Storm Tide: A Novel (Mike Bowditch Mysteries Book 16)

Game Warden Mike Bowditch investigates a series of brutal killings during a life-changing year in Storm Tide, the harrowing new thriller from Edgar Award-nominated author Paul Doiron.

When the magnificent home of entrepreneur Brian Malloy mysteriously goes up in flames, Maine game warden Mike Bowditch tries to pull Malloy’s burning body from the fire but is too late. Malloy was suspected of murdering his young, illegitimate son. Now it looks like someone else has delivered a verdict.

Miles away, on a lonely stretch of icy railroad track, the body of Axl Deming, once accused of a brutal rape, is found literally cut in half. Though the two murders seem unrelated, a cryptic text from an unknown number draws Bowditch to the scene—and hints at a chilling connection. He believes someone is orchestrating the executions of criminals who escaped justice, and for reasons he can’t explain, his own name is on the list, but the state police aren’t convinced. His search for the truth takes him through frozen harbors, trackless forests, and remote islands, far from rescue.

Meanwhile, Bowditch is facing a disciplinary hearing that could end his career. His wife Stacey, just weeks from giving birth, is being stalked by a stranger in a white van. And when he realizes someone has also been watching their home, the case turns increasingly personal.

To protect his family, Bowditch must work alone to uncover who’s behind the killings—and stop them before he becomes their next victim.

Paul Doiron is the best-selling author of the Mike Bowditch series of crime novels set in the Maine woods.

His first book, THE POACHER'S SON, won the Barry Award and the Strand Critics Award and was nominated for an Edgar for Best First Novel. PopMatters named it one of the best novels of the year. His second, TRESPASSER, won the 2012 Maine Literary Award. His novelette “Rabid” was a finalist for the 2019 Edgar in the Best Short Story category. Paul’s twelfth book, DEAD BY DAWN won the New England Society's 2022 Book Award for Fiction, as well as his second Maine Literary Award. It was also a finalist for the Barry Award.

Paul is the former chair of the Maine Humanities Council, Editor Emeritus of "Down East: The Magazine of Maine," and a Registered Maine Guide specializing in fly fishing. He lives on a trout stream on the Maine midcoast.

His novels have been translated into 11 languages: German, Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Polish, Romanian, Slovenian, Hungarian, Czech, and Finnish.

“Doiron's series shows no signs of losing momentum. Maine itself is part of the story, running intolerably hot or fiercely cold, seasonally fraught with beauty and danger.” —Booklist, starred review

"Unnerving and heart-pounding... A deeply felt work of crime fiction that never shies away from discerning good from evil." —Brian Kenney, FirstClue

"Bowditch series fans will be impressed with the pacing, the physical tests Mike endures, and the presence of core characters in this latest book...Doiron’s fantastic procedural series continues to hit a satisfying stride." —Library Journal

"Twisty... Doiron tightens [the] web with an insistent mastery that will keep most readers from noticing just how far-reaching it is until they’ve gained the end and can take some deep, cleansing breaths." —Kirkus Reviews

"Bowditch is a well-drawn character...Kudos." —Bruce Tierney, Bookpage