Reading a Paul Doiron novel was a new experience for me. I really enjoyed his use of the English language as well as his character descriptions. 

For instance, Doiron describes Jimmy as knowing " how wealthy his family was. You might even say he possessed an overdeveloped sense of noblesse oblige, or he never would have volunteered to go to Afghanistan as an E4 enlisted man." Right away you are drawn in as to the inter workings of his psyche.

The character of James Sr. (Jimmy's father) is fleshed out by stating he is an "imposing presence. He had the bushiest red eyebrows I had ever seen and a foxlike grin that suggested he could read my thoughts at will." Most of us can relate to this character simply because we may know someone who has the uncanny way of knowing what we are thinking before we do.

There was also a scene in the story that made me laugh out loud. Does this sound familiar? Mike Bowditch, the main character, wants to see his friend in jail but is stymied by the bureaucracy of Maine's State Prison. Mike is told he needs to make an appointment.

The guard at the admissions desk says," You need to do that by phone."

The Bone Orchard
Minotaur Books
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Mike says, "I am here."

The guard says, "We have rules here and they apply to everyone." I swear I've lived this same scene every time I visit the Massachusetts RMV. In fact, every one of us has likely had a similar experience in life, so we can relate to the character. All in all, this book is wonderfully written with many instances that the reader can relate to on many different levels.

However, for me the descriptions of the characters and the area of Maine overshadowed the mystery element of the story. The plot of finding a killer begins about 40 pages before the end of the book, but it features many twists and suspenseful turns which kept me turning pages right up to the end.

If you like a well written story with beautiful descriptions, plenty of atmospheric detail and a little bit of mystery, pick up Paul Doiron's latest book,The Bone Orchard, to delve into the life of the wilds of Maine.

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