From award-nominated and USA Today bestselling author Joshua Moehling comes a tense, atmospheric thriller about one detective's search for a mysterious killer in the chaos following a deadly storm…
Detective Ben Packard has put down roots in the small town of Sandy Lake. A difficult thing to do; it's a hot, miserable summer, and a tornado has swept through causing irreparable damage. Trees are felled, homes destroyed, and people are desperate. Worse, the storm has also blown in a group of storm chasers with something to hide.
Then a woman is killed in her home. The mother of a gay boy and unpopular among the locals for the hell she recently raised at school when the administration refused to punish a group of students who were bullying her son, there's almost too many suspects to count.
But to Packard, the case hits close to home. And when someone from his past shows up on his doorstep out of the blue, he realizes he'll have to confront the reality of navigating life as a gay man in a small town bent on tradition, no matter the cost.
The heat suffocates. The violence simmers. Before the summer is out, someone else will die.
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.
