Pretty good little mystery! I like the characters quite a bit and the small town setting gave it a cozy feel. It was tricky for me to figure out the ending though I did. I definitely appreciated the challenge though. All in all a solid mystery.

The Blue Horse is the latest modern western in the Sheriff Porter Beck Mysteries. The Bureau of Land Management is rounding up wild horses when the helicopter crashes but the pilot’s death isn’t due to the crash. Porter has a killer on his hands and suspects coming out his ears between the animal rights people, mining companies, and good ol’ organized crime. Things are getting serious with Porter’s new girlfriend as she gets dragged into the case with Beck. Beck’s friends and loved ones wind up knee deep in danger as Porter has to solve the latest case before everyone runs out of time. Action packed and unpredictable, the story draws you in and keeps a hold for an exciting thriller and places Porter Beck on one of the most memorable characters of all time lists. My voluntary, non-mandatory, and unbiased review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

Sheriff Porter Beck is observing a controversial wild horse round-up when a helicopter being used to chase the
horses crashes. When he arrives at the crash site, he discovers the dead pilot was shot. His investigation will
involve not only the people in charge of the round-up but also the group protesting it. Suspects' backgrounds
are revealing as well as connections to a crime syndicate.
Well developed characters and a page turner.
#TheBlueHorse #StMartinsPress #MinotaurBooks #NetGalley

This a story that begins and ends with a lot of action! Now this is the third book in this series, and they are all equally good, and yes, this can be read alone.
The author drew me in with the downing of the helicopter, who would want him dead?
Then there are the horses, I really didn't like what was happening to those poor beautiful animals, really breaks your heart.
There are surprises here, and yes, the almighty greed comes into play. Whom do you trust?
The time is when the Virus is infecting the world and has reached Nevada, and affecting those we now know, and many others. Then there are murders, and then we are left guessing, whom will survive, and then there are big surprises, I really didn't guess.
Hoping that there are more Porter Beck books!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher St. Martin's Press, and was not required to give a positive review.

4.5 STARS!!

The author has created a lead character that I thoroughly enjoy reading. He’s low-key but brilliant and understands the human psyche and uses that to solve cases. But he is also vulnerable with weakness, but knows how to play his strengths perfectly.

The story is inventive and thoroughly engaging. With a winding storyline that brings multiple threads weaving in and out and many great characters, Borgos pulls you along deeper into the mire.

I love when his girlfriend is in the mix as well. They have the same thought processes and the author does a great job showing their emotional side without being overly dramatic. We get a great balance of personal life and crime solving that blends in great. The pacing and execution of the story is spot on!

This police procedural is full of drips and twists that will keep the intrigue going throughout the story. One part I was a bit confused about with the Blue Horse. I was thinking it was going to be tied to one thing, but it was completely different, and while it closed a door, I was looking for more drama or something.

The Blue Horse tackles environmental issues that could be pulled from the headlines today. Believable and sad in places, but Sheriff Beck does not fail to bring justice to those deserving. Great read!

The story is great and, while being the third book in a series, everything makes sense if you've not read the previous two. I just don't think I was the right target audience for it as it never fully grabbed me. Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for my digital ARC!

The Blue Horse, the third book in a series, is definitely a stand alone book (I had not read the previous two). A wild horse roundup, ends in 2 murders, several attempted close calls and a sheriff who can't keep up with the list of suspects. There is lots of action and characters but it is super easy to keep up. You are pulled in and can put yourself in so many of the scenes that you don't want to put the book down!

Reading Journal Details
Book: The Blue Horse by Bruce Borgos
Format Read: Kindle eBook (368 pages long)
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5/5)

Quick Take Review
The Blue Horse is a thoughtful, multi-layered mystery that balances real world issues, compelling characters, and numerous unexpected twists. It worked seamlessly as a standalone novel, though it's strong enough to inspire readers (namely me) to circle back to the earlier books in this series.

Full Review
For me, one of the most impressive elements in The Blue Horse is that it can be read as a standalone, which I did, without missing a beat. While this is the third installment in Bruce Borgos' Porter Beck series, it never left me feeling lost or out of the loop. In fact, I enjoyed it so thoroughly that I plan to read the first two books to see how we arrived at this point. I really appreciate when a book in a series still feels inclusive to readers and how hard it must be to write it that way successfully.

The story unfolds at a medium to slow pace and is told from multiple intersecting POVs. It took a while to settle in, much like the slow climb of a roller coaster, but once it got rolling, I was fully hooked and completely invested. The momentum steadily built and led to a rewarding narrative filled with depth and a thrilling tension.

This novel tackles weighty, real world topics: the endangerment of wild horses, the consequences of lithium mining, and even the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. I appreciated that Borgos didn't shy away from these difficult subjects, even if the narrative leaned more heavily to one side of the wild horses-and-lithium mining issues. Still, it was handled thoughtfully overall, and I admired the effort to weave such complex issues into a mystery without it feeling overly preachy.

On the COVID front, I found it refreshing that the novel acknowledged the sickness instead of pretending it didn't exist, which is something not all authors choose to do. However, I did feel the emphasis of COVID was a little too forward at times for the setting, given that the major impact hadn't fully hit yet in the books' timeline. That said, I'd rather see an author engage with it rather than avoid it altogether, even if the approach could've been more subtle.

My favorite character without a doubt was Brinley. She was masterfully written; talented, stubborn (in the best way), and absolutely magnetic whenever she was on the page. Every scene with her was a highlight for me. That said, the entire cast of characters was well-developed, each with depth and personality that added richness to the story.

What truly pushed this book into 4.5-star territory for me were its twists. I pride myself on being a fairly savvy sleuth when it comes to whodunits and thrillers, but this one genuinely surprised me. I didn't see some of the twists coming, and I liked that, as it's uncommon to be caught off guard in such a satisfying manner.

The bottom line? I definitely recommend this novel and series as a whole.

I am thankful to have received a free complimentary advanced reader's copy (ARC) of this book from St. Press Books, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley. I am voluntarily leaving this review; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my eARC. All opinions are my own.

Such a refreshing book! The writing is amazing. I haven’t read the previous two books in the series but was easily able to follow along and will be going back to them. Tears were involved in the reading of this book but I really liked Porter Beck and Charlie Blue Horse. It’s a tightly woven story that kept me engaged and turning the pages.

I just finished reading The Blue Horse and was delighted to find out that it is part of a series! I will definitely be reading the rest of the series soon.
This mystery kept me guessing all the way through. I enjoyed the characters and settings, and The Blue Horse was hard for me to put down. I look forward to reading more Porter Beck mysteries.

Even though it was the third in the series, I had no trouble getting caught up in the world of Porter Beck (Nevada). I loved the subject—when I was in elementary school, I published an editorial in my school newspaper about how it was my opinion that wild horses should be free. I felt very strongly about it so definitely understood the tension between the BLM and CANTER (the group working to keep the wild horses of Nevada free).

The book was exciting, the writing good, and the characters great. If I have any complaints, it’s only that I get so damn tired of the older man, younger woman trope. I, and three of my sisters, are all married to younger men. It would be nice to see a man write about that for a change. To be fair, though, the women in the book were all intelligent, strong, and capable.

I am definitely open to reading more of this series.

This is another great read in the Porter Beck series. I enjoyed the storyline and that there was more of Brin in this book. I was also glad to see Charlie Blue Horse back in this book. I enjoy this series and look forward to more!

What an incredible book! The writing is spectacular. I haven’t read the previous two books in the series but was easily able to follow along. There were a lot of very sad times in the book. I really liked Porter Beck and Charlie Blue Horse. There were a lot of mystery and suspense. It’s a tightly woven story that kept me engaged and turning the pages. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

“Lunatic in charge” was enough to make me rate this book highly. But add in a storyline that starts out one side and ends up somewhere completely unexpected and you get 5 stars from me. This is a great continuation of the Porter Beck series and I look forward to the next installment.

4.25 Stars

Porter Beck returns in the third book in this series by Bruce Borgos. He is a sheriff in a small town in Nevada, where his father was sheriff for thirty years before him. There is to be a BLM wild horse round up, in order to move the horses to an area that will not impact cattle grazing. This is a very touchy topic on both sides of the equation. As the gathering of the horses begins with a helicopter, the pilot is shot out of the sky. Given the circumstances, the shooter has to be very talented to make this shot, which they hope narrows the possible suspect list. While investigating, another murder is committed in a very graphic and horrible way, and is live-streamed.

I really enjoy the characters in this series, and Borgos does a good job of keeping them consistent and yet also letting them grow. There was a great deal of information given about wild horses in the west, and the author comments on this is his afterword. I love a story where I can learn something as well as be entertained. Definitely recommend this series and this newest installment.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

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