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?