Review: Widowmaker

Widowmaker by Paul Doiron
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jack Bowditch is the deceased father that just keeps on giving and not in a good way. His reputation as a disreputable poacher and all round no good guy mars every aspect of his son's life. No matter where Mike goes in his job as a Maine Wildlife Warden he is confronted by somebody who knew and very much hated his father. Some of the people he encounters are Wardens whose lives were made miserable trying to catch the elder Bowditch or people who employed Jack to their misfortune or fellow barflies who came out on the wrong end of a barfight with him.

This time, however, the person wronged is a former lover -- a barmaid with her own checkered reputation--who claims that her son, fathered by Jack, is missing. Seems this long lost younger " brother" was found guilty of statutory rape, sentenced to prison and is now on parole. He had been living in a lumber camp run by a guy who hires convicted sex offenders in an effort to give them a second chance in life. The kid, only 21 years old, has disappeared from the camp and his mother is worried that something serious has happened to him

Having just escaped serious injury in a confrontation with a couple of druggies, Mike is on sick leave and with nothing better to do with his time decides to snoop around a bit to help the woman out. Needless to say, this being Mike Bowditch, a little snooping leads to a massive investigation that even involves the best character in the book--an all black wolf dog named Shadow. And unlike most of the characters in the book, Shadow has the happiest ending to his story!

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Review: Fourth Wing

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Not usually into Fantasy but since it was on my Kindle decided to read it. At over 600 pages wasn't sure I'd finish but found it interesting and fast moving enough that I did. It reminded me of Eragon series a bit, Hunger Games, too and even touches of Harry Potter. My favorite characters were the dragons--Violet's are particularly wry and adorable. Such fun having her dragon speak in her head and comment on her behavior.

Big warning--this book won in Romantasy not straight Fantasy--there are explicit ROMANCE scenes--not fit for children.. I'd rate it R--more than PG13 for those parents who care.

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Review: The Precipice

The Precipice by Paul Doiron
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Well, always knew I wanted to keep the cats in at night because of the pack of coyotes that hang around our fields. Didn't know they might gang up on me!! Glad my daughter didn't hike too much of the Long Trail and has never wanted to do the AT--why would she--we have plenty of land for her to hike right here. Must admit, in recent years, have been less comfortable walking out there alone. Sadly, there are too many ways to get many miles away from a crime scene in too short a time these days. Also, remote areas don't seem to be as remote as once they were from those who would commit crimes. This one hits too close to rural Vermont for me--kind of scary

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Review: D is for Deadbeat

D is for Deadbeat by Sue Grafton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another good one--this time never in a million years could have figured it out. Some sort of justice but terribly sad, too!

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Review: C is for Corpse

C is for Corpse by Sue Grafton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Getting used to the style of Sue Grafton. Liked this one. A young man who works out at Kinsey's gym approaches her and asks if she will investigate the accident that has left him scarred and disabled. The police do not believe that he was forced off the road by someone who wants him dead. There are marks on his totaled car indicating that some one did indeed hit it from behind and that he was forced off the road on purpose--but they do not believe it was anything more than a road rage situation rather than a planned homicidal act.

A few days later, the young man has an accident again, losing control of his car, hitting a tree and dying. This time, the police feel he was probably drunk and simply lost control of a speeding car. Kinsey feels obligated to delve into the man's background to determine if his first accident was an attempt to kill him. She follows many, many dead ends and never seems to get a handle on anything remotely conclusive, until she gets a break that leads to all kinds of information that will answer his question once and for all.

Interesting characters, situations and relationships that lead to an answer the title hinted at all along. Hmmm, will have to pay more attention to those alphabetical titles--are they all clues??

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Review: A Cold Highland Wind

A Cold Highland Wind by Tasha Alexander
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Not one of the best in the series, the mystery was easily discerned with only two possible characters having the necessary motive to kill the gameskeeper. His background really didn't have much to do with anything except as filler in order to create doubt that the murderer was a member of the community in which the crime was committed.

The main story alternates with short chapters relating to a kidnapped slave from Tunisia who lived in the village about 300 years earlier. While her story was mildly interesting, there seemed, in my mind, to have absolutely no relevance to the mystery Lady Emily and Colin were investigating.

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Review: The Bone Orchard

The Bone Orchard by Paul Doiron
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The series is getting better--Mike is starting to get a grip on his life. His mother has died, he's finally free of what if's in his relationship with Sarah, and he is beginning to think about what he really wants to do with his life. He has left the Warden servicc, having decided it isn't a good fit--he has problems following the rules and has had enough of feeling like a fish out of water. He is still working in the outdoors, now as a fishing guide.

He has sort of stayed away from Kathy Frost, his former Sargeant since his leaving the service was a big disappointment to her. She had put her own reputation on the line by standing up for him with their superiors many times and now feels betrayed by his resignation. But now, Kathy and her partner have found themselves on suspension pending the investigation into their parts in the shooting of a depressed, intoxicated and armed Afganistan vet. Mike has called Kathy to offer his support but she has hung up on him. He goes to visit her and she refuses to allow him into the house and rebuffs his support. About 30 minutes later she calls, as he is driving home, to apologize for her behavior. The conversation is interupted by her dog barking and her hanging up with a promise to call right back. With no call back, Mike worries and returns to her cabin.

Her door stands open, her dog lies dead in her driveway and a shotgun blast takes out Mike's windshield. After the shooter takes off, Mike makes it to the house and finds Kathy lying in the hall, her side badly injured and having lost lots of blood. Who did this? Revenge for the soldier's death? Or somebody else? Mike and the Warden service are mobilized to find out.

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