The Bear Trap

Mike Bowditch #6
The Bear Trap (2014)

Shop this book on Amazon Go

The Bear Trap is a short Mike Bowditch story rather than a full-length series novel, and its premise shifts attention away from Mike’s own investigation toward one of the series’ most memorable supporting figures. The story centers on legendary Maine woodsman and bush pilot Charley Stevens, who tries to show the younger Mike Bowditch what kind of danger can await an inexperienced game warden in the North Woods. That setup gives the piece a more anecdotal, campfire-story quality than the main novels, while still keeping it rooted in the same harsh Maine landscape and warden culture.

What makes the premise appealing is the way Paul Doiron uses Charley’s experience and voice to deepen the world around Mike. Instead of building toward a large murder case, the story leans into wilderness tension, survival instinct, and a battle of wits shaped by the rules of the woods. As a series interlude placed between the main novels, The Bear Trap works less as a major turning point for Mike Bowditch than as a compact character piece that enriches the mythology of the series and highlights the rugged, old-school world that helped shape Mike’s understanding of the job.