"For a bookaholic like me, finding a great series is more satisfying than finding an ice cream shop with 24 flavors and a going-out-of-business sale. They both, however, share the same downside: Finding time to do them justice. For sure that's true in the case of this author's Mike Bowditch books; this is my first, and I'm determined it won't be my last.

The happy dilemma came about by way of an accident of sorts; my husband Jack, who's a bit hard to please when it comes to books, learned of the series on Facebook (I'll have to keep this in mind next time I start bashing social media). He loved this one, and as of this writing, he's on the fourth and still going strong (there are nine books in all, I believe). With his recommendation in mind - and a description reminiscent of another favorite series of mine, C.J. Box's game warden Joe Pickett - I decided to give this one a try. Now I, too, am itching to get at the rest (according to Jack, they get even better as they go along).

Set in a mostly remote mid-coast area of Maine, Mike is the son of a cantankerous backwoods dweller whose wife left when Mike was 9 years old, taking him with her. Despite his father's notable absence, Mike - now 24 years old - is drawn to his father's territory. He passed on law school in favor of the lifestyle of a game warden (a move that put him at odds with his mother and stepfather and more recently cost him his college sweetheart). One evening, he walks in his door to see his phone blinking; it's a cryptic message from the father he hasn't seen in years. A return call proves fruitless, but the next morning Mike gets an unwelcome hint at what's going on: A call from the local police, who want to know where Mike's father is. Turns out two men were murdered the previous night - one of them a police officer - and they believe Mike's dad is the killer.

Mike has no doubt of his father's tendency toward a nasty temper, but he's convinced that the man would stop short of killing someone. The police, however, see things very differently. Mike desperately wants to help, but because he's got an emotional stake in the outcome, the police warn him to keep his nose out of the investigation. Needless to say, Mike doesn't listen; the rest of the book details his efforts to find his father and clear his name, therein threatening both his career and possibly his own life. It's a nonstop adventure that brings out the best and worst of love, loyalty and betrayal with a bang-up ending. Highly recommended!
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