Editorial Content for A Long Time Gone
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
A LONG TIME GONE is perhaps the most personal story in Joshua Moehling’s series starring Deputy Ben Packard, who already made a splash as an openly gay lead character. This time, it is not his sexuality that takes center stage, but his family’s haunted past.
After losing the local sheriff’s race, Packard is dealing with the harsh reality that he now has to report to his hated rival as he is demoted to the position of bag check scanner at the courthouse. Trouble always seems to find Packard, and his latest stint is no exception. He is on duty when one of the parties in a heated case presents a weapon, and he is forced to fire, killing Robert Clark before he can get off a third shot. Now on administrative leave while the shooting is being investigated, Packard is thrust back into his past and must deal with wounds that have never healed.
"Joshua Moehling is officially a force to be reckoned with, and A LONG TIME GONE proudly continues one of the best written mystery/thriller series on the market."
When he was just a boy, Packard’s older brother, Nick, walked out the back door of their home never to be seen or heard from again. He had been declared dead decades ago, but Packard and his family never recovered from the incident and experienced no closure. Suddenly new information arises that may indicate the location of Nick’s body. This brings Packard’s estranged mother back into town. They are both surprised to find that the woman who bought their old home recently died in a household accident when she was found on the floor with a broken neck. The death appeared to be suspicious, and Packard finds himself rooted in two separate but possibly related tragedies.
Something as innocent as a photograph of Nick swimming in a nearby lake with two old friends sets Packard off on a hunt for answers. However, everyone he encounters who may have been around Nick the summer he disappeared comes across as untrustworthy and unnecessarily elusive. As frustrating as this is, he is not swayed in his efforts to learn the truth, and the novel’s pace really picks up when he delves deeper into his past. The relationship between Packard and his mother is both stereotypical and comical, making for some welcome lighthearted moments amidst all of the darkness that the narrative brings.
Joshua Moehling is officially a force to be reckoned with, and A LONG TIME GONE proudly continues one of the best written mystery/thriller series on the market.
Teaser
Ben Packard was just a boy when his older brother disappeared. Decades later, Deputy Packard finds himself with too much time on his hands. A shooting has him on leave and under investigation. 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.
Promo
Ben Packard was just a boy when his older brother disappeared. Decades later, Deputy Packard finds himself with too much time on his hands. A shooting has him on leave and under investigation. 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.
About the 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 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.
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.
Audiobook available, read by Linda Jones
