4 1/2 Stars - The Irresponsible Reader

PUB DAY REPOST: The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos: The First In What Had Better Be a Long-Running Series in the American West

DETAILS:
Series: Porter Beck, #1
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: July 18, 2023
Format: eARC
Length: 320 pg.
Read Date: July 5-6, 2023

What’s The Bitter Past About?

Porter Beck is the Sheriff of Lincoln County, Nevada. We meet him as he and his deputies are looking at a horrific crime scene. A retired FBI Agent has been tortured and killed, and Beck and his crew are clueless as to why.

Well, that’s not entirely true—Beck has an idea, but he needs the autopsy results before he starts to act on it. Before he came back home and became Sheriff, Beck was in Army Intelligence and recognizes signs of a Russian Foreign Intelligence Service operation. An FBI Agent has been sent to look into the case and works alongside the Sheriff’s department, Beck confronts Special Agent Sana Locke about this and she comes clean.

The dead agent had spent decades trying to find a Russian agent who had infiltrated US nuclear tests in the 1950s, and there’s a reason to think that the Russians have come to find that agent for themselves. It’s up to Beck and Agent Locke to stop them.

The only way I can sense to talk about this book is to focus on each timeline/storyline separately.

The Present

We spend a lot of time getting to know Beck and his deputies—a colorful and interesting batch that I hope we get to spend a lot more time with in the years to come. We also get to know Beck’s father—the former Sheriff, now battling dementia—and his adoptive sister, a firearms expert and instructor (who could probably be the protagonist in a series of her own).

In addition to trying to find either the killer or the agent the killer was looking for (in order to find the killer), they have to deal with a missing woman from an FLDS compound.

Both active cases stretch the small department to the limits—it’s a large county (roughly the same area as Maryland)—and tensions within the department staff start to build as they do their best to cover routine duties as well as pursue (and generate) leads.

We don’t get to me a lot of non-law enforcement residents of Lincoln County, I assume that’ll change in future books—but those that we do tell me that I want to meet more of them.

The Past

In the mid-to-late 1950s* the US conducted several tests of nuclear weapons in the desert of Lincoln County. Our Russian Agent, Lt. Georgiy Dudko of the KGB, had spent a long time preparing to come to America and pass himself off as an American citizen**. Once here, he got hired on as a security guard on the base that conducted the testing and started gathering information for Moscow as worked his way into better and better positions on base.

* and maybe later, too—I’m not sure of the history off the top of my head, and it’s beyond the scope of this post to get into that.
** Think of the FX show The Americans but Georgiy never got to wear any of the impossibly great wigs. Poor guy.

Georgiy never lost sight of his mission—but at some point questioned some of his orders. He thought they damaged his overall mission and he had other moral/ethical concerns that I really can’t get into. But this led to the Present-time story, so the reader is able to start putting the pieces together right away.

This is largely background material, but that doesn’t keep Borgos from keeping it as gripping as if it’s the only story in the novel. Early in this story, I saw it as background and was in a hurry to get back to Beck’s storyline. That ended quickly and I didn’t want to step away from Georgiy’s story—even once I knew pretty much how things had to go. And my notes say that a lot.

The Setting

Obviously, the setting of any book is vital to the overall novel—you can’t tell Elvis Cole or Harry Bosch stories outside of L.A. (with a couple of exceptions), Spenser and Kenzie & Gennaro need Boston, Walt Longmire and Joe Pickett have to have their stories in Wyoming—the geography, the character of their homes, and the history of the area shape and form the people, crimes, and type of stories you can tell.

The same is true here—these are stories that can only be told in this part of the world. The history of the area informs so much of this novel that it cannot be overstated—but the empty spaces, the long distances between neighbors, and the amount of territory Beck’s department is responsible for are just as important as that history. It’s a perfect combination of locale and subject.

So, what did I think about The Bitter Past?

I cannot believe that I haven’t been reading these books for years—I felt right at home with the characters almost instantly. I could feel the rapport between them—even between Beck and his rival deputy—as solidly as if this were the fifth book in the series.

I want to spend some time discussing a couple of the deputies at length, but I’ve gone on too long already. So I’ll just leave it by mentioning my favorite parts of the book. There are a couple of scenes of Beck and the deputies looking around crime scenes and dissecting them—each pointing out evidence and trying to build an explanation for what’s before them, what happened during the crime, etc. Yes, Beck’s the Sheriff and has the most experience, but it’s a true team effort, which is just a joy to watch. If Borgos gives me a couple of those in every book, I will be reading him for as long as it already feels like I have been.

That opening crime scene is grisly—I can’t think of anything worse since M. W. Craven’s The Puppet Show—and any reader is going to want to read about that killer being stopped.

Borgos puts enough wit and humor in both storylines to keep things from getting too bogged down in blood and intrigue (and nuclear fallout), the characters are all the kind you want to spend more time with (even the Russian spy), and the cases are intriguing. The pacing is perfect—he keeps you turning pages and trying to guess at what’s coming next without keeping things at a breakneck speed, so you can enjoy the scenery and his well-put-together sentences.

I don’t know if Borgos will be able to structure another book like this—and I frankly don’t care. If all we get is Beck and his crew, I’m fine. If he does have another trick like this up his sleeve, I’m all for that, too.

I strongly recommend this book—particularly for fans of Craig Johnson and C.J. Box. This is the beginning of the next great Western Mystery series. I’d have ordered Book 2 already if the option existed, and I think I won’t be alone in that.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for this post–thanks to both for this.

4 1/2 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

Not Prepared by Matthew Hanover: This’ll Melt Your Heart and Bring a Smile to Your Face

By HCNewton

On July 13, 2023

In Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, Matthew Hanover

Not Prepared

by Matthew Hanover

DETAILS:
Series: Wallflowers, #4
Publication Date: July 25, 2023
Format: eARC
Read Date: July 7-10, 2023

The Series

Let me start with this—I’ve labeled this as the fourth book in the Wallflowers series (I prefer to think of it as the Alli-verse, but whatever, I’ll go with Hanover’s title). This does not mean you need to read the other three first. There’s only the thinnest little thread tying these together and there’s no reason not to read them all as stand-alones.

What’s Not Prepared About?

Our protagonist, Neil, is a single photographer approaching 40. He’s fairly successful and comfortable with his life—which is primarily about his work and staying healthy. He enjoys a few romantic dalliances but stopped pursuing anything serious some time back. He’s fairly free and likes his life—outside of some family he rarely sees (largely due to circumstance, not preference), he really has no ties. Well, there’s the daughter of his childhood friend—Neil was named her godfather when she was born a little over a decade ago, shortly before his friend died. He’s seen her a few times over the years and babysat her occasionally, but that’s about it.

One night, the now 12-year-old Chloe shows up on his doorstep. Chloe says her mom dropped her off on her way out of town for a few days and that she needs to stay with Neil. It’s not really the most convenient or thoughtful way to do this, but Neil doesn’t begrudge Chloe for it—her mother, Sara, has never been thoughtful or responsible so it fits.

The next day, Neil takes Chloe to get some clothes—Sara left her without any. He’s not crazy about this, but it needs to happen. Neil’s really not crazy about helping her find underwear or a training bra. Thankfully, there’s a woman near them in the store who sees Neil’s predicament and comes to his aid.

Naturally, because it’s this kind of book, there’s a spark between this woman, Jenna, and Neil. A couple of days after their meet-cute, the two meet for coffee. The sparks are still there—and Jenna’s able to give Neil a hint or two about dealing with Chloe.

Neil’s going to need more than a hint or two because Chloe eventually comes clean with him—she has no idea where her mom went and when/if she’ll be coming home. Chloe’s looking for a new home and family, and she’s picked Neil (and would like Jenna to be part of it, too).

This is the last thing that Neil bargained for, but he’s drawn to the idea (about both Chloe and Jenna). Now the question is, can they make it work?

Chloe

When I posted about Hanover’s first book, Not Famous, I spent a lot of time talking about the protagonist’s younger sister. She wasn’t that integral to the plot, but brought out aspects of the central characters you wouldn’t have seen otherwise—but more than that, she’s a perfectly charming character that you wanted to see more of. In Not Prepared, Hanover takes a very similar character and makes her the focus of the novel.

If that’s all he did, I’d be a fan of the book—thankfully he does more (some of which I’ll talk about in a minute). But let’s focus on Chloe for a moment.

So, obviously, she’s a mess. Her mother abandoned her and it’s pretty clear that before she literally abandoned her, Sara put the minimal amount of effort (at best) in before that. She’s not used to being cared for, for having limits placed on her, for having a reliable presence of any kind—once she’s given those she responds well to them and flourishes (probably responds a bit too well, but we’re not looking for gritty realism here).

Chloe’s also obviously an intelligent and resourceful girl who sees her opportunity and seizes it. Not simply for her physical needs—but she’s long had an emotional tie to Neil and she makes the most of her time with him to feed and nurture that bond. It takes Neil a bit to understand just what he’s meant to her for so long, but once he does he reciprocates.

It’s both the portrayal of Chloe and the depiction of their relationship—in all of its ups and downs, flaws and strengths—that makes this book so strong

A Meeting of Anxieties

Neil suffers from health anxiety—a term he (understandably) prefers to hypochondria—which leads him to spend a lot of time in hospitals and doctor’s offices. He’s both very aware that he’s very likely completely healthy and yet he’s frequently convinced that he has any number of undiagnosed conditions or ailments, frequently exasperated by news reports or pharmaceutical commercials. This is something that’s impacted his life as long as he can remember—and having a dear friend die at a young age likely didn’t help. As a result of this, he’s rather health conscious, particularly when it comes to the food he buys and prepares. Which is exactly what a 12-year-old doesn’t want to hear or experience.

Jenna struggles with brumotactillophobia (a form of OCD relating to foods touching each other), which sounds like something to chuckle over, but for Jenna, it’s a serious and frequently embarrassing issue.

Neil’s lost relationships—short-term and incredibly serious—because of his anxiety. Jenna has, too—the number of first dates she’s had that have ended in disaster is the kind of thing to make anyone into a social hermit. Because they can relate to each other’s hardships—and because they’re basically decent people capable of empathy—both of them can understand and accept the other. In fact, it’s an early way for them to bond. There are points throughout the novel where they’re able to help each other with their anxiety, which just made me love them as a couple and like the book even more.

Chloe’s better for spending time with both of them and seeing how they cope and deal with their anxieties—she’s better than any of the characters in the book at supporting them through bumps in the road. As I type this, I realize it’s due in part to her having spent her entire life taking care of her mother, so maybe it’s not as heartwarming a point as I initially thought. Still, it endeared me to her.

Alli Conwell

For years, one aspect of Marvel (and related) movies that was a sure-fire pleaser was the inventive way that Stan Lee would show up in some sort of cameo. Hanover’s not quite at that point with the singer-songwriter that was at the center of his first novel, Not Famous, but it’s in sight.

I do enjoy seeing how Alli will pop up in the various books. And somehow—don’t ask me how, I’m worried it’s a sign of cognitive decline—when she does pop up I’m surprised.
Me: Oh, wow! That was great that he tied Alli into this.
Voice in My Head: You mean like he always does? Why weren’t you looking for it?
Me (grumbling): Shut up.

In a way that won’t bother anyone who’s never read a Hanover book before, her presence is felt throughout the novel, beginning with one of my favorite lines of the book.

Post-Credits Scene?

If Marvel (and other) movies* have taught us anything in the last 15 years, it’s that you don’t leave the movie theater until the credits have stopped rolling and all the lights have come up. Period. Sure, you’ll get a complete story if you do, but you’ll be missing something.

Hanover has provided his readers with a “post-credits” chapter—a bonus chapter that you can access for free. Now, if you don’t, you will get the entire story and you should be completely satisfied (I sure was). But the bonus chapter? That will make you happier and give you a better idea of what will happen to our characters. My ARC didn’t have the entire bonus chapter—but it had enough to give me that boost that a good-post credits scene does (and it gives me a reason to actually open the version I pre-ordered, so I can access the rest of it).

* That’s entirely too many Marvel movie references for a post here—particularly for a book bereft of super powers. Oops.

So, what did I think about Not Prepared?

This is the best thing that Hanover has published—it’s also my favorite so far. Any of the three central characters would be enough to qualify the book for the latter—but you throw them together, and it’s a lock.

Jenna is an independent, self-assured woman who knows her limitations, has a strong sense of self and her morality, and because of that, is able to let herself be vulnerable and open to those she wants to be vulnerable and open to. She makes room for Neil and Chloe because it’s her choice, not because she’s driven to, or needs something.

I’ve said enough about Chloe at this point that any more would be overkill—so I’ll leave it with saying that she’s an adorable kid that I want to read a sequel or three about (but not really, because I’d rather imagine what happens after this than know).

Then there’s Neil—a mature narrator/protagonist, rather than the twentysomething still trying to figure out what kind of life he wants. Neil has his life, he’s responsible, his career’s in a good place. Somewhat by force and a sense of duty (with a twinge of guilt), but primarily because he wants to—he changes his life to accommodate Chloe. This will ultimately prove to change his whole life for the better.

There are no easy answers in Not Prepared, nothing works out just the way that any of the characters are looking for or expect (no readers, I’d wager). But there’s hope, there’s possibility, there’s a solid base for good things for them all. I think this is as good a sign for Hanover’s storytelling as it is for the book itself—there’s some mature writing at work here.

Possibly my favorite thing here is that while this book is at heart a Rom-Com, the romantic story takes a backseat to the love story between the girl who needs a family and a bachelor who didn’t expect one. There’s still plenty of “rom”, and a good amount of “com” of a handful of stripes (particularly when it comes to a single man being thrust into dealing with a young girl at the cusp of puberty)—but there’s a lot more, too.

It’s all told with Hanover’s trademark wit, charm, and grace—prose that moves so smoothly you don’t realize how long you’ve spent sucked into his book. He won me over starting at the prologue, and I don’t know if I stopped grinning throughout (well, except to chuckle or smile). The emotions are real and grounded—both positively and negatively. His depictions of anxiety really impressed me, and there are scenes between Chloe and Neil that got me choked up.

I strongly recommend this warm comedy about an unorthodox way to start a family.

Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this ARC by the author in exchange for this post. Which gave me something to opine about, but otherwise didn’t influence my opinion.

4 1/2 Stars

PUB DAY REPOST: Sleepless City by Reed Farrel Coleman: Your Summer Action Novel is Here

By HCNewton

On July 11, 2023

In Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Reed Farrel Coleman

Sleepless City

by Reed Farrel Coleman

DETAILS:
Series: Nick Ryan, #1
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Publication Date: July 11, 2023
Format: eARC
Length: 321 pgs.
Read Date: June 23-26, 2023

I really want to tell you everything about this book—and I also want to tell you nothing at all beyond what the jacket copy is going to say and just tell you that if that sounds good to you—it is, and maybe better than you think. If that doesn’t sound good to you, it still is, but it’s probably not your cup of tea. Let’s see if I can accomplish something in-between.

What’s Sleepless City About?

Nick Ryan is a detective with the NYPD—that’s all he’s wanted to be, and he’s good at it. Sadly, because his father did the right thing and testified against a number of dirty cops several years ago—Ryan (and his father) are hated by most of the rank and file (and probably more of those above those). It doesn’t matter what Ryan does, his career is going nowhere. He’s still doing good work and seems to accept his lot in life.

Until a few things happen—I’m going to ignore those and move on to the results: Ryan is recruited by a lawyer representing unnamed interests who are going to change things for him. He’s going to get a promotion, he’s going to get to choose what cases he works on—whatever strikes his fancy and curiosity. But when this lawyer calls, he will push pause on everything in his life to take care of whatever these interests want. He’s basically going to be a fixer for the NYPD, cleaning up messes they can’t, preventing problems, and essentially doing whatever needs done. They’ll provide the resources (off the record and unseen), and he provides the results.

In Sleepless City we get the origin story for Det. Ryan, we see his first two cases, and get an idea what the resulting series should look like. Here’s the best thing about these two cases (which I’m going to share even if some might consider it mildly spoilery to do so because it’s a great selling point): unlike in 95% of thrillers/procedurals these two crimes that apparently have nothing to do with each other do not come around in the end to be related. They are actually distinct from each other. The resolution of one has practically nothing to do with the other (only that some goodwill generated by Ryan in one situation keeps him out of hot water in another).

Problem 1

A few recent incidents (nationally and in the city) have tensions high between the police and black communities at the tipping point. Ryan’s called into the scene of a shooting death of an interracial couple by someone who never should’ve joined the police. Ryan’s impulse—and that of several others, it should be noted—is to let the facts come out honestly.

But with the city near the boiling point, the fear is that the ensuing riots will leave too many dead, too many homes and businesses (and survivors) ruined, and the outcome of the protests and riots uncertain. Ryan has to cover this up without turning the victims into anything but victims.

So right away, you know that this book/series is going to live in morally gray (at best) areas. The lengths Ryan goes to—and the means by which he tries to accomplish this coverup are, tell you just as much about the way this series is going to work while the ends tell you about the ethical quagmire it tries to navigate.

Problem 2

The second issue centers around a Madoff-like character who stole a billion or so dollars—a large amount came from various law enforcement unions. The havoc wreaked on the first responders by this loss is great—and the consequences for Ryan’s brother (as an example) are devastating.

They’re going to be able to put Aaron Lister away for a long time—there’s no doubt about that. But no one can find the money—and nothing that the police, the FBI, or the courts have been able to do can get Lister to reveal where it is so they can try to repay the retirement funds.

Enter Nick Ryan.

No White Hats In Sight

We get the idea early on that Nick Ryan is a stand-up guy, ready to do the right thing regardless of the consequences. But after the events that I alluded to before his recruitment, he takes a different position on the legality of his actions (and maybe that was present before, but it’s certainly strengthened now)—it’s about the end result for Ryan now.

He’ll cut corners, he’ll make deals with whatever devils he needs to, and he’ll resort to methods that are so far beyond the pale of right, moral, or legal that they should be measured in light years.

In the real world—I’d hate someone like him and want to see anyone doing these vigilante acts imprisoned. And it’s not just Ryan, all law enforcement characters like him—Raylan Givens should be tried on several charges, Jack Reacher should’ve been locked up (not for the reasons he was initially arrested when we meet him—but for everything else in that book, and the dozens following). I want Malcolm Fox to expose Rebus for the offenses he’s committed (not necessarily the one’s Fox thinks he has, though). Kate Burkholder should confess to shooting that man (in self-defense) and the coverup of that shooting in her teens. And so on.

But in fiction? Bring. It. On. I love this stuff. Particularly because I don’t think Ryan’s modus operandi is sitting well with him—I’m betting as the series progresses, we’re going to see him having a harder and harder time with what he’s doing. Possibly even driving him to eventually trying to bite the hand that feeds him and exposing the interests directing him to the world (and going down with them).

I don’t have time to talk about the mess that is his personal life—but there’s plenty of fodder there for personal subplots for years to come.

So, what did I think about Sleepless City?

I had a great time with this book—it’s a great action ride and you can spend hours debating the ethical questions it raises (with yourself, with the book, or with others—and I can’t wait until people I know have had the chance to read this so we can have those discussions).

The speed at which Ryan is able to pull off these fixes probably strains credulity, but this isn’t the kind of book to care about how long things take. And by the time you start to wonder about plausibility, you’ve blown past the point where the question arose and you’re more focused on what happens next.

Because he’s the reigning gold standard, I will say there are a couple of scenes where Ryan gets to have a Jack Reacher-esque moment, scenes that have nothing to do with the plot, just a chance for Reacher/Ryan to demonstrate their abilities and stop a wrong outside of the primary storylines. The way that one of these resolves is so un-Reacher that I laughed and re-read it to see where Coleman made you think Ryan was going to try to match the ex-MP’s style. Ryan can be violent when he needs to be (quite), but he starts with his brains and mouth when he can in a situation—as satisfying as a good fight scene can be, someone thinking and talking his way through a problem can be as fun.

I think Coleman pulled off quite the feat here—this doesn’t feel like his previous work (although I freely admit I haven’t read as much of his earlier work as I want to, so maybe it does). This is more about action and less about reflection and thought. But it’s not mindless violence and the Ryan is a thoughtful character.

There are moments of fun—Coleman’s able to slip in a joke or two, too. But really this book is all about forward momentum, as if once Ryan has taken on this role he can’t stop moving and the book follows suit.

I assumed going in between the premise and my past experience with Coleman that I was going to enjoy the book—but Coleman and Ryan delivered something not quite what I was expecting—and Sleepless City is better for it.

I hope I’m reading these books for years to come—and suggest you pick up Sleepless City as soon as you can.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Blackstone Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.

4 1/2 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos: The First In What Had Better Be a Long-Running Series in the American West

By HCNewton

On July 10, 2023

In Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

The Bitter Past

by Bruce Borgos

DETAILS:
Series: Porter Beck, #1
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: July 18, 2023
Format: eARC
Length: 320 pg.
Read Date: July 5-6, 2023

What’s The Bitter Past About?

Porter Beck is the Sheriff of Lincoln County, Nevada. We meet him as he and his deputies are looking at a horrific crime scene. A retired FBI Agent has been tortured and killed, and Beck and his crew are clueless as to why.

Well, that’s not entirely true—Beck has an idea, but he needs the autopsy results before he starts to act on it. Before he came back home and became Sheriff, Beck was in Army Intelligence and recognizes signs of a Russian Foreign Intelligence Service operation. An FBI Agent has been sent to look into the case and works alongside the Sheriff’s department, Beck confronts Special Agent Sana Locke about this and she comes clean.

The dead agent had spent decades trying to find a Russian agent who had infiltrated US nuclear tests in the 1950s, and there’s a reason to think that the Russians have come to find that agent for themselves. It’s up to Beck and Agent Locke to stop them.

The only way I can sense to talk about this book is to focus on each timeline/storyline separately.

The Present

We spend a lot of time getting to know Beck and his deputies—a colorful and interesting batch that I hope we get to spend a lot more time with in the years to come. We also get to know Beck’s father—the former Sheriff, now battling dementia—and his adoptive sister, a firearms expert and instructor (who could probably be the protagonist in a series of her own).

In addition to trying to find either the killer or the agent the killer was looking for (in order to find the killer), they have to deal with a missing woman from an FLDS compound.

Both active cases stretch the small department to the limits—it’s a large county (roughly the same area as Maryland)—and tensions within the department staff start to build as they do their best to cover routine duties as well as pursue (and generate) leads.

We don’t get to me a lot of non-law enforcement residents of Lincoln County, I assume that’ll change in future books—but those that we do tell me that I want to meet more of them.

The Past

In the mid-to-late 1950s* the US conducted several tests of nuclear weapons in the desert of Lincoln County. Our Russian Agent, Lt. Georgiy Dudko of the KGB, had spent a long time preparing to come to America and pass himself off as an American citizen**. Once here, he got hired on as a security guard on the base that conducted the testing and started gathering information for Moscow as worked his way into better and better positions on base.

* and maybe later, too—I’m not sure of the history off the top of my head, and it’s beyond the scope of this post to get into that.
** Think of the FX show The Americans but Georgiy never got to wear any of the impossibly great wigs. Poor guy.

Georgiy never lost sight of his mission—but at some point questioned some of his orders. He thought they damaged his overall mission and he had other moral/ethical concerns that I really can’t get into. But this led to the Present-time story, so the reader is able to start putting the pieces together right away.

This is largely background material, but that doesn’t keep Borgos from keeping it as gripping as if it’s the only story in the novel. Early in this story, I saw it as background and was in a hurry to get back to Beck’s storyline. That ended quickly and I didn’t want to step away from Georgiy’s story—even once I knew pretty much how things had to go. And my notes say that a lot.

The Setting

Obviously, the setting of any book is vital to the overall novel—you can’t tell Elvis Cole or Harry Bosch stories outside of L.A. (with a couple of exceptions), Spenser and Kenzie & Gennaro need Boston, Walt Longmire and Joe Pickett have to have their stories in Wyoming—the geography, the character of their homes, and the history of the area shape and form the people, crimes, and type of stories you can tell.

The same is true here—these are stories that can only be told in this part of the world. The history of the area informs so much of this novel that it cannot be overstated—but the empty spaces, the long distances between neighbors, and the amount of territory Beck’s department is responsible for are just as important as that history. It’s a perfect combination of locale and subject.

So, what did I think about The Bitter Past?

I cannot believe that I haven’t been reading these books for years—I felt right at home with the characters almost instantly. I could feel the rapport between them—even between Beck and his rival deputy—as solidly as if this were the fifth book in the series.

I want to spend some time discussing a couple of the deputies at length, but I’ve gone on too long already. So I’ll just leave it by mentioning my favorite parts of the book. There are a couple of scenes of Beck and the deputies looking around crime scenes and dissecting them—each pointing out evidence and trying to build an explanation for what’s before them, what happened during the crime, etc. Yes, Beck’s the Sheriff and has the most experience, but it’s a true team effort, which is just a joy to watch. If Borgos gives me a couple of those in every book, I will be reading him for as long as it already feels like I have been.

That opening crime scene is grisly—I can’t think of anything worse since M. W. Craven’s The Puppet Show—and any reader is going to want to read about that killer being stopped.

Borgos puts enough wit and humor in both storylines to keep things from getting too bogged down in blood and intrigue (and nuclear fallout), the characters are all the kind you want to spend more time with (even the Russian spy), and the cases are intriguing. The pacing is perfect—he keeps you turning pages and trying to guess at what’s coming next without keeping things at a breakneck speed, so you can enjoy the scenery and his well-put-together sentences.

I don’t know if Borgos will be able to structure another book like this—and I frankly don’t care. If all we get is Beck and his crew, I’m fine. If he does have another trick like this up his sleeve, I’m all for that, too.

I strongly recommend this book—particularly for fans of Craig Johnson and C.J. Box. This is the beginning of the next great Western Mystery series. I’d have ordered Book 2 already if the option existed, and I think I won’t be alone in that.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for this post–thanks to both for this.

4 1/2 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

Sleepless City by Reed Farrel Coleman: Your Summer Action Novel is Here

By HCNewton

On July 5, 2023

In Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Reed Farrel Coleman

Sleepless City

by Reed Farrel Coleman

DETAILS:
Series: Nick Ryan, #1
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Publication Date: July 11, 2023
Format: eARC
Length: 321 pgs.
Read Date: June 23-26, 2023