Poacher's Son

By: Paul Doiron

Narrated by: Henry Leyva

Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Set in the wilds of Maine, this is an explosive tale of an estranged son thrust into the hunt for a murderous fugitive - his own father. Game warden Mike Bowditch returns home one evening to find an alarming voice from the past on his answering machine: his father, Jack, a hard-drinking womanizer who makes his living poaching illegal game. An even more frightening call comes the next morning from the police: They are searching for the man who killed a beloved local cop the night before - and his father is their prime suspect. Jack has escaped from police custody, and only Mike believes that his tormented father might not be guilty. Now, alienated from the woman he loves, shunned by colleagues who have no sympathy for the suspected cop killer, Mike must come to terms with his haunted past. He knows firsthand Jack's brutality, but is the man capable of murder? Desperate and alone, Mike strikes up an uneasy alliance with a retired warden pilot, and together the two men journey deep into the Maine wilderness in search of a runaway fugitive. There they meet a beautiful woman who claims to be Jack's mistress but who seems to be guarding a more dangerous secret. The only way for Mike to save his father now is to find the real killer - which could mean putting everyone he loves in the line of fire. The Poacher's Son is a sterling debut of literary suspense. Taut and engrossing, it represents the first in a series by Paul Doiron featuring Mike Bowditch.

©2010 Paul Doiron (P)2010 Macmillan Audio

Meh…just average

Other reviews have dissed the narrator. However, I’m from the Midwest and I think the narrator did a great job of a north eastern accent. It was good enough for me; I knew what he was trying to do.

The storyline is a whole other bag of worms. It was pretty bland. Throw in a couple of characters, throw in some cliché phrases that don’t add to the story, throw in a few more characters, kill a couple people, and then try to wrap it all up lately in the end. Very boring.

I could not like or hate the main character, Mike. The writing was such that I felt disconnected from the main character. Quite a bummer when you’re trying to get into the book.

Solid start to a series, but...

For the love of god, Bangor, Maine is pronounced “Ban-gore” not “Banger”. Every movie and audiobook, even Stephen King’s, mispronounce it. And Skowhegan is pronounced exactly as it’s spelled, not “Sko- hegan” as the narrator said about a hundred times. As a Mainer, it’s thoroughly annoying to hear this stuff. Maybe make a phone call to Maine before you narrate the book. Just sayin. Otherwise, I really enjoyed the book. And the narrator did a pretty solid job of nailing a Maine accent.

Book Good, Narrator Bad

The book was great but the narrator butchers the Maine accent and common landmark names. Probably forgivable if you're not familiar with Maine but agonizingly painful for those of us who live hear.

Love Is Strange

Altho this is NOT a romance novel by any stretch the depictions of relationships reveal a lot about how dysfunctional ones might look. Perhaps that helps explain some things about Mike Bowditch. His difficulty with forming close attachments his choice to pursue a career which guarantees as much close contact with creatures as it does with people. It may explain his impulsive sometimes self destructive behavior. Sometimes the choices he makes are maddening causing him more trouble than he deserves. On this one I lined up with Mike’s thinking trying to figure out who the culprits would be. I was in for a complete surprise. Where there’s even just a wisp of smoke there’s likely to be fire!

Boneheaded Main Character

Mike makes a ridiculous amount of bad choices. I really like imperfect characters but this dude is just a moron. It actually becomes exhausting listening to it.

Good story but flawed reading

The reader had a good narration voice, but the Maine accents weren’t authentic. Also, the name of the town is Sokw-hegan—not Sko-hegan.

Poacher's Son

I bought this book after I finish the Joe Pickett series by C J Box. I enjoyed the book and will continue with the rest of the series. I thought the narrator did a really good job.

Very good debut mystery thriller

I decided to try this book given its similarities to the Walt Longmire/Joe Pickett genre of mystery thrillers set in wilderness settings. I am glad I did. I give this book 3.5 stars, rounding up to 4. I like the depth to the characters and the complex mystery. Mike Bowditch, the protagonist, was authentic and often made decisions I thought weren’t the best ones he could have made, but he was a likable person. There was a fair amount of “setting the stage” for the story early on in the book, and initially thought it dragged down the story, but in retrospect, it was never too much at once, and it was a necessary part of the story. The final third of the book kept me on the edge of my seat (figuratively speaking, since I listen while I walk). I liked the physical setting of the book, the characters, and there certainly was a good twist in the mystery. I look forward to continuing this series.

Thank you, 207!

I saw Paul Doiron interviewed by Rob Caldwell on 207, a Maine current events and local news program. This led me to purchase the first in this series and give a listen. I really enjoyed it and am especially delighted that this is the first in a long series. Mike, the lead character is a very likable fellow and I will enjoy following him in the books to come.

The narrator did a great job!

Onto book 2.....

A great find

I love finding an author new to me whom I love. I want to read all his books.