4.5 Stars

I think it was really fitting that we got a version of Beck that was a little less involved in the direct action. It went along with his anxiety about becoming a burden to Charlie and everyone else in his life when he eventually will go fully blind. I also enjoyed having a little more POV from Brinley, I think she's such an amazing character in this series and would love to continue to see more of her in future books.

I also like how Bruce manages to intertwine current/recent events into his books without it feeling overwhelming or like he's trying to push an agenda one way or the other. Personally, I find it jarring when authors write about the 2020/2021 years and ignore COVID or that things were drastically different during that time. It was a huge change for so many of us, and things were done differently.

I enjoyed this one and can't wait to see what happens next in the lives of the Beck clan.

A controversial wild horse round-up in the high desert of Nevada results in two murders and too many suspects for Sheriff Porter Beck to deal with.

What a great book!! I love this series and its characters! There was quite a bit going on in The Blue Horse but it was easy to follow. Sheriff Porter Beck gets called to investigate a helicopter crash at the start of a controversial round-up of wild horses. The pilot is found to have been shot and a toy blue horse is found at the site.

Beck's sister, Brinley, played a large part in the book, which made me happy. I love Brin! Swirling around the main story was Beck's relationship with his girlfriend (Detective Charlie Blue Horse), lithium mining, COVID-19, the FBI, too many suspects, and too many secrets! Of course, Beck's wonderful dog (Bojangles) was in the book, as well as a fabulous new character named Rafa.

TW: Reading of a horse that had been injured while being rounded up, and also of six wild mustangs that were found after they'd been shot and killed. *Both times it entailed being told about something that had already happened so there was no blow-by-blow description to read as they actually took place. (That makes it easier for me!)

In the author's notes at the end of the book, Mr. Borgos tells more about Duty to Heal, which is mentioned in The Blue Horse. It's a retreat developed for military veterans and first responders who are recovering from emotional wounds related to their service, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This retreat is particularly relevant for healthcare workers during these challenging times, where they've been put in harm's way and often have to make critical life-and-death decisions - not only for the people they're trying to help but also for themselves.

I highly recommend The Blue Horse!!

Thank you, #MinotaurBooks, for providing this book for review and consideration via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own. <i>The Blue Horse</i> has an expected publication date of July 8, 2025.

#BruceBorgos #Crime #Mystery

This book was so good. From page one I was hooked. Murder, tension, and wild horses .. yes please. There is an element of romance, but it’s definitely more background (which I liked). The story follows our main characters solving a murder who a lot of possible suspects. The side characters were all very enjoyable and I especially loved Reno, the lab who was kicked out of the K-9 unit.

Let me start off with the short of it; this book was highly entertaining, hit on some great topics, and would appeal to a wide range of audiences. I ate it up and I think a lot of other people will too. Interested in mysteries, detective stories, wild horses, a good doggo, troubled teens, army veterans, all taking place amidst the Covid pandemic? It sounds like a lot, and it is, but in the best way. So definitely read it. Now to the longer review for those with more time on their hands…

So… I discovered this book when I was invited to read it through a marketing email via NetGalley. Generally, unless I have a lot of books already on my plate, I tend to accept the “read now” invites I receive. However, I honestly didn’t think it sounded particularly appealing after I accepted it, and put it off for several weeks. It was the third book in a series I hadn’t read, which didn’t help, although I find with mysteries this doesn’t always hurt.

I also at some point started the book and was unimpressed with the first few pages. Not having read the first books I was hit with a lot of names and introductions at once. It didn’t help they were riding horses that also had to have names and everybody has to have more than one name that they’re referred to by (which is painful for several chapters actually- oh I was supposed to remember your last name too?) and I had to flip back to even figure out who was a horse and who was a human. But after the first few pages it got better… a lot better.

This was basically a thriller/mystery, sort of like a better and less formulaic version of James Patterson’s Women’s Murder Club books (much better actually, sorry not sorry). The mysteries were entertaining, the clues were laid out nicely, and the ending felt satisfying instead of completely surprising, which is always great. Nothing I hate more than a completely random solution that nobody could see coming, but this book laid out everything nicely to prevent that from happening, and let the action and suspense carry the climax instead. I liked the pacing and if it ever started to drag it did not last long.

It was gripping. I was flipping pages. I finished it fast and I want to go back and read the first two books right now. My only criticism is possibly around relying too much on a super hacker to get into things, but then again there’s clearly some history there that I’m missing out on from now having read the first books yet.

It’s definitely a series I’ll be catching up on, and keeping up with from now on, and I think any mystery lovers should too. As for if you should start at the first book though, I can’t yet answer to that.

Also, I find it amusing that the author thinks we can’t tell what side he came down on when it comes to wild horses, as it felt fairly obvious, but maybe he’s fooled me.

In Bruce Borgos' Book 3 of his Porter Beck series, The Blue Horse (Minotaur Books 2025), Sheriff Porter Beck is close to moving on to a new job with Nevada's Criminal Investigative Division. He enjoys his Sheriff's job but his failing eyesight has him thinking he can't be as hands-on as what his department requires. He takes on one final job before leaving and it’s a doozie. The BLM  (Bureau of Land Management) is forcefully moving wild horses to a new home which has drawn the ire of wildlife protesters. The conflicting opinions could be overlooked until the helicopter pilot assigned to this job is killed and then so too is his boss. Oddly, as a final coup de grace, a group of wild horses being prepared for relocation is slaughtered for no good reason. Beck's failing eyesight is somewhat offset by superior memory and he begins connecting the dots in a way others can't and begetting conclusions that make this story ever more interesting. To add to the excitement, Beck is in love with a fascinating Indian woman named Detective Charlie Blue Horse, and struggling with when and how to ask for her hand.

This is a good story spotlighting the poor treatment of wild horses in the US, a topic that is not talked about often enough IMO, but a secondary plot threatens to highjack the story. Every few pages, we readers are reminded of the complications of COVID--masks, distancing, the people who are tragically killed from this insidious disease, the politics surrounding it. We are constantly reminded that these Western folk are solid citizens who do the required to protect themselves and those around them and still it kills. It becomes so frequent, I began to feel the author has an agenda with his storytelling. Yes, COVID impinged every corner of our lives and books written about that time can't be authentic without reference to this illness, but there's a way to do that without losing the theme of your story.

My second issue with the story is there were just too many similes--

"...greasier than a pizza parlor on a Saturday night."

"...we become watermelons with stretch marks."

"...holding on to him like a life raft in heavy seas."

I like similes, but in moderation. This was over the top "like a flooded dam..."

Overall, a good story that would be five stars without the overbearing COVID reminders/discussions and the annoyance of way too many similes.

The Blue Horse by Bruce Borgos
This is like two stories in one – a wild horse round up which includes two murders and a Canadian Lithium mining operation that sends alarms as well. It’s almost like two stories in one. This is a very fast moving and great story about the wild horses in Nevada and about lithium mining which I learned a few things about.
This is the 3rd book of Bruce Borgos and I certainly hope not the last. I have read the first two books and thoroughly enjoyed them as well. You will enjoy all of them I am sure because each one is as good as the other.
Thank you to @NetGalley and @StMartrin’s Press/Minotaur Books for giving me the opportunity to read this great book

Lincoln County Nevada Sheriff Porter Beck is back in this third installment of the series. It takes place in 2020 and the Covid pandemic plays a supporting role in the story. When a helicopter pilot herding wild horses is shot while in the air, Porter knows that this is no ordinary murder. After the coordinator of the roundup from the Bureau of Land Management is also gruesomely killed, the Sheriff's Department is spread thin and completely overwhelmed. While Porter investigates the murders he also has to deal with animal rights protesters, a father with dementia, failing eyesight due to a degenerative disease, relationship troubles, and his sister going missing. Once again the author weaves together a page-turning thriller in the Nevada desert with a great cast of supporting characters that I didn't want to put down. #NetGalley #TheBlueHorse

Sheriff Beck ends up in the middle of an investigation when a helicopter is shot down because the pilot was murdered. As Beck is trying to figure this out there are more murders and COVID also plays a role. I didn’t see how things would come together until it was revealed in the book. I loved the small town aspect of the book and how everyone knows everyone in the town. I really enjoy a few of these characters. This is a totally different style of book than what I have read before and it was worth the time.

When I got this advanced copy, I decided to read the other books in the series before starting this one. It can be read as a stand alone, but you get so much more out of the series if you start at the first one. Some of the descriptions of the murders are graphic, but otherwise it’s a great book.

Thank you to Bruce Borgos, NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: July 8, 2025

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

The Blue Horse is a good read. I have read some other books by Bruce Borgos and enjoyed them. I enjoyed this offering as well. Good characters, well developed plot, and plenty of twists and turns.

I look forward to reading more from Mr. Borgos.

Interesting. Several twists that I didn’t expect. I’d never read any books from this author, so I was interested in reading this one. Not quite your typical murder mystery story. Appreciated getting an advance reader copy and I’m happy to leave my honest review.

Loved this book! One of the best whodunnits I have read in awhile. The heartfelt plight of the wild mustang meets death and destruction. The characters are well written and they come to life while burying yourself in this truly engaging story. Do not miss this book, it is awesome.

4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 stars.

I read the two previous entries in the Porter Beck series, and I LOVED them, and I was truly excited to get to read the 3rd installment. I liked it a lot - I didn't love it. It grew on me as the story went on - I was not enjoying the first maybe 20% of the book. I don't want to focus on the stuff that I didn't like. I love the Nevada setting; it adds a wonderful dimension to the stories and always plays into the action. Looking at the wild horse issues in the state is an important problem to base a story around, and it was an effective plot line. The character of Rafa (the angry young teen) was a good addition to the story. His development throughout was nice to read. Columbo the dog stands out as a vital and integral part of the family.

I've become enamored with this series in a short period of time, and I really hope to continue the journey with Porter and the gang. I can overlook the stuff I don't like, as the stuff I DO like far outweighs the negative.

I can't wait for #4.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.

Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy of The Blue Horse to read and review.

I have not read any novels by Bruce Borgos before this one and am therefore new to the Porter Beck series. Haven't started now, I am going to go back and start from the beginning.
This novel takes place in 2020 when the height of COVID was upon us and it is a constant theme throughoout the book. Characters are forced to deal with COVID consequences as they work through the main themes of the novel, the plight of wild horses in Nevada, and, of course, murder.
Without offering a strong opinion for or against the management of wild horses in Northern Nevada, Bruce weaves a story that forces you to decide what side of the issue you are on.
And amongst it all, there is death and mystery.
The characters are enjoyable and often relatable. The protaganist, Porter, is experienced in his job, yet has his weakness, progressively worsening blindness. This makes him more human, even if it isn't relatable. His sidekick, Bo, is a pleasant addition.

The story is well written, and enjoyable. I will be reading more Bruce Borgos novels in the near future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review "The Blue Horse", the third book in Bruce Borgos's Sheriff Porter Beck series.
This is a multi-layered story, which brings together all of the series' main characters in the early days of COVID - which is an underlying theme throughout, and has a lasting effect on everyone.
At the outset, this is about the murder of a helicopter pilot who was involved in a round up of wild horses by the Bureau of Land Management, and the opposition to that round up by a group called CANTER. It is the last weeks of Sheriff Beck's tenure, as he prepares to leave for a new job, and he is determined to solve this one last mystery. But there are many forces at play here, and the mystery gets deeper and deeper when another related death occurs. The suspects are coming out of the woodwork!
Add into the story a lithium mine which has spurred some intense protests and an investigative reporter who is bound and determined to expose the backers of the mine and what they're doing to the land. And, on top of that, the Sheriff's sister is involved in a separate subplot which rapidly dovetails with the murder mysteries and the mine.
Be prepared for a roller coaster of a ride this time out, with no one entirely safe - whether from COVID or the killers.
I highly recommend this series, and this book could be read as a standalone; but do yourself a favour and read all three books. You won't regret it.
I don't know if this is the end of the series or not, but if it is then it's certainly a fitting denouement.

The Blue Horse by Bruce Borgos gives us the 3rd installment of Sheriff Porter Beck who is having a bad day at the office. It’s COVID, a helicopter is shot from the sky during a wild horse round up, a govt official is murdered, his sister is missing and his dad gets COVID. Only to mention a few things. An action packed storyline. Porter Beck is one of my favorite characters only surpassed by Bo!

I’m glad that he will be staying on as sheriff so we can look forward to the next one.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this ARC book.

I read a lot of mysteries - they are my go-to escape genre - and I think Borgos is an excellent mystery writer. The Blue Horse is part of the Porter Beck series but is easily a great stand-alone book as well. Beck, a sheriff in a large southwestern county, has a rare genetic disease which is causing him to go blind. Currently he can see fine during the day, but has complete night blindness. In this novel, he has accepted his fate and is planning for the future by training a service dog, who he loving refers to as his deputy - and makes a great addition to the story line. There are many twists and turns and red herrings in this book to keep the reader constantly wondering what's going to be happen next. As soon as you think you have everything figured out, more information comes pouring in, and the story flows in a different direction. However, Borgos's skill as a writer keeps you from getting confused and instead builds suspense. If you like mysteries, you should read this book.

The Blue Horse by Bruce Borgos is a Porter Beck mystery. The BLM is rounding up wild horses which attracts protesters. As Porter watches, a sniper shoots the helicopter pilot while he is herding horses. Later, a gruesome murder takes place which is probably related. Porter has to work with the FBI once again; he is short-handed due to COVID.
This series is well written. I enjoy the characters especially Porter Beck. The crimes are convoluted so it takes awhile to figure it out- an enjoyable process.

I really liked this book, which is the third in the current 3-book series. In my opinion, it can be read as a standalone. The story takes place in 2020 in the Nevada desert, when Covid has spread across the US and people are still wondering whether it is safer to take the vaccines or risk the virus.

The main character is Sheriff Porter Beck, who has a eye health condition that has caused him to retire shortly from his job. He already has another job lined up where his eyesight will not be an issue.

The story begins with a group of wild horses who are being moved to another area, because people are encroaching on their territory. Sheriff Porter Beck and his deputy Tuffy Scruggs are present to watch the evacuation. A helicopter is being used to drive the horses towards the place they will be temporarily held. Then a shot rang out and the helicopter fell to the ground.

Next, the woman in charge of the relocation was discovered to be missing. She was later found, murdered in a particularly gruesome fashion. Someone was also shooting the wild horses. But who was behind all of this, and why? More new developments were that a company was now operating a lithium mine in the area, and that local ranchers were selling out and were cagey about telling who was buying.

I received an e-arc from the publisher St. Martin's Press, and voluntarily read and reviewed it.

I love the Porter Beck mysteries! The author always writes the characters so well that you feel you know them. The story grabs you and keeps you hooked from beginning to end. Like all of his other books I highly recommend this book.

Sheriff Porter Beck heads out to observe a BLM wild horse roundup with his deputy and finds himself in the middle of an active crime scene. Complications ensue as he attempts to solve a crime with too many moving parts. At the same time COVID is spreading, his sister has gone missing, his father's Alzheimer's is getting worse, and he's worried his girlfriend is going to break up with him. Oh, and he's losing his vision and can longer see at night.

These handicaps make it a challenge to find out who is behind the killings, but Beck and his crew manage to solve the murders and uncover a criminal conspiracy in the process.

This is the third Porter Beck mystery. I have not read the other books in the series, but this did not affect my understanding of the story. I enjoyed it a great deal and will go back to read the other two. Borgos is a good storyteller who manages to tie all the complex pieces of the mystery together into a very suspenseful narrative. I highly recommend.

I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.