Teach me to feel another's woe, to hide the fault I see, that mercy I to others show, that mercy show to me.

This all came to together very well for me. Porter Beck is the anchor. A sheriff that knows his community, served his country, and to be honest as a knack when he is offered a load of crap.

His county is suffering from the drug cartel. Friends and neighbors are dying. When the feds come to visit on a "situation" that includes a long time friend now Rancher, Beck makes a call to the ranch. The crap sensor is on full alert which leads to a young girl in a juvenile dentition center. Mercy has some special gifts (hacking computers) and a friendship with the rancher's daughter. I won't get in detail about Mercy's background but what struck me is she is Chinese with a western look. The book explained her roots which I found fascinating and wondered if there is any truth to this tribe of Chinese people. There were others that were fascinated by Mercy and her background as well. Porter has taken a special interest in Mercy because of the case. Is she a victim or a enemy? Is she a friend or foe? Layers upon layers with this one.

The plot well driven by character and I found myself not wanting to put the book down.

A special thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

What a ride!! Action packed and full of suspense. A good amount of characters/suspects. Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this book.

This second addition to the Porter Beck series was a great follow up! The points I want to highlight on it are:

- Beck's continued loss of sight. He's now completely blind in the dark, and eventually his regular sight will fade as well. To help combat this, he's brought on Columbo, a dog who failed in all other police categories, but who Beck might just be able to train to be his eyes. Fingers crossed.

- The group that makes up the Lincoln County police force. They might not always get along, or push each other's buttons, but they're a solid group of people with well rounded skills. And they always have Beck's back.

- The research. You can tell the work's been put in, and it shows. Even if a lot of it goes over my head.

- The support of the firefighters. Hot shots get more attention, but after living in an area that's been more impacted by forest fires, my estimation of wild land firefighters has only grown. I felt that there was so much respect given to the work they do, as well as highlighting just how much the police force in an area can be involved.

- The cyber/hacking element was so well done. Are these things that I wouldn't have spent a moment of thinking about? Of course, but it was presented in a way that made you realize the threat it could present, as well as coming across as perfectly believable. These were characters who knew their stuff, and again the way the case unfolded was top notch.

Once again, Beck's knowledge of his land, and the people on his side, gave him the chance he needed as more people joined in the chase for Mercy.

Great job, and thank you once again for the ARC through NetGalley from St. Martin's Press. I'll definitely be here for the next book as well!

I really enjoyed The Bitter Past so I was happy to pick up Porter Beck’s second book. With a compelling twist on the crime genre, Porter is a sheriff that is losing his eyesight.

Both books are action packed and Porter is such a relatable character. Borgos does such a great job of painting a picture of the setting and what’s happening. It felt like I was in the middle of it.

Set in the desert of Nevada, Beck has a small team and a lot of ground to defend, but he’s crack at keeping up with all that happens.

A suspenseful read and very entertaining.

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. After serving in Army intelligence, Beck has returned to his hometown in the high desert as sheriff, a position once held by his elderly father who is in beginning stages of dementia. Porter has retinitis pigmentosa which makes him virtually blind at night. Lincoln County, Nevada is usually a quiet place. But Porter no sooner returns from discovering a childhood friend dead by illegal fentanyl when another friend’s ranch is targeted by a hacked drone and his prize bull is blown up. The hacker is a teenager residing in a detention center who happens to be friends with the rancher’s daughter and it turns out she is not just any hacker, she has a nefarious background. There is never a dull moment. Serious topics are discussed but it never feels too dark or heavy. There are some imaginative and interesting scenes involving cattle. They're probably not for the faint of heart, but I didn't mind. I also found the talk about battling fires interesting, and I love how everything came together. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and Minotaur Books

Shades of Mercy by Bruce Borgos is the second book in the Porter Beck series. I wasn't aware of that when I read this, I think reading the first book might have been helpful to know the back story. It is a fast paced mystery with some unexpected twists. It is a timely story with cyber crimes and drugs involved.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my review copy.

This book was a joy to read. I enjoyed the way the story flowed and I had a few moments that kind of made me question a few things. The characters were very interesting and I had smile quite a few times. This author really knows how to tell a story that will captivate you from the very beginning. I highly recommend this book and this author.

The sheriff in this small town is surrounded by memories. Those he grew up with and his family. As the book starts off he is challenged by wildfires and drug overdoses that are sky-rocketing in his community. Someone is supplying. As the story continues a young woman with almost super powers in technology is revealed, a teenager that may be hijacking and controlling some of the nation's highest tech. Porter is challenged to find her, control her, and protect her. Why is she at the controls in this most intriguing tale of cat and mouse. Thoroughly enjoy this book. If you are looking for an adventure story check this one out, then hold onto your socks. It will take you places! Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this great read!

This is a well-written, entertaining, fast paced, police procedural, mystery thriller. It has a likable and intelligent male protagonist, engaging secondary characters, a supportive canine, wit, a touch of humor, vividly described settings, murder, intrigue, suspense, secrets, action, twists and turns, and a satisfying conclusion.

This is the second in the series of Porter Beck & while I don’t think it’s necessary to read the first one, I would have enjoyed reading it before this one.
Porter Beck is the sheriff in Nevada, doing the best he can with twelve people total in his department covering a large, but quiet area of town.
Between dealing with drug smugglers, a computer hacker taking control of a drone wreaking havoc on a ranchers operations & government agents with their own agendas at play…it’s been anything BUT quiet in Porter Beck’s domain lately.
The plot felt pretty complex to me, maybe because there was a lot going on. However I did feel like the author truly knew what he was doing in weaving the storyline together.
I enjoyed getting to know more about Porter and his family, especially because I went into this book essentially blind.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the police procedural aspects of it as well. enjoyed as a standalone.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for the digital review copy via NetGalley & the author!

In the high desert of Nevada, Sheriff Porter Beck has his work cut out for him with his newest case or is it cases. Can a string of seemly unrelated events be related? With several dying from fentanyl overdoses, hacking at the highest level, a missing teen and a rancher that's oddly swimming in money, nothing is adding up. There's no need to fear, Beck is smarter than some think and he's like dog with a bone, not willing to give up until the end, but will it be a bitter one? With a cast of great characters, Borgos takes us on a thrilling ride that's jam packed with breath holding action from start to finish. While this is the second in a series, it can very much be read as a stand alone and has this reader ready to dive into book number one to see what I missed! Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of Shades of Mercy by Bruce Borgos in exchange for an honest review. I'm really enjoying this series and how much more fleshed out the characters are in the second book. This book has wildfires, drug running, spies and romance. A very entertaining and interesting read.

I enjoyed my time with Sheriff Beck. This book starts off with overdoses and doesn’t let up from there. From the first chapter I was hooked and ready to go along for the ride. I recommend this book.

When I finished reading The Bitter Past (Porter Beck, #1) by Bruce Borgos, I wasn’t sure how Bruce Borgos planned to write another book in this series that would come close to topping The Bitter Past. I shouldn’t have worried. Not only did Shades of Mercy (Porter Beck, #2) meet my expectations, it surpassed them. Shades of Mercy was a fast paced police procedural mystery thriller that had me hooked from the very beginning. Bruce Borgos once again masterfully created compelling characters, some old friends from the first book and some new ones as well. Among the new characters was an English Lab, Sheriff Porter Beck’s trusty assistant that he nicknamed Bo, short for Frank Colombo. His team was now twelve strong. All twelve members of his team had the Sheriff’s back and were willing to do whatever was expected of them. That included fighting the fires that were raging throughout the county. Sheriff Porter Beck was ready and determined to tackle anything that affected his county. He went about doing it in his calm, patient and methodical manner. Sheriff Porter Beck rarely got flustered or lost his temper. He tended to rely on his army training and instincts. Sheriff Porter Beck found himself at a disadvantage at times. He was suffering from a degenerative disease of the retina that affected his sight at night and in darkened places. This condition was getting worse and Beck knew it.

Shades of Mercy centered around two crimes that hit a personal nerve with Sheriff Beck. Both crimes involved friends of his that he had known for years. One of those friends lost his life in a drug overdose. Porter Beck suspected that the fentanyl laced opioids that had killed his friend were being sold illegally. He was determined to discover who was behind this. Then on the Fourth of July, Beck learned that another friend suffered a loss. A military drone had been hijacked and programmed to make a direct hit on a very expensive prize bull on his friend Jesse’s ranch. Why would someone want to purposely kill and target a bull? That occurrence brought government officials to Lincoln Counry to investigate who could have hacked into military equipment and taken control of the drone. After sharing the information with his adoptive sister, Porter Beck was introduced to Mercy Vaughn, a hacker, who had been incarcerated at the juvenile detention center. With no computer accessible to Mercy, could she have had anything to do with the hacked drone? That was Sheriff Porter Beck’s job to find out.

Shades of Mercy (Porter Beck, #2) by Bruce Borgos was full of action, suspenseful scenes and had several twists and turns throughout. Bruce Borgos proved once again what a masterful storyteller he is. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. The ending was unexpected yet so satisfying. I loved the hint about what might follow in the next book in this fabulous series. Shades of Mercy portrayed lots of secrets, lies and deceptions. It was about family, friendships, trust, death, drugs, spies, Cartel members and activities, hacking, grief, loyalty and the effects of dementia on the inflicted and the family of the individual. I enjoyed everything about this book and look forward to reading the next book in this series. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for allowing me to read Shades of Mercy by Bruce Borgos through Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

I enjoyed this story! Porter Beck is slowly going blind, but still sheriff in Nevada. People are dying of drug overdoses and then suddenly a hacker is stealing weapons to go after an old friend of Porter’s that seems to be involved.

Lots of action and fascinating characters and while this is second in a series, it was a definite standalone. I look forward to more in this series!

Thanks to the publisher for a review copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sheriff Porter Beck is back in the next book in the series and this book is even better than first. Excellent story line, character development and plot leads to an excellent finish in this thriller. I really enjoyed how the author can include regular dialogue and humor in the book even when they are thriller books. This gives the author so much depth as an author and really allows the authenticity of human beings to show through. I really enjoyed this book and I hope this is not the last we have seen from Porter Beck!

I enjoyed this police procedural/crime thriller, the second in the Porter Beck series. I read this as a standalone and was able to fully enjoy it without needing the backstory in the first novel.

Open western land, drug cartels, hackers and cybersecurity... this was a fast-paced thrill of a read.

There was solid character development (although I would've liked a bit more dimension to the female characters), but still offered plenty of action to keep me entertained.

Porter Beck is an objectively good man with strong morals, which I appreciate. It helped me know that no matter how crazy and tense things got, with him leading the charge there would be resolution.

And I know you can't judge a book by its cover, but can we pause and talk about how gorgeous this cover is?! I love it!

Despite the action and the enticing characters, I'm not sure I'll be seeking out the other novels in the series. Overall, it was good and enjoyable in the moment, but in hindsight I just feel kind of meh about it.

I had trouble with this one. I found it a bit too slow for my liking and I kept putting it down. I tried to power through but ultimately, I gave up and DNF.

When I originally selected to read this, I didn’t realize it was the second in the series. I think jumping out without reading the first put me behind, as I felt I was missing a significant amount of context and was trying to catch up with clues. For this reason, I had a hard time getting into the book as I was more focused on figuring out how everything fit together, than unraveling the mystery. I appreciate the depth of character in Beck, the interpersonal relationships, and the setting. The storyline is very extensive, and there are many interwoven points and twists and turns. It is pretty jam packed once it gets going and perhaps a bit chaotic. Overall an enjoyable read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

Shades of Mercy by Bruce Borgos is the second book in the Porter Beck series. I wish I had known that when I started, I would have read the first one before reading this.
I am a lover of police procedurals and mystery. This somewhat fits the bill, but it felt to drag a little and I found myself slogging through and overly excited to finish. Overall it was a decent read.