This was a good story. A bit personal, a bit political, a bit police procedural, a bit of sleuthing. A lot of bad people, and some not so much.Told with a hint of humor, Ben has grown on me and I'm looking forward to his continued career.

I like this series! I really enjoyed finding out what happened to his brother and I liked how the other loose ends from the last book were tied up too

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Pub Date: 2/4
•
Ben Packard, may be my favorite cop ever. The stoicism, the one liners, not backing down, this man is just the total package. I love him so much and will always follow his stories. After finishing Where the Dead Sleep (book two in the series), I knew that I was going to have to read book three because of that cliffhanger ending, which was one of my favorite endings ever. So of course, as soon as this went on NetGalley, I jumped at the opportunity to read it. 
•
Just like the other two books in this series, I flew through this one very quickly. I loved how invested I am in this character and wanted to know exactly what happened (I will keep exactly what to myself to avoid any spoilers). I love how Moehling created two different story lines essentially and managed to make them connect while not making them connect if that makes sense. There are new characters introduced who I loved. And lastly, my favorite part - we got answers to the ending of book two!! Fantastic addition to the series!
•
I listened to this one while reading the ebook and it was narrated by Linda Jones. I've said this in my past reviews, but I really don't like that this story is narrated by a female, even if the story is told in a third person POV. She does a great job for sure, but I feel like the story would go better if it was narrated by a male..
•
The series definitely needs to be read in order, but it is a great series, so if you are looking for a new series - be sure to pick this one up!! Thank you to NetGalley, Joshua Moehling, Dreamscape Media and Poisoned Pen Press for the ALC and eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I think the author is now an automatic read for me. I have read all three of the Ben Packard series, I am a bit sad that now the waiting game begins again. Until next time!

The story picks up pretty much right where the second left off. Sadly the mighty have fallen as Ben has lost the election for sheriff. His opponent (and now Sheriff) Shepard, has wasted zero time making Ben’s life as miserable as possible. Ben now works security at the courthouse, mundane days are a plenty, except….

A tragic shooting has Ben now on leave as his actions are under investigation. Little does he know that an even bigger scandal will slowly infold behold him and it is up to Ben to dive into the deep abyss that is this case.

To top it off his old boss, Stan, left one last gift for Ben: a clue as to the possible whereabouts to his long deceased brother. Is it possible to finally get the closure and answers the Packard family have been hoping for? Ben is surely going to try.

I love the writing style and the character development. This series has an amazing balance of crime/mystery and small town drama. I appreciate the ghosts that Ben has to deal with while also trying to create his future. Can’t wait for the next one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am loving this series! Packard is an amazing main character and I really enjoy how he investigates all of his cases and how he works through his struggles. The plot in this latest novel was so good and I loved that there were the two cases running side by side in the book. I really enjoyed the twists in this book and how we finally have answers for Packard about his brother’s death. This was a great mystery and I hope there will be more books in this series in the future.

Ben Packard is back in the third installment of the Ben Packard series. Deputy Packard finds himself on administrative leave after a court house shooting lead to him having to pull his own weapon and shoot and kill the perpetrator. While on leave, Deputy Packard learns some new information on the disappearance of his brother, Kyle, who went missing when Ben was just a kid. With nothing better to do, Ben decides to devote his time to following this new lead into his brothers disappearance. But following this new lead, brings Packard to another suspicious death and down a rabbit hole of possible murders and suspicious activity. Will following this trail finally lead to the answers he has been looking for his entire life? Will his family find out what happened to Kyle? And who keeps trying to kill him?

Review:
A Long Time Gone was a great addition to the Ben Packard series. It has a lot of drama and a lot of different things going on. I really enjoy procedural books, so this series has been perfect for that! There are a lot of characters in this one and a lot of moving parts which kept me guessing until the very end. I never for a second predicted the outcome and was pleasantly surprised by the perpetrator in the multiple murders during this book. I am glad that we finally found out what happened to Kyle, but the reveal was a little underwhelming to me. I just felt like it could have been a little more intricate or drama filled especially since we had to wait three books to find out. This one also lost me a little bit when it got to the financial aspect and fraud. In general, that is not my favorite thing to read about, so that is more of a "me" problem. Overall, I felt like I had all of my questions answered from the previous two books. I am curious if there is going to be another book in this series because it does wrap up very nicely with no cliffhanger like book 2.
A Long Time Gone is now available and I definitely recommend picking it up if you enjoyed the other 2 books in this series!
Thank you to NetGalley, Joshua Moehling, and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC of A Long Time Gone in exchange for an honest review!

2-5, edited review and posted on TikTok
No spoilers. I was happy to find this because I’ve been looking for more gay detectives. Deputy Packard shines as an engaging hero, and this third book in the series worked as a standalone.

I enjoyed the atmospheric rural setting. The Minneapolis winter is practically an honorary character. Colorful locals, including lesbians, add to the small-town feel. Packard's mother cracked me up. The brave and appealing Packard could carry an extended series. The novel has empathy, intrigue, suspense, humor, a bit of sensuality, and one of the mysteries wraps up beautifully. 

The other mystery took up a lot of the book, and I guessed the perp ahead of the reveal. It suffered from a flat villain with an overused backstory. The prolonged info dump late in the case was the book's low point. I liked the hero's defiance, but his behavior toward authorities became impossible to believe. Some readers may not be distracted by these things.

Parts of the novel were chilling, and Packard's growth and personal experiences were moving. It's a fast, worthwhile, and entertaining read. I finished it in a day. My rating is 3.5 stars. According to a recent interview, he has four more books under contract with Poisoned Pen, so this could become your next favorite series. 

I recommend A Long Time Gone to readers comfortable with detailed crime-scene descriptions who enjoy medium-dark thrillers or crime fiction, as well as to readers seeking non-stereotypical LGBTQIA+ characters. 

Thank you, PoisonedPenPress , for the eARC for consideration. These are solely my own opinions.

Loved this installment to the series! It was so much fun to read and follow Ben Packard.

This is by far my favorite police procedural series. I love the mysteries, the twists, the action! I always recommend it to others and will continue to do so!

Wow! What a great thriller. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.i can’t wait to read more by this author.

I like Ben Packard - he's a complex character. I've read #1 (but not #2) and you could read this book as a standalone, but you'll understand a bit more if you've read the previous books. This is a well-plotted book with interesting characters. There are two mysteries in this book - what happened to Nick, Ben's brother approximately 30 years ago, and a multiple murder/fraud case. The current case is interesting and twisted, with some red herrings thrown in to keep the reader off the scent. The final reveal of Nick's story is heartbreaking. lthough it does give the reader hope for a more positive outlook for Ben should there be a 4th book.

"It's time to put the past to rest…

Ben Packard was just a boy when his older brother disappeared. Ben watched him walk out the back door of their grandparents' house and into the cold night.

His brother was never seen again.

Decades later, Deputy Packard finds himself with too much time on his hands. A shooting has him on leave and under investigation, and for the first time in years, new information about his brother has surfaced that may lead them to the location of a body.

The midwinter ground is frozen solid. Worse, Packard is cut off from department resources. As he strikes out to finally uncover the truth behind his brother's disappearance, he stumbles on a separate, suspicious death. A tenuous connection exists between the two cases, and as Packard starts to dig, he meets fierce resistance from friends and foes alike who want him to stand down.

The winter is long and cold. By the end of it, Packard will risk everything to catch a killer and reveal the shocking truth about his brother."

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

My favorite reads are those series I've been reading for awhile with characters that have grown and matured into friends. They tell excellent stories, setting the characters in the middle of unfamiliar terrirtory and watching them use everything they know to get out and save those important to them. Series like CJ Box's Joe Pickett and Marc Cameron's Arliss Cutter. Joshua Moehling's Ben Packard series stands as a favorite next to any of the others.
A LONG TIME GONE is Book #3 in the series. As in any series, there is an over arcing thread, in this case, it's the disappearance of Ben's brother......a long time ago. Ben's character has lived through many challenges to get to this point. He's lost the job he loves and has no immediate plans, so will update the investigation of his brother's case while giving himself time to work out his future.
I easily spent an entire day reading this book in one sitting. It's an excellent chapter in the lengthy future I predict for Joshua Moehling's series.

Bravo! In A Long Time Gone, author Joshua Moehling delivers a beautifully written thriller full of mystery, emotion and suspense that leaves the reader sitting back in their chair saying, “Wow.”

Life hasn’t been easy of late for my favorite sexy detective. In this third book in the Ben Packard mystery series, we find our protagonist pulling court-security detail when a shooting puts him on leave and under investigation with too much time to think - not only about recent events and his future but his older brother’s decades earlier disappearance from the family’s lake house, as well.

After more details of that tragedy had come to light, a visit with his mother to visit the owner of his grandparent’s former home brings back memories. It also sends Packard on another investigation with life-threatening consequences.

Moehling should teach a master class on creating rich, fictional characters as real as they come. From Ben to his mother, his friends/coworkers and romantic interests, it’s all there with depth and easy, subtle strokes.

I highly recommend A Long Time Gone for thriller, mystery and LGBTQ fiction fans. I received this advanced reader copy of A Long Time Gone from Poisoned Pen Press, courtesy of NetGalley.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest in the Ben Packard series by Joshua Moehling. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

Ben Packard was just a boy when his older brother, Nick, disappeared. Ben watched him walk out the back door of their grandparents' house and he was never seen again. Decades later, Deputy Packard finally has some new information that may lead them to the location of Nick's body and provide some closure for their family. When Ben and his mom visit his grandparents' house, he comes across another dead body. Is there a connection?

This is one of my favorite series - just wonderful characters in a sharp police procedural. If you haven't read the first two, you definitely should, but this would stand alone on its own merit as well. Both mysteries are gripping and tense, and kept me guessing, but it's the characters that really shine. I loved Ben's mother and she added some comic relief to the suspense. I also appreciate that nothing is over the top graphic. The author juggles both mysteries, family dynamics, a small town Minnesota setting, and I couldn't look away. I can't wait for the next book in this series - highly recommended!

Well plotted with beautifully drawn characters and vivid atmosphere. This one is a winner for anyone who enjoys police procedurals with meaning and depth.

If you like crime fiction, you need to read this series!

Synopsis:
After losing the election to become sheriff, Ben is put on court security duty where he is forced to shoot a defendant who starts shooting up the courthouse. Ben is put on leave as the incident is investigated. While on leave, Ben finds out about an accidental death that might not have been an accident, discovers a dead body and may have uncovered a governmental fraud scheme. Ben is also still actively looking into his brother Nick’s disappearance from 30+ years ago.

My Thoughts
This is the third book in the Ben Packard series, and I have loved them all. Joshua Moehling’s writing is terrific, and I flew through the pages. I really adore Ben as he is tough, sympathetic, selfless and deeply flawed. In this book, we also dive deeper into Ben’s personal life which made me love him even more. I am so happy that we finally get answers surrounding his brother’s disappearance and the answers are truly heartbreaking. If you like crime fiction, you are going to love this series.

There are a slew of adjectives I could use to describe Deputy Ben Packard. Among them would be tenacious, perceptive, and sincere. Those are just a few of the things that make Packard a brilliant investigator. What makes him a lovely human being are his compassion, integrity, and humility.

The mystery in A Long Time Gone delves deep into corruption, malice, greed, and depravity, which offers up a sad commentary on humanity with plenty of suspects. Louise Larsen’s death was ruled an accident at the time. But Ben (being Ben: curious, intuitive, observant) gives full rein to his suspicions that the “investigation” into the elderly woman’s death was mishandled. Not that he would accuse the newly-elected Sheriff Howard Shepard of botching the case—even if it’s the truth. Shepard is lazy, smug, and didn’t win the election because of his proficiency at the job. Packard is nothing if not diplomatic, though, and has a way of getting what he wants, which is to reopen Louise’s case based on new evidence.

“Once upon a time he had an older brother who had lived.”

An omnipresent mystery over the course of the first three books in this series is the death of Ben’s older brother, Nick, thirty years ago. The Packard family has never gotten answers or closure to all the questions that linger over Nick’s disappearance. Until now. Ben’s investigation into newly-uncovered clues seems nothing but obstacles and Catch-22s, not that that has ever stopped him. Ben being a brother and son (his mother is a little quirky and simply the best) offers a warmth and relatability to his character. It brings him down to earth when he seems too good to be true.

The Ben Packard series isn’t flashy or pretentious, much like Packard himself. Joshua Moelhing writes a brilliant mystery, covering the procedural with a focus towards seeing with intuition as much as with an eye to detail. Packard is the consummate investigator who doesn’t do what he does for the attention. He does it because he’s sworn to serve the people, and he takes that duty seriously. There is a comfort in Joshua Moehling’s voice that leads readers along with a deep-seated need to not only see what happens next but to watch Packard close a case and deliver justice. I will read every single thing this author writes, mystery or otherwise.

A Long Time Gone
by Joshua Moehling
Pub Date: Feb 04 2025

“Long Time Gone” is the third book in the Ben Packard series. Although I haven't read the first two books it didn't take me long to catch on to the main plot of the book. I feel the storyline was very interesting with a steady pace. The main character, Ben Packard is a diligent cop with integrity and is very likable. Most of the storyline is about Ben searching for his missing brother from decades ago. A great police mystery/thriller!

Synopsis: Ben Packard was just a boy when his older brother disappeared. Ben watched him walk out the back door of their grandparents' house and into the cold night. His brother was never seen again. Decades later, Deputy Packard finds himself with too much time on his hands. A shooting has him on leave and under investigation, and for the first time in years, new information about his brother has surfaced that may lead them to the location of a body.

Many thanks to #alongtimegone #NetGalley and #poisonedpenpress for providing me with an E-ARC of this 5 STAR book!

This is the third novel in the Ben Packard series and picks up 6 weeks after the second novel, Where the Dead Sleep. Ben Packard’s brother disappeared when Ben was just a boy, leaving only the memory of him walking out the back door into the cold night and never returning. Now a deputy, Ben is on leave after a shooting and haunted by the resurfacing of new information that might finally lead him to his brother’s body. As he investigates the case, he uncovers a suspicious death that may be connected, facing resistance from all sides as he risks everything to uncover both the truth about his brother and a dangerous killer.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this digital e-arc.*

What a story. This thriller has so many twists, turns and connections. I loved it! I did not see the ending coming.

The best of the series. I adore Packard! There is a lot going on in this one. The cases are interesting. I was invested in the answers. And we get a lot of answers. The ending was perfect. I hope we see more in this series.