about the
author
Joshua Moehling is the USA Today bestselling author of the Ben Packard series. The first book, AND THERE HE KEPT HER, was a Barnes & Noble monthly Mystery/Thriller pick and a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Best LGBTQ+ Mystery. His second novel, WHERE THE DEAD SLEEP, was described as “a well-paced whodunit” and “devastating” by The New York Times. Joshua lives in Minneapolis.
NEWS
A LONG TIME GONE (Ben Packard #3)​ is available now
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On Feb 12 2025 A LONG TIME GONE came in at #50 on the USA Today Bestselling Book List
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ALTG REVIEW: Associated Press
"Moehling’s third novel cements the Ben Packard series as a must-read for anyone interested in crime, thrillers, or small-town novels."
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ALTG REVIEW: Pioneer Press
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ALTG REVIEW: BOLO Books
"...most readers will agree that A Long Time Gone is Joshua Moehling’s best book to date, which only makes us more anxious to see what comes next."​​​​​
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INTERVIEW: MN author Joshua Moehling is living a childhood dream, Star Tribune
Signed copies of A LONG TIME GONE available from Once Upon A Crime
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​firstCLUE says A LONG TIME GONE is "far and away the best" book yet.
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WHERE THE DEAD SLEEP is a 2024 Lambda Literary nominee for Best LGBTQ+ Mystery.
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WHERE THE DEAD SLEEP is a Target Book Club selection.
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​WTDS REVIEW: The New York Times
"The solution to the mystery is a surprise, but the real suspense emerges as Packard figures himself out, defying expectations in quiet, sometimes devastating ways."
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​WTDS REVIEW: Associated Press
"If you think you’ve got the mystery solved in the first few chapters, you’re dead wrong. Moehling has some tricks up his sleeve and gravitates toward challenging ideas and interesting surprises."
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WTDS REVIEW: Mystery and Suspense Magazine
"The second in a series is where I really decide if I am going to follow it or not – and luckily for me, Joshua Moehling has taken a promising debut, and solidified its promise with a follow-up that is not only a great book, but a very promising sign of the series to come."
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AND THERE HE KEPT HER is the Barnes & Noble February Mystery & Thriller pick.
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​​ATHKH REVIEW: Best Summer Books, Star Tribune
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ATHKH REVIEW: Hardboiled Detective Novel Meets Modern-Day Issues, AP News
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ATHKH REVIEW: And There He Kept Her, Bookreporter.com
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INTERVIEW: First Time Novelist Draws from News, Experience for his First Crime Novel, Pioneer Press
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Events
Wednesday February 5
Wooden Hill Brewing
7:00PM
Edina, MN
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Saturday February 8
Magers & Quinn (w TJ Klune for Bones Beneath My Skin)
6:00PM
Minneapolis, MN
Wednesday February 12
Murder by the Book (w Ashley Winstead)
6:30PM
Houston, Texas
Thursday February 13
7:00PM
Georgetown, TX
Monday February 17
Minnesota Mystery Night (w Mindy Mejia)
7:00PM
Mendota, MN
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Monday February 24
Gathering Volumes
6:00PM
Toledo, OH
Tuesday March 4
Fitger’s Bookstore (w Tasha Coryell)
6:00PM
Duluth, MN
Wednesday March 5
Totally Criminal Cocktail Hour (w Allen Eskens)
5:00PM
Stillwater, MN
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More spring events to come!