The Blue Horse is the second book in the Porter Beck series. I reviewed the second book, Shades of Mercy, but I have not read book 1 in the series. I don't think it is necessary to read the previous books before diving into this one. You will get enough background on the characters to know who's who.

Having not read the first book, I wasn't sure what this series would be about. Book 2 was a bit of an espionage book, and I wondered if that would continue. It doesn't, as this book is more of a police procedural. It is no less thrilling, though.

I have a friend who lives in Nevada, and she has posted about the wild horses a few times this summer. So I was completely ignorant of the situation, but there was plenty that I didn't realize happened. Borgos does a great job of laying out each stakeholder's argument for and against wild horses.

Another interesting tidbit about this book is that it is set in September 2020. I've not read too many books set during the pandemic, particularly 5 years on. It is another polarizing subject that Borgos handles well.

There is plenty of action, but there is also a lot of character development as Porter and Charlie navigate their newish relationship. There are a lot of changes coming in the future for them. I'm looking forward to seeing that future with them.

This is a book that you will want to read in big chunks. So if you are still battling the heatwave or having to batten down the hatches against torrential rain this weekend, this would be a great book to pick up.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Friday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2025/08/the-blue-horse-by-bruce-borgos-review.html

(4.25 stars)
I was so happy to see that there was a third Porter Beck book coming out! The first two were excellent mysteries/thrillers and this third one does not disappoint. (Note: while this is the third book in a series, I firmly believe that someone new to the series can easily jump in with this one.) These books combine a fast-paced, complex story with truly interesting characters, a winning combination IMO.

Porter Beck is the sheriff in a Nevada county made up of small towns and high desert. The book opens with a controversial roundup/gather of wild horses by the BLM (Bureau of Land Management). There’s a lot of controversy because many feel that the horses should be left to roam free while others worry about them eating all the pastureland that their cattle need. (Simplistic explanation, sorry). They are being rounded up by a new technology, helicopters, not your traditional cowboys. When a helicopter is shot down and the pilot killed, the book takes off and doesn’t stop until the end.

In addition to the horse situation, we have a lithium mining company which may or may not be polluting the land, the effects of the early months of COVID, and more. Beck is a sympathetic character who is dealing with his advancing retinitis pigmentosa (RP), which causes a gradual decline in vision, often starting with night blindness and peripheral vision loss. This is obviously not ideal for a sheriff and he is planning on changing jobs in the near future. In the meantime, his military experience helps him in many ways. He’s almost 50 now and his dad, the former sheriff, is in early stages of dementia. His girlfriend, a detective named Charlie Blue Horse works from Reno, so they’re trying their best to deal with the long distance between their home bases.

I love Beck’s dog, Columbo, who he is trying to train to be his future guide dog. Beck’s sister, Brinley, is another great character and plays a large part in this story.

I was privileged to have a paperback and an ebook, courtesy of Minotaur Book and NetGalley, and an audiobook, courtesy of Recorded Books and NetGalley, and I actually wound up using all three at various points. The audiobook was narrated very well by James Babson, who also narrated the first two books in this series. Thank you to all of the above for the opportunity to read and listen to an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was another great Porter Beck story! I loved the information about wild horses -- I had no idea we even had any left in this country! -- and how the Dept. of BLM takes care of them. Bruce Borgos has found a protagonist that is deep and well-rounded and continues to share pieces of Beck's life that feel real and lived-in. Although the end got a little sappy and made me wonder whether this might be the end of Beck's story, I still found this a thoroughly enjoyable read!

A wild horse roundup, including protesters, as the Covid year of 2020 is in full swing is volatile enough, but then someone starts shooting, and its murder on the high Nevada desert for a sheriff and his small department. Bruce Borgos’ rich and colorful rural Nevada settings, layered character sketches, and riveting plots continue to dazzle.

The Blue Horse is the third installment in the solid Porter Beck series that have a nice flow from book to book so work best read in order.

Porter and Tuffy are policing the wild horse roundup when the copter pilot gets killed. Porter is working with a limited crew, especially when some, like Tuffy, are fighting illness, and others stretched out across the county. He’s nearing the end of his career as sheriff and preparing to move to Reno to take on the state’s top cop work and be closer to Detective Charlie Blue Horse. But this is no open and shut murder case, and further killings follow. Charlie comes to help, and Porter reluctantly invites the FBI to team up for the case. Charlie’s acting odd around him, and he wonders if she’s having reservations about their deepening relationship, and Tuffy’s fighting the obvious about her worsening symptoms. The FBI are pointing the finger at the protestor crowd and their leader, but Porter has a sense that this series of murders go deeper and keeps on it.

Meanwhile, off to the north in Great Basin National Park, Porter’s adopted sister, Brinley, is guiding a camp of some of the teens from the detention center and one strong, angry young man reminds her of herself and she wants to help him work through his dangerous, aggressive tendencies.

The Blue Horse introduces readers to the complicated situation of wild horse conservation, ranching concerns, mining concerns, rural policing, and dealing with the pandemic away from big-city resources. Sweeping desert and mountain vistas and the rugged terrain of rural Nevada are as much a character as the engaging cast led by canny Sheriff Porter Beck.

Like in the previous books, Porter is the main narrator, but others from Brinley to the villains, get some page time showing other perspectives and scenes going on away from Porter’s investigation. And, like previous books, the heart of the story is the people, not just the case and the surrounding mysteries. Porter’s vision issues leave him vulnerable, but I’ve enjoyed seeing him find work-arounds and also start to allow others to know of his tender spot. He’s also struggling with his dad’s old age and memory issues and coming up on a transition in his career and new life with Charlie.

The case got gritty, particularly with that second pair of murders, and the big money thrill scenes near the end had me flying breathlessly through the pages. The Blue Horse was abso-fab and left me reluctant to leave the Porter Beck world after the last pages were read. Recommend to those who love the western or rural setting with a cutting-edge murder and compelling characters.

Sheriff Porter Beck in rural Nevada is back on the case. Even though he is going blind, he is still the best law enforcement for miles. When a helicopter pilot is killed, he is brought in to investigate and finds it is connected to many more complicated crimes.

I have read and enjoyed the past few books starring Beck. I almost put this one down part way in for being incredibly slow and also have a death that was so grotesque that I almost couldn't go on. I vowed to finish this, and it was a good, if hard-boiled, mystery. If you're a mystery lover, you might like this one for the unique deaths and interesting characters, but it is not for the faint of heart.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

An exciting, suspenseful and scintillating story. Porter and Charlie are amazing in their detective skills and as a couple.

Bruce Borgos has become my new favorite mystery series author. The Blue Horse is the third installment in his Porter Beck series, and they keep getting better. Borgos has created a wonderful cast of characters with compelling back stories. If you enjoy crime series set in the West (think Longmire and J Pickett), then I predict you'll become a Porter Beck fan as well. Few (any?) books are set in Lincoln County, Nevada, and I love driving around the region with Sheriff Beck.

You will want to read this series in order, so if you are new to Porter Beck, start with The Bitter Past.

Thanks to NetGally for providing me with an ebook ARC in exchange for a review.

I ADORE this series! I love Sheriff Porter Beck's character!

The cast of characters we have come to love are back in action in this 3rd installment of the series. This one starts with a bang, literally, with a helicopter crash (will never like reading about them as the wife of a helicopter pilot). As with the other mysteries in this series this one gets real twisted. And we get POVs of the bad guys throughout the story to get a sense of what is happening from the other side while also reading of Sheriff Beck's investigation.

The Brinley storyline in this one was a favorite aspect for me! The writing, descriptions, characterization, and the mystery investigation also shine. I was kept invested in the story the whole time. I love when Beck follows his instincts and takes a big risk as part of his investigations; those parts add a lot of tension to the story.

While this is part of a series, and I also recommend books 1 and 2, this can be read on its own as there is enough backstory given for important details.

A Savagely Entertaining Mystery, Everything Leads Somewhere in This Suspense Thriller

Sheriff Porter Beck was in a state of shock. He’d only wanted to keep the peace between two warring factions. It didn’t sound like a lot to ask. The first was the Bureau of Land Management, who carries out roundups of wild horses by means of helicopters. They then sell the captive mustangs to the highest bidder. As for the second: they are a tenacious group of animal activists proactively working towards a mustang’s right to be free. Even in retrospect, keeping the two opposing groups calm seemed doable. Easy-peasy like being a chaperone at a school lunch party, but that was before everything blew up in his face. First there was the helicopter crash … yes, one of BLM’s. Malfunction of equipment? Fuel shortage? Nope, the answer was: “Murder.” Then there was the woman that managed the roundups for BLM. Poisoned mushrooms? Suicide? Nope: Murder. The woman was buried up to her neck before a stampede was triggered and the mustangs set loose to do what they do best—run and trample things like heads. In fact, Beck might have tried “running” as far as he could from this town as a solution to his own woes, but couldn’t now that his girlfriend Detective Charlie Blue Horse had arrived in town to help count the bodies. The bad timing left Beck one option, and that was to investigate—luckily it was something he was good at.

Looking for trouble? Or rather, looking’ to read’ about trouble? Then THE BLUE HORSE by Bruce Borgos is for you. The third in the Sheriff Porter Beck series, this book has a little something for everyone: realistic dialogue, the fleshing out of characters, the setting up of the delightfully deranged homicides, and don’t forget the personal problems that Beck is facing. But don’t worry, in this savagely entertaining mystery, everything leads somewhere.

The landscape created through and by the traits of the collective characters—and that includes Beck —comes into play. Much like the desert itself, author Bruce Borgos paints a picture of a vast lonesomeness that Beck carries within. It’s emphasized by using the clash between those who think nothing of tearing a mustang from their home, and those who believe in the sanctity of a home. This forms the backdrop for this tale … and it’s under the cover of these opposing extremes that allows more suspects to emerge, tiptoeing through the darkness one-by-one. A group of troubled teens led through a wilderness program is one. A Canadian lithium manufacturer another. The clever use of morality and ethics stirs the pot … tainting the hot desert sand and making motives offered seem all the more evil … all the more willing to induce injury … which brings me to the protagonist of this twist-of-the-wrist, slight of hand trick.

While all the characters are interesting, nobody can beat Beck for consuming our attention. A very observant man, he would be the one to make sure to use rubber bands to keep his clean socks in pairs. Or buy cases of oatmeal in case he feared a shortage. He’s also kind, sympathetic, and reluctant to think badly about anyone. A studious man, he tends to think deeply, questioning his questions. But his saving grace is that Sheriff Porter Beck has the one attribute that’s an absolute necessity for staying popular while solving crimes, and that is his ability to follow his intuition.

Yes, buried deep within his gut, there it is. Not a Cat Distribution System, but a Psychic Spurt Center that gives him readings on details that seem so trivial but aren’t. And this attribute is not alone. It comes with the ability to not crumble under pressure. So like so many other of our favorite detectives, Beck is absolutely up to going it alone and examining why something no one is paying attention to so dang suspicious. And for all his imperfections, he makes good on following his intuition … and that’s all we need to completely fall in love with this man who is unwilling to give up.

So it’s five stars for THE BLUE HORSE by Bruce Borgos. I liked the story, I liked the direction, and I liked getting to know a little bit about a guy named Porter Beck. If dogged determination is your thing, you’re gonna like him, too.

Thanks to Minotaur Books and Netgalley for supplying me with a free copy.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this book and read it in one day. This is not a normal book that I would pick up, but I did really did end up enjoying it. I loved the storyline and the characters. I thought they had great growth. I definitely will recommend this book..

“There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.”—Winston Churchill"

"What does it take to break a man? How far can you push him before his relationship with humanity is severed? The military trains its soldiers to resist...but the sad fact is that no training will prevent the killing of the soul."

It's writing like this, found in The Blue Horse, by exceptional storyteller, author Bruce Borgos, that has me grateful for the opportunity to write reviews. To share the joy of reading an emotionally rich murder mystery with high octane action, thought provoking life choice situations, and real dialogue fueled with humor, anger, fear and love.

At 49, Sheriff Porter Beck feels every year of his age. Dealing with his father's poor health, his sister missing in the Nevada mountains, leaving a job, and the town he loves, to be close to his girlfriend, State Detective Charlie Blue Horse, and the knowledge that his inability to see at night will eventually leave him blind. Now he has two murders to solve. A helicopter pilot shot down while wrangling wild horses for a land management firm and then the coordinator of the firm is gruesomely killed live online.

Voice actor James Babson is remarkable as Beck. He personifies the true grit of Beck's soul that the writer imbues so effortlessly into him. We never doubt who Beck is...a truly decent man.

The other hero is Columbo "Bo," a fiercely loyal protective tracking ginger Lab. Beck would be lost without him.

There are many suspects, one might be being framed, and Beck will need that grit to find the truth. The Blue Horse is book 3 of The Porter Beck series but an easy standalone and my answer to why I like to read.

Book 1. The Bitter Past
Book 2. Shades of Mercy
Book 3. The Blue Horse

I received free copies of this book/audiobook from St. Martin's Press Minotour Books and RBMedia (Recorded Books) for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was the third book I have read about Porter Beck, a Sheriff in Nevada, and I absolutely loved it. This time Beck is serious about marriage, but wondering if his girlfriend, Charlie Blue Horse, would be willing to take care of someone if they went blind. At the same time there is the problem of who was killing wild horses in the area, his sister disappearing, and the new lithium mine in the area. Good story, which can be read on its own, but if you have read previous ones, you will appreciate character development. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc and no pressure for a positive review.

Porter Beck is the sheriff of Lincoln County, Nevada. He and his deputy Tuffy Scruggs are riding horses into the desert to check on the wild horses/mustangs being roundup as the government’s Bureau of Land Management has declared the roundup (aka gathering by the BLM) due to the horses starving as the land didn’t get enough rain. As Sheriff Beck and his deputy watch a helicopter moving them onto an area where the horses won’t be able to escape. The helicopter suddenly crashes. Sheriff Beck investigates the crash finding that the pilot has been shot. Why? When he calls and tells the BLM’s director, Jolene Manning that her helicopter’s pilot is dead, she faints. Beck’s tries to decide who could have been behind the killing of the pilot, Was it CANTER, the leader, Etta Clay, of the protesters group of the roundup against the roundup of the horses? Beck checks it out. Will he find out who the killer was? Jolene Manning is dead the next day.

Murder of human and horse alike create a mystery that kept me guessing. We have lots of suspects and more than one villain. That leads to intriguing characters. There is also a group of troubled kids on a wilderness retreat and they will become involved in the mystery of the Canadian Lithium mining company. When push comes to shove, one of those most troubled kids will rise to the occasion. Why?
Due to the murders leads to a complicated case of politics, natural resources and land use, and more. It won’t be the last death in this complicated novel. Various plotlines begin connecting like pieces of a puzzle. The result is a highly entertaining western mystery/thriller with a lot of heart highlighting some controversial, real-life issues. Beck’s wry sense of humor lends a bit of comic relief to an otherwise serious subject, as does his budding romance with Charlie. While this book is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone as the talented author flawlessly incorporates needed backstory into the narrative. “The Blue Horse” is a well written, intense, must-read thriller that fans of suspense thrillers will enjoy.

The murder of a helicopter pilot while he is rounding up wild mustangs for the federal government, begins a whole series of events that keep you on your toes throughout this book. Timely topics are strewn throughout the book, Covid illnessses, illegal mining, horrific murder of a federal agent, and other issues run through the story as quickly as the Mustangs run over the range.

A worthwhile police procedural and thriller. This book kept my interest from page one!

4.5⭐
Action-packed intelligent thriller. Set at the onset of COVID with the controversial topics of wild horse management and lithium mining serving as both background and major plot points. Sheriff Beck Porter was at the scene of a mustang roundup when a single sniper shot took out the helicopter pilot and he discovered a toy blue horse near the ammo shell. Was it one of the protesters? Complex and well-plotted. Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

A helicopter driving a controversial round-up of wild horses suddenly crashes in the high desert of Nevada and the pilot is found to have been shot. Then the person coordinating the round-up for the Bureau of Land Management is savagely murdered. Sheriff Porter Beck has had better days.

It's not necessary to have read the other books in the series as this one works well as a standalone. The story takes place in Nevada during the early days of Covid so there was lots of talk about it. Personally, I'd like to forget it even exists. Sheriff Beck has retinitis pigmentosa which affects his night vision. He's in the process of turning the Sheriff's Office over to his deputy, Tuffy Scruggs, as he's accepted a job as chief of the Nevada DPS Investigative Division where his eye condition won't be such a hindrance. I like Sheriff Beck as a character, I love his dog Bo, and some of the secondary characters are interesting but I wasn't totally immersed in the story. There are many side stories which eventually merge and lots of violence against persons and horses. Well written and a solid 3 stars from me but I'm a bit of an outlier.

TW: Animal cruelty (horses).

Thanks to St. Martin's Press|Minotaur Books, via Netgalley, for inviting me to read an advance copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: July 8, 2025

As a Nevada resident, I love reading books based in my home state. And I’m a fan of Porter Beck and his loyalty, reliability, and commitment as a Sheriff to his family, friends and community. This installment is a great one, involving the murder of those performing the capture and removable of the wild mustangs from the open spaces where cattle roam. It was engaging and action packed, with a bit of romance thrown in. I think this is a series you need to read in order, so if you haven’t read the first two books, I’d pick those up first.

When a wild mustang round up results in the death of a helicopter pilot, all eyes focus on the activists who are trying to preserve the herds. The subsequent death of the BLM coordinator seems to cement that theory, but Sheriff Porter Beck begins to suspect otherwise. While he’s investigating the deaths and the FBI shoves around their considerable weight, Beck’s sister, Brinley, goes missing. And with it being 2020, there’s the perniciousness of covid hanging over (mostly) everyone in Bruce Borgos’ third novel in the Porter Beck series, The Blue Horse.

To be quite honest, at the outset I was pretty sure that The Blue Horse was going to drastically alter my appreciation of the Porter Beck series (both previous books, I’d given all the stars you could give). Considering that the novel began with a helicopter herding (terrorizing) wild horses into a canyon, the animal rights activist in me was not impressed. And then there was the mention of red states, when all I’d really love to do while I’m reading for just that little while is forget that there is purposeful ignorance in the world. And then there was Detective Charlie Blue Horse’s behavior that seemed off, unprofessional, and unlike herself (or what I remembered her to be) and I was certain that she was now being portrayed as a stereotypical woman in a man’s job. Fortunately, I realized what Borgos was doing with her character–or trying to do because I really think it could have used a defter touch.

So, in case you didn’t guess, I didn’t give up on The Blue Horse and I was glad that I didn’t because what made the other novels so good surfaced quickly in this one.

The mystery is once again tight and twisty, the kind where you easily lose yourself in reading. The characters are layered with my favorites this go-round being Beck’s very capable sister Brinley, Raffa (the teenager who leaves the wilderness program with his heart set on doing the wrong thing), and Race, a former soldier who experienced devastation that wounded his psyche but continues to survive.

The Blue Horse is well-researched and intriguing. Also, it’s amazing to me what I’ve brushed under the rug regarding the covid year(s) but remembered while reading.

Unfortunately, there is animal cruelty that I suspect that comes naturally with the territory–which is not to condone it.

All in all, another good thrilling mystery from Borgos.

Many thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy.

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.

We are back in Lincoln County following our favorite Sheriff Porter Beck. There are defiantly parts of the book that I could have done without, mainly dealing with the eild horse round-up and what can happen during the rounds up. But overall I really enjoyed this installment and all the people we get to follow. I did not know as many places in this one as I did in the first book of the series, but that did not hinder my enjoyment at all. I love following all the characters and seeing what is going to happen next for them.

I was happy to see that Mercy made a brief appearance in this one. She really grew on me in the last installment of this series.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book.

Sheriff Porter Beck has had better days. Even better months. But now he is almost overwhelmed. A wild mustang roundup has drawn crowds of spectators, but more demonstrators. No one is happy about the need for the roundup, but it is his responsibility to keep the peace. His chief deputy is down with Covid, as is his 90-year old father. A helicopter pilot helping with the herding is shot out of the air. Then the person coordinating for the Bureau of Land Management is murdered in a particularly grisly fashion on a live internet feed. AND his sister, leading a group of troubled teens on a back-country trip, has gone missing.

Beck's new girlfriend, a state detective is sent to help with the murder investigations and the FBI is circling, just wanting to get involved and take over the case. But he knows this area. His father was Sheriff here for 30 years and Porter grew up knowing the people, the area, and the job.

When things don't make sense, all indications point to a new Canadian lithium mining organization, but how are they involved? And ARE they involved? Things get hairy and no one seems safe, but Porter Beck is up for the job, no matter the personal cost.