Widowmaker

A Novel

By: Paul Doiron

Narrated by: Henry Leyva

Length: 10 hrs

Publisher's Summary

In Paul Doiron's Widowmaker, when a mysterious woman in distress appears outside his home, Mike Bowditch has no clue she is about to blow his world apart.

Amber Langstrom is beautiful, damaged, and hiding a secret with a link to his past. She claims her son, Adam, is a wrongfully convicted sex offender who has vanished from a brutal work camp in the high timber around the Widowmaker Ski Resort. She also claims that Adam Langstrom is the illegitimate son of Jack Bowditch, Mike's dead and diabolical father. He is the half brother Mike never knew he had.

After trying so hard to put his troubled past behind him, Mike is reluctant to revisit the wild country of his childhood and again confront his father's history of violence. But Amber's desperation and his own need to know the truth make it hard for him to refuse her pleas for help.

In search of answers, Bowditch travels through a mountainous wilderness to a place hidden from the rest of the world, where the military guards a top-secret interrogation base, sexual predators live together in a backwoods colony, and self-styled vigilantes are willing to murder anyone they consider their enemies.

Mike Bowditch must exorcise the demons of the past before the real-life demons of the present kill him.

©2016 Paul Doiron (P)2016 Macmillan Audio

Would rather rate 3.5...

If you like the narrator and the story line of this series you'll most likely enjoy this read. It does involve sex offenders so if you're uncomfortable with the subject you might want to skip this one. It does not go into much details but it's the subject the plot is about. This is the reason I would rather rate 3.5. Also I'm starting to pick up on some of the more picky reviews of the narrators Maine accent and if you're an East coaster you might find it more annoying than people which are not very familiar with an authentic Maine accent.

Never attempt a Maine accent!!

Would you try another book from Paul Doiron and/or Henry Leyva?

Paul Doiron has created an authentic portrait of Maine and its natural beauty. The individual characters ring true and I love this series. But the narrator's attempt at a Maine accent is just dreadful. It's cross between Brooklyn and British with a bit of Southern US thrown in. Again and again, the beautiful and unusual Maine accent is butchered on TV and film.

Would you recommend Widowmaker to your friends? Why or why not?

I will tell my friends to read the book and skip the audio book.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The Maine accent is terribly distracting. Why attempt it? And he mis-pronounces towns and cities.

Wondermaker

Second read,for this one.getting ready for our next Paul Doiron. Book.. Having hard time waiting to get reacquainted with where MIKE is in his life. He is part of my family!

Good series

I enjoy discovering a mystery series and listening/reading all the way through. The good ones are rare. Sometimes they bog down halfway along but not with Paul Doiron's books. This latest book, Widowmaker, kept me plugged in from start to finish. The characters are compelling and the little side stories always interesting. I also like the Maine setting, one of my favorite states. Henry Leyva has nailed the Maine accent; that's the way they talk!

Another great addition to the series

Paul Doiron has crafted yet another great addition to his Mike Bowditch series. He keeps the story moving with many twists and turns. Henry Leyva as always does an excellent job of narrating, he is the voice of Paul. I highly recommend this book.

Like this author and the characters -

I like this series, and am always happy to see the next book published. The narrator is only C grade, but he is better than when he started. Well worth a read.

Good read

Would you try another book from Paul Doiron and/or Henry Leyva?

I would... it was a surprising good book!

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

totally wow!!! loved it!!!

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Wolf!!!

Any additional comments?

I tried this book by the reviews... I was really surprised. I really liked it!!!

It's great to see Mike Bowditch is back!

I have been anticipating this novel for months...so I powered through the story as I always do, drawn in by Doiron's great writing. He transports the readers to the beautiful Maine wilderness with great descriptive writing. So as much as I have loved earlier installments of the Bowditch story...this one left me with unanswered questions and a disappointingly sudden ending.
Mike is maturing as each story unfolds and this continues in Widowmaker...which is great. I really enjoyed the introduction of Shadow, the wolf-dog. But I was disappointed that we didn't hear/see more of Charlie, Aura and Stacy Stevens, Kathy Frost and other favorite characters.
Mike had a lot of suspicions at the end of the story that were downplayed by Detective Kleg...Is Mike just being more mature by letting them go? While there was satisfaction in the conclusion...there were so many questions left unanswered leading up to the end that I feel like there is a "Return to Widowmaker" coming to finish telling the story.
If you love Paul Doiron's writing and the Mike Bowditch character...you will want to read this book right away...but I am sorry to say that it's not my favorite of the series.

More great Maine characters

Can't wait for next installment. Mike continues to grow as person. He continues to find interesting people to interact with. And the story continues to be fast paced exciting and unpredictable like a good mystery should.

Tidy Maine mystery

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

It's a good Maine setting and description, good character development, threads well carried out and followed up. Fun summer reading. Well narrated.

Any additional comments?

Two possible fact checks that bear merit:
You don't split wood really, with an AX and wedge, you use a splitting mall and wedge.
And the "wolf" being described most likely would weigh 130 lbs or more.