After reading this book, I was happy to find out that this is the start of a series. It's set in the high desert of Nevada and features Sheriff Porter Beck, an Army vet who served undercover. He left the Army and returned home, where he is now the sheriff. An old FBI agent is found tortured and killed, and clues seem to point to the 1950's when Russia was developing nuclear weapons. The book rotates between that time and now, and is filled with action and heart-pounding thrills. Looking forward to the next book.

The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos
Porter Beck is the Sherrif in Lincoln County, Nevada. The grizzly murder of an ex-FBI agent debuts this mystery. Finding the killer leads to a history of atomic bomb testing and Russian spies.
Borgos spins a believable tale with excellent characterizations. He provides his characters with both strengths and flaws. The characters are believable as is the tale.
The story has abundant twists, plenty of mayhem, and heroics.
I enjoyed it and highly recommend it.

When I first read the synopsis of this book on NetGalley, I was intrigued. When I finished the first chapter, I thought me eyes were going to roll out of my head as a result of all the similes. It was like reading a 1950’s dime store novel. But, I persevered. After all, I was permitted to read this advanced copy as a courtesy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Wow! So glad that I continued. Soon, I was hooked and drawn into the story of Beck, a Nevada sheriff dealing with a horrific murder of an elderly man. During his investigation, we are taken back to the 1950’s Russian spies, and the nuclear testing taking place in the Nevada desert. We meet his unconventional family, his interesting officers, and the lovely agent sent to solve the case. This is apparently, and hopefully, the first in a new series by a debut author. The witty writing often had me laughing out loud. I was gobsmacked when I realized where the story was heading, and totally satisfied when I read the last page. For fans of C.J. Box and that ilk, this is a must read.

My honest review is freely provided in return for the kindness by NetGalley and the author/publisher in providing me with this book.

It is a strange coincidence that I was reading The Bitter Past as the 2023 train derailment occurred in East Palestine, OH drawing an eerie parallel to the effects of toxic fallout. Due credit is given in the book to how radioactive toxins changed and took lives, and how the horrifying reality of the impact of fusion fuel. The Government severely miscalculated the amplification impacts of radioactive fallout, much like many wonder today about what the Government is saying about East Palestine, OH.

The Bitter Past is a nicely constructed and complex mystery that concludes in the link between two timelines. Borgos writes between the present and the past, both which center around US nuclear testing in the 1950’s and a Russian spy. The Russian spy is called the “illegal”, and it seemed an odd term where I thought of him as more of an agent than an illegal (his immigration status was never really addressed).

The story is a good page turner that will draw you back to its pages, and wraps up nicely with interesting twists. The main character, Sheriff Beck, retired from Army intelligence, has real depth that leaves you hopeful for a series with this character. This book is a 2023 favorite for me - 5 stars.

I highly enjoyed this spy thriller. I couldn't put it down! I was hanging on every word! So good!
I just reviewed The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos. #TheBitterPastBook #NetGalley
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This was a good book in many ways: Fast plot, suspense, and well researched information on a piece of history that is not often told. Characters were written as real people and I look forward to more from this author.

I really loved the past timeline more than the present. It really was interesting and I love the whole Russian thing back in the 1950s and stuff. Beck was pretty good and I loved the partner Sana, she was pretty cool. This book made me think a lot and even though it was a work of fiction there was some very interesting nuggets of the past, I loved it! The only things I had wrong with this book is the ending wasn’t what I expected it to be and the little “romance” if you even call it that between Beck and Sana it was just not even necessary honestly. But overall 4 stars

Wonderful book! All the hype of the 50's and family , too. Back then you did what you had to do for country and family and no one knew , Salaries, work conditions, neighbors. where talked about! Family secrets stay in family!

Love. Murder. Russian spies. Nuclear testing. Porter Beck is my new favourite hero! Can’t wait to read the next instalment of his character. Great fiction book based on history. Loved the info on nuclear testing. Just visited the atomic testing museum in Vegas one month ago. Really great timing on this brilliant debut novel. Must read for crime/ spy thrillers.

4.5 stars rounded up.

Thanks to the publishers and author for the arc of this book.

This is a very interesting and winning page turner combining some spy mystery intrigue with a bit of romance thrown in for fun. I'm hoping there will be a sequel and soon.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

Fast paced, interesting characters, well-plotted, easy to read. What more could you want for a rainy afternoon?

Have never read anything by this author and wasn’t sure I would like this book when it was brought to my attention. Took me a little while to get into it. Don’t like stories bouncing back into time to combine the story. Once I got into the story I didn’t want to put it down. Intriguing story involving a murder of a retired FBI agent that took place in Nevada. The story involves a Russian operative who was working as a spy back 20 years ago. The US government knew there was a spy in Nevada but was sure who it was. The spy helped stop the dangerous mission that the Russian government was involved in but he left bodies doing this before he disappeared but was never caught. At the death of the FBI agent they were afraid that the Russian operative was active again. Interesting book. I would recommend the book to others.

I received this book from NetGalley for my unbiased review.

This was the first book by Bruce Borgos I have read. Hopefully it won't be the last!

The Bitter Past grabs you from the beginning and keeps you turning pages until the end. The characters are well developed and the story has some twists and turns throughout.

Very good read and looking forward to more.

The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos is an engrossing read.. A superb job with plot and characters. Well worth the read.

I am an avid reader but the mystery genre is my favorite. That said, I have to admit I was thrilled to be offered a chance to read the first book in a new series by Bruce Borgos, an author new to me. The book is a combination of police procedural, spy/espionage, mystery and thriller with a dash of historical fiction. The combination is very well done. Lincoln County, Nevada Sheriff (just call me) Beck is a likable character from the beginning. If it wasn't for that the gruesome murder scene near the beginning of the book might have stopped me in my tracks. However, I kept turning the pages rapidly to find out how incidents in the late 1950s at the Nevada Testing Site were connected to Beck's present-day murder. The characters are well developed, the story line complex and the pace is fast. Nothing is as it first appears but the author plays fair and ties up everything at the end in a believable manner. This is a series that I will definitely follow based on this first book.


Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing/ Minotaur for the invitation to read and review this new series.

Set in Southern Nevada dessert where the nuclear tests of the 1950's took place a Sherriff is called to a grisly murder scene. What begins as a police procedural who dunnit quickly evolves into a nifty little spy cold war revenge suspense novel all rolled into one.

Although the plot is a bit over imagined it more then makes up in quick dialogue and well paced writing.

Great read.

Received a complimentary ARC of The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos from St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books/NetGalley. Scroll past the BOOK REPORT section for a cut-and-paste of the DESCRIPTION of it if you want to read my thoughts on the book in the context of a summary.

BOOK REPORT
I wish I could give this book 2.5 stars (THANKS FOR NOTHING, GOODREADS!), but because I can’t, I’m gonna round it up to 3. That’s because I want “Future Kristi” to remember that the Porter Beck series by Bruce Borgos has an awful lot of potential, and that the issues “Current Kristi” had with The Bitter Past might have an awful lot to do with it being the first in this series. (Think everything and the kitchen sink…..)

It's worth noting for the record that this is one time flyleaf copy was actually accurate. Imagine that! It summarizes the storylines nicely, and hits the nail on the head that fans of Craig Johnson will probably enjoy this book.

DESCRIPTION
In the tradition of Craig Johnson and C. J. Box, Bruce Borgos's The Bitter Past begins a compelling series set in the high desert of Nevada featuring Sheriff Porter Beck…

Porter Beck is the sheriff in the high desert of Nevada, north of Las Vegas. Born and raised there, he left to join the Army, where he worked in Intelligence, deep in the shadows in far off places. Now he's back home, doing the same lawman's job his father once did, before his father started to develop dementia. All is relatively quiet in this corner of the world, until an old, retired FBI agent is found killed. He was brutally tortured before he was killed and clues at the scene point to a mystery dating back to the early days of the nuclear age. If that wasn't strange enough, a current FBI agent shows up to help Beck's investigation.

In a case that unfolds in the past (the 1950s) and the present, it seems that a Russian spy infiltrated the nuclear testing site and now someone is looking for that long-ago, all-but forgotten person, who holds the key to what happened then and to the deadly goings on now.

THE BITTER PAST by author Bruce Borgos is a novel that takes place in the desert of Nevada that tells the story of Sheriff Porter Beck, a second generation lawman who holds the position formerly held by his father, who is now suffering from dementia which adds to Porter’s concerns, along with his investigation into the recent murder of a reclusive retired FBI agent that had recently set himself up in a well planned and secure bunker, which make his murder seem to be related to his past, and evidently involving someone with a special skill set to be able to gain access to him.

Investigation reveals that the retired agent suffered torture, evidently to get information on the possibility of the presence of a Russian spy from a breach at a nuclear facility years ago that was a serious threat to national security.

Porter determines that the murder apparently connects the attempt to locate and kill the spy from the ‘50s, who is believed to have taken up residence in the area after going off the radar, and may be currently living in the area under an alias but otherwise known to the community.

Can Porter locate the murderer before he kills again, and will this require him to reveal the identity of the Russian spy who accessed classified secrets long ago before disappearing?

Great novel that hopefully turns into a series involving the Nevada lawman, and author Bruce Borgos does a great job at keeping the pace of this one going with twists and turns that lead up to the shocking identity of the elusive former spy in the area.

Recommended for those who like authors such as Craig Johnson and C. J. Box as stated in the book details, I can confirm that as a fan of both authors I enjoyed it and look forward to future novels by the author, hopefully with more based on this novel.

5 stars.

I received a free ARC ebook of <i>The Bitter Past </i> from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Borgos sets his thriller in two time frames in the Nevada desert - a Cold War late fifties and a more contemporary time. Due to the time difference there are few common characters but the tension and suspucion carries through the years.

In 1957, nuclear proliferation is rampant and the Russians are determined to discover all the secrets hidden in the desert. A young Russian is sent to America to ingratiate himself within the scientific community and do his best to wreck havoc with nuclear materials. Borgos makes this time period a terrifying thrill ride.

In contemporary Nevada, Sheriff Porter Beck investigates the horrific murder of a former FBI agent. It isn't long before the sheriff and his team discover that the agent was investigating the possible identity of a former Russian spy who remained in America. Joined by Agent Saran Locke, Porter utilizes his expertise as a former American agent in Moscow to investigate the grisly death.

This novel was really enjoyable to read but there were lots of coincidences that in retrospect strain credulity. Yet I would definitely read more by this author with the character Porter Beck.

I received this from NetGalley from St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books in exchange for an unbiased review.

I absolutely loved this book. The protagonist was smart, witty and genuinely likable. He was someone I could see myself hanging out with and enjoying a chat. His sense of humor is closely aligned with my own and it was as if he was an old friend.

The tale takes place in the Nevada Big Rocks area near Caliente as well as the surrounding areas. The atmosphere and desert play a large role in the tale. As well, the nuclear testing in the nearby areas that took place in the 1950s is also integral to the story. Russian spies and national security secrets create tension.

The opening scene is pretty gory but it sets the tone for the danger that hangs over the entire book. There are so many moving parts to this story, it’s a rich delight to the reader.

All the characters were well drawn and intriguing. I especially enjoyed the relationship the protagonist had with his father and sister. They seemed like a real-life family. Close but not afraid to be truthful with each other and even make each other angry but still have each other’s backs.

The hero had an interesting past and also had a bit of a handicap with night blindness that added a second layer of drama to the tale. He was definitely someone to root for and that’s always something this reader needs to have in a book. I’m definitely not a reader who likes anti-heroes.

The story was complex and satisfying. It moved seamlessly from the current time to the 1950s and the pace was well done. The mysteries unfolded at a good rate and kept me turning the pages.

I really enjoyed this book and thank the author for creating such a great character in the hero, a complex back story and a well done, intriguing plot. I hope there are more adventures in store with the sheriff of Lincoln County.