Title: A Long Time Gone
Author: Joshua Moehling
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Pub date: 2/4/2025


Book 3 in the Ben Packard series.

Ben Packard is a police officer that just lost the Sheriff’s election. As he gets put on leave, he stumbles across a murder he feels driven to solve. He also wants to find out what happened years ago to his older (then teenage) brother who disappeared one winter night in MN.

Ben is an upstanding Deputy who is dogged in his determination to get answers wherever they may lead.

I couldn’t help but root for Ben Packard throughout the story. As the reader, you will discover the evidence as Packard does. The story will take you for a few twists and turns along the way. The further you get into the story, the more engrossing it became.

If you like police procedurals then you will enjoy this one. Ben Packard is one of my favorite reads.

Thank you #NetGalley and #PoisonedPenPress for the opportunity to read this story in advance.

I enjoyed the first two books in the Ben Packard series, and this was no exception. If you haven’t read the first two, I highly recommend reading them in order to get the full sequence of events, although this could be read as a standalone.

In this volume, Ben Packard is dealing with an officer-involved shooting, investigating the death of a woman who lived in his grandfather’s former house, and chasing newly found leads into the disappearance of his brother when Ben was only 12 years old.

The death investigation got a bit convoluted for me at one point, but it just slowed me down a bit, and I made sense of it. There is one sentence that pretty much gave away a major outcome, but the author then threw so many red herrings at the reader that I forgave him and kind of forgot that I knew where it was going.

Overall, this is an enjoyable book, and I hope there will be more Ben Packard to come.

Another great book in the Ben Packard series. Packard is a great character that everyone can root for. I love the way this one played out after Packard lost the election for sheriff in the last book. The new a-hole sheriff demotes Packard to court duty, no longer a detective. He's still intent on digging for information on his brother's disappearance when he was a kid, and he's set to get started investigating in his spare time when he stumbles upon a suspicious death in his grandfather's old house. Things quickly become complicated with people covering up crimes and Packard getting stuck in the crosshairs.

We finally get resolution into his brother's disappearance. An ending I don't think Ben was expecting, but a resolution nonetheless. I can't wait to see where this series goes next!

Joshua Moehling has become a must-read author for me. I loved this book, the serious procedural with laugh out loud moments filled with characters that I love, or love to hate.
I cried when we finally learned what happened to Nick. Such a fantastic book!

Ben Packard has solidified his place as one of my all-time favorite characters, and this series continues to deliver on every level. In this installment, the layers of mystery are exceptionally well-crafted, with multiple crimes and investigations unfolding simultaneously. A significant and emotional thread is Ben's relentless pursuit of answers about his older brother Nick’s disappearance when they were children—a storyline that adds depth and poignancy to the narrative.

I particularly enjoyed how the present-day crimes intricately intertwined with the mystery of Nick’s disappearance, creating a web of suspense that kept me hooked. The use of Ben’s childhood home as a pivotal location added an extra layer of tension and nostalgia to the story. Another highlight was seeing Ben venture outside Sandy Lake to follow leads, giving the plot a fresh dynamic while expanding the world of the series. Overall, this was a compelling and satisfying read that leaves me eager for the next chapter in Ben Packard's journey.

In the third installment of this somewhat gritty and dark series, Ben Packard returns. Fresh off his defeated attempt at running for sheriff, he gets unwittingly involved in a shooting that changes the course of his life. Lots of tightly woven mystery, along with some family interactions, romance, and answers to the past. Highly recommended for mystery fans, read the first 2 books beforehand.

After losing the election for sheriff, Deputy Ben Packard is currently on-leave and under investigation for a courthouse shooting. He feels he had a justified shot, but the powers-that-be need to do their investigation. Time off is not Ben's friend. He needs to be busy - and starts with a trip to his grandparents' home - the last place he saw his brother before he disappeared. He learns that the owner of the home died after falling down some stairs - and something about the evidence and the lack of an investigation doesn't sit well with Nate. And the neighbors - they are a very interesting supporting cast, and the reader is not sure what they are hiding. In addition to re-examining the homeowner's fall and the evidence that Ben keeps uncovering, Ben also takes a deep dive into learning more about his brother's disappearance. Ben's mom comes to visit - and she quickly becomes one of my all-time favorite characters! "A Long Time Gone" demonstrates Joshual Moehling's talent in writing both suspenseful crime fiction with human drama. Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for an advanced reader of this book - the opinions expressed are my own.

I love this series. Moehling has delivered another breakneck twisty procedural plot with excellent, well-developed characters - and book three provided a great wrap up to the mystery of Packard’s missing brother. Fingers crossed that there will be more books because I’m guessing this town has a lot more secrets to reveal!

The third book in the Ben Packard series is every bit as good as the first two. Great characters, a well paced plot, interesting relationships, and some real unexpected twists. I literally could not put it down, I read it straight through in one day. Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advanced reader copy

A Long Time Gone is the third book in the Ben Packard series by American author, Joshua Moehling. Having lost the election for Sheriff of Sandy Lake in the previous November to his ignorant, lazy colleague, Howard Shepard, Deputy Ben Packard is no longer on the detective desk, but relegated to the menial duty of courthouse security. Until, that is, he shoots someone in the line of duty and is on administrative leave pending the BCA investigation and the county attorney’s ruling on a charge.

Armed with the map the late Sheriff Stan Shaw left him, Ben would use the free time to search for his brother Nick’s body, but it’s February so the deep snow prevents that. But when he Zoom-calls his family to reassure them about the shooting, he also reveals the new information about their son/brother’s fate: not drowned in Redwing Lake as first thought.

Despite his protests, his mother Pam insists on travelling from Arizona to help sort Ben out spiritually: ”Her spirituality was an ever -evolving casserole of new age, Wiccan , Native, Buddhist, feminist, sex-positive beliefs that only made sense to her”. After visiting the approximate location, they also call in at what was his grandfather’s house, where the family spent many vacations, and from where Nick went missing some thirty years earlier.

Pam and Ben are shocked to learn that the most recent owner died after falling down the basement stairs months earlier. But a second visit to house has Ben doubting that Louise Larsen died accidentally, and he decides to investigate, much to the dismay of his boss, who was the careless deputy on the case, and his close colleague, Jill, who signed off on the accidental death, and to the extreme irritation of realtor, Jim Wolf, whose plans to pull down and rebuild are suddenly delayed.

The further he looks into it, the more things niggle, and when he stumbles on another body, he begins to realise there’s nothing simple about this case.

Meanwhile, during his mandatory psych eval, the therapist notes Ben’s approach to dealing with his life trauma’s so far and insightfully asks “What are you denying yourself by staying in a constant state of motion, by always moving forward, not slowing down, not looking back?” Talking later to a former colleague, Ben observes: “Dealing with shit on our own is not how things are supposed to work. Staying so busy you don’t have time to feel anything doesn’t help matters either.”

Moehling provides another tightly plotted police procedural with some excellent deductive work, and a twist or two that will keep the pages turning and the reader guessing right up to the final resolution. The dialogue offers plenty of humour, some of it quite dark, and the conclusion to Nick’s story will put a lump in many a throat.

Ben Packard is a complex and appealing character, a diligent cop who acts with integrity, and if they are to say goodbye to him in this third instalment, readers will certainly miss him and his well-intentioned, if humanly-flawed support cast. This is addictive crime fiction and anything further from Joshua Moehling will be a must-read!
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press.

Ben Packard is literally one of the best protagonists I’ve ever encountered in a crime fiction series. Joshua Moehling’s third installment, A LONG TIME GONE, is the most personal book in this series and fans of Moehling’s storytelling will want to prioritize this one!

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.

A LONG TIME GONE is a slower-paced novel than Moehling’s previous two releases, but it also goes deeper into the personal life of Ben Packard more than ever before. This series continues to deliver and the ending literally brought tears to my eyes. I’m excited to see where Moehling will go with the continuation of this series!

I was so thankful to be approved for an ARC of the third book in the Ben Packard series by Joshua Moehling. The first book hooked me and I have been enjoying following the rest of Packard's adventures.

This book really stood out to me from the others in the series. Readers gradually got to know Packard through the other two books, but this book did a deep dive into his difficult history surrounding his brother's unsolved disappearance. I did not predict the outcome of this book and it kept me guessing throughout.

Moehling has become a must read author for me and I look forward to reading his next book.

I have loved this book series as a native Minnesotan. This was another good additional, however a little slower then the other two. I loved reading about Ben Packard's personal and career journey. A Long Time Gone, had another great mystery paired with the investigation of his brother's disappearance. I just wished it had a little more action and a faster pace, the first two books I could not put down, and I just did not get that from the 3rd novel. With that I still hope there will be more in the series and will read any other books to come by Joshua Moehling.

A long time gone is a great read. I absolutely loved this book and couldn't put it down. I highly recommend it.

Thank you, Netgalley and Poison Pen Publishing.

4.5 stars

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 all he can do is dwell on the past. For the first time in years, new information about his brother has surfaced that may lead them to the location of a body.

My thoughts:
I fell in love with Deputy Ben Packard in the first book. His heartache and pain tug at my heart. The mystery about his brother was such a strong backstory in book 1, so I was anxiously waiting for the full story to come out .

I absolutely loved everything about the series and book 3. The pacing was good. I highly recommend starting with book 1 to get the full vibe of the family mystery. I can hardly wait to see what's next from this author.

This story has amazing dialogue with this being one of my favorites. “I have a parasite feasting on my insides. They tell me it’ll exit through my vagina on its own in a few months.” “Pregnant,” Packard said.” The characters conversations will delight and make you late. My favorite character is Packard’s mom. She is like a tall drink of cool water. The plot of the story is intriguing and interesting as it tries to solve two mysteries. There is action and mayhem as Ben gets closer to the truth. This is a story that I would highly recommend.

Ben Packard is back! Having recently lost the local sheriff election, his former deputy is now in charge and putting Packard in his place. While on duty at the civil courts, he is involved in a fatal shooting. But what else is going on in Sandy Lake? Was it an accidental fall down the basement stairs? Why is the assistant suddenly missing? Can Ben solve this mystery as well as the mystery of his missing brother?

PROS and CONS:
Love Moehling’s writing style - it’s an intricate plot with lots of suspects and links between characters. He is really building a great foundation for a series that I hope continues on! An LGBTQ detective with a past, he is a main character with depth. His mother was also a great side character. Can’t wait for #4!

READ IT?
If you are a fan of this series, or any mystery based in a small town - you’ll love this one!

4 Stars

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I have loved this series since the very beginning. Packard has a soft spot in my heart. I was so excited to get this ARC because I didn’t want to wait any longer to see how the Nick storyline would unfold. I think it was done very well. There were moments of slower pace and moments of faster pace. I’m not typically the biggest fan of third-person narration, but I only found myself thinking about it a couple of times when I was reading.

Overall, a great third book to this trio!

What an amazing read.
It gives you the answers that you have been waiting for.
All 3 books are fantastic and I'm ready for book 4.

A Long Time Gone is the third novel in the Ben Packard series. Although Joshua Moehling writes these novels as a series, each one can also stand alone for readers, who might suddenly pick up this third novel, not realizing it is part of a series. Moehling does a nice job of explaining past events and characters. Readers will not be lost if A Long Time Gone is their first police procedural by Moehling. As with the earlier novels, A Long Time Gone presents a complex plot, which really encompasses three separate plots or events--a courthouse shooting, the suspicious death of an 80 year old woman, and the haunting loss of Ben's older brother, who disappeared 30 years earlier. Author Moehling weaves these plots together into a nicely complex whole.

The characters in A Long Time Gone are well-developed and multi-dimensional. I found myself liking Ben's mom even more, and I enjoyed Jim Wolf's mother too, even though her son is not at all a good person. There is something about motherly love that transcends the lives or behaviors of their sons. There are characters, who display a humanity that lifts A Long Time Gone into a solid police procedural. Each death is not just a painful loss. These are people whose lives did not deserve to end. Moehling does a nice job of making sure that readers feel these losses. The novel seems to pause when Ben begins following clues looking for his brother, who has been missing 30 years, but as I though about Ben's search, I recalled that no one person is solely focused on the events of the moment. The past always intrudes. At the same time what happened to Ben's brother becomes a plot point that is essential to the plot of this third book. I know I will be impatiently waiting for book 4 in this series.

A very big thank you to Poison Pen Press and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC. I did enjoy this novel and I do recommend it.