordered to stay off the case but refuses to listen.

The Poacher’s Son is non-stop action with a fast-moving, well-constructed plot, characters that stand up with and for Mike, threaten him, betray him, endanger him. He’s hardheaded, doesn’t listen and needs to work out a lot of things, but he’s also dedicated and loyal, brave and skilled at taking care of himself in the woods. The suspense and mystery continue right up until the end: who can Mike trust, is Mike’s father guilty or not, and the biggest question – is Mike’s faith in him justified? Keeps you guessing and once this book is finished you are ready to pick the next in series up right away and continue reading. Great read, highly recommend. ( )