NetGalley: Shades of Mercy (book 2) by Bruce Borgos
Publisher: Minotaur Books/ St. Martin's Press
Published: 7/16/2024
Pages: 344
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Review: NetGalley ARC
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.
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.
I like reading about teenagers who can hack the system and do it for good. I am amazed at their talent, one I wish I had. Our sheriff, Porter Beck, believes in following the law, though he is starting to get held back a bit from his eye disease. Thank goodness he has someone who looks out for him a bit so he doesn't feel too much like a burden; a partner who has your back is one you have for life. He has an illegal drug trade, along with deaths happening in his town. What exactly is going on, and what is really happening on the ranch that seems to have mysterious people out there. Porter is in for a ride, especially when a teenager who is in jail seems to be able to hack into things. What is her role in all of this? I will say you are swept away right from the get-go with the action, and the characters are well done. There is a trigger with cows being harmed, so if you are worried or get upset over animal deaths, just bypass the section.
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. He is the author of The Bitter Past.
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