Dead Man's Wake

Dead Man's Wake by Paul Doiron
6/27/23; 320 pages
St. Martin's Press
Mike Bowditch Series #14

Dead Man's Wake by Paul Doiron is a highly recommended procedural and the 14th book in the series featuring Game Warden Mike Bowditch.

His stepfather, Neil Turner and his new wife Jubilee Batchelder are holding an engagement party for Mike Bowditch and Stacey Stevens at their lake house. Her parents are also attending. The party is interrupted when mike and Stacey hear a crash and are sure it is a hit-and-run speedboat accident. When they arrive at the scene, they find a severed arm. Later, upon further investigation, the dive team recovers two bodies. The two were both married, not to each other, and having an affair. Mike suspects that the deaths were purposeful. The hunt is actively on for the killer and the suspects are plentiful.

Dead Man's Wake is a well-crafted, compelling procedural. Since it is the 14th novel in the series, readers who start here may feel, as I did, like they have missed a step or two, but it doesn't matter once you continue reading. The details of the  investigation help build suspense as leads are tracked down and the danger seems to increase with each step of the investigation. The plot is unpredictable and fast-paced.

Mike and Stacey are great characters and work well together. They are both highly intelligent, determined and persistent. The other characters all represent a diverse collection of characteristics and everyone feels like a fully realized character. Anyone who enjoys procedurals will enjoy Dead Man's Wake.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of St. Martin's Press via NetGalley.