"In Nevada's high desert, you can see forever ... but as Sheriff Porter Beck knows, the deadliest threat is the one you never see coming."

Trigger Warning - there is a scene where cattle are being hauled when the hauler is hit by a hacked military drone and all of the cattle are either dead or so severely injured that they have to be euthanized on the spot. I know some of my friends are as sensitive to these things as I am. I chose to bypass those pages.

What a book!! I was totally enthralled by Shades of Mercy! It started with a bang: 4th of July fireworks, plus a sheriff who has lost nearly all of his night vision. Illegal fentanyl is killing hardworking people who believe they’re buying much-needed pain relief. And, who is Mercy Vaughn? Is she connected to the military drones being hacked? Will Mercy be Beck's undoing or his savior?

No sophomore slump here! I couldn't put the book down! I love these characters so much! Beck is so very wise. His sister, Brin, is an amazing sharpshooter. Their dad is in the throes of dementia and has started calling everyone "Chief" since he can no longer remember names. My favorite, of course, was Beck's newest partner - an amazing young fox-red English Lab named Frank Columbo!

The author's notes were entertaining, as usual. He thanks the professor of meteorology at Iowa State University, by quoting a line from The Princess Bride, "Your feedback always reminds me of Inigo Montoya's lesser-known mantra, which is: 'You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.'" Hilarious! I also love the fact that the author has a golden retriever named Charlie Blue Horse, which is the name of one of the characters in the book.

Two books in and Mr. Borgos has already become one of my favorite authors.

Huge thanks to both #MinotaurBooks and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Shades of Mercy. This book is #2 in the #PorterBeck series, with the expected publication date of July 16, 2024.

#BruceBorgos

Bruce Borgos follows The Bitter Past, with another fast-paced, unrelenting thriller. Shades of Mercy is intense, with unforgettable characters, beginning with Sheriff Porter Beck.

As a government RPA, Remotely Piloted Aircraft, is hijacked and explodes over a seventeen-year-old’s birthday party in the high Nevada desert, Sheriff Beck and his new deputy, a dog named Columbo, are rushing to the scene of an emergency. He’s not in time to save one of his childhood best friends from a drug overdose. He shouldn’t even have been driving at the time, due to the continued onslaught of his Retinitis Pigmentosa, resulting in his night blindness. But, he shares the grief felt by his friend’s family.

The next day, a special agent from the Air Force shows up, recruiting Beck to accompany his to the ranch owned by Jesse Roy, Porter’s other childhood friend. They find Jesse facing a crater where his prize bull was destroyed by the hijacked RPA. The whole scene feels off to the sheriff. Why was a bull targeted? Why did the government accept responsibility so easily? And who were all the Mexicans on Jesse’s ranch? Beck feels as if everyone is lying to him.

Maybe the person who is closest to telling him the truth is an incarcerated sixteen-year-old named Mercy Vaughn. She’s a brilliant hacker who doesn’t answer his questions, but seems to want to communicate with him. And, she’s the Air Force’s primary suspect in the hijacking of the RPA. When Mercy disappears from a road crew, all hell breaks loose as Beck’s small team, the Air Force, and mysterious foreign agents all search for the missing teen.

It’s an intense follow-up to The Bitter Past. Illegal drugs, violent deaths, computer hacking, foreign agents, arms and drug smuggling, the Mexican cartel, and Nevada wildfires all combine in the fast-paced novel. Although the storyline might not be as straightforward as the first book, it’s still compelling.

Kudos to Borgos for his characters, and the number of strong women in the cast. Beck is supported by a female deputy, his sister, Brinley, a weapons master, Charlie Blue Horse from the Dept. of Public Safety, and, of course, Mercy. Women are quite often forgotten in the action of a thriller. Not in Shades of Mercy.

I found the first book by Bruce Borgos, The Bitter Past, to be an exciting, clever, and well-constructed debut. It was an outstanding, complicated,well-researched historical thriller set in the 1950s and the present. Both stories are located in the Nevada high desert and feature Sheriff Porter Beck. Shades of Mercy is an exceptional, complex story set in the vast area of over 11,000 square miles that is Beck's territory. This area is usually quiet and remote. It is where atomic bombs were first tested, resulting in a coverup of deaths and health problems caused by radiation fallout. There is also a secure Air Force military base and the forbidden Area 51, the focus of conspiracy theories with rumours that it contains alien bodies and wreckage of a UFO.

Sheriff Beck is the son of the former sheriff, who now suffers from dementia. He has a lot going on in the usually peaceful territory he patrols. Wildfires are threatening homes, and people are being evacuated. A group of conspiracy believers are planning to break into Area 51. Beck has Retinitis Pigmentasia, a worsening condition that results in night blindness and related eye problems. He has just discovered a childhood friend dead from illegal fentanyl and a second person who died from the drugs.

Another childhood friend has become a multi-millionaire rancher who lives a lavish lifestyle. He is throwing a birthday party for his teenage daughter, complete with a display of fireworks. The sky lights up from a mighty explosion on his pasture, killing a prized bull. A military drone and its command centre had been hacked, and whoever took control of the programs seemed to be sending a threat to the rancher. A hack of a self-driving truck resulted in the death of many cattle that the rancher was selling to Mexico. The bodies of the poor animals lie strewn across the highway.

Soon, Beck receives a visit via helicopter from Maddox, a US Air Force Special Investigator. He confides with Beck that someone is able to take remote control of military equipment. The rancher has been informed that the death of his cattle may be sent as a warning, but why?

I thought the title Shades of Mercy was an abstract one, but it turns out that Mercy is the name of a highly skilled computer hacker. She is believed to be the only hacker in the area capable of writing sophisticated programs to take over existing ones and wreak havoc. The problem is she is a 16-year-old teenage girl who is locked up and heavily guarded in a juvenile offender facility with no access to the only ancient computer in the building. She is serving a two-year sentence for hacking a massive amount of money from the Federal Reserve. Beck decides to visit her cell for any insight and leads to what has happened, but could she possibly be the perpetrator? When she disappears from a guarded highway work crew picking up trash, Beck is determined to find her. Did she run away, has been murdered, or kidnapped for her skills and knowledge gained from hacking? He is assisted by a brave and reliable group of people, including Brinley, his adopted sister, who is an expert with guns and also has deadly unarmed fighting ability. There is also Charlie Blue-Horse, a native female detective from the Department of Public Safety, and other intriguing, well-developed, memorable characters.

I won't summarize this well-constructed plot that contains twists and surprises. It includes deaths from violence and illegal drugs. Gun running, drug smuggling, Mexican drug cartels, hacked self-drive trucks, Chinese espionage, hacked military devices, murdered cattle, an intense and deadly chase through an abandoned mine tunnel. Some prominent characters have false identities that disguise their motives, countries of origin, and ethnic backgrounds.
This all leads to a satisfying conclusion for the ones still alive at the end.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy of this action-filled mystery. It is highly recommended for readers interested in a complicated, well-structured plot. Publication is due on July 16th.

I really enjoyed this sequel. I liked the characters in this, loved Porter's doggy buddy, I was pretty much hooked from the first chapter and throughout the story progresses nicely and there's some really weird twists that had me like woah lol. I really recommend this to mystery lovers. This is just mystery it isn't a thriller at all. Bruce really knows how to write a good mystery with interesting setting and characters. I loved the stuff between Shiloah and Mercy. Mercy was really awesome and the ending of the story wraps up nicely and everything really falls into place.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGallery for the advanced copy in return for an honest review! I was so excited when I learned there was a second Porter Beck novel and it did not disappoint. One of the best detective (actually Sheriff Beck) series I've read. Full of suspense, action, page turning adventure. It flows perfectly and leaves you wanting more Beck adventures.

This is another exciting Sheriff Beck adventure. Sheriff Beck had a long time friend overdose from Fentanyl and another woman too. Beck drives out to let another long time friend know about the death and discovers some disturbing things at this mans ranch. One was the targeting of a military drone, wiping out his prize bull. Seems personal.

This all leads Beck into a non stop investigation into a young computer whiz, the government steps in and things go sideways. While I was reading this novel, I was thinking how it would make a great movie. It storyline played out like a great game of chess.

I was happy to see another book come out with Sheriff Beck at the helm and was thrilled that Minotaur books and NetGalley offered me an early read. Thank you!

I loved this sequel!!

The story takes place several months after book 1 and Porter’s Retinitis Pigmentosa continues to worsen leaving him, for all practical purposes, night-blind.

The action in this book is non-stop with Beck immersed in a dynamic ensemble of unforgettable supporting characters, including his daredevil sister Brinley and a Nevada Highway Patrol officer, Charlie Blue Horse (named after his golden retriever!). Borgos skillfully blends a multitude of elements into the villainous mix (Mexican drug cartel overlords, Men in Black, Chinese cyber spies, and gunrunners), yet it all resolves brilliantly by the conclusion.

I can't wait to read more from this author! I am hooked!

Above: on Independence Day, a hijacked armed weapons drone is targeting something while the command staff stationed 80 miles away watches in horror…
Below: an over-the-top 17th birthday party for the daughter of a multi-millionaire cattleman, complete with amazing (and locally illegal) fireworks. And then an extra ball of fire appears….

To say that “Shades of Mercy” starts with a bang is an apt pun. From that point, the plot takes off, surrounding us in an accurate portrayal of the fiery atmosphere of the vast desert landscape of the New West — near enough to Las Vegas to be familiar, but far enough away from Vegas to think little green aliens and polygamists.

This is the second installment of Bruce Borgos’ Sheriff Porter Beck series — after “The Bitter Past” it was obvious that Borgos had created an incredibly likable Western lawman/hero, a former Army Intelligence officer who returned to replace his father as the chief LEO of Lincoln County, Nevada, an area adjacent to the Utah state line and in Downwinder range (the path of nuclear fallout from atom tests in the 50s), but who is not totally perfect. He’s losing his vision because of retinitis pigmentosa (creating tunnel vision and an inability to drive at night). This book gives him a new partner, Columba/“Bo”— a K9 training school flunkout who is nevertheless adorable, loyal, and eventually might be Beck’s seeing eye dog with a LOT of practice.

After the unexpected explosion, Beck is greeted by an unmarked helicopter landing next to his office, with an investigating agent from the Air Force. As Beck muses, “living next door to the most secret military testing area in the country, if not the world, these kinds of visits were not out of the ordinary”. The officer, Maddox, shares confidential info with the sheriff, admitting that it was a hijacked drone, but neither of them understand the particular chosen target (the ranch run by a high school acquaintance of Beck’s). Beck promises assistance if anything comes to light, but he’s dealing with multiple wildfire evacuations (too much for his small staff) in the 11,000 square mile county; a group of protestors arriving for “Alien Independence Day;” and the sudden deaths of two residents due to fentanyl. On a quest to find the dark web source of the illegal drugs, Beck is introduced to a 16 year old whiz kid hacker, Mercy Vaughn, confined to a juvenile facility, who might be of help with the drone hijack (or just might be the drone hijacker).

The action in this book is non-stop and Beck is surrounded by an unforgettable great group of secondary characters like his stuntwoman sister Brinley and a Nevada Highway Patrol officer, Charlie Blue Horse (named after his golden retriever!) Borgos does throw everything into the villain soup (Mexican drug cartel overlords! Men in Black! Chinese cyber spies! Gunrunners!) but it all works out spectacularly in the end. I’ll definitely be waiting for the next book in the Porter Beck series. 5 stars!

Oh, I loved that Borgos knows that Snow Canyon in southern Utah is not named for the weather, but for Mormon explorers, Erastus and Lorenzo Snow. (Erastus Snow would also have his surname combined with William Flake, ancestor of former AZ Senator Jeff Flake, to bestow upon the desert Arizona town of Snowflake — which could have also been Flakesnow…).

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Mercy has them and her green eyes are a plot point — a story about a Roman legion lost in China that resulted in descendants who are Chinese, but still have blond hair and green eyes. Brin also has emerald green eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO Borgos knows his high desert plants.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

He's back! Sheriff Porter Beck returns in the follow up to Bruce Borgos's thrilling debut, "The Bitter Past", and this time he's embroiled in a cornucopia of events that, while on the surface seem to be unconnected, have a surprising confluence.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review "Shades Of Mercy" in return for a fair and honest review.
Well, Sheriff Beck is still on the job, but under no illusions that his time may be fast approaching: his Retinitis Pigmentosa (which results in almost total night blindness and diminished vision overall) is progressing; and he's continuing to deal with his father (the former Sheriff) and his dementia.
It's a fairly quiet time in the high desert of Nevada, but in rapid succession one childhood friend is the latest to succumb to a new wave of particularly strong illegal opioids, and another childhood friend—now an enormously successful rancher—is targeted by a military drone, hacked and commandeered by an unknown source, resulting in the rather spectacular death of a prized bull.
It appears that the hacker - one Mercy Vaughn (the inspiration for the book's title) - has mad computer and hacking skills, and a hate-on for Jesse Roy (the man who married Porter Beck's now-deceased childhood sweetheart), the rancher and father of Shiloah, Ms Vaughn's friend. Oh, did I mention that she's a teenager? And she's been held responsible for a massive hack of the Federal Reserve? And that she communicates with Sheriff Beck?
This one is firmly set in the present and combines a number of issues: illicit drugs, drug cartels, gun running, murder, Chinese espionage and religious persecution.
The twists and turns of this incredibly suspenseful book kept me turning page after page, and even at the end I was left wondering 'what the heck even happened here?' - but in a good way.
You can read this one as a standalone, but I would highly recommend that you go back to the beginning (The Bitter Past) to properly understand the past with an eye to the future.

This was a great book. I loved every paragraph, every sentence and every word of this masterpiece! I read it in 12 hours, which is a lot for me to do! It had everything and more laid out in the novel! I sure hope There is more to come from this author! I am totally hooked!

“Shades of Mercy” is the second installment of the Porter Beeck series starring our intrepid sheriff, Porter Beck and his cohorts. The story takes place several months after “The Bitter Past” and Porter’s Retinitis Pigmentosa continues to worsen leaving him, for all practical purposes, night blind. However, with the help of technologically advanced eye goggles, he is able to make out shapes enough to get by. This time around, Beck is challenged by the drug overdose death of one of his oldest friends and the real possibility that it is as the result of drug trafficking by the other of his oldest friends. Add into the mix, the Mexican drug cartel, Chinese secret agents, and a teenage wonder computer hacker all gathered in the desert of Montana and you have the gist of “Shades of Mercy.”
The characters are extremely fleshed out with the good and the bad which makes for an excellent read. Sometimes, the similes go a bit overboard, but it’s easy to overlook those or just smile and read on. It is clear that Mr. Borgas had some serious research to get through for this novel and it adds much to the depth of the story. I wish we had seen more of Beck’s father, but there is undoubtedly more story to tell and we will await it with baited breath. Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

It was a richly crafted book that was engaging and well thought out . I felt the plot was propulsive and the setting was engaging and played in perfectly with the narrative
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review the book

The first title in this series, THE BITTER PAST, was absolutely terrific, one of the best mystery-thrillers I've read in years. SHADES OF MERCY fails to reach the same high standard that Bruce Borgos set for himself there..

The good: wonderful characters so beautifully drawn that they pull you in and hold you; vivid settings that become almost a character in themselves; and some really extraordinary writing.

The bad: the narrative that binds all those wonderful characters, great settings, and terrific writing together turns too often on coincidence and improbability; it's littered with silly plot holes sufficiently annoying to keep pulling you out of the story; and it has a painfully elongated ending which included a epilogue that was like the family dinner in ‘Blue Bloods,’ a neat reprise and wrap up for anyone whose attention might have wandered, and a clunky set up for next week’s episode.

The weak narrative felt like something that might have been rushed to get another book out quickly in order to capitalize on the success of the first title in the series. And that's a shame. These characters deserve so much better, and Bruce Borgos is undoubtedly a far better writer than this.

This series could be one of the great ones, if the publisher doesn't louse it up by pressing to get books out more quickly than they're ready. Maybe next time, huh?

This is the 2nd Porter Beck novel, and the 2nd I've read from the author.. I loved the first one, and I loved this. I could identify with the main character, who showed brains, humor and resourcefulness. The Nevada setting was rich and contributed to the story of a teenage hacker, a Mexican drug cartel and a crooked cattle rancher. The supporting characters were vibrant and well-defined. I can't wait for the next installment.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being given freely.