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A review by mackenzierm
A Long Time Gone by Joshua Moehling
4.5
4.5 stars.
Deputy Ben Packard was a boy when his older brother disappeared. He had watched him walk out the back door of their grandparents’ house and never saw him again. Decades have passed and Deputy Packard finds himself on leave and under investigation after a work-related shooting, leaving him with lots of empty time on his hands. He decides to dig deeper into what really happened to his older brother, Nick, and ends up stumbling across a separate, suspicious death. As Packard digs further into both cases, he is met with fierce resistance, leading him to risk everything to uncover the truth.
A LONG TIME GONE marks the third book in the Ben Packard series. While I think they can be read as standalones, I’d recommend reading them in order to better grasp the intricacies of the characters and the politics of small-town Sandy Lake. I was beyond excited to be approved for a digital ARC of this book, eager to get back to Sandy Lake and see what’s next for Deputy Packard.
That said, I think that A LONG TIME GONE may be my favorite of this series to date. It contains two cases: the first, a cold case dating back many years and the second, a more recent and suspicious death. The novel starts off slow, building up the scene and giving context to the characters, the office politics, and the cases; but as new leads start to come in and possible connections crop up, the pacing begins to pick up. One case is much more complex than the other, but each are interesting, gripping, and well-paced. They each had me guessing as twists and turns led me down different paths, always staying a step ahead, leaving me nowhere near the correct reveals.
Deputy Packard is a great character and an excellent protagonist. He’s tenacious, brave, and always eager to get to the bottom of any story, no matter how simple or complex it may look at first glance. His character gains depth here and I love seeing his growth. I loved catching up with the other relevant characters in the Sheriff’s office, like Theilen. It was also interesting to meet Packard’s mom, who is a true hoot with interesting advice.
Can’t wait to see what will come next for Packard in future books!
I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, of this advanced digital copy for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review! All opinions expressed are my own.
Deputy Ben Packard was a boy when his older brother disappeared. He had watched him walk out the back door of their grandparents’ house and never saw him again. Decades have passed and Deputy Packard finds himself on leave and under investigation after a work-related shooting, leaving him with lots of empty time on his hands. He decides to dig deeper into what really happened to his older brother, Nick, and ends up stumbling across a separate, suspicious death. As Packard digs further into both cases, he is met with fierce resistance, leading him to risk everything to uncover the truth.
A LONG TIME GONE marks the third book in the Ben Packard series. While I think they can be read as standalones, I’d recommend reading them in order to better grasp the intricacies of the characters and the politics of small-town Sandy Lake. I was beyond excited to be approved for a digital ARC of this book, eager to get back to Sandy Lake and see what’s next for Deputy Packard.
That said, I think that A LONG TIME GONE may be my favorite of this series to date. It contains two cases: the first, a cold case dating back many years and the second, a more recent and suspicious death. The novel starts off slow, building up the scene and giving context to the characters, the office politics, and the cases; but as new leads start to come in and possible connections crop up, the pacing begins to pick up. One case is much more complex than the other, but each are interesting, gripping, and well-paced. They each had me guessing as twists and turns led me down different paths, always staying a step ahead, leaving me nowhere near the correct reveals.
Deputy Packard is a great character and an excellent protagonist. He’s tenacious, brave, and always eager to get to the bottom of any story, no matter how simple or complex it may look at first glance. His character gains depth here and I love seeing his growth. I loved catching up with the other relevant characters in the Sheriff’s office, like Theilen. It was also interesting to meet Packard’s mom, who is a true hoot with interesting advice.
Can’t wait to see what will come next for Packard in future books!
I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, of this advanced digital copy for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review! All opinions expressed are my own.