I now have another series I can't wait to see what happens next! I started with book 1 so that I could read this ARC and I am glad I did. This was my first reading experience w/Joshua Moehling and I am hooked. I am adding all of his books to my TBR! I loved the characters and want to see what happens next for them!

#WheretheDeadSleep
#NetGalley

Although this can be read as a standalone - I wish I had read the first one previously. I did enjoy the thriller about Acting Sheriff Ben Packard trying to solve his latest case. Packard has a lot going for him in the small Minnesota town he now calls home, but he also has a lot of people who want to see him fail. This thriller was a little slow at times, but certainly picked up steam. I will probably go back and read the first book, but I'm now anxiously awaiting the third because the cliffhanger this ends on is worth the whole book!

Book Title: Where the Dead Sleep
Author: Joshua Moehling
Series: Ben Lackard #2
Narrator; Linda Jones
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: August 15, 2023
My Rating: 2.5 rounded up
Pages: 336

Deputy Ben Packard is the acting sheriff while the as the current sheriff is being treated for cancer. Ben was attracted to Sandy Lake, Minnesota as he liked the idea of a nice quiet town. Now he is been encouraged to run for sheriff. However, as a gay-man in a small very traditional town he is not sure the town is ready for him.
In the meantime, he’s called to investigate the murder of Bill Sandersen who was found shot in his bed. First thoughts are ~ perhaps a burglary gone wrong however, his wife Carrie was home and unharmed. Then there is Sherri, Carrie’s sister who is Bill ex-wife and wasn’t not happy about Carrie and Bill getting married.
Although Bill is well liked he is not a model citizen; he is a gambler and has stolen from his business partner.
It seems the suspect list is getting longer.
There are a lot of unlikeable characters in this story. I did like Packard and the story does end with a big of cliff hanger.
However it wasn’t the thriller I was hoping. Although I didn't love it ~ I have no doubt that many readers will enjoy it!.

Want to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for granting me this early audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for August 15, 2023.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance audiobook copy of Where the Dead Sleep by Joshua Moehling in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this murder mystery in Minnesota. It had good atmosphere and characters. It also had a wonderful ending that has me wanting to read the next in the series.

Acting Sheriff Packard has just taken over the small town role after his mentor's retirement, with his big city background he is trying to modernize and clean up the department but is not quite sure if he wants the role full time. When a man in town turns up dead there are many suspects, his wife, his ex-wife (his current wife's sister) and a cadre of gambling buddies. Packard needs to find a way to quickly close the case before the race for sheriff begins.

I didn't read the first book of this series, but I don't think you have to. It does just fine as a standalone, that said, I think I will go back and read the first as I really liked Packard as a character. I also really loved the detective main character as a queer one, even though he was slightly closeted. The mystery was interesting and had some good red herrings and the race for sheriff was interesting as well. It does end on a bit of a cliffhanger but after those two main issues are wrapped up nicely. So I'll let it go and will probably read the next one when it comes along.

Read this one if you liked All the Sinners Bleed.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions above are my own.

When Bill Sanderson is found murdered in his home, Deputy Packard is on the job and his list of suspects is steadily growing. Was it the wife, the ex-wife, people he owes money to? He’s also faced with conflict within his own department and the whole town seems to shrouded in secrets and darkness.

This is a good read with fast-pacing, engaging characters that are built upon, and fun twists. Enjoyed the narrator and the story was overall engaging and suspenseful. There was great character building and great environment building.

I loved And There He Kept Her, so was excited to read this latest instalment. Can happily say it did not disappoint!

Ben Packard is back and fast becoming one one of my favourite detectives. While this is a follow on from his first, I feel it can be read as a standalone - although you’ll be missing out on a great book IMO!

Highly recommended if you’re a fan of crime procedurals and thrillers. This is masterfully written, with red herrings aplenty and a colourful cast of characters. Fast paced and totally compelling.

I was grateful to have the e-arc and ALC to go between. I loved the audio narration by Linda Jones. Can’t wait for the next instalment 🤩

Many thanks to @poisonpress and @dreamscapemedia for advance reading copy and ALC 💌

I love Joshua Moehling!!!

I'm not usually a fan of series but I stumbled upon And There He Kept Her last year and loved it. The story totally sucked me in, I loved how authentic the procedural felt, and I absolutely loved Packard as the protagonist.

Jumping into Where the Dead Sleep a whole year later, I didn't expect to remember much (if anything) from the first in the series. I was shocked when Packard and Emmett Burr came tumbling back and was even more surprised about little details I remembered along the way. I loved that pieces of And There He Kept Her came back naturally - so often series spend the first chapter rehashing the last book and I generally find it tedious and poorly written. SO not the case here! So much so that I truly think you can read this as a standalone novel and still absolutely adore it.

Even more strange with a series, I think I actually liked Where the Dead Sleep MORE than the first book! The crime was super intriguing and I was totally sucked in to the family drama. I had NO idea how the pieces fit, who was guilty, or why Bill was murdered. It was really fun putting the puzzle together with Packard. Further, I truly enjoy the Sheriff's race. It's not often that politics interest me but Moehling presented the race in such a great way. I also appreciated that there was less focus on Packard's sexuality in a negative light - it really could have been the focus with the Sheriff's race but I thought it was classy that it wasn't.

Packard is just the best. He's so genuine, intelligent, and true to himself. You can tell he's just a hardworking, good human and we need more of that!

I listened to this novel on audio. I had also listened to the first one on audio and it was the same narrator. I think this fact is important because the narrator was partly what transported me back and helped trigger memories. She does a stellar job and it's safe to say I was totally hooked by page 1.

There's no doubt in my mind I'll keep following Packard's story and I can't wait for some of our questions to be answered!

Thank you to Poisoned Press, Libro.fm, MacMillan Audio, and NetGalley for the copy.

3.5 stars, rounded up. Love police procedurals and this is a well written, interesting series. I just cannot stand politics and the whole machinations of the small town sheriff's election and underhanded tactics, etc. left me cold. I'd be really happy if we could stick to solving the cases rather than adding in all of the extraneous stuff.

That said, I enjoyed this second installment in the series featuring Ben Packer. He's an intriguing character and he will keep me coming back for more! The previous book, And There He Kept Her, ended with Ben getting called to a murder/home invasion, and this book started up right where that one left off. This book ended in a cliffhanger as well, so hopefully in the next installment we will learn more about what happened to Ben's brother.

The mystery in this book was pretty good and there are many suspects and avenues of investigation. The side characters add to the book and I hope we get to know more about them as the series progresses. The one thing I am hoping is that the author won't go down the expected path of having Ben be a scapegoat/picked on/wrongly accused/pick another bad trope due to the results of the election. I honestly dread that happening because it seems like the easy plot direction for the author, but I just beg him to avoid that route.

This is an intriguing series, and I listened to this book as an audiobook. The narrator is excellent, however as good as she is, I question the choice of a female narrator for a male main character. That said, her narration is stellar and kept me invested in the story.

Can't wait to see what happens next with Packer and the rest of the gang!

Wow this book and this narrator are incredible!! I loved the characters and the story. It was gripping and so interesting. I couldn’t stop listening!!

3.5 stars. This novel is the second in the Ben Packard series by Joshua Moehling. Although the case is completely different, I would suggest reading And There Kept Her first just for character clarification, if nothing else. This time, acting Sheriff Ben Packard is trying to solve the murder of good-time guy, Bill Sandersen. While this is happening, Ben is also trying to run for Sheriff of Sandy Lake. He's not sure he wants the job but he doesn't seem to be able to leave his friends, neighbors and colleagues in the lurch. Or under an incompetent deputy. There is also still the mystery of his brother, Nick, who disappeared without a trace many years ago in Sandy Lake. Looks like there will definitely be more to come from Deputy Packard.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this audio e-arc.*

Where the Dead Sleep by Joshua Moehling
Narrator Linda Jones
Ben Packard Series Book Tow
I had not read book one and not sure I want to considering the description given in this book. I did not find it difficult to read this as a standalone. It was a good police procedural with some entertaining characters and small town political intrigue. There is some back story about the sheriff’s brother who died as a teen. More than one twist and a bit of a cliffhanger type ending. Some funny parts.
Not going to lie awake at night awaiting the next book but might read it. So, good but not fabulous. I’d still give it four stars. Same for the narration, good but not amazingly good.
Thanks to Netgalley.

3.5 round up

Okay lets start of this review with a little honesty lol. I really should have reread the first book because I expected a little bit of referencing to help freshen my memory but we do not get any of that. Granted, you barely need to have read book #1 to know what is going on in book #2. So lets consider this practically a standalone and get to the review.

Ben Packard is an honest detective who finds himself investigating the death of a well liked man, with just luke warm suspects. Moehling creates an absurd caste of characters that keep you intrigued in the story even during the slower parts. With this many characters/suspects I someitmes wished that I was reading the book physically since I felt a little behind trying to place a character. However, the audiobook was fantastic and made me feel liked I was the active detective walking around the town investigating suspects.

The story is fairly fast paced with enough twists and turns to keep you engaged and wanting to read more. I loved the absurdity of the characters and suspects becuase somehow now matter how bizare it felt you realized how realistic these suspects were.

You really can't help but love Ben Packard, he is an honesty and humble detective that really just wants the best for the twon. I enjoyed this book more when it comes to developing Packard's character becuase we learn so many small details about him that make him likeable. We also learn that there is more to Packard then we, as the reader, are first informed of.

Moehling is an author that I will keep on my radar and plan to continue the series. This book felt stronger in way the book itself was written but then it felt weaker when it came to the storyline. I still had a fantastic tiem reading it and will continue to recommend the series to my audience.

Joshua Moehling (favorite author) returns following his smashing debut, where he wowed us with And There He Kept Her (5 stars) by introducing the popular intriguing hunky Deputy Ben Packard #1 and a cast of unforgettable characters.

The author returns with Ben Packard #2, WHERE THE DEAD SLEEP (5 stars)— a complex action-packed crime thriller with scandalous small-town secrets, a wealthy family, murder, and more in the rural lakeside town of Sandy Lake, Minnesota—leaving readers salivating for #3 and more Ben!

I love this series!

After a long summer, Deputy Ben Packard is back, tying up loose ends from the Emmett Burr case (from book #1). He is the acting Sheriff for Stan Shaw (currently elected sheriff of Sandy Lake County), who has cancer.

Ben (gay) is finally getting some action with a hot drummer, Brad, and hopes for a leisurely morning. However, it gets cut short when he is called in on a murder case—a dead body. The victim is William (Bill) Sandersen, husband of Carolyn (Carrie). Second marriage-two years. She has twins- grown children from her first marriage.

The case is not straightforward. William was shot twice while in bed, and his wife claims she was in the other bedroom since her husband has sleep apnea. Bill worked at Sandy Lake Auto. He also liked to frequent casinos.

His wife is the CEO of Gherlick Family Trust. She is the one with the money in the family. William (Bill) had gone out to meet his friend, Roger Freeman, a man he was to go in the chicken wing business with.

However, Ben soon discovers Bill has a thing for the sisters, as he was previously married to Carolyn's sister, Sherri. He divorced her to marry Carolyn. Carolyn dated him back in high school.

But Carrie and Bill liked to party and blow money at the casinos. The mom cut off the money, so I guess he decided to marry for more, but Carolyn does not readily hand out the money. The girls had over a million dollars each, but that was before Sherri and Bill gambled it all away.

Is Carolyn smarter than her sister? And why did the perp murder Bill and not Carolyn?

Suspects:
The business partner, Roger
The ex-wife, alcoholic, Sherri.
The wife, Carolyn.
The high-stakes poker buddies.
Or someone else?

In the middle of the investigation, a tragedy occurs. Ben is left holding the bag and must make some big decisions. Should he run for Sheriff? He likes being a detective and not sitting behind a desk dealing with politics.

However, Marilyn, Stan's wife, is backing him and many others. If he does not run, it is Barney Fife Deputy Shepherd (which is pretty much worthless except for gossip).

Then another murder and the plot thickens, plus a mysterious hummingbird pin and a letter.

Packard soon discovers there is a hidden dark multi-generational history to Sandy Lake. Bad blood and old secrets run deep. And someone will do anything to keep it hidden. Before the book ends, someone is shooting at Packard. Is he getting too close to the darkness of Sandy Lake?

Moehling serves up another excellent suspense crime novel that will keep you riveted. There is action and suspense around every corner in this multi-layered mystery crime thriller—readers, if you loved Ben Packard #1, you will devour #2.

In addition to the mystery, danger, and double murders, there is the upcoming election to stress over, and as we were introduced in Ben Packard #1, there is the cold case mystery of Ben's older brother, Kyle. There is new evidence, and it ends on a cliffhanger. We can only hope #3 comes soon!

WHERE THE DEAD SLEEP is a killer whodunit crime thriller! Based loosely on a Minnesota true crime and switched out with a victim that might have made enemies or people who wanted to kill him.

Ben is a fantastic character and has grown since the last book, where he tried to outrun his past. In WHERE THE DEAD SLEEP, he takes center stage, claims his identity, and does the right thing, even when it's not in his own best interest, all while trying to solve a murder, dodge bullets, and uncover the truth of what happened to his missing brother years ago. He is getting anything but a quiet, laid-back sleep town and no hiding out here.

You will be turning the pages into the wee hours of the morning! A massive fan of the author, Joshua Moehling, from his debut; he is a rock star, and if you enjoy small-town funny, larger-than-life characters, riveting suspense crime thrillers, and superb writing blended with dark humor with a highly relatable, smart, leading man—the Ben Packard series is for you.

WHERE THE DEAD SLEEP is for fans of authors: Lisa Gardner, Karin Slaughter, Heather Gudenkauf, Karen Katchur, Allen Eskens, C.J. Box, and William Kent Krueger.

Joshua and Ben are here to stay! Bingeworthy and prime for the big or small screen. Top Thrillers of 2023!

MOVIE CAST: Now, if there is a movie or TV series, My vote for BEN PACKARD is the hunky, CHANNING TATUM! I pictured him when reading, whether straight or gay, who does not LOVE looking at this man in a cop uniform (or nothing at all). I concur with Lisa Gardner; Ben is my new favorite deputy!

AUDIOBOOK: I read the e-book and listened to the audiobook narrated by Linda Jones for a superb performance for all voices! An engaging listening experience. By the way, you must get the hardcover copy. Look at the cover - STUNNING! Sign up for Joshua's newsletter (website) to get all the latest details.

Special thanks to Mandy at Poisoned Pen Press for an ARC and the author for an autographed hardcover copy with swag. Also, thanks to Dreamscape Media for an ALC via NetGalley.

Check out my #AuthorElevatorSeries Q&A with Joshua with AND THERE HE KEPT HER, where we go behind the scenes of the book & the author!

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDColins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars +
Pub Date: Aug 15, 2023
Aug 2023 Must-Read Books
Top Books of 2023

Thank you Dreamscape Audio, NetGalley, and Joshua Moehling and narrator Linda Jones for allowing me to share the experience of this wonderful audiobook ARC. My goodness, this story grabbed me from the start and didn’t let go and I honestly felt like I was in the middle of the action. The hero of the story, Ben Packard, is the kind of man that I would want on my side if something happened to me and he is just wonderful and caring about the people around him. I highly recommend this book . It is book two, which I only realized about the time I finished reading this book lol. This book works great as a standalone and then if you’re interested like me you can go ahead and grab book one😊.

Police procedural crime novel in a small Minnesota town. My first book by Joshua Moehling and certainly not my last.

I've heard high praise for Ben Packard #1 but have not read it. I really wanted to and tried to squeeze it in before this one, but the library god said I have to wait 4 weeks. No fear, this follow-up did not disappoint and can easily be read on its own.

Where the Dead Sleep follows Deputy Packard's investigation of Bill Sandersen's death. Bill was shot dead in his bed. For a small town, there are plenty of suspects! Poker buddies, business partners, wife, or ex-wife (they are sisters too, yikes!).

As much as I enjoyed the multi-layer mystery, I found Ben’s character and personal life even more interesting. Ben's a very likable guy. His missing brother. His three-legged corgi. I like to root for the underdog and Deputy Ben is a gay officer who is running for sheriff in this little town! And BAM, a cliffhanger.... I can't wait for the next one. Luckily, the library god will make book one available to me soon.🙌📚

It is an interesting choice to have a female narrator for a male lead character although I thought Linda Jones did a fantastic job with her performance.

Thank you Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for this ALC.

Ben Packard for Sheriff!

Ben Packard continues the job of acting Sheriff of Sandy Lake, Minnesota in the second book in this series. It can be read as a stand alone, but best enjoyed if read in order. When Bill Sandersen is found shot dead in his bed over Labor Day weekend, Packard is called in to investigate. Bill was a prominent figure in town, as he married to two of the Gherlick daughters, Carrie and Sherri. Their father founded Gherlick Bank and Trust, and they are considered a well-respected family in the area. However, their father committed suicide many years ago and their mother has dementia. The estranged sisters are keeping many family secrets spanning generations. Who killed Bill Sandersen ?

Packard also must decide whether to run for Sherriff of Sandy Lake. Weighing heavily on his mind is whether people will vote for a gay man to run their conservative town.

However, when he finds himself the target of gunfire, it becomes personal. Is someone after Packard? After all, his brother went missing all those years ago, and someone in this town knows something.

Where the Dead Sleep is a perfectly paced police procedural, however I didn’t find the mystery in this book as riveting as the first. I was able to mostly guess the twists in this one early on. Moeling has created a fantastic character in Ben Packard and he is the reason I would keep reading more books in this series. It does end on a cliffhanger, so we will get to see more of him!

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Linda Jones. She does a fantastic job voicing all of the characters.

3.5/5 stars rounded up

Expected publication date: 8/15/23

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC of Where the Dead Sleep in exchange for an honest review.

Sandy Lake holds secret, deep ones and so do many of its residents. Deputy Ben Packard, a man who returned to Sandy Creek because he wanted a quiet life, will not be able to achieve that as he get a call from the Sanderson home that there was a break in. Sadly, there was also a dead body, Bill Sanderson who has a list of people that might want him dead, a business partner, and ex and current wife, (both of them sisters..oh my!) an his poker playing "buddies" included.

As Ben investigates and crosses each one off his list. Packard also faces the idea of running again for Deputy or should he step down and welcome the calm life he seeks?

Having read Mr Moehling's former book in this new series, I was anxious to see where Ben Packard was headed and the trouble that seemed to follow in his path.

Definitely a fine police procedural where the author kept us in suspense as he carefully pulled the ends together to give us a fine story.

Thank you to Joshua Moehling, Poinsoned Pen Press, Net Galley and Dreamscape Media, narrated by Linda Jones who kindly sent me this audio book to listen to.

Ben Packard is BAAAAAACK!! 😍 Packard is one of my favorite book characters! I just love reading and learning more about him! Where the Dead Sleep is a sequel to And There He Kept Her, but I think could definitely be read as a stand-alone! But also highly recommend both of them! This one is out next Tuesday, August 15th! The audio was well paced and captivating!
Joshua Moehling nails it again with Where the Dead Sleep and I cannot get the 3rd book in this series fast enough!!

I loved And There He Kept Her and was so excited to be back to Sandy Lake with acting Sheriff Ben Packard. After a local was found shot to death in his bed, we follow Sheriff Packard as he chats with the townspeople to piece together what may have happened. As if that isn't enough on his plate, Ben learns that a special election will be held for a new Sheriff. But Ben doesn't really want the job, does he?
While the heart of this story is a murder mystery, @jmoehling does such a fantastic job bringing the town of Sandy Lake to life. This is what I like best about these books - the murder mystery is just one layer, we also dive into Ben's life as well as the people of Sandy Lake as a whole. Just like most small towns, Sandy Lake has it's share of secrets and I look forward to learning more of those secrets from this dynamic small town cast. (That's me being hopeful that there will be another book in this series😁🤞🏻)

Thank you to @netgalley @poisonedpenpress @dreamscape_media and @librofm for the gifted copy of this book.