One Last Lie: A Novel

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Description

"Never trust a man without secrets." These are the last words retired game warden Charley Stevens speaks to his surrogate son, Warden Investigator Mike Bowditch, before the old man vanishes without explanation into a thousand miles of forest along the Canadian border. Mike suspects his friend's sudden disappearance has to do with an antique badge found at a flea market - a badge that belonged to a warden who was presumed dead fifteen years ago but whose body was never recovered. On a mission to find Charley before he meets a similarly dark fate, Mike must reopen a cold case that powerful people, including his fellow wardens - one of whom might be a killer - will do anything to keep closed.

Reviews

Praise for One Last Lie:

"Edgar finalist Doiron artfully blends a whodunit plot with superior characterizations in his top-notch 11th mystery...vividly portrays the Maine woods setting while maintaining taut suspense." --Publishers Weekly (starred)

"This novel is something of a departure for Doiron... the suspenseful, fast-paced plot has more twists and turns than usual." --Associated Press

"Before you read this book, clear your schedule. It's the kind of story best read in one gulp...[Doiron] keeps getting better." --New York Journal of Books

"One Last Lie is a triumph for aficionados and newcomers alike. The secrets, old and new, are compelling, and Doiron's landscape imagery is perfectly balanced (as is the literary history)...Trust, friendship, love, faith and how the family we choose holds powerful sway is at the heart of this impressive series entry." --Shelf Awareness

"Doiron's masterful plotting pulls it all together, and the reader gets to meet an odd assortment of extraordinarily well-defined characters--good guys and bad--while learning more about both the natural and the political history of the Pine Tree State." --Booklist

Praise for Paul Doiron and the Mike Bowditch mysteries:

"Doiron captures the stark beauty of his setting." --New York Times Book Review for Stay Hidden

"The characters are well drawn, the Maine landscape is vividly portrayed, and Bowditch pursues his passion to protect the innocent and bring evil doers to justice regardless of personal cost." --Associated Press for Almost Midnight

"Doiron...[ramps] up the tension slowly until the story reaches can't-put-it-down velocity." --Library Journal for Almost Midnight

"Breathless pacing, dark humor, wildlife, and vivid characters." --Boston Globe for Widowmaker

"As always with a Doiron novel, the characters are so well-drawn you can almost reach out and shake their hands, and the rural landscape is so vividly portrayed that the reader can smell wildflowers, marvel at the swarms of fireflies and feel the sting of the blood-thirsty insects. But the author's finest achievement is the evolution of Mike Bowditch himself." --Bruce DeSilva, Associated Press for Knife Creek

"Outstanding...Doiron balances nuanced characterizations and intelligent plotting perfectly." --Publishers Weekly (starred review) for Stay Hidden

"The extraordinary sense of place makes this Doiron's strongest novel yet." --Booklist (starred review) for Stay Hidden

Author Bio

A native of Maine, bestselling author PAUL DOIRON attended Yale University, where he graduated with a degree in English. The Poacher's Son, the first book in the Mike Bowditch series, won the Barry award, the Strand award for best first novel, and has been nominated for the Edgar, Anthony, and Macavity awards in the same category. He is a Registered Maine Guide specializing in fly fishing and lives on a trout stream in coastal Maine with his wife, Kristen Lindquist.