I was so excited about this book! I did not realize that it was a sequel but that’s on me 😂

We are following Ben Packard in a murder investigation where Bill Sanderson was found shot dead in his bed. The spouse is always the first suspect, but Ben didn’t know how deep these blood lines go.

This is a captivating story with theories that you couldn’t even imagine. Ben who is the lead detective on this case is also the acting sheriff after Stan dies. Ben doesn’t know it yet but there is a target on his back, but he just doesn’t know how it got there.

I think the only thing that I disliked about the book was all of the branches that went off of the plot. The entire election I think didn’t need to take up as much of the book as it did, and I understand the stigma that a small town might have against a gay sheriff, but what he does in his personal life doesn’t effect his professional one.

I am truest excited to read the next book and find out who this anonymous shooter is, as well as watching Ben investigate his brother Nick’s disappearance.

Deputy Ben Packard is called to a home invasion where he finds Bill, a greatly loved local, shot dead in his bed. Who’s guilty? Who’s innocent? What secrets lie in this small town?

I loved the small town feel of this book and the representation of a gay acting sheriff. However, it did take me awhile to finally get into this book. It was far more descriptive than I prefer my books to be. The last bit of the book though, was fast paced and right up my alley!

I never read the first book but don’t feel like I needed to. I will give the third book a chance as this book won me over at the end.

Thank you Netgalley and Poison Pen Press publishing for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Where the Dead Sleep is officially out on August 25th, 2023!

Responding to a call about a home invasion, Deputy Ben Packard heads out to the scene of the crime. When he arrives there he is shocked to find the owner of the house shot dead in his bed. Bill Sandersen wasn’t a squeaky clean guy, so when Packard begins looking into his life he comes to realize that there is a long list of potential suspects. Who wanted Bill dead and why?

Praises for the book: Hooked from the start this book entertained throughout. It’s fast-paced and wildly intriguing. The writing is sharp and the characters are well built. This is a thought-out mystery with lots of action; you will never feel bored with this book in your hands. A whodunit of another level that was hard to put down.

Will be buying this book when it’s released on August 15, 2023! You should too.

I received an ARC of this book and leave this review of my own accord.
#NetGalley #WhereTheDeadSleep

Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a small town crime drama that follows Deputy Ben Packard and his investigation of a home invasion. Bill Sanderson, a popular local guy is shot, and the list of suspects is very long. There are secrets and mystery surrounding the crime that Packard is tasked with unearthing.

I know I am in the minority here but this was just an okay story for me. It dragged at times and the writing was overly descriptive where it did not need to be. The characters were a little flat to me as well. The small town setting was well done.

Just an ok read for me.

Could not put this book down. Thrilling, engaging, full of twists and turns. Great characters, some good funny moments, some good emotional moments. Big city detective investigating a small town murder, everything I wanted and more just from that description alone.

This is the second Joshua Moehling book I’ve read and it’s another 5 star read. I can now say 100% that this is a new favorite and auto buy author for me! His writing flows perfectly, and his stories are not only realistic but unpredictable.

This is the second book featuring detective Packard. Packard is an exceptional sheriff, that not only is smart, handsome and likeable! Where The Dead Sleep is an
addictive mystery with not only shady characters but an ending that will leave you anxiously awaiting the next book!

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for letting me read an eARC of Where The Dead Sleep.

Featuring a great protagonist in Ben Packard, the novel is an enjoyable mystery and thriller that I binged within two days. Although the mystery was well-done, some parts of the book felt slow. Despite that, I am interested in reading more by this author!

This was one of my least favorite books so far for this year. I don’t know why. I can’t quite put my finger on it. But it just felt lackluster. I almost DNF’d it a few times because it was so hard to stay engaged while reading it. It felt like it would ramp up for a few pages and then drop down anticlimactically. Even the ending felt anticlimactic. I tried my hardest to like this book but I couldn’t quite get there, and honestly I really hate that.

I like this author, and how he managed the issue of a gay sheriff in a small town very easily.
It's on the lighter side of thriller for me, but I'm open to more.
Another well-written and fast read from Moehling and looking forward to the next one.

Thank you, NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC of this book.
To be published: 13th June 2023.

I would recommend this book. It was a very interesting story with a wide range of different characters. The plot follows a murder and the sheriff’s actions in trying to catch the killer. The story keeps you interested and moves along at a fairly good pace. You get a good sense of the characters through the author’s descriptions and their actions. I liked the main character, Ben Packard, and I found myself rooting for him throughout the book - in regards to the murder case and the election. I don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll leave it at that. I gave the book a rating of 4 stars instead of 5 only because I felt a few things were left hanging at the end, but maybe that was intentional if it is a continuing series for this author.

I hadn't read the 1st book when I gave this one a go and I don't think diving in late in the game took any enjoyment away from the story so I do feel it can be read ad a standalone. There's so much going on in this book. So many sub plots and other lines weaved into the main plot and for the most part, it worked but a few of those lines seemed to just come to abrupt end and never got mentioned again or explained. In ang book plot holes and loose ends are annoying but it's especially apparent in this one because there are just so so so so so many unnecessary words anyways! It felt like there were just so many pointless dialogues or descriptions that just went on and on and brought absolutely nothing to the actual story..... so perhaps if we'd skipped on the pointless waffle and used the extra word count to give closure and tie up loose ends then for me that would have been preferable. Its a very personal preference, I know plenty people who appreciate a very thorough description to help them envisage clearly but I get frustrated with it sadly. The other possibility is that the open questions will be addressed in the next book? But we'll need to wait and see for that. To be honest, I wouldn't even say this was just a thriller. It does straddle a number of genres which opens it up to much more readers. There's some romance, some comedy, some procedural..... so I'm sure it'll appeal to plenty of readers. I just wasn't the target audience for this one

Absolutely gripping, edgy, didnt see it coming. I was hooked from the start!!
Fantastic book, well written with just enough description to keep the creep factor on high!

Thank you to the publisher for letting me read this early in exchange for an honest review.


This story felt a bit cliche and overdone compared to other thrillers I’ve read. The main character felt so bland to me that I didn’t root for him to solve anything and just left me bored and wanting more.

First of thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for letting me read an eARC of Where The Dead Sleep. The novel is a highly enjoyable mystery/thriller with a great protagonist in Ben Packard that I couldn't help but be invested in and root for. I would say the novel's biggest asset is that it is able to add so much depth and layers to the central mystery while keeping Packard integral and squarely in the center of it. The author builds a fantastic world with the town of Sandy Creek whose inhabitants remain intriguing and whose interactions kept me turning page after page as I raced towards the conclusion. Where The Dead Sleep is an easy recommendation if you love mysteries and I am going to eagerly anticipate the next Ben Packard novel.

Where the Dead Sleep is a perfectly paced mystery from start to finish. You won't be able to put this one down. With well developed characters, a compelling storyline and a small town setting, this will be one of my favourite books this year. I hope I have a chance to meet Deputy Packard again in a sequel.

I was given this title from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. I read this book in a few days. I couldn't put it down.

In the early morning hours a deputy is called to work. Deputy Packard shows up to a crime scene where a person is shot in their bed. Bill was local and loved easy money. But who would want him dead? The business partner, the ex wife or the current wife. Packard was made acting deputy because the former was sick. People wanted him to run for election but he was hesitant.

I was shocked at the twist and turns. But the ending to me was lacking. You did find out why and how everything happened. The one part that I couldn't understand is that its set up like there could be a third book but I didnt see any on Goodreads. There is a character called the shooter that took a shot at Packard. Im assuming to scare him to no run. But thats it you dont get anymore on the shooter other than he knows some people.

There are more and more fantastic mystery books with gay detectives. Andy Mills (Lavender House) and Scott Jericho (Killing Jericho), for example. And Joshua Moehling created the wonderful Ben Packard.

Where the Dead Sleep is the second installment in the Ben Packard series, but I hadn’t read the first book when I dove into Where the Dead Sleep. I immediately found out that it’s also easily readable as a stand-alone. I really got invested in the mystery, but the highlight of the book is Ben Packard himself. Amiable and private, Ben is a man I desperately want to know better. He is a very layered character, and Joshua threw some snippets around about Ben’s past that immediately made me want to start reading And There He Kept Her, the first book in this series.

And, of course, I’m also going to pick up the third book because, despite the solved mystery, there is still so much to learn about Ben. I’m ready to pull off his next layer!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves to read mysteries but, above all, wants to connect to a main character even more.

When an early morning call brings Deputy Ben Packard to the scene of a home invasion, he finds Bill Sandersen shot in his bed. Bill was a well-liked local who chased easy money his whole life, leaving bad debts and broken hearts in his wake. Everyone Packard talks to has a story about Bill, but no one has a clear motive for wanting him dead. The business partner. The ex-wife. The current wife. The high-stakes poker buddies. Any of them—or none of them—could be guilty.

Joshua Moehling’s first book, “And There He Kept Her” was an excellent debut so I was very interested to read this second book. The character of Ben Packard is definitely what sets these books apart, a very likeable star of the story, his personality really shines through as these books are progressing. He has suffered tragedy in his life and is openly gay, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed meeting him again and I am sure after reading this second book that there is a fabulous series here ahead of us, I hope so anyway. There is also a strong cast of other characters that definitely enhance the story as well.

The plot itself is strong and compelling although there are some descriptions in this book that are a little wordy but in saying that it did not overly bother me. The book moves at a good pace and I read this in two sittings, I would have read it in one if life had not decided to interrupt me. If you have not read this author I really encourage you to do so, I feel like I have discovered another gem in Mr Moehling and I will eagerly be waiting the next book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. 4 stars

I really liked the first Ben Packard novel, And There He Kept Her, so I jumped at the chance to read an ARC of the second novel, Where the Dead Sleep, from NetGalley. Acting Sheriff Ben Packard works for the small town of Sandy Lake, Minnesota. When a local man is shot in his bed, Packard has to unravel a complicated family relationship with a long history to solve the case. Packard is a guy I root for and the supporting characters are enjoyable. I am already looking forward to the next Ben Packard book!

I really enjoyed reading this book. Ben Packard is a layered, nuanced, complex creation. The interactions with the peripheral characters is also well written. I didn’t realise when I first started reading that this is book 2 in the series. Definitely going to purchase book 1 now, The 2 hooks at the end, were very clever, and I can’t wait for book 3!