Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

Lincoln County, Nebraska doesn’t see many murders. But Sheriff Porter Beck finds himself standing in Ralph Atterbury’s home with the tortured body of the retired FBI agent lying on the floor before him. It’s clear to Beck, a former Army intelligence officer, that Atterbury’s attacker was searching for something . . . and may not have found it.

It isn’t long before FBI Special Agent Sana Locke shows up to assist in the investigation into Atterbury’s brutal murder. But there are more questions than answers and, as the crime scene suggests, the answers might have something to do with a Russian spy that infiltrated the nuclear testing site back in the 1950s.

What was the murderer searching for in Atterbury’s home? And what could a decades-old spy mission have to do with the old FBI agent?

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Told in a dual timeline, the unfolding story of the investigation into the murder ultimately ties into the decades-earlier story of the atomic testing site. The strong sense of place and its believable characters combine with the compelling plot to grab readers from the outset, pulling them into the telling of the tale.

With well-developed characters and a unique plot, the story takes off at a rapid pace, and continues, keeping the pages turning as revelations and backstories unite to tell an intriguing tale of past and present.

The intriguing tale offers readers some surprising reveals as this unputdownable story races toward a denouement that readers may not see coming.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley
#TheBitterPast #NetGalley

Well, I just found a new Author that will be added to my best Author list. I was engrossed from the beginning. It flowed and kept me interested all the way through. I liked the humor and intelligence of sheriff Porter Beck, he was an interesting character. In fact all the characters were well written. The plot was very engaging and kept you on your toes. I highly recommend you read this book. I look forward to reading his other books.

Ebook received for free through NetGalley.

A great book that pulled me in from the beginning and was hard to put down. That’s for letting me read it.

This novel takes place in Nevada during two separate time periods. In the first, the present, we meet Beck, the Lincoln County Sheriff who followed his father into office after a career in the Army. One of his many remarkable abilities is total recall. Lincoln County is north of Las Vegas in the Nevada mountains. The other part takes place following the end of World War II and the Cold War. It involves the secret testing of nuclear weaponry, a Russian spy who was there under cover and an event that could have destroyed Las Vegas. Parts of each chapter deal with each time frame. Normally when I read split times I often lose interest because it becomes convoluted. But not this time. I found myself caring what happened to these characters and what is going on in their lives. I also occasionally laughed out loud at some of the interactions between Beck and his crew. The ending could not have been better. Thanks to Net Galley and Minotaur Books for an ARC for an honest review.

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.