In the Northern Maine woods, ten moose have been slaughtered on the estate of Elizabeth Morse, a wealthy animal-rights activist who has angered much of the local community by buying up thousands of acres of timber land and pushing to donate that land for a new national park. Game Warden Mike Bowditch is the first on the scene and he knows that this massacre is only the beginning of things to come. When he's pushed out of his own case because of political games inside the Fish and Wildlife services, Mike continues to hunt for the killer and follow the clues even if it means he will lose everything: his best friend, his job, and the woman he loves.

Paul Doiron's lyrical prose captures the sticky heat of an unseasonably warm October, the taste of grit and dust, and the horrors of senseless killing. MASSACRE POND features Mike Bowditch, an unusual detective who combines his need for justice with his love of the Maine wilderness to great effect. Mike is a plodding detective; tenacious, methodical, and observant. His need to balance justice with the rules of his job weighs on him and it's this willingness to break the rules that gets him into trouble again and again. He's a complex and interesting character.

Doiron also does a fantastic job of portraying both sides of the environmental and animal-rights arguments. It's a heated topic and MASSACRE POND revolves around the extreme actions this argument can take. The careful building of how this issue impacts the community and making that community feel real through vivid characters emphasizes the horrific nature of the crimes. There are some very unlikable characters but all of them are portrayed with specific detail, realistic actions, and an important role to fill.

MASSACRE POND by Paul Doiron is a superb mystery that weighs the heartbreaking consequences of justice against man's need to protect what he holds dear. Fans of Nevada Barr's Anna Pigeon series will love Game Ward Mike Bowditch. Doiron's beautiful prose and complex characters will keep you coming back for more.

Book Summary

Edgar finalist Paul Doiron's superb new novel featuring Game Warden Mike Bowditch and a beautiful, enigmatic woman whose mission to save the Maine wilderness may have incited a murder

On an unseasonably hot October morning, Bowditch is called to the scene of a bizarre crime: the corpses of seven moose have been found senselessly butchered on the estate of Elizabeth Morse, a wealthy animal rights activist who is buying up huge parcels of timberland to create a new national park.

What at first seems like mindless slaughter—retribution by locals for the job losses Morse's plan is already causing in the region—becomes far more sinister when a shocking murder is discovered and Mike's investigation becomes a hunt to find a ruthless killer. In order to solve the controversial case, Bowditch risks losing everything he holds dear: his best friends, his career as a law enforcement officer, and the love of his life.

The beauty and magnificence of the Maine woods is the setting for a story of suspense and violence when one powerful woman’s missionary zeal comes face to face with ruthless cruelty.