Trespasser by Paul Doiron

Trespasser by Paul Doiron is the second of his series featuring Game Warden Mike Bowditch, set in rural Maine.  Trespasser was published by Constable & Robinson's C&R Crime in May 2013.  The first in the series; The Poachers's Son was released in January.  You can read my review of it here.

"While on patrol on foggy March evening, Mike Bowditch receives a call for help. A woman has reportedly struck a deer on a lonely coast road. When the game warden arrives on the scene, he finds blood in the road - but both the driver and deer have vanished. The details of the disappearance seem eerily familiar. Seven years earlier, a jury convicted Erland Jefferts of the rape and murder of a college student and sentenced him to a life in prison. But when the missing woman is found brutalized in a manner that suggests Jefferts may have been framed, Bowditch receives a warning from state prosecutors to stop asking questions.

For Bowditch, doing nothing is not an option. And as he closes in on his quarry, he suddenly discovers how dangerous his opponents are, and how far they will go to prevent him from bringing a killer to justice."

Just like The Poacher's Son, this next instalment is a gripping well thought out and expertly paced thriller story.  Our hero, Mike Bowditch is a little older and a tiny bit wiser - having learnt a great deal in the first story about his father and their relationship.  However, Bowditch is still young and at times he is still hot-headed, often acting on his instincts, rather than with common sense.   These traits make Bowditch a realistic and likeable character, someone who is passionate about his work and has a strong sense of justice.

The plot line is cleverly put together, at times complicated, but with each strand of the story meshing together to create an exciting thriller with plenty of twists and turns along the way.

Paul Doiron

As the mystery unfolds, so does the character of Bowditch along with his partner Sarah and his Warden colleagues.  Again, Doiron has brought to life the wonderful Maine countryside, with it's beauty and wildlife and it's bleakness and share of criminals.

I enjoyed every minute of this story and look forward very much to reading the next in the series.

As always, my thanks go to the Constable & Robinson C&R Crime team for providing my copy for review.

More information about Paul Doiron and his books can be found at this website here, on Facebook here and on Twitter here