I was delighted to read Judy Harrison's review of The Poacher's Son in today's Bangor Daily News. The review's title alone —"Doiron Mystery Takes Readers into the Real Maine"—is cause for celebration. I worked hard to describe my home state without any whitewashing or bullshit, and winning the imprimatur of the BDN is a big deal for me.
If I might be allowed the permission of selectively quoting from Harrison's review:
It is not the rather predictable plot that makes Doiron’s writing so engaging. It is his descriptions of the Maine rarely advertised by the state Department of Tourism or showcased in the glossy pages of Down East that captivates the reader. Doiron could do for Maine what the late Tony Hillerman did for the Southwest in his mysteries featuring Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee.
Residents of the Pine Tree State...will snatch up these mysteries because the author takes readers into “the real Maine” from their armchairs.
I'll gladly accept having my plot called predictable (I'll aim to do throw in more surprises the next time, Judy) if it earns me a comparison to the late, great Tony Hillerman.