Westerns are not my cup of tea, but mysteries are, and this was an enjoyable book. There were several mysteries intertwined along the way that kept you guessing and thinking about who did what to whom, and why. The writing style was comfortable and easy, a book that I could read quickly. With everything from gangsters, to miners, to cowboys, to law enforcement, throw in a love story and you you have something for everyone! This book was an enjoyable, quick escape, by an author that I would turn to again if that’s what I’m looking for. Thank you to NetGalley for the advance read copy.

Porter Beck is a wonderful character, and Bruce Borgos is fantastic at creating thrillers.

One of the best aspects of Borgos' writing is how well he creates a complicated, twisty plot, but keeps it completely readable. The book flies by, even when the plot meanders and turns. I also really like his characters, Beck and his sister, Brin, are very well written and developed.
I was worried that the series would have a hard time supporting multiple books, it is about a small town (but a huge territory), but this book is just as good, if not better than the first.

Can't wait to see what comes next!

When I read the first Porter Beck book and found out it was intended to be the first book in a series, I didn't know how Borgos would write a sequel that would measure up. He did an impressive job and set the bar pretty high. The Blue Horse is really good. I don't know if it's the storyline or the mood I'm in right now, but it didn't seem quite as an exceptional as the first two. That doesn't mean you shouldn't read it. You should. It's still a better book than most procedural mysteries out there. This book has COVID as an underlying storyline, and maybe that was one of my challenges. I don't know if Borgos was writing the book during or shortly after the height of the pandemic, because a lot of books have long lead times before they're published. But reading about the pandemic at its height in a book that's supposed to be contemporary makes it feel dated, even though the worst of it is only about three years in the past. The book is centered around the fight for the rights of wild horses, something that is a legitimate issue in the western part of the country that tends to get overshadowed in most of the country by the focus that's put on wolves. It starts with a helicopter pilot that is shot out of the sky while participating in a roundup. From there it escalates when a second person involved in the wild horse management is murdered. Full disclosure: the second murder that takes place is very grisly in nature and may be disturbing for some readers. It was for me. The murders seem to point quite obviously at members of CANTER, a group opposed to the actions taken against the wild horses, and the Feds that are brought into the case are more than happy to pursue that course. Beck and his significant other, Charlie Blue Horse, feel like that's a little too convenient, and after getting to know more about the two main suspects, are convinced it's a decoy. When they dig deeper it turns out there's other people that could also have a very good reason for wanting people dead, and both Beck and Charlie are in danger when they find out too much. The book also has a secondary storyline with Beck's sister Brinley, who while volunteering on a outdoors form of rehabilitation for high risk teens, goes after a runaway from the group and crosses paths with someone who has knowledge that could be very helpful to Beck. This storyline doesn't pop up until later in the book, and it does feel like it fizzles out more than it should, though it does have an interesting ending to it. The story does also get so heavily focused on Beck, Charlie and the FBI that most of the members of Beck's department seem to end up sitting the book out. I liked the direction Borgos took the book, in that the most obvious suspect isn't necessarily the right one. He also addresses a charged issue that many people don't know much about, and although in the acknowledgements at the end of the book he says he falls hard on one side of the fence, the exploration of the issue itself is pretty objective throughout the book. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

“The Blue Horse” is the third Sheriff Porter Beck mystery I’ve read and they have all been exciting, unusual, and full of appealing characters. This novel begins with Sheriff Beck and his chief deputy, Tuffy Scruggs, riding into the mountains to witness the annual roundup of wild horses. Since quite a few people had strong feelings about this, the sheriff’s department also needed to keep an eye on the protesters.

This would be the last roundup for the sheriff. He is no longer able to see at night and plans to change jobs. Beck’s new job would also have the benefit of placing him closer to a particular woman.

But that’s months away. The sheriff is about to hear a gunshot coming from the area of the wild horses.

“The Blue Horse” is the third volume in Bruce Borgos’ Sheriff Beck series. I would recommend reading them in order. They are page-turners, and the characters do evolve throughout the series.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy of this book. This is my honest review.

I read this courtesy Minotaur Books and NetGalley. In this mystery, Sheriff Porter Beck has to deal with a government-sanctioned wild-horse roundup in the wilds of Nevada, but of course a murder occurs, and more. I hadn’t read any of the previous Beck books, and once I got used to the occasionally clunky style and the mild sexism, I got sucked into the plot. I enjoyed the story and will consider other Porter Beck books in the future.
#BlueHorse #MinotaurBooks #NetGalley

This third entry in the Porter Beck series finds the BLM organizing a round-up of the wild mustangs amid protests by animal rights activists. When a helicopter herding the horses into a canyon suddenly falls out of the sky, suspicion falls onto the protestors. There are almost too many background stories going on: Covid, PTSD, Outward Bound-type camp for troubled teens, and new challenges in Porter's personal life, but Borgos manages to keep the threads separate and clear. I hope this series will continue as it is one of my favorites.

The ongoing characters are added in sequentially, but the twists and amazing revelations about real and devastating problems affecting the high desert of Nevada and environs just reach out and smack the reader in the face. Set in the time of the worst of the Covid pandemic, this is a VERY complex mystery full of smoke and mirrors with convoluted issues that are real and even more relevant today. The story itself grabbed me and wouldn't let go until I finished it. Highly recommend!
I requested and received an uncorrected digital galley from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Pub Date Jul 08, 2025 *****review on #bookbub #goodreads #the.storygraph #librarythingofficial #TheBlueHorse by @authorbruceborgos #PorterBeckBk3 @minotaur_books @stmartinspress #thriller #mystery #bookstagram #porterbeck #suspense #conflict #murders #booksofthewest #triggers #retinitispigmentosa #localandfedlawenforcement

The Blue Horse is the 3rd book in the Sheriff Porter Beck series, and it’s another winner. When a helicopter pilot assisting in a controversial roundup of wild horses is shot down, followed by the federal employee who is in charge of the roundup also killed, Beck is tasked with solving the murders, teaming with his State Police girlfriend and an FBI agent. Beck is stretched thin here, with his staff suffering from the Covid virus, as well as hampered by his own eye affliction and a seriously ill father, and all these elements come into play in this well-written, briskly paced police procedural that addresses several hot button topics, with federal land management central among them. This is an interesting plot, with great characters and several twists that keep the reader fully engaged, and the story is squarely focused on the police investigation and Beck’s relationships, not on boring details or overly extended chases and technical garble. Absolutely loved this one, best of the series, and can be read as a standalone, although you won’t regret starting with the first book. Hope to see more of this outstanding series. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have just discovered a new Western mystery series that I love! I have long read Tony Hillerman, CJ Box, Peter Bowen and Craig Johnson, and Bruce Borgos is a combination of the best of all of these favorites. His latest is entitled, The Blue Horse, which deals with a controversial wild horse round-up in Nevada. Two murders around the Bureau of Land Management round-up bring in the state and federal agencies, but local Sheriff Porter Beck has the local knowledge needed to solve the crimes.

Complicating the mystery, Sheriff Beck has night blindness, a new girlfriend in Detective Charlie Blue Horse, a missing sister and a new job scheduled to begin in a few weeks! The suspects are many as the community has strong feelings both ways about the wild horses, the damage they do and the rights of the animals to the freedom they are used to.

This is the third book in the series – start with The Bitter Past, if you want to read the series in the proper timeline. Borgos lives and writes from Nevada. The Bitter Past won the Lefty Award and the Barry Award for best novel in 2024. I definitely will be going back to start with that novel, but you can start anywhere and be sure to enjoy a quality mystery with tons of setting, character and plot.

My rating: 5 of 5

This ARC title was provided by Netgalley.com at no cost, and I am providing an unbiased review. The Blue Horse will be published on July 8, 2025.

The Blue Horse is the third novel by Borgos in his series featuring Nevada Sheriff Porter Beck. Beck is an unlikely protagonist. He is slowly losing his vision and is almost completely blind at night. That is not a condition his constituents would want in their sheriff, if they were to find out about it. Beck himself is realizing he isn’t the man he once was, and it bothers him greatly. Since returning to Lincoln County and succeeding his father as sheriff, he has considered himself the protector of his family and community. Now his condition is having an impact not only on his career, but on the growing relationship he has with his girlfriend, Detective Charlie Blue Horse. While they struggle to keep their relationship intact, they must deal with the suspicious crash of a helicopter during a controversial wild horse roundup followed by a horrific death by those same stampeding horses. In another part of the county Beck’s sister Brinley goes missing in the high desert while on a team building camping trip for troubled youth. Beck’s search for his sister pulls him into a very dangerous situation at a secretive lithium mine, but luckily for him, Blue Horse and Beck’s deputies come to the rescue. I enjoyed this fast-paced thriller, and I liked the way the author wove current social and environmental topics into the novel along with Beck's personal issues. I would highly recommend it to readers who enjoy the books by C.J. Box, Craig Johnson and Anne Hillerman. I would like to thank Net Galley and the publisher, Minotaur, for an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Porter Beck #3
The Blue Horse by Bruce Borgos

As much as I have enjoyed the first two books of the Porter Beck series, I hesitated to read this third book. I have four horses (actually three now since my 27 year old gelding died two years ago but it's hard to not still count him...give me more time to grieve please) and through all my horse activities and friendships, I'm very acquainted with the plight of wild horses. In the best of times, roundups can be and are deadly for the horses and that is made worse when they are organized by people who have absolutely no care for the welfare of the horses.

So I went into this book knowing I might close my eyes here or there, speed through some parts, and still know I'd be very aware of what was going on when it comes to the horses. Porter Beck is a character who cares about animals and he doesn't like to see them mistreated any more than I do. I'm just writing all of this so that readers will know there are some hard parts to read here but it helps that there is Porter Beck, who will defend animals from abuse while still trying to see all sides of a situation and trying to think through the best way to handle people on both sides of the wild horse argument.

Of course, humans never fare well in this series either. This story takes place during the early days of COVID and reading about what we lived through (and others died from) is a trauma of a different sort. I usually don't like mentions of COVID in stories but this book really incorporates COVID in a very realistic manner. People still trying to live their lives, do their jobs, just get by, while this new and very dangerous situation is affecting everyone in one way or another.

Porter Beck's girlfriend, Detective Charlie Blue Horse, plays a big part in the story and Porter is not sure she wants to continue being his girlfriend. Also, he's in the last days of his current job because he's moving on to work at the same organization that employs Charlie. Porter has his ninety year old father to worry about since his dad is further along with dementia and can't be left alone. At least he has a very good friend who cares for his father as well an Porter can care for him.

The story is full of protests against wild horse roundups and extremely invasive and polluting mine practices. Things have gotten deadly in some extremely horrible ways and people are missing, including Porter's sister. The story never lets up, the tension is high the entire time, I've grown to care about these people and we have no guarantees for who will survive to the end of the story.

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

Good mystery with a satisfying ending. Although it's the first of his books that I've read, Bruce Borgos engaged me from page one. My only quibble is that there were far too many witty metaphors. People don't really talk like that.

Fantastic! My first time reading Mr. Borgos.
I was hooked in the first few paragraphs. Fabulous story line, great writing. Bruce knows how to rope you in.
I couldn't put it down! Now to read the first two books in this series.
I highly recommend!

The Blue Horse by Bruce Brogos is the third installment in the Sheriff Porter Beck series. This one is set in the early days of covid. Beck and his deputy are supervising the round up of wild horses. When the helicopter doing the work crashes, they are close enough to find out the pilot was shot.
Plenty of suspects – the mining company, the advocates for the protection of the wild horse. As Beck investigates, the story heats up. He is also navigating his life, his girlfriend, sister, father, and his eyesight, which is fading.
I have read all the books in the series and this was particularly good. I think you can read it as a standalone, but I enjoyed it more since I had read the first two.
Recommendation

A fascinating, well-written and engaging mystery full of great characters, evocative description and a story that's heart-breaking as well as currently relevant. Even though the story takes place during Covid, it's not about that-- though Borgos uses it well to add complications to the story.

The Blue Horse (A Porter Beck Mystery) by Bruce Borgos

4 stars

368 Pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Fiction (Adult), General Fiction (Adult), Mystery, Thrillers, Police Procedural, Western, Nevada

Porter Beck is the county sheriff of Lincoln County. He and his chief deputy, Tuffy Scruggs, are supervising an authorized wild horse round up. Suddenly the helicopter driving the horses drops from the sky and they realize the pilot was shot. It is the fall of 2020 and the COVID is developing quickly. Porter is dealing with his own health issues – his growing blindness. He is questioning his relationship with girlfriend Charlie Blue. He feels she is pulling away from him. His sister, Brinley, is on a camping trip with a youth group when one of the teenage boys leaves the camp. She must find him and bring him back while fighting the symptoms of COVID.

The story has a fast pace, the characters are well developed, and it is written in the third person point of view. The topic of wild horse round ups is somewhat controversial, but the author does an excellent job staying neutral. This is the third book in the series but I was able to follow along without reading the two previous books.

The Blue Horse: A Porter Beck Mystery by Bruce Borgos begins in September 2020. Covid is making an impact and will directly affect the good sheriff of Lincoln County, Nevada, in the coming days and weeks. But in the here and now of this beautiful September morning, Sheriff Beck and Chief Deputy Tuffy Scruggs are on horses are chatting and watching as wild mustangs are being herded for capture.

Sheriff Beck, 48, and with worsening eyesight problems that make him almost blind at night, is soon to be Chief of the Investigative Division of The Department of Public Safety. He is looking forward to the new job though he hates to move on from what he does now. That loss is mitigated by the fact that the new job means he will get to see his girlfriend, Charlie Blue Horse, a state police detective, a lot more. He is also happy to turn over his current job to Tuffy Scruggs who will be the new sheriff.

With drought gripping the land, the Bureau of Land Management ordered an emergency roundup of the wild horses in the area. The goal is to remove almost fifteen hundred stallions, mares, and foals from the surrounding public land. Protestors have made their presence known, but they are not close to where the helicopter today is herding about forty wild horses known to the locals as the “Willow Creek Band.”

The horses are being herded into a nearby canyon with high limestone walls. Those walls hide the view as the helicopter makes multiple passes above and below the rim as the pilot expertly maneuvers to herd the horses for capture. Those same walls hide the view as the helicopter maneuvers down out of sight, but the noise of it crashing is heard loud and clear. Sheriff Porter Beck also believes he heard a gunshot which would mean it was not mechanical failure or pilot error.

Riding their horses, it takes two minutes for Sherriff Beck and Chief Deputy Tuffy Scruggs, to arrive on scene. It is instantly clear from the wreckage that nobody could have survived. It also does not take long to verify that Sherriff Beck was right that the pilot was shot and killed in order to cause the helicopter to crash.

That murder leads to a complicated case of politics, natural resources and land use, and quite a lot more. It won’t be the last death in this complicated and very enjoyable read.

As it is the third book in a very good series that began with The Bitter Past: A Novel, there are various references to earlier books and events. Sheriff Beck has been coping with a lot, personally and professionally, and all that was child’s play compared to what is in store for him here in The Blue Horse: A Peter Beck Mystery by Bruce Borgos.

It is also one heck of a good read. Strongly recommended.



My digital ARC came the publisher, Minotaur Books, through NetGalley, with no expectation of a review.


Kevin R. Tipple ©2025

This is the third installment in the Porter Beck series and my favorite so far. The plots and subplots are always complex in this series, but Mr. Borgos always manages to ultimately fit all the pieces together. The Blue Horse opens up with a murder of a helicopter pilot who was rounding up wild horses in the area. Members of an animal rights group who are vehemently against this round-up are immediately suspected. Meanwhile, Porter's sister is volunteering at a wilderness camp for troubled teens, and when one of the teens goes missing, she, of course, goes alone to find him. This is all happening during the start of the COVID pandemic and all the complications of that time.

As i said, there's a lot going on, but it moves quickly. The pacing is perfect and makes you want to keep reading to figure out what the heck is going on. The dialogue rings true, although some of the humor is a bit corny. I enjoy these books and look forward to the next one. Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC.

This is book three in the Porter Beck series. Even thought I didn't read the 1st 2 books I did enjoy this one. Not sure how much character development was revealed in the first 2 books considering that Porter Beck is very busy at his job as a sheriff, a helicopter pilot. I love the cowboy background of the story and look forward to ongoing episodes. A really good read.

Porter Beck is a sheriff in a small town in Nevada, when a BLM helicopter pilot is killed during a BLM Wild Mustang round off, it sets off a chain of events no one could predict. When, Jolene Manning, the person heading up the BLM round-up is killed as well, that brings more complications. Now, Beck has the Feds in town, BLM protestors, angry cattlemen, a father who has dementia and understand what does a mining company have to do with this? Who is behind the killings – the activists? Someone else?

This is my first Porter Beck mystery and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is the third book in a series, I have not read the first two but this book alone makes me want to go back and read the first two. The characters are well developed and you can see the genuineness of their relationships. Porter Beck is written to be a thinking detective, smart but action oriented, he shoots more with his mouth than his gun. The relationship between him and his father is heartwarming in a story where gruesome murders and acts are being done. The mystery is complicated and layered but well worth the read. The variety of characters, the setting is well described, and the best dog companion a person could ever ask for. Don’t miss out on this read!