A Long Time Gone is another gripping entry in Joshua Moehling's Ben Packard series, and I absolutely loved returning to Sandy Lake, Minnesota.
Set in the dead of winter, this third installment picks up shortly after Where the Dead Sleep, with Packard now working courthouse security after losing the sheriff's election. But when an incident at the courthouse leads to new information about his long-missing brother-and a fresh murder case-Packard is drawn into a dangerous web of secrets, crime, and corruption.
If I ever found myself in trouble with the law, l'd want someone like Ben Packard on my side. He is relentless in his pursuit of justice, standing up for those who have been wronged-no matter the cost. And in this book, we finally get to meet his mother, who quickly became one of my favorite characters.
Joshua Moehling's writing is nothing short of masterful.
He knows exactly how to hook a reader from the very first page and keep them turning pages with a perfectly paced mix of suspense, twists, and deeply developed characters. The world he's built in this series feels so immersive, like I'm part of Packard's inner circle, feeling every high and low right alongside him. This book, in particular, delivers a heart-pounding, twist-filled procedural while also providing a satisfying resolution to the mystery of Packard's missing brother.
I highly recommend A Long Time Gone and the entire Ben Packard series. If you're not reading these books, you're missing out on one of the best mystery/thriller series out there. Moehling has once again delivered an outstanding novel, and I can only hope we'll see more from Packard and the secrets of Sandy Lake in the future. Read it now!

Deputy Ben Packard was just a boy 33 years ago when his older teenage brother Nick disappeared. Now new information has uncovered a possible resolution of the case. However, Packard was involved in a courthouse shooting and is unable to use police dept. resources to follow this lead.
The info about his brother also leads him to another suspicious death which may have a slight connection to his brother's disappearance.
This book introduced 2 mysteries to be solved, and the author weaves them seamlessly. The other mystery is about the death of a woman who bought Packard's grandparents house.
Both mysteries are solved in this book and I was glad that Packard and his family could finally find closure on his brother.
The book was well plotted, with strong character development, and realistic theories and events.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher and am leaving this review voluntarily.

The third book in the Ben Packard series hit close to home this time, closer than the previous two, and i loved that. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me the ability to continue this series. I have always liked the Ben Packard character and this entry in the series continued to build on the vulnerabilities that were revealed in the first and second books. the fact that this book has a two fold mission for Packard to tackle, all with the could of the BCA over him made the progression of the story fly by.

One thing i will say is that the subplot of his missing brother is a little thin and the story could have progressed the same without it in my opinion. but with the cast of characters already beloved by so many.

here's to hoping we don't have to wait long for a fourth installment.

A Long Time Gone by Joshua Moehling is the third book in this series and was by far my most favourite. I had to go back and read the previous books so i could keep up and wow did i enjoy every moment of it.

The characters are ones that you really hope for and care about especially Ben packard, he is one of my favourite characters. The storyline is so perfect and kept me so engaged that once i started i had to get to the very end without stopping.

Filled with suspense and thrill. Everything about A long time gone is perfect, the storyline, the characters i mean everything. Your emotions will be all over the place rooting for them and i really look forward to the rest of the series that i can't wait. You have to read this book, my favourite series of all time.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and Poisoned Pen Press for the copy of this arc in exchange of my full honest review.

I absolutely love Deputy Ben Packard’s character! I wasn’t shocked by the current case’s reveal, but was by the way Ben’s brother’s past unraveled. The audiobook was very easy to follow along and had a great narrator.

Thank you Netgalley for my copy! I am obsessed with Ben Packard and love every story we get. This one gives us even more background into his life and I honestly cannot get enough. Suspenseful, excellent writing and entertaining!

I absolutely adore this series - mainly because of Ben Packard being one of the best characters I have interacted with in recent mystery novels.

I was personally stoked that in this 3rd installment we get to look more closely into Ben as a person. Moehling introduced from book 1 that Ben Packard's brother went missing when he was younger and that they have never solved the case. This book focuses more on Ben personally going through the motions to find his brother and the killer. He risks everything to find the answers of his missing brother while on leave.

I can't wait to read more from Joshua Moehling and continue the story of Ben Packard. This series is an A+ mystery thriller in my eyes.

I recommend this series to those that enjoy murder mysteries, which multiple storylines happening at the same time. Joshua Moehling has done a beautiful job by making his storytelling realistic and showing not only the life of Ben, but the lives of the cases that he is solving throughout the books.

Deputy Ben Packard is back! Given the amount of set up that was introduced in book two I thought for sure book three would be all about Ben's brother, Nick. For me the story started off slow and the first half of the book is mostly the building of a case in a death the department has already deemed solved. It took me a while to get invested in this separate case as I went in with the assumption we would be looking for anything related to Nick's disappearance. Several of the town characters were very unlikable and this also hindered my interest in the new case. This is genius writing on Joshua Moehling's part as I got caught up in my extreme dislike of these characters instead of paying attention to the details and solving the crime, so I was quite surprised by who did it when everything came together. Very clever! Packard's mom was a pure delight and her comments and actions made me laugh. There is a lot for Packard to overcome in this story, both personally and professionally, and he does so with grace and intelligence. I have really enjoyed this series. I can't quite decide from the book's ending if there will be a fourth book. If there is, I'll be ready to take on new cases with Ben!

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the DRC in exchange for my honest review.

I’ll never tire of Ben Packard. He’s a new favorite character for me in the thriller/mystery genre and this third book just sealed the deal. I loved the mystery aspect of course but I also thought Ben’s mother was such a fun addition, his interactions with her left me smiling. Ben as a character is done so well, the LGBTQ rep is awesome and the books, while being gritty and dark, are also eased by Ben and his wholesomeness. Loved it!

I really enjoyed this book, it is part of a series and so engaging and fast paced. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Highly recommend.

I gave a five star review to the first book in this series. I knew I would enjoy this one. I felt like this was two books in one because there were several separate mysteries to be solved.

Ben works through some of his trama from the last book with his therapist. In an odd way it helped me process some issues I was dealing with. His metaphors were relatable and enlightening. the book that keeps on giving lol.

One thing I dislike is the use of last names for the characters. It gets confusing for me.

I received this galley from NetGalley.

A Long Time Gone is the third installment in the Ben Packard series. Spoilers will be ahead for the previous two, so please stop reading if you haven't read those yet.

We find Packard at his new post, now working security detail at the courthouse after losing the sheriff election to Shepherd. During a break in a trial, he is forced to fire his weapon, killing the offender and placing him on leave while he's investigated.

During this sudden burst of free time, he decides to look into his missing brother Nick's case and look into the information given to him by the previous sheriff. While investigating, he discovers that a previously declared accidental death may have actually been a homicide. He opens up the door to something bigger than he could have ever thought possible in his little town.

I really love this series, and I'm glad that we finally get to see Nick's disappearance truly investigated. And I'm glad that we got to meet Ben's mom - boy was she a hoot. There's plenty of suspense in this one, and twists that I didn't see coming. I really hope that we end up with another Packard novel at some point!

This book is part of a series and gave some great background into Ben’s history and life. I like this series as a whole and this book was not exception. It was an intriguing mystery/thriller with the typical characters one would expect.
Solid book, and I’m excited for the next.
B+/3.75 ⭐️

A Long Time Gone by Joshua Moehling is the third in the Ben Packard police procedural series. 

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Poisoned Pen Press and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


Series Background: (Warning – Contains spoilers from previous books)
Ben Packard moved to the small town of  Sandy Lake Minnesota to forget the loss of his fellow officer, and boyfriend Marcus.   He needed a fresh start, and although his brother Nick went missing in Sandy Lake, Ben decided he would move back to the area.  Although he hasn't broadcast the fact that he is gay, word is getting around.  He also hasn't let people know of his previous ties to the area.   While his boss was on chemo, he took over the role of Acting Sheriff.  He now has a new boss, and has been demoted to Deputy.



My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
After losing the election to Shepard, Ben is demoted to court house security.  While on duty there,  a man starts shooting, and Ben kills him.  He is now on administrative leave while they figure out whether the shooting was justified.

As he has time off, he starts looking into the decades-old disappearance of his brother, as some new information has come to light, which may lead to the location of Nick's body.  But he will have to wait until the ground thaws.

In the meantime, he finds another suspicious death, which may or may not be related.   He is sure the woman living in his grandfather's old house was murdered, but at the time, no one investigated.   His efforts now are being blocked.  Ben just digs deeper.

His investigation leads to more bodies, and if he isn't careful, he may be next.



My Opinions:
I am starting to enjoy this series.  The last book had me wondering, but this one cemented my interest.

I really like Ben, and his mother was a hoot in this one.  With each book, depth is added to Ben's character, and to those surrounding him.  I am glad that he learned more about his brother.  Part of that was a surprise!

I was happy to see that there was more action in this book than the last, and the plot was quite good.  It was quite complex, and although I knew the involvement of some,  I did not identify the main perpetrator, so that was really good.

Overall, these books are a fast and entertaining read, and I will be continuing with this series.

I have not read the others in the series so I was missing some pieces but was able to follow the main story line of Ben trying to solve a new murder and the disappearance of his brother. The pacing of the book was fast enough that it kept me enterained.

I didn't know this was the third in a series. While I'd prefer to have read the others first, I don't believe it took away from this book. Ben Packard is a likeable character who is devoted to his career and to find out what happened to his brother Nick who went missing 33 years ago. Ben finally gets the closure he's been searching for.

Thank you Dreamscape Media & Joshua Moehling for this read!

I was lucky enough to get both the ebook and audiobook of this so I alternated between the two.

I haven't read the other books in this series but I felt like I was able to join in with this book without being left too far behind. I do feel the others would obviously give better pictures of the characters and world but I still enjoyed this book as a standalone!

The plot was good and I was intrigued about the unsolved case and how everything was connected! I feel the character building was good and I felt part of the team trying to find the answers.

The narration was well done and really bought this story to life!

Despite being a bit slow in some places the pace was fast enough to keep you hooked from the start. Overall an enjoyable read and I would definitely pick this series up from book 1 to get the full effect but you can still pick this up fine as a standalone.

I really enjoy the Ben Packard series! This is the third book in the series and it tied a few things together nicely. You receive answers for a couple of questions from other books while still getting the feel of a new case. The author does a great job creating character develop and plot lines that you keep you interested.
It's been years since Ben Packard's brother went missing. There was no indication that what happened to his brother would come to light. Packard finally found where his brother's body could have been buried, but it's the dead of winter so they will have to wait until spring to see if it's true. This left Packard with more questions than answers and he's hating his duties at the courthouse. After an officer involved shooting, he is officially on leave. But he can't just sit around and do nothing while they complete their investigation. He just happened to stumble on a murder that needs investigating and he finally has a clue about what happened to his brother. Packard is determined to find the truth even when no else is.

Moehling is one of my favorite finds for 2025. I read his previous 2 books before picking this one up and I am glad I did. Moehling's protagonist is a Minnesota deputy who is tormented by the loss of his brother thirty years ago. As he attempts to seek answers, he uncovers some small town corruption that has him fighting for his life. Moehling writes with heart and conviction. His characters leap off the page and the mystery itself is a damned good one. I will enjoy selling this series. Fans of Steve Hamilton and Paul Doiron should enjoy this.

Thank you to the author, Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My apologies for the delay in posting, I had several familial health challenges to contend with in the past months.

This is the third in a series, and the first book I have read by this author. Set in small-town Minnesota in the depths of winter, the main character is a local policeman - recently demoted from acting sheriff to deputy - who gets caught up in a shooting at the local courthouse. Step by step, one thing leads to another and new facts turn up about an intensely personal mystery - the disappearance of the deputy's brother as a young teenager. This all happens against a background of rot, corruption and greed, which also comes to light as we dive deeper into the developing and multiple mysteries. Both the main and the secondary characters are finely drawn and the plot is classic police procedural, with a strong personal element - I ended up quite taken with the deputy and his family, I do love insight into the personal story of main characters. I need to go find the first two books in this series!