After retiring from the Army, Porter Beck returns home to take on the role as sheriff of Lincoln County, located in the high desert of Nevada. When a retired FBI agent is killed, a mystery from 60 years ago involving a Russian KGB agent who came to pilfer the United States’ nuclear technology appears to be linked to the recent death. The nuclear testing site storyline, the FBI aspects of the story, and the ending make this an all-around fabulous read. This is a huge page turner. I just loved it. 4.5 stars.

"The Bitter Past" by Bruce Borgos serves up a wild ride in a small Nevada town, hinting at a promising series ahead. Sheriff Beck, armed with his military background, finds himself smack in the middle of a tangled case when a retired FBI agent's death raises suspicions.

Teaming up with FBI agent Sona, Beck dives headfirst into the investigation, uncovering layers of intrigue that span both past and present. The narrative effortlessly flips between timelines, weaving in a thrilling subplot involving a Russian spy and a covert nuclear testing base in Nevada.

While the story keeps the adrenaline pumping with its constant action, some moments might feel a tad over-the-top or cheesy. The sudden romance between Beck and Sona feels a bit forced, sticking out like a sore thumb in an otherwise gritty tale of crime and espionage.

That said, the historical subplot steals the show with its gripping portrayal of espionage and secrecy. Despite its flaws, "The Bitter Past" lays down a solid groundwork for future adventures, leaving readers hungry for more from this dynamic duo.

My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy of this book.

As some of the older series that I've read are winding down, I'm always on the lookout for something that scratches the itch.
This was a great introduction to the series. I'm now hooked and i've read both this and the sequel in over the past.3 days.

The writing style is crisp, and i enjoyed the twists and turns. The plot is gripping, and I see a cast of secondary characters that I can enjoy as the series contineus

Thanks Netgalley and St Martin's Press for providing a reader. copy. Thank you for a well authored novel Bruce, and I look forward to more adventures wth Porter Beck.

On a February Friday in a remote, off-the-grid house set in front of the vast Big Rocks Wilderness in Lincoln County, Nevada, sheriff’s deputies, responding to a welfare check request, discover the horrifically tortured corpse of retired FBI special agent Ralph Atterbury. No property is missing and there’s no sign of forced entry suggesting Atterbury had let the killer into the house. It’s clear from both the manner of death and condition of the house that the killer was searching for something. Lincoln County Sheriff Porter Beck launches an investigation.

After notifying the FBI field office in Las Vegas of the murder, Sana Locke arrives in Beck’s office, identifying herself as an FBI special agent, and the investigation takes an unexpected turn. Sheriff Beck learns the motive behind Atterbury’s death stretches back to the Cold War and the atmospheric nuclear tests at the Nevada Proving Grounds back in the 1950s. Beck, his deputies, and Locke team up to search for Atterbury’s killer. The sheriff learns from her they are looking for Russian intelligence officers who will continue killing until they find what they are searching for, a Russian spy from the fifties who betrayed the Soviet Union and disappeared in the United States. Along the way, Beck, a former Army intelligence officer, learns that there is more to Sana Locke than meets the eye and discovers something completely unexpected about his own past.

Bruce Borgos’ gripping mixed genre mystery and espionage thriller centers on the search for a former Russian intelligence officer who spied on the American nuclear program in the 1950s and then betrayed the Soviet Union and disappeared. Now both American and Russian intelligence are searching for him and the Russians will kill as many people as they have to in order to find their traitorous comrade first.

This mixed genre novel blends mystery and thriller genres themes of betrayal, government corruption, and closely held secrets in an imaginative plot that maintains the reader’s interest and presents a compelling set of characters and suspects. The Bitter Past will satisfy both crime and espionage thriller seasoned readers, following a standard police procedural narrative that keeps readers guessing until the final chapter. What is initially a gruesome one-off murder soon leads to more killings, and the pacing and tension remain at a high level throughout the entire story as a rural sheriff’s department and a federal agent pursue Russian intelligence assassins in a remote part of Nevada.

The Bitter Past consists of many notable secondary characters to keep the story interesting—in particular, Porter Beck, his father Joe Beck, sister Brinley, and Sana Locke, all of whom hold significant presences in the story.

A strong setting anchors the novel—the enormous but sparsely populated Lincoln County, Nevada near the infamous secret federal government Area 51 site. A county about the size of Maryland with only a 12-person sheriff’s department to maintain law and order is filled with eccentric and interesting characters and long-held secrets. Largely character-driven with a tight plot, Borgos does well in capturing the isolated county that contributes to a sense of foreboding that puts the reader in mind of many Australian rural crime novels. Readers will find the conclusion particularly satisfying.

This book the first in a series, with Porter Beck as the main character. It is a police procedural, with some links to historical events. It is told in dual time lines, both by Porter Beck, and a voice from the past. Although the events in the past and future do not seem linked, we find out how intertwined they are as the story unfolds.

I enjoyed the character development, and the links to the past of this book. The only character I didn't care for was FBI/CIA agent Sana, and she was more of a "minor" character, so it didn't matter much anyway. I will definitely read the second one in the series, that is due out soon!

Thank you to the Author, Publisher and Net Galley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I read the second book first and really liked it, so I looked for the first book by Bruce Borgos.

The Bitter Past has some problems that are corrected in Shades of Mercy, but also has a fascinating plot that provides a great deal of historical information.

A gruesome opening that I didn't like, and I found Porter Beck too full of himself, but...

when the book really gets into the plot, it is fascinating! The background of Project 57 and Operation Plumbob, the effects of atomic testing on animals and humans, especially the Downwinders hooked me.

Who was the Russian spy that foiled a disaster and then went into hiding? Why is the government trying to find a man who is now between 80-90 years old a half century later? A dual timeline kept me guessing and great research made The Bitter Past a compelling glimpse at the early atomic age and a thrilling mystery in the present. The twist was one I did not see coming.

I was also interested in the Nevada setting including Big Rocks Wilderness and the Moon Caves in Cathedral Park. The links helped me visualize several interesting scenes.

310 pages
Published 2023

Sheriff Porter "Beck" Beck has skills. He has traveled the world and has worn many hats. He always seems to be the smartest guy in the room. He's back in Lincoln County, Nevada, to help care for his father (the previous sheriff) who is developing dementia and to take over as the new sheriff.

In a town troubled by few murders, suddenly older men are found slain. Federal agents appear, one of whom is very pretty. Talk of the nuclear testing done nearby in the 1950s starts up again. Beck looks for information about the spies who infiltrated the test site and what their handlers wanted them to do.

Name a crime and it's probably in this book. Add to that some jaw-dropping twists that make it impossible to stop turning the pages.

I recommend "The Bitter Past" by Bruce Burgos. It's one of the most exciting books I've read in quite a while. I'm looking forward to reading "Shades of Mercy," the second book in the Sheriff Porter Beck series.

Thank you to NetGalley for the reader's copy of this book.

I read this one in one sitting because I was fascinated with the dual timelines. The Russian spy timeline was by far my favorite. I liked the characters and thought that the pacing was well done. I didn't like the romantic relationship (more like a hook up) for two of the characters since I didn't think it added much to the story. Although there were some things that were too much of a coincidence in the end of the book, I still was thoroughly entertained throughout the entire book. Will read more by him for sure.

I really enjoyed the mystery elements and I liked how the past eventually connected with the present. I could've done without Agent Locke and Beck’s relationship. Given all that was going on, it wasn't believable to me they both were going down that road. Maybe its the jaded law enforcement wife in me, I dont know. 😉 The sister relationship threw me off, but im assuming since this is a series, there will be more background on her eventually. All in all, I really enjoyed this one and would be interested to see where the series goes.

Thoroughly enjoyable thriller told win two different timelines. Part police procedural, part espionage story, and full of well developed characters. This fast paced thriller, full of several unexpected twists, had me reading late into the night. Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for a review copy.

The book opens with the very descriptive torture and murder of an ex-FBI agent. The murder is a quite unusual occurrence in the quiet setting in Nevada’s desert north of Las Vegas where little major crime happens. The dual storyline is set in the present and follows Sheriff Porter Beck’s investigation of this murder and subsequent murders and the kidnapping of a young Mormon woman. It is a small police department and time and resources are divided between the murders and the kidnapping. To further complicate matters is the arrival of a current FBI agent. The second storyline goes back in time to the 1950’s and nuclear testing in the Nevada desert and Russian spies and espionage. The author weaves the two time periods and storylines together. I enjoyed reading about the nuclear testing and the fallout that resulted and the harm brought to the people and animals of the area for years afterwards. I enjoyed this book. I liked the surprising twist that I didn’t see coming. I am now excited to begin reading the next book in this series. A much read.

I really loved this book. It was engaging and interesting and kept me hooked the entire time. The characters were likable and the line between good guys and bad guys remained blurred until the ending, which helped maintain the mystery. Very good book!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for the copy of The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos. I loved the story, a great mix of spy thriller and detective work. The characters and the writing left me cold though. The flirtation between Sana and Beck was unprofessional and unrealistic and Beck’s thoughts about Sana were disgusting and made me cringe. There was a scene where Sana was making sarcastic remarks in response to a witness’s answers. It was unbelievable that a visiting FBI agent, a minority woman no less, would ever risk alienating a witness like that. I continued reading because of the story and I'm glad I did because the ending was unexpected.

This book was fast paced with some surprise twists thrown in & had me guessing until the end. Sheriff Beck is a great character & I look forward to more books with him solving more crimes. I also enjoyed the setting of the town & the history about the area. Overall great characters, a great story that highlights a part of American history that is not often discussed, and a crime that was not easily solved & kept me guessing. Highly recommend and I read it in one sitting! I gave this book 4 stars.

This was a book that was suggested to me and I'm so glad it was. It matched what I enjoy in a book perfectly. This story moved so quick with all the action and with the espionage suspense I had a hard time putting this down. Warning, the beginning is a bit intense.

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

"The Bitter Past" by Bruce Borgos is a compelling historical fiction that masterfully transports readers back in time, blending meticulous research with vivid storytelling. Borgos weaves a tale of intrigue, betrayal, and redemption, set against a backdrop rich in historical detail. The characters are deeply drawn, their struggles and triumphs resonating with authenticity and emotional depth. This book not only entertains but also illuminates the complexities of human nature against the tapestry of history. A captivating read for anyone fascinated by the power of the past to shape our lives.

Bitter Past, moves back and forth in time, in Nevada.

In the present, an elderly, retired FBI agent is horribly tortured, poisoned with thallium, and killed. Lincoln County Sheriff Porter Beck, who previously worked overseas in Army Intelligence, investigates.

Borgos takes readers back to 1955 Las Vegas, when Freddie Meyer and Katherine Ellison become a couple. Kitty's dad was a lead scientist at the nearby atomic testing site. Freddie was a KGB spy.

There are betrayals and surprises at every turn till Beck finds the answers he seeks.

"The Bitter Past" had me hovering between a 2 and a 3 star rating throughout, ultimately landing on the middle ground due to its intriguing premise and flashes of brilliance, sadly counterbalanced by some significant drawbacks.

The story jumps between present-day Nevada and the 1950s, weaving together two mysteries that ultimately collide. This kept things fresh and engaging, and I enjoyed the contrasting settings and historical details.

The core case involving a murdered scientist and hidden secrets piqued my interest from the start. The twists and turns, while not mind-blowing, were enough to keep me interested

Porter Beck, the ex-military-turned-sheriff, is a flawed but relatable character. His gruff exterior hides a sharp mind and a moral compass, making him someone I wanted to root for.

Aside from Porter, the supporting characters felt one-dimensional and at times, cliche. Their motivations and backstories were largely unexplored, leaving them feeling like plot devices rather than fleshed-out individuals.

The flirtatious interactions between Sana Locke and Porter Beck were cringy. Sana’s kittenish teasing and Porter’s inner dialogue about Sana did not fit the characters. Ultimately, it felt clunky and misplaced, hindering the overall reading experience.

"The Bitter Past" is a decent read with an interesting premise and a likable protagonist. However, the underdeveloped characters hold it back from greatness. If you're looking for a quick and entertaining mystery with a historical twist, it's worth a shot.

This first book in a series has a twisty plot that connects a present day murder with a Cold War past. Interesting mix of espionage thriller with police procedural.