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

Paul Doiron’s gripping novel, Storm Tide, marks a significant and intensely personal turning point in his celebrated mystery series. Serving as the sixteenth installment featuring Maine Game Warden Mike Bowditch, the thriller plunges readers into a harrowing, life-altering year for the beloved protagonist. Set against the brutally cold, trackless forests and frozen harbors of coastal Maine, the story finds Mike at an absolute crossroads. He has recently been demoted from his coveted role as an investigator and is facing a looming disciplinary hearing that possesses the very real potential to end his career in law enforcement permanently. Compounding this immense professional pressure is the deeply emotional reality of his personal life: Mike and his wife, EMT Stacey Stevens, are expecting their first child together, with Stacey just weeks away from her delivery date. Before he can even begin to prepare for fatherhood, however, Mike is thrust into a chaotic and deadly conspiracy that threatens everything he holds dear.

The narrative ignites with a literal blaze when Mike spots flames roaring from the magnificent, sprawling home of a wealthy local entrepreneur named Brian Malloy. Despite his demotion, Mike’s protective instincts kick in, and he rushes into the inferno in a desperate bid to save the occupants. Tragically, he is too late. Both Brian Malloy and his wife, Jenna, perish in the devastating fire. The only silver lining is the survival of a baby girl, whom Mike discovers safely in the arms of a neighbor, Karen Kershaw. The Malloy fire immediately raises red flags, primarily because Brian was a heavily scrutinized figure suspected of murdering his own young, illegitimate son. It soon becomes terrifyingly clear that the fire was not a tragic accident, but rather a deliberate act of retribution—someone has taken the law into their own hands to deliver a fatal verdict.

The theory of a vigilante killer is solidified shortly after, miles away, when another gruesome discovery is made on a lonely, icy stretch of railroad track. The mutilated body of a man named Axl Deming is found, having been literally cut in half. Deming was a notorious local figure who had previously been accused of the brutal rape and murder of a teenager named Emily Crockett, yet he had managed to escape legal justice. While the two horrifying incidents appear unrelated on the surface, Mike soon receives a cryptic and taunting text message from an unknown number that draws him to the scene and connects the dots. He realizes that a calculated killer is orchestrating the executions of violent criminals who somehow slipped through the cracks of the justice system. However, the most chilling revelation of all comes when Mike discovers that his own name has inexplicably been added to the vigilante’s hit list.

Despite the mounting evidence and the direct threat to his life, Mike finds himself entirely isolated in his pursuit of the truth. The state police adamantly refuse to take his theories seriously, and his own colleagues repeatedly warn him off the case, ultimately suspending him for his relentless interference. Stripped of his badge's authority but burdened by a desperate need to survive, Mike is forced to go rogue. The stakes escalate from a professional curiosity to a suffocating personal nightmare when he realizes that his vulnerable family is being targeted. Stacey is stalked by a menacing stranger driving a white van, and Mike discovers that someone has been actively watching their home, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Driven by the primal instinct to protect his pregnant wife, Mike embarks on a solitary, off-the-books investigation that pulls him far from any hope of rescue, navigating treacherous remote islands and icy terrains.

Throughout this frantic race against time, Mike zeroes in on a few crucial suspects, including Karen Kershaw, who suspiciously fled after the Malloy fire, and Edward Gudgeon, a scallop diver connected to Axl Deming’s criminal circles and his ex-con brother, Shayn. The journey forces Mike not only to brave physical ambushes and violent confrontations, but also to confront his own psychological demons. The narrative weaves in poignant reflections on Mike’s past, returning him to Washington County where he first started as a rookie, and forcing him to process unresolved grief regarding his mother's death. Doiron expertly balances the pulse-pounding action with profound themes of mental health, trauma, and the corrosive nature of vengeance, portraying Mike as a broken but fiercely resilient man.

The climax reaches a fever pitch as Stacey gives birth to their newborn son, Charles, amidst the terrifying uncertainty. With his family now larger and even more vulnerable, Mike must confront the orchestrator of the killings head-on. He relies on every ounce of his seasoned wilderness survival skills and investigative prowess to outmaneuver the vigilante before he can become the next victim. In the end, Storm Tide delivers an explosive and emotionally satisfying conclusion. Mike successfully neutralizes the threat, ensuring the safety of his wife and son, and in doing so, proves his undeniable worth as a protector and an investigator. By the time this harrowing year concludes, the hero has weathered the ultimate storm, earning back his reinstatement and setting the stage for the next chapter of his life as both a father and a Maine Game Warden.