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-... ( )

Be still my heart! This book covers all my favorite genres: historical fiction, mystery, police procedural, espionage and thriller. It never disappointed and I never wanted to put the book down.

This first in series book shares two entwining story lines. There's the opening scene which is set in the present day Nevada desert, where Sheriff Porter Beck is on scene of a grisly death of an old man living out his final years quietly in a remote section of Beck's patch. Drawing on Beck's own international military expertise, there are signs at the death scene which place him on high alert. The alternating story is set in the same area, sixty-five years earlier, during the cold war as two super powers chase after atomic superiority. What all is going on at that top secret facility out in the Nevada desert and has it been compromised?

Author Bruce Borgos has done a spectacular job of setting the scene, steadily building tension throughout the story, bringing it to a full climax and then gently easing it to a satisfying conclusion. The writing is excellent and the characters are well developed. There's a certain charm to protagonist Sheriff Beck. He's not perfect and all the more admired for it. This was definitely a most satisfying thriller.

Triggers: minor sexual scenes, some rough language and graphic grisly detail

I am grateful to Minotaur Books for having provided a complimentary uncorrected digital galley of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.

Publisher:‎ Minotaur Books
Publication Date: July 18, 2023
Hardcover:‎ 320 pages
ISBN-13:‎ 978-1250848079 ( )

Porter Beck is the county sheriff and he followed in his father's footsteps. When an old retired GBI agent is murdered, Beck begins investigating with the assistance of Sana Locke, a current FBI agent. They quickly discover that he was investigating an incident from the 1950s involving a nuclear warhead. At the same time, a young Mormon wife disappears. For the first time that Beck can recall, he's investigating two crimes at the same time.

Interspersed with the investigations, is the story of Freddie Meyer, who is working at a casino and meets Kitty Ellison. He befriends her and they start dating. He meets her father, who gets him a job.

The way the past intersects with the present is very nicely done. This was my first book by this author and thought it was very well written. ( )

I loved this book. I can see why it got a high rating.I was hoping this book would go on longer it was so suspenseful and endearing.it had lots of everything including mystery and history, I highly recommend this book.First the main subject is some one you are rooting against until he does the right thing and so much more to the story so read it.😊 ( )

I love a good mystery/thriller, especially one set in a location I don't know a lot about. The Bitter Past fits the bill with its setting in Lincoln County, Nevada, which is north of Las Vegas. It is also extremely large with neighbors miles apart from each other.
Porter Beck left the Army and took over as sheriff from his father. Beck is called to the home of retired FBI agent Ralph Atterbury, who has been brutally tortured and murdered. This, of course, necessitates the involvement of the FBI, but the agent assigned comes not from the nearby Vegas field office, but from Washington, D.C. in the form of special agent Sana Locke. It turns out that Atterbury was involved in the search for a Soviet agent in the 1950's with ties to the nearby testing of nuclear bombs.

This kicks off a story told in two timelines. Beck takes up the hunt for the still missing KGB agent in the present in order to solve Atterbury's murder. In the past, we follow the foreign agent and learn about a near catastrophe involving a dirty bomb.

The story in the 1950's is fascinating, told through the eyes of a spy trying to blend in while discovering America's nuclear secrets to share with the Soviet Union. The tension is inherent in his story as he fears discovery by Americans if he is successful and punishment by the Soviets if he fails. Meanwhile, he is falling in love with the woman he is using to advance his mission in Nevada.

In the present, more bodies are starting to pile up as Beck searches for a killer. His job is further complicated and resources stretched thin when a young woman goes missing.

The 1950's timeline is fascinating and tense throughout. The timeline in the present is somewhat more muddled, as it is complicated by an improbable and distracting relationship between Beck and Agent Locke. It doesn't help that Locke's professionalism is dubious at best.

Porter Beck is a solid character with an interesting background. There is potential for further development of some interesting side characters among his deputies, particularly Tuffy, and Beck's sister, Brin. Brin, especially, has a set of skills that are very intriguing. I'm hopeful that these characters can be further developed and given more to do in future books.

The two plotlines come together with some shocking twists along the way. Some skillful sleuthing and a large helping of action bring the story to an exciting conclusion.

This is a story that really makes use of its setting to tell an exciting tale in two timelines.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. ( )