Reviews & Recs of books about Maine, set in Maine, and by Maine authors.
The Spy Coast
Having read most of the Rizzoli & Isles books, I was excited to crack open The Spy Coast, Tess Gerritsen’s newest book. However, after reading the summary, I was a little worried it might be trying too much to take on the general idea behind Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club series. I was pleasantly surprised that it did not feel dependent on Osman. Instead, The Spy Coast has its own distinctive tone, plot, and characters, even though it does use the retired senior citizen spy as a main character.
The Poacher’s Son
The Poacher’s Son is our introduction to Maine Game Warden Mike Bowditch, now the protagonist of a dozen novels by Paul Doiron. Warden Bowditch had a tough upbringing - his father was an aggressive drunk, he and his mother escaped and moved to southern Maine where his mother remarried, but throughout the book we see that Bowditch has never really escaped that past.
Mystery In Longfellow Square
Long a classic read for local schoolkids, Mystery In Longfellow Square is a good story and a compelling read for older elementary students or younger middle school students. Though it might be a bit old-fashioned for today’s kids - what, these kids are allowed to play outside by themselves?