ARC Review: Ben Packard #2

Where the Dead Sleep by Joshua Moehling

Publication Date: August 15, 2023

Summary from NetGalley:

A small town’s dark secrets turn deadly…

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.

With a mile-long list of suspects but no clear motive, Packard digs into the investigation to find himself center stage and a half step behind in a town where no one ever left. There’s a hidden history to Sandy Lake that Packard, ever the outsider can’t see. Here, bad blood and old secrets run deep. He’ll have to solve a high-profile murder and, as a gay man, offer up his private life for public scrutiny in a county election to keep his job.

An attempt on Packard’s life means he’s getting uncomfortably close to the dangerous legacy of the quiet Minnesota town. And someone will do anything to keep it hidden.

ARC provided by Poisoned Pen Press via Netgalley for an honest review.

Confession:

I enjoyed this second book about Sheriff Ben Packard as much as the first. There is a whole new mystery for Ben to solve, plus he is now running for sheriff of his small county in Michigan. There is a lot going on in his life now, but is he ready to let go of his past yet?

I really like Ben. He is good at his job and can not tolerate those around him who are not. He is finally feeling like he has roots in his new community and for the most part the people of Sandy Lake like him as well. Ben has good intuition that doesn’t steer him wrong, and he often gets that gut feeling that his suspects are not telling the truth, or at least holding back on parts of it. He also has a good sense of humor, which he often pulls out when it is needed.

There are a lot of secondary characters that play important roles in both of these books. Of course there are the other deputies who help him solve the murders, but there are some other towns folks as well. Many of these people rally behind Ben when he finally decides that he needs to run for Sheriff in the next election.

The plot of this book is what really shines and makes it stand out as an excellent, well crafted mystery. Just like Ben, the reader is also left with the feelings that not everyone is telling the truth. There are a lot of small town secrets involved in this story, and some have been kept hidden for a long time. The story is mostly told through Ben’s perspective, but there are a few chapters by others, mainly the wife of the murdered man. She was an interesting suspect and character who had the most to lose if Ben solves the case.

This is the author’s second book and it is just as strong as his first. I really enjoy his writing style and his mysteries are well crafted. His characters are realistic and believable and you can root for them when things don’t go their way. The setting of a small midwest town is also well done. There is at least one more book coming in this series and I am hoping that that one will solve one of the cases that has been haunting Ben for most of his life.