Two hikers go missing and Mike and Stacy work together ( )

Book #6 in Mike Bowditch series ( )

Another winner. If you had asked me before I started reading these stories if I would have been interested in a day in the life of a Maine game warden I would have said probably not. But it appears that author Paul Doiron has an endless well of events and circumstances to draw from, and I have found as working my way through the series that I am as interested in the words and the methods the wardens use and the tools they carry with them and the preparations they make as I am about the mysteries. And as the series has progressed and the relationship between Mike and Stacey has become more certain – at least that is Mike’s fervent wish – I also find I am enjoying this romantic side of Mike and the love story that is so skillfully woven into the warden duties, the intrigue and the danger. The many technical details are presented in a clear, understandable, fascinating way. The romance is bumpy but sweet, and the mystery is a thought-provoking trail of clues to follow.

Mike Bowditch is well-educated, well-spoken, intelligent; a clever young man with over four years on the job now. But as his friend Charley Stevens says, he is also ‘the youngest old fart he had ever met.’ Apt description. And Mike has been so inept at relationships and is even more so with Stacey. Their relationship finally seems to be starting for real, and he’s almost comically unsure and awkward. She never keeps her mouth closed, either, when she has an opinion to share, which makes them quite the couple. But though he’s unsure and awkward, he also understands her, sees to the core of her.

In The Precipice, two female hikers disappear in the wilderness. Lost? Accident? Coyotes? Something more sinister? Mike joins the desperate search to find them. Two unidentified corpses are discovered but the widespread fear is still there. The pace of the story picks up and accelerates to lightning speed when Stacey goes missing. Once again through solid, excellent writing Doiron portrays just how soothing, majestic, beautiful yet harsh and unforgiving the wilderness can be.

If you haven’t yet read this series, start now. Exciting, rewarding, satisfying. ( )

Some time has opened up for me to read physical books and I didn't want to waste this opportunity to whittle away at my physical bookshelves. After a couple of false starts, I realized I just wanted something entertaining and easy to read as I coast into Christmas, when I anticipate receiving some new additions to those shelves.

This book fit the bill. A game warden in Maine becomes involved in the search for two women who have gone missing as they neared the end of their Appalachian Trail through-hike. Did they leave voluntarily or has something sinister happened to them?

[b:The Precipice|23014722|The Precipice (Mike Bowditch, #6)|Paul Doiron|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1434471519l/23014722._SY75_.jpg|42580843] is a genuine page turner. It's well constructed, with plenty of plot twists and capably developed characters. The descriptions of the Adirondacks in Maine and the small local communities set a great background for the events. No dry spots; it held my attention all the way through.

The writing was above average, even if not brilliant. A blurb on the cover says that Doiron is "shaping up as the Tony Hillerman of the east". To me, that's an overstatement. The writing is clunky in places (particularly when the author is trying to tie in the backstories of the continuing characters), and there are WAY too many brand-name references. They don't add much color to the story if you aren't already the kind of outdoorsman who would know the differences among manufacturers of esoteric gear.

But those are really small quibbles. If you are interested in an outdoorsy version of a police procedural, you'd probably enjoy this. ( )

I discovered this author looking for books by Nevada Barr. Under the recommended books to read was Paul Doiron. I was so excited. Not only did the series have the feel of the Anna Pidgeon Series but it's in Maine! I am a true New Englander and always seek out stories that take place in places I have been, as it is just that little bit better to be able to visualize the story when you know its path but not what lays in the wake of that path. The towns and places are real so you can sink your teeth into the story. Things like this happen every day we just turn a blind eye to them. I think you will enjoy this and if you've hiked the trail you will feel like you are there in person. ( )