The Blue Horse by Bruce Borgos Book Review

About the Book:

A helicopter driving a controversial round-up of wild horses suddenly crashes and the pilot is found to have been shot. Then the person coordinating the round-up for the Bureau of Land Management is savagely murdered, buried up to her neck and then trampled to death by the very same wild horses. And there's no lack of suspects―with the wild horse advocacy group having sworn to protect the horse At Any Cost! Now the state and federal agencies are showing up looking for answers or at least a scapegoat.

Sheriff Porter Beck has had better days.

Porter Beck's new girlfriend, Detective Charlie Blue Horse, arrives to help with the investigation, which leads them to Canadian Lithium mining operation near the round-up area that sets off Beck's mental alarm bells. Brinley, Beck's sister, is leading a group of troubled kids in a wilderness program, when one of them, Rafa, bolts one night. When Brinley catches up to him, they're just outside the mine―in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

With his personal life in turmoil, too many suspects and too many secrets, the feds pushing for a quick resolution, and his impetuous (if skilled) sister in the mix, one wrong step could be deadly for Porter Beck.

My Review:

This historical mystery is set in the early stages of COVID. It brought back many of the uncertainties we experienced at the time. The location of the novel in Nevada and centering around wild horses was informative. I liked Porter as the hero. He is a dedicated law man while juggling other responsibilities. It was interesting to learn about night blindness.

This is the first book I have read in the series. The existing relationships had less of an impact than if I had read the previous novels. I felt the novel read quite well on its own, however. It has a good amount of action and twists. Those who enjoy contemporary mysteries in a western setting will enjoy this one.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

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. He is the author of The Bitter Past. Photo credit: Pam Borgos

Minotaur Books, 368 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. Mine is an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)