The disappearance of Mike Bowditch’s beloved mentor reveals an ominous connection to a 15-year-old cold case in One Last Lie, the new thriller from bestselling Edgar Award finalist Paul Doiron. “Never trust a man without secrets.” These are the last words retired game warden Charley Stevens speaks to his surrogate son, Warden Investigator Mike Bowditch, before the old man vanishes without … man vanishes without explanation. Mike suspects his friend’s mysterious departure has to do with an antique warden badge that recently resurfaced at a flea market — a badge connected to a cold case from Charley’s past that the Maine Warden Service would rather forget.
Fifteen years ago, a young warden was sent on an undercover mission to infiltrate a notorious poaching ring and never returned. He was presumed dead, but his body was never recovered. Mike is desperate to find Charley before he meets a similar fate. His investigation brings him to the miles of forest and riverside towns along the Canadian border–but he soon learns that even his fellow wardens have secrets to keep. And Charley’s past isn’t the only one coming to light; his daughter, Stacey, has resurfaced to search for her missing father, and Mike must grapple with the return of the woman he once thought was gone forever.
Forced to question his faith in the man he sees as a father, Mike must reopen a cold case that powerful people–one of whom may be a killer–will do anything to keep closed.
more
My 1st Paul Doiron novel was a winner! Tough, intelligent, sympathetic hero. Great supporting cast. Riveting mystery. I enjoyed it!
Maine Game Warden Mike Bowditch is in Florida due to a background check on a new hire and a little more when he gets a phone call from Ora Stevens. She is very concerned as her husband, Charles Stevens, has not been in contact with her for over 41 hours. The legendary Game Warden is not answering his phone and he had left her a rather odd note while she was sleeping. Something has him stirred up and she thinks she knows when it happened though what happened is a huge question.
During a recent trip, while they were separated, she thinks something happened as when he was back with her his mood had changed drastically. She thinks that he might have bought something from one of the dealers though she did not see him do it. By the next morning he had left, and she has no idea where he went or what he is off doing. Ora is very worried and reached out to Mike as he is family and she is alone and worried about her husband. Charley is the father Mike Bowditch never had so there is no question he is dropping everything to come back and hunt for his mentor.
That hunt for Charley is what moves the plot and the action in One Last Lie: A Novel. Like the changing beauty of the Maine wilderness, the past is a constant theme in this series and it certainly is here. Whether it be the past in the form of his father, an old girlfriend, a cold case, or his history with Charley, among other things, looking back is a strong theme throughout the work. All those hooks into the past can make the present a bit shaky even before somebody tries to kill you.
Unlike many authors who has several books and then seen to have some reads that are not as satisfying, Paul Doiron continues to create intense and deeply moving installments in this series. One Last Lie: A Novel is no exception as it proves in more than one-way Charley Stevens is dead on right. He often is.
I received an ARC from the author with no expectation of a review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2020
This is another great book from Paul Dorion. Mile Bowditch gets better with each book
Warden Investigator Mike Bowditch considers retired game warden Charley to be family, looking up to him like a father. So when Charley vanishes without explanation, Mike investigates and learns that just prior to his disappearance Charley found an antique badge at a flea market. The badge belonged to a warden who was believed to have been murdered fifteen years ago, though his body was never found. Mike reopens the cold case, hoping that resolving it will allow him to find his friend.
The mystery and investigation are interesting and complex. One Last Lie is part of a series and although I think it can be read as a standalone, the longstanding relationships will be clearer with background and there are some spoilers for prior books.
Content Warnings:
SPOILERS antisemitism, racism, xenophobia END SPOILERS
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions in this review are honest and my own.