Seem to have been running into a lot of stories lately about the wilds of Maine, and its feral folk. I can appreciate that, years ago we took a vacation through that neck of the woods. Maine coast was lovely, and we decided to head back through the interior of Maine just to see what there was to see. Walls of pine was what there was. As a Western girl, I prefer forests that are a little less crowded, I think. But it made me appreciate stories like this one a bit more.
Mike Bowditch is a game warden in rural Maine, which the locals feel is rather ironic, since his father was well known to be a poacher, not to mention a raging alcoholic. However, his father left for parts unknown many years back, and Mike has had no contact with him for years. But now a local cop has been murdered along with another guy, and authorities seem to be convinced that it’s his old man, and are trying to hunt him down. Mike, however, can’t help but wonder if that isn’t just a handy solution. His dad may have been a reprobate, but Mike can’t believe he is actually a murderer.
And then there is the whole thing about the developers buying up land for resorts and subdivisions and how you really don’t notice unless you fly overhead because they are going to leave the forest near the roads as untouched for as long as possible, aren’t they. A cast of well delineated characters and plot twists left me hooked to the end. A well done debut novel.