Thank you Joshua Moehling, Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC e-book. This was my first Joshua Moehling book I have read and although this is the second book in the series I read it as a stand alone and felt okay and able to catch up on any back story. With that blurb stated.... Wow just wow!!! this book was great. I love crime novels they are quickly becoming my favorite. Sheriff Ben Packard was my favorite character and I cannot wait to continue reading more. I think I will go back and read the first and (im)patiently wait for the next

I thank Netgalley and the author for allowing me to review this book.

I discovered just at the end of the book that there is a prequel in from this author and will immediately dig in to read it.
I liked the detective very much, I like the faxt that his sexuality is just some part of the plot and the focus is kept on the investigation, making it an interestiing detail and not an overwhelming plot device..
I liked the mistery, could see a bit of the resolution coming but not all of it and the depiction of narcisistic characters is spo on.
I am very excited for the next book and really want to know more about the detective's history.
A very recommended read for any crime lover.

This is the second book from this author featuring Ben Packard and I certainly hope it's not the last.
This was another cracker of a story, a book you will pick up and not put down until you finish.
There are so many moving parts to this book, starting with a murder that may be a robbery gone wrong or something else entirely.
You are constantly wondering who is telling the truth and who is hiding something from the police.
1 enjoyed this as much as I did And He Kept Her There and I cannot wait to see what's next from Joshua Moehling and his wonderful character Ben Packard

Joshua Moehling does it again with Ben Packard. The twists and turns that Ben Packard takes to solve the case drew me in from the beginning.

When small-town acting sheriff Ben Packard gets called to a home invasion, where a homicide has occurred, Packard does not cut corners when working the case and investigates every clue that he discovers. This case isn't an open and closed case either.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the free copy of Where the Dead Sleep by Joshua Moehling in exchange for my review. I cannot wait for the next installment!

I enjoyed And There He Kept Her so requested this audio book, which is the second in the series. The first book you know in the first few chapters who the killer was. In this second book you are guessing and figuring it out with Ben Packard, acting sheriff. I think I like the second book even more and can't wait for the third. The narrator does a stellar job with the characters and I am glad it is the same narrator. Joshua Moehling needs to get that third book out! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This is the second book in this series that I've read and I really enjoy them. They are easy mystery reads, not too gory for a thriller, and the story moves along well and in good timing. It leaves you with a lot of questions until you're toward the end, so you don't have it figured out too quickly ruining the fun of the book. Definitely recommend.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. Second in a series. While it held up on its own, the first case was mentioned often enough that I wish I would have read it first. I'm going back to read it now, as I like the characters, town, author's style.

A gritty, well-written police procedural that had me gripped from the very first page. Our protagonist is Ben Packard, acting sheriff, a relatable, intriguing man who must balance his public-facing job with his private life as a gay man. When someone is murdered, Ben unravels a web of secrets, exposing a long list of suspects that add to the suspense.

This is the second in the series, but I didn’t know that going in, so you can definitely read it as a standalone.

A complex, intelligent, and tightly plotted police procedural that exposes dark secrets in a small, rural town.

I loved this book. The characters were well written and that plot was insane. So many twists and turns that i never would have saw coming. I enjoyed this so much and highly recommend this to my crime and thriller loving bookish friends

Ben Packard is back investigating a home invasion ending in murder in Sandy Lake, MN. Things aren't as they initially seem, and after someone takes a shot at Packard and escapes by boat across the lake, the questions multiply. Gambling habits, complicated relationships, and small-town politics swirl as Packard works to solve the mystery of who killed Bill. And what about the handsome co-owner of the new mico-brewery in town? Can Packard take a chance on a relationship again? All in good time.

I'm a big fan of Detective Packard. He's sharp and determined with an ambivalence and vulnerability that brings authenticity to his character. The writing is perfectly paced and the cast of small-town players is colorful. The plot has as many layers as Packard's past, and I can't wait for the next novel to discover what secrets have been hidden from him by someone he trusted.

Read this if you enjoy a well-paced, muti-layered mystery thriller with great characters and an LGBTQ MC. If you haven't yet experienced the first Ben Packard novel, And There He Kept Her, go grab a copy to catch up then dive into Where the Dead Sleep. You'll be glad you did!

Ben Packard is back, and the small town of Sandy Lake is on edge once again, when Bill Sandersen is found shot to death in his bed.

After a life spent chasing money and breaking hearts, it’s less a matter of finding a suspect than somehow narrowing down the crowd to determine who finally snapped; and when it comes to poking around in ancient small-town secrets, Packard is more than qualified.

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. It’s such a balancing act with procedurals – you have to have a book that stands on its own, but that moves the longer-running elements ahead too. Preferably there’s enough momentum to be interesting, but without either going too far or not far enough; with the one you end up with a series that throws too much at the reader in each instalment, while the other way ends up losing steam and becoming repetitive and slow. Where the Dead Sleep, though, absolutely nails the balance; Packard is settling into his new life here, even as a new mystery promises to keep him using his detection skills to their utmost.

That balance works in other areas of the book, too. Events are exciting and the mystery compelling, but still felt like they could be taking place in the real world. Packard and the people of Sandy Lake that we’re getting to know are great characters; they make me look forward to getting to read the next in the series. And while Where the Dead Sleep wraps up into a book that could stand alone by the end, there’s some hints there that future books will be very interesting indeed. I’ll be here for it, and in the meantime will be recommending these books to every procedural fan I know.

4-1/2 stars rounded up to 5. I'm so glad acting Sheriff/Deputy Ben Packard is back! The mystery of who shot Bill Sandersen is complicated and at times I found it hard to keep the details straight. The similar names of the wives didn't help. In the end Ben's attention to detail brings the shooter and the truth to light. I found the computer forensic details from Suresh to be fascinating and I would love to see more of this in future investigations. This book is a lot of set up for book 3 in the series, with a lot of foreshadowing and introduction of future villains. I'm not at all upset about it as I like the way Ben's mind works, and I like his relationships and the way he works with other members of the Sheriff's Office. There were several interactions with his coworkers that made me laugh out loud!

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to #netgalley for granting me an ARC on this novel.
While I really enjoyed the book, I really wish I had known there was a first book to this story. You don't necessarily have to read the first one to get into this story, but I think it would have helped to know the protagonist a bit.
This novel has a lot of drama and suspense, I highly recommend it!

This second book featuring Deputy Ben Packard, set again in rural Minnesota, was really engaging (I read 3/4 of it in a day!) and I am really hoping that this series continues. There is a wide variety of things happening in this one- from the murder that Packard is investigating, an unexpected election for sheriff that Packard is reluctant to get involved with, and the dynamics of being a gay cop in a nosy, conservative town. I appreciated the timeline of this investigation and that it takes time to figure out the suspects. If you've read the first in this series, this one feels somewhat less intense. This is a really well written story and a series I'm definitely recommending.

Wonderful book. Didn’t realized that this was a second book in a series. Now I must read the first one. I like Sheriff Packard. This book got me at the first page and I couldn’t put it down. So many different characters to keep you guessing. A husband is killed one night. He’s married to two wealth spoil sisters, separate times of cost. He goes thru one’s money and on to the next one. Their family is a nightmare. And how a pin that their mother wore, would weave this mystery even more. I like the way this book ended. Cause they way it ended you know there will be a next story. And it involves the death of Packard’s brother, when they were small.
I belong to two book clubs and I will be recommending this book to both.

I really like books with small town secrets and this was a good one. I find the politics of small towns so interesting. This book did a really good job of showing that thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. Like a lot of reviews I saw I wish I had started with the first book. This was definitely a good read but just a little confusing at times due to not reading the first book. Still recommend

This is the second installment in Joshua Moehling's brilliant Detective Ben Packard series. I gave the first book "And There He Kept Her" an enthusiastic 4.5 stars, and "Where the Dead Sleep" definitely lived up to my expectations. While you wouldn't have to read the first book to enjoy this story, it does continue Ben's acting sheriff exploits as he investigates the next murder in town as well as his ongoing personal life story from the first installment. Ben is a sharp detective, but he is also relatable in his personal reflections and ghosts from his past. He is just so human and likable. He is also a LGBTQ+ character where that aspect of his life just feels like that... an aspect of his life that is part of him but is not what fully defines him. He is our brother, our son, our coworker, our neighbor, our friend. He is humanity and ethics and moral conscious all wrapped up in a snowy Minnesota bow. I just have to see where book 3 takes him!

4.5 stars!

Thank you to #NetGalley and Sourcebooks - Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

I wish I would have read the first book in this series but still enjoyed this one quite a bit.

A small town. A murder. A lot of family drama. This makes for a great read that keeps you guessing. A true mystery here and I'm thinking there will be a third in this series. I will try to read the first one. This one is a page turner and I loved how this author introduced each character.

Very good for anyone who loves a good murder mystery.

Thank you #NetGalley for this ARC.

Four stars.

The second installment of the Detective Packard series is so good! I like this police procedural series, because it keeps me guessing and I haven’t been able to guess right yet! You can tell by the ending that there will be a third book, if not more and I’ll be reading them!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.