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.
The series
In the small, seemingly quiet town of Sandy Lake, where everyone knows everyone’s business, Deputy Ben Packard serves as both protector and reluctant observer of a community that hides as much as it reveals. The Ben Packard series pulls readers into a world where the shadows of the past stretch long, and nothing is as simple as it seems.
Read full series description
From the first page, the series sets itself apart with its raw, unflinching portrayal of a man struggling to reconcile his duty with his past. As Packard navigates murder investigations that hit too close to home, the cases unravel not only the dark secrets of the town but also the unresolved griefs that linger in his own heart. Whether it’s confronting the cold case of his brother’s disappearance or unraveling the tangled threads of local violence, the mysteries in these books are as layered as the man solving them.
What truly defines the Ben Packard series isn’t just the gripping whodunits, though. It’s the deep dive into character—the quiet tension that runs through Packard’s relationships, his introspective nature, and the haunting atmospherics of a town where everyone has something to hide. With each book, the stakes grow higher, as Packard’s investigations pull him deeper into a world of moral ambiguity and personal demons, forcing him to confront what it means to seek justice when the line between right and wrong is often blurred.
Fans of atmospheric crime thrillers and those who enjoy character-driven stories will find themselves captivated by the Ben Packard series. It’s a journey that moves beyond mere mystery, offering an exploration into the complexities of small-town life, personal redemption, and the heavy cost of truth.
Each book leaves you not only questioning who did it—but wondering if Packard will ever find the peace he so desperately seeks, or if the ghosts of his past will ultimately claim him.
Be the first reviewer
Sign in and write the first reader review.
