The Joe Pickett series is one of my favorite series I read.  I can never put an order to what my favorites are, but a new Joe Pickett comes out, it is my next read.  Hopefully, none of my other favorites come out at the same time.  That would just be pure hell.

Without getting into spoilers, wolf pack has different meanings other than just being the title.  At the end of the last book in the series, The Disappeared we find Joe fired from his Wyoming warden job by the Governor, but this being a Joe Pickett series, former Governor Rulon sees to it that Joe gets his old job back, along with a scandal for the new Governor and Joe gets a new boss.  He gets his old district back, his old badge number and a new truck and house since his old house had burned down due to arson.  These aren't really spoilers because you learn this in the first few pages of the book.

If you want to know about what the book is about then read the book cover.  Box comes up with things probably no other warden would ever come up against.  One thing about Box is that he is not the best writer you will come across.  Where he excels at is that he is a storyteller, like Craig Johnson.  His books are never too long, never padded with filler that starts to bore you, he just tells a story about Joe Pickett, his family, and friends.  I can't wait until his next book.

Wolf Pack by C.J. Boes

Book 19 in the Joe Pickett series

After reading Stay Hidden I've finally caught up to the complete series, that is until July 2nd of 2019, and after reading straight thru the series, I think I can go 5 months until I read another Mike Bowditch book.

In Stay Hidden, we find Mike Bowditch no longer a Warden, but a Warden Investigator, a Warden that investigates hunting accidents incidents (In law enforcement there are no longer accidents, ie car crashes) and sitting alone in his office being a 4 month rookie without the qualifications to investigate any incidents or murders while everyone else is at a shooting investigation.

Mike receives a phone call from an island off Maine about a death that could be hunting incident and is told by his superior to go investigate with another warden, that has the flu, and a Maine State Police Detective.  The detective is there to take over if the hunting incident turns to homicide.

Mike, being Mike has never played well with others so when the warden leaves with the body and the detective leaves for a court appearance Mike finds himself alone, with that chip on his shoulder that he must solve it before law enforcement returns.

Maquoit Island is run by the harbormaster, a mean tough man that will not allow his authority, which he really has none be usurped, even by the elected constable. Most of the people that live there year-round are lobstermen and feel they are outlaws kindred to the old west where the law is dealt out by the people themselves with no outside involvement.

With only a few hours before his superiors come to take over the investigation and Mike already in trouble with his Captain for the way he has run his first investigation, Mike works every angle to solve the crime.  Can he do it?

Paul Dorion has written a neat series and shows he is really capable of writing a best selling series.  I really suggest this series to anyone that enjoys law enforcement books and books about outdoor investigations.

Stay Hidden by Paul Doiron

Mike Bowditch series, book 9

I've gotten through 8 of the 9 books Doiron has written to date in the Mike Bowditch series.  Knife Creek is not the best book in the series but definitely not the worst I've read.

Mike is on temporary assignment in an area that has been recently been overtaken by feral pigs. While stalking out a group of pigs, called sounders Mike and his girlfriend Stacey come across a sow rooting in the mud.  Stacey takes the sow down but another sow attacks her and that sow is taken down after mildly goring Stacey.  Shortly after that, the 250-pound male is taken out.  While investigating they find what the pigs had been rooting in the mud at.  The corpse of a week old baby.

Mike, being the man of intrigue that he starts knocking on doors with the pretense of looking for more wild pigs.  Then he comes to THE house.  Two women and one is familiar but he can't put the face to what is in the back of his mind.

This starts out the 8th book of the series and it is pretty good.  Doiron really is good when it comes to putting down 'pen to paper' but he can be caught dragging a little every now and then.  Knife Creek is the start of a new way of life for Warden Mike Bowditch and tomorrow I start the 9th in his series, Stay Hidden.

I rate this a solid 3 stars

Knife Creek by Paul Doiron

Mike Bowditch series, book 8

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I think Paul Doiron has it down now.  This is his 7th book of his Mike Bowditch Series and now each book is getting better and better.  It appears Mike is growing up at the age of 28.

The book starts with a Mike Bowditch pulling over a suspicious woman that keeps asking Mike to take him back to his residence so they can talk.  Naturally, this being a book and also the curiosity of what she might want wins MIke over to the idea of taking her home, but Mike is very cautious. The woman explains that her son is a young man that just got out of prison on a couple of crimes of a sexual nature after being caught being 18 and sleeping with his underage girlfriend from an affluent family. She also tells Mike that her son and mike are step-brothers. Queue the soap opera organ music. She asks Warden Mike Bowditch too help find his long lost brother, which Mike reluctantly does.

The book follows Mike going to the area that the woman, Amber Langston lives and the resort she works at, named Widowmaker.  Between a near death arrest, he has to make at the beginning to this book and a near-death experience his girlfriend Stacey has, the book follows Mike through his investigation of his missing brother.

I still suggest that Paul Doiron's Mike Bowditch series is worth the read.  The past couple of books are books hard to put down.

Widowmaker by Paul Doiron

Mike Bowditch series book #7.

I seem to bounce around on my feelings about the books Paul Doiron writes for his Mike Bowditch series. His last book, The Bone Orchard was not as good as some previous books, but The Precipice is his best book yet, in my opinion. Paul did a really good job in all the areas of this book and kept my interest peaked the entire book.

Fact.  The Appalachian Trail goes through Maine, and include a stretch called the Hundred Mile Wilderness.

There is a sign at the southern entrance to the Hundred Mile Wilderness. It is made out of rust brown wood and painted with white letters, and it sends a stern and unmistakable warning to all who enter:

Caution. There are no places to obtain supplies or help until Abol Bridge 100 miles north. Do not attempt this section unless you have a minimum of 10 days’ supplies and are fully equipped. This is the longest wilderness section of the entire Appalachian Trail and its difficulty should not be underestimated.

 

Now for the review.  Two young women fresh out of college send a picture of themselves at the beginning of the trail and send it to their parents.  They say they should be through this leg of the journey in 10 days and they would contact their parents again when they have completed the Hundred Mile Wilderness trail.  After thirteen days the well to do and well-connected parents contact powerful people in high Maine government offices and the search begins.  Insert Warden Mike Bowditch.

As always Mike Bowditch thinks outside the box and with the help of his new girlfriend he gets started in the search and rescue.  Without giving away spoilers more deaths happen to make matters more urgent, both professionally and personally, Mike Bowditch gets the job done. As with all the books with one exception Mike Bowditch always gets his man or woman person. 

Sit back and read or listen to a very good story.  I've read some people suggest that The Precipice can be read as a stand-alone book but I really suggest that you start the series from the beginning.  I may be critical of a couple of books and have an issue with how he had described his sex scenes in the past books but this still is a good series.

The Precipice by Paul Doiron

Mike Bowditch series, book 6

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