Rabid

A Mike Bowditch Short Mystery

By: Paul Doiron

Narrated by: Henry Leyva

In this original short story in the Mike Bowditch mystery series from bestselling author Paul Doiron, Mike is drawn into the story of a gruesome case from his mentor Charley Steven’s past.

Maine Game Warden Mike Bowditch accompanies his old friend and mentor, retired bush pilot Charley Stevens, as he pays a visit to a mysterious woman, the widow of a Vietnam vet, living in isolation in the Maine wilderness. Many years earlier, she had called Charley, then a young game warden himself, for help. She claimed that her badly bleeding husband had been attacked by a rabid bat. But in the succeeding days, despite her husband's increasingly erratic and aggressive behavior, his wife resisted Charley's attempts to help, arousing his suspicions that more was going on than met the eye. Was the husband the victim of rabies, or was he suffering from post traumatic stress disorder? The situation finally erupted into horrific violence, leaving everyone involved deeply scarred.

In the devastating finale to Rabid, Charley reveals to Mike how he uncovered the awful truth about what actually happened in their home so many years before.

Love this Maine author

As a Mainer, I love all things Doiron! Just wish this one was a little bit longer.

Excellent!

It was a joy to have a deeper knowledge of some of the characters we know and love and the experiences that built them.

Shocking Story With a Surprising Outcome

Gave great insight into Bowditch’s mentor, friend and father-in-law, Charlie. Shows Charlie’s goodness of character with the compassion he shows to a damaged, troubled woman living alone deep in the Maine woods.
Great quick read that will haunt you long months later. Especially troubling for me because they stopped the draft the year before I became eligible or I would have been sent to Vietnam.

Read it!

A Good Listen

Very good short mystery from the Mike Bowditch series. I have read a couple of the author's full length novels and this is a great series which mainly takes place in the backwoods of Maine. Henry Leyva is spot on with the narrating. Recommend.

Stays With You

I am not normally fond of short stories, however I do read ones by my favorite authors. This story was the exception. It was absorbing from the first words. Since I was already familiar with the characters from Paul Doiron's novels, I was into the story immediately. The narration was excellent and the story was just the right length. A pleasure to listen to.