Hey friends,
Readers keep asking me two important questions:
- “Is there a fourth book coming?”
- “Bruce, what’s with that hat? You look like you ought to be explaining something important beside a trailhead.”
Yes to the first question. As for the second, the answer is that I bought it in London years ago, and it holds my head together. If I take it off, a plot hole opens.
Okay, let’s catch up.
Where It All Began (AKA: The Moment I Lost Control of My Life)
When I finished The Bitter Past in 2020, it was meant to be a stand-alone. One book. A single mystery. A nice, clean, dignified entry and…exit.
Then Beck showed up with his desert-dry humor, stubborn sense of justice, and the kind of internal monologue that keeps a writer awake at 3 a.m. And pretty soon I realized:
Well… hell. This man isn’t going anywhere. My publisher agreed.
So did you. Readers kept asking for more stories, more Nevada, more Beck. I caved, happily, and the “stand-alone” became a series before I knew what happened.
How the Series Grew Legs (and Then Started Running Like It Stole Something)
From the Cold War ghosts of The Bitter Past, to hijacked drones and teenage hackers in Shades of Mercy, to the trauma, wild horses, and family reckonings in The Blue Horse… the world around Beck keeps getting wider, weirder, and a whole lot more dangerous.
Characters who were originally supposed to cameo (Brinley/Columbo, I’m looking at you) dug in their heels and quickly became crucial to readers. Side characters refused to stay side characters. Beck’s family expanded, tangled, and complicated itself, like real families, only with slightly more gunfire.
And the desert kept offering new places for Beck to almost die in. Generous, that desert.
A Sneak Peek at Book #4: The Riddle Maker
Right now, The Riddle Maker is deep in editing, that special place where scenes get tightened, dialogue sharpens, and commas gather in small groups to complain about me behind my back.
This new story sends Beck on the trail of a killer who leaves riddles behind like some deranged Dr. Seuss with a grudge. Every clue pulls Beck deeper into Nevada’s strangest, loneliest corners—ghost towns, forgotten desert basins, and places even Google Maps squints at. Each riddle leads to another body… and to the dangerous, surprising past Beck never knew.
And yes, Beck still cracks jokes under pressure, still charges into danger he should probably avoid, and still relies on caffeine like it’s an essential mineral.
Look for it in November, 2026! Here’s a preview of the cover (not yet finalized) 😊
Where the Series Is Going
Short version: forward.
Longer version: deeper, darker, funnier, and filled with secrets.
Expect more:
- stark Nevada landscapes
- tangled family history
- escalating danger
- government agents and agencies, and all their secrets
- and the type of humor you use when crying isn’t an option
Oh, and About Those Hollywood Types…
Yes, the series is still in active development with some very real, very industrious Hollywood folks who assure me that a Porter Beck streaming series is a thing they want to see on screens.
Will it happen? I sure hope so. They sure hope so. Hollywood works on its own timeline, somewhere between “hurry up” and “wait forever,” but progress is being made, and I’ll keep you posted.
Thank You
This journey, every book, every twist, every late-night writing session powered by espresso and questionable decision-making, exists because of you.
Your support keeps this series alive.
Your enthusiasm keeps Beck walking into trouble.
Your messages keep me writing the next chapter.
More updates soon.
Until then, stay safe, stay curious, and stay out of the desert at night.
(Unless you’re Porter Beck. Then, well… good luck.)
— Bruce