Review – Shades of Mercy by Bruce Borgos
Synopsis
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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Review
This is a fast-paced suspense novel that kept me engaged and entertained. I stayed up way too late finishing it!
Sheriff Porter Beck is losing his eyesight, but that doesn’t stop him from protecting his county and its residents. He has a dry sense of humor and is able to put pieces together that others cannot. He has a smart and talented sister who plays an integral part in the story. I think Brinley might be my favorite character. Either her or Beck’s dog, Colombo. Colombo is a washout in the various careers he tries as a canine, but while he may not succeed at any one of them, he does retain enough knowledge to help save the day in several instances.
This book is not short of strong characters. From the cartel to a young hacker to a Chinese spy and even some Area 51 enthusiasts, this novel has no shortage of action.
Set in the Nevada desert, there is plenty of space to commit crimes. Many take advantage of this, but Beck does his best to shut it all down. It isn’t easy work, but he has a crack team that helps him make Nevada a better place. We don’t see all of the characters from the first book, but they are mentioned. If you are into conspiracy theories, there are several in this book with representatives from the various alphabet organizations. But of course, they can’t tell you that.
There were times that I had a bad feeling about some of the characters and what they might do, and while I didn’t know exactly, I wasn’t too far off the mark suspecting nefarious plans from a few of them.
I enjoy a good suspense thriller book, and this one filled the bill. There is even a little heart in it with Beck’s father dealing with dementia and Beck’s failing eyesight.
We give this book 5 paws up.
About the Author
BRUCE BORGOS lives and writes from the Nevada desert, where he works hard every day to prove his high school guidance counselor had good instincts when he said, “You’ll never be an astronaut.” He has a degree in political science, which mostly served to dissuade him from a career in law while at the same time tormenting his wife with endless questions about how telephones work. When not writing, you can usually find him at the local wine store.
