Beneath A Broken Sky Review

Author: Joshua Moehling

Series: Ben Packard #4

Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press

Release Day: May 26, 2026

Special thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for a complimentary arc of this title for review.

Opinions expressed are my own.

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…

Review:  

Detective Ben Packard is navigating life as a gay man in small town Sandy Lake, Minnesota, having moved there following the death of his partner, Marcus. After devastating tornadoes rip through town, nefarious storm chasers descend upon the town with trees to cut, roofs to repair, and yards to clean up. Tempers smolder as the brutal summer heat blankets the explosive atmosphere already dense from the smoke from brush fires. And now, a woman who recently confronted the school board about the bullying of her gay son is found dead from the hands of an intruder. Suddenly, the facade of a serene, safe small-town cracks, torn apart and divided by whispers, finger pointing and the emergence of dark secrets. As Ben begins a murder investigation, a ghost from his past appears hurling accusations and stirring up old memories he thought he'd buried.

 Author Joshua Moehing has raised the bar on the Ben Packard series with Beneath A Broken Sky. He systematically rips apart the idealistic guise of a safe, peaceful town where everyone is welcome, safe, and treated equally. The murder is especially disturbing to Ben as it hits close to home with homophonic undertones nourished by an undercurrent of malevolence, social bias, bigotry and abuse. The symbolism between the devastation of storm damaged property, destruction of the perfect smalltown persona, and the collision of Ben's personal and professional life both past and present are masterfully delivered by the author. I love getting additional insight into Ben's personal life, having the band aid ripped off and watching as he maneuvers his new circumstances with events occurring that are beyond his control.

 Beneath A Broken Sky is a highly atmospheric, tension laden, tautly written thriller that I could not put down - my favorite of the series! While this book can most certainly be read as a standalone, the background and character development that begins in book one and continues throughout enhances the enjoyment of reading subsequent books including this one. Highly recommended to fans of tense psychological thrillers with an imperfect yet moral hero with a lot of heart.

Synopsis:

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 Final Target Review

Author: Nora Roberts

Publisher: St. Martins' Press

Release Date: May 26, 2026

Special thanks to St. Martins' Press for a complimentary arc of this title for review. Opinions expressed are my own.

A young author becomes the object of a fan’s desire―and rage―in the gripping new thriller by the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Hidden Nature.

Review:

Introvert Arden Moxie is a newly published author at her first book signing when she answers questions and signs a copy of her book for Dustin, an oddly disturbing fan who claims to be an aspiring writer. While her inner alarm bells are pinging, Arden tolerates his personal questions in an effort to remain cordial until he begins showing up at each of her book signings in different cities dominating her time and invading her space. When Arden revokes his advances, a fan's obsession turns into a dangerous, terrifying stalking. A tragic event sends Dustin to prison and Arden fleeing to a small town in Oregon near family where she meets an ex-LAPD detective with his own issues. A friendship and budding romance evolve slowly as Arden reclaims her confidence and life while Dustin, playing the part of a model prisoner, passes his days in prison in a silent rage scheming about all the ways he'll make her pay. That day will come sooner than Arden thinks.

The Final Target by Author Nora Roberts is a well-written blend of suspense and romance with familiar themes of found family, resilience, triumph over evil, and nature vs. nurture often found in Roberts' books. In classic Roberts' style, character relationships are developed slowly with a multitude of day-to-day scenes in the life of small-town people that I find endearing. While the story is told primarily from Arden's point of view, the suspense is heightened by including the villain's point of view giving readers insight into the depraved, delusional workings of a psychopath's mind and the dwindling timeline Arden is unaware of.  

Once again, Author Nora Roberts has gifted readers a highly emotional, spellbinding, tautly written story of perseverance and hope in the face of danger. A story rich in place with a character who digs deep to overcome tragedy, find her inner strength and take charge of her own destiny. Highly recommend The Final Target to fans of Romance Suspense. 

Synopsis:

He showed up at Arden Bowie’s debut author appearance with a copy of her novel and an eager smile. He showered her with compliments and got her autograph. Then he came to her next event. And the one after that.

Dustin was just an aspiring writer who wanted advice, Arden reassured herself. But after giving in to one of his incessant invitations and chatting with him over coffee, she discovered that ignoring her inner alarm bell had been a terrible mistake…

An introvert at heart, Arden had long craved solitude―but now, after a harrowing assault, she finds herself hiding behind locked doors and startling at every sound. And her relief at his imprisonment is tempered by anxiety when Dustin’s wealthy mother helps to get him a paltry five-year sentence at a psychiatric facility.

Arden decides to write a new story for herself, moving to a tiny Oregon town and befriending Gideon, an ex-LAPD detective. But while she learns to thrive, Dustin remains his delusional, twisted self, as fixated as ever and now seething with anger. He still believes Arden's purpose on earth is to serve and please him. And his job is to protect her. But who will protect her from him?

First-Time Callers Review

 

Publisher: Berkley Romance

Narration by E.J. Bingham and Hathaway Lee

A hopeless romantic meets a jaded radio host in this cozy, Sleepless in Seattle-inspired love story from beloved author B.K. Borison.

Review:

As the host of a late-night romance radio call-in show, it's Aiden Valentine's job to give advice on matters of the heart but lately he's having a hard time fulfilling his duties. In fact, Aiden has become downright cynical and vocal about not believing in "love" and the radio stations ratings are spiraling downwards. Until a smart twelve-year-old girl named Maya Stone calls into the show requesting help in the romance department for her single mom. Lucie catches Maya on the phone with a stranger, takes the phone from her demanding the identity of the possible pervert soliciting her child, and ends up talking to Aiden live on-air about her lack of a love life. One call leads to another until Lucie agrees to co-host the show with Aiden in a quest to find her perfect "love" match. Listeners are fascinated by Lucie and the on-air chemistry sizzling between her and Aiden and rating soar. 

First-Time Caller reminds me of Sleepless In Seattle in the best of ways. Both characters are lovable yet in denial over what's right in front of their faces. As the on-air search to find a suitable partner for Lucie plays out, the heartstrings drawing Aiden and Lucie together grow stronger. Readers know from the start that they're perfect for one another, but they have to get there in their own time. First-Time Caller is an endearing, romantic and sometimes hilarious romance story. Narration by E.J. Bingham and Hathaway Lee is pure perfection, bringing both characters to life with banter, wit, and heartwarming vibes. I felt like I was actually listening to the late-night radio show! Highly recommend to fans of contemporary romance.

Synopsis:

Aiden Valentine has a secret: he's fallen out of love with love. And as the host of Baltimore's romance hotline, that's a bit of a problem. But when a young girl calls in to the station asking for dating advice for her mom, the interview goes viral, thrusting Aiden and Heartstrings into the limelight.

Lucie Stone thought she was doing just fine. She has a good job; an incredible family; and a smart, slightly devious kid. But when all of Baltimore is suddenly scrutinizing her love life—or lack thereof—she begins to question if she's as happy as she thought. Maybe a little more romance wouldn't be such a bad thing.

Everyone wants Lucie to find her happy ending... even the handsome, temperamental man calling the shots. But when sparks start to fly behind the scenes, Lucie must make the final call between the radio-sponsored happily ever after or the man in the headphones next to her.

A hopeless romantic meets a jaded radio host in this cozy, Sleepless in Seattle-inspired love story from beloved author B.K. Borison.

Family Lies Review & Blog Tour!

Author: Karen Rose

Series: San Diego #4; RS#33

Berkley Publishing

March 31, 2026

Special thanks to Berkley Publishing for a complimentary arc of this title for review and for the blog tour invitation. Opinions expressed are my own.

Review:

Family Lies by Author Karen Rose is the fourth book in the San Diego Case Files series and number 33 in the Romance Suspense series overall. Each book in the series is complex and intense with a tautly woven plot line and ongoing character development. As always, readers are hooked from the beginning by an intriguing prologue and held captive until the final big reveal.

Family Lies features San Diego Homicide Detective Kit McKittrick and Police Psychologist Sam Reeves along with other series' regulars. After spending time in the foster system, Kit is finally learning to trust - both her devoted adoptive parents, the McKittricks, and her love interest, Sam, whose patience with her is beginning to pay off. Kit is fiercely independent, loyal, and driven and extremely protective of her adoptive siblings. When Akiko, an adoptive sister, receives a call from someone claiming to have knowledge of her birth mother, Kit and Sam are by her side. When they arrive at the woman's house, shots are fired hitting Kit, and they find the woman they hoped to talk to dead inside her home. What have they walked into? How does it pertain to Akiko? As they begin investigating, the plot thickens, getting more convoluted as bodies begin to pile up. Kit won't stop until she uncovers the truth, and Sam won't leave her side.

Author Karen Rose never fails to deliver an action packed, complex story with multiple threads that eventually intertwine in an explosive climax. The romance between Kit and Sam is a slow developing one with Sam easing Kit into it in hopes of a permanent relationship. Sam is aware of Kit's trust issues stemming from her past but continues to demonstrate his willingness to wait for her. Rose flawlessly weaves the past and present together as family secrets and lies surface with deadly consequences. While this book can easily be read as a standalone, the overall story arc continues to develop with characters introduced in previous books. For this reason, I recommend readers enjoy the first three books in this series prior to reading Family Lies. Highly recommended to fans of police procedurals and romance suspense.

Synopsis:

As an infant, Kit McKittrick’s foster sister Akiko was abandoned at a firehouse. Now 32, Akiko has received an unsettling phone call from a woman who says that she knew her birth mother but refuses to divulge any details except in person. Akiko is nervous but also thrilled at the prospect of finally learning about her blood relations.

Kit has a bad feeling about this and insists on accompanying Akiko to meet the woman. Sure enough, as they stand on Mary Sherman’s doorstep, shots are fired and Kit is hit...and inside the house is a corpse: Mary Sherman herself.

Although she’s on medical leave and forbidden to work the case, Kit cannot rest. With police psychologist Sam Reeves, she undertakes a covert investigation into the mysterious Mary Sherman. Was she Akiko’s birth mother? Why did she reach out after all these years? And who had a motive to kill her?

As more bodies pile up, Kit starts to put together the pieces of the frightening puzzle that is Akiko’s birth family, and she’ll come to wonder whether some secrets should stay buried after all.

Meet the author:

Internationally bestselling, RITA-award winning, author Karen Rose was born and raised in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC. She met her husband, Martin, on a blind date when they were seventeen and after they both graduated from the University of Maryland, (Karen with a degree in Chemical Engineering) they moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. Karen worked as an engineer for a large consumer goods company, earning two patents, but as Karen says, “scenes were roiling in my head and I couldn't concentrate on my job so I started writing them down. I started out writing for fun, and soon found I was hooked.”

Her debut suspense novel, DON'T TELL, was released in July, 2003. Since then, she has published fifteen more novels and two novellas. Her seventeenth novel, ALONE IN THE DARK, will be released in 2016.

Karen's books have appeared on the bestseller lists of the New York Times, USA Today, London's Sunday Times, and Germany's der Spiegel (#1), and the Irish Times, as well as lists in South Africa (#1) and Australia!

Her novels, I'M WATCHING YOU and SILENT SCREAM, received the Romance Writers of America's RITA award for Best Romantic Suspense for 2005 and 2011. Five of her other books have been RITA finalists. To date, her books have been translated into twenty-four languages.

A former high school teacher of chemistry and physics, Karen lives in Florida with her husband of more than twenty years, her two daughters, two dogs, and a cat.