The Bitter Past

Wow. The Bitter Past is brilliant. This has taken me on an unexpected journey through a messy history. I loved the characters and the story line. Well done.

In addition to an excellent cast of characters, the author adds another—The Cold War. Progressing through the story, the reader learns so much about the tenuous relationship between the world’s super powers as we work through a well-developed story

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I found the subject matter very interesting - nuclear weapons, espionage - and I love when a fiction novel makes me want to read plenty of nonfiction about the time period and/or the subject to learn more; and this book certainly does that. This was definitely a page turner for me.

I did not like the Sana/Beck storyline. It felt forced and I didn’t have many feel-good emotions about it. Some of the thoughts Beck had about her made me eye roll at a character I otherwise liked. It’s not going to stop me from reading more in the series, though and I am looking forward to reading the second book.

Big thanks to both Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of The Bitter Past!

This entertaining book is set in Nevada's high desert. The first timeline is set in the present and features Sheriff Porter Beck, with the second one taking place in the 1950s during the testing of nuclear bombs. (I appreciated that the 1950s chapters had headings that said "The Past." It's beyond my comprehension why some authors don't do that.) The intriguing characters grabbed me from the beginning and I found the sheriff's humor nicely offset the serious parts of the book.

The Bitter Past deals with the dicey cost of doing the right thing. I hope this will be a series because I want to know what happened after the last paragraph of the book!! This was definitely an impressive first book.

I enjoyed reading the author's notes, especially where he thanked his wife and wrote "When I told you in the second grade this was going to happen, you didn't believe me, did you?"

I truly enjoyed this journey. The author did a wonderful job of weaving the past with the present and created a cast of characters that were relatable. Truth be told, I thought the first 2/3 of the book was masterful. I was on the edge of my seat. The finale went a little too shoot-em-up adventure story for me, but it didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of the tale.

Well done, and highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos An intense and engrossing page turner with intriguing characters, spies, the Cold War, nuclear weapons, torture and murders. Although at times inappropriate, Sheriff Porter Beck's humor does take the edge off themore serious parts of the book. The interactions between Sana and Beck were at times annoying and seemed forced. Author's notes were an added bonus.

Thank you to the author, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book

Big thanks to both Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of The Bitter Past!

This entertaining book is set in Nevada's high desert. The first timeline is set in the present and features Sheriff Porter Beck, with the second one taking place in the 1950s during the testing of nuclear bombs. (I appreciated that the 1950s chapters had headings that said "The Past." It's beyond my comprehension why some authors don't do that.) The intriguing characters grabbed me from the beginning and I found the sheriff's humor nicely offset the serious parts of the book.

The Bitter Past deals with the dicey cost of doing the right thing. I hope this will be a series because I want to know what happened after the last paragraph of the book!! This was definitely an impressive first book.

I enjoyed reading the author's notes, especially where he thanked his wife and wrote "When I told you in the second grade this was going to happen, you didn't believe me, did you?"

This wildly engrossing novel transported me back to the mountains, and brown-ness of Nevada, where we spent the last nine years, in and right outside of Las Vegas, before moving to the countryside. As much as I missed winter with snow, I have to admit that I do miss desert winters.

Excellent and consuming, I kept at this one and read it quickly. I thoroughly enjoyed what I hope is the opening novel to a new series that I’m looking forward to reading more of (please tell me that is going to be a series!)

I enjoyed this book and believe the author will grow in future books. There were certain elements that needed context and explaining that made me scratch my head. Overall though it was a compelling read that kept me awake to find out what would happen next.

Some Heroes Have Half-Lives. Honestly, I didn't even realize while reading this book that it was Book 1 of a new series - though with the way things end, I could certainly allow for that possibility. Here, Borgos manages to capture a lingering effect of the Cold War not often seen by those of us living on the East Coast - well away from all Cold War era nuclear test sites, including the Nevada deserts pictured here and the New Mexico deserts featured in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, which will be releasing around the same time as this book. We also get a dual timeline yet linked spy thriller (in the past)/ murder mystery (in the present), and in neither case is all as it seems. Borgos manages the pacing of each quite well, and the ultimate integration of the two quite seamlessly. Ultimately this is absolutely a world and storytelling style I'd love to come back to, so I'm glad there will be at least one more book forthcoming here. Very much recommended.

"The Bitter Past" is one of the best novels I have read in recent memory. Fast paced, gripping and really interesting, the plot has one asking "what if" through out. I heartily recommend this book, and look forward to reading more from Mr. Borgos. Outstanding! I didn't want it to end...

A very well written book with events from past and present in one that says the story. Reading this book made me anxious to know what the next adventure of beck will be like in Nevada.other than the sheriff we are introduced to many interesting characters. there are a lot of twist and tons that will keep you engaged.Everything about the book makes you pulled towards the story line, the characters, references about the war,nuclear weapon and the murders. thank you Netgalley and the author for the arc. I can't wait for more Nevada tales.

Very interesting story line . Well thought out and put together. Fluid even though it transpired between two time periods. So unusual - I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Bruce Borgos' The Bitter Past has a sanguinary opening few pages that were a bit difficult to move beyond, and yet, after I read into the well-developed plot of the book, I was quickly taken in. Porter Beck, a retired military man who is now a sheriff in rather remote Nevada, is perplexed by what happened here in the early 1950s and what initiated the contemporary and connected grisly murder he is faced with. Borgos does a great job of examining espionage, results of the Cold War, Russian spies, and nuclear testing sites, thus the eponymous title The Bitter Past.

Borgos is able to skillfully incorporate various characters into the novel, and his familial relationships and his relationships with his "team" at the sheriff's office are important to the progress of the plot. How vitally important we only know at the very end of the book. Borgos also moves seamlessly between the two timelines, that of the contemporary and that of preparations for recondite nuclear testing from the past.

The romance between Sana, the FBI agent, and Porter Beck is not always as strong and clear as it could be, and it creates some questions about the strength of the relationship and its direction. Nonetheless, Porter Beck's connection to his "sister" and to his father are important and seminal, and the final plot surprise at the end of the book definitely leads the reader into curiosity about what will happen in the next book. And, yes, we hope there will be one.

I really enjoyed this book. I got to where I didn't want to stop reading. I loved the mystery and the suspense of it. I had no inclining of who the real Freddie was. It was a twist.

This was a new author for me with the first of what I hope will be many in a new series. At once a spy story from the fifties area 51, romantic yearnings that cannot survive and a present day Russian spy thriller (thriller is an often overused description I rarely use, in this case it’s truly appropriate). The setting in Nevada is ruggedly and beautifully described, including the notorious Secret Area 51 and secret Project 57. The characters kept me engaged and entertained. The premise of the plot is original and hard to put in a cliché category.
Sheriff Porter Beck has a motley staff, some trustworthy, some with questionable allegiance. A case develops that will have him distrusting everything and everyone in his hometown. FBI Special Agent Sana Locke arrives further complicating his personal and professional life. Trust no one in this story. It’s everything you want in a mystery, there’s misdirection, depth of characters, historical relevance, hints of romance, kidnapping, murder, radioactive plutonium, and a Russian intelligence operative.
A powerful story with grains of truth that frighten and horrify me. Not a book I will forget, a fantastic read! My rating would exceed 5 stars and I don’t often do that.
It was a privilege to receive a digital advance reader copy from NetGalley of “The Bitter Past” by Bruce Borgos and St. Martin’s Publishing, Minotaur Books. Scheduled for release July 18, 2023 – don’t miss it! These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily.

I received a digital copy of “The Bitter Past” from Net Galley to read and review. My thanks to Net Galley, the publisher and especial the author, Bruce Borgos for a very entertaining and exciting book.
The book fits the cliche “ a real page turner” and another, “ you will not want to put it down”, but there is nothing tired about this taut thriller. The author gives the book a different plot that begins with the Sherif of a rural Nevada county at the crime scene of a horrible murder. A man, a retired FBI agent , sits blind to a chair. He had been tortured horribly by someone who wanted information. But about what? For all anyone knew the man lived quietly and was long out of the game. Meanwhile the Sheriff’s office is called to investigate the vandalism of three 50 year old graves, the caskets emptied , bones gone. Sheriff Porter Beck begins investigating, but is soon joined by FBI agent Sana, good looking and imperiously all the ultimate Fed.
This story intertwines with the atomic tests which took place at a military facility in just to the east of the county where the murder took place . There are chapters interspersed which depict events at the test grounds. Obviously, everything will come together, and the author moves things right along. Sheriff Beck is exArmy and no stranger to secrets. In fact , many characters in the book have secrets.
It is a real pleasure to read. and see the story unfold with some romance, lot of detection, and an exciting
climax that answers all questions. I really hope that someone gets this book turned into a series or film because it has all the basis for a super movie.
For those who have sensitivities: romance, but no graphic sex. Spies, murder and people get their just deserts in the high dessert.
Highly recommended.

Where’s some place you’ve gone for vacation that was memorable, why?

When I was a kid, my mom and step-father eloped in Vegas. It was a memorable trip because we drove (being stuck in a car with 6 people is a lot) and when we went out to eat there were roaches on the bench at the restaurant. It did make for quite a memorable time!

Porter is a small town sheriff outside of Las Vegas, Nevada doing the job his father retired from. Everything is quiet until an old retired FBI agent is found brutally tortured and killed. When the FBI comes knocking, Porter can’t help but wonder if bigger things are going on. Will he be able to figure it all out before things from the past get out of hand and lives are ruined?

This was a fun and exciting cold war thriller. The past and present time line added depth to the story and made the big reveal even that much better. The plot of this story was unique and not one I had read before – that’s always a plus. I enjoyed the undertones of romance, along with the thriller and mystery aspect of this one. I enjoyed the family dynamic between Porter, his dad, and his adopted sister. She added so much to the story. It’s easy to see that this book will make an interesting series.

I recommend you check this one out July 18th.

Thank you to the publisher St Martin’s Press, @StMartinsPress, @netgalley, and the author, for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. The historical storyline, the current day story, the characters, the twists and surprises, they all came together to make a true page-turner. I'm looking forward to reading more Bruce Borgos books.

Good book! This book had a bit of everything! It had suspense, intrigue, action, murder, mystery, and so many crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and had me glued to my Kindle! I will definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.
Absolutely absorbing with an opening that was chilling to the bone.
It features Sheriff Porter Beck and the case of a horribly tortured and murdered ex-FBI agent. We go between today and the 50's Cold War, which was fascinating.
When the FBI becomes involved, Porter wonders what on earth is going on. I really liked Porter and his relationship with his father and adorable adopted sister. Hopefully this is the start of a series! Highly recommended!

Huge thanks to the publisher and NetGallery for the advance copy in return for an honest review.

Hands down the best thriller I've ever read! Perfectly balanced between the past and present, the story flowed nicely and kept surprising me. Finding out who Georgiy turned out to be was huge and so well done! I sincerely hope we see more of this author, please!

This is a thoroughly enjoyable novel. Mr. Borgos can certainly write. He creates interesting characters, a strong sense of place, all enveloped in a unique plotline. There is interesting history to be had, as well as, twists and turns the surprise and move the action along. I would recommend this to anyone interested in an entertaining, well done read.

I received this from NetGalley from St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books in exchange for an unbiased review.

I absolutely loved this book. The protagonist was smart, witty and genuinely likable. He was someone I could see myself hanging out with and enjoying a chat. His sense of humor is closely aligned with my own and it was as if he was an old friend.

The tale takes place in the Nevada Big Rocks area near Caliente as well as the surrounding areas. The atmosphere and desert play a large role in the tale. As well, the nuclear testing in the nearby areas that took place in the 1950s is also integral to the story. Russian spies and national security secrets create tension.

The opening scene is pretty gory but it sets the tone for the danger that hangs over the entire book. There are so many moving parts to this story, it’s a rich delight to the reader.

All the characters were well drawn and intriguing. I especially enjoyed the relationship the protagonist had with his father and sister. They seemed like a real-life family. Close but not afraid to be truthful with each other and even make each other angry but still have each other’s backs.

The hero had an interesting past and also had a bit of a handicap with night blindness that added a second layer of drama to the tale. He was definitely someone to root for and that’s always something this reader needs to have in a book. I’m definitely not a reader who likes anti-heroes.

The story was complex and satisfying. It moved seamlessly from the current time to the 1950s and the pace was well done. The mysteries unfolded at a good rate and kept me turning the pages.

I really enjoyed this book and thank the author for creating such a great character in the hero, a complex back story and a well done, intriguing plot. I hope there are more adventures in store with the sheriff of Lincoln County.

I received a free ARC ebook of <i>The Bitter Past </i> from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Borgos sets his thriller in two time frames in the Nevada desert - a Cold War late fifties and a more contemporary time. Due to the time difference there are few common characters but the tension and suspucion carries through the years.

In 1957, nuclear proliferation is rampant and the Russians are determined to discover all the secrets hidden in the desert. A young Russian is sent to America to ingratiate himself within the scientific community and do his best to wreck havoc with nuclear materials. Borgos makes this time period a terrifying thrill ride.

In contemporary Nevada, Sheriff Porter Beck investigates the horrific murder of a former FBI agent. It isn't long before the sheriff and his team discover that the agent was investigating the possible identity of a former Russian spy who remained in America. Joined by Agent Saran Locke, Porter utilizes his expertise as a former American agent in Moscow to investigate the grisly death.

This novel was really enjoyable to read but there were lots of coincidences that in retrospect strain credulity. Yet I would definitely read more by this author with the character Porter Beck.

THE BITTER PAST by author Bruce Borgos is a novel that takes place in the desert of Nevada that tells the story of Sheriff Porter Beck, a second generation lawman who holds the position formerly held by his father, who is now suffering from dementia which adds to Porter’s concerns, along with his investigation into the recent murder of a reclusive retired FBI agent that had recently set himself up in a well planned and secure bunker, which make his murder seem to be related to his past, and evidently involving someone with a special skill set to be able to gain access to him.

Investigation reveals that the retired agent suffered torture, evidently to get information on the possibility of the presence of a Russian spy from a breach at a nuclear facility years ago that was a serious threat to national security.

Porter determines that the murder apparently connects the attempt to locate and kill the spy from the ‘50s, who is believed to have taken up residence in the area after going off the radar, and may be currently living in the area under an alias but otherwise known to the community.

Can Porter locate the murderer before he kills again, and will this require him to reveal the identity of the Russian spy who accessed classified secrets long ago before disappearing?

Great novel that hopefully turns into a series involving the Nevada lawman, and author Bruce Borgos does a great job at keeping the pace of this one going with twists and turns that lead up to the shocking identity of the elusive former spy in the area.

Recommended for those who like authors such as Craig Johnson and C. J. Box as stated in the book details, I can confirm that as a fan of both authors I enjoyed it and look forward to future novels by the author, hopefully with more based on this novel.

5 stars.

Set in Southern Nevada dessert where the nuclear tests of the 1950's took place a Sherriff is called to a grisly murder scene. What begins as a police procedural who dunnit quickly evolves into a nifty little spy cold war revenge suspense novel all rolled into one.

Although the plot is a bit over imagined it more then makes up in quick dialogue and well paced writing.

Great read.

I received this book from NetGalley for my unbiased review.

This was the first book by Bruce Borgos I have read. Hopefully it won't be the last!

The Bitter Past grabs you from the beginning and keeps you turning pages until the end. The characters are well developed and the story has some twists and turns throughout.

Very good read and looking forward to more.

Have never read anything by this author and wasn’t sure I would like this book when it was brought to my attention. Took me a little while to get into it. Don’t like stories bouncing back into time to combine the story. Once I got into the story I didn’t want to put it down. Intriguing story involving a murder of a retired FBI agent that took place in Nevada. The story involves a Russian operative who was working as a spy back 20 years ago. The US government knew there was a spy in Nevada but was sure who it was. The spy helped stop the dangerous mission that the Russian government was involved in but he left bodies doing this before he disappeared but was never caught. At the death of the FBI agent they were afraid that the Russian operative was active again. Interesting book. I would recommend the book to others.

I am an avid reader but the mystery genre is my favorite. That said, I have to admit I was thrilled to be offered a chance to read the first book in a new series by Bruce Borgos, an author new to me. The book is a combination of police procedural, spy/espionage, mystery and thriller with a dash of historical fiction. The combination is very well done. Lincoln County, Nevada Sheriff (just call me) Beck is a likable character from the beginning. If it wasn't for that the gruesome murder scene near the beginning of the book might have stopped me in my tracks. However, I kept turning the pages rapidly to find out how incidents in the late 1950s at the Nevada Testing Site were connected to Beck's present-day murder. The characters are well developed, the story line complex and the pace is fast. Nothing is as it first appears but the author plays fair and ties up everything at the end in a believable manner. This is a series that I will definitely follow based on this first book.


Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing/ Minotaur for the invitation to read and review this new series.

The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos is an engrossing read.. A superb job with plot and characters. Well worth the read.

Fast paced, interesting characters, well-plotted, easy to read. What more could you want for a rainy afternoon?

This is a very interesting and winning page turner combining some spy mystery intrigue with a bit of romance thrown in for fun. I'm hoping there will be a sequel and soon.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

Love. Murder. Russian spies. Nuclear testing. Porter Beck is my new favourite hero! Can’t wait to read the next instalment of his character. Great fiction book based on history. Loved the info on nuclear testing. Just visited the atomic testing museum in Vegas one month ago. Really great timing on this brilliant debut novel. Must read for crime/ spy thrillers.

4.5 stars rounded up.

Thanks to the publishers and author for the arc of this book.

Wonderful book! All the hype of the 50's and family , too. Back then you did what you had to do for country and family and no one knew , Salaries, work conditions, neighbors. where talked about! Family secrets stay in family!

This was a good book in many ways: Fast plot, suspense, and well researched information on a piece of history that is not often told. Characters were written as real people and I look forward to more from this author.

When I first read the synopsis of this book on NetGalley, I was intrigued. When I finished the first chapter, I thought me eyes were going to roll out of my head as a result of all the similes. It was like reading a 1950’s dime store novel. But, I persevered. After all, I was permitted to read this advanced copy as a courtesy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Wow! So glad that I continued. Soon, I was hooked and drawn into the story of Beck, a Nevada sheriff dealing with a horrific murder of an elderly man. During his investigation, we are taken back to the 1950’s Russian spies, and the nuclear testing taking place in the Nevada desert. We meet his unconventional family, his interesting officers, and the lovely agent sent to solve the case. This is apparently, and hopefully, the first in a new series by a debut author. The witty writing often had me laughing out loud. I was gobsmacked when I realized where the story was heading, and totally satisfied when I read the last page. For fans of C.J. Box and that ilk, this is a must read.

The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos
Porter Beck is the Sherrif in Lincoln County, Nevada. The grizzly murder of an ex-FBI agent debuts this mystery. Finding the killer leads to a history of atomic bomb testing and Russian spies.
Borgos spins a believable tale with excellent characterizations. He provides his characters with both strengths and flaws. The characters are believable as is the tale.
The story has abundant twists, plenty of mayhem, and heroics.
I enjoyed it and highly recommend it.

This novel takes place in Nevada during two separate time periods. In the first, the present, we meet Beck, the Lincoln County Sheriff who followed his father into office after a career in the Army. One of his many remarkable abilities is total recall. Lincoln County is north of Las Vegas in the Nevada mountains. The other part takes place following the end of World War II and the Cold War. It involves the secret testing of nuclear weaponry, a Russian spy who was there under cover and an event that could have destroyed Las Vegas. Parts of each chapter deal with each time frame. Normally when I read split times I often lose interest because it becomes convoluted. But not this time. I found myself caring what happened to these characters and what is going on in their lives. I also occasionally laughed out loud at some of the interactions between Beck and his crew. The ending could not have been better. Thanks to Net Galley and Minotaur Books for an ARC for an honest review.

Ebook received for free through NetGalley.

A great book that pulled me in from the beginning and was hard to put down. That’s for letting me read it.

Well, I just found a new Author that will be added to my best Author list. I was engrossed from the beginning. It flowed and kept me interested all the way through. I liked the humor and intelligence of sheriff Porter Beck, he was an interesting character. In fact all the characters were well written. The plot was very engaging and kept you on your toes. I highly recommend you read this book. I look forward to reading his other books.

Kind of a slow read but it was interesting. Main characters were well written. I did like I never figured out the spy until revealed in the story.

This novel about the search for an old Russian spy from the Cold War now living under an alias was a great story. The action, the extremely likable characters and the great humor were enjoyable to read. The only issue I have is that it seems like the author has not researched Brinley’s condition. Other than that, four stars.

42 billion ⭐s

To say I loved The Bitter Past would be quite the understatement. Everyone else is chasing Bruce Borgos for my favorite book of the year. When I was thoroughly horrified at the beginning of the book then all of a sudden I'm crying from laughing is when I knew I had found my soulmate. Maybe two of my favorite jokes are held within The Bitter Past. Violent, unique and fresh, The Bitter Past is filled with unforgettable characters in a unique setting and has my highest recommendation (if that was actually a thing).

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of The Bitter Past.

Meet Sheriff Porter Beck, usually just Beck, of Lincoln County in eastern Nevada, adjacent to the Nevada Atomic Testing Site and Area 51, and, hopefully, the star of a continuing series. I really loved this character so much! He’s likable, smart, witty and gifted with total recall, but saddled with night blindness. An ex-military man, he came back to assist his lawman father who’s suffering from dementia, eventually being elected sheriff himself. Beck is investigating the grisly torture/death of a retired FBI agent and becomes paired with another FBI agent from DC, Sana Locke, who suspects the elderly murder victim was still looking for a Russian spy from 60 years ago.

The action jumps back and forth between the 1950s, as we get to know the Russian spy hidden at the Nevada testing site, and the present, as Beck and Locke try to determine how that obviously very old spy (if alive) figures into the current crime. The narrative comes down to spy vs spy, except the spies are 80 to 90 year old dudes.

Burgos definitely knows the area and landscape, adding weirdly named FLDS characters (those would be the desert polygamists). I moved to Utah from Chicago years ago and originally had no idea what “Downwinders” were and I was initially mystified by men named LaVelle and Enoch. The author expertly explains the unique social heritage and environmental history of the area as the mystery unfolds. It’s atmospheric and unique and even if you’re unfamiliar with the area, you’ll enjoy being plunged into a part of the New West that’s more than cactus and tumbleweeds.

The plot was twisty, the mystery was fairly complex and the finale was action packed! 5 stars! Sheriff Beck deserves a another book or two!

Thank you to St.Martin’s Press/Minotaur and NetGalley for making the suggestion that I’d like this! I did!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Beck’s sister, Brin, has emerald green eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO Tall cottonwoods are growing where they should be.

The Bitter Past by Bruce Borges is a complex, fascinating, mysterious novel involving nuclear warfare development and testing done in the US in the 50's and 60's and possible spying by the Russians. It has many twists and turns from past to present keeping the reader fully engaged in trying to solve the earlier spying relating it to present day events. This book is well worth a read.

Strong series opener set in rural Nevada with a past-present mystery tied to the lingering effects of atomic bomb testing. The hero is the local sheriff who has a background in Army intelligence, which comes in handy when a Russian spy is at large in the county. The sheriff teams up with a female government agent, and romantic tension ensues.

The first-person narrative is engaging, with a balance of humor and self-reflection. Alternating chapters are set in the 1950s, giving Cold War intrigue that resonates in the present.

The isolation of the high desert was a factor - at one point they had 12 hours to accomplish something, and it seemed like half of it was spent driving somewhere! The opening scene is very gruesome, but it tones down after that, with some action and gunfights and a denouement in a scenic spot.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.

Bruce Borgos has written a great suspense and mystery novel entitled “ The Bitter Past.” Like many of my favorite books there are two storylines running parallel, and perhaps intertwining, and leaving many of the mysteries unresolved till late in the book. The stories never felt forced and the pacing was…just right. The Goodreads summary begins with “ In the tradition of Craig Johnson and C.J. Box” sets the table beautifully since I have read most everything by both of these authors. So a big + before I read the first page.
Porter Beck is a Nevada small town sheriff who gets involved with murky good and bad guys having something to do with the American nuclear program from way back in the 1950’s. And that’s all I shall give y’all: I can only hope this is the 1st book in a series ( Mr. Borgos !) A big “ thanks” to NetGalley for the opportunity to read “The Bitter Past.”

The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos. I did not want to put this book down!! A great story line with great characters. I love the snarky confident complex Porter Beck! Looking forward to reading more books with him! This story is a dual timeline. Present day Nevada near Area 51 with Russian spies and Cold War history in the 1956 timeline. A very believable story with the author keeping the story moving. I definitely recommend this book! Thank you NetGalley for letting me review this book.

This book was awesome. It was a great mystery with a couple of great twists. I highly recommend it and want to read more of this author. Bruce Borgos is an excellent storyteller.

While I agree with some comments that Bruce Borgos’ debut novel, The Bitter Past, is reminiscent of Craig Johnson’s Longmire books, it also brings back memories of Betty Webb’s 2012 Lena Jones mystery, Desert Wind. With two timelines, a mystery and espionage combined in one book, The Bitter Past is a fascinating, unusual debut.

Sheriff Porter Beck is a former Foreign Area Officer in the Army. Now, he’s sheriff of Lincoln County, Nevada, a county the size of Maryland. Despite the vast territory to cover, Beck knows most of the residents. His father was once the sheriff in the county before he developed dementia. Beck recognizes the dead man, a retired FBI agent. Ralph Atterbury was seventy-four. Beck never saw anyone who suffered that level of torture. It was worse than the Taliban. With Beck’s Army background, though, he has suspicions. When Sana Locke, an FBI agent from Washington shows up and wants to see Beck’s crime scene, he’s even more suspicious.

In the 1950s, and for decades afterwards, Nevada was the site for nuclear testing. In the ’50s, a KGB agent, found a way to infiltrate the site, under the name Freddie Meyer. Meyer’s assignment wasn’t just to infiltrate the site. He was part of a larger plan.

Now, over sixty years later, someone is in Nevada, looking for that former KGB agent. Atterbury might have had files that would help identify a man who would now be in his eighties. So, Atterbury was tortured for the information. It’s up to Sheriff Beck and his small team to protect that man, although they have no clue as to his current identity.

The Bitter Past is a gripping story that combines elements of mystery, espionage, and history. Beck wonders if he himself suffers from effects of the radiation from those nuclear tests. His mother, and so many other people who lived there in the 1950s, died of cancer. Animals suffered cruel deaths after the tests. But, during the 1950s, Americans believed the need to beat the Soviets in the nuclear arms race and the Cold War. While Borgos tells a riveting story, he doesn’t neglect the effects of the 1950s tests.

The Bitter Past is an unusual novel. Kudos to the author for a compelling debut.

After seeing this book compared to C.J. Box , I had to read it. Great start to what hopefully becomes a series! The author was able to weave the past and the present together so well and kept me on the edge of my seat.

"The Bitter Past" has been one of my favorite reads this year. I really hope that a network picks it up for a movie or TV series, as it has the potential to be phenomenal. I loved the historical aspect that the book brought, as I did not know much about the Cold War or the atomic age. It was very fascinating! I fell in love with the characters, and although some parts of the plot were predictable, there were still many surprising twists and turns. I enjoyed the past/present perspectives, as they left me eager to continue reading.

Thank you to the author, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an opportunity to preview the book.

Oh Wow! This is one of the best books I've read all year! The story is like Joe Pickett/Jack Reacher/James Bond combined and written by le Carre. It's very good. I could. Not. Put. This. Down! I don't want to spoil this book in any way, and can't rave enough about it! Get this book now! You will not regret it. Highly recommend this book! Oh I hope it becomes a series as the characters are spectacular and need more books! 5 stars plus 5 more at least!

The Bitter Past is a mystery set in the West full of spy craft and the sad truth of American history in the desert. A dead retired FBI agent is found in Sheriff Porter Beck’s remote county outside Las Vegas. His death leads Beck and his deputies on a wild chase of Russian spies and a deep dive into the nuclear tests of the 1950’s. Beck is a tough as nails Sheriff who is a lot wittier than his easy manner suggests. Twisting and blind siding you, the case uncovers some dark secrets as Beck rises to the challenge. Beck is a crafty, formidable protagonist that will win you over and have you coming back for more. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

This was a bit of a slow starter for me, I wasn't sure if I'd like sheriff Porter Beck. He was very unassuming, though we learn later that beneath his laid-back demeanor, he's very observant and has many strengths that he hides, to reveal at just the right time. And a sheriff that has a clear weakness, his night blindness, was something I'd never seen before, and I'm curious to see how it will be developed more in upcoming books.

Likewise, the Cold War and nuclear testing connections had me stepping back and wondering how they would fit. Which really is a good start for a mystery, even if it has me scratching my head a bit.

Sheriff Beck is in charge of a large portion of the Nevada high desert, even if the population is low. So finding a retired FBI agent tortured and murdered is not a normal occurrence and has the whole police force getting involved. The sudden appearance of FBI agent Sana Locke seems like a welcome help, though Beck soon finds himself wondering what she's really there for.

The plot moves well, and everything comes together seamlessly. Plenty of action and intrigue, and a satisfying ending with a welcome cast of characters. I look forward to reading the next installment of Porter Beck's, and learning more about his small town.

Thank you for the ARC through NetGalley.

I must say I was not a fan of Sheriff Beck at the start of this book but sooner rather than later the character changed my mind and I may have fallen a little bit in love with him.

This author did a great job building his story. Alternating the story between the 1950s and the present day kept me reading. Lots of action & violence interspersed with a love story. I got tears in my eyes at the end of this book. I am looking forward to reading another story about Sheriff Beck and his police force.

I was so fortunate to have requested this book and then to have been granted it! It is truly excellent with twists and turns that will have you surprised, to say the least. Well written, carefully crafted, with interesting characters. The story line is believable. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending this book for review consideration. I intend to recommend this read as soon as it is published. All opinions are my own. #NetGalley, #St.Martin’sPress, #TheBitterPast.

Call it 4.5 stars. This book has it all. A small town sheriff in Nevada. A tortured and murdered retired FBI agent. A mystery casting back to the days of the cold war, above ground atomic testing, and Russian spies who were willing to do anything to damage the United States nuclear program. And a cast of well drawn and (mostly) likable characters. The story goes back and forth between what happened back in 1957, and why those events are still vibrating in the present. Highly recommended.

Thoroughly enjoyed this murder mystery! In case you aren't aware this is definitely not a cozy, there are some pretty graphic scenes right in the beginning. I was really impressed how all the backstories were written seamlessly into the novel. I liked the characters and the story resolution was unexpected. Looking forward to the next installment.

Sheriff Porter Beck is content working in Nevada's Lincoln County and Big Rock Wilderness which encompasses Area 51 and the nuclear tests site of the 50's. When he is called to a brutal torture killing of an ex-CIA agent, Washington sends an FBI agent to oversee the investigation. As they work together, it becomes apparent that there are Russian agents trying to find their defector from the 50's' who is still believed to be alive. The government also wants to keep the past secrets, secret.
An intriguing debut thriller from Bruce Borgos, is told in the present day along with the past. Its twists and turns make for a fast paced, throughly enjoyable, story.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins, Minotaur Books for this e-galley of "The Bitter Past".

As someone who does not read the synopsis of a book prior to starting, I had no idea what to expect with this book. Once I realized there was a Russian spy on American soil I was hooked. I loved the back and forth between present day and past - it was like reading two books at the same time that helped piece together the same story.Looking back I believe the author dropped quite a few hints about some of the twists and turns that were to come later on. I did find some parts of the book to be a bit slow and I was not a fan of the romance between two of the characters, but other than that it was a great read!

Be sure to grab this book - available 7/18/2023!

Mesmerizing story in "The Bitter Past" story by Bruce Borgos. The story is set in the Nevada desert in Lincoln County where Area 51 is located. The book has two separate story lines -- one is set in the midst of the Cold War and one in modern times.

Wondering exactly how the two lines converge is a delightful process. The Cold War line is fraught with spies, surveillance, nuclear bomb development, and general espionage. These interplay as a young Soviet falls in love and is troubled on ethical grounds.

The modern story is about a sheriff who has been much more before he comes to Nevada to follow in his father's footsteps in law enforcement. Add in a dose of FBI, CIA, and various Russian security alphabet letters and you have a great story.

Characters seem very real, and you feel their joy and pain as facts emerge that creates issues. Will the modern Nevadans be able to see past the foibles of the past and meet the challenges of the day, or will it all come crashing down?

To find out you will have to immerse yourself in this most delightful book....one of the best I've read in a while, and I read a lot! Definitely recommend this page turner to almost any reader; there is a bit of violence, but it fits the story and is not gratuitous..

What a cast of characters. It's hard to pick a favorite! They made the book, and the story was decent too. Will definitely read the next in the series.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Porter Beck is the sheriff in the high desert of Nevada, north of Las Vegas. Born and raised there, he's back home, doing the same lawman's job his father once did, before his father started to develop dementia. All is relatively quiet in this corner of the world, until an old, retired FBI agent is found killed. He was brutally tortured before he was killed and clues at the scene point to a mystery dating back to the early days of the nuclear age. If that wasn't strange enough, a current FBI agent shows up to help Beck's investigation.

In a case that unfolds in the past (the 1950s) and the present, it seems that a Russian spy infiltrated the nuclear testing site and now someone is looking for that long-ago, all-but forgotten person, who holds the key to what happened then and to the deadly goings on now.

Atmospheric, original, suspenseful, and compelling, this novel deserves to reign at the top the bestseller lists, and this reader is hoping to see that happen. Highly recommended. #TheBitterPast #NetGalley #SaltMarshAuthors

An edge of your seat thriller that will raise your heartbeat. Past Russia espionage collides with the present as a Russian assassin goes after men involved in an incident in 1957 looking for a traitor to Russia. The traitor had a job to do and failed. You will never see the ending coming.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

grisly, first-in-series, new-series, Nevada, murder, murder-investigation, law-enforcement, procedural, crime-thriller, fiction, friction, rural, local-law-enforcement, FBI, ex-FBI, snarky, torture, action-adventure, espionage, dual-timeframes, propaganda, lies, 1950s, present-day, ex-military, invisible-disability, punny, CIA, Russian intelligence, unputdownable*****

"Oh good. We're having puns for breakfast." That and references to wearing a Duluth jacket to keep out the cold are my favorite lines.
Cruelty and torture meet with dry wit and horrible puns with Sheriff Porter Beck in the high desert of Nevada even as the story of a Russian agent at the nuclear test site in 1957 plays out. More than one cat toys with intelligent mice until the tables are turned. The massive twist near the end of the book absolutely blew me away! Can't wait til it comes out in audio so I can get a copy to keep!
I requested and received an EARC from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

Sheriff Porter Beck is investigating the torture and murder of a retired FBI agent—not the kind of case he usually has to handle in the Nevada desert. FBI Special Agent Sana Locke joins the investigation, connecting a Russian spy from the 1950s to the current murder case.

The pace of the storytelling was great, flipping between the present murder investigation and the past, when the Russian spy infiltrated a nuclear test site.

The action didn’t slow and with Beck’s impressive military background the plot details were believable and interesting—a combination detective novel and spy thriller.

The banter between Beck and Locke was great fun, and while their connection felt genuine, I would have preferred more lead up time for the romance to develop—instead of the immediate internal thoughts from Beck about his physical attraction to Locke.

Overall this was a fast-paced mystery that kept me eagerly turning pages until the end.

Note: While page one contains an explicit description of the crime scene, in general the book was not overly graphic.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaurbooks for the ARC.

Great start to a promising series! Past information is provided to explain what's happening in the here and now. A fictional story with history lessons provided! Looking forward to more happenings in the Nevada desert! Thanks for the opportunity to read and review.

I loved The Bitter Past. Author Bruce Borgos gives us interesting characters in a superb plot. There were several surprises to keep the intrigue active.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

Finished ✔️ The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos

4 ⭐️’s
Publish Day: July 18th, 2023
Kindle Unlimited: No

Overall I enjoyed the book.
I liked that I finally found a book that takes place in a state that isn’t a popular location/state that authors use for their settings
It’s the first book in the series
Love how this book involves the mention of the US Army
Stunning opening chapter
A thrilling and assured debut.
A crisp jolt of cask-strength.
Fascinating chapters
Plenty of action
Intriguing story lines
Wonderful humor to offset the tension
Even a hint of romance 🥰
I was sorry to see it end
Yes, I’d recommend it

#DeesReading #DeesRecs #DeesBookRecommendations #BookNerds #BookNerdProblems #BookNerdsUnited #BookProblems #BookProblems101 #BookNerds101 #Bookworms #BookwormProblems #BookwormProblems101 #BooksOfFacebook #DeeTheBookReviewer #DeesReadOfTheDay #DeesBookOfTheDay #DeesBookReviewsOfTheDay #BookReviewer #NewToMeAuthor #BruceBorgos #ReadOfTheDay #BookOfTheDay #TheBittterPast #NetGalley

The Bitter Past is a gripping novel that takes readers on a journey through the high desert of Nevada, following the story of Sheriff Porter Beck as he investigates the brutal murder of a retired FBI agent. Set against the backdrop of a remote and unforgiving landscape, this novel captures the essence of the American West, with all its rugged beauty and untamed danger.

As the story unfolds, we learn that Porter is a second-generation lawman who has taken over his father’s position as sheriff, a role that has become even more challenging due to his father’s deteriorating health. Porter’s investigation into the murder of the retired FBI agent takes him deep into the past, uncovering a mystery that dates back to the early days of the nuclear age and the Cold War.

The retired agent, who had recently set himself up in a secure bunker, was tortured in an attempt to extract information about a Russian spy who had infiltrated a nuclear facility years ago. This spy posed a serious threat to national security, and his whereabouts have remained unknown ever since. As Porter delves deeper into the investigation, he realizes that the murder is connected to the search for the elusive spy, who may be living in the area under an alias.

With each twist and turn, the tension in the novel ratchets up, as Porter races against time to catch the killer and prevent more bloodshed. Borgos masterfully weaves together the present-day investigation with flashbacks to the 1950s, creating a rich and detailed portrait of a bygone era.

Overall, The Bitter Past is a riveting and suspenseful novel that will keep readers on the edge of their seats from beginning to end. Borgos is a talented writer who has created a vivid and compelling world, full of complex characters and unexpected plot twists. Fans of Craig Johnson and Nevada Barr will find much to enjoy in this thrilling new series.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a really good book, the first in a series and I will be looking for the second. Sheriff Porter Beck is called out to a crime scene, a brutal one at that of a retired FBI agent who appears to have been tortured, then slowly killed. Not long after, Agent Sana shows up and tags along with Porter while he investigates the murder and other oddities that are happening in the area (like a missing young girl that's in a polygamy marriage). We are also taken to The Past which describes a young man who eventually is hired on as a security guard at the Nevada Testing site for nuclear weapons, this young may has an ulterior motive though, one that doesn't come clear until near the end. Porter and Sana become close, she's drop dead gorgeous and he's not hard on the eyes, though they both feel guilty after their one night together, that doesn't stop them from investigating further and uncovering little clues that lead to a big reveal. A very good start for this series and I would recommend. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Minotaur for the ARC.

After a career in Army Intelligence Porter Beck returned home to the Nevada high desert and became sheriff just like his dad was. When a reclusive retired FBI agent is brutally tortured and murdered and his home ransacked, Porter can’t help but think there’s more to the story. An FBI agent suddenly showing up to help with the investigation seals the deal. He can’t help but wonder if she’s there to help or hinder him from finding the truth. Could it really have something to do with the 1957 secret nuclear testing and Area 51???

Told in the 1950s and the present, The Bitter Past is a unforgettable story that will keep you turning the pages long into the night. Can’t wait for a sequel.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for making this story available to me in exchange for an honest review.

This book reminded me of both Craig Johnson and C.J. Box, if they blended their westerns with spy novels. The story starts out from page one in a visit to a violent crime scene in C.J. Box style; then we settle in with the small-town sheriff reminiscent of Craig Johnson. Except this particular sheriff has a much different background.
Sheriff Porter Beck grew up in the high desert of Nevada, outside Las Vegas. He was raised there until he left to join the Army. His work as Foreign Area Officer trained him to spent a lot of time in the Soviet Union, so he’s no stranger to secrets.

Now he’s back home, doing the same Sheriff’s job his father did, before Pop started to develop dementia. It’s a quiet life, until an old, retired FBI agent is found murdered, after being gruesomely tortured. The clues point to a mystery dating back to the early days of the nuclear age. Then a stranger, a current-day FBI agent, shows up to insert herself into Beck’s investigation.

In the 1950s, and for decades afterwards, Nevada was the site for nuclear testing. At that time, a KGB agent found a way to infiltrate one of the sites. In The Bitter Past The action jumps back and forth between the 1950s Area 51 and the present, in interspersed chapters. It appears that old Russian spy, now in his eighties, might have stashed some files from that time. Someone is looking for that all but forgotten person, who appears to hold the key to what happened then--and now.

I enjoyed the 1950s chapters. The cold war conflict, Russian spies, and sabotaging of the nuclear testing sites were gripping. Sheriff Beck’s current day investigation was equally absorbing, as he delves into his own team’s motivations, his father’s convoluted history, and the FBI agent’s real reason for being there.

The only weak point was the romance between the FBI agent, Sana, and Porter Beck. I felt to me like a throwaway romance, even though the author did his best to imbed her character in the story.

All of the other characters are vitally important to the plot, and Borgos skillfully weaves both timelines into the end of the book. The final plot surprise at the end definitely makes me curious about Borgos’ next book. I hope there will be one. Five stars for The Bitter Past!

A moving novel based on "doing the right thing".

KGB Lt. Georgiy Dudko is sent to Nevada USA in the 1950s as an undercover spy to gather and report information to Russia on the US nuclear bomb project. As Freddie Meyer he befriends Dr. Ellison and his daughter Kitty. The situations Freddie finds himself put into are one moral dilemma after another.

Present day Sheriff Porter Beck digs into the past to solve the disappearance of a young bride, and sudden deaths of a local elderly men.

Bouncing between 1940s-1950s and present day the story is quite intriguing. How it all comes together is well-done.

Sheriff Porter Beck’s story in the high desert of Nevada, home of nuclear testing in the U.S., begins with the discovery of a murdered retired FBI agent. The story slowly builds as the present search for the murderer intersects with the past – including that of Sheriff Beck’s own father. In addition to an interesting thriller, I enjoyed learning about our involvement in the development of the nuclear age. I received an ARC from NetGalley, and the opinions expressed are my own.

The first book in the Porter Beck series is a winner. There was never a lag in this story about a sheriff in a small town in Nevada who is investigating a series of murders of older men along with the disappearance of a young woman from a religious sect. A female FBI agent is added to the mix which results in some great dialogue. The story is told in the present day as well as in the 1950s when a Russian agent infiltrated his way into a nuclear testing site in Nevada. There were several twists that I didn't see coming and I certainly didn't guess the identity of the Russian agent. I'm already looking forward to the next installment in this series.

I really liked the sections of the book set in the present, but was not fond of those set in the past. I understand how they were supposed to tie together, but I thought the present-day book was strong enough on its own. The twist at the end was totally unexpected and a very fulfilling one. If the author's next book only takes place in the present, I'll be interested in reading it.

The Bitter Past intertwines a current day murder mystery that takes place in the high desert of Nevada with Russian espionage that took place at a nearby nuclear test site in the 1950’s. Sheriff Porter Beck is investigating the torture and killing of a retired FBI agent in his town when a woman, claiming to be an FBI agent, turns up to look into the man’s murder. Beck, who is a former military intelligence officer, feels that something is off about the agent and the entire case for that matter; especially when the clues lead them to Russian espionage at the nuclear test site nearby that took place 70 years ago. Is the killer trying to eliminate the last people who know about the Russian spy? Beck, his team and the FBI agent must work quickly to find out. Borgos has written a very atmospheric and descriptive mystery. The desert and the dangers it holds is as much a character in the novel as the interesting and well-defined people who fill the pages. The story is fast-paced and has several plot twists. Beck is a strong protagonist and I look forward to the possibility of more stories featuring him. I would definitely read them. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur, for providing me an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Minotaur, St. Martin’s and Netgalley for providing the ARC. I didn’t seek out this book and might have never read it had it not been offered to me. That said, it was a thoroughly enjoyable read. A local western lawman, combined with an FBI agent to solve a murder with connections stretching back to the early days of the Cold War. And all the characters are not what they seem. It kept me very engrossed for a few late nights. Recommended for anyone who likes a historical fiction mystery.

The Bitter Past deals with the cost of doing the right thing. This entertaining book is set in Nevada's high desert. It has a very interesting story line. It was well thought out and expertly put together. I loved the mystery and suspense. I had no idea who the real Freddie was. It was a very twisty and a wonderful read. I loved this book and I highly recommend it. I was provided an advance reader copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos is a book about Porter Beck. He is second generation sheriff; his father was a sheriff before him and is sliding into dementia.
A retired FBI agent is tortured and killed, and it goes back to the beginning of the nuclear age.
When a current FBI agent shows up to help investigate the murder things start to heat up.
We moved between the present day and 1950s past to find out the mystery. Who is the killer? What are they trying to find out from the past?
I enjoyed the writing and the story. I recommend this book and hope to read more by the author.

I requested to read and review this book for free from Minotaur Books an Imprint of St. Martin's Publishing Company. This book was fantastic. It had some many twist and turns. You won't want to put this book down. It has mystery, drama, suspense and a little romance. Secrets have a way to come back to us some they haunt or others feel freedom. Spies can be anywhere. Trust is a hard thing when you don't know who to trust. Beck is a by the book rules followers. But life is going to get messy for a while for him and the police department. This book can be read anywhere and should be read by a mature audience.

There’s lots of intrigue in this little sleepy town outside of Las Vegas adjacent to the site of nuclear testing in the 40’s.
   The story starts gruesomely with the torture and murder of an old timer from the community. Needless to say, the reason as to why this man was brutalized is the puzzle of the police department, led by Porter Beck. As sheriff and son of the previous sheriff he discovers that the FBI is interested in this murder because the victim may be a Russian spy gone underground.
   The story offers interesting facts about the development of nuclear warfare and the disregard of the health of people in the vicinity when they were tested. Most of the families living there were affected by the radiation: cancer, miscarriages, defects, all were attributed to those tests.
   But now there is a bigger issue: a sleeper spy has been living here all these years and now someone wants him back. The problem is Russia is targeting ALL men of a certain age bracket to torture because they don’t know who it could be 50 years later, either.
   An exciting book that describes an interesting look into the cold War of the 50’s, life in the expanse of the west, the measures the government will takes to do due diligence and the love of a son despite what he discovers about hidden secrets in his own family.
   A definite page turner.

A Thoroughly Engrossing Story

Porter Beck has returned to his home town in Nevada after serving in Army Intelligence doing things no one talks about. Now he’s the sheriff, replacing his father who served the town for many years before dementia took his mind. Nothing much ever happens in this town, until it does. A retired FBI agent is dead, tortured beyond belief by someone looking for information.

The story then switches to The Past, a time in the ‘50s when the government was scrambling to perfect a nuclear bomb. A young Russian has been groomed for this mission, fluent in both Russian and English. His job? Infiltrate the nuclear complex and gain information for the Russians.

This story revolves around these two people doing their jobs as best they can. The chapters switch between the present and the past, pulling you into a deep mystery from the past that has surfaced in the present. It was hard to put this book down. The characters are well developed and I found myself empathizing with the sheriff and the monumental task before him.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of The Bitter Past. This is my honest review.

What an intriguing premise! This was a fast read and I really liked the two different timelines this story took place in. I was equally invested in both. The action never stops! The desert felt so real, it could have been another character.

Don't let the bland, cliched title put you off. This is an absolutely terrific book, the best mystery-thriller-cop-spy novel mashup I've read in years, and I'm blown away by it, honestly.

The narrative is complicated and you have to pay attention, but the voice of the rural sheriff who relates the contemporary portions in the first person is so compelling that you'll find that easy to do. The prose is clean and sharp as the proverbial razor. The dialogue is so real you would swear you're hearing it spoken as you read.

It's a wonderful book, truly. Mystery-thrillers don't get any better than this.

Definitely not my typical read but I throughly enjoyed it and was instantly pulled into the story. The flashbacks certainly were so important to the story and I loved the twists and turns that hat made this book unputdownable.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing for the free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Who doesn't love a gritty sheriff's tale in the desert of Nevada, Area 51 and russian spies? Sherrif Porter Beck inherited his very large county from his dad, who now suffers from dementia. Beck is investigating the execution of a retired FBI agent living in the middle of the desert with a secret bunker full of files. The former agent was tortured because of this hidden information, which Beck and his team soon discover.

This book is told in alternating timelines between the 1950's and the present day. The past provides the background for the Atom Bomb testing and russian spy that gets hired onto the project. The present is Beck and team racing to prevent the next murder.

The plot, setting and characters were very enjoyable and well done. I am hoping that this will become a new series!

Highly recommend!

In a desert town near Las Vegas, a retired FBI agent is found dead, brutally tortured. Sheriff Porter Beck then gets a visit from another FBI agent offering to help with the investigation, as the murder appears to be connected with possible spying at a nearby nuclear test site. The Bitter Past is a suspenseful and thoroughly entertaining mystery/spy thriller, expertly told in dual timelines alternating from the present to the late 1950’s that will keep you glued to the pages. As the plot unfolds and the timelines merge, the reader is totally engaged with smart, witty dialogue and great characters. Very pleasantly surprised by this one, and definitely looking forward to more in this new series. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos is the first book in the Porter Beck series. This is a thrilling, chilling story. Definitely a page-turner. The characters are well-developed and the storyline flows smoothly. Bruce Borgos is a new-to-me author and I look forward to more stories from him.

This was quite an exciting book. Once I started reading The Bitter Past, I could not put it down. This is about Sheriff Becker in a Nevada town who had left to join the Army, ended up in intelligence and came home to take over his father’s position as Sheriff. A tortured federal agent was found dead and that is where it starts. Story actually goes back to the 1950’s when a Russian spy was working at a Nevada testing site for the Bomb. It is a very interesting story about the test site, the bomb, and how he is told to steal the bomb so it can be used on the US. You will definitely enjoy this story; in fact, I look forward to reading another story by this author, Bruce Brogos. Thank you NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to find a new author.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Sheriff Porter's is called to the scene where a retired fbi agent was murdered. While doing some research, he realizes that he has to go back several decades to find the answers that he is looking for. This was a good book.

Porter Beck is the sheriff in small town in the high desert outside Las Vegas. He followed in his father's footsteps to become sheriff after he returned from dark places around the world. His department is too small to cover the miles and miles included in his jurisdiction. When a retired FBI agent is killed in his remote cabin, Beck is drawn into an investigation that dates back to the days when nuclear bombs were tested in Nevada, resulting in many deaths from cancer and other blood diseases, due to exposure to radiation, including Beck's mother. Now, his father is developing dementia. When other bodies turn up, Beck realizes these murders date back to those days of testing. A Russian agent is in town, cleaning up after something happened back in the 50s. Then, another FBI agent shows up in Beck's office. But, is she? Moving between the 1950s and present-day, Beck has to discover what happened all those years ago that is now getting people killed in his jurisdiction. And, how does his father factor into this? An great read with some excellent plotting; the beginning was a little slow, but it finished with a bang! Recommended.

What a great read! The Bitter Past combines a great mystery with history. The characters are great and I loved getting into the Russian spy's head as well as Beck's. I would love to see what's next for Porter Beck.

A retired FBI agent is brutally killed in a remote desert town; is the reason buried in past secrets?

Porter Beck is the sheriff in Lincoln County, Nevada, a remote and barren desert area north of Las Vegas, as was his father before him. He grew up there but left years earlier to pursue a military career, ultimately serving in Army intelligence. When a mission went awry, he escaped with his life, but it ended his career with the Army. At the same time, Beck’s father was displaying signs of Alzheimer’s, and Beck returned home and took over as Sheriff. Not everyone is happy with Beck being in charge; his lieutenant, Wardell, thinks he should have gotten the job instead. As Wardell is very old school, including being more than a little racist, that was never going to happen, but he doesn't see that. He makes it a point to make Beck’s job difficult when he can, like when he hires a new officer for the team without Beck’s input. ‘New Guy Pete”, as that hire is now known, has worked out thus far, though, so Beck let’s it slide. Others trained under Beck;s dad, and are both competent and happy to work under Beck’s leadership. It is not an area known for major crime, so when the body of Ralph Atterbury, retired FBI agent, is found in his home horribly mutilated and likely tortured before his death, it gets Beck’s attention…and it also summons the arrival of FBI agent Sana Locke, who claims she wants to help. For a quiet area, Lincoln County suddenly starts to show quite a bit of criminal activity. A young woman, married and living in a nearby polygamous community, goes missing….most think she ran away from a restricted life, but her husband swears she has been abducted. Several graves are disturbed. And then another elderly man in the area is found dead. How much of all of this, if any is connected? And does any of it have roots in the area’s past, when they were one many communities impacted by nearby nuclear testing?
Inserted into the narrative are chapters set back in the mid-to-late 1950’s, where we are introduced to Freddie Mercer, a young man newly arrived to Las Vegas and trying to make a career for himself. While working at one of the casinos, he meets Kitty Ellison and they start keeping company. They have much in common, it seems, including a love for physics. Kitty introduces Freddie to her dad, a physicist who works at the nearby nuclear testing site. Dr. Ellison gets Freddie a job doing security at the site, and Freddie’s hard work and intelligence make his a valued employee. But Freddie may be more than what he seems, and in a highly secure place that could be a really big problem.
Lincoln County has suffered for years from the residual effects of exposure to radiation, with cancer and miscarriages affecting so many of its inhabitants. But it seems that what happened there during the Cold War is going to bring more deaths, and expose some long hidden secrets that may be better left buried. This is a criminal mystery, but there are also elements of espionage, conspiracy theory, and the reality that governments often consider its citizens to be expendable in the interest of pursuing a greater good.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and found it hard to put down once I began. Porter Beck is an interesting character, flawed but with a strong code of ethics. His father and sister add some interesting wrinkles to his life, as do some of the odd characters in town. This is billed as the first in a series, and I look forward to reading Beck’s further exploits. Fans of C J Box’s Joe Pickett series and Craig Johnson’s Walt Longmire series would find this story of interest, although it is set in Nevada vs Wyoming, as might readers of Hillerman and even Steve Hamilton and Stephen Hunter. Many thanks to Goodreads and St Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for allowing me access to an advanced reader’s copy of The Bitter Past….it was a wonderful read that I highly recommend.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: July 18, 2023
Fans of C.J. Box will devour Bruce Borgos’ newest novel. A gripping police procedural set in the Nevada desert, “The Bitter Past” is the first in the Porter Beck series of novels, and it will leave readers gasping!
After leaving the Army, Porter Beck returned home to the Nevada desert, and is now working as the sheriff, the position his father held before dementia claimed his mind. A retired FBI officer is found in his home, tortured and murdered, and signs point to a decades-old incident from the county’s nuclear involvement. Beck and his team are soon joined by the FBI, led by agent Sana Locke, but the crime scene is still doused in mystery and time is running out.
“Past” is an engaging read, narrated in two time periods. First, obviously, is in the present day where Beck and his team are leading the investigation. Then, a Russian operative has infiltrated the American nuclear war program in Nevada, hiding in plain sight as a security officer. The past and present intersect in an unexpected and deliciously twisted way, as Borgos flowing, creative plot suspensefully builds to a powerhouse ending.
I liked the characters, although Beck was portrayed as a little too “country bumpkin” for me, especially for someone who worked as a secret operative in the U.S. Army. Something didn’t sit right with me when it came to Sana (which made sense to me later as the plot developed), but I was not a fan of hers from the jump. She was unprofessional, leaping into bed with Beck during an investigation, and who was intimidated by any other remotely attractive female that was within her vicinity (such as Beck’s sister). Beck’s struggle with his father’s dementia was emotional and heartbreaking and it gave Beck a softer, human side which I appreciated.
The police investigation kept me turning the pages, with its non-stop action and government conspiracy coverups. There was even a side plot where a young woman is kidnapped from a Mormon commune, and Borgos still managed to make everything come together smoothly.
I love C.J. Box and Borgos’ Porter Beck novels are right up there as far as tension and plot fluidity. I look forward to reading more of Beck and his team!

This book was recommended to me as a book that would appeal to CJ Box and Craig Johnson fans. I haven’t read those authors yet so I can’t confirm; however, after reading this book I want to read them both now!

The alternating timelines in this story are done very well, the breaks work to keep the pacing fast and the reader’s interest piqued. The characters were rich and interesting, even side characters had a bit of depth to them. The plotting was brilliant and the twists were fun.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it!

With vivid characters in a unique setting, this story roared along. . I loved the sheriff’s humor.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Definitely enjoyed this and the mix of fact and fiction. There were a couple of things that rubbed me wrong but those are my issues and not really anything that took away from the story.

Nukes and Russians and murder, oh my! Bruce Borgos has constructed an engrossing mystery set in the desert of Nevada. The Bitter Past features Sheriff Porter Beck, a former Army Intelligence Officer, who was born in Nevada and returned there after his time in the service was done. He now holds the position his dad once held. Pop, now quite elderly, has dementia but still has his lucid moments and has a good relationship with Beck. He’s also close with his adopted daughter, Brin. Despite the area’s history with nuclear testing and “Downwinders,” who experienced illness and death due to nuclear fallout, the events in this story are more horrific than Beck or any of his deputies have ever experienced.

It begins with the body of an elderly, retired FBI agent who is found in his remote residence. The ways in which the man has been tortured and the fact that his home has been trashed indicate to Beck that the killer didn’t find what he was looking for. This is a ruthless killer, one who will not stop until he gets what he came for.

Enter FBI Agent Sana Locke. She’s attractive, smart, and secretive. Did I mention attractive? She’s only willing to share so much information with Beck about the dead FBI guy, but Beck’s been around the block a few times and can put two and two together. However, the killer manages to stay one step ahead. This book reads like a chess match on steroids.

Despite the graphic carnage, both Beck and Locke are funny at times, and I found myself laughing out loud at their exchanges. This is all in the present. We get the back story about what and why the Russians are after someone after all this time. Back in the mid- to late 1950 there was a Russian spy who infiltrated the nuclear test site. He was thought to have died, but if he’d lived, he’d be at least in his late 80s.

I enjoyed the pace of this book and the characters. There are twists that I did not see coming. I especially liked the author’s sense of right and wrong, of family, and of caring for others that he instills in several of his characters.

I received a digital copy of The Bitter Past in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and the author.

The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos is a spy/crime thriller taking place in the desert of Nevada where Sheriff Porter Beck is in charge. The story opens up with the investigation of a brutal crime scene of a murdered FBI agent. In a barren land with few neighbors far and wide this isn't a simple home invasion. Something far more serious and complicated is going on. Soon they will learn the case has ties to events from the 1950's and Beck's career in army intelligence in Russia comes into play.

Reading the first scene you might think this is going to be a heavy, dark read. But even when those first details are described the writing makes it easy to get through. It's also the only scene like that.

Sheriff Beck is a likeable character who likes to use humor, probably a smart move considering his jobs. The story moves along quickly after the opening. Beck is very smart and it's fun watching him investigate. We also get chapters from a spy's perspective in the past. I really enjoyed those chapters as well as they bring a different kind of intensity to the story. We also learn about Beck's past. The whole spy angle is very interesting and there are a few reveals to be had.

You could just enjoy this as a fast, action filled read but there's more. The story brings attention to the effects of atomic testing. Not to be forgotten among the spies and government agents are the civilians and animals who lived unaware of what was going on around them until it was too late. The Bitter Past has heart and is a solid read. I look forward to the next one as it looks like this is the first in a series.

When a retired FBI agent is found murdered, Sherriff Porter Beck finds himself in the middle of a mystery that started at the beginning of the Cold War. In walks FBI Agent Sana Locke to assist with the investigation. They must reach into the past to solve the present, but as the past and present collide will Sherriff Beck be able to keep his county safe?
I would describe this story as Longmire Meets Jack Ryan, a small town cop spy thriller. I generally don't enjoy books that have a lot of flashbacks, but this was so well written the flashbacks didn't give me whiplash. This was first person writing done right. I was invested right from the grisly start, The characters were well rounded, full of endearing flaws. The twists and turns will keep you on the edge of your seat, and I love when I'm surprised by a twist i didn't see coming and this book has a few of those. Overall I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who likes crime/spy thrillers. I definitely would be interested in reading more of this series. Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to review this book.

This was a really good dual timeline mystery. The story revolves around former FBI agent, now sheriff, Porter Beck. Porter is investigating a brutal torture and murder in his small desert town in Nevada. The murdered person was an elderly, retired man, coincidentally also a former FBI agent.

Soon beautiful and intelligent FBI agent, Sana Locke, shows up to take over the investigation. She seems unwilling to answer all his questions, but Beck accepts her help. What ensues turns out to be a totally riveting cat and mouse game with ties to 1950’s Cold War atomic testing, complete with Russian spies.

Beck is oftentimes inappropriately funny, and I loved his character. His wit and past clandestine experience overcome the downside of his department’s small-town staff. I sincerely hope we get to read more about Sheriff Beck or whatever mystery/thriller Bruce Borgos wants to write for us.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books for this complimentary ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Porter Beck spent years in the military in intelligence. Conveniently for this story, he speaks fluent Russian and knows quite about how Russian intelligence does things. He’s returned home to the desert of Nevada after his father developed dementia. Beck becomes the sheriff, taking the role his father once had. But his small department isn’t equipped to deal with a retired FBI agent’s body that was horrifically tortured before he mercifully died. Then swoops in beautiful Special Agent Sana Locke to help out.

I found this to be fun to read and fast paced. There are a fair number of coincidences. The novel takes place in the present and in the 1950s when the United States was doing nuclear testing in the dessert, and Russian spies were doing their best to infiltrate, gather information, and thwart American efforts. The attractions between Sana Locke and Porter Beck wasn’t seamlessly executed, but the police work aspect was well done and enjoyable.

NetGalley provided an advance copy of this novel, which RELEASES JULY 18, 2023.

Why haven't I heard of this author before?!!

The opening scene in this book is enough to make you lose your lunch and is not for anyone with a weak stomach. However, after that, this is one of the most enjoyable crime thriller and espionage suspense stories that I've read in a long time. I usually read historical or literary fiction most of the time, but I am so very glad that this book came to my attention. For me, this book was a true gem! There was the right balance of everything. It has a good storyline, likeable characters, easy flow, mystery, wit, thrills, twists and surprises. If this is truly the start of a new series, I will be first in line to read the next one.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Sara Beth Haring at St Martin's Press for gifting me a digital ARC of this exciting book to read in exchange for an honest review. I am happy to recommend this to my family and all my friends. #TheBitterPast.

The Bitter Past was a really interesting crime drama thriller that fluctuated between past and present timelines throughout the story. While some parts dragged on a bit, the overall concept of the story, the historical timeline and the unique characters kept me reading until the end.

Everything that happens feels like reality, and very believable! Almost like I was watching a movie unfold. A captivating page turner, that reads like I'm watching history!
Set in the Nevada dessert, and using a dual time line we learn what happens prior and after. How lives are changed, and how some never let go. This is espionage at the highest levels, and whom is complicit, and some you really won't see coming.
This is the first book in this series, and it was so good I can't wait for the next!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Minotaur Books, and was not required to give a positive review.

Borgos' debut novel introduces a new mystery series featuring Porter Beck, an Army vet and now a sheriff in a sparsely populated Nevada county. A retired FBI agent has been killed after being tortured horribly and it all might be connected to Russian spies. Supporting characters including Beck's father contribute significantly to the story development and hopes for more in the series soon. Sure to satisfy Craig Johnson fans.

The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos

Strap yourself in and buckle up for this exciting story of killing, Russian spies, betrayal, nuclear warheads, love, lies and deceit. Come to find out, some people are not who you think.

It’s the 1950s and Freddie Meyer wants to work his way up in security at the Nevada Test Site for nuclear warheads, and present day Sheriff Porter Beck has a murder to solve. FBI agent Sana Locke comes in to help Beck as things get complicated. The story switches between these events, which, strangely enough, are related.

The writing flows nicely and the story moves along effortlessly. Interesting characters keep you turning the pages. This suspenseful, engaging story with a heart pounding finale is a five star win for this reviewer. My sincere thanks to #StMartinsPress and #NetGalley for the ARC for my review.

"In the tradition of Craig Johnson and C. J. Box, Bruce Borgos's The Bitter Past begins a compelling series set in the high desert of Nevada featuring Sheriff Porter Beck...

Porter Beck is the sheriff in the high desert of Nevada, north of Las Vegas. Born and raised there, he left to join the Army, where he worked in Intelligence, deep in the shadows in far off places. Now he's back home, doing the same lawman's job his father once did, before his father started to develop dementia. All is relatively quiet in this corner of the world, until an old, retired FBI agent is found killed. He was brutally tortured before he was killed and clues at the scene point to a mystery dating back to the early days of the nuclear age. If that wasn't strange enough, a current FBI agent shows up to help Beck's investigation.

In a case that unfolds in the past (the 1950s) and the present, it seems that a Russian spy infiltrated the nuclear testing site and now someone is looking for that long-ago, all-but forgotten person, who holds the key to what happened then and to the deadly goings on now."

There's something about nuclear testing sites that just exudes mystery and danger.

On the high deserts of Nevada the US performed open air testing of nuclear bombs. It was closely guarded activity, and a ripe target for espionage from our enemies, particularly the Soviet Union. The Bitter Past is set in current day as a rural Sherriff and his team search to solve a murder. Soon joined by a federal agent it becomes a man hunt for a former Soviet spy that had infiltrated the testing site, pulled off the biggest heist ever in the world at the time, and ultimately betrayed his country. For years he was presumed dead, but recent information informed the Russians that one of their greatest traitors was alive, and they are out for blood.

I really enjoyed this book. It was fast paced with some flashbacks to the past to fill in gaps and develop the entire back story. The characters were well developed, and I actually cared for them. I also loved the setting, in the remote deserts of Nevada. The setting is almost another character in the story with the history it holds, as well as the barren and hostile landscape.

As an added bonus, the cinematic film Oppenheimer will soon be released. I suspect it will dovetail nicely with this book.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me an advance reader copy in exchange for my thoughts and opinions.

"My whole life is not what I thought it was", muses the main character towards the end of this excellent new novel of suspense and mystery from Bruce Borgos. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this upcoming release.
Porter Beck, Beck to one and all, definitely has a lot to unpack as we travel through a mysterious case, one which has its roots in the Cold War and Nuclear Testing of the 1950s, but has taken root in present the present day, when a former FBI agent is found murdered - and in a most gruesome way.
The FBI sends one of its own to oversee the investigation, and it quickly becomes apparent that secrets from the past are coming home to roost.
Not only was the agent killed investigating the possibility of a Soviet spy somehow involved in a past terrorist event, but also the near certainty that there are operatives in the present trying - with devastating results - to find him and bring him back to Russia.
We are taken back to America's past and the Nuclear Proving Grounds in Nevada and fast-forwarded to the future where it rapidly becomes clear that the present danger is closer than Sheriff Beck knows.
All of the characters in this gripping story are well-drawn, and the author shows an in depth knowledge (thanks to much research, I'm sure) of what went on in the 1950s and how it has ramification even today - although this IS a work of fiction, it is also believable on many levels.
Death by torture, kidnappings, chases through the desert... all of these lead us to a startling conclusion, and one that even Beck could not imagine.
Recommended

Talk about a dramatic start to a book, a book I hope turns into a series: one of the most gruesome murder scenes I have ever read. The setting, the high desert of Nevada, is described so beautifully with its twists and turns of canyons, the loneliness of the area and a huge area for a sheriff and his small staff to cover. The timeframe of the story has two datelines—present day and the 1950s which is quite timely with a movie about Oppenheimer and the atomic bomb opening in July. A knowledgeable sheriff and a FBI agent make this a thrilling mystery spy thriller along with the historical fiction that adds up to be one of the best reads of the year. Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an advanced review copy of this book; the review is my honest opinion.

Wow. What an excellent, entertaining, exciting, enjoyable read. I hope this series continues, or if not, that this author writes another book very soon. It’s complicated and complex, with multiple potential villains and dual timelines to keep straight. But the writing is strong, the plot well-crafted, perfectly paced and logical. It’s full of interesting and relevant comments and facts about movies, people, events, books, and political, both in mid-century history and the present time. The high desert of Nevada is as much a living, breathing – and deadly – character as any of the people in the book.

And Sheriff Porter Beck? Definitely a character I want to spend more time with. He skirts right up to the edge of too much humor and flippancy, but witty as his words might be, his detective skills, memory and ability to run an investigation and solve a problem are dead serious. A very interesting guy. So much happens to him in the story I’m curious as to what role he carves out for himself next, and especially curious as to how the progression of his retinitis pigmentosa will affect his ability to do his job and how much longer he can keep it hidden.

The opening paragraphs of The Bitter Past are harsh and graphic, and the heightened sense of danger never recedes. Old men are being killed in an attempt to find a KGB spy sent to America in the mid-1950s, the early atomic age. And it turns out there are more old men in that desert that almost fit the profile than you would think. Add in an FBI agent who suddenly shows up insisting she’s there to help (and seems to stir something in Beck), near-mutiny in his own department and non-stop action and you have a book you will not be able to put down. It was thought-provoking, educational, fascinating and totally satisfying.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press Minotaur Books for providing an advance copy of The Bitter Past via NetGalley for my reading pleasure and honest opinion. It was most definitely a pleasure and I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

This book had me hooked from the start. It blends mystery, humor, suspense, action, a touch of romance, and unique characters that blend the past with the present to portray a complex scenario.

The story is primarily told in the present, but there are jumps to the late 50s that share what it was like when they were testing nuclear bombs, what they thought would happen with the radioactive material, and what actually happened. I really enjoyed the changes in time because it helped us to understand the present by understanding the past.

Sherriff Beck has his own issues to deal with, including degeneration in his eyes, especially at night, that hinders his abilities. FBI Special Agent Sana Locke is sent to Nevada to investigate the death of a former agent. The tension between these two could set off sparks. One underrated character is Beck's sister, Brinley. She is one hot mess but has skills that most of us might wish we possessed.

I enjoyed the interaction between all of the characters. I especially loved Sana's dry and sarcastic wit. I had a good chuckle throughout the book.

I don't know if this is going to be a series, but I think the author should consider it. It does say #1 on Goodreads, so I'm going to go with it probably will be a series.

If you enjoy mysteries, you might want to give this one a whirl. We give it 5 paws up.

Book Review: The Bitter Past (Porter Beck #1) by Bruce Borgos
Published by St. Martin's Press & Minotaur Books, July 18, 2023

★★★★★ (4.5 Stars rounded up)

Author Bruce Borgos peppers his commendable prose with wry humor, hilarious one liners reminiscent of a John Sandford "Virgil 'That F-king' Flowers" novel, a chuckle in each page.

This is a novel I enjoyed reading!

------

Lincoln County, NV
150 miles due north of Las Vegas

Sheriff Porter Beck's 12-man department in this sleepy desert county in southern Nevada is rocked by the brutal killing of a retired FBI agent, 74-year-old Ralph Atterbury. Beck, son of the former sheriff, Joe Beck, now semi-invalid, is joined in the investigation by American-Jordanian FBI Special Agent Sana Locke, and Beck's maverick, sharp-shooting adoptive-sister, Brinley Cummings.

Agent Atterbury's death catapults the remote county into its "bitter past" as the home of "Nevada Test Site Downwinders", with county residents invariably exposed to radiation from atmospheric nuclear tests from 1951 to 1957 conducted at the Nevada Test Site, 170 miles west. Residents at that time were given radiation badges by the Atomic Energy Commission to compile data on the dangers of splitting the atom in the open air.

Author Bruce Borgos weaves into his police procedural /historical fiction thriller a delicious spy and romance angle, a decades-long enduring love affair between KGB Lt. Georgiy Dudko aka "Freddie", and Kitty, daughter of an American scientist, as Russian illegals, circa 1950, take up residence under deep cover to try to infiltrate America's most secret scientific facilities in atomic research near the proving grounds in the Nevada desert.

Even as Sheriff Porter Beck finds out that the answer to many questions and mysteries hits much closer to home than he ever could have imagined...

-----

// She looks up at me. "Do you have a theory?" My eyes are the perfect shade of noncommittal, and Locke doesn't wait for me to respond, as if she has just asked a silver-backed gorilla what he thinks about the price of egg.
- - - From "The Bitter Past" by Bruce Borgos //

Remarkably complex and well-constructed. A must-read, great start to a series!

Review based on an advance reading copy courtesy of St. Martin's Press & Minotaur Books, and NetGalley.

The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos is the first book in the fantastic (Porter Beck) series. This was my first time reading a book by the author and I thoroughly enjoyed this intense, high stakes tale. The engrossing storyline is part police procedural, espionage thriller/mystery, historical fiction all in one and filled with evocative characters. With gripping chapters that alternate between the present day and the past, which really kept me engaged and up reading well into the night. A huge thank you to Minotaur Books, the author and NetGalley for the advanced electronic copy of the book.

The premise of the book starts when Porter Beck comes back to his hometown in the high desert of Nevada after serving in Army Intelligence. Now he is the new sheriff, a position his elderly father once held years ago, but who is currently in the early stages of dementia. The untroubled police department is shaken when a retired FBI agent is found tortured and murdered. When FBI agent Sana Locke arrives to investigate the story takes off at breakneck speed which involves nuclear testing in the 1950’s, as well as a Russian spy that infiltrated the testing site. But someone is out there looking for that long ago unremembered person who can shed some light into what happened back then and the fatal danger taking place right now. If you love mysteries then I highly recommend The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos.

We usually see Cold War spy or espionage novels with an international setting. What a treat to have one set on American soil with a county sheriff as our investigative hero. And Porter Beck is a good hero. He is down to earth yet smart at outwitting the villain. I really like his sister too. She is one tough and capable woman.

The plot is very interesting, combining nuclear testing in the 1950s with a score to settle today. Borgos has done a good job of weaving past events into a current situation of suspense. I liked learning about the nuclear testing and the effects on the local population. The fictional possibility of Soviet infiltration was all too scary. There are plenty of surprising plot twists near the end as we find out people are not who they claim to be.

I enjoyed this dual time novel of espionage and suspenseful intrigue. I like Beck as a hero and will be watching for him in future novels from Borgos. Please bring along sister Brinley, super heroine.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Book 1 of the Porter Beck series. A combination of historical fiction and thriller. There is a dual timeline of the present time and 1957. If you enjoy being in the middle of the action, this series will be for you!
Thank you NetGalley!

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur books for sending The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This was one of the most gripping, well-written thrillers I have read in a while. I love a good mystery, and this came with a side of spies, espionage, the KGB, and nuclear war. In this dual-timeline, pulse-pounding read, Sheriff Porter Beck must figure out who the Russian is hiding in his small town before he's found and exterminated. Told from Beck's point of view in the present, and Freddie Meyer's point of view in the 1950s, we watch as the past and present collide in a face-off years in the making.

Although I was never one for history class, this taught me things that I didn't know about the fight for nuclear bomb domination that went on in the 50's between the US and Russia. This gave insight into how determined both sides were to come out on top, no matter the cost.

The story pulled me in from the beginning, and with the well-developed cast of characters, I had problems putting the book down. The novel read like a fast-paced movie in the vein of Jason Bourne.

All in all, a great series starter for Sheriff Porter Beck. If you like a fast thriller, great characters, a strong mystery, and a little espionage, then this book is for you.

I am always so pleased to discover a new "mystery" writer; I read a lot of mysteries and a new-to-me author is relatively rare. "The Bitter Past" is the new novel of Bruce Burgos, and it is a corker. It reminded me not only of Craig Johnson's Longmire series (and Johnson has written an encomium for "The Bitter Past"), but also of Ace Atkins' Quinn Colson series set in Mississippi. You can't do better than these excellent authors, as far as I am concerned.

You can read the blurb to get the synopsis of the plot. Readers of my reviews know by now that I detest spoilers and don't include them.

"The Bitter Past" was a very pleasurable read. The interplay between the past and present made this book hard to put down. The writing flowed and I never felt that this was a first-in-a-series novel. I am already looking towards the next installment with great anticipation.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This is a compelling thriller set in two timelines. In the present day, Sheriff Porter Beck is investigating the grisly murder of a retired FBI Agent. He is almost immediately joined in his investigation by another FBI Agent, because there is more to this murder than it seems. In 1956, a Russian agent infiltrates a nuclear testing site, trying to help his country win the cold war. At the same time, the deadly consequences of radiation poisoning are starting to come to light.

This book started out with a bang in the aftermath of a brutal murder, and the action didn't stop. The plot is not only intriguing, but it also takes us back to the nuclear testing in the Nevada Desert as we follow a Russian agent who is posing as a likable young American man. In the present timeline, the murder investigation is action-packed and will keep the reader riveted.

I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance audiobook and reader copy of The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book. I loved the duel timeline and how it came together. This book felt like a cross between the show The Americans and The Big Sky. I loved the intrigue and small town feel.

3.5 stars rounded up. I have mixed emotions about this book. It was a very interesting story and I liked the dual timelines. The historical events were well plotted and it kept my attention. However, I didn't care for the feeble attempt at romance between Beck and the FBI agent. And one of my pet peeves, sooooo many characters to keep up with, it was hard at times to separate the good ones from the bad ones. But I did enjoy the book and since it is the start of a series, I will probably read the next one. My thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

So well written drew me right in.Enjoyed the two time lines the characters .Definitely will be recommending and following the author.#netgalley #the bitterpast.

Bruce Borgos, series debut, The Bitter Past, is a strong, plotted, intelligent, complicated story that explores little-known history. I instantly enjoyed Sheriff Beck's witty narrative, even though he comes across as sexist when he has fun sizing up Agent Santa Locke, who is called in to help him with the mystery around a gruesome discovery, "Zero body fat, a BMI built for a BMW. Right off a New York runway if she was so inclined." ~Beck. Normally that would be a turn-off for me. Still, Bruce Borgos won me over with his cast of fascinating, amusing, damaged characters and their witty, humorous dialogue that offsets the tension.

There is plenty of action with a race against time element. The barren, haunted Nevada desert is an unforgiving backdrop that drives the tension forward. However, the characters will have me reading the second book in the series.

The summary of this book sounded so interesting and it was all that and more! Sheriff Porter Beck, the new sheriff in Lincoln County, is former military and worked in Army Intelligence. He is smart, clever and at times a bit sarcastic. A retired FBI agent has been viciously murdered. He was researching the involvement, decades ago, of a Russian spy at the nuclear testing site. It is believed the spy gained employment to do the bidding of the Russian government, a situation that could have caused the deaths of thousands in Las Vegas. The story moves back and forth from the present to the past when the spy, using the name Freddie Meyer, became infatuated with the daughter of a physicist who worked at the facility. Realizing what he was to do, he betrayed Russia. Now, a Russian spy is trying to locate the traitor and return him to Russia. Suspense, intrigue and a twist at the end as Beck and his team try to find and outsmart the killer. I think this might be a series and I sure hope so! I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

The Bitter Past by Bruce Burgos was a police/FBI thriller about a Russian spy that had embedded himself in the nuclear testing facility in Nevada in the mid-fifties. The problem was, the Russians had lost him and for some reason now, more than 50 years later they wanted him back. They were killing people and Sheriff Porter Beck didn’t like it. It liked it even less when they sent an FBI agent to help him in his investigation. A beautiful FBI agent named Sana Locke, who was there because a retired agent had been the first victim. And it had been gruesome. Tortured first, grotesquely. At the same time, a young woman from the local FLDS compound was reported missing. Theirs was a small force, hardly adequate for one investigation, certainly not two. But Beck knew what he was doing: former military intelligence and years spent in Russia. He was the man for the job.

Beck was a good man, and smart. His biggest issue was that he was night blind. It was getting worse and that was why he’d left the army. He thought he’d hidden it pretty well, but it was getting tougher. Sana was beautiful and smart. There was an attraction, but it was complicated. The plot was interesting and multi-faceted. It calls into question the government’s role in the testing and coverups which took place in regard to nuclear bombs. It also brought to the forefront the possibility that Russian spies are still being embedded in the US. Frightening. The plot was good but I saw it coming . . . the two big reveals. They were still exciting when they happened. It was a good book.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The Bitter Past by St. Martin’s Press, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #Netgalley #StMartinsPress #BruceBurgos #TheBitterPast

This story opens with the gruesome murder of an ex-FBI agent. So it's not surprising when an FBI agent shows. However, from the start it is obvious that something is off. But what? In addition to this storyline, we are also taken back to the mid-1950s nuclear testing and a Russian spy. The transition between the present and the past was handled well and added to the depth of the story. There is an interesting mix of characters, although personally I did not care for Beck's juvenile behavior when he first met Special Agent Locke. Thankfully that was a very small part of the overall story. We get a clear description of the settings in the story and there are many twists and turns in both the past and the present.

I love beach reads and this one is a fast, fun read. This book had me turning the pages so fast to see what would happen. You will definitely enjoy this thriller. Many thanks to the author, St. Martins Press and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This is about detective Porter Beck when he is called to a man’s home who has been burned and clearly tortured he is at first baffled but when he finds remnants from the nuclear war he is downright confused. Eventually he will get help from FBI agent Shana lock someone he finds himself extremely attracted to and she seems to feel the same the case he will investigate will dredge up things from his past and although he is a new sheriff and has taken over for his dad who has dementia is dead may just help him solve the case or at least be a part of it. I love intelligent books about those who fight crime and solve mysteries but I do not like things to do with the CIA an international humbug but I must admit this book held my attention until the end it took me one day to read it and I would definitely be interested in reading the next book as this is the first in the series. I do want to say everyone in this book had the strangest names I am just stating that as a fact here is a negative I thought it a bit ridiculous that Tubi his crime scene photographer is supposed to take pictures of dead bodies yet bad smells make her nauseated and sometimes even worse. That is a bad affliction for someone with her career to have but that is just a small part of what is a great read. I want to think Net Galle minotaur books in Saint Martin’s press please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review. y

The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos is part spy thriller, part police drama, part historical fiction…all of my favorite genres all rolled into one! The story takes place in remote Lincoln County, Nevada, where there are few people and lots of land. It is the place where the government did nuclear testing in the 50s. The story jumps back and forth between the present day hunt for a former Soviet spy and the spy’s story from the 1950s.

I really liked the main character, Sheriff Porter Beck. The author does a great job of weaving together all the pieces of this mystery and teaches you something about the nuclear age. I would definitely read another book if this series continues!

The Bitter Past is a nice debut from Bruce Borgos.

"Sheriff Beck gets a call to a murder scene where it looks like the victim, a retired FBI agent, was tortured. The killer was obviously after some information but what was it? Did the killer get what he came for? Does it have anything to do with the county being close to the old Nuclear testing areas of the 50's? Beck must get answers if he wants to find and stop the killer."

This is crime fiction - but with the flavor of Cold War espionage. The setting is part of wide-open Nevada - a big county with few people and fewer law enforcement personnel. There are multiple layers to several characters. Sheriff Beck is full of surprises - from his military background and medical condition. The killer - hiding in plain sight. And probably my favorite character is Brin - Beck's sister. I hope we get a future book with her as the main character.
This book has dual timelines. The present and past events from the 50s that have everyone looking for answers.
The reveal was a surprise and the ending makes me want to visit Nevada. There's also some interesting tidbits about the fallout from previous nuclear testing.
Borgos has great pace in this book. It's Cold War fiction with a modern twist. Can't wait to see more.

I read this in a day and want more! This is a great story of a former military intelligence office who has settled down in Nevada as Sheriff of Lincoln County. A surprising murder that draws the interest of the FBI pulls him back into the days of the Cold War and, why not, Area 51.
The story telling is magnificent and truly captured the feeling of the Cold War, both in the flashbacks and in how it hangs over us today. I can't wait for more in this series, highly recommend! Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Former Army Intelligence turned Nevada Sheriff Porter Beck is a sheriff in a large, sparsely populated county in Northern Nevada. All things are fairly routine for him and his department until a former FBI agent is found to have been brutally tortured and murdered. The case has links back to the Cold War when they tested nuclear weapons in the desert of Nevada in the 1950s. When an FBI agent shows up to assist, Porter wonders if there's more to this case than meets the eye.

This is the first in a series featuring Porter Beck. I enjoyed the character building and the plot. The story is told in two timelines; the present investigation and in the 1950s at the Nevada testing site. I enjoyed both timelines but found myself more interested in the past timeline as it took Beck's character a little bit to grow on me. I enjoyed the other characters in the book and the pacing made this book hard to put down. I look forward to reading the next book in the series. If you like a snarky, punny sheriff then this one is worth a read!

My thanks to Saint Martin's Press, Minotaur, authorBruce Borgos, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

An intriguing story. I enjoyed the characters in this book. The mystery in the story is mixed in with a story from the past. The story in the past brings up a time in US history that often is ignored. The transitions between the past and current time worked really well. Both stories were interesting and kept me reading to find out how it would end. I enjoyed the book a lot. I received advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

There are secrets deep in the Nevada desert from long ago. Why is there a dead retired FBI agent who it seems was killed by a Russian spy and what has it got to do with the present day...What or who is the spy looking for after all these years? Sheriff Beck is determined to find out with or without the help of the FBI agent who comes to town supposedly to help him.

If you’re a fan of spy thrillers or police procedurals, you should check out The Bitter Past, a debut novel which I had trouble putting down once I’d started it. The story is set in the high desert of Nevada, in an area that was used for above-ground nuclear testing in the 1950s. Porter Beck is the sheriff in Lincoln County, which is a sparsely populated area in eastern Nevada, north of Las Vegas and near the Utah border. The action is mostly set in contemporary times, with flashbacks to the mid-1950s, which revolved around Russian operatives embedded in the US’s nuclear testing facilities back then. The fallout (literal and figurative) from those times has had a big impact on the present day. A retired FBI agent is found gruesomely murdered and a current FBI agent, Sana Locke comes to town to work with the locals on this case. Then a young Mormon woman goes missing. Suddenly, Beck and his small department have multiple investigations going on at the same time, which strain their capacity.

I enjoyed the main character, who has a background in Army intelligence and who was stationed in Russia for several years. He has started to develop night blindness from a condition that is hereditary, and that brought an end to his military career. He has been hiding this problem for quite a while, but it’s getting worse and is starting to impact his police work. His father was the previous sheriff and is suffering from the beginnings of dementia. Since this is the start of a series, it will be interesting to see how Beck’s night blindness proceeds. Beck has a penchant for puns and corny jokes, and that helped to lighten the atmosphere at times. I wasn’t crazy about the idea of him getting personally involved with Agent Locke so quickly, but that’s a minor quibble. There were a couple of really big twists near the end of the book, which I didn’t see coming.

The Nevada desert landscape was so beautifully described. You also get a good feel for how far apart everything is in that region, and how easy it can be to be isolated or go “off the grid.”

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient. The audiobook narrator, James Babson, did a wonderful job.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book and to Recorded Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

For a debut novel, it was very propulsive. The dual timelines kept me interested, and I found myself more intrigued by the 1957 period than present. My only hesitation with the story was between Beck and Sana. They way Beck spoke to her and her role seemed cliche. I would recommend this novel, with the caveat that he doesn’t really write women well.

A retired FBI agent is tortured and killed in Nevada and it falls to Sheriff Porter Beck to investigate. Beck is a former member of the military who worked with Intelligence until a medical condition forced his retirement. The agent had been investigating the infiltration of Russians in the early days of the nuclear testing programs and his death points to Russian involvement. fBI agent Sana Locke arrives to assist Beck but withholds information vital to the case. When the tortured body of a second retiree is found, Beck’s investigation takes him back to the 1950s and a former security guard named Freddie Weaver. Weaver’s burned body was found with the bodies of four Russian agents in 1957, a time when a crucial test was planned. He was actually Georgiy Dudko, dating the daughter of one of the scientists and passing nuclear secrets to his handler. If he had actually survived, he would be the same age as the two victims. Beck and Locke must try to find him, but someone seems to be two steps ahead of them. In an effort to narrow the search, Beck calls on his father, the retired sheriff who is more familiar with the residents of the area.

Bruce Borgos’ story follows a dual timeline as Beck investigates in the present and the story of Weaver/Dudko is revealed in the past. He takes you back to a time when the results of nuclear fallout were still largely unknown. As they became evident they were weighed against the growing arms race with Russia. The Bitter Past is a fast moving mystery as well as a fascinating look at the past and Borgos has provided a true page turner. I would like to thank. EtGalley for providing this book for my review.

The Bitter Past is a captivating mystery infused with espionage, intriguing storytelling and skillfully crafted characters.

4.5 I am so surprised at how much I enjoyed this story! This is not my typical pick, but I am so happy I picked this up. Our lovable main character Sheriff Beck is thrown into a world of Russian spies and a high-stakes case in his rural Nevada county.

The pace is fast moving and the tone manages to stay light throughout, making this a fun and quick read. But although it is quick, I don’t feel like it’s forgettable. The inclusion of the historical timeline was a pleasant surprise and I thought these sections were done well.

I honestly can’t wait for the next installment of this series to follow these characters again!

I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

5 stars

This book is a little out of my typical reading selections, which makes me even more surprised that I enjoyed it this much. Rather than speeding through it (a common m.o. I admit to somewhat begrudgingly), I tried to really slow down with this one. Then, when I was almost finished with an e-version, I received the gift of audio. What do you know? I just had to read it twice in a row!

Porter Beck, the m.c. on which an apparent series will now be based, is the kind of guy you might want to punch in the face (I did) at first because of the creepy way he talks about women, but he gets into a consenting relationship with a woman who seems to dig it (and it's not the worst - just cringy - the bar is low these days), so it's passable. Fortunately, everything else about this character is pretty great, including his voice and perspective, which kept me engaged in two separate versions. For me, the even more intriguing character is in the (now fairly distant) past, a (then) young Russian spy (one day those of us with similar origins will find some other representation, but okay...paging Elizabeth Jennings). The jumps between the present day and this character's experiences are so well devised. There's never a feeling of abruptness or disconnection. Instead, the timelines build suspense, provide critical insights for readers, and keep the plot speeding toward an ending that I found absolutely worthy of the characters and of my time!

I could do without Beck's brand of "romancing," but even with some related eyerolls over here, he's a great character whom I'm thrilled is getting his own series, mostly because I want to see many more appearances from his family members - chosen and otherwise. This book concludes nicely (no frustrating cliffhangers or major unanswered questions), but there are definite and obvious opportunities for continued expansion. I'm already ready for the next one and will be aggressively trying to lay eyes (or ears) on it as soon as possible.

***ARC received from Minotaur Books and NetGalley in exchange for honest review, opinions are all my own. Thank you!***

The Bitter Past is a mix of murder mystery in present day and espionage set during the cold war with a missing Russian spy that holds the truth of what nearly went horribly wrong. I found that this book started with a bang, immediately drawing my interest in both the present and past. It got a little muddled during the middle but ended strong setting up a new series.

Porter Beck is a sheriff out in the desert dealing with a gruesome murder not often seen out in the desert that draws the attention of the feds. I liked Beck, he was a solid lead for a new series, smart, gruff but not bitter and with limitations that will make things interesting in the future. Unfortunately the secondary characters tend to fall more into stereotypes that fully fleshed out characters but its still just the first book, there is time to let them build into more than just stereotypes. I did really like Brinley, she seems like someone always wanting to escape small town but fiercely loyal to her family and the way she and Beck treat their father is very sweet. I wouldn’t say her mental health issues were handled in the best manner in this book but again, only the first book.

The writing is descent, sometimes the dialogue can get a little clunky and confusing to follow as characters repeat exactly what the other just said. I know its normal in certain situations to just repeat and add when talking but in reading it gets a little confusing. The writer clearly knows a lot about Nevada and takes great care in crafting and bringing alive the area that he clearly loves.

After a strong start the middle in present time gets a little lost as it introduces a few too many plot elements that get muddled. Yes they impact the main story but it just doesn’t feel necessary. I wish they had spent more time in the past. The scenes from the 50s are the best of the book and keep the middle sections going while the present timeline gets a little lost. As he spends more and more time with the people of Nevada suffering from the fallout of nuclear testing he slowly sees the truth of what the Cold War is doing and could do to both Americans and Russians. Its a good tight narrative that keeps the book moving toward its conclusion.

At the end I was able to figure out who the Russian spy was, how the characters were that were not all the were portrayed as and I’m not mad about it. As much as I like not being able to figure out the twist there is a satisfaction in having your suspicions play out and I got that from the book. Granted who the Russian spy has a lot of misdirection that make you think it could be other characters that never feel forced.

This was a good start for a new mystery and I’m interested to see where it goes and how the revelations in this book impact Beck in the future.

The Bitter Past is the first book in the Porter Beck series. This is a story about espionage and a mystery that is told in two timelines, the 1950's and the present.

In the present Porter Beck is the sheriff in a community north of Las Vegas, Nevada near area 51. Beck is called to the home of a retired FBI agent where he was brutally tortured and murdered. An FBI agent arrives and begins to help Porter with his investigation. Beck wonders why a retired FBI agent would be tortured and murdered, what could they be after.

In the 1950's the nuclear race is a focus between various countries. A young Russian spy has infiltrated a nuclear testing site in Nevada. The spy disappears and all his secrets go with him. Beck and Sana find the files of the dead FBI agent and are in a race against time to find the spy.

This was an interesting story with many twists and turns throughout. I liked this story, and it held my attention until the final reveal. The story is well written, and the characters were likeable. Looking forward to reading the next in the series.

The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos is a very highly recommended mystery and the debut novel in the Porter Beck series. This is an excellent start to a new series and I will eagerly be awaiting the next investigation from Nevada's Sheriff Beck.

Sheriff Porter Beck's domain is in the high desert north of Las Vegas, Nevada. He left and worked in Army intelligence for years, but now Beck's back, doing the same job his father did before he developed dementia. Normally this is a quiet part of the state until an old, retired FBI agent is murdered after being brutally tortured. When FBI Special Agent Sana Locke show up to assist in the investigation, it confirms many of Beck's suspicions. The clues point to something that happened in the past, in the 1950's during the early days of the atomic testing program happening in the desert and the KGB's plans to infiltrate the program.

The chapters alternate between two timelines and narratives. The present investigation unfolds through Beck's first person account while events starting in 1955 are recounted in the third person. In 1955 the story of Freddie Meyer and Kitty Ellison is told. After they begin dating, Kitty's father helps Freddie get a job in security at the atomic testing site in the desert. The current murder investigation must look to the past for the information needed to solve it.

Beck is a great character, intelligent, clever, perceptive, and well-developed as a character. He, along with the astute writing, is a reason to absolutely look forward to the next book released in the series. The high desert of Nevada is also realistically portrayed.

The writing is exceptional and absolutely exceeded all my expectations. The novel is told in an intelligent manner and both of the two narrative threads are gripping, compelling, and complex. They held my complete attention equally and even though I wanted to continue the story in whatever timeline I was in, I correspondingly wanted to continue following the action in the alternate chapter. The Bitter Past is un-put-down-able.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Minotaur Books via NetGalley.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, Edelweiss, and Amazon.

The title of this book was obviously very well chosen. Once I started reading this book, I realized that the past was indeed bitter for a man who started out doing for his country what he was instructed to do, but he lost his way.

Porter Beck is the sheriff in a small Nevada town deep in the desert. He is filling the spot once filled by his father who now suffers the early stages of dementia. Crime is almost non-existent in this small town until the body of a retired FBI agent is found. The elderly retired FBI agent was brutally killed and quite obviously tortured before his death. Porter Beck knows there is something amiss because Porter Beck is not your average small town sheriff. He served in Army Intelligence for many years, and his observation skills are off the charts. When an FBI agent arrives in town to "assist" in the investigation, he learns more about the story. A young Russian spy infiltrated the ranks of a handful of men who were allowed to work at a nuclear testing site in the 1950's. They think this man may still be alive in his small town and the Russians are out for blood because this man betrayed the Russians. This story is told from the present and will revert back to the past following the Russian spy's journey. The transitions from past to present were smooth and well placed so that the story flowed perfectly. The cast of characters were first class. Porter Beck was a highly intelligent man and one which you better not underestimate. I have to confess one of my favorite characters was Porter's sister, Brinley. This girl was full of life and had no fear. This book was a history lesson, espionage thriller, mystery and police procedural all rolled into one. The mystery was top notch and even though the plot was complex, it was still an easy read. I look forward to seeing more books starring Porter Beck.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Protagonist Sheriff Porter Beck is part Jack Reacher, part Harry Bosch and author Bruce Borgos does a fantastic job of making him a well rounded, multi-layered character. This plot driven novel does not skimp on rich characters or back-stories but it is never dull or stagnant. I can’t wait to read the next installment in this series which is sure to be one of my new favorites.

I have a new favorite author! You never can be sure what to expect when you pick up a new book from a new author. And as a lover of some of the mystery thriller series greats, those can be tough shoes to fill. The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos hit all the marks!
Porter Beck is Sheriff in the deserts of Nevada and his background is a story within itself! When a retired FBI agent is found tortured and murdered, Beck's investigation leads him back in history. A dual timeline brings to life the nuclear testing done in Nevada in the 1950s. And a ruthless someone is now looking for a Russian spy that may have been in the area at that time.
Porter Beck is a complex, highly skilled and intelligent main character quick with wit and I can only hope to see more of him in the future! The secondary characters in this book are also so likeable and interesting, especially Brinley - fierce and flawed. Let me say it again, with a mix of mystery, thriller, historical fiction with a touch of romance and humor this book hit all the marks!
I highly recommend!

I love a mystery that has a spy element and The Bitter Past: A Mystery by Bruce Borgos did not disappoint. Set in a small Nevada community, north of Las Vegas, this mystery features sheriff Porter Beck. It’s relatively quiet in Beck’s jurisdiction until an older, retired FBI agent is found brutally tortured and murdered. All signs point to this being part of a bigger story that started in the 1950s when the area was used for classified nuclear testing and the Cold War was on everyone’s mind. And now an FBI agent is knocking on Beck’s station door wanting to be involved in the investigation.

This is a page turner of a story that I flew through. I do think it’s important to note that the first two pages include a graphic description of the deceased FBI’s body and crime scene. It’s rough, but I was able to skim and still follow along. The rest of the story is not as graphic and I was hundred percent in, trying to figure out what was happening.

The past storyline from the 1950s weaves wonderfully with the present day and I was sorry to leave each timeline because I wanted to know everything. It’s fast paced and I hope this is the first in the series featuring Beck. There is also a small side love story which will be interesting to follow, although it was the action and mystery that kept me in the story, telling myself that I’d read just one more chapter before turning out of my light for the night.

This comes out July 18th. Other reviews compare this to books by Craig Johnson and I have to agree. @minotaur_books @stmartinspress

The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos
Porter Beck #1

Right off the bat you are thrown into a gruesome crime scene. Sheriff Porter Beck is at the home of an eighty-something year old man who has endured and died of a protracted torture session. The house has been ransacked so whatever the murderer wanted from the man, he probably didn't find. Back at the office a femme fatale of an FBI agent arrives to horn in on Porter's murder investigation. Porter and FBI Special Agent Sana Locke barely put in any effort to pretend they aren't attracted to each other. Sana even laughs at Porter's corny jokes although she does seem a little sloppy when it comes to her knowledge of all things FBI.

Three missing remains in the local cemetery and some other clues point to the murder having to do with nuclear experiments at Area 51 back in the 1950s. There is another timeline than the present where we follow a young man with a conscience as he tries to be loyal to his country while he begins to doubt the things he is told to do as part of his job at the testing site. I don't always enjoy duel timelines but I liked this one a lot because it helped me to understand a much of the background of this story and because I liked this young man who is put into a no win for anyone position.

For all the violence this is a funny story when it comes to Porter. He is dealing with a lot on the home and personal health front and he also has guilt from his days in the military. Still, he has a humorous outlook on life and he's going to make things work as well as he can until he can't do so anymore. I look forward to seeing what he gets up to in the next book. This is man whose family, friends, and coworkers mean a lot to him and he will do the right thing even if it's not by the book.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for this ARC.

Wow. This is a page turner that moves back and forth in time between the 1950s and the present, when Sheriff Porter Beck is on the trail of a Russian who has come to rural Nevada for....something. And he's killing to get whatever it is. Beck's father was also the Sheriff but he's fading now but not so much that he doesn't have information to add as Beck and FBI Agent Sana Locke hunt the Russian, who may have also taken a young woman from a polygamist community. In the past, Freddie, a Russian illegal, is caught up in a Russian plan to use the US nuclear weapons program against itself. He's also in love. No spoilers on how the two plot lines come together but this is one that will make you think. It's complex and propulsive all at once. Beck makes a great character- he's struggling with his eyesight thanks to retinitis pigmentosa, he's got a back ground in espionage, and he's clever. His sister Brinley is someone you'd want on your side. And then there's the expert. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's an impressive debut and a great read.

A compelling mix of spy thriller and mystery…

Long ago, on a pre-pandemic trip to Las Vegas, my husband and I visited the National Atomic Testing Museum, which showcases the history of the dawn of the nuclear age and the bomb tests that occurred at the nearby Nevada Test Site. Although going to a museum may not be what most folks do when in Las Vegas (!!!), we loved the exhibits and we learned a ton there. So I was intrigued by the background and setting of The Bitter Past, and was really pleased to be offered an advance copy to review for my blog.

And in spite of a couple of little “wrinkles”, The Bitter Past did not disappoint. It’s a compelling mix of a spy thriller, mostly set in the 1950s heyday of atomic testing in the desert, and an investigative mystery set in the present. Each has a different feel, but both were intriguing, and kept me turning the pages. Often when a book changes back and forth between two timelines, one is much stronger than the other, so that I end up feeling a bit impatient when switching away to the less compelling narrative. Bruce Borgos does a nice job of telling both stories, however, and weaving them together in a very readable way, so that wasn’t an issue here. He also does a great job of recreating the mood of the Cold War, which had Americans viewing the atomic tests as absolutely necessary to keep the US safe from the Soviet Union, and then contrasting that with today’s understanding of the Downwinders who were affected by the explosions’ fallout in horrific ways. And of course, at the end, everything comes together in some quite unexpected twists and turns.

As for the little wrinkles: I found the main protagonist, Sheriff Porter Beck, his small family, and his team, to be believable and likeable characters, and Beck himself has a very nicely honed sense of humor. But somehow his relationship (???) with modern-day FBI agent Sana Locke didn’t quite ring true for me, and was even a bit annoying. I have my fingers crossed that this may resolve if there are further books in the series, and I certainly hope there will be. And the other little wrinkle is that there are some rather violent scenes in The Bitter Past, especially right at the beginning, so if that sort of thing bothers you, be forewarned. It's well worth persisting beyond the initial chapter, but just a heads-up.

In closing, I want to thank the publishers, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the advance review copy. It was much appreciated! And one final note: once I finished reading, and reached the acknowledgments at the end, I was amused to see a thank-you to the Executive Director of the National Atomic Testing Museum…which is what started my interest in The Bitter Past in the first place…

THE BITTER PAST is a gritty and somewhat gruesome mystery I thoroughly enjoyed. Sherriff Porter Beck is tasked with solving the murder of a retired FBI agent. The Nevada setting was vivid and stifling, adding to the heat of the story. Not only was this a compelling page-turner, but I also enjoyed the dynamics between the characters and the historical aspects of the story. This was my first book by Bruce Borgos and I look forward to picking up the next book in the series when it publishes.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Deep thanks to NetGalley, St. Martins Publishing and Minotaur Books for the ARC of "The Bitter Past" in exchange for an honest review.
Attention all avid readers......here comes one of those books that we all hope and pray for, the kind of non-stop read we never stop searching for.
You know the book I mean. The one that turns all the daily things we put up with .(meals, work, chores, sleep, TV news, etc. etc.) into annoying distractions........annoying and distracting
because they're keeping us from feverishly turning pages of this book to see what happens next.
Yes..... it's that kind of book.
This one pushed all kinds of buttons for me. I've always loved stories set in the arid, lonely and forbidding deserts of the American Southwest. And that would also account for why I'm additionally obsessed with the mid-40's to 1950's history that unfolded amidst that landscape - the development and testing of the atomic bomb. Of course that includes everything that came with it.........the cavalier test detonations that sent deadly radiation floating into the winds and the frenzy and fear about Russian spies, trained to look and sound like us while they steal our vital top secrets.
"The Bitter Past" throws together all of those elements in one big suspenseful package........it's a contemporary breathless thriller whose seemingly endless twists and turns have their roots firmly in the past.....back to the atomic espionage in the 1950's Northern Nevada deserts.
That's the mystery facing Sheriff Porter Beck as he investigates the beyond horrific torture and murder of an elderly retired FBI agent. And he finds himself both perplexed and entranced by his most unlikely ally in his hunt for the killer -FBI agent Sana Locke, stunning to behold, but sitting on any number of secrets of her own.
Flashbacks to 1957 also unfold, where a deep cover Russian spy-saboteur manages to infiltrate an atomic testing site posing as an all-American security guard......even to the point of courting the daughter of the scientist in charge of of the site of a new, highly unusual test.
Put all of this together and you've got a mystery-suspense-action-adventure thriller guaranteed to make you want to put off everything I listed earlier.....meals, work, chores, sleep, shopping, etc, etc. When the plot twists start poppin', they come at you like a literal hailstorm of surprises......and in the rapidly steamy banter of Beck and Locke, there's laugh out loud wit, a duel of two suspicious minds, and the all the simmering sexual combustion that comes with them.
Since I've now given what I think is pretty accurate description of a 5 star read, I'll end the review right here....except to mention thriller fans need to jump this one to the very top of their TBR's. Enough said?

★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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WHAT'S THE BITTER PAST ABOUT?
Porter Beck is the Sherriff of Lincoln County, Nevada. We meet him as he and his deputies are looking at a horrific crime scene. A retired FBI Agent has been tortured and killed, and Beck and his crew are clueless as to why.

Well, that's not entirely true—Beck has an idea, but he needs the autopsy results before he starts to act on it. Before he came back home and became Sherrif, Beck was in Army Intelligence and recognizes signs of a Russian Foreign Intelligence Service operation. An FBI Agent has been sent to look into the case and works alongside the Sherrif's department, Beck confronts Special Agent Sana Locke about this and she comes clean.

The dead agent had spent decades trying to find a Russian agent who had infiltrated US nuclear tests in the 1950s, and there's a reason to think that the Russians have come to find that agent for themselves. It's up to Beck and Agent Locke to stop them.

The only way I can sense to talk about this book is to focus on each timeline/storyline separately.

THE PRESENT
We spend a lot of time getting to know Beck and his deputies—a colorful and interesting batch that I hope we get to spend a lot more time with in the years to come. We also get to know Beck's father—the former Sherrif, now battling dementia—and his adoptive sister, a firearms expert and instructor (who could probably be the protagonist in a series of her own).

In addition to trying to find either the killer or the agent the killer was looking for (in order to find the killer), they have to deal with a missing woman from an FLDS compound.

Both active cases stretch the small department to the limits—it's a large county (roughly the same area as Maryland)—and tensions within the department staff start to build as they do their best to cover routine duties as well as pursue (and generate) leads.

We don't get to me a lot of non-law enforcement residents of Lincoln County, I assume that'll change in future books—but those that we do tell me that I want to meet more of them.

THE PAST
In the mid-to-late 1950s* the US conducted several tests of nuclear weapons in the desert of Lincoln County. Our Russian Agent, Lt. Georgiy Dudko of the KGB, had spent a long time preparing to come to America and pass himself off as an American citizen**. Once here, he got hired on as a security guard on the base that conducted the testing and started gathering information for Moscow as worked his way into better and better positions on base.

* and maybe later, too—I'm not sure of the history off the top of my head, and it's beyond the scope of this post to get into that.
** Think of the FX show The Americans but Georgiy never got to wear any of the impossibly great wigs. Poor guy.

Georgiy never lost sight of his mission—but at some point questioned some of his orders. He thought they damaged his overall mission and he had other moral/ethical concerns that I really can't get into. But this led to the Present-time story, so the reader is able to start putting the pieces together right away.

This is largely background material, but that doesn't keep Borgos from keeping it as gripping as if it's the only story in the novel. Early in this story, I saw it as background and was in a hurry to get back to Beck's storyline. That ended quickly and I didn't want to step away from Georgiy's story—even once I knew pretty much how things had to go. And my notes say that a lot.

THE SETTING
Obviously, the setting of any book is vital to the overall novel—you can't tell Elvis Cole or Harry Bosch stories outside of L.A. (with a couple of exceptions), Spenser and Kenzie & Gennaro need Boston, Walt Longmire and Joe Pickett have to have their stories in Wyoming—the geography, the character of their homes, and the history of the area shape and form the people, crimes, and type of stories you can tell.

The same is true here—these are stories that can only be told in this part of the world. The history of the area informs so much of this novel that it cannot be overstated—but the empty spaces, the long distances between neighbors, and the amount of territory Beck's department is responsible for are just as important as that history. It's a perfect combination of locale and subject.

SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT THE BITTER PAST?
I cannot believe that I haven't been reading these books for years—I felt right at home with the characters almost instantly. I could feel the rapport between them—even between Beck and his rival deputy—as solidly as if this were the fifth book in the series.

I want to spend some time discussing a couple of the deputies at length, but I've gone on too long already. So I'll just leave it by mentioning my favorite parts of the book. There are a couple of scenes of Beck and the deputies looking around crime scenes and dissecting them—each pointing out evidence and trying to build an explanation for what's before them, what happened during the crime, etc. Yes, Beck's the Sherriff and has the most experience, but it's a true team effort, which is just a joy to watch. If Borgos gives me a couple of those in every book, I will be reading him for as long as it already feels like I have been.

That opening crime scene is grisly—I can't think of anything worse since M. W. Craven's The Puppet Show—and any reader is going to want to read about that killer being stopped.

Borgos puts enough wit and humor in both storylines to keep things from getting too bogged down in blood and intrigue (and nuclear fallout), the characters are all the kind you want to spend more time with (even the Russian spy), and the cases are intriguing. The pacing is perfect—he keeps you turning pages and trying to guess at what's coming next without keeping things at a breakneck speed, so you can enjoy the scenery and his well-put-together sentences.

I don't know if Borgos will be able to structure another book like this—and I frankly don't care. If all we get is Beck and his crew, I'm fine. If he does have another trick like this up his sleeve, I'm all for that, too.

I strongly recommend this book—particularly for fans of Craig Johnson and C.J. Box. This is the beginning of the next great Western Mystery series. I'd have ordered Book 2 already if the option existed, and I think I won't be alone in that.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for this post--thanks to both for this.

*4.5 stars rounded up. Set in the high desert of Nevada, this new thriller starts out with a shockingly horrendous crime scene. Lincoln County Sheriff, Porter Beck and his team have never seen anything more monstrous and gruesome than what was done to the murder victim, retired FBI agent Ralph Atterbury. Why was he so brutally tortured? What did he know?

This area of Nevada is probably best known for the above-ground atomic testing that went on there in the 50s, with little thought to the consequences for the people and animals living downwind. Sheriff Beck's own mother was one of those 'downwinders.' That history is told in flashbacks to the scene of Area 51 where a young foreigner, trained to infiltrate, is plotting mayhem.

This is one of the best thrillers I've read so far this year. It's a mashup of police procedural with spy thriller. There is an interesting cast of characters: Sheriff Beck debuts as a tough and smart lawman with a physical disability that may sabotage his career. His father, who now has dementia, had the job before him. And there is a rather wild adopted sister with a mental disorder of her own who happens to be a firearms expert. Beck's deputies are a varied and fractious bunch who are joined in this investigation by an FBI Special Agent. Beck doesn't seem to mind this government intrusion in his case, especially since said agent is one hot babe. But he's frustrated that she's keeping information from him on a 'need-to-know' basis.

Exciting action and intrigue really drive both the current story and the backstory. I did guess one plot twist but a couple others took me totally by surprise--and I love to be fooled. I'm looking forward to more to come in this new series. It's a winner.

I received an arc of this new thriller from the author and publisher via NetGalley. Many thanks for the opportunity! My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

The story was engaging with a cast of interesting characters and I liked it more than I thought I would. You get a mystery, learn about history, nuclear testing, and the Cold War. There was one part of the mystery that I figured out, but the other puzzle pieces surprised me. I am happy that this is the first book in a new series. I want to find out what additional trouble Beck, his deputies, and Brin find themselves in.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press-Minotaur Books, and Bruce Borgos for the eARC.

This was a gripping first book in a new series and I couldn't put it down. The characters are great. The plot is full of intrigue and surprises. There were twists I didn't see coming. Plenty of action and fast pacing kept me turning pages. I'll definitely be on the lookout for the next one!

This memorable thriller includes history, espionage, police procedure, and a riveting mystery. It was complex and well-constructed, with intriguing characters and proceeded rapidly to an action-packed and startling conclusion. An underlying theme is the compulsion and cost of doing the right thing against orders.

The story is set in the high desert of Nevada, about 150 miles from Los Vegas. Currently, Sheriff Porter Beck has jurisdiction over a widespread area with sparse inhabitants. It is relatively crime-free. He had worked in intelligence for the American government in various places and spent time in Russia. He now follows his father's profession as sheriff, which covers the same area where his father worked. His father is now in his 80s and showing signs of dementia with short-term memory loss. Beck has an adopted sister, Brinley, an expert in weapons.

The peace of the area under Beck's control is shattered by the gut-wrenching torture and murder of an elderly, retired FBI man. Furthermore, it seems someone is targeting elderly men. Why? Clues lead back to a time from 1951 to 1957 when the nuclear testing site was nearby. In the early days, a Russian spy was able to infiltrate the heavily restricted and guarded area and pass on secrets to his mother country. Now, someone is looking for that spy who may hold a long-hidden secret of something that happened there and has been covered up. It is now believed that people and livestock were victims of nuclear fallout from the tests resulting in miscarriages and lethal cancers that the government ignored in their race for nuclear superiority over the Russians.

We learn about the layout of the testing site and some early events around Area 51 through the eyes of a young recruit, Freddy. He is in love with Kitty, the daughter of a powerful man who controls some areas and promotions. The Russian spy was ordered to steal a dirty bomb to be exploded over Los Vegas. The spy that an unknown person is looking for today, if still alive, would be in his 80s or early 90s. He must be killed before revealing what he knows.

As Beck begins his investigation with the help of his small staff, an alluring FBI agent Sana shows up to help. There are reports of some vandalized graves. A young married woman has vanished from a religious cult, and there is an effort to find her before she is killed. This serves as a distraction from espionage events of the 1950s, but could there be an unlikely connection? Beck and Sana begin a romantic relationship, but can she be trusted? There is a complicated entanglement where false identities and names must be clarified. Now, Sana has been abducted, and Beck goes all out to rescue her and the missing girl from the cult. He recruits his sister, Brinley, for support and help. There are intense, heart-pounding action scenes, with the offer to trade Sana for the elderly Russian spy, or Sana will be tortured and killed.

This a stellar debut by the writer Bruce Borgos, and I can't wait to see what Beck does in the next book of an expected series. As Area 51 is now believed by conspiracists to be hiding remains of crashed UFOs and alien bodies, maybe he could take a look at that? Many thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this gripping ARC. I highly recommend it to those who enjoy spy thrillers and mysteries. It is due to be published on July 18.

This suspenseful police procedural is set in the Nevada desert and told from the past and present. Beck is a retired Army officer who is now the Sheriff of a small jurisdiction. The plot is a page turning event that will keep readers glued to the pages. Beck, Sana and the other characters are wonderful and entertaining. For the start of a series, the author has made a bang. Readers will thoroughly delighted by the story and be eagerly anticipating the next in series.

This is such a good story filled with adventure, Russian spies and murder with so many twists and turns. Beck is the sheriff of a very large area in desert of Nevada. When an ex-FBI agent is found dead after being tortured, Beck has his hands full trying to find the killer. An FBI agent shows up in his office to help. Is she really trying to help? When more dead bodies show up, Beck knows he has to find out about the past before he can set things right in the present.

Sheriff Porter Beck is investigating the gruesome murder of a retired FBI agent. He was basically skinned and then burned on face! Sheriff Beck works with Waldell which bucks everything Beck wants to do. You also have Tuffy she is really good on investigations. Then you have Sana Locke FBI that comes to help Sheriff Beck whom he starts developing a crush on. Beck’s dad had been the sheriff in this Nevada town for year’s previously but had developed dementia. Multiple murders start happening and Sheriff Beck needs to find the common denominator.

This was set in the mid 50’s and it starts out with Freddie really liking Kitty and he is fascinated with working at Area 51 with her father an engineer there!

This is a thriller beyond and it was interesting to see how easy it is to infiltrate oneself where they definitely do not belong. I am waiting for more in this series!

I received this ARC from Netgalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I devoured this exciting story! Part spy thriller and part historical fiction, this novel is all action. With a flawed but fetching hero and an otherwise brilliant cast of characters, this story of the Cold War and its ripples moves surely and swiftly. Really well done.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my free copy. These opinions are my own.

Wow, what a spy thriller! I loved this story of a modern day sheriff investigating the death of a retired FBI agent. The setting is near the site of a nuclear testing site from decades the 1950s. Soon the investigation sends him on the hunt for a Russian spy from decades ago.

I really enjoyed this dual timeline thriller, the questions of what if a Russian spy had infiltrated the Nevada test site and has been living in the community for decades, the police procedural and all the family twists that came to light for the Sheriff.

Great debut!

This Revenge Was Not Served Cold

The novel opens with a very gruesome murder scene. An FBI agent, who has been retired for 20 years, is found bound and terribly tortured. Sheriff Porter Beck tells a deputy to notify the Las Vegas FBI office of the retired agent’s death. When an FBI agent from Washington, D.C. arrives, Beck learns that this FBI agent was still searching for an illegal Soviet spy that worked in the nearby atomic testing grounds. From this start, an engrossing novel of espionage and revenge wrapped in a police procedural begins.

There are three major threads in the main storyline. The first is all flashbacks and tells the story of a Soviet spy at the Nevada atomic test site. This thread merges with the current thread which is the hunt for a Russian assassin killing people looking for that spy. The last thread is about kidnapping of a young wife from a breakaway polygamist Mormon sect. With the assassin killing the Soviet spy last handler and another man who could be the Soviet spy, and the kidnapping of a young wife, the tension is cranked up to high very quickly. The author masterfully weaves these threads, especially the flashbacks, into an easy to follow and very captivating story. I was hooked quickly. I could not stop reading and finished it in 75% of my average reading time.

As this novel appears to be a stand-alone, the background on Sheriff Beck is quite extensive. Most of it is provided through Beck’s interactions, thoughts, and conversations with the FBI agent. There was a quick thread when he was a military attaché in the US Embassy in Moscow. This provides Beck with experience in the dark world of espionage. In addition to the Beck’s background, there is a very interesting B-storyline between one of his best deputies, Arshal Jessup and his brother Amon who is an elder in a local Mormon sect. This storyline also plays heavily in the kidnapping portion of the main storyline. To add to this, there are two C-storylines in the novel. The first is the relations ship between Arshal and Amon that changes over the course of the novel. The second is the story of the illegal Soviet spy into US intelligence asset. All these aspects added much richness to the novel and enhanced my reading enjoyment.

As for the aspects that may cause some readers to stop reading, there may be reasons for concern with this novel. There is on brief intimate scene, and some innuendo. There is rude and vulgar language but not excessive. There is more impious language than I’ve seen in the novels I read. Violence is described in the edgier as it occurs, but after the fact for the more gruesome violence. There are not any previous novels, so there are not any issues concerning anything in this novel that depends upon a previous novel.

This novel has in spades all the aspects for me to have a high-star rating. The main storyline with a rich background story and rich B- and C-storylines quickly captured my interest. Probably, my time in the Navy military and civilian made the cavalier sharing of classified information bothersome for me. Then, I also noticed that the author changed history, physics, and chemistry to reinforce the main storyline. For me, these aspects decreased my reading enjoyment. This is a work of fiction, and these aspects were needed to facilitate the flow of the novel. As these aspects may be more personal to me, I am mentioning them and, let you decide. I really like the last chapter. I do recommend reading this novel for most readers. While for most readers, this can be a five-star read, for me it was a four-star read.

I received a free prepublication e-book version of this novel through NetGalley from Minotaur/St. Martin’s Press. My review is based only on my own reading experience of this book. I wish to thank Minotaur/St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.

Lincoln County, Nevada is not somewhere many people have been and certainly not somewhere written about and, yet, it was the perfect setting for this mystery/police procedural with two feet - one in the past and one in the present. I know and have spent time in this part of the state and the author captured it brilliantly. I immediately fell for the protagonist of this tory -- Porter Beck -- as he tries to uncover a huge mystery and solve a few murders along the way. The setting was fantastic, the pacing perfect and I read this in one day. I can't wait for more!

The Bitter Past comes out next week on July 18, 2023, and you can purchase HERE! I loved this book and can't wait for more from this series!

We don't have a lot of murder in Lincoln County. The long stretches of open road provide us with more than our share of high-speed vehicular deaths, the images of which can haunt your dreams, but there just isn't a lot of people killing other people on purpose. When we do encounter it, it's never like this. This is something from Hell.

Spy type books are not my usual go to read. However this book was quite good. It’s full of action and intrigue. It kept my attention from page one. I will definitely be looking for more with this character.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

This novel follows Porter Beck, the county sheriff, following in his father’s footsteps. Porter was previously an army intelligence agent, so it’s a given the man is smart. When an old retired FBI agent is found murdered and tortured, a current FBI agent, Sana Locke, shows up to help with the investigation. They develop an uneasy partnership. The dead man was investigating something from the 1950s which ties into the storyline. Meanwhile, a young Mormon woman has gone missing from a polygamist camp.
The story flips back and forth between the present day and 1957 when the nuclear testing was ongoing.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-arc.*

The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos. Sheriff Porter Beck investigates the brutal murder of a former FBI agent. He was butchered in an attempt to get information related to a Russian spy from the 50s. Why would anyone care about events from aged spying attempts on America’s development of nuclear weapons? You’ll find out along the way. I love how Beck characterized those he worked and came in contact with. Fun read. Recommended. #NetGalley #TheBitterPastBook

I really enjoyed this mystery/thriller. The story goes back and forth between the 1950's atomic testing in Nevada to the present day where there have been gruesome murders committed. There's a Russian spy, long held secrets, and a Sheriff who has to make sense of all of it.

This book was part mystery as Beck tries to solve a recent murder in his county. But it soon turns out to be something much more, and turns into a bit spy thriller, bit mystery. I absolutely loved this combination as these are two of my favourite types of books! The beginning with the interaction between Beck and Sana reminded me a bit of Archie Goodwin and noir so I was happy from the very beginning.

I did figure out two of the major plot twists, but it didn't detract from the overall story. Still a very satisfying read.

If you think the government cares about the people, you really need to read this book to be dissuaded of that notion. It doesn’t, and it hasn’t cared about its citizens for a very long time. This tale takes us back to the mid 1950s and the secret experiments conducted near Area 51. And the people in charge will tell the public any lie and do whatever is necessary to protect government secrets.

What do the gruesome murder of a retired FBI agent and a Russian spy who infiltrated the Nevada Proving Ground in the 1950s have in common? The US government used this area to test atomic weapons. The spy from long ago is still alive, and his motherland is looking for him before his secrets are spilled. They'll stop at nothing, leaving a string of human carnage along their search. And it's up to Sheriff Beck Porter and his small staff to stop them.

This was a bit of a slow start for me, bit within a few chapters I was enthralled. The only thing dry and dusty about this police procedural was its desert location. The sheriff with the eidetic memory learns quickly that things are not as they seem, and people are not who they claim to be, with some of it hitting too close to home.

This was my first novel by this masterful wordsmith but it certainly won’t be my last. Riveting and intriguing with jaw-dropping twists, this one is sure to please mystery and suspense readers everywhere.

Publicity is placing this book in the ranks of Craig Johnson and C.J. Box. In some ways, that's where it belongs. It features a Western sheriff, ex-miliary, with a beautiful and gutsy love interest and partner in solving crime. Very Longmirish. Sheriff Porter Beck heads up the very small law enforcement team of a very rural county in a part of Nevada adjacent to an Atomic Energy Commission area where the American nuclear weapon program was launched and tested.

The book opens with a gruesome scene; a retired FBI agent has been viciously tortured. If you are squeamish, I would suggest skipping this opening. To make sense of the book, it's only necessary to know the torture happened. Beck's investigation is shortly joined by a beautiful female FBI agent, and the hunt for the killer begins. The book moves back and forth between Beck's investigation and the mid-1950s when a Russian spy was involved at the nuclear testing facility. The plot is complicated, with most of the characters hiding something in their past. Part of this sets up the relationship between the Cold War, Russian and American spies, and modern day Nevada while part of it sets up the series. There's a lot going on, maybe too much, but it all comes together at the end of a very fast-paced exciting book.

Beck has several characteristics that play into the plot as well as adding depth to his character. At the start of the book, his "awe-shucks" approach to interactions was annoying, but it gave way to his intelligence, photographic memory, sense of humor, and wide-ranging training. Over time, he became a likeable character who should stand up well as the series progresses. I will be looking for his next book to see if Borgos can tone it down just a tad while keeping the tension high.

An interesting mix of a Cold War era spy novel and a modern day murder mystery set in Nevada near the site of the 1950s nuclear tests. The story goes back and forth between the two time periods but the juxtaposition was well done and was never confusing. I certainly hope that the author tends to write more books featuring Porter Beck.

A small town is rocked by a horrible murder/torture of an elderly man in his home but when the FBI arrive in town sheriff Porter Beck knows there's more going on here. With the help of a beautiful FBI agent Beck is determined to get to the bottom of this murder and quickly because more bodies of elderly men are turning up.
A fast paced story that starts out gruesome. I enjoyed it but found the random sex thoughts by the sheriff were done at inappropriate times which sort of made it turn away from the seriousness of the situation. Otherwise the story was interesting and entertaining.

I am grateful to NetGalley for an advance copy of The Bitter Past. A 4.5 for me. This is one wild ride. Mr. Borgos has given readers a thrilling spy yarn. It starts with a present-day gruesome murder of a retired FBI agent in Nevada. The story involves the atomic trials of the 50’s in the Nevada desert. The protagonist is local sheriff, Porter Beck, who brings his own history in Russia to the story. He is a really likable character. He’s told “you have a problem with authority” and replies ‘I spent almost twenty years in the Army, lady. Of course I have a problem with authority.” It’s observed that he is quick-witted and doesn’t take himself too seriously. That’s what makes him a likable character but he is dead serious about his family and his mission. He has great skill and instinct, making him extremely effective. This is a fast-paced, tense, but fun, tale. I look forward to more from Mr. Borgos. This is scheduled for release in mid-July. Mark you calendar!

In the 1950’s the Russian government sent spies to the proving grounds where the first Atomic bomb was being developed. One of those spies was asked to steal something but after seeing what the effects were from the plutonium, he made a decision that would have long reaching effects.
Now a community is faced with a murder and a missing girl and oddly a vandalizing of graves. Fifty years after the development of the Atomic bomb.
Full of action, witty dialogue, subterfuge and a rather surprising ending, great read and I highly recommend.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me this ARC.

4.5/5⭐️

Porter Beck, the sheriff of a high desert Nevada county north of Las Vegas, is suddenly thrown into the brutal torture/murder investigation of an ex-FBI agent living off the grid. Following the clues, he finds the case might be related to the 1950s atomic testing in the area and the race to thwart the Russians. As elderly males are being targeted by an assassin, he and his trusty team of deputies, his former-sheriff father and his expert markswoman sister must put the pieces together to uncover decades-long secrets and why they’re being brought to light now.

Beck is a humorous, loyal, highly intelligent character with a shadowy military past, and I’m guessing lots of layers to unravel. As this is billed as a series-starter, I’ll be happy to follow along for the unveiling as I really loved this beginning. I was impressed with the writing, the story flow, the character development and the suspense. Told in dual timelines, I found the ‘50s storyline equally interesting and horrifying, and I was engaged with how the author weaved the two stories together.

I’m always looking for a new and exciting mystery/thriller series to follow, and with this introduction of Porter Beck, I think I’ve found it.

Recommended.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for providing the free early ARC of The Bitter Past for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

I totally loved this book! Great plot and really good character development. As stated by all previous reviews there are past (1950’s) and present stories throughout the book until they come together with a heart stopping climax and conclusion. I read the book in its entirety in 1 day. Highly recommend.

Debut mystery author Bruce Borgos took to Goodreads not too long ago to tell reviewers that his new book, The Bitter Past, is the first installment in what he hopes will be a long, protracted series. One wonders if it will go on as long as the Harry Hole books (13 novels now and counting), but one certainly hopes this will be the case because the first novel in the Sheriff Porter Beck series is dazzling and momentous. This is the type of book that works as a police procedural, a straight-up mystery novel, and a Cold War espionage thriller. There’s so much going on with The Bitter Past that one must wonder how Borgos managed to tie this all together, especially in a debut novel. This is also a book that deftly alternates between roll-your-eyes humour (some of it a little risqué) and dead-eyed seriousness. Essentially, The Bitter Past is two books in one, but somehow it manages to all work. This is the type of read that is so unique and creative that I would ask readers to ignore the rest of this review until they have read the book, because — as the cliché goes — this is the type of novel that works best the less you know walking into it. This is a top-notch thrill ride that will keep you guessing until the end.

I feel that to adequately talk about this book, I will have to drop the occasional spoiler or two (which is another reason why you should read this review only when you’ve finished this masterful book). It presents two stories that run in parallel: the first is set in the near present day in the rocky desert foothills of the area just north of Las Vegas. The second is set during the mid-1950s in the same region. The two stories overlap in that the second story is about a Russian spy sent to nuclear testing grounds in Nevada to steal a nuclear warhead to be used as a dirty bomb against the residents of Sin City. The first story sees protagonist Sheriff Beck investigate a homicide in which a retired FBI agent living in the area has been brutally murdered. It turns out the agent had been still following up on leads about the Soviet agent from the 1950s, who turned against his comrades and became something of a reverse agent (he was no longer helping the Russians). Beck is joined by a stunning-looking female FBI agent to find the killer before he strikes again, and that means finding out who the ex-Soviet spy is — even though the person would now be well into their late 80s. As the saying goes, sparks fly between the local cop and the Fibbie, but this is underpinned by the severity of the fact in the plot that the Russians did manage to somehow smuggle out a real warhead from its testing site many years ago.

I don’t know if this book’s plot is based on a true story or completely the product of conspiracy theories. I’m assuming this is a work of fiction and all the details are a product of the author’s clever mind. But that’s the thing: the theft of the nuclear device is presented as being possibly true and it certainly unfolds in a way that seems plausible. One could quibble that the sharp 180 turns between comedy in the Beck narrated sections of the book and the drama that unfolds during the 1950s sections make the read uneven; however, I felt it does somehow all hang together well. Put another way, the differences in tone just make this a book that you must read on your tiptoes, and it helps to keep and heighten the reader’s interest. Of course, after all, this is the sort of book that can’t be a laugh riot 100 percent of the time: in all seriousness, as the novel points out, thousands of innocent people’s lives were at stake. And what the novel certainly does is shine a light on the human consequences of nuclear testing aboveground in the southwestern U.S. and how people and animals (such as livestock) were affected during this period by developing weird forms of cancers. It may seem evident that anything having to do with atomic bombs is dangerous in retrospect, but The Bitter Past points out that the dangers — even if only theoretical at the time — were ignored by the U.S. government in trying to win an arms race between the two global superpowers. The reminder is necessary, especially within the context of the war in the Ukraine — though this novel is partially set in 2017, a few years before that war and the pandemic.

Even though there aren’t too many things that are amiss with The Bitter Past, it has a bit of a perverse worldview on all things sexual. Borgos doesn’t seem to think there’s a problem with police officers mixing “business with pleasure” if you know what I’m referring to, though I could point out that it does cost one of the characters in the end. The other thing is there’s a subplot involving a polygamy sect that is presented in a way that is anything but harmful: we’re told that marrying more than one woman is okay if nobody is being abused in any way — even if some of these wives are little more than teenagers. Um. Ah. Er. Well, whatever. And if I were wanting to be churlish, I could point out that the real identity of the Soviet agent is a bit of a humdinger (how could anyone not be able to tell?). It’s the result of the author withholding key information from the reader and is probably not the sort of thing that would work well on the big screen. These small (?) complaints aside, this is a fun and enjoyable book. It truly is an amazing and accomplished work for bringing together so many disparate strands together into one sleek package. One thing is for sure: you can sign me up for any sequels to this book. It’s quite good, criticisms be damned, and I want more, more, more!

3.75 stars

Exciting debut featuring a rural Nevada sheriff who has an interesting history in military intelligence in Russia. The Nevada atomic test site is part of his territory, and his father was sheriff before him. Sheriff Porter Beck is a complex but appealing character.

There is over the top action, a lot of Cold War and Atomic Age history, and plenty of violence. Beck is smart and savvy and seems like he would be a good guy to work for. When an FBI agent shows up investigating something going back decades, Beck is good at distinguishing the cold reality from the agent's not-that-believable story.

There are a couple of big plot surprises which I didn't figure out and pretty fast pacing. I would read another Porter Beck. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was an entertaining book that is set in the high desert of Nevada. Definitely not something I normally read.
Dual timelines, one takes place in the present the other in the 1950's during testing of nuclear bombs.
Characters that you can like, mystery, twists and thrills.
Suspense and a crime thriller, historical fiction all mixed together.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this book.

Porter Beck is the sheriff in the high desert of Nevada, north of Las Vegas. He left the small town that he grew up in and went away to the Army where he worked in intelligence. Now, he's back to live a quiet life doing what his father did until he retired. Now there is a mysterious death and a strange FBI Agent in town. There are ties to the nuclear age at the crime scene, but what do they mean?

THE BITTER PAST is told by Porter Beck, a sheriff in the high desert north of Las Vegas, Nevada. He’s got an interesting past - notably, working in the Army in Intelligence. Porter took over the job of his father as the county sheriff and it’s been a quiet job until a retired FBI agent is found murdered.

The story is told in dual timelines - the 1950s and the present, detailing how a Russian spy infiltrated the nuclear testing site and how someone is now still looking for this old spy to figure out what happened. I was initially put off by the alternate chapters that were set in the 1950s because I didn’t understand how it all tied together.

THE BITTER PAST is such a neat read with elements of espionnage and historical fiction mixed into a police procedural. As the novel progresses, everything began to click for me and I really enjoyed all aspects of the story. Admittedly, I was slow on the uptake and didn’t entirely understand how the present timeline and the past timeline tied together for quite sometime… and when it did, I was still entirely surprised by the twists. These are all good things!

Bruce Borgos’ writing is strong and captivating, hooking the reader in from early on as the ante is upped as the investigation progresses. I enjoyed many of the characters introduced in this novel and am eager to see how Porter and his deputies carry on in subsequent instalments of this series.

<i>I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, Minotaur Books, of this advanced digital copy for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review! All opinions expressed are my own.</i>

The story begins when Sheriff Porter Beck is called to the isolated home of retired FBI Agent Ralph Atterbury where he finds Atterbury has been tortured to death. Atterbury had been researching a crime that had happened in 1957 which concerned nuclear testing and a Russian spy.

When the FBI in the person a Sana Locke shows up, Beck finds himself in the middle of the sort of investigation he thought he had left behind him when he retired from the Army. Someone is looking for a Russian agent left over from 1957 and wants to find him very badly, badly enough to leave a trail of dead elderly men behind him.

Beck is the perfect man for this job. He has an eidetic memory and experience in intelligence having worked in Russia while he was in the service. His only problem is that he was forced to retire from the Army because he suffers from night blindness which he is keeping from his fellow police officers and everyone else.

I really enjoyed the flashbacks to 1957 told from the viewpoint of the Russian spy sent to discover the U.S.'s nuclear secrets. I liked that he found that he couldn't do what he had been sent to do after coming to know some people and falling in love with the top scientist's daughter.

The story was filled with twists and turns including a father who was the sheriff on the county before Beck and whose dementia is increasing. I liked his adopted sister and his relationship with her. I liked Beck's twisty brain.

I will be eager to read more books in this series when they become available.

It began with a grisly torture and murder of a former FBI agent. Sheriff Porter Beck had seen more than his share of gruesome crime scenes. But nothing could compare to what was in front of him. And the motive befuddled him until FBI agent Sana Locke showed up at his office doorstep looking to investigate the crime.

When crime scene evidence began to point toward covert operations dating back to the nuclear testing era, Sheriff Beck and Agent Locke team up to solve not only the murder, but also that secrets that lay behind it.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Bitter Past. The novel combined two genres that I love — historical fiction, and mysteries/thrillers.

The story unfolds through dual timelines and dual points of view. This method of storytelling works excellently for this particular novel. Not only did I get transported back in time to learn of the historical significance on the present day crime, the dual points of view really united and blended everything perfectly.

There are numerous characters with a number of aliases. I stumbled in the beginning. But as the story progressed, it got easier to navigate and identify each of them. I did like the main character of Porter Beck and going forward, Porter will probably evolve into someone who I would admire due to his snarky humor and deductive skills.

The Bitter Past is the first novel in the Porter Beck series. It certainly won’t be my last. Four solid stars.

I received a DRC from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.