And There He Kept Her + Where the Dead Sleep by Joshua Moehling

Saturday, May 11, 2024--San Antonio

And There He Kept Her and Where the Dead Sleep are both by Joshua Moehling are the first two books in a series of crime stories with a third book currently being written.  The former was a finalist for the Lambda Mystery Award earlier this year, and the latter was just recently published. Both take place in a summer lake vacation resort near the Canadian border in Minnesota.  Both also revolve around members of the Gherling family--the wealthiest local family.  Ben Packard, a deputy detective, has recently been named acting sheriff by the man who hired him and is on leave to be treated for cancer.  When Ben was young, he and his family spent summers with his grandparents who had a cabin on the local lake.  One of Ben's brothers disappeared one winter during the Christmas holidays.  No body was ever found; just his snowski and a single glove he was wearing were found in the edge of the lake.  Ben had never returned until recentl--to take the job as a detective after growing up in the Twin Cities and serving as a policeman there.  When Ben's romantic partner,who was also a policeman dies, he wants to leave the big city to get away from the memories there and just happens to find the job available in the lake resort he remembers from his childhood.  In the first book, two young teenagers have disappeared and Ben is the lead detective in trying to find them.  Solving the mystery involves learning about a local drug ring run by one of the young grandchildren of one branch of the Gherling family and solving several cold cases related to missing persons.  The small-time drug ring dealer and his addict sister are spoiled teenagers and major disappointments within the family. In the second book, there is a robbery and murder that involves the adult children of the other branch of the Gherling family.  There is a mother and 3 female children who are what might be called hellcats who are resentful and have been fighting among themselves throughout the lives of the 3 daughters.  Ben Packard is again the lead detective in solving the crime in this book.  He is also running for election to serve as permanent sheriff in the second book.  Both books are well written.  The stories are complex, but not unnecessarily so.  There are critical details that are only revealed toward the end of each book.  Although Ben is gay, they are not gay stories; that just happens to be a part of the life of the man who is the central investigator in these two mystery stories.  I gave both books 4 stars out of 5.