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Where the Dead Sleep
  • Published: 26 May 2026
  • ISBN: 9781728277844
  • Imprint: Poisoned Pen Press
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 400
  • RRP: $24.99
Categories:

Where the Dead Sleep

Formats & editions
Paperback
26 May 2026
Paperback
26 Mar 2024
Hardback
12 Sept 2023
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A small-town Minnesota deputy tries to crack the unsolvable—the murder of a man with more enemies than friends—but as the by-the-book deputy digs, he unearths secrets that will destroy the insulated community—and him along with it

"One of the best new voices in the mystery genre." — William Kent Krueger, New York Times bestselling author

"Observant and authentic (and funny, too)...the literary descendant of Fargo and Mare of Easttown." — Adam White, bestselling author of The Midcoast

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.

As the investigation begins, tragedy strikes the Sheriff's department, forcing Packard to make a difficult choice about his future: step down as acting Sheriff and pursue the quiet life he came to Sandy Lake in search of, or subject himself to the scrutiny of an election for the full-time role of Sheriff, a job he's not sure he wants.

There's a hidden history to Sandy Lake that Packard, ever the outsider, can't see. Bad blood and old secrets run deep. But 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.
  • Published: 26 May 2026
  • ISBN: 9781728277844
  • Imprint: Poisoned Pen Press
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 400
  • RRP: $24.99
Categories:

About the author

Joshua Moehling

JOSHUA MOEHLING is the critically acclaimed and USA Today bestselling author of the Ben Packard series and a two-time Lammy award nominee for Best LGBTQ+ Mystery Thriller. He lives in Minneapolis with his husband.
JM

Also by Joshua Moehling

Beneath a Broken Sky
A Long Time Gone
And There He Kept Her
See all

Praise for Where the Dead Sleep

A well-paced whodunit that double as an evocation of Minnesota small-town life in all of its messy, dysfunctional glory...the real suspense emerges as Packard figures himself out, defying expectations in quiet, sometimes devastating ways.

New York Times

Where the Dead Sleep sticks the landing...And if you think you’ve got the mystery solved in the first few chapters, you’re dead wrong. Moehling has some tricks up his sleeve.

Associated Press

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...Where the Dead Sleep, though, absolutely nails [it]...I will be recommending these books to every procedural fan I know.

Mystery and Suspense Magazine

This title has all the elements of a good mystery: a puzzling crime, dark secrets, fast-paced writing, and deadpan humor...Riveting and a real page-turner; fans of C.J. Box’s Joe Pickett novels or Craig Johnson’s 'Longmire' series will feel at home.

Library Journal

Brilliant mystery writing.

Midwest Book Review

Moehling nails the spirit of small-town life in Minnesota’s unique North Country. His understanding of the darkness that can haunt the human spirit twists his story in wonderfully unpredictable ways. Fans of Walt Longmire or Joe Pickett or my own Cork O’Connor have reason to celebrate and look forward to a long life for Moehling’s series and its fresh, vibrant protagonist Ben Packard.

William Kent Krueger, New York Times bestselling author

Evocative and charming with a deadpan wit, Joshua Moehling's Where the Dead Sleep is a richly satisfying mystery with fully-drawn characters?especially the winning and deeply human protagonist, Sheriff Ben Packard. Joshua Moehling's skill as a writer and storyteller is evident on every page. I can't wait to read the next installment in this excellent series!

Nick Petrie, bestselling author of The Runaway