The Bone Orchard

Mike Bowditch #5

by Paul Doiron

In the aftermath of a family tragedy, Mike Bowditch has left the Maine Warden Service and is working as a fishing guide in the North Woods. But when his mentor Sgt. Kathy Frost is forced to kill a troubled war veteran in an apparent case of "suicide by cop," he begins having second thoughts about his decision.

Now Kathy finds herself the target of a government inquiry and outrage from the dead soldier's platoon mates. Soon she finds herself in the sights of a sniper, as well. When the sergeant is shot outside her farmhouse, Mike joins the hunt to find the mysterious man responsible. To do so, the ex-warden must plunge into his friend's secret past—even as a beautiful woman from Mike's own past returns, throwing into jeopardy his tentative romance with wildlife biologist Stacey Stevens.

As Kathy Frost lies on the brink of death and a dangerous shooter stalks the blueberry barrens of central Maine, Bowditch is forced to confront the choices he has made and determine, once and for all, the kind of man he truly is, in The Bone Orchard by Paul Doiron.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Crime, Audiobook, Suspense, Mystery Thriller

306 pages, Hardcover

First published July 15, 2014

About the author

Paul Doiron is the best-selling author of the Mike Bowditch series of crime novels set in the Maine woods.

His first book, The Poacher’s Son, won the Barry Award and the Strand Critics Award and was nominated for an Edgar for Best First Novel. His second, Trespasser, won the 2012 Maine Literary Award. His novelette “Rabid” was a finalist for the 2019 Edgar in the Best Short Story category. Paul’s twelfth book, Dead by Dawn won the New England Society’s 2022 Book Award for Fiction, as well as his second Maine Literary Award. It was also a finalist for the Barry Award. His books have been translated into 11 languages.

Paul is the former chair of the Maine Humanities Council, Editor Emeritus of Down East: The Magazine of Maine, and a Registered Maine Guide specializing in fly fishing.

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I liked it.

[Sandysbookaday (taking a step back for a while) · Rating 4 out of 5]

'It was called "the bone orchard" because there was a family cemetery hidden amongst the roots of the trees. The mossy gravestones were so weathered, you could no longer read the names of the dead.'

Although this is #5 in a series, it works perfectly well as a standalone. The Bone Orchard was a great read, and I didn't feel as though I had missed out on anything that would have enhanced it further by not reading the earlier books.

Mike Bowditch has left the Maine Warden Service and is working as a fishing guide in the North Woods. But when his mentor Sgt. Kathy Frost is forced to kill a troubled war veteran in an apparent case of "suicide by cop," he takes leave to support her.

As he arrives at her house, Mike is shot at before finding Kathy's almost lifeless body in the doorway of her home, along with that of her dog. Mike, an outcast from the wardens, joins the hunt to find the man responsible and in doing so has to confront his lifestyle choice.

This is an extremely satisfying read. The characters all have great depth, the writing is descriptive, enlightening, and well-paced. I will be reading more from Paul Doiran.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Group UK, Constable for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

In this 5th addition to the 'Mike Bowditch' series, the hunting/fishing guide investigates the shooting of his former mentor. The book can be read as a standalone.

*****

Sergeant Kathy Frost and her partner, Maine game wardens, are forced to shoot a badly disfigured Gulf War veteran, Jimmy Gammon, in self-defense ("suicide by cop").



However, Jimmy's family and friends, as well as other veterans are infuriated by the incident.....and a few days later Kathy is shot and badly wounded.



It so happens that Mike Bowditch - an ex-game warden who was visiting his former mentor Kathy - was on the spot at the time, and was also injured. Mike, who quit being a warden because of friction with a commanding officer, feels compelled to look into the case. It's not so easy because Mike has no badge and no authority.



Mike - who is now a hunting/fishing guide - has a lot of time on his hands which he uses to hang out, visit people, and talk talk talk a lot. To me it seemed like many scenes were extraneous to the story and slowed down the action too much.



There are a lot of characters in the story, including Jimmy's distraught parents and friends; Kathy's alcoholic trouble-making brother; Mike's ex-girlfriends; various game wardens; clerks and waitresses; and so on - which leads to an abundance of suspects. Mike keeps investigating and solves the case, but the solution seems a bit out of left field and isn't quite satisfying.

The setting is interesting, but the story is too meandering and slow for my taste.

You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....

[Chris Gager · Rating 3 out of 5]

My brother gave me three Doiron books for Christmas and it looks like this(#5) will be the first one for me. As soon as I finish the doorstop I'm reading now. Tonight?

Finally got started on this and I'm enjoying it. Plenty of real Maine grit and atmosphere(it seems to never stop raining) and accurate locations. I don't live in the areas cited in this book, but I have some familiarity with them. I was in the Maine Med E.R. just a few weeks ago ... I have a few nits to pick with some of the author's choices of words and phrases. I.E. - people don't refer to anything in or near Portland as "the expressway" - it's just "295"(Interstate 295). Sometimes authors have to "generalize" word usage so as to allow non-natives/residents to keep up.

Moving toward the endgame last night's dramatic rescue thing seems to have little to do with the plot. Seems like an extreme way for Bowditch to get into the good graces of a previously hostile Danielle. Finish tonight? Will the Jepson thing be the key to the mystery? We'll see ...

Finished a couple of days ago and well enough satisfied. I have two more on my shelves and I'll get to them eventually. The mystery here is pretty boilerplate stuff, but the Maine atmosphere and locations counts for a lot.

3.25* rounds down to 3*.

[Carla Remy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mike Bowditch left the Maine Warden service. But in this book he still ends up solving crimes, saving his friend’s life and rescuing people. So of course he realizes that being a warden is where he belongs.
I liked when this tells about the introduction of wild turkeys to Maine. They are everywhere.

[Sharon Mensing · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mike Bowditch is growing up. His job as game warden implies that he might be older than he is, but the previous books in the series have made it clear that he's still got a lot of maturing to do. After all, he's still under 30. As THE BONE ORCHARD opens, Mike has left the service and become a bearded, long-haired, fishing guide. He's caretaking the remote mansion that featured in book MASSACRE POND, the previous book in the Bowditch series, and just sort of generally being irresponsible. His boss when he was a warden, Sgt. Kathy Frost, is angry at him for quitting the service after she had stood up for him time and time again, and everyone he meets says, "Oh, yeah, I know you. You're the guy who got fired from the Maine Warden Service." In other words, his immature actions have resulted in his living a pretty marginal life.

But then, Sgt. Frost is the cop in a "suicide by cop" case, and the tables are turned with Bowditch reaching out to provide assistance. When Frost is injured in a sniper attack, and signs appear to tie it to the suicide case, Mike jumps in. In his typical unconventional style, he manages to insinuate himself into the case and almost single-handedly solve it. The case is multi-layered, and Mike matures into a similarly multi-layered man as the case develops. In the end, Mike makes some choices about his life that followers of the series will appreciate and which will seem reasonable even to those new to the series.

The one possibly jarring note to the book is the number of times that Mike's beard comes up. He is consistently referred to as looking like a homeless man, and virtually everyone with whom he comes into contact advises him to shave his beard. The beard is meant to represent the relationship between Mike and his father (read the first in the series, THE POACHER'S SON, for details). But Doiron lays this on a little thick. How the beard issue is resolved fits with the overall trajectory of the book and of Bowditch's life, in the end.

I've read the full series and enjoyed all the books. Doiron seems to be getting better, and Bowditch more nuanced. Doiron's writing brings the remote woods of Maine to life, and there is a generosity of character in the books that just feels good no matter how many folks die.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Mike Bowditch has left his job as Maine game warden and he's working as a fishing guide. He also acts as caretaker of a large lodge in return for a luxurious cabin and extra money to supplement his fishing excursions. He learns that Sargeant Kathy Frost, his mentor, shot and killed a war veteran in self defense while answering a call. Kathy had Bowditch's back on numerous occasions and she refers to him as Grasshopper. Bowditch heads to Kathy's home to see her and runs into a shooting situation. Bowditch is slightly wounded but Kathy is near death from the shotgun shots. Although he has no legal authority any longer and not a lot of friends in the warden service, Bowditch is determined to track down Kathy's shooter.

I learned something in this book that I did not realize. In Maine, game wardens are full law enforcement officers and have the same authority as a state trooper. Call for a cop and a game warden may show up. This may be true in all states and I just never understood.

I've read 6 out of the 8 books in this series and this one is my favorite so far. I'm reading them out of order but that has no effect. I've ordered the last two books and they should be here next week. This series has easily become one of my favorites and I read a lot of series! I've never visited Maine but Doiron describes the birding and fishing beautifully. In this book, the rain was constant.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the 5th book in the Mike Bowditch series. I've a read a few of them but not all of them. This series falls between 3 and 4 stars. I like the plots the most. This author creates a good story and he includes subplots too. He can weave it all together nicely and I like that there is always something going on.

The MC was a bit of a 'sad' character in this one, but things always seem to work out for him. There were many different characters in this one, but even the ones with the shortest roles, still added interest. That is always appreciated because I'm not fan of 'character parades'.

[Peggy Strack · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't usually read crime novels, but the Mike Bowditch series was highly recommended to me by a bookseller. I'm glad I listened. The Bone Orchard moved along swiftly with suspense, emotion, and superb storytelling. I read it in two days because I could not put it down. I look forward to reading the other four novels in the series.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the newest addition to the Mike Bowditch series by Paul Doiron. I recommend starting at the beginning of the series and working your way through to the Bone Orchard. However, I've found that the books are enjoyable as well from any starting point. If you enjoy the outdoors, relish the challenge of a complicated human experience, and like becoming involved in solving "the doer of the deed" crimes, then this one is most satisfying. The books are set in Maine and revolve around the life of a not-so-run-of-the-mill game warden. Mike is a malcontent who finds himself in unending situations with his superiors and with the people who try to circumvent the law. Paul Doiron brings out the best and the worst of Mike Bowditch throughout the series. Extremely satisfying read!

[Steven Meyers · Rating 5 out of 5]

After three years as a Maine game warden, the 27-year-old Mike Bowditch quits. It’s springtime and he’s now a fishing guide. In the two months he’s been out of law enforcement, Bowditch has let his close-cropped hair grow long and he must be some kind of Chia Pet because he’s already sporting a beard. The story takes place during a period of overcast skies with long periods of rain. Mr. Doiron’s fifth adventure about Bowditch holds up like the previous installments. Each book is a self-contained story. It isn��t necessary to read the previous four books (The Poacher’s Son, Trespasser, Bad Little Falls, and Massacre Pond) but you will miss out on the evolution of Bowditch’s character and a few other reoccurring ones.

The poor guy just doesn’t seem to get many breaks. He is smitten over a woman who is intentionally keeping him at a distance and, during his three years as a game warden, Bowditch confronted many rural malcontents as well as a few game wardens that hold grudges against him. The protagonist’s mentor, Kathy Frost, winds up killing a disfigured war veteran who was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Now someone or some people are out to kill her. The story includes a decent number of possible suspects who all need serious treatments in anger management. While Bowditch is not in law enforcement anymore, he is still protective of his mentor. The story does have a smattering of humor and a very short explicit sex scene. It also includes some interesting law enforcement stats and information about Maine that adds color to the story. The book was published in 2014 and even alludes to our state’s ill-mannered governor, Paul LePage, without directly using his name. ‘The Bone Orchard’ moves along at a brisk pace and has some tender heartfelt moments. The climax of the story is first-rate.

Overall, it’s a fun adventure/mystery. Mr. Doiron even mentions fiddleheads. How can any person or, at least, Mainer not like an author who inserts a line about the Maine delicacy? I enjoyed being in lonely Mike Bowditch’s tenacious but guilt-ridden head. The author continues to broaden the Maine mystery series much to my satisfaction. The books are consistently wonderful distractions from more serious reading material and you’ll learn some neat trivia about Maine. Ayuh.

[judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anyone who has not read this series would be well advised not to start with this book. This almost felt like some kind of bridge. It cleaned up things from the past and set the stage for the next book. I do like this series and will continue but I didn't find this book as enjoyable as other fans did. My reaction was that it was bumpy--not the smooth transtions I've come to expect.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a thrill ride! Whether he's a game warden or a civilian--wen it comes to Mike Bowditch, I'm a fan.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three things besides the plot and characters that I really like about Doiron:

1. His character has a sense of smell. This may seem like a silly thing to point out, but it isn't--at least to me. I am getting so very, very tired of books that are written as though they were movies. Sight and sound only. No smell. Mike Bowditch has a nose and knows how to use it! :)

2. No annoying sound track. I am also very tired of writers who go into excruciating detail about every single song the main character listens to, what he likes about it and/or the artist, what he likes better, what he likes less, what he doesn't like at all. Oh, and isn't it just the strangest thing that every one of these characters prefers little known music over mainstream music. It is as though there's some unofficial contest among writers to seek out the most obscure music then fill page after page extolling its virtues.

3. I have yet to find even a single scene from a movie in his writing. There are so many writers who basically wordize movie scenes then plop them down in their books. Not to name names, but one writer, cough-Michael-cough-Connelly-cough, has gotten so that he does this all the time. Does he think his readers never watch movies, or if they do, that they won't recognize the scenes? I have yet to figure out if it's ignorance or laziness, or perhaps a combination of both, but whatever it is, I do not like it. Hurray for Doiron for not falling into this trap!

That's what I like. Now for what I don't like. This is a short list. As a matter of fact, it only has one item on it--the sex scenes. They, or in this book's case it as there was only one, add nothing to the story or the character development. To be brutally honest, it came off as clumsy and more than a little embarrassing. Embarrassing as in it was so bad I had to wince my way through it. Mr. Doiron, next time, just say no, ok? :)

I enjoyed the first Mike Bowditch book, and it seems with each one, they get better and better. This is fast becoming my favorite series!

[Lea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul Doiron has done it again! I think this is the best of his books so far ... despite his leaving a conventional mystery format (Mike Bowditch, his main character, has turned in his badge so is no longer an official crime fighter and, in a sense, is now amateur sleuth with contacts and experience.) This twist also gives him a lot of freedom to explore possibilities, and his own life and relationships. Characters from earlier books walk through the pages of THE BONE ORCHARD, bringing readers up-to-date on Bowditch's life. A short (I expect) respite from Bowditch's life as a Maine Warden, chasing bad guys ... gives Paul Doiron the opportunity to focus on mid-coast Maine, on who Bowditch is, and on who he is becoming. No disappointments here ... if you haven't read Paul Doiron's books, and you love Maine and mysteries and the wilderness ... The Bone Orchard should be on your "must read" list.

[Sharon Huether · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mike Bowditch got tired of being a game warden. So he just quit and was working as a river guide. He was still the same "Mike". When an emergency came up. Who was the first one on the scene it was Mike. A very dangerous situation came about when a female warden was shot. Mike was there and saved her life. He had an idea who the perpetrator was and went after him. It wasn't hard to be reinstated as a Maine Game Warden. I love how the author draws the reader into each scene. You feel like your in the woods too.

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read all the Bowditch books and I continue to enjoy the development of the characters. Paul Doiron writes as if he's dissecting an onion. Layer by layer we are witness to the growth(or lack of it) in Mike Bowditch and all the characters.

I appreciate the knowledge of Maine that Doiron uses to describe this vast state. I'm from "away", as they say here, and like the snippets of information tucked into these books.

I'm a fan, and can't wait for the next installment in the life and times of Mike Bowditch.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 4 out of 5]

After Matt Bowditch leaves the Maine warden's department, his immediate supervisor and mentor is involved with a suicide-by-cop incident a wealthy veteran. These she is shot and almost killed. Matt becomes involved as he tries to locate who tried to kill his friend. This is a good who done it set in Maine.

[Chad Preston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by Paul Doiron!

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars out of 5
This is my first read by this author who was born in and lives in Maine, the most rural state in the U.S. The focus of this story is Mike Bowditch who has spent many years as a game warden. The job, by his description, varies day-to-day, ranging from hunting poachers to tracking and capturing rabid bears 🐻 etc. Mike frequently finds himself in hot water for what other rangers to be unconventional methods in his job.

As this story begins, Mike has resigned as a game warden and is now a fishing guide. One night a call goes out about a veteran of the war in Afghanistan is in trouble and his family has called 911 for help. Mike’s former supervisor sergeant Kathy Frost is forced to kill the veteran in what appears to be a case of “murder by cop”. Now, Kathy is herself shot by an apparent sniper out to avenge the veteran’s death. Mike uses his investigative skills to try to figure out who tried to kill Kathy.

Having recently vacationed in Maine and experiencing the countryside and beauty that abounds, i especially loved the author’s vivid description of the landscape and the fauna and animal life that make their home in Maine.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mike Bowditch is no longer a Maine game warden but that doesn’t mean he’s stopped investigating. He’s grown his hair and a beard and is now a wilderness guide. Investigating is in his DNA and he seems to have the luck or misfortune to be in the right or wrong place at the right or wrong time.

In this case he’s visiting his former sergeant and mentor after she’s been placed on administrative leave after a suicide by cop shooting of a veteran. It’s not the visit or reconciliation he had hoped for so he leaves. Within minutes he calls her back and returns to see her dog shot dead and his windshield exploding. Mike is instrumental in getting her medevac’d and thus begins a vigil and his unrelenting search for the shooter. The story goes down many paths, some leading to past loves. He uncovers much about his sergeant who was a very private and professional person. It takes him all over Maine. Just a great series with a very believable and imperfect main character.

[Patti · Rating 3 out of 5]

My mom found this book at a Dollar Store and she picked it up for me. I didn't realize it was part of a series until I started reading. I hate joining a series in the middle. But...

I enjoyed the writing. Doiron really has a feel for setting the scene.

What I didn't like was that the bad guy came out of nowhere. There were barely a couple mentions, most not even including his actual name, so when his full name was revealed, I was like "Huh? Who's that?"

I may try another one, just to see if the plot is better.

[Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m addicted to this series right now. Had the chance to meet Paul recently. Great guy. Can’t wait to read more.

[Linda Armeni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the main character and the nature descriptions. Intriguing story

[Kevintipple · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is late May and Mike Bowditch has recently done what some in the Maine Warden Service have long wanted---he quit. These days he is working as a fishing guide. That decision had many consequences some of which were obvious and some that were not. One of the not so obvious ones, at least to Mike, was the fact that he wasn’t available when his friend and mentor Sargent Kathy Frost needed him the most. Instead, she was with a rookie officer when dealing with the call about a troubled veteran who might be suicidal.

Unfortunately, things escalated quickly when Sargent Frost and Danielle “Dani” Tate arrived on scene. Fearing for their safety they were forced to shoot Jimmy Gammon. The same Jimmy Gammon Mike had known before he was deployed to Afghanistan where he would suffer severe wounds thanks to an IED. Jimmy died in his parent’s barn and the officers are on suspension and being investigated.

The family is outraged as are many other people and both officers are receiving threats. Somebody may have decided not to wait for the investigation into the shooting to conclude. Who fired the shots at her home that killed her dog, Pluto, and gravely wounded Kathy Frost is one of the many questions Mike Bowditch intends to answer. He faces an uphill battle because of his status as a civilian and numerous complications via various secondary storylines. Sticking in his nose in things and being his normal obstinate self is going to cost--- the real question is just how much.

Fifth in a great series that started with The Poacher’s Son author Paul Doiron continues to bring the beauty of the Maine woods alive for readers in ways that few authors can achieve. He also mixes in plenty of mystery, adventure, and humanity making all the characters-- major and minor-- fully fleshed out people and not caricatures. Award winning Paul Doiron has crafted another very good book in an excellent series that shows no sign of stopping. Like all really good ones, this is a series that is best read in order.

The Bone Orchard
Paul Doiron
http://www.pauldoiron.com
Minotaur Books
http://www.minotaurbooks.com
ISBN# 978-1-250-03488-5
Hardback (also available in e-book
$25.99
306 Pages

Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano Texas Public Library System.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2014
Blog at http://kevintipplescorner.blogspot.com/

[Chris Cummings · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found The Bone Orchard buried beneath an apple tree in a dirty farm some years ago. No, wait... I got it for my kindle from Amazon, and I urge you to do the same.

This is a strange story, and I am a fan of those. From gothic horror to bizarro fiction to old and new weird tales from all genres, I am a fan of the strange and oddball stories that writers create, and this, written by Eldritch James, is about as darkly peculiar as you can find. A gritty southern tale of parents welcoming three sons into the world and finding that they each have individual peculiar traits. One can read minds, the other can shrink to unseeable size, and the other is a red eyed, charred-skinned demon with sharp teeth. When the demon baby is removed from their lives, the other sons grow older, but then things begin to occur. Their father is taken ill and they discover that their demon brethren isn't quite as "gone" as they thought he was.

It is a horror story in many ways, as well as a very unique and shocking tale of brotherhood and revenge. What if the bad seeked revenge? Well, The Bone Orchard explores that, among other things, in this short novella.

I had a lot of fun reading this. James' writing is very good and he offers a voice I wanted to hear and experience. I could have read more about the lives of the characters and their experiences with what happened, but I am happy with how it all worked out anyway. It didn't take long to read, and it's free right now on Amazon Kindle, so I reckon you should grab it and give it a shot. It may be unlike anything else you've read.

4 out of 5

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of those books I really wanted to like. I'd had the audio in my glove box if I ever ran out of books on a trip--and that's just what happened. I've listened to others and liked them okay, but either I wasn't in the mood or this is a better book than audio. In it's favor it has a great sense of place--Maine woods--seen through the eyes of a former game warden who couldn't put up with the rules. And my major problem was I just didn't like him. The book is reminiscent of those by C. j. Box (game warden in Wyoming) and William Kent Krueger (upper Minnesota) with lots of outdoors and interesting characters and puzzles, so it matters if one doesn't like the protagonist. Interesting mystery and fearless hero, just not what I wanted.

[Frosty61 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the setting (Maine northwoods) and character development.

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok...

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this 5th book in Paul Doiron's "Mike Bowditch" series!
This series is getting better with each book!