An excellent character-driven, small-town police procedural.

The crime in this book is nothing jaw-dropping or honestly one I’ll remember awhile from now, but the story is told so well and acting sheriff Ben Packard is a main character I hope we get more of moving forward!

Bill Sanderson is found shot dead in his home. There are plenty of leads as to who may have wanted him dead: His wife says she didn’t hear anything other than a single gun shot. His ex-wife, who also happens to be his current wife’s sister and maybe not so much of an ex after all. His prospective business partner, who found their joint account much lighter right before Bill’s murder. The more Ben leans into the local gossip, the more he starts to suspect those closest to Bill had something to do with his death.

Again, nothing twisty or totally shocking, but just very well-written. I enjoy solving crime through the eyes of Sheriff Packard! I did not read the first book in the series and didn’t feel like I was missing any key info, but will definitely go back to read just to get more from these characters and this author.

Thank you so much to the publishers and to netgalley for my early read in exchange for my honest review.

Bill Sandersen is mysteriously found dead in his home. His wife finds him and calls the police. Ben Packard, as acting sheriff, must get to the bottom of what happened and find out who killed Bill. Bill was obviously well known and liked by many of which Packard ends up questioning. But who's lying? Who's telling the truth? With many suspects on his list, Packard is led down a long and weaving path leading to the shocking conclusion.

This is the second book in the Ben Packard series, and I would highly recommend reading this after And There He Kept Her as there are a couple spoilers in Where The Dead Sleep. I really enjoyed this one and loved that there were twists in it.

4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. Joshua Modeling is quickly becoming an automatic read for me! I love that the setting was as much of a character as the people. If you have ever lived in a small town where nobody leaves this will hit home!

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC!

Publication date: 8/15/2023

This is my second read of Josh’s, the first being And There He Kept Her, which is actually book one of this series!! I would recommend reading that first!

The cover artwork drew me into both books! What can I say I’m a sucker for a good cover. If you like a good suspenseful thriller with good twists, I would give this one a try!!

I really love Packard and will continue to read this series. This mystery was a lot less interesting to me than the first book. I don’t tend to enjoy follow the money type crimes and that’s what this was. I look forward to the next bool after that ending!

Unfortunately I have tried twice to get into this book and after 30% I have decided to DNF

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the chance to read this book

Acting Sheriff deputy Ben Packard is called to an early morning shooting. Bill, a well-liked man has been shot. Ben was always chasing easy money and always up to something. Another fun thing about Bill, his ex-wife, and current wife are sisters and he’d gotten in over his head with some high-stakes poker. With so many suspects, will Ben be able to figure out who killed Bill? Will other secrets be revealed?

This book was really hard to get into, but the writing was good. I did find it overly descriptive but that’s not bad if that’s what you are looking for. This is a small-town police procedural, and it is done well. I didn’t love but I didn’t hate this book - it was a solid middle of the road read for me. I will read more from this author in the future. I also appreciated that the male main character was gay and lived in a small town. It was written very realistically, and I appreciated that.

If you are looking for a solid small town police procedural, then I hope you check this one out August 15th!

Thank you to Poised Pen Press and Netgalley @netgalley for this e-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

I overall liked this book. It had me hooked in some spots and dragged out in others. Would definitely read from this author again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC!

Publication date: 8/15/2023

This is book two of Detective Ben Packard’s story, but can be read as a stand alone.

I loved the inclusion of a queer MC! Ben is gay and acting sheriff in a small town in rural US. He moved to Sandy Lakes for peace and for a personal reason others are not privy to.

There is quite a bit of a slow start. It took ten chapters for me to really get invested, but it is definitely worth it!

Once it got going, it really got going! From there the book was a series of twists and turns, most of which I did not see coming!

The concept of the story is very unique in the way it plays out! I have read books with individual plots similar to this, but not all of them combined, which was cool!

I also really enjoyed the subplot of the race for sheriff! The added conflict that it brought to the table helped develop Ben’s very likable character.

This is very much like a police procedural. There was a lot of description of evidence and the investigation. I enjoyed that there was more of the case than Ben’s personal life!

I think if you are looking for a thriller that is like a non-romance slow burn, then this is the one for you!

The ending is a perfect setup for the next book! I will definitely be going back to read the first book!

OOOO this was such a good whodunit! I love the fact that we think as a reader we're stepping into one thing, but then it's completely different! I was hooked and it was fast-paced as heck which I am a huge fan of! The writing is so well done that it suck you in immediately!

Would recommend for sure anyone who loves a good cop suspense!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley!

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.