Reviews

Massacre Pond, by Paul Doiron

pbanditp's review against another edition

4.0

This one caught me by surprise many times. Book 3 was mostly Mike being stupid and stubborn. Mike is trying to fix that here and walk the line. There were great characters and like usual, things got carried away.

ozreus's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Another great Mike Bowditch novel! Love that so much good happened for Mike in this one, quite a bit of bad as well though.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Violence, Gore, Suicide, and Gun violence

Minor: Pedophilia

muddypuddle's review against another edition

4.0

This was an excellent foray into Washington Country, Maine, WAY "Downeast." Mike Bowditch is such a likable, smart guy, and the voice of the Henry Leyva was great and would have been wonderful if he'd pronounced Maine state Indian tribes and town names correctly. This was very off-putting, and lessened authenticity each time it happened. The story was interesting and I learned quite a bit about what game wardens do. This is a super series set in my favorite state, and I can't wait to read #5!

bwjr's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

therobrussell's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

By now, the Mike Bowditch formula is pretty clear.  Random crazy crime happens near Warden Bowditch.  He investigates, finds himself having questions about the investigation, and then wraps everything up.  While formulaic, the books - and this one is included - are fun, easy reads.  

That said, Massacre Pond is the slowest of the series - so far - to develop.  It takes a lot longer to move into the action, particularly since Warden Bowditch is working to follow orders throughout most of this book.  Or course he eventually strays, and the story is solved, but his effort to stay on the straight and narrow makes for a less action-packed book than previous iterations.  

kimberlyp's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

greenreader's review against another edition

4.0

This was an interesting eco-conscious crime novel inspired by a true crime. The main character has a side story that shows him as a well rounded character. One aspect of the story that I found particularly refreshing was a side character who was gay. This character is not integral to the story, and the fact that they are gay really isn't significant in and of itself. However, it was nice to see a character recognized as a whole person, and how the main character relates to them as such.

mrsboyko's review against another edition

4.0

Solid 4-4&1/2. Like the Mike Bowditch series though I hate that I missed this one and read it out of order.

tunesmithnw's review against another edition

3.0

It was just ok. I'm currently reading the next in his series, "The Bone Orchard," to see if it picks up any.

emmajewish's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0