Sophia Rose is here with the second Porter Beck Mystery, Shades of Mercy by Bruce Burgos. Come check out her thoughts on this mystery thriller set in the high desert of Nevada.

Shades of Mercy
by Bruce Burgos
Series: Porter Beck #2
Genres: Thriller
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate

Rating:

In the usually quiet high desert of Nevada, Sheriff Porter Beck faces one of his greatest challenges—a series of unlikely, disturbing and increasingly deadly events of unknown origins.

Porter Beck is the sheriff in the high desert of Nevada, doing the same lawman’s job his father once did now that he’s returned home after decades away. With his twelve person department, they cover a large area that is usually very quiet, but not of late. One childhood friend is the latest to succumb to a new wave of particularly strong illegal opioids, another childhood friend—now an enormously successful rancher—is targeted by a military drone, hacked and commandeered by an unknown source. The hacker is apparently local—local enough to call out Beck by name—and that means they are Beck’s problem.

Beck’s investigation leads him to Mercy Vaughn, the one known hacker in the area. The problem is that she’s a teenager, locked up with no computer access at the secure juvenile detention center. But there’s something Mercy that doesn’t sit quite right with Beck. But when Mercy disappears, Beck understands that she’s in danger and time is running out for all of them.

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Sophia Rose’s Review

A military drone is hacked, lethal fentanyl is rampant, forest fires rage, a large convoy of alien conspiracy theorists have descended, and a mysterious young girl is at the center of it all.  Bruce Burgos’ thriller in the rural Lincoln County, Nevada continues the tone, tempo, and tension that drew in readers with the first book, The Bitter Past.

Shades of Mercy is book two in the Porter Beck series offering a standalone thriller and a well-loved returning cast of characters led by Sheriff Porter Beck.  Southeastern Nevada full of desert, mountains, a small scattered population, and many hidden secrets including the kind government conspiracy fans get excited about has never been such a hotbed of intrigue.  Porter’s staff are stretched thin out helping with the forest fires so he’s investigating the recent fentanyl deaths on his own and he’s got a new weird investigation involving an old high school pal, Jesse, who’s turning his family ranch into a big operation and someone with a unique skillset has hijacked a government drone and targeted Jesse for some reason.

I was very captivated by The Bitter Past and the western setting, complex thriller plot, engaging characters particularly Porter Beck who may be a rural county sheriff staving off a strengthening vision impairment, but is more than meets the eye and Lincoln county maybe rural, but there is plenty of diversity and culture to be had from the setting and peoples.

Picking up Shades of Mercy was a joyful return for more of the same with a new series of seemingly unrelated matters for Porter and his deputies to handle.  Naturally, a few big government agency types get involved once again and underestimate Porter and his department when the hacked military equipment has them all stirred up.  Porter is a blend of capable professional, laid back country guy, and a man facing the loss of his vision with private vulnerability though no giving in.  He’s dealt with his night blindness vulnerability by wearing night vision goggles when he has to respond to night time emergencies (and yes, he drove using them and even is new K-9 partner was terrified for the ride.  I got a kick out of him taking on a dog deputy who went through a couple different K-9 special trainings that it flunked out, but still has a role to play as part of the team.

Bruce Burgos’ writing style is easy to read and draws the reader into the world of the book. I found myself unable to put the book down once I got started and reluctantly did so.  When I wasn’t reading, I was speculating on where it would go next.  Some good twists and surprises along with a riveting final climax that was more a series of climactic moments before the end.

All in all, Shades of Mercy was abso-fab showing that the Porter Beck series is hanging strong through two books and left me with a strong need for a third book. I can’t tout this series enough.

Amazon | Audible

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Original source: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2024/07/shades-of-mercy-by-bruce-burgos.html