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.
His latest book, Shades of Mercy, is the 2nd book in the new Porter Beck series, following 2023’s The Bitter Past. Bruce recently talked about both books with Daryl Maxwell for the LAPL Blog.
What was your inspiration for The Bitter Past?
My inspiration for this novel was the sound of the windows of our house rattling when I was just a boy in Las Vegas. The rattle was caused by the frequent nuclear tests—which by this point had been moved underground—occurring just 75 miles to the north. It was a fascination with the Cold War and man's destructive DNA. At the time I started outlining the book, I remember having the very real sense that despite the Soviet Union going the way of the Dodo bird, the world was still inching toward annihilation. It's the reason I chose a dual-timeline story, to juxtapose the two periods (the 1950s and now).
Are Porter, Brinley, Joe, Sana, or any of the other characters in the novel inspired by or based on specific individuals?
Brinley was inspired by someone I met at a party at my own house. She's a gun safety expert and competitive shooter and teaches celebrities and, on occasion, law enforcement how to handle weapons. If you saw her, you wouldn't imagine for a minute this was her profession. She's real. She lives in Los Angeles, I think. My other characters spring from places in my mind I can't explain.
How did the novel evolve and change as you wrote and revised it? Are there any characters or scenes that were lost in the process that you wish had made it to the published version?
With a story like The Bitter Past that deals with such an important part of our history, there's always a ton of research. I discovered things about our nuclear past I had never been aware of. I wanted to include it all, but while those things were fascinating to me, my editor was quick to point out the reality of marketing books—tighter is always better. So we trimmed some of the sections that took place in the 1950s, and the story is better for those changes. No question.
The case facing Porter Beck in Shades of Mercy is markedly different. What was your inspiration for Shades of Mercy? How did it evolve and change as you wrote and revised it?
I've always been interested in new technologies, and I came across a book called This is How They Tell Me the World Ends by Nicole Perlroth. It's a frightening look at hacking and AI, and it started me thinking about how I could bring what could ultimately kill us all to the remote desert of eastern Nevada. Every draft saw some minor changes, but the overall story remained pretty much the way I had outlined it: a young hacker disrupts this normally peaceful setting. Drug cartels and foreign agents all want to control or eliminate her, and Porter Beck is the only one who wants to ensure she makes it out of her teens.
Are Charlie, Mercy, Shiloh, Jesse, Maddox, or any of the other new characters in Shades of Mercy inspired by or based on specific individuals?
Not really. They are all composites of people who exist in real life, Mercy especially. Charlie Blue Horse is a state detective and a potential love interest for Porter Beck. I don't know anyone like her, but we'll see more of her in the next chapters of the series, which will now be at least four books!
How familiar were you with the nuclear testing in Nevada in the 1950s prior to writing The Bitter Past? Did you have to do a bit of research?
I thought I knew a lot about it. That proved to be overly optimistic. There was so much I didn't know despite growing up in such close proximity to the testing site and knowing a lot of people who had worked there. I spent a lot of time at the Atomic Museum in Las Vegas going through their archives, and that's where I got the idea for the key event in my story, an actual test that occurred in 1957. I also interviewed retired employees of the test site and listened to recordings others had made earlier and which were collected by the university here. But my most interesting interviews were conducted with some of the people who lived "downwind" of the site. We talked about the effects nuclear fallout had on them and their families, effects which are still being felt to this day.
What was the most interesting or surprising thing that you learned during your research?
Most surprising to me was how patriotic the downwinders were. We were in a race with the Soviet Union at the time, convinced they wanted to eradicate America. Those people, for the most part, understood and appreciated that threat. Their personal sacrifice—not fully realized until years later—was a secondary consideration. "It was a different time," some of them said. "We were in a war. It was a Cold War, but it was war."
Same questions for the technologies Beck confronts in Shades of Mercy. Did you need to do some research prior to/during the writing of the novel? What was the most interesting or surprising thing you learned?
The most interesting I learned in my research on the technology side was that the Federal Reserve was hacked. A billion dollars might have been stolen by the hackers, but only eighty-one million made it out the door and through the ether to the Philippines. We still aren't sure who pulled this off. So, I guess our bank accounts aren't safe!
Both of the novels have mentioned, in passing, Area 51 and the conspiracy theories surrounding the area (which is in/near Porter's jurisdiction). Is there a chance Area 51 will figure more prominently in a future Porter Beck Mystery?
Oh yes. The fruit is too juicy and low-hanging not to pick it! It won't be part of Book #3, tentatively titled The Blue Horse (due for release in the summer of 2025), but it will be a place that figures prominently from time to time.
You now have two books in the Porter Beck Mystery series. What are your plans for the series? Do you know how many books you need to tell Porter's story?
20! As I mentioned, we know there will be at least four books in the series, but we're hoping for more. That will be decided primarily by readers. As long as they continue to like Porter Beck, I'll keep writing more of him.
Both The Bitter Past and Shades of Mercy would make marvelous movies or great series. If they were going to be adapted, who would your dream cast be?
That's in the works, by the way, so I'm hopeful we see an adaptation in the future. As far as a dream cast:
Porter Beck: Mark Wahlberg
Sana Locke: Yasmine Al Massri
Brinley Cummings: Talulah Riley
Joe Beck: Gene Hackman
Charlie Blue Horse: Julia Jones
What's currently on your nightstand?
Five Decembers by James Kestrel, Big Time by Ben Winters, and Off the Air by the very talented Christina Estes.
Can you name your top five favorite or most influential authors?
This is a tough one. Craig Johnson, Ken Follett, Graham Greene, Kelly Rimmer, Anthony Doerr. So many more!
What was your favorite book when you were a child?
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls, and The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger.
Was there a book you felt you needed to hide from your parents?
I wish I had been that kind of kid. I read everything my dad brought home, all spy thrillers and mysteries.
Is there a book you've faked reading?
War and Peace. Sadly, many, many times.
Can you name a book you've bought for the cover?
Nope. Never happened.
Is there a book that changed your life?
Maybe The End of the Affair by Graham Greene. It's a World War II story, an era that fascinates me, and Greene's writing is simply exquisite. I remember how I wanted to emulate his turn of phrase, plotting, and the emotions he could evoke.
Can you name a book for which you are an evangelist (and you think everyone should read)?
I'm currently evangelizing The Peacock and the Sparrow, an Edgar Award-winning spy novel written by a good friend of mine, I.S. Berry. She's written the best spy novel in years, and I can't wait to see what she turns out next.
Is there a book you would most want to read again for the first time?
You ask such tough questions! I suppose it would be Everything Matters! by Ron Currie, Jr. It's that delightful!
What is the last piece of art (music, movies, TV, more traditional art forms) that you've experienced or that has impacted you?
I'm fascinated by stories about our future as a species, especially when it involves aliens. I recently watched The Three-Body Problem on one of the streaming services. It was mind-bending!
What is your idea of THE perfect day (where you could go anywhere/meet with anyone)?
The perfect day for me would start with snorkeling with sea turtles in Kapalua Bay on Maui, followed by a few hours of writing from a nice chair outside my oceanfront room, followed by lunch with my wife and best friends, more snorkeling, and a nice long walk on the beach with my golden retriever puppy, Charlie Blue Horse.
What is the question that you're always hoping you'll be asked but never have been?
Have you ever imagined yourself to be a serial killer?
What is your answer?
Yes, but only in a Dexter sort of way. I would only kill porch pirates and identity thieves.
What are you working on now?
Book #3, The Blue Horse. There's a wild horse problem (some would say) in Nevada, and someone is killing the government agents assigned to manage and remove them from public lands in Lincoln County. Porter Beck has to find out who's behind the murders. Oh, at the same time, the pandemic is in full bloom, and COVID is taking down most of his already small department. It's complex, with lots of red herrings! You'll see it summer of 2025!
