Editorial Content for Where the Dead Sleep
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Joshua Moehling’s terrific first novel, AND THERE HE KEPT HER, featured a unique protagonist who is openly gay. Deputy Ben Packard is back in this intriguing follow-up, WHERE THE DEAD SLEEP, which again takes place in the small Minnesota town of Sandy Lake. Life changes significantly for Packard when he learns that the current sheriff has passed away following a lengthy battle with cancer, which means that he will take over as acting Sheriff.
"...[an] intriguing follow-up [to AND THERE HE KEPT HER]... The beauty of WHERE THE DEAD SLEEP is that Sandy Lake essentially acts like another character in the story."
Packard is woken up after a tryst with the drummer of a cover band he enjoyed at a state fair with news of a bloody homicide. When he arrives at Bill and Carrie Sandersen’s house, he finds Bill shot to death in his bed. According to Carrie, Bill had come home late after meeting a friend and potential business partner; later that evening, she heard a large popping sound. She confesses to Packard that they slept in separate bedrooms due to his snoring and the need to wear a CPAP machine.
Being the thorough investigator that he is, Packard follows each clue as he receives them. He first talks to Roger Freeman, the friend with whom Bill allegedly met. But Roger maintains that he did not see Bill that night. Packard then learns about the buffalo wing joint that Bill and Roger intended to open and the issues they had in raising the capital for it --- especially since Bill was tapping into the money they already had earned. This included absconding with $20,000 for untold reasons. When Carrie indicates that Bill was trying to get money from her as well, Packard immediately suspects that gambling could have played a major role in the homicide.
It turns out that Bill was famous for spending time at the local casino and may have gotten involved in a top-secret, top-dollar poker game at an undisclosed location. He is directed to the home of Leon Chen, who ran the game. The players there knew that Bill had some financial issues, but they didn’t care. He was an easy mark who they fleeced, but he left owing them nothing, so they had no reason to kill someone they could milk again. When a random person fires on Chen’s residence while Packard is there, Packard realizes that he must be getting dangerously close to uncovering something big.
Bill was a complicated man who also was having sexual relations with his ex-wife, who just happened to be his current wife’s sister. When pubic hair is found on him that is traceable to his ex-wife, Packard confronts her about what she did with him the night he was murdered. It seems that with each layer he is able to peel back, he exposes another nerve that should have remained hidden. The trouble is that the closer he gets to the truth, the closer he gets to some dark local secrets that someone would kill to keep from getting exposed.
The beauty of WHERE THE DEAD SLEEP is that Sandy Lake essentially acts like another character in the story. In this case, it looks pleasant enough on the surface but has a dark underbelly that is as chilling as anything one would find in a big city. Ben Packard is a complex character who still feels like an outsider but is the only beacon of light and morality capable of saving the town from itself.
Teaser
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. 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 a quiet life, 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 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.
Promo
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. 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 a quiet life, 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 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.
About the Book
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.
Audiobook available, read by Linda Jones
