Bruce Borgos

This is the second installment of the Porter Beck Mystery series, and I was thrilled to get my hands on this ARC. Bruce Borgos did not disappoint with this page turner. The story revolves around incidents in Beck's jurisdiction that can only be caused by a hacker.

Shades of Mercy kept me enthralled as Porter and his cohorts raced to save the young hacker after she disappeared with both a drug cartel and a foreign government as possible suspects in her abduction.

Bruce Borgos is an auto buy for me after reading this one. I can’t wait for the next book in the Porter Beck Series. 4⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for this complimentary ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.… (altro)

The Bitter Past introduces us to Porter Beck, the sheriff of Lincoln County, over 10,000 square miles of dry, sparsely populated land in the southeast part of Nevada. Its claim to fame is Area 51, the epicenter of UFO/UAP conspiracies. That seems fitting since Sheriff Beck finds himself unraveling an epic conspiracy, one that seems as rooted in the past and the Los Alamos nuclear research. Indeed, the narrative jumps from the present to the past and the Soviet agent working to infiltrate the program.

The Bitter Past begins with the murder of a retired FBI agent who had been interrogated using multiple forms of torture. It is a horrific death. The FBI wants to be sure it’s not tied into his work and sends an agent, the very beautiful Sana Locke who piques more than Beck’s interest. If that is not enough for the county’s deputies to handle, there is a kidnapping of a woman from a polygamist Mormon clan to divide their focus. Beck thinks dividing their attention might just be the purpose.

In addition to two difficult cases, Beck is burdened with open disrespect from a former police chief who is angry that his local police have been merged with the county sheriff’s with him in the junior position and with a brand new officer recently hired by the former police chief. If that were not enough, his father, the former sheriff, is suffering from age-related dementia.

The Bitter Past is a solid mystery with a complex plot that is fair. Readers can reason their way to not only the solution, but many of the revelations along the way. It is fast-paced and will keep your attention, perhaps even rob you of sleep. However, I found myself rolling my eyes and thinking “of course he does” several times when Beck revealed himself the possessor of arcane knowledge and skills that made him more suitable for a Marvel comic and a Jeopardy tournament than a novel. I hope in future books in what could be a fabulous series, Bruce Borgos will allow Porter Beck a few flaws and have him reach for Google once in a while.

I received an e-galley of The Bitter Past from the publisher through NetGalley.

The Bitter Past at St. Martin’s Press | Macmillan
Bruce Borgos author site

https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2024/05/26/the-bitter-past-by-bruce-...… (altro)

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

When a military drone crashes onto Jesse Roy’s Double J Ranch in the midst of Shiloah Roy’s seventeenth birthday celebration, a prize bull is its sole victim. At the same time, Sheriff Porter Beck mourns the loss of a friend, another in a string of drug deaths plaguing the town.

Who hacked into the drone and caused the crash? Could it have been a local hacker? Sheriff Beck learns that sixteen-year-old Mercy Vaughn has the skill, but is detained in the local Youth Center and has no access to a computer.

Or does she?

As the investigation continues. Sheriff Beck finds himself with more questions than answers . . . and growing doubts about Mercy.

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Although this is the second book in the author’s Porter Beck Mystery series, there is sufficient backstory for the story to work well as a standalone. Nonstop action and well-defined, believable characters pull readers into the telling of the tale. Of special note is Beck’s English Lab partner, Columbo, who had washed out of the county’s K-9 Drug Academy.

With its strong sense of place and a complex, intriguing plot, the unfolding narrative keeps readers turning pages as fast as possible. Filled with secrets, lies, and unexpected twists, the suspenseful tale is both entertaining and unputdownable.

Readers who enjoy fast-paced stories full of action, tension, and suspense . . . along with a bit of international spy intrigue . . . will find much to appreciate in this thriller that keeps them guessing right up to the immensely satisfying denouement.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
#ShadesofMercy #NetGalley… (altro)