A solid second installment, but can be read as a stand-alone. We get an update on Porter Beck, the new changes to his staff, and another mystery or two to solve during wildfires. We meet a high school friend of Porter’s, who seems to have more money than he should. We meet an incarcerated teen who has multiple layers. A new law enforcement official and possible romantic interest arrives. Brinley makes an appearance and does get a little revenge.

A lot was going on in this book between hacked drones, gun running, and fentanyl overdoses. Some parts of the story were a bit of a reach, but not completely unbelievable. I look forward to seeing more of Porter Beck in the future.

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

A great second book in the series…

I really (really) liked the first book in Bruce Borgos’ Porter Beck series, The Bitter Past, and that set an insanely high standard for the second book, Shades of Mercy. And Shades of Mercy came very close, and the thing that bumped it down just a teeny bit was not its fault at all, but my own idiosyncrasy. So I almost didn’t mention it, but in the end, I felt like it would give a more complete look at the book if I did.

First the good, and there’s lots of it! Just like A Bitter Past, Shades of Mercy is a compelling and somewhat unusual combination of spy story and mystery, even though (or perhaps because) one of the first dead bodies is not a human at all, but instead is an $80,000 prize bull. Even odder, that expensive cow was killed by a hacked military drone, which creates nasty worries about what – or who – might be next. And thus the wild ride begins. There are Chinese agents hanging around, worries about drugs moving through the sparsely populated Nevada desert, and a teen-age hacker, who may or may not have been connected to the drone. Sheriff Porter Beck’s background with military intelligence helps him navigate the government’s involvement, and some solid investigative work from his team helps too.

What I missed, though, were the historical ties to the Cold War and the Nevada Test Site, which had resonated with me so much in A Bitter Past, due to my own personal interests and experience. But, as I said at the start of this review, that’s not Shades of Mercy’s fault at all. In fact, many folks may prefer this second book, where the storytelling, without the dual-timeline thing of the first book, felt even tighter. In any case, if you like thrillers with a nice dash of mystery too, you’ll like both of these books.

I want to thank Minotaur Books and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read review copies of both books in this series, and I very much hope there will be a third to read someday soon.

2.75 Stars
I was offered this book but didn't realize it was book 2 in the series. Luckily when I accepted the book, I was also given access to book 1. Porter Beck is the sheriff in a small town in Nevada. In the first book, he solved the murder of a former FBI agent and figured out how it was connected to a Russian spy from the 1950's. While it was a slow start, I was really looking forward to reading Shades of Mercy.

The story opens with Porter Beck dealing with the overdose deaths of two locals, one his childhood best friend. At nearly the same time there is an explosion of a prize bull on the ranch of another childhood friend who has recently returned to the community. The explosion was caused by the a drone hijacker targeting him. In investigating this he finds that there a 16 year old girl at a youth detention facility in his county, serving a sentence for hacking into the system of the Federal Reserve. It appears that she has the talent to have hijacked the drone, but has no access to a computer or any digital device, and no motive that they can find.

This book was faster paced than the first in the series, which I liked. But it had more and more things happen as the story went on that it started to feel a bit overplayed. There were drug dealers, cartel, Chinese spies, wildfires, kidnapping, drones shooting at cars, etc. More complicated than was necessary in my opinion. Regardless, I really like some of the characters and will read book 3 when it comes out.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest reviww.

Hooked again! 5 amazing stars! 🤩
This series continues to hold me captive and provides a gripping action story that doesn't let up for a minute!

Last year at this time, readers were introduced in <b>The Bitter Past</b> to Porter Beck, a courageous and fearless sheriff in a small town in Nevada who never gives up in his quest for justice and righting wrongs. In this second book in the series, <b>Shades of Mercy</b>, Bruce Burgos brilliantly crafts a multilayered ingenious plot and story that ripples through multiple lives. It includes drug smuggling, gun running, computer hacking, and kidnapping. Even friends and neighbors may be on the opposite side of the law.

Bold, thrilling, suspenseful and action packed. The excitement will keep you glued to the page and the characters will keep you coming back for more. I can't wait for the next book in this series! You definitely don't want to miss this one!

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press-Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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

This is the second installment in the Porter Beck series. I did have the opportunity to read the first book, The Bitter Past, and I highly recommend both! You do not need to read the first book to follow along in this one but I do recommend that you read it at some point.

Porter Beck, ex Military Intelligence, is now a sheriff in the Nevada desert where he has taken over for his father who is suffering from dementia. Sheriff Beck is taking care of his dad, deals with his wayward adopted sister who has returned to his life, and his new partner, Columbo, a failed police dog.

In this book, an old friend of the Sheriff dies of a drug overdose, and another has his cattle ranch attacked by a drone that has apparently been hacked. As he investigates, the Sheriff finds a young hacker, Mercy Vaughn who is incarcerated in a juvenile detention center. When Mercy suddenly goes missing, the Sheriff goes after her.

This is another faced paced, suspenseful thriller! I loved the mix of mystery, thriller and police procedure! Looking to more in this series!!!

Second in series, I’m loving the adventures of Sheriff Porter Beck and crew in the high desert of Nevada.

Beck is pulled into two investigations here…one is the infusion of an even deadlier form of fentanyl into his community, and the second involves national security drone hackers. The drug issue is personal (he’s lost a friend to it), the drone issue can prove deadly for innocents as well as presenting an open door for hostile nations.

Beck is spread thinly as some of his 12-person team has been pulled for forest fire fighting assistance, but with the aid of those left, his firearm afficiando sister, a DPS detective, a brilliant 16-year-old girl and his new canine partner Columbo, he tracks down the villains and gets the job done.

I do hope Borgos continues on with this series. It features good, solid writing, well thought out/planned storylines, and interesting and engaging characters (main AND co-stars)…the humor is also a big bonus. Beck is a complex, compelling and a little mysterious man that I’m looking forward to learning more about (fingers crossed).

Highly recommended, but do yourself a favor and start with the first book The Bitter Past.

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

Where do I start ? WOW WOW WOW!

This was a thrill ride, wowza. I intend to follow this series as I was blown away by the characters the story and also twists. This get a very big RECOMMENDATION from me. 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

A military drone gets hijacked and a sheriff grapples with overdose deaths in his town. There's no way these could be connected right? Well the catch is a teenage whiz hacker might just be the one to untie the knots in sheriff Beck's town.

P.s special place in my heart for Beck as he comes to terms with his deteriorating eyesight (i happen to know about his condition), plus some comedic moments with his adorable partner ☺️😉

Solid 5 stars!

Thanks to publishers St Martins Press for this amazing ARC!!! Beyond grateful
SHADES OF MERCY OUT JULY 16TH!!!!!

This is the second book in the Porter Beck series. While The Bitter Past (book 1) was action packed from beginning to end, this installment in the series took a little longer to rev up. Once past the first half, the book became faster paced and I was locked in through the final pages.

I'm a stickler for reading a series in order and I think you always get more out of each book by having the backstory of the characters. However, even though it's the second book in a series, I feel that this could be read on its own without the reader feeling that they are missing crucial information.

I look forward to book 3 to hopefully continue Porter Beck's story and the other characters that I'm growing to love.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Shades of Mercy is a great second thriller in the developing Sheriff Porter Beck series. Be prepared for lots of action! Set in rural Nevada, Beck runs an understaffed department that is currently overwhelmed with fires and fentanyl overdoses. When a high school friend is one of the fentanyl casualties, he becomes very motivated to find who is supplying it. Add to the mix a mysterious drone hack that kills a friend’s bull (bringing the feds in), Mexican drug cartels, and Chinese spies and soon enough Beck has his hands full. But with a military investigative background, Beck tends to be underestimated…

The plot of this thriller develops slowly but builds as the story takes shape, moving at a brisk pace without any downtime. The narrative flows well and keeps the reader in the middle of the action, gaining intrigue and momentum as things get more complex. Definitely worth reading, two books in and Mr. Borgos has already become one of my favorite authors!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press / Minotaur books for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review!

I'm not sure about my feelings for this book. Even though Portor Beck is having some medical issues that make him feel more human, it seems like he is basically a perfect Sheriff. One of his old friends is involved and when Beck goes out to question him he just knows that something else is going on. There is a hacker and as soon as he questions a girl who is good with computers he knows she's the hacker.
The only question he needs the answers to is why Jesse was targeted and why this girl is in the middle.
This made it hard for me to feel connected to Beck, and want to follow him through this investigation. Most of the answers Beck just already knew or suspected and I wanted more investigating.
I did enjoy the mystery itself, and one character in particular, Brinley. She steals whatever scenes she's in, and if she were the main character I think I would have enjoyed this story a whole lot more.
I think I might give this series one more book. I'm intrigued with the way it ended and the opportunity that was presented to Beck. I'm curious to see if he takes it, and what could happen from that decision.

We're back in the Nevada desert with Sheriff Porter Beck who's trying to track down the source of the latest illegal drug that most recently took the life of his good friend. In addition, strange occurrences are wreaking havoc, and it's up to Beck to figure out who's behind it. As the clues pile up, Beck is lead to Mercy Vaughn, a teenage hacker currently residing in a juvenile lockup. This plot makes for an edge-of-the-seat, exhilarating ride.

The first Beck novel consumed me, and I was happy to get my hands on this one. One of the things I love about this gifted storyteller is the way he humanizes his characters, thereby creating a strong emotional connection with the reader. Beck's father, his sister, and the deputies working with him were all so vivid and lifelike I felt like I knew them personally. He then tempers the intense action with laugh-out-loud humor, giving us a well-rounded, satisfying read.

The subtext of this riveting story is also a caution and reminder that with technological progress in our society comes potential peril that we'd do well to heed. If something like this happened in my town, Sheriff Beck is just the man I’d want on the job. Sign me up for more Porter Beck, because I need more of this thrilling, phenomenal, adrenaline-fueled fictional world!

Bruce Borgos continues to excite and engage readers with Shades of Mercy, his suspenseful and action-packed second book in the Porter Beck crime thriller and police procedural series. Beck is the sheriff of Lincoln County, Nevada, a dry and sparsely populated county in the high desert. He has a twelve-person department covering territory nearly the size of the state of Maryland. If you think that not much is happening in the county, think again. A childhood friend of Beck’s has succumbed to a strong drug and another one, a successful rancher, has been targeted by a hacked military drone. However, that is just the beginning.

Borgos is adept at creating strong male and female characters. Beck is fluent in several languages due to his previous military career and has an incredible ability to think critically and analyze data quickly. He has initiative, is patient, and has a degenerative disease of the retina that significantly affects his eyesight at night and in poor lighting. It was interesting to see how he deals with the condition as he does his job. This added another layer to his character. The secondary characters also have depth. I loved Beck’s newest partner, a young English Lab named Frank Columbo or Bo for short.

The world-building is terrific with fluid and descriptive writing that helps readers envision the scenes without adversely affecting the pacing. There was a strong sense of place causing me to feel as though I was experiencing the events alongside the characters. The dynamic plot has a tremendous amount of conflict and action that kept me engaged throughout. It is twisty and has exciting scenes, multiple antagonists, and an incredible setting.

Borgos is an excellent storyteller who brings an intensity and action throughout the novel, but also intersperses some humor and some thought-provoking events. The author surprised this reader with the epilogue that makes me anxious to find out what happens in the next book in the series. Interspersed into the story are themes of family, death, friendships that run out of juice, lies, found family, dementia, grief, lost opportunities, and much more.

Overall, this was intriguing, gritty, suspenseful, and action-packed with compelling characters and great world-building that kept me rapidly turning the pages as I sat on the edge of my seat. With exciting scenes and fascinating story lines that converge, this fantastic crime thriller was intense and dramatic. It kept me on an emotional rollercoaster throughout the novel. I’m thrilled I’ve found this series and can’t wait to read the next book. If you’re a fan of contemporary crime thrillers and police procedurals set in a rural western U.S. locale, then this is a series to read.

St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books and Bruce Borgos provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for July 16, 2024. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

Shades of Mercy is book 2 in the Porter Beck Mystery series by Bruce Borgos.
I loved book one The Bitter Past and book two was just as great.
SoM is a well-written, entertaining, fast paced, police procedural, mystery novel with unforgettable characters.
I found the entire book fascination. The characters were engaging and believable. Excellent suspense just kept climbing up.
I hope to see a book three in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Shades of Mercy is the 2nd book in the Sheriff Porter Beck series from Bruce Borgos. I really liked the first book, The Bitter Past, and was looking forward to this one.

"A childhood friend of Sheriff Beck's dies from illegal opioids. Another friend is targeted by the takeover of a government drone. Beck doesn't know any hackers with that ability, especially that call him by name. His investigation leads him to Mercy Vaughn, a hacker with some big rumors surrounding her. The problem is that she is locked up in a detention facility with no access to a computer. But when Mercy disappears, Beck knows that she is in danger and time is running out for all of them."

Borgos gives us a wild story - a teenage hacker with a murky past, Mexican drug cartels, Government alphabet agencies, Chinese spies - and a Sheriff that cares about doing the right thing. This is a fast-paced story and reads quickly. Beck is a great character with an interesting background and a medical issue that he refuses to let slow him down. There is justice and a surprising ending. (You may guess the what but not the how) Who knew so many wild things could happen outside of Area 51. Great cast of characters.

Another great story from Borgos.

Shades of Mercy by Bruce Borgos

If you enjoy a fast-paced, full of action story, then this book is for you. Porter Beck is once again caught up in a mess near his place in Nevada. Did some pyrotechnics get out of hand on July 4, or was it something more sinister? Beck is called on to find out.

This entanglement has many players-some good, some bad. There are airplanes, helicopters, foot chases, weapons, cyber espionage and international concerns. Beck’s eyesight is worsening, so he counts on his instincts more and more, especially in the dark.

Beck’s talented step-sister Brinley has a large role, along with Charlie Blue Horse, Beck’s long time best friend Jesse, a couple of teen-agers and a dog, believe it or not. It all falls into place by the end of a tale that will keep you, dear reader, on the run as well. A solid four stars from me on this Borgos winner.

4.5 stars

This is a great book that is part of a fantastic series, and I am already excited for future installments.

Porter Beck is an intriguing character, and while this book can be read as a standalone, I strongly recommend reading the predecessor first. My favorite part of that one was getting to know this character and his family, and the one thing I wanted more of in this book is more time in that realm. That noted, like the first book, this one is well paced, filled with mysterious and surprisingly developed characters, and infused with some good suspense.

There is some challenging animal-related content, and while it is not persistent, it is pretty overpowering in one scene. Likeminded readers who hate this kind of content can skip right through it and not lose critical plotting.

I continue to be a fan of this character and this series and hope to get even more access to Porter's mind and his family as we proceed.

Book 2 in the Porter Beck series is as much a win as the first book.

Marcy is still dealing with the aftermath of the murder of her lover. And while she investigates whats going on with the possibility that twin brothers have murdered their mom. The problem is, they won't talk about it. To add to the pressure Marcy's ex husband is now her supervisor at work, and making it almost impossible for Marcy to do her job! Things get even worse when he physically attacks Marcy!

Highly recommend the Porter Beck books! Excellent writing, action packed with plenty of twists and turns through out the story

A terrific, complex topical read featuring great characters and a twisty plot. Sheriff Porter Beck is coping as best he can with his retinitis pigmentosa, his dad's dementia, and his too few law enforcement officers when something very weird happens-an incredibly valuable steer is blown into the earth, a DOD investigator shows up, and a odd email is in his inbox. How is Mercy Vaughn, a genius of a hacker, connected to the takeovers of a USG drone? And what is Beck's old pal doing out on that ranch? And what's the connection to China? This needs to be read without any spoilers because there are a lot (a lot) of twists and unexpected events. The characters are terrific (I'm a big fan of his sister Brimley), there humor, there's atmospherics (the desert, a mine), and you, like me, might learn something. You'll find yourself rooting for what is essentially a rag tag gang of people trying to do the right thing. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is a real page turner- great read.

This book was fast-paced, action packed and an absolutely gripping read! The storyline kept me on the edge of seat flipping pages eager to try and solve the mystery right alongside the main characters.
The writing style was gritty, intense, atmospheric and full of twists and turns. The characters were both complex and memorable. I think this is book is definitely worth checking out if you enjoy reading Mystery Thrillers!

Thank you Bruce Borgos, Net Galley and St. Martin's Press-Minotaur Books for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Although I hate not starting at the beginning of a series - I didn't realize until I was too far in that I was reading a second book. This one stands perfectly well on its own.

Sheriff Beck has his hands full - and aging father, a wild sister and his own loss of sight. Then he is plunged into wildfires, the death of an old school friend, another friend who is suddenly and unexplainably wealthy and a government agent looking for a hacker!

What a story! It started a little slow - but once it got going - it went!