After reading the first book in this series, I wanted to get to book two post haste. Who could resist a book with this as the starting sentence – “The dog was inconsolable.” I’m sure you’ll enjoy Frank, the dog.

Ben Packard is finally showing his personality. He’s finally coming to terms with who he is. I like this about Ben. If you have read And There He Kept Her, you were introduced to Ben and the reasons why he returned back home. You also know about Stan Shaw, the man who put Ben in the position of acting sheriff. In this tale, Ben is dealing with the death of Mr. Sandersen while also trying to figure out the sisters, Sherry and Carrie. The story of the sisters is kind of twisted in itself. You’ll have to read the book to find out why.

There are a whole host of other characters that make this tale what it is, as well as some smaller stories intermixed that make me more than interested to see what Ben finds himself mixed up in next.

I am very thankful I was given the opportunity to read the advance copy of this book. I was not aware it was a part of series when I requested it, so I read it as a standalone book. Deputy Packard is investigating the small-town death of Bill Sandersen. There are so many twists and turns in this book, so it kept me intrigued. I did not predict the outcome or ending.

I love this police procedural crime series and this book was a great installment. It is pace perfect with a well crafted plot. And Sheriff Ben is becoming a favorite of mine.
Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I will stick to my review of the first book by saying these are great if you are looking to start reading thrillers and don't know where to start. The cliffhanger ending is killing me slowly. Also, BEN PACKARD FOR PRESIDENT!

I enjoy this new series. I like how Ben is settling into the community and being able to be more who he is. There is some conflict in the department when Ben decides to run or not and we are left with a bit of a hint at where the next book is going. I look forward to it.

This is the second book featuring the Sheriff. Was a fantastic read and I hope that there will be more! Love this author and he will be on my auto buy list!

4-4.5 stars

Deputy Ben Packard is called to the scene of a murder and finds Bill Sanderson shot in his bed. While Bill was well-liked, he had a penchant for making bad decisions, leaving behind bad debts and an unstable love life. Everyone is a suspect but there are no clear motives.

To make matters worse, the Sheriff’s department experiences a heartbreaking tragedy, and Ben now has to decide if he wants to run for Sheriff, a job he isn’t even convinced he wants. The small town of Sandy Lake has a long history with deep-rooted secrets, and as an outsider, Ben bas only touched the surface. But the closer he gets to the truth, the more his life is in danger.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Ben Packard is a fantastic character and really makes a name for himself amongst the citizens of Sandy Lake. I think this series is off to a great start, but I will note that ai didn’t enjoy this book as much as the first. It was a bit less suspenseful and didn’t grab my attention as much as I’d hoped it would. Nonetheless, it is definitely worth reading!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing a copy of this book to review.*

Where the Dead Sleep
A Ben Packard novel, Book 2
Joshua Moehling, author

Deputy Bed Packard is at it again with solving yet another murder in the cozy town of Sandy Lake, Minnesota. This time his own life may be at risk.

Meanwhile, he has many supporters in Sandy Lake that would like to see him as the Sheriff. Packard really doesn't want the job, but he just may run for the office of Sheriff, though.

The ending of the story leaves with a cliffhanger for the next Ben Packard murder mystery.

I enjoyed this book so much; I've listened to the audio version of the book twice. I received the e-audiobook via Netgalley, the publisher and the author. I thank you. I voluntarily leave this review in exchange for the opportunity to listen to the book.

Good pace and tight plotting abound in this second in the Ben Packard series. The writing is assured and smooth, at times downright poetic. There's a good mystery here: namely, who killed the enigmatic Ben Sanderson? But the best part of the series is the uniqueness of the main character. Can't think of many gay lawmen written with such authenticity in crime fiction beyond Jonathan Kellerman's Milo Sturgis. The adventures of Ben Packard are fantastic!

I Absolutely loved this book , it brought back memories as to why I loved the first book ,and this one is just as good or even better then the first one, the characters themselves has grown so much from the last book , and the town is still holding back on its secrets but slowly letting them out , and while there's twist and turns at every point , the story itself is unpredictable, because every time I thought I guessed something or knew something, it turned out I was wrong .

I loved this book.. Ben Packard is the acting sheriff in a small town in Northern MN, Sandy Lake. He is called upon to investigate the murder of a man in his home the morning after Labor Day. Bill's wife was home, heard a gunshot, and found Bill's body in bed. I liked the detailed description of each clue in the investigation and the author bringing the reader along through Packard's thought processes. (Even so, it didn't help me predict the perp). I was right there when Sheriff Packard examined the facts, and the background of several suspects finding leads to the murder and theft - and still didn't figure it out!.
This book was a good family drama, with a lot of tension, and gradual build up to the climax. The characters were well described and complex yet believable - typical of small town familiarity (where everybody knows your name). I thought the ending was unpredictable and the little plot twist was just perfect. I did not realize that it was the second book in a series but it could be read as a stand-alone. However, now I have to go back and find the first book!
Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advance ARC of Where the Dead Sleep. the opinions expressed in this review are my own. I rate this book 4.5 stars.

.

sheriff Ben Packard is the towns temporary sheriff. This is book 2 and I can’t wait to continue reading more. Following along and trying to solve the murder of Bill where everyone has motive to lie.. Bill had been married to sisters helping to bleed their money dry. His big plan to make money ended up in his death. An excellent read that I highly recommend.

This is the second book in a series, and I don't think it is necessary to read the first book in order to follow this one. However, I enjoyed this book so much that I immediately bought the first book and am looking forward to the next one.

The main character is Deputy Ben Packard, who works in the small town of Sandy Lake, Minnesota. His family visited the town each winter when he was young, and his brother had disappeared there when they were kids. He was believed to have fallen through the ice and drowned, but his body was never found. Ben is still troubled by his brother's disappearance.

Ben is woken up early one morning by a call to a home invasion. When he gets there, he discovers that Bill Sandersen, a local businessman, was shot dead in his bed by a group of masked men. His wife was not harmed. The more Ben investigates, the more people he adds to the list of those who would have reason to wish Bill Sandersen harm.

Bill had hurt a lot of people financially and in other ways. For example, he had married two sisters, who hated each other even before they met Bill. When Ben went to interview the divorced sister, he met a third relative - one with dementia, who made a shocking statement.

Ben is also reluctantly running for the position of sheriff since the other man running is unsuitable for the job. He also works in the police department, and if Ben loses, his life will become very uncomfortable.

I received an e-arc from publisher Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley and voluntarily read and reviewed this book.

I loved the first in this series and the second one was just as good. Police procedurals are my jam and now that we know Ben Packard’s backstory we are able to dive right into this one, which finds Detective Ben Packard called to the scene of a home invasion, where Bill Sandersen has been shot in his bed. He was a well-liked local who went after the easy money his whole life, which unfortunately left bad debts and unhappy women in his wake, making it hard for Packard to solve this one. Basically everyone he talks to could have a motive, but they all proclaim innocence. The current wife, the ex-wife, friends, acquaintances, poker buddies, you name it. But there is a dark side to this small town that Packard is not aware of, and then an attempt on his life tells him he’s getting close to the killer….

Like the first book this one kept my attention the entire time. I love Packard’s character and I really enjoyed the case and how Packard was able to solve it. You don’t need to read the first one to follow along here, but I do recommend it as it was such a great read. I loved how this one ended and I cannot wait for the next book! The audio for this was excellent also, and I absolutely recommend reading it this way if you can.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and Macmillan Audio for the copies to review.

I went into this book blind—didn’t even realize it was part of a series. But I’m hooked, and will read every future installment of the Ben Packard series as they’re released.

Packard is the sheriff everyone should be so lucky to have. He’s fair, he works hard, he has morals, and he lives by a deep ethical code. But he also thinks outside the box and makes impossible case connections that others don’t.

I thought this book did a great job of leaving clues hanging around that may or may not be relevant, leaving me to mull them over for many chapters at a time—but also didn’t leave loose ends except one big plot point from Packard’s past that’s sure to be continued in the next book (and a little plot point that could be relevant in the future but didn’t feel unfinished).

Overall, great read. I was very engaged with the characters and the mystery as it evolved, and really enjoyed both the author’s writing style and the audiobook narration.

A police procedural/ thriller, this is the second book in the Ben Packard series. I read the first book And There He Kept Her and loved it. This one, not so much.

Although Ben Packard is still a lovable protagonist, the case that he had to solve in this book didn’t interest me that much. Book 1 was darker and more interesting. While here, I guessed who the killer was early on. I didn’t hold on to the new characters in this book, I wasn’t rooting for anyone. And then when the time came for the killer to be revealed, the end part of the novel felt repetitive.

The last part of the book included a conversation with the author. He said that he spent several years writing Book 1, while he wrote this book in a shorter amount of time. It definitely showed because for me, Book 1 was more polished and was a page-turner.

But still, I think I’d give Book 3 a chance. I like Ben Packard. He may not be the best investigator around, but he’s smart and has pretty solid morals going for him.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Acting Sheriff Ben Packard of Sandy Lake, Minnesota, finds himself with a challenging dual role: solving the murder of a man shot to death in his own bed while simultaneously running for the position of Sheriff, left vacant by a tragic event.

The death of Bill Sanderson shrouds itself in a web of falsehoods, deceit, and closely guarded family secrets.

We follow Ben as he endeavours to unearth the concealed truths of a small town, track down the killer, and grapple with the internal politics within his department.

This book unfolds as a well-paced and intricately plotted police procedural. The author skillfully paints the backdrop of the narrative with the enigmatic small-town secrets, an engaging ensemble of characters, and a series of surprises that punctuate the journey.

While this book stands alone effectively, I highly recommend starting with the author’s previous work, “And There He Kept Her,” a deliciously dark tale. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don't know why it took me so long to read this book! This was my first Ben Packard mystery and I'm so excited to read more. This police procedural had me hooked from page one and I was so invested in reading on to find out what happened. I will be bumping this author up on my list and will definitely be reading his new book as soon as it releases.

Where the Dead Sleep by Joshua Moehling is gripping, and hard hitting from the first paragraph. It centered you squarely in Acting Sheriff Ben Packard’s life, and bed.

Ben Packard, has returned to the small Minnesota town of Sandy Lake as a Detective on the police force. A position he liked very much until Sheriff Stan Shaw became ill. Ben was placed in charge.

Then a home invasion murder occurs which involves one of Ben’s friends, and an important person in town. Suspects abound. Are all his friends complicit or is this the hand of an outsider?

As this is the second book in a series, and I hadn’t read the first, I had to get up to speed on the characters and their surroundings. It was not difficult, however, and this book could stand alone. Sheriff Ben Packard was a well-rounded character, and Moehling didn’t shy away from allowing us to see the sexual side of Ben, as well as the caring side.

I was looking forward to seeing how Joshua Moehling handled a gay Sheriff, and how the other characters in the book responded to his office. There was no special treatment given to Sheriff Packard regarding his orientation. He was gay…boom…move on.

Thank you for an honest portrayal. There were a few times I would have liked to have read book one, but the fact that I hadn’t did not ruin the enjoyment of this mystery. Am I being cryptic?

Yes, and all I can tell you is Sheriff Ben Packard is not afraid of conflict or using his gun. Because I live in a small town, I know these characters as if they were my own family. The infighting of this small town is familiar. Moehling did a scarily fantastic job with his cast of characters.

Once you start this book, you had better clear some time in your schedule to finish it. You will not be able to put this book down until its conclusion.

I kept jumping from suspect to suspect as I tried to solve the mystery. It will hold you in a vice-like grip until the end.

Moehling kept it true to life, which makes the story more relatable, albeit sad. There was a little goodie dropped at the end of the book. All I can say to Mr. Moehling is thank you and hurry with the next book in the series, please. I am hooked!

I absolutely love this new author! I'm a big fan of Sanford and Box and this author is every bit as good - maybe better. His character development and plot lines are great. I couldn't put this book down or the first one. Can't wait to continue reading more about Ben Packard and the other residents of Sandy Lake!