Killer Mysteries

I'm extremely psyched that my forthcoming novel, Trespasser, is mentioned with books by Ian Rankin and Walter Mosley in the new Kirkus Reviews:

Paul Doiron leapt from the editorship of Down East magazine to the big leagues of crime writing with his soulful debut novel The Poacher’s Son, which introduced game warden Mike Bowditch and earned a place on Kirkus’ Best Mysteries of 2010 list. Now in Trespasser, Mike must reopen old wounds in order to catch a killer with friends in high places. “The story picks up seven months later,” says Doiron. “Mike’s girlfriend has moved back in with him, and he’s trying to get on with his life, but he’s been left deeply scarred in ways he doesn’t want to admit. This is a book about guilt in many forms.” (Minotaur, June)

I'm not sure about the big league part. If anything, I feel like a Pawtucket player up for a cup of coffee, as they say, with the Red Sox.

Wind in the Wilderness

Perhaps the most controversial issue in Maine today is the fast-tracking of wind-energy farms throughout the state. One of the planned projects is slated to be developed in a place near and dear to me: remote Highland Plantation, home of my friends Greg and Pat Drummond who run the friendliest sporting camp in Maine, Claybrook Mountain Lodge. In the new Down East we decided to take a big-picture view of the issues around wind energy, from the opportunities and challenges of building offshore wind farms, to the nuts and bolts of turbines, to arguments against wide-scale development of Maine mountaintops. I also offer a personal anecdote.

Barry Award Nomination

I received word this afternoon that the editors of Deadly Pleasures Magazine have nominated The Poacher's Son for a Barry Award in the category of Best First Novel. I'm grateful to the judges for rescuing me from a long and grinding Hump Day!

The winner will be announced in September at the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention. I'm tempted to close with a "meet me in St. Louis" joke.

But I won't.