PUBLICATION DAY: July 16, 2024

Porter Beck, local sheriff in his small town in Nevada. As part of his job he usually has to deal with drunks, wildfires, and the occasional drug overdose. But when federal government property (such as missiles) are suddenly being hacked and crashed into places in his county, he has to track down a whole new type of criminal. But who is the hacker? And why are they contacting him personally?

PROS and CONS:
Hometown boy is back for more in this second book in the series (which I will be reading in full!!!). Full of action, great characters and a nail biting plot, I enjoyed each page. Great job by this author and I’m here for book three!

READ IT?
If you are a fan of well written action packed books (me!) - then this one’s for you!

5 Stars

This is a book 2 in the series - I did not read book 1.

Set in Nevada, Porter Beck is following his father's footsteps taking over the role of Sheriff in a small sleepy town. Wildfires seems to be the only news of the day until a loud noise one evening. A military drone was hacked and exploded at a local ranch. Porter has history with the rancher, Jesse Roy. So the wild ride begins.

The adventure follows a variety of characters as the tale unravels a complicated web of lies and motive. I was engaged and enjoyed every minute!

Now to go back to ready book 1 to visit Porter again!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ebook ARC.

This review is my opinion and my opinion only. This is my first time reading a book by Bruce Borgos, but it won’t be the last. Even though this is the second book in the series, I was able to follow the story and characters without a problem. Bruce Borgos is a quality writer. I like the flow and bead of the book.

This series is about Porter Beck. He is the sheriff of Lincoln County Nevada. Some reason, an armed drone was hijacked and was aimed at the Double J ranch. Why??? You have to read it to find out.

I liked how Borgos gave clues throughout the book so you could solve this mystery with Sheriff Beck without giving everything away.

I love the hometown cop stories and this one proves to be unique and loaded with thrills!

Shades of Mercy is the second book in the series, but you do not have to read the first in order to enjoy this one. I have to say, I was addicted to this story from the beginning.

Vulnerable but smart as a whip, this sheriff has some crazy activities and crimes he is investigating. Borgos packs in the action and leads the reader through complex, highly detailed scenes that are both fantastical and engrossing. I did not want to stop reading!

With multiple agency actions sullying the playing field, it is tough to know who are the good guys and who are not. Finding Mercy proves to be a bit tough and suspenseful but you have to learn to trust the author in this one. I love the strong women and secondary characters that keep us on our toes.

If you enjoy lots of action and raw details, this is a great read! The twists at the end totally make the story and Sheriff Beck is a fabulous character! So glad I found this author for more awesome cop fiction to come.

I requested to read and review this book for free from St. Martin Publishing Company. This story line will keep you guessing until the very end with drama, suspense, mystery and so much more. This book is a stand alone but you will definitely want to read The Bitter Past that also features Sherrif Porter Beck. This book is for a mature reader that can be read anywhere. Do we truly know the people around us? When we aren't sure who we can trust what do you do? When you come across someone so young but not innocent. Do you help them no matter what? What does it truly mean to be a kid? Sherriff Beck has all of those questions and many more. When the past comes to the present . When the government tells you what they want to tell you is it the whole truth or half truth or no truth at all?

Really, really enjoyed this book. Not usually into international espionage and spy stuff, but it almost seemed incidental to the story, instead of being the main focus. Again, Porter Beck is the hero you love to love and the writing style is fun and entertaining - makes the author seem really down to earth. Lots of twists and turns and just a really fun book. Can't wait for a new Porter Beck book to come out.

Great mystery! Lots of action and it was fun visiting all the places Beck passed through while following the trail. He picked up on a lot of little things that weren't obvious and the ending had me breathless till the last page.

Sheriff Porter Beck is dealing with a friend's death from fentanyl when the prized bull of a rancher friend is blown
up by a hacked military drone. Is the hacker a girl at a local detention center and why is she targeting the rancher?
When the girl goes missing, Beck and other interested parties are interested in locating her. Is there a connection
the hacker, rancher and illegal drugs? Beck's investigation is impeded by his night blindness and the involvement
of government agencies. Page turner with twists.
#ShadesofMercy #Minotaur #NetGalley

Beck is back in the second book of the same name series by Bruce Borgos. Admittedly, I wasn’t sure how he would follow up the first book since it had so many personal elements for the protagonist. In this one there’s still a very personal connection for Porter Beck that involves one of his good friends from childhood who is connected to a drug and arms deal with the Mexican cartel. Jesse Roy was also married to a woman that Beck loved, and it doesn’t feel like this got explored enough, but this may come in a future book. Also a large part of the story is Mercy Vaughn, a young woman who is a digital and tech savant who, while quite capable of matching wits with just about anyone, finds herself on the radar of not just Jesse and the cartel but the Chinese as well. Mercy is reluctant to trust Beck, but he may be the one person who can help her that has no ulterior motive. While dealing with his increasingly declining night vision and a federal agent that’s a thorn in his side and possibly more than he seems, Beck relies on his team, sister and other allies to get order sorted in his county. Did I mention his flunk out deputy dog Columbo and the encroaching wildfires burning out of control? There’s a lot to keep up with in this book but it’s worth the reader’s time, especially if they enjoy books by David Baldacci. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was issued this book by NetGalley for my unbiased opinion.

A very good, exciting read. The characters are interesting and the plot has enough twists and turns to keep you reading. This was one on those books you looked forward to picking up and didn't want to put down.

Looking forward to more!

Awesome! The characters,story and settings are very realistic and intriguing. The story immediately grabs your attention and does not let go! I was unable to put the book down once I started reading and literally stayed up all night to finish the book. The cover gives an excellent synopsis of the book and I refuse to do book "reports" so read the cover if you want details. It is a great read! Many thanks to the publisher for the invitation to read this book. I was under no obligation to provide a review. The opinions expressed are my own. Again, many thanks to the author, St. Martin publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

There's a great deal going on in this second entry in a police procedural - raging wildfires, international intrigue, a clash among old friends, overdose deaths, and a brilliant teen named Mercy who has been locked up for using her computer skills to steal billions of dollars. The pacing is frenetic and the twists and turns of the plot keep coming.

That said, I probably am not the best reviewer for this book. It reminded me of the kind of action movies I don't enjoy. If you do like action movies, or enjoy plots that keep charging off in multiple directions, along with a county sheriff who apparently is brave, intelligent, and has a working knowledge of international intelligence, it might be for you.

I really enjoyed this book and will read more books by Bruce Borgos. This is the second in a new series centered around Sheriff Porter Beck following in his father’s footsteps, as sheriff in the Nevada desert. He is joined by his sister Brin who is an amazing sharpshooter. He is faced with the overdose death of a childhood friend and suspicions about another childhood friend. Then there is the teenage hacker, Mercy Vaughn, who is causing all kinds of havoc, who goes missing from a secure juvenile facility. It is an exciting read. I highly recommend this book and author.

Although this is his 2nd book, it’s the first one I have read. I didn’t feel like I missed much by starting with this book.
Nice handling of the characters and giving them backstories. Really enjoyed the hacker, Mercy. A little disappointed with the ending but intrigued enough to look forward to other Beck adventures. This is a quick read and I look forward to getting to know the characters better.

This is the second in the Porter Beck series; I have read both of them although this would work as a standalone.

After serving in Army intelligence, Beck has returned to his hometown in the high desert as sheriff, a position once held by his elderly father who is in beginning stages of dementia. Porter has retinitis pigmentosa which makes him virtually blind at night. Lincoln County, Nevada is usually a quiet place. But Porter no sooner returns from discovering a childhood friend dead by illegal fentanyl when another friend’s ranch is targeted by a hacked drone and his prize bull is blown up. The hacker is a teenager residing in a detention center who happens to be friends with the rancher’s daughter and it turns out she is not just any hacker, she has a nefarious background. And just what might the attack have to do with the rash of illegal drugs flooding the area?

Porter is joined by a group of characters including his adopted sister, a munitions expert, members of his small department, a failed police dog named Columbo serving as his sidekick, and some help from outside the department including a character the author named after his golden retriever! There is a cast of villains here…a Mexican cartel, shady government “men in black”, Chinese operatives.

Overall the plot is very good although there are many coincidences and some questionable plausibility. Still, it is a thrilling read with lots of action, violence and (trigger warning) animal mutiliation. Personally, I liked the main character a lot better in this book than in the first installment.

Thanks to #Netgalley and @stmartinspress #minotaurbooks for the DRC.

This is the second book about Sheriff Beck, but this also works as a stand alone. Beck is retired military but his usefulness is limited because he is unable to see in the dark. He still manages to work, but his condition is getting worse. This time he is faces with an infestion of fentanyl in his town. If that were not enough the cartels, the government, and a foreign agent are after someone who can attack the guidance system of drones. Fortunately his sister is still able to help, and, maybe a new girlfriend. Good story, good characters and problems that are current in our society. I recommend it for a light read. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc and for no pressure for a positive review.

This is a highly entertaining novel of espionage, action, and suspense set in Nevada desert country.

After years of Army service, Porter Beck has returned home to care for his ailing father and take on the job of Sheriff. He doesn’t have a huge force to police with, but he does have lots of skills and determination.

One childhood friend has just died from a drug overdose; and Beck wants to know who’s responsible. Another childhood friend is a very wealthy rancher whose prize bull has just been blown up by a run-away drone. And there’s someone on his phone who wants to be friends and clue him into what’s going on but won’t say who they are or how to get in touch. All this leads Beck into a morass of drug dealers, computer hackers, foreign intelligence assets, and overzealous government agents, all of whom are after an immensely talented young woman he very much wants to save.

Author Bruce Borgos employs interesting, engaging characters, well-rendered settings, a few technical marvels, and a twisty, suspenseful plot to bring this very entertaining thriller to life. It is his second “Porter Beck” novel. I’m putting his first, as well as future offerings, on my TBR pile.

My Thanks to NetGalley, author Bruce Borgos, and publisher St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for providing me with a complimentary ARC. The foregoing is my independent opinion.

I like the Porter Beck series and I hope it keeps going for a long while. They have unique settings and characters with interesting back stories. I also like that you could pick up either of these books and read it as a standalone.

This was another wild ride alongside Porter Beck as he looks into a multitude of things. As with the previous book, the writing and the plot remains tight resulting in the aforementioned wild ride to the conclusion. The challenges provided by nature made for an interesting plot device.

Thanks again NetGalley, and St Martin's Press for the reader copy. Thank you again Bruce for another wonderful Porter Beck adventure

Shades of Mercy Is a thriller that will make your hair stand on end. The excitement and the suspense will keep you reading to the very end where more surprises await. Many plots and subplots emerge creating a fantastic novel.