Emmett Burr is a man with many secrets, mainly that he has a secret room in his basement where he has kept women as his prisoner, women that are never seen again. When his home is broken into by two teens, Jenny and Jesse, looking for pills to steal, Emmett feels that his basement room might come in handy again. He picks the wrong girl to hang onto though, because Jenny’s mom, Susan, has a cousin named Ben Packard. Ben is a police officer, having recently returned to the small town of Sandy Lake in Minnesota. Ben is determined to find Jenny at any cost, and has vowed not to stop until he brings her home. 

And There He Kept Her started off as a gripping story, but the events seemed to come to their conclusion too quickly; I wish the climax had been stretched a little more with more, or extended, conflicts. I liked the narrative–it had bits and pieces that reminded me of some true crime cases–as well as the characters, especially Ben and Gary. I appreciated that Ben is not a stereotypical cop and that he in fact challenges some of those stereotypes. Gary is easily my favorite character; I simply adore him. This novel also touches on some serious themes that are present in society today, such as substance abuse, kidnapping and sexual assult, double lives, and the victimization of seniors, to name a few. A fast-paced and captivating story, And There He Kept Her is an entertaining and twisted novel.

This was a fantastic read! The characters were wonderful! The pace and flow of the story was perfect. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough! Hopefully this is the start of a new series I'd love to read more about them. Fantastic read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was just fine. It took me a while to get through because it didn’t pull me to pick it up very often. It wasn’t a bad book at all, it just seemed like it took too long to get to any of the interesting parts.

I’ve seen mixed reviews so you should definitely give it a chance and see how you feel about it.

Unfortunately, this book really missed the mark for me. The plot was interesting enough, but I felt very detached and disconnected from the characters. I think it just wasn't executed well.

TWO-CENT TUESDAY

Below are a few (somewhat) brief $.02 opinions about books I've read or listened to recently but don't have the opportunity to review in full. Many of these titles I enjoyed as much or more than those that got the full court press. I hope you'll consider one or two for your own TBR stack if they strike your fancy whether they struck mine or not.

And There He Kept Her, Joshua Moehling

I wish I could remember where I heard about this book, because I would not have chosen it based on cover or title, neither of which I think do it service. Almost to the other side, as much as I like gritty stuff (see Pete Farris's latest, which starts with a great line about a woman being bound in a trunk), the toxic masculinity this title/cover combo bring to mind would have put me off. Which is really a bummer, because this book is fabulous. It's Moehling's debut, which makes it even more impressive. Yes, there is a woman locked up. Yes there are horrible people. But the plot is clean and moves swiftly, no extraneous fluff that got in the way. Best of all, Moehling's characters left me hoping the small historical backstory arc that doesn't get resolved means another installment of Deputy Ben Packard's story. Here, he's returned to the small lake town in Minnesota where he has history and some family. He's running from tragedy and himself (a trope, yes, but it felt authentic here, and I'm not going to give it away because the reveal should be experienced while reading. When two local teens go missing, including Packard's taciturn cousin's daughter, he takes a personal and professional interest. As he and his team investigate, coming into contact with some great (and not so great, and some morphing) colorful locals, time is running out for the woman in the locked room. Who is she and who has her? I highly recommend taking the time to read this one and finding out first hand.

this just … really wasn’t my cup of tea.

after reading so many rave reviews, I was excited to dig into it, but me being me and not reading book blurbs … that’s on me 🙃

the story line was one that was bland and unforgettable, not to mention dark af. this had a true crime feel to it but fell flat on the delivery.

for me, I think the story would have worked better if it was written as a mystery on who the kidnapper/murderer is versus a police procedural where the object is to find and charge the named person.

the author’s writing style itself was absolutely gorgeous - so I would definitely give another book by him another go! this one, sadly, was a miss from me.

please check out all of the trigger warnings prior to reading as this is a dark child kidnapping/murder pedophile type story. I was shocked at the amount of detail in this one 🥴

thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

rating: 1.5 stars
wine pairing: california red blend

I enjoyed reading this suspenseful story. This is a new author for me which I enjoyed from beginning to end. This is a well written story about a burglury gone horribly wrong for all involved. A story full of secrets that you won't soon forget. This is a story you don't want to miss. I enjoyed how the characters pulled me into their story. They made me feel as if I was part of their world. They are connectable, strong, supportive characters. They add so much to the story that the story comes to life. The twists and turns had me turning pages fast just to see what would happen next. I enjoyed watching their growth as well as the growth of the plot. I really enjoyed this story and I highly recommend it.

I love a small-town mystery/thriller and this book delivered!

The pacing is perfect and realistic. It almost feels a little slow, but in a good way. Does that make sense? It felt like a real-time investigation with its expected dead ends and misdirection, rather than a tedious plot that wasn’t going anywhere. I quite enjoyed it.

The characterizations were perfect – genuine people you would expect to have as neighbors. There are no over-the-top personalities… just regular (and maybe one or two quirky) people living their lives in the best way they know how. From the good guys to the bad guys and everyone in between, all are believable and well-written.

The synopsis mentions that “the lines blur between victim, abuser, and protector” in this story. I think this was my favorite part of the book. Not only was it a well-done police investigation, but it also had a psychological depth to it I didn’t expect. I started to root for one of the bad guys! Well, maybe “root for” isn’t the right phrase… rather I started to feel sorry for him and possibly even excuse his actions a little bit. I appreciated the forced change in my perspective, and it made the story much more interesting.

The story is dark and disturbing at times, but it is also a compelling investigation and I couldn’t put it down.

While this reads as a standalone, to me it has the feel of a possible series. I can easily see the author creating more stories starring Sheriff Deputy Packard and I hope he does.

Oh! One more thing! My favorite book in the world – David Copperfield by Charles Dickens – is mentioned in this story. Bonus points from me for that!

Thank you @NetGalley and @PoisonedPenPress for an eARC of this book, which I have read and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Wow, what a brilliant debut novel!

Right from the beginning, we see two teenagers breaking into a home to steal prescription drugs from the homeowner. We know what has happened and who the perpetrator is, from the onset. That is what makes this novel so fabulous.

Deputy Sheriff Ben has returned to his childhood hometown, bringing with him, is own baggage. Leading the investigation of the missing teens, one of whom he has a personal connection to. We follow along the trail of finding the missing teens, before it’s too late.

I really enjoyed the beautifully descriptive narrative. The character representation and depth of characters was written so well. I felt empathy for those that did not deserve it. Overall a brilliant, dark, disturbing and creepy story. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Can’t wait to see what this author has install next.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advanced reading e-arc.

When will teenagers learn not to break into strangers homes? I know I was asking myself this several times. What went from a simple b&e turned into a nightmare for the teens when they break into the wrong home. In a small way it reminded me of the movie don’t breathe but this kept my attention much better.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

And There He Kept Her, was such a fun thriller to read. It takes place in a remote small town in Minnesota. It starts of immediately with a creepy atmosphere and two kids are breaking into a house in the wee hours of the morning. From there the story takes off. The sheriff in town is fighting cancer and in his place he has a deputy that is new to town take charge. Deputy Packard is familiar with this town as he would spend time there with his grandfather. We soon learn more about Packard and some of his own reasons that he returns to town. We know what happens to these two kids but we follow Packard as he pieces things together.

Overall this book was great. It held my attention and kept me up late reading. I loved the writing. It was full of side characters that kept some humor in it as well. There were a few times when it slowed down a little. I didn't really care to hear about Packards relationship but it was important for the reader to understand him better.

I hope this becomes a series because the main character was appealing.& nice twist on your general detective leads. Hints of some unsolved past drama lend itself to a sequel. The crime itself was intriguing, but i prefer a “who done it” type mystery more than a how it turns out one. So while it was engaging, i missed the twist element. The book is well written & an entertaining read, a solid 3.5* There’s some color in this town, I think could make for some great reads if the mystery/suspense is turned up. Thanks net galley for an early ARC, I live finding new authors.

A unique thriller in which the reader knows who the bad guy is and has all the answers along the way. This take on the classic started out slow, but quickly picked up pace.

Moving to the town where his family vacationed as a child, Ben Packard, joins the police force and becomes interim sheriff. Trying to keep his past a mystery, his cousins daughter goes missing, bringing back memories from his childhood. In a race against time to save his cousin's daughter, Packard must uncover secrets that many families want to keep buried.

A great debut by Joshua Moehling, I am hoping this is the fist in a new series about Ben Packard!

I want to thank Netgalley, and Poisoned Pen Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.

An interesting story that kept me intrigued rom beginning to end. A new to me author that I look forward to reading more from. It was shocking and had some moments that make you scratch your head and wonder what is going on or where it’s headed. Moments where you are itching to turn the page hoping you are wrong with what could happen but at the same time hoping you are right. Read this in one afternoon and will definitely be recommending this to others.

This book was amazing!!!! I love mystery/thrillers and it did not disappoint. If you like Karin Slaughter, it had that kind of vibe. Keep me up reading all night because I had to know how it ended.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* This was an odd book for sure, not sure how much i liked it but overall it was pretty good. would recommend for a quicker read.

4.5 stars - When two teenagers go missing, local law enforcement are tasked to find them & find out more than they could ever image.

WOW! You know the who, what, when & where from the very beginning, but then the author weaves a shocking & downright disturbing story that I could not put down. With complex and interesting characters from the small-town sheriff, Ben Packard, to the "helpless" old man, Emmett Burr, and a well-paced and well-written story this thriller is definitely worth reading.

I received this advance review copy from from NetGalley & the publisher for my honest review.

This was a pretty good thriller that starts with action right off the bat. The book tells you right away who the bad guys are but there are still some small twists thrown in to add excitement. A very easy, summer thriller read!

I honestly thought this book was going to be 90% girl trapped in a room and 10% police procedural, but it was the opposite.

I was happy to see all the connections and clues from each suspect and witness, to finally have justice prevail. A nice ending with all the loose ends tired in a pretty bow.

Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this ARC!

This one starts off with a bang! Two kids break into the basement of a house, only to find a horrifying scene and a naked man with a shotgun.

From there, the creepiness just continues, including missing girls, current and past, and takes us on a rather long and drawn-out Detective story.

This book started off well, but it just wasn't a fast page-turner, or edge-of-your-seat read for me. It was also pretty flat-lined for me, with not too much happening. I did enjoy the creepiness of the whole thing and the main gist of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press!!