The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos is a very highly recommended mystery and the debut novel in the Porter Beck series. This is an excellent start to a new series and I will eagerly be awaiting the next investigation from Nevada's Sheriff Beck.

Sheriff Porter Beck's domain is in the high desert north of Las Vegas, Nevada. He left and worked in Army intelligence for years, but now Beck's back, doing the same job his father did before he developed dementia. Normally this is a quiet part of the state until an old, retired FBI agent is murdered after being brutally tortured. When FBI Special Agent Sana Locke show up to assist in the investigation, it confirms many of Beck's suspicions. The clues point to something that happened in the past, in the 1950's during the early days of the atomic testing program happening in the desert and the KGB's plans to infiltrate the program.

The chapters alternate between two timelines and narratives. The present investigation unfolds through Beck's first person account while events starting in 1955 are recounted in the third person. In 1955 the story of Freddie Meyer and Kitty Ellison is told. After they begin dating, Kitty's father helps Freddie get a job in security at the atomic testing site in the desert. The current murder investigation must look to the past for the information needed to solve it.

Beck is a great character, intelligent, clever, perceptive, and well-developed as a character. He, along with the astute writing, is a reason to absolutely look forward to the next book released in the series. The high desert of Nevada is also realistically portrayed.

The writing is exceptional and absolutely exceeded all my expectations. The novel is told in an intelligent manner and both of the two narrative threads are gripping, compelling, and complex. They held my complete attention equally and even though I wanted to continue the story in whatever timeline I was in, I correspondingly wanted to continue following the action in the alternate chapter. The Bitter Past is un-put-down-able.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Minotaur Books via NetGalley.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, Edelweiss, and Amazon.

The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos
Porter Beck #1

Right off the bat you are thrown into a gruesome crime scene. Sheriff Porter Beck is at the home of an eighty-something year old man who has endured and died of a protracted torture session. The house has been ransacked so whatever the murderer wanted from the man, he probably didn't find. Back at the office a femme fatale of an FBI agent arrives to horn in on Porter's murder investigation. Porter and FBI Special Agent Sana Locke barely put in any effort to pretend they aren't attracted to each other. Sana even laughs at Porter's corny jokes although she does seem a little sloppy when it comes to her knowledge of all things FBI.

Three missing remains in the local cemetery and some other clues point to the murder having to do with nuclear experiments at Area 51 back in the 1950s. There is another timeline than the present where we follow a young man with a conscience as he tries to be loyal to his country while he begins to doubt the things he is told to do as part of his job at the testing site. I don't always enjoy duel timelines but I liked this one a lot because it helped me to understand a much of the background of this story and because I liked this young man who is put into a no win for anyone position.

For all the violence this is a funny story when it comes to Porter. He is dealing with a lot on the home and personal health front and he also has guilt from his days in the military. Still, he has a humorous outlook on life and he's going to make things work as well as he can until he can't do so anymore. I look forward to seeing what he gets up to in the next book. This is man whose family, friends, and coworkers mean a lot to him and he will do the right thing even if it's not by the book.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for this ARC.

I love a mystery that has a spy element and The Bitter Past: A Mystery by Bruce Borgos did not disappoint. Set in a small Nevada community, north of Las Vegas, this mystery features sheriff Porter Beck. It’s relatively quiet in Beck’s jurisdiction until an older, retired FBI agent is found brutally tortured and murdered. All signs point to this being part of a bigger story that started in the 1950s when the area was used for classified nuclear testing and the Cold War was on everyone’s mind. And now an FBI agent is knocking on Beck’s station door wanting to be involved in the investigation.

This is a page turner of a story that I flew through. I do think it’s important to note that the first two pages include a graphic description of the deceased FBI’s body and crime scene. It’s rough, but I was able to skim and still follow along. The rest of the story is not as graphic and I was hundred percent in, trying to figure out what was happening.

The past storyline from the 1950s weaves wonderfully with the present day and I was sorry to leave each timeline because I wanted to know everything. It’s fast paced and I hope this is the first in the series featuring Beck. There is also a small side love story which will be interesting to follow, although it was the action and mystery that kept me in the story, telling myself that I’d read just one more chapter before turning out of my light for the night.

This comes out July 18th. Other reviews compare this to books by Craig Johnson and I have to agree. @minotaur_books @stmartinspress

I have a new favorite author! You never can be sure what to expect when you pick up a new book from a new author. And as a lover of some of the mystery thriller series greats, those can be tough shoes to fill. The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos hit all the marks!
Porter Beck is Sheriff in the deserts of Nevada and his background is a story within itself! When a retired FBI agent is found tortured and murdered, Beck's investigation leads him back in history. A dual timeline brings to life the nuclear testing done in Nevada in the 1950s. And a ruthless someone is now looking for a Russian spy that may have been in the area at that time.
Porter Beck is a complex, highly skilled and intelligent main character quick with wit and I can only hope to see more of him in the future! The secondary characters in this book are also so likeable and interesting, especially Brinley - fierce and flawed. Let me say it again, with a mix of mystery, thriller, historical fiction with a touch of romance and humor this book hit all the marks!
I highly recommend!

The title of this book was obviously very well chosen. Once I started reading this book, I realized that the past was indeed bitter for a man who started out doing for his country what he was instructed to do, but he lost his way.

Porter Beck is the sheriff in a small Nevada town deep in the desert. He is filling the spot once filled by his father who now suffers the early stages of dementia. Crime is almost non-existent in this small town until the body of a retired FBI agent is found. The elderly retired FBI agent was brutally killed and quite obviously tortured before his death. Porter Beck knows there is something amiss because Porter Beck is not your average small town sheriff. He served in Army Intelligence for many years, and his observation skills are off the charts. When an FBI agent arrives in town to "assist" in the investigation, he learns more about the story. A young Russian spy infiltrated the ranks of a handful of men who were allowed to work at a nuclear testing site in the 1950's. They think this man may still be alive in his small town and the Russians are out for blood because this man betrayed the Russians. This story is told from the present and will revert back to the past following the Russian spy's journey. The transitions from past to present were smooth and well placed so that the story flowed perfectly. The cast of characters were first class. Porter Beck was a highly intelligent man and one which you better not underestimate. I have to confess one of my favorite characters was Porter's sister, Brinley. This girl was full of life and had no fear. This book was a history lesson, espionage thriller, mystery and police procedural all rolled into one. The mystery was top notch and even though the plot was complex, it was still an easy read. I look forward to seeing more books starring Porter Beck.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Protagonist Sheriff Porter Beck is part Jack Reacher, part Harry Bosch and author Bruce Borgos does a fantastic job of making him a well rounded, multi-layered character. This plot driven novel does not skimp on rich characters or back-stories but it is never dull or stagnant. I can’t wait to read the next installment in this series which is sure to be one of my new favorites.

THE BITTER PAST is a gritty and somewhat gruesome mystery I thoroughly enjoyed. Sherriff Porter Beck is tasked with solving the murder of a retired FBI agent. The Nevada setting was vivid and stifling, adding to the heat of the story. Not only was this a compelling page-turner, but I also enjoyed the dynamics between the characters and the historical aspects of the story. This was my first book by Bruce Borgos and I look forward to picking up the next book in the series when it publishes.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A compelling mix of spy thriller and mystery…

Long ago, on a pre-pandemic trip to Las Vegas, my husband and I visited the National Atomic Testing Museum, which showcases the history of the dawn of the nuclear age and the bomb tests that occurred at the nearby Nevada Test Site. Although going to a museum may not be what most folks do when in Las Vegas (!!!), we loved the exhibits and we learned a ton there. So I was intrigued by the background and setting of The Bitter Past, and was really pleased to be offered an advance copy to review for my blog.

And in spite of a couple of little “wrinkles”, The Bitter Past did not disappoint. It’s a compelling mix of a spy thriller, mostly set in the 1950s heyday of atomic testing in the desert, and an investigative mystery set in the present. Each has a different feel, but both were intriguing, and kept me turning the pages. Often when a book changes back and forth between two timelines, one is much stronger than the other, so that I end up feeling a bit impatient when switching away to the less compelling narrative. Bruce Borgos does a nice job of telling both stories, however, and weaving them together in a very readable way, so that wasn’t an issue here. He also does a great job of recreating the mood of the Cold War, which had Americans viewing the atomic tests as absolutely necessary to keep the US safe from the Soviet Union, and then contrasting that with today’s understanding of the Downwinders who were affected by the explosions’ fallout in horrific ways. And of course, at the end, everything comes together in some quite unexpected twists and turns.

As for the little wrinkles: I found the main protagonist, Sheriff Porter Beck, his small family, and his team, to be believable and likeable characters, and Beck himself has a very nicely honed sense of humor. But somehow his relationship (???) with modern-day FBI agent Sana Locke didn’t quite ring true for me, and was even a bit annoying. I have my fingers crossed that this may resolve if there are further books in the series, and I certainly hope there will be. And the other little wrinkle is that there are some rather violent scenes in The Bitter Past, especially right at the beginning, so if that sort of thing bothers you, be forewarned. It's well worth persisting beyond the initial chapter, but just a heads-up.

In closing, I want to thank the publishers, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the advance review copy. It was much appreciated! And one final note: once I finished reading, and reached the acknowledgments at the end, I was amused to see a thank-you to the Executive Director of the National Atomic Testing Museum…which is what started my interest in The Bitter Past in the first place…

Wow. This is a page turner that moves back and forth in time between the 1950s and the present, when Sheriff Porter Beck is on the trail of a Russian who has come to rural Nevada for....something. And he's killing to get whatever it is. Beck's father was also the Sheriff but he's fading now but not so much that he doesn't have information to add as Beck and FBI Agent Sana Locke hunt the Russian, who may have also taken a young woman from a polygamist community. In the past, Freddie, a Russian illegal, is caught up in a Russian plan to use the US nuclear weapons program against itself. He's also in love. No spoilers on how the two plot lines come together but this is one that will make you think. It's complex and propulsive all at once. Beck makes a great character- he's struggling with his eyesight thanks to retinitis pigmentosa, he's got a back ground in espionage, and he's clever. His sister Brinley is someone you'd want on your side. And then there's the expert. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's an impressive debut and a great read.

I was interested in the plot of The Bitter Past, and the dual timeline, around the murders, Russian espionage, but the some of the dialogue of the MC and dips into a romantic storyline seemed out of place and pulled me out of the story. I had a hard time finding the characters (esp. Sana) believable with the dialogue and some of their choices…because they are supposed to be professionals and the stakes seemed pretty high!

Still, I think it’s an interesting read if this is your kind of novel and you connect with the characters. It’s the first in a series I’m sure will continue to grow and expand.

Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for a digital arc to review. All opinions are my own.

Spy type books are not my usual go to read. However this book was quite good. It’s full of action and intrigue. It kept my attention from page one. I will definitely be looking for more with this character.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

This novel follows Porter Beck, the county sheriff, following in his father’s footsteps. Porter was previously an army intelligence agent, so it’s a given the man is smart. When an old retired FBI agent is found murdered and tortured, a current FBI agent, Sana Locke, shows up to help with the investigation. They develop an uneasy partnership. The dead man was investigating something from the 1950s which ties into the storyline. Meanwhile, a young Mormon woman has gone missing from a polygamist camp.
The story flips back and forth between the present day and 1957 when the nuclear testing was ongoing.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-arc.*

The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos. Sheriff Porter Beck investigates the brutal murder of a former FBI agent. He was butchered in an attempt to get information related to a Russian spy from the 50s. Why would anyone care about events from aged spying attempts on America’s development of nuclear weapons? You’ll find out along the way. I love how Beck characterized those he worked and came in contact with. Fun read. Recommended. #NetGalley #TheBitterPastBook

The story was engaging with a cast of interesting characters and I liked it more than I thought I would. You get a mystery, learn about history, nuclear testing, and the Cold War. There was one part of the mystery that I figured out, but the other puzzle pieces surprised me. I am happy that this is the first book in a new series. I want to find out what additional trouble Beck, his deputies, and Brin find themselves in.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press-Minotaur Books, and Bruce Borgos for the eARC.

*4.5 stars rounded up. Set in the high desert of Nevada, this new thriller starts out with a shockingly horrendous crime scene. Lincoln County Sheriff, Porter Beck and his team have never seen anything more monstrous and gruesome than what was done to the murder victim, retired FBI agent Ralph Atterbury. Why was he so brutally tortured? What did he know?

This area of Nevada is probably best known for the above-ground atomic testing that went on there in the 50s, with little thought to the consequences for the people and animals living downwind. Sheriff Beck's own mother was one of those 'downwinders.' That history is told in flashbacks to the scene of Area 51 where a young foreigner, trained to infiltrate, is plotting mayhem.

This is one of the best thrillers I've read so far this year. It's a mashup of police procedural with spy thriller. There is an interesting cast of characters: Sheriff Beck debuts as a tough and smart lawman with a physical disability that may sabotage his career. His father, who now has dementia, had the job before him. And there is a rather wild adopted sister with a mental disorder of her own who happens to be a firearms expert. Beck's deputies are a varied and fractious bunch who are joined in this investigation by an FBI Special Agent. Beck doesn't seem to mind this government intrusion in his case, especially since said agent is one hot babe. But he's frustrated that she's keeping information from him on a 'need-to-know' basis.

Exciting action and intrigue really drive both the current story and the backstory. I did guess one plot twist but a couple others took me totally by surprise--and I love to be fooled. I'm looking forward to more to come in this new series. It's a winner.

I received an arc of this new thriller from the author and publisher via NetGalley. Many thanks for the opportunity! My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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WHAT'S THE BITTER PAST ABOUT?
Porter Beck is the Sherriff of Lincoln County, Nevada. We meet him as he and his deputies are looking at a horrific crime scene. A retired FBI Agent has been tortured and killed, and Beck and his crew are clueless as to why.

Well, that's not entirely true—Beck has an idea, but he needs the autopsy results before he starts to act on it. Before he came back home and became Sherrif, Beck was in Army Intelligence and recognizes signs of a Russian Foreign Intelligence Service operation. An FBI Agent has been sent to look into the case and works alongside the Sherrif's department, Beck confronts Special Agent Sana Locke about this and she comes clean.

The dead agent had spent decades trying to find a Russian agent who had infiltrated US nuclear tests in the 1950s, and there's a reason to think that the Russians have come to find that agent for themselves. It's up to Beck and Agent Locke to stop them.

The only way I can sense to talk about this book is to focus on each timeline/storyline separately.

THE PRESENT
We spend a lot of time getting to know Beck and his deputies—a colorful and interesting batch that I hope we get to spend a lot more time with in the years to come. We also get to know Beck's father—the former Sherrif, now battling dementia—and his adoptive sister, a firearms expert and instructor (who could probably be the protagonist in a series of her own).

In addition to trying to find either the killer or the agent the killer was looking for (in order to find the killer), they have to deal with a missing woman from an FLDS compound.

Both active cases stretch the small department to the limits—it's a large county (roughly the same area as Maryland)—and tensions within the department staff start to build as they do their best to cover routine duties as well as pursue (and generate) leads.

We don't get to me a lot of non-law enforcement residents of Lincoln County, I assume that'll change in future books—but those that we do tell me that I want to meet more of them.

THE PAST
In the mid-to-late 1950s* the US conducted several tests of nuclear weapons in the desert of Lincoln County. Our Russian Agent, Lt. Georgiy Dudko of the KGB, had spent a long time preparing to come to America and pass himself off as an American citizen**. Once here, he got hired on as a security guard on the base that conducted the testing and started gathering information for Moscow as worked his way into better and better positions on base.

* and maybe later, too—I'm not sure of the history off the top of my head, and it's beyond the scope of this post to get into that.
** Think of the FX show The Americans but Georgiy never got to wear any of the impossibly great wigs. Poor guy.

Georgiy never lost sight of his mission—but at some point questioned some of his orders. He thought they damaged his overall mission and he had other moral/ethical concerns that I really can't get into. But this led to the Present-time story, so the reader is able to start putting the pieces together right away.

This is largely background material, but that doesn't keep Borgos from keeping it as gripping as if it's the only story in the novel. Early in this story, I saw it as background and was in a hurry to get back to Beck's storyline. That ended quickly and I didn't want to step away from Georgiy's story—even once I knew pretty much how things had to go. And my notes say that a lot.

THE SETTING
Obviously, the setting of any book is vital to the overall novel—you can't tell Elvis Cole or Harry Bosch stories outside of L.A. (with a couple of exceptions), Spenser and Kenzie & Gennaro need Boston, Walt Longmire and Joe Pickett have to have their stories in Wyoming—the geography, the character of their homes, and the history of the area shape and form the people, crimes, and type of stories you can tell.

The same is true here—these are stories that can only be told in this part of the world. The history of the area informs so much of this novel that it cannot be overstated—but the empty spaces, the long distances between neighbors, and the amount of territory Beck's department is responsible for are just as important as that history. It's a perfect combination of locale and subject.

SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT THE BITTER PAST?
I cannot believe that I haven't been reading these books for years—I felt right at home with the characters almost instantly. I could feel the rapport between them—even between Beck and his rival deputy—as solidly as if this were the fifth book in the series.

I want to spend some time discussing a couple of the deputies at length, but I've gone on too long already. So I'll just leave it by mentioning my favorite parts of the book. There are a couple of scenes of Beck and the deputies looking around crime scenes and dissecting them—each pointing out evidence and trying to build an explanation for what's before them, what happened during the crime, etc. Yes, Beck's the Sherriff and has the most experience, but it's a true team effort, which is just a joy to watch. If Borgos gives me a couple of those in every book, I will be reading him for as long as it already feels like I have been.

That opening crime scene is grisly—I can't think of anything worse since M. W. Craven's The Puppet Show—and any reader is going to want to read about that killer being stopped.

Borgos puts enough wit and humor in both storylines to keep things from getting too bogged down in blood and intrigue (and nuclear fallout), the characters are all the kind you want to spend more time with (even the Russian spy), and the cases are intriguing. The pacing is perfect—he keeps you turning pages and trying to guess at what's coming next without keeping things at a breakneck speed, so you can enjoy the scenery and his well-put-together sentences.

I don't know if Borgos will be able to structure another book like this—and I frankly don't care. If all we get is Beck and his crew, I'm fine. If he does have another trick like this up his sleeve, I'm all for that, too.

I strongly recommend this book—particularly for fans of Craig Johnson and C.J. Box. This is the beginning of the next great Western Mystery series. I'd have ordered Book 2 already if the option existed, and I think I won't be alone in that.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for this post--thanks to both for this.

Deep thanks to NetGalley, St. Martins Publishing and Minotaur Books for the ARC of "The Bitter Past" in exchange for an honest review.
Attention all avid readers......here comes one of those books that we all hope and pray for, the kind of non-stop read we never stop searching for.
You know the book I mean. The one that turns all the daily things we put up with .(meals, work, chores, sleep, TV news, etc. etc.) into annoying distractions........annoying and distracting
because they're keeping us from feverishly turning pages of this book to see what happens next.
Yes..... it's that kind of book.
This one pushed all kinds of buttons for me. I've always loved stories set in the arid, lonely and forbidding deserts of the American Southwest. And that would also account for why I'm additionally obsessed with the mid-40's to 1950's history that unfolded amidst that landscape - the development and testing of the atomic bomb. Of course that includes everything that came with it.........the cavalier test detonations that sent deadly radiation floating into the winds and the frenzy and fear about Russian spies, trained to look and sound like us while they steal our vital top secrets.
"The Bitter Past" throws together all of those elements in one big suspenseful package........it's a contemporary breathless thriller whose seemingly endless twists and turns have their roots firmly in the past.....back to the atomic espionage in the 1950's Northern Nevada deserts.
That's the mystery facing Sheriff Porter Beck as he investigates the beyond horrific torture and murder of an elderly retired FBI agent. And he finds himself both perplexed and entranced by his most unlikely ally in his hunt for the killer -FBI agent Sana Locke, stunning to behold, but sitting on any number of secrets of her own.
Flashbacks to 1957 also unfold, where a deep cover Russian spy-saboteur manages to infiltrate an atomic testing site posing as an all-American security guard......even to the point of courting the daughter of the scientist in charge of of the site of a new, highly unusual test.
Put all of this together and you've got a mystery-suspense-action-adventure thriller guaranteed to make you want to put off everything I listed earlier.....meals, work, chores, sleep, shopping, etc, etc. When the plot twists start poppin', they come at you like a literal hailstorm of surprises......and in the rapidly steamy banter of Beck and Locke, there's laugh out loud wit, a duel of two suspicious minds, and the all the simmering sexual combustion that comes with them.
Since I've now given what I think is pretty accurate description of a 5 star read, I'll end the review right here....except to mention thriller fans need to jump this one to the very top of their TBR's. Enough said?

Told in two timelines, The Bitter Past is a combination of historical fiction, mystery, and espionage.

1950's The nuclear race is on! A young Russian spy has infiltrated a nuclear testing site in Nevada.

Present - Porter Beck is the sheriff in a community north of Las Vegas, Nevada where his father once was sheriff. He came home to help care for his father who now had dementia.

When a retired FBI agent is found brutally murdered, the clues point back to the 1950s and the nuclear testing site. Things get even more interesting when an FBI agent working alone shows up and begins to help Porter with his investigation. Porter will rely on the skills he learned as an intelligence officer in the Army to help with his investigation.

I struggled a little with the writing and found that I was never fully invested in the plot. When there are two timelines, I tend to enjoy one over the other. I found that I enjoyed the timeline in the past more. I wanted to know if the Russian spy would ever get caught, what he would learn, would he get away, etc. In the present, I never warmed to Sana, the FBI agent who showed up alone to help. I also didn't quite buy into the instant attraction between the Porter and Sana. In fact, I found it annoying. Although I enjoyed Porter, it was his sister, Brinley, who became a favorite for me. She had a personality that I enjoyed.

I did enjoy how the author brought the two timelines together. I found this to be well thought out and a nice touch.

Others are enjoying this much more than I did. Please read their reviews as well.

This was a gripping first book in a new series and I couldn't put it down. The characters are great. The plot is full of intrigue and surprises. There were twists I didn't see coming. Plenty of action and fast pacing kept me turning pages. I'll definitely be on the lookout for the next one!

This memorable thriller includes history, espionage, police procedure, and a riveting mystery. It was complex and well-constructed, with intriguing characters and proceeded rapidly to an action-packed and startling conclusion. An underlying theme is the compulsion and cost of doing the right thing against orders.

The story is set in the high desert of Nevada, about 150 miles from Los Vegas. Currently, Sheriff Porter Beck has jurisdiction over a widespread area with sparse inhabitants. It is relatively crime-free. He had worked in intelligence for the American government in various places and spent time in Russia. He now follows his father's profession as sheriff, which covers the same area where his father worked. His father is now in his 80s and showing signs of dementia with short-term memory loss. Beck has an adopted sister, Brinley, an expert in weapons.

The peace of the area under Beck's control is shattered by the gut-wrenching torture and murder of an elderly, retired FBI man. Furthermore, it seems someone is targeting elderly men. Why? Clues lead back to a time from 1951 to 1957 when the nuclear testing site was nearby. In the early days, a Russian spy was able to infiltrate the heavily restricted and guarded area and pass on secrets to his mother country. Now, someone is looking for that spy who may hold a long-hidden secret of something that happened there and has been covered up. It is now believed that people and livestock were victims of nuclear fallout from the tests resulting in miscarriages and lethal cancers that the government ignored in their race for nuclear superiority over the Russians.

We learn about the layout of the testing site and some early events around Area 51 through the eyes of a young recruit, Freddy. He is in love with Kitty, the daughter of a powerful man who controls some areas and promotions. The Russian spy was ordered to steal a dirty bomb to be exploded over Los Vegas. The spy that an unknown person is looking for today, if still alive, would be in his 80s or early 90s. He must be killed before revealing what he knows.

As Beck begins his investigation with the help of his small staff, an alluring FBI agent Sana shows up to help. There are reports of some vandalized graves. A young married woman has vanished from a religious cult, and there is an effort to find her before she is killed. This serves as a distraction from espionage events of the 1950s, but could there be an unlikely connection? Beck and Sana begin a romantic relationship, but can she be trusted? There is a complicated entanglement where false identities and names must be clarified. Now, Sana has been abducted, and Beck goes all out to rescue her and the missing girl from the cult. He recruits his sister, Brinley, for support and help. There are intense, heart-pounding action scenes, with the offer to trade Sana for the elderly Russian spy, or Sana will be tortured and killed.

This a stellar debut by the writer Bruce Borgos, and I can't wait to see what Beck does in the next book of an expected series. As Area 51 is now believed by conspiracists to be hiding remains of crashed UFOs and alien bodies, maybe he could take a look at that? Many thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this gripping ARC. I highly recommend it to those who enjoy spy thrillers and mysteries. It is due to be published on July 18.