My favorite Ben Packard story yet. Delving into relationships, both complicated and unexplored, Joshua Moehling brings Packard to a more human place than ever before. Tragedy, some comedy, and a lot of mystery surround Sandy Lake after a violent storm. The town, a character all its own, shows its struggles and resilience that make you glad to know the people and charm of small town Minnesota. Very prescient during these trying times, plus a setting in Minnesota, you can't help but feel a connection to those being affected today by politics, bigotry, and racism, as are the characters in the book. Lovers of mysteries, thrillers, police procedural, and LGBTQIA2S+ stories will relish the diversity and inclusion that Moehling is now well known for. I couldn't recommend this book more and will hand sell to customers at my bookstore, as I do all of Moehling's books.

𝐈𝐧 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐲 𝐋𝐚𝐤𝐞, 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐭𝐚, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬.

The fourth installment in this beloved series finds Detective Ben Packard trying to keep his footing in Sandy Lake as the town buckles under a miserable summer and the devastation left behind by a tornado. Homes are gone, nerves are frayed, and even the storm chasers who drift into town feel like another kind of threat. When a woman is murdered in her home, the community’s simmering tensions boil over, especially given her recent fight with the school over the bullying of her gay son. The case is urgent, messy, and dangerous, and Ben can feel from the start that this one is going to cut deep. If that's not enough, a visitor connected to a deeply personal past loss shows up unexpectedly, and Ben finds himself revisiting a past he thought was long buried.

What makes this book so powerful is how personal everything feels. Packard isn’t just solving a murder; he’s carrying the weight of a world that can be isolating, along with the constant effort of building a life as a gay man in a place that doesn’t always make room for him. The writing has such tenderness and intensity that I felt every quiet moment as much as the big ones. The atmosphere he created has the aftermath of the storm as symbolism for almost everything Ben is facing. The heat is suffocating, violence is simmering, and the emotional pressure keeps tightening until it’s almost unbearable.

I honestly didn't want this book to end. Ben Packard has become one of those characters I genuinely care about, the kind you root for with your whole chest. Watching him navigate grief, fear, loyalty, resilience, and hope hit me harder than I expected. This book was heartbreaking and beautiful in the way it honors both the mystery and the humanity at its center. So many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for this stunning early copy that publishes May 26, 2026.

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press for my gifted copy!

“The way to get through this disaster and the one after that and the one after that was to ask for help and share resources and grieve what had been lost. A bridge, a riverbank, so many trees. A long time from now, when the people of Sandy Lake told stories about the summer of the storm, he hoped it was with a sense of awe at their strength and resilience, and he hoped the stories came from a place of comfort, and not some dark, unimaginable future that made them long for the past.”

The warmth of returning to Sandy Lake, of reading Joshua Moehling’s words, of spending time with Ben Packard again, is one of my favorite experiences. Moehling has something special going on with this world he’s crafted. It’s unfortunate that I’ve never been to Minnesota, but it feels familiar. Like home. Because of how well Moehling writes. Because of how he reminds me of how much I love the deep winters and suffocating summers of the Midwest.

I’ve spent four (and a half) books with Ben Packard. Four years so far, and it feels like watching him grow. You know when you start a series, and you meet these characters that you can tell are special. You finished the series, you’ve grown with the characters, and you go back for a rewatch. You realize how much the actors also grew with their characters. You see the actors settle into who they’re playing, and they become more fully developed. You see more and more unique traits shine through. That’s how it feels over these past four years with Ben Packard. His humor gets even more unhinged and funny, and his character fleshes out more and more. I truly mean it when I say he is one of my favorite characters of all time.

Beneath a Broken Sky was emotional. It took me back to last summer when taking a walk outside was suffocating because of the smoke from Canadian wildfires. The simmering anxiety, the tight chest, the exhaustion, the worry for Mother Nature. I could feel that same worry and fear in this book, and the plot reaffirms this. Disturbing murders, a cast of villains, with brilliant social commentary.

I think this is the darkest Packard book yet, and I loved it. It has a haze about it, a darkness that pulls you in, and it was beautiful. I was emotional finishing it, because I didn’t want it to end.

Beneath a Broken Sky by Joshua Moehling published by PPPress is the fourth book in the Ben Packard Series.
A riveting thriller/ mystery.
I just wanted to take a peek at tthe story, but hours later I read the last sentence and now I'm sitting here and can't wind my head around how the time has flewn by.
Yes, I read the whole book in one single sitting, literally unable to put it down its that good.
I recommend the book and the series that deserves all the stars.

Great read! I thoroughly enjoyed this and the way it was written. The protagonist was excellent, had depth and warmth. The plot was good and kept my attention throughout, it flowed really well - a real page turner. I will definitely be reading more of this author’s work.

Ben Packard is by far my favorite series so when I saw this came up I immediately ran to request a copy. I got the approval Sunday and every other book on the TBR has to take a step back. The author has developed a character that reads like a human just trying to do good and sometimes falls short of his own expectations. The story feels plausible and. the plot is always engaging. I did miss some of the other characters of Sandy Lake but it made sense for the storyline. Will be recommending.

In Beneath a Broken Sky by Joshua Moehling, a violent tornado rips through the small Minnesota town of Sandy Lake, leaving behind devastation and a small community that thrives on tourism trying to recover from wildfires, downed trees and a pretty big economic downturn. When a controversial local mother is murdered after publicly challenging the school system over bullying against her gay son, Detective Ben Packard is pulled into an investigation that exposes deep divisions within the community. As tensions rise and suspicion spreads, Packard navigates a case shaped as much by prejudice and fear as by evidence. While the bodies pile up, Ben is confronting personal struggles and the complicated reality of living openly in a town that does not always welcome him.

I have loved this series from the beginning because it is so deeply character focused, and watching Ben grow into himself has been the real reward. His struggle with identity, the tension within the police force, and the push and pull of small-town life give the story an emotional core that always feels genuine. The town itself becomes a character, full of charm and contradictions, and the familiar touches make it even richer this time around. The issues among these pages are real. Whether the topic is an illegal immigrant, a broken dream or too much alcohol, Moehling’s writing makes it easy to connect with the story.

Between books I find myself looking forward to Ben’s three-legged corgi Frank and the perfectly timed banter between Ben and Jill Theilen, which offers welcome moments to smile amid the heavier themes. You do not have to read the entire series to appreciate this book, but spending time with these characters as they evolve makes the experience even more meaningful. Readers are always allowed a little more into his past and what makes him the man he is today. The mystery is always strong, but what keeps me coming back is Ben’s devotion to his work, his community, and the quiet determination to build a life where he truly belongs

I read Joshua Moehling’s latest Ben Packard police procedural while experiencing many of the natural disasters that devastated the fictional town of Sandy Lake, Minnesota. For a few days recently our usually tranquil island faced strong winds blowing off roof tops, and large trees uprooted and landing on homes, cars, and power lines. Heavy rains overflowing river banks and streams making roads impassable and homes and businesses filing with water and mud. There was no power for long periods, store shelves empty, and police and firefighters working 24/7 on rescues doing their best to keep a traumatized community safe. It was a brutal week. Unlike Moehling’s Sandy Lake we had no murders to contend with during the aftermath while slowly rebuilding or waiting for insurance estimates. Joshua Moehling’s description of how a severe but isolated event can affect or change a community was spot on.

Detective Ben Packard, whose house was also heavily damaged, is determined to help Sandy Lake reclaim their small town lives before the disaster. But a murder in the middle of rebuilding shocks everyone. Ben’s recent demotion (see A Long Time Gone, 2025) goes on hiatus as the lazy sheriff needs Ben’s investigative skills to work on the daylight murder of a woman murdered while home alone. The atmospheric plot and choking smoke and haze from Canadian wildfires add to the futility the townspeople now on high alert as they worry about the possibility of a serial killer. One murder leads to more so the pressure on Ben and the town’s law enforcement ramps up. Ben exhausted me as he chases lead after lead and rarely gets enough rest while investigating and dealing with two relationships that emotionally confuse him.

We learn more about Ben’s past tragic relationship that played an important role in his relocating to Sandy Lake. Introducing the character of Symphony added to our understanding of Ben. The author does a wonderful job of juxtaposing Ben’s perception of himself as a detective who is gay with that of most in the town who view him as a gay guy who is also a cop. This leads to some terrific interactions throughout the book but never dissuades Ben from his duty to track down the elusive killer. Beneath the Broken Sky is a terrific story that is well worth the reader’s time. I strongly recommend reading the earlier Ben Packard books as each provides a further insight into this remarkable character.

My thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this outstanding work.

"Beneath a Broken Sky" by Joshua Moehling is another outstanding installment in what has quickly become one of my all-time favorite series. Each time I return to Sandy Lake, I’m reminded of why Detective Ben Packard is such a compelling and deeply human character. This latest entry raises the stakes both emotionally and atmospherically.

Set against the sweltering aftermath of a devastating tornado, the novel radiates heat, tension, and unease. Moehling’s writing effectively captures the suffocating humidity and simmering unrest of a small town struggling to rebuild. The arrival of secretive storm chasers adds an undercurrent of suspicion, but it is the murder of a controversial local mother that truly ignites the story. The victim’s fierce advocacy for her bullied son makes the case layered and painfully relevant, with no shortage of motives among the townspeople.

What continues to set this series apart is the emotional depth Moehling brings to Ben Packard. This case strikes close to home, and as someone from Ben’s past resurfaces, we see him confront personal truths about identity, belonging, and what it means to live openly in a traditional small-town community. The balance between procedural investigation and personal reckoning is masterfully executed. Nothing feels forced; every thread—emotional and investigative—tightens with purpose.

The pacing is taut, the atmosphere immersive, and the payoff deeply satisfying. By the time the final pages turn, the sense of looming tragedy promised from the start lands with full impact. I was completely invested from beginning to end.

This series has become a must-read for me, and I eagerly look forward to more from Joshua Moehling—and especially more of Ben Packard’s story.

Beneath a Broken Sky is the fourth book in the Ben Packard series and is just as good as the rest of the series.
The story is told from both Ben Packard and Charlie’s perspectives. Packard is a very lovable character. I really loved the character of Symphony and her connection to Marcus. Even though we never got to meet Marcus, he was a big part of Packard’s story, so having that connection resurface through her felt meaningful.
As for the actual investigation, it was a really interesting story that I thoroughly enjoyed. It held my attention the whole way through and balanced the police work well with the character dynamics. I can’t wait to see what the future brings for Packard!

Welcome back Ben Parcked oh how ive missed you.

Fantastic read as thus book is one of the best in the series.

The story flows very well and if you're not read the other books the author puts in bit of information so your not left confused.

Of course I loved this one - a five star was a given for me with this series. While I would have liked just a bit more depth in the primary mystery, it didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed the story overall. What really pulls you in is Ben’s personal journey, from past relationships to the ones he’s building now. It feels less like reading and more like catching up with a friend. The only downside to advance copies is the long wait to see what happens next with one of my favorite characters.

I enjoyed this fourth Ben Packard novel. Taking place in Sandy Lake after a devastating tornado has ripped through, detective Ben Packard is investigating the murder of a local mother. There are many suspects including a group of storm chasers, most carrying secrets worth killing for. Add to that someone shows up on Packard's doorstep dredging up past memories. I was fully invested in the plot. This series shows no signs of slowing down.

I love this series. Love that it’s set in Minnesota. Love Packard. Love that Packard is an out gay cop in a small town. Love the side characters and bit of romance and the three-legged dog and really just everything.

Joshua Moehling is one of my favorite mystery authors! His books are complex, dark, and instantly pull you into a twisty web. His fourth novel in the Ben Packard series is better than its predecessors. You will not regret picking this one up!