She’s a computer genius, but what side of the law is she on?

Sheriff Porter Beck is back in this timely novel that combines computer hacking, deception, spies, cartels, and foreign powers into one exciting novel. Trying to put the pieces together into a cohesive strategy has the sheriff losing a lot of sleep and almost losing his life.

The plot revolves around Mercy, the person who is able to snatch control of armed drones from their military handlers and use those drones for her own purpose. In the process she is making a lot of people very angry and a lot poorer. I won’t go into any details, the plot is complex and I don’t want to spoil your enjoyment. Just know that you are going to love reading this book whether you read the first Sheriff Beck, The Bitter Past, or not.

Shades of Mercy is the second book of the Porter Beck series. Beck must save a young girl from multiple groups, all after her incredible computer skills. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and love the author’s ability to create characters that make the story more compelling and interesting. I definitely recommend reading both Beck books!

The second installment of Sheriff Porter Beck, and while it follows the previous one I do like that you don’t necessarily need to read the first one, but I would recommend it! I definitely enjoyed all the action packed into this. You never know where these books will take you, but I wasn’t disappointed. All the cyber hacking and dark web stuff is always an interesting topic to me.
In the current state of the world, I also really appreciate the representation of the Uyghurs.

I’m looking forward to the next installment to see where Beck goes from here (hopefully🤞🏼)

The author outdid himself in the follow-up to the first in this series ‘The Bitter Past’. It blew me away! The plot begins with an explosive event and the hold-your-breath action never lets up. The Nevada desert has more than area 51 aliens at play in this heart-stopping action thriller. Sheriff Porter Beck is facing an old friend who might be on the wrong side of the law these days. Beck will also have to deal with missiles, hackers, the Cartel, spies, the FBI, CIA, and various other alphabet agencies. All this due to one teenage genius whose computer skills has garnered the government’s full attention. The story is filled with interesting characters on both sides of the law. Mercy, the tech whiz, is certainly the star of the book. Her character was memorable and touched me. I was also particularly drawn to Beck’s sister, Brinley, in the first novel, and she played a significant role in this plot as well. Beck’s medical impairment presents challenges and his trusty dog was entertaining. The technology used in many of the scenarios was frightening and terrifying. The book gripped me from page one and never let up. Did I mention I really liked this book?
Many thanks to NetGalley for the advance reader copy of “Shades Of Mercy” by Bruce Borgos, and to publisher St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, expected publication 07/16/2024. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

Wow! Shades of Mercy is a lot of fun. Borgos proves the great debut novel in his 'Porter Beck' series was no fluke as he gifts us with an even better one. He moves into 'Longmire' territory with the action here. Drug lords. Foreign spies. Secretive government agents. You'll find them all in this thrill ride. The stellar supporting cast is supplemented with some brilliant new characters. Borgos really sets the bar high with this adventure. It propels the series to a deserved place among the best in the genre. It will leave you looking forward to what comes next for Porter and gang. Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, & NetGalley for the advance reading copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Porter is a cop just like his father was before him. When strange things begin happening, it will take everyone in the department to solve it. This book kept me on my toes.

I have never read a book by this author but I enjoyed reading this book. The story is from this day and time with criminal activity including drugs with fentanyl with the Mexican cartel, the sale of guns across the border, and involvement of our federal government along with the Chinese government and other European countries. The story revolves around Sheriff Beck, a ranching family in his county and a young female internet hacker. Interesting story that was easy to follow even though there are quite a few characters to follow. I would recommend this book.

Wow! Shades of Mercy is a lot of fun. Borgos proves the great debut novel in his 'Porter Beck' series was no fluke as he gifts us with an even better one. He moves into 'Longmire' territory with the action here. Drug lords. Foreign spies. Secretive government agents. You'll find them all in this thrill ride. The stellar supporting cast is supplemented with some brilliant new characters. Borgos really sets the bar high with this adventure. It propels the series to a deserved place among the best in the genre. It will leave you looking forward to what comes next for Porter and gang. Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, & NetGalley for the advance reading copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

The second in the Porter Beck series by Bruce Borgos. A fast paced thriller involving cybercrimes, cartels, and spies! I really like the author’s writing, descriptions and Beck’s dialogue. It’s good to see the evolving relationship with his sister and his dad and how he treats his officers. I’ll be impatiently waiting for book 3! Thank you to NetGallery and Mintaur for letting me review this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is book 2 of Sheriff Porter Beck's story. I was a fan of the 1st book and was intrigued to see where the author was going to take his story. Well, I can happily report that he has done a great job, and I have to say I think I enjoyed this one even more than book 1. This book brings up more of the sheriff's past to the present as he confronts evil forces working within his somewhat remote territory. I think future books will bring us closer to understanding his time in the military, and I genuinely look forward to those stories. An extremely enjoyable read that I would recommend to anyone. 4.5 stars!

Shades of Mercy is the second novel featuring Porter Beck, Sheriff of Lincoln County Nevada. This book has a lot going on from raging wildfires, to the theft of US Military drone technology, a Mexican cartel running guns and drugs into Nevada, and Chinese espionage. Surprisingly all of this is connected to a teenage hacker and one of Beck’s oldest friends. Beck and his small department are run ragged trying to capture the bad guys, deal with duplicitous federal agents, and to stop multiple international incidents – all while Beck is dealing with fading vision due to a degenerative disease. This book had me hooked from the first chapter and I can’t wait to read the next one.
#ShadesOfMercy #NetGalley

A wild ride of a mystery set in the Nevada desert!

A hacker causing havoc and an influx of fentanyl has the Lincoln County Sheriff's Department racing to solve the crimes. Add a missing teenage inmate and numerous government agencies investigating a drone incident. 13 wildfires out of control aren't the only thing heating up Lincoln County. Sheriff Porter Beck relies on his military background dealing with the alphabet agencies. Beck teams up with a state police investigator and his sister Brinley to find the truth in the chaos.

This second entry in the Porter Beck series is excellent! Even though it is a fast-paced mystery edging on thriller, it also has a small-town flavor to it. There is a lot going on in this book to keep you guessing. I absolutely love Porter Beck, his quirky family and the descriptions of his desert county. Beck is a complex character who struggles with his physical limitations with humour and grace. His do-it-yourself approach to training his new service dog results in comedic situations. I found myself smiling and with a warm feeling after finishing this book. Porter Beck is going on my watchlist for the next one in the series.

Readers who like J.A. Jance's Joanna Brady, Melinda Leigh's Bree Taggert or CJ Box's Joe Pickett will enjoy Shades of Mercy. Although you can read it as a stand-alone, I also recommend the first book in the series, The Bitter Past. Give them both a try. I highly enjoyed Shades of Mercy!


Thanks to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for access to a digital advance review copy on NetGalley.

Sheriff Porter Beck is investigating the bizarre targeted death of an old friend’s prize bull when a government agent forcibly tries to take charge of the scene. Beck soon learns that a high tech drone was hacked and deliberately killed the bull. The prime suspect is an incarcerated teen girl Mercy Vaughn who already supposedly hijacked 80 million dollars from the Feds. She had no online access and why would she want to kill a bull?

As Beck investigates, he learns that Mercy may not be who she says that she is and that she’s in danger, not only from government agents, but also a Mexican cartel and Chinese spies.

Second in the series, this one’s not for the faint of heart. Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an early review copy in exchange for an honest review. Pub date July 2024.

The Title is deceptive it seemed to me. It starts off with a bang, and continues that way to the end. The characters seem a bit "superpowered", and the plot a bit "unbelievable", but it is an engrossing read for sure. A novel that I didn't want to put down, I still think the title should have been something different.

I has just finished author Bruce Borgos previous novel, The Bitter Past and loved it, so was anxious to get started on Shades of Mercy. Well, I can't say that I loved this one. It's not bad- don't get me wrong. But a big part of the story is a local rancher colluding with the cartel. It didn't ring true to me. That the rancher would then spend so lavishly as to give himself away didn't make much sense. But if you are at the beach or on a plane, this novel will give you some interesting if not great reading.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

BOOK REPORT
Received a complimentary copy of Shades of Mercy by Bruce Borgos from St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books/NetGalley, for which I am appreciative, in exchange for a fair and honest review. Scroll past the BOOK REPORT section for a cut-and-paste of the DESCRIPTION of it from them if you want to read my thoughts on the book in the context of that summary.

As with the first Porter Beck mystery by Bruce Borgos, I wanted to give this book 2.5 stars. But, unlike the first, instead of rounding up to 3, I’m rounding down to 2.

That’s primarily because I grew so, so bored with all the chase and gunfighting stuff. I mean, yeah, sure, some of it was necessary. But mainly it read like direction in an extended screenplay. Unfortunately, the rating is also because I found the storylines to be rather farfetched and convoluted.

Which is a shame, because the throughlines in the series are very interesting. Which is why I am not giving up.

Yet.

If, however, the next in the series—if and when it comes out—suffers from more of the same, I’ll call it quits then. Fingers crossed that the third time’s the charm, though!

DESCRIPTION
In the usually quiet high desert of Nevada, Sheriff Porter Beck faces one of his greatest challenges—a series of unlikely, disturbing and increasingly deadly events of unknown origins.

Porter Beck is the sheriff in the high desert of Nevada, doing the same lawman's job his father once did now that he's returned home after decades away. With his twelve person department, they cover a large area that is usually very quiet, but not of late. One childhood friend is the latest to succumb to a new wave of particularly strong illegal opioids, another childhood friend—now an enormously successful rancher—is targeted by a military drone, hacked and commandeered by an unknown source. The hacker is apparently local—local enough to call out Beck by name—and that means they are Beck's problem.

Beck's investigation leads him to Mercy Vaughn, the one known hacker in the area. The problem is that she's a teenager, locked up with no computer access at the secure juvenile detention center. But there's something Mercy that doesn't sit quite right with Beck. But when Mercy disappears, Beck understands that she's in danger and time is running out for all of them.

This book got me hooked right out of the gate! The characters are very enthralling and the pace definitely made it hard for me to put this book down. I am a huge mystery lover so this book was a big win with me in that area - it was full of suspense and intrigue. I also really enjoyed the ending! Overall would recommend for those that love mystery and thriller novels!

This was the first Bruce Burgos book that I have read but will not be the last! I’m now wanting to read the first in the Porter Beck series. Shades of Mercy kept me engaged right from the first page until the final page. A great good guy/bad guy ( and those in between) novel with a plot the reader is always attempting to unravel.

Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing the new Bruce Borgos book. So another installment with Sheriff Porter Beck. It was entertaining with the requisite number of twists and turns, and the good guys are good, and the bad guys really bad, and all appropriate parties get their due! Teased with some future developments that made me interested to stick with the series. Recommended for those that like a police procedural and/or western lawman.

I admit I wasn’t convinced I would enjoy Borgos’ series, but after two installments, I’m hooked. Well-rounded characters and intriguing plots are a winning combination. Excellent. Highly recommended.