The Bitter Past is a novel that I normally would not pick up for myself but really enjoyed reading. The combination of spy thriller with intrigue, FBI and a tiny splash of romantic attraction made for such a compelling read. I thought the dual timelines also gave an additional level of intrigue to the story as it was written very well. This is a series debut that will be definitely getting recommended by me to anyone looking for a fast paced mystery!
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s /Minotaur for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book checked all kinds of boxes for me - mystery/thriller/espionage/historical fiction. Borgos tells his story with good writing, interesting characters, a great sense of place and a dose of snarky humor. Time shifts between the present back to the 1950's and the nuclear weapons race, and he helps the reader track where he's taking us without confusion. The book starts with the murder of a retired FBI agent, a murder that was preceded by some pretty brutal torture. After that, Sheriff Porter Beck is on the hunt for the killer - and this sheriff has history that makes him exceptionally well-qualified to work and solve this particular case. The question is whether he can beat the ticking clock to prevent more killings. The best part? This is the first book of a new series - and I can't wait to see what's next for Porter Beck and his family and co-workers.
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

Special thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I really enjoyed this book. Not only was it an intriguing page turner but I learned a lot about The Cold War, spies, nuclear weapons. This book also had I triguing characters and makes me want to read more about The Cold War.

Authors notes were an added bonus.

4.25stars-THE BITTER PAST is the first instalment in Bruce Borgos’ contemporary, adult, mystery suspense, crime thriller series focusing on Nevada Sheriff Porter Beck.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual time lines (1957 and the present), using first person (Porter) and third person (Freddie) THE BITTER PAST follows several converging paths. In the past, the reader is up close and personal during the Cold War between the US and Russia, and the fight for nuclear domination. In the present, Sheriff Porter Beck must contend with the suicides of or potential murders of several local elderly gentlemen, murders that have brought in the FBI. Meanwhile, a young seventeen year old LDS woman, a newly married wife goes missing, and Porter’s team must decide whether she is on the run, or a victim of foul play but as his team searches for both the missing woman, and the people responsible for a string of elderly murders, the FBI reveals the Cold War between Russia and the US has now taken control in the present, as the murder victims are all connected to the same time period of 1957.

The world building focuses on two time lines. We are up close and personal with a physicist in 1957 who works security within and around the nuclear testing zone but said physicist is not whom he presents himself to be, and finds himself caught in a life and death struggle with the people in charge. Fast forward to present day, and the Russians have begun cleaning house, taking down anyone connected to the 1957 nuclear fiasco.

We are introduced to Porter Beck’s team of deputies and investigators, as well as his sister / arms specialist Brinley Cummings, his father Joe Beck, and Agent Sana Locke. The requisite evil has many faces. As the characters begin to reveal themselves, covert agents and spies, infiltrate what was and what is.

THE BITTER PAST is a story of secrets and lies, twists and turns, power and control, murder and mystery, espionage intrigue and suspense. The premise is detailed, complex, twisted and tangled; the characters are energetic, determined and dynamic but all are not whom they present to be.



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This is my first Bruce Borgos book, and I look forward to his next Porter Beck novel. You like Porter, even with all his flaws (sexist, bullheaded, macho). He has a lovable but despicable personality, but you can’t help but like him. He’s had a tough career in the military, and now he feels semi-retired working as a lawman in Nevada, where nothing compared to his military career occurs. He has moved here to help care for his father, a retired lawman, who has dementia.
On what he thought would be a routine check, he discovers the tortured body of a retired FBI agent,one who obviously wanted to live in the shadows and never be found. The day after finding the body, an FBI agent shows up, and immediately throws a wrench into Porter’s normally mundane procedure. Of course she’s very attractive, and of course he notices, but the way Borgos presents these personal thoughts is entertaining, not a huge turnoff as usual for me, a touchy female reader (this is kinda a joke, but I’m not as quick-witted as the author).
This book foreshadows the movie “Oppenheimer”, but just by chance. The creation of the atomic bomb is an interesting subject at the moment, and the investigation leads to the same testing ground in Nevada. The author introduces us to a Russian spy, and how he may be involved in all of this. The two timelines slowly meet, and the plot couldn’t be better.
If you think this isn’t your type of book, please reconsider. I was a few pages in and thought, “oh heck, no” but I persevered. I’m really glad I did; it’s been nice reading about a character you would normally despise, but can’t help but pull for.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date was July 18, 2023.

The Bitter Past is the first book in what I hope becomes a phenomenal series. In this book we meet Beck, the sherif in Lincoln County, Nevada. We soon find out out this is the same area that f the country where our government performed some dangerous experiments with nuclear bombs. When people start dying, the past and the present are brought together in a very satisfying read! Somehow Borgia has managed to combine an espionage story with historical fiction and a police procedural. This might be my new favorite genre!!

Love this book!
Sheriff Porter Beck, returned home to the high desert in Nevada, just North of Las Vegas, the area knows for its nuclear testing past.
A retired FBI agent is found killed, brutally tortured, house tossed, then a FBI agent shows up to help Beck
1950’s spy mystery raising its head to have an gets resolved in current time, with an unexpected twist.

A retired FBI agent has been brutally tortured in Porter Beck’s county. Clues at the scene open up a mystery dating back to the 50’s and the nuclear age. Now, Beck is tied up in an old Russian espionage case that hits a little close to home.

This story has a lot of moving parts. But, keep up because you do not want to miss a trick!

Now, when this story began, it had a terrible torture scene. I thought…hmm…not sure I can do this. But, there was just something about this tale which kept me wanting to know more. I was transported to Russia, the dessert of Nevada and back again. Then there is a big, ole twist at the end. I did not see THAT coming!

The narrator, James Babson, did a very good job. I will be looking for him!

Need a good, intricate thriller…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

I was intrigued by this book and it was quite a thrilling ride. I enjoyed learning about Nuclear testing done in the 1050 and how there was no issue with harming civilians. I enjoyed the characters and the back and forth from past to present. Overall this was a good thriller and I look forward to reading this author again.

The Bitter Past combines old world espionage, a small town police force and the allure of Area 51. The story is told from present day crimes with links to the past, as the reader gets to revisit 1950's nuclear testing in the Nevada desert.

Hello Porter Beck, county sheriff and former Army intelligence agent. Beck finds himself summoned to a crime scene where a former FBI agent has been brutally murdered. When the FBI shows-up, he recognizes this is more than it seems. What begins is a action packed thriller, as Sheriff Beck uncovers clues leading to the KGB and nuclear secrets.

Simple dislike, the sexualization of the female FBI agent. Beck continuously kept referencing her attractiveness and his desires for her rather than treating her a professional in the field. But then again, maybe she used him for his wants as they did take a tumble in the sheets.

I look forward to future book in this series, Porter Beck.

Thank you St. Martin's Press / Minotaur Books for the complimentary copy.

I was hooked out of the gate. This book tells 2 parallel stories: One follows a Russian spy in the United States Cold War era in the 1950s working at the Nevada Proving Ground where nuclear bombs are being tested out in the open; the other follows County Sheriff Porter Beck, present-day, who has a body that was tortured for hours and no clue why until FBI Agent Sana shows up because this man was a retired FBI agent originally tasked with finding this Russian spy but never did.

Sheriff Beck is an instant favorite character - he's witty, smart, flawed, and dedicated. His sister Brinn, a spitfire weapons expert to the stars, is a close second. I normally have a trigger on anything having to do with dementia/Alzheimers - having lived it with my dad, but his dad was in very early stages and it was such a small part of the book that it was okay.

The plot had me picking up this book whenever I could. Lots of history, action, and a twist I would have never seen coming in a million years. I'm excited to see that this is the start of a new series as I'm on board to visit the middle of nowhere Nevada again asap.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press Minotaur Books for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

"Sometimes dead people can tell you things."

They can even tell you long ago secrets with world ending consequences. Reading and listening to the remarkable The Bitter Past by brilliant author Bruce Borgos was a perfect reminder why I started this review page. I want everyone to be aware of this first, in a hopefully never ending series, about Lincoln County Sheriff Porter Beck.

Beck, grew up in the small desert town north of Las Vegas, known for cancer victims, miscarriages, and birth defects, close to the nuclear testing sites of the 1950s. After years working deep undercover for Army intelligence he returns home to quietly care for his town and elderly father in the beginning stages of dementia.

But nothing is quiet after an older retired FBI agent is found brutally tortured to death in his home. Now the FBI is all over his town, though he can't complain about Agent Sana Locke, "Sure ask me tough questions while I'm staring at her beautiful face."

As this murder investigation takes twisty turns we are transported back to 1957 where few cared about the effects of nuclear testing, Russian spies try to infiltrate the site, and one man changes the course of history to save the world.

The performances by actor James Babson are nothing short of transformative as each character is brought to life. I never expected to be brought to tears at the end of this emotional thriller, to care about characters that are supposed to be the enemy, and to love Beck's family. The shocking reveal just about destroyed me. I had an inkling, hoped I was wrong but this writer made it real and honest.

The Bitter Past is thrilling, sensitive, historical, witty, sexy, and the reason I love to read.

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Unfortunately, I wasn't a fan of this one. The plot was ok, but what really got to me was Sheriff Beck's attitude towards the female agent, Sana. So many unnecessary comments about her appearance, her figure, their potential future togethert (even though they'd literally just met). Anyone else who made those types of comments toward a female colleague would most likely be charged with sexual harassment. I understand it's a small part of the book but it bugged me and affected my opinion on the rest of the story.

Wow, how did I not know about Bruce Borgos and his crazy terrific crime drama thriller writing. The Bitter Past combines elements of almost true historical fiction, close to true police procedural with characters that smack even closer to true. I say this in the most complimentary way, Borgos had me channeling Steve Berry vis-a-vis certain Cotton Malone and Luke Daniels escapades.

Borgos sets this story in Lincoln County, the high desert of eastern Nevada. It’s a place of rough terrain, tough people and grisly murders. The story opens on a violent murder crime scene which is described in minute detail. Within several pages there is no doubt that no one has any idea of what is going on. This is the start of a very interesting story that will travel back and forth in time, politics, and personalities.

Borgos conjures a scenario that reminded me of all the things we were taught to fear during the Cold War Era. A timely retelling of all those stories about the desert tests in the time of Robert Oppenheimer; the red communist threat and the importance of being first in the arms race. Scary stuff told with a clear eye and definitive voice, tweaked with some mild humor.

I now have another favorite character in Porter Beck to add to my, sometimes wise cracking, white hat heroes, of Cotton Malone and Luke Daniels. Many thanks to Minotaur Books / St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy.

The Bitter Past, the first in a new series, involves new Sheriff, Porter Beck, a lifelong resident of this small Utah town, except for a stint in the Army. He is dealing with the merging of two departments and mixed feelings arising from that when the badly mutilated body of a former FBI agent is found. While the agent had retired, it was obvious he hadn’t given up a case that obsessed him. When a non-local FBI agent arrives, Beck realizes that there is more going on than just the death of a former FBI employee. Interwoven with the current mystery is the story of Freddie Meyer, not his real name, who is a Soviet spy sent to obtain information about the heavily guarded and secretive Area 51 and the atomic testing going on there. The Bitter Past merges the past and the present in a thrilling, very page-turning, mystery.

I am a sucker for a well written mystery, but when you throw in a chunk of history that I’m ignorant of, I am one happy camper. Although I do have to say that my elation at learning new history in this case was tempered by the fact that it concerned unsavory dealings by the US government–which seems to be an ever-growing list. In this case, the alarming misdeed was knowingly subjecting people and animals to nuclear fall out to see what the consequences would be. Before I start a tangential ranting, I’ll stop right there.

The Bitter Past is well written with multi-faceted and interesting characters. Porter Beck is a well-thought-out and fascinating character who I would happily read about in future installments. His previous career in Army intelligence adds a significant layer to the story. As well, the secondary characters add appeal and quirk.

While knowing “who-did-it” is always half or more of the fun, the how-are-you-doing-to-catch-him in this instance was equally fun.

A good read.

Many thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos is a well written crime fiction novel that I enjoyed.

The story is told in alternating timelines. Historical mystery fiction and spies.

It is 1950'sand a Russian spy has disrupted a nuclear testing site.

I really enjoyed the characters and the mystery.

A story that takes you back in time while investigating a death in the present. Porter Beck the sheirfff in a small desert town North of Las Vegas thinks it is a death then a murder at first, until the FBI has an agent arrive. He then puts together that it is more detailed than that especially when the agent is from Wahington and not a local Vegas office. Turns out the victim has a past with the cold war and that could be the reason for his murder. The book will take you back as well into the fifties when the cold war was at its height. I like the story and the characters everything about this book was right up my alley and a really good read.

Mystery | Adult
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Another gritty mystery set in the sparsely populated western United States – ideal for fans for C.J. Box and Craig Johnson, and to a lesser extent, J.A. Jance. Porter Beck is retired U.S. Army Intelligence and a relatively new sheriff in a remote corner of Nevada where people go to hide and be left alone. When a retired FBI agent is brutally murdered (the detail is disturbing), Beck knows there’s a lot more behind the death than a mere druggie looking to score some electronics, which is what his deputy thinks. Then the FBI shows up, looking to find out who would be after one of their own, and soon Beck figures out the feds are hiding more than they are sharing. Flashbacks to the 1950s contribute to a plotline that involves nuclear testing, Soviet spies, a tragic love story, and a lot of lies mixed in with just enough truths to keep the reader fascinated. Borgos has developed a complex character in Beck, with a tantalizing backstory, a fascinating family, and the requisite high degree of moral certitude that characterizes these western lawmen dispensing justice. The remote and desolate Nevada landscape is as important a character as any human, and I look forward to reading more of these mysteries. Just hang in there past the description of the body in the opening pages…. The author’s afterword is a delight to read, by the way! My thanks to Minotaur Books for the digital reading copy provided through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
More discussion and reviews of this mystery: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61884882

Oh this book. I am so mixed up about it. I really enjoyed the different timelines. The sections in the past where by far my favorite. I liked putting the past and present together. I liked most of the characters. Unfortunately, the two main characters just irked me. The way they behaved was completely inappropriate and ubelievable when it came to their relationship. I would have had them edit that part completely out. It was just bad. There were a few predictable “twists” that I don’t need to go into. Just say, there was one character right off the bat that just seemed all wrong. And nobody did even a crusory check. This is the first in a series. I may read the second to see if it gets better.

The Bitter Past is a masterful blend of mystery and historical fiction, engaging readers with its vivid descriptions of the Nevada desert and its secrets. Borgos' ability to intertwine past and present seamlessly adds depth and complexity to the plot, ensuring a thrilling and unpredictable reading experience.

With its compelling characters, well-researched historical backdrop, and a plot filled with unexpected twists, this novel is sure to leave readers eager for more of Sheriff Porter Beck's high desert adventures.