Shades of Mercy —the follow-up to Bruce Borgos’ Potter Beck series — shows Borgos is no one-hit wonder. Beck — the sheriff of a twelve-department force in the high desert of Nevada where he grew up — is dealing with the death of a childhood friend — when something falls out of the sky and kills a cow of a successful rancher. Being a former military officer, Beck knows a missile strike when he sees one and starts asking questions — which leads him to Mercy Vaughn —a teenage hacker who supposedly took over a drone. However, Mercy was in juvie with no computer access after she was caught stealing $1B. Incredulous, Beck senses something very wrong and knows she is in danger when Mercy disappears. A deadly and violent conspiracy is happening in his county, and he’ll be damned if he doesn’t do something about it.

Honestly, the beginning of the book is my life story. Besides the dying part. And it was disconcerting. Being a ‘former’ drug addict, I’m always interested in how authors navigate the subject. Borgos handled it with grace and compassion. Not everyone does, so thank you!

After my favorite book last year — The Bitter Past — Shades of Mercy was highly anticipated. I wanted it to be great, and it is. Interesting, timely, and fast-paced, Shades uses multiple — but different — crises ranging from low-tech to high-tech to give readers plenty to chew on. It would be easy to wade into the weeds but Borgos keeps it tight and on track.

I can’t recommend Bruce Borgos and Shades of Mercy enough. I look forward to seeing what Borgos has in store!

Thank you Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Shades of Mercy!

Shades of Mercy is another modern western in the Nevada desert starring Sheriff Porter Beck. Dealing with night blindness, Beck might be at a disadvantage but he’s never out for the count. Most of the bad guys see him as an unassuming, small town sheriff but Beck uses his keen powers of observation to solve the hardest of cases with a memorable flair. The latest case involves old friends, a young hacker, intelligence officers, and the drug cartel for an unpredictable, wild ride that brings lots of action the desert landscape. I love me some Porter Beck mysteries and hope this is a long lived series. My voluntary, unbiased, and non mandatory review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

Good read, excellent continuance of this series. I look forward to reading the next book.

4☆

Loved the first book in the Porter Beck series and I couldn't wait to get started with this one. Loved it even more!! Lots of action and suspense. I really enjoy the personal relationships Porter has with his family and the community. This is a great series and I hope there are many more to come!

Porter Beck returns to his home in the desert of Nevada after many years away. His father, who was the sheriff in town, has retired, and Porter has taken over as sheriff. Porter finds that the town is as it used to be, and he is faced with a number of challenges. The town has been hit with a wave of extremely potent opioids which has taken the life of one of his childhood friends. Another of his friends was targeted by a military drone and his ranch was being commandeered by an unknown hacker.
Beck discovered that the local hacker was Mercy Vaughn, a teenager without computer access who was being held in a secure juvenile detention center. While Beck is trying to figure out how she could be hacking without a computer, she suddenly goes missing. Afraid for her life, Beck and his twelve-person department race against time to find her.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is the second book in the series however I didn’t read the first and feel like it isn’t vital in order to read this one. The plot is great and fast paced. The characters are well developed and enjoyable.

Book 2 in the series, but reading Book 1 is not vital. Well-connected story with lots of action going on and a variety of characters to bring interest to almost everyone. The sheriff, Porter Beck, carries the story from start to finish with strength of character that dominates.

Fantastic!

Shades of Mercy is gripping, high stakes, intriguing...all those wonderful things you look for in a thriller. For me, the best part of the book is Beck. He's such a strong character. I think Borgos did a great job with all the characters, I feel like we got to know some of the older characters a little better, and we got to meet some fresh, fun new ones.

Plot wise, I love that I didn't figure everything out. In order for the book to work, there are some things that have to be alluded to in the beginning, so there are some pieces of the plot you can work out before the characters do, but not everything, and that added to the chaos of the last quarter of the book. The plot is fast paced, crazy, and completely bewitching.

Borgos second installment in his Porter Beck is even better than the first, and I can't wait to see what the next book has in store. Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC, I'm sharing my opinions voluntarily.

this is a mystery with many surprises and twists. the characters are interesting and believable. lots of action and suspense. It does not shine a good light on the military interagency . Computer hackers and drug and arm dealers. something for everyone!

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

When a military drone crashes onto Jesse Roy’s Double J Ranch in the midst of Shiloah Roy’s seventeenth birthday celebration, a prize bull is its sole victim. At the same time, Sheriff Porter Beck mourns the loss of a friend, another in a string of drug deaths plaguing the town.

Who hacked into the drone and caused the crash? Could it have been a local hacker? Sheriff Beck learns that sixteen-year-old Mercy Vaughn has the skill, but is detained in the local Youth Center and has no access to a computer.

Or does she?

As the investigation continues. Sheriff Beck finds himself with more questions than answers . . . and growing doubts about Mercy.

=========

Although this is the second book in the author’s Porter Beck Mystery series, there is sufficient backstory for the story to work well as a standalone. Nonstop action and well-defined, believable characters pull readers into the telling of the tale. Of special note is Beck’s English Lab partner, Columbo, who had washed out of the county’s K-9 Drug Academy.

With its strong sense of place and a complex, intriguing plot, the unfolding narrative keeps readers turning pages as fast as possible. Filled with secrets, lies, and unexpected twists, the suspenseful tale is both entertaining and unputdownable.

Readers who enjoy fast-paced stories full of action, tension, and suspense . . . along with a bit of international spy intrigue . . . will find much to appreciate in this thriller that keeps them guessing right up to the immensely satisfying denouement.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
#ShadesofMercy #NetGalley

PUBLICATION DAY: July 16, 2024

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

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

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

5 Stars

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

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

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

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

Thank you to NetGalley for the ebook ARC.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Looking forward to more!