Joshua Moehling's Where the Dead Sleep is a real page-turner, and it has all the elements of a good mystery. The protagonist, Detective Ben Packard, is relatable and charming. The characters in the story are people you will relate with. People who enjoy Craig Johnson's Longmire series or CJ Box' Joe picket novels will enjoy this book.

There’s a murder in the town of Sandy Lake. Bill is found shot twice in his bed by his wife. The story follows Ben Packard, the acting Sheriff in town, on his investigation of the murder. There’s plenty of family drama and action that had me hooked from the start. Ben Packard is a very likable character and now I find myself wanting to read the authors first book to find out more about the character development and how his story started out because I liked him so much! Overall I really enjoyed trying to figure out the mystery alongside Ben and am excited for the next one! It will definitely be on my TBR list!

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Where the Dead Sleep - Josh Moehling

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher of this book for providing me a copy of this eARC.

A top-quality police procedural where the main character, a serving sheriff (as loyal and honest as they come) works to solve a confounding mystery involving many of the local citizens, with almost too many twists and turns. Pay attention when the details are revealed in this labyrinth plot, or you will get lost.

I love police procedurals, and this is an enjoyable read that is easy to relate to. I will definitely seek out more books in this series from this author!

Until next time, keep your powder dry.

Amazing thriller, I couldn't put it down!

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

Where the Dead Sleep by Joshua Moehling

This is the authors second book with the character Ben Packard. I very much enjoyed this one just as much, if not better than the first one, And There He Kept Her.
In this book Deputy Ben Packard has a murder to investigate. Bill Sanderson is found shot to death in his bed at home while his wife Carrie was left mysteriously untouched. No one seems to know who or why Bill would be targeted but as Ben starts piecing the puzzle together he learns how one family’s hate for each other can destroy nearly everything or everyone in its way.
I really enjoy how this author uses his words. He knows how to draw you in immediately. I also enjoy all the interesting characters he introduces you to in Sandy Lake along the way from his first book into this one. I almost feel like I could be resident in that little town.
I look forward to more books about Ben Packard especially now the way this book ended! 5⭐️

This is book two in the Ben Packard mysteries and I recommend that you start with book 1, And There He Kept Her, but you can read this as a stand-alone. The series follows acting sheriff Ben Packard in a small town in Minnesota. He was appointed sheriff by the previous sheriff who took a leave of absence due to illness and now certain local citizens are pushing for an election to choose their own sheriff, someone who’s one of them and understands how things work in this town, and probably not gay.

As with book one, there’s some kindly people in this town and there’s also a whole heap of crazy. This time Packard is juggling a new murder of a supposed well-liked local along with a decision on whether to run for sheriff or end up with an idiot boss AND someone is possibly out to kill him. I enjoyed the mystery in this one along with some new clues on Ben’s past and his familial connection to the town, namely his brother’s case. I find the quiet, complex main character to be compelling in his own right. Looking forward to the next installment of this series.

Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a copy provided for an honest review.

attempted-murder, burglary, childhood-trauma, election-tensions, entitled-attitude, family-drama, family-dynamics, law-enforcement, local-gossip, local-politics, mental-health-issues, Minnesota, murder, murder-investigation, procedural, reluctant, rescue-dog, secrets, small-town, suspense, threats, thriller, unputdownable, LGBT*****

Small town northern Minnesota law enforcement, rescue dog, home rehab, all in a well written cozy!
Deputy/Acting Sheriff Ben Packard who left Minneapolis PD detectives after a devastating personal loss and moved North to the small town where he had family connections. His mentor/current sheriff is terminal and the other deputies either totally support or feel threatened by him. Then comes a convoluted case of murder in a local wealthy family and even an attempt on Packard himself. Very well done! Loved it!
I requested and received an EARC from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. Thank you!

Where The Dead Sleep is a fast paced, engrossing police procedural set in Sandy Lake, Minnesota and following detective and acting sheriff Ben Packard as he investigates the murder of local Bill Sandersen. Sandersen didn't have the best of reputations and there isn't a shortage of suspects when it comes to motive, but Packard soon discovers little about this case is as simple as it first appears. An upcoming election for sheriff and behind the scenes shady dealings place even more pressure on Packard to find the murderer and reach a decision about his future role within the sheriff's office.

I really enjoyed the small town setting of Sandy Lake with its deeply rooted connections and loyalties, secrets, family drama, and power struggles. We see the dark side of small town life but also the strong sense of community and support shown to Packard during his investigation and as he weighs tough decisions regarding the upcoming election. This is a small town still holding onto more than a few deeply buried secrets, and I can't wait to visit again in future books.

I must admit, I love Ben Packard and he stole the show with this book. He's a well developed, relatable character who came across as genuine, level headed, and honest. He's exactly the type of detective I love to follow in crime fiction books. The author also created a cast of secondary characters who I found nearly as compelling as Packard, which is something I don't often find with this genre. I enjoyed the mystery, but the complex, likeable characters took this book a step higher for me.

I thought the plot struck a nice balance of maintaining a steady pace, slowly revealing the tangled connections and secrets, and holding a couple surprises until the very end. The author provides an ending that offers both closure for the book's main mystery and also teases at what's to come in the next installment. He really captured my interest with a couple unresolved story threads, so I'll be impatiently waiting for the continuation of those stories.

Overall, a compelling, well written police procedural with engaging characters and enough tantalizing hints of still buried secrets to make me anxious for the next installment in the series.

Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me a copy to read and review.

It's a good page turner that will keep the reader engaged. I think it's a fun read with some good twists and turns.

3-3.5 stars. I feel like a got a little lost about 3/4 of the way through. And then the ending…not how I would have expected it. Thank you for the #netgalley opportunity to read early in exchange for the feedback.

After reading and loving "And there he kept her" I was so excited when I got this ARC! This was a very solid follow up, but ultimately I loved book one more.

Thank you to @Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Writing: 4/5 - Plot: 4/5 - Ending: 4/5

I loved the writing in the first, but this one just had some choppy moments. I know it is an ARC so I didn't mind and presume it'll be touched up for the published edition! So I didn't let that bother me too much. Frankly, it wasn't that big of an issue at all anyways. I love Packard's character and find him so relatable in so many ways, not just with him being gay. (Haha)

The plot was solidly structured, and well executed. It kept me turning the pages. I felt it was a good police procedural set up, with tid-bits of information here and there to keep you guessing.

The ending unfortunately didn't shock me as much as I was expecting, but ultimately I was satisfied! I am hoping theres a book three because I really love Packards character and want to know more about him.

While this is the second book in a series, I didn't have any difficulty getting into the story. I liked the character of Ben Packard and his friends and colleagues, but found the main plotline 9nly so-so. This wasn't a bad book, but I never got into the investigation. I'm not giving up on this author or character and will look into the first book.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for access to a digital ARC on Netgalley.com.

This book was great mystery with an interesting set of characters. I love the main character who was an interim sheriff investigating the crime but also had to deal with a lot of intricacies of small town gossip and politics. He had a back story that wanted you to know a little more, so now I look forward to that character developing further in future books. I also tagged the first book to read - do not need any context for this book, just want to learn more.

In the book, a man is murdered in what appears to be a botched robbery but has a lot of holes in the story. He was married to his ex-wife's sister and they both has motives. Lot's of suspects and misdirection. Underneath the story, the interim sheriff is also a candidate for sheriff through election, but there are others that "own" the town and are getting in the way. Lots of plots and sub-plots.

I did enjoy this book a lot, but it just wasn't my usual. This could be because I'm in a reading slump (which does affect my reviews) or because I'm a serious mood reader - but it just didn't hit me right.

There are several twists and turns with an extremely likeable character. The ending was great, but the book is overall slow. It was *almost* a DNF for me.

Please don't let my review deter you from what you like and find interesting. I am only one person.

Thank you, Publisher & NetGalley for the eARC!

Dogs, detectives and a mystery? I’m in! Detective Ben Packard is back in the small town he grew up exploring the secrets all towns have. He is an unexpected main character that brings humor and no nonsense to the book. What secrets are hiding in Sandy Lake, MN? You will have to read to find out. I would give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

I received this book from NetGalley and Publisher for my honest review, Thank you so much!

Can I just say the title of this book had me ready to read it immediately. It did take me a little longer get in to this one, but once I got use to the writing style of the author it flowed. This book left me looking forward to the next. YES, it just could not end here, there has to be a book three. Well until Book 3 comes out(*hint to author) I will go back to read the first book and hopefully since I read this one out of order it won't ruin the first one for me. This was my first novel by this author and it will not be my last. Sheriff Packard is one of the most loveable characters I've read in a long time. This mystery was a roller coaster, and at times it did appear to be a little wordy, but I got through it.

I would advise you to read this one if you are looking for a fun-loving main character and you are a fan of series with cliffhangers.

The book opens with a scene that will be familiar to anyone who has ever been to a small-town fair - volunteer fire department fundraiser, or local carnival, or mini-county-fair. Made me immediately feel as though I knew the town.

There are several twists to the several murders that occur, and we get to know a lot more about the people in the town in the course of the book. Some of the twists depend on Acting Sheriff Ben Packard being new-ish to the town, so that he doesn't already know all the relationships between families. On the other hand, there are also several references to events in the previous book, the first in the series, where we first meet Packard and the town of Sandy Lake. Toward the end, some of the outcomes aren't quire what I expected, but they set up some personnel issues that I am sure will be a feature in the next book. The ending of the book gives us a hint of the first dead body in the next book in the series. I appreciate NetGalley providing me with an eARC of this book, and I"m already looking forward to reading the next!

I consider myself a pretty fast reader, but that’s because when I get into a good book, I can’t put it down. Unfortunately, this one was a hard one for me to read. When I read the description, I thought “I would buy this at my local book store”…. And then I started reading. I personally thought it was a bit slow, not enough to keep my attention, but also a lot happening that didn’t really need to happen. I thought it was going to be a DNF, but I powered through and at about halfway through, it got a little more interesting! I thought the ending was great, so it made it worth the read, but the beginning was hard to get through. Overall, it was a decent book, once you get passed the slow beginning!

I love Detective Ben Packard! I am always rooting for him and love the swagger he comes with. I will say that I had a difficult time focusing on this story and found the details to be confusing at times. There were times when something was brought up then never mentioned again. I do think that it picked up at the end and now I am so ready for the third book!

📚Mini book review:
Where the Dead Sleep • Joshua Moehling • Crime / Mystery • pub 2023

About: Solving a crime in a small town brings out all sorts of stories and secrets. When a well known local man is found shot in his bed, the list of potential suspects grows and Deputy Packard must wade through the evidence to solve the case.

My thoughts: I tried several times to read this one, but it just didn’t keep my interest (was a DNF / NFM).. I enjoyed the small-town vibes and the characters and plot were ok; I think the detailed “Law and Order” -ish writing style just wasn’t for me. Looks like lots of people have enjoyed this on Goodreads, so definitely a good book-fit for some.

A huge thanks to @netgalley and @poisonedpenpress for a digital ARC in return for an honest review.