And There He Kept Her is Joshua Moehling's debut novel.
Moehling kicks off his tale with a 'grab you by the throat' opening prologue. Two small town Minnesota teens break into the house of a old man. We're not quite sure what they're after, but things definitely don't go as planned....

We then meet new on the job, Acting Sherriff, Ben Packard. He's got ties to the town and his own secrets that he keeps close to his chest. I quite liked Ben as a lead character. He's smart and more than capable. Moehling has given him an interesting personal life as well. The supporting cast gives us a very competent woman deputy and another deputy not so on the ball. The residents of Sandy Cove are eclectic. And truthfully, it's not a town I would want to live in.

Moehling has penned a dark, gritty tale. From the publisher: "They thought he was a helpless old man. They were wrong." There's lots of ways for the book to unfold from that initial premise. As readers, we know what's happened in the basement, even as Ben tries to piece things together. Having the advantage of the two narratives definitely ramps up the tension. (Gentle readers - this one may not be the book for you.)

There's a satisfying ending to And There He Kept Her. But, there's also a door left open for an unanswered question from the past. So, it sounds like there will be another book with Ben Packard - one I would happily pick up.

Looking for prescription drugs to sell, Jenny and Jesse, break into a home of Emmett Burr.
What follows is a nightmare... Emmett Burr has dark secrets that he is willing to protect no matter what! So what starts as a burglary becomes something of a nightmare for everyone involved.

Ben Packard had been hired by Stan Shaw, Sheriff of Sandy Lake as an investigator for the Sandy Lake County Sheriff’s Department, but for the last months, he’d been serving as acting sheriff.

With this book you'll be on the edge of your seat, or couch... from whatever you're sitting on... did not want to put this book down. The writing was very fluid and flowed seamlessly from one scene to the next. You occasionally have to shake yourself and remember who you should be rooting for. I feel that there could be a sequel to this book.
Please note that this book is extremely graphic and contains drug abuse.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for allowing me the opportunity to get an early copy of this novel!

I just can't say enough about this one! Unbelievable that this is a debut! This is a dark, disturbing tale a little reminiscent of Karin Slaughter. I needed a break from the many domestic thrillers I had been reading and this was it! Ben Packard is a former big city cop and now a Deputy Sheriff in in the small Minnesota lake town where he spent his summers growing up. Packard has had a recent personal tragedy in the city and also a past tragedy from Sandy Lake. He takes on the case of 2 missing teenagers, one of which has a family connection, and it all takes off from there. What follows is a town full of secrets, many quirky characters (Gary and Cora, for instance) and a very well characterized lead in Packard. We are aware of what happened to the kids and who the culprit is all along, but we get to see inside his head the entire time and it is fascinating! Unpleasant, but fascinating. I do hope this becomes a series and that the world is ready for a character like Ben Packard. Go into this with an open mind, for sure. You won't be disappointed! I couldn't get enough and raced to the finish!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Joshua Moehling and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC! All opinions are my own.

A gritty, intense, fast-paced, riveting, artful melding of stunning psychological thrills and nail-biting suspense. An edgy mystery full of dark secrets, shocking plot twists and pulse-pounding, palpable tension. A MUST for fans who thrive on superbly-written, unputdownable thrillers!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

Could not put this book down. It was intense, it was thrilling and the reader is engaged from the beginning. The way it was written makes the reader feel strong emotions towards the characters, specially the whole town and you are aware of many things as the story evolves. Thrilling, suspenseful and worth waiting til the end.

I really enjoyed this book. It's a great thriller with lots of plot twists and turns. I didn't figure it out till the reveal.

If you're looking to read a book about kidnapped women and basically a man's descent into true carnage - this is the book for you. Very dark and serious themes surround what felt like a very realistic story?

Parts were so horrifying that you imagine it to come straight out of a true-crime podcast? To that effect, Joshua Moehling's writing accomplished what he set up to do in creating a compelling yet terrifying narrative. Another aspect that was done well was how life in a small town was interlaced with the sinister underbelly that exists almost everywhere. Little things start to pop up all over and you realize in the end the things you've missed!

A few things I didn't like:
- a couple of obvious red herrings
- some of it was more disturbing than I wanted - but I would classify this one as almost 50% horror, 50% thriller

Two teenagers go missing and Ben Packards cousin asks for his help finding her daughter. It's already known who has the kids and what happened to them, but I enjoyed reading it from the other perspectives and realizing all the pieces that fit together for this to transgress. Some of the middle was a bit slow, but overall was a good book.

This was so much more than I thought I was going to get. The characters were all so complete and fully formed, even the ones you’re not rooting for. Each individual was so interesting.

This is about two teenagers who go missing and upon their disappearance, we learn what happened to them, and what led up to not only what happened to them but what happened before and after.

There are twists and turns and a whole lot I wasn’t bargaining for. This book had its unsettling moments and those were actually some of my favorites. This book was twisted but seriously so good.

Acting sheriff Ben Packard has run away from his true self by returning to his past. Packard is pulled into the case that brings back memories of a family tragedy when two teenagers go missing in Sandy Lake, Minnesota. In a race against time, the sheriff must put the pieces of the puzzle together before it’s too late for Jesse and medically fragile Jenny.

This gripping and suspenseful thriller is a page-turning read. Elements of true evil lurking in Sandy Lake come to light with violence and disturbing detail to create a dreadful sense of urgency you’ll not soon forget. Packard is a character in turmoil as he struggles to accept and embrace his LGBTQ identity and come to terms with the death of his teenage brother years ago while trying to find Jenny and Jesse. The townspeople are an eclectic cross-section of humanity that add interest to the storyline.

If you’re looking for an intense psychological suspense novel, this one will keep you reading to see what happens next. It isn’t easy to predict where things are going and Packard is a particularly interesting character with many layers who adds depth to the story. I did feel that a couple of plot elements in the missing persons’ arc didn’t seem in character, which made the wrap-up seem less plausible once I thought about them. But this is fiction, and sometimes people do out-of-character things in reality, so don’t overthink it and you’ll find this to be a satisfying thriller read.

This book is riveting and enthralling! I love the twisty plot and the fleshed out characters. While I am not crazy about the name it certainly lets you know what to expect while the novel itself blows your expectations out of the water. The small town atmosphere felt real and well thought out as well as the situations one would encounter. The characters have depth and dimensions which makes them relatable and understandable. I can’t wait to read this author’s next book!

This one isn't about the mystery. It's about the characters. Well written and complicated, these characters are the story. I also loved that the main character is a gay male in law enforcement. It's under represented in fiction and this story nails it. The community is a character in and of itself. With POV alternating between our hero and villain you get a depth to the case. I would love to see this become a series. Excellent read!

Really great debut book!

Awesome characters, honestly enjoyed every single one. Packard is such a great character. He was complex and so so likeable! The writing was captivating and had me on edge wondering what would happen. There was definitely some pretty disturbing elements to this book. Definite trigger warnings but that often makes a great thriller.

Thanks NetGalley for this thoroughly enjoyable read. Ben Packard moves back to Sandy Lake years after his brother Nick disappeared. Ben is now the acting sheriff. Two teenagers, Jesse and Jenny, have gone missing. Emmet Burr has Jenny locked in his basement. I was anxious to find out if Jenny would live. I like the dynamic between Ben and his co-workers. All of them, and most of the town knows he’s gay, he’s just not talking about it.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Incredible debut crime fiction thriller by Joshua Moehling! WOW! Could not put this one down!! And There He Kept Her was dark, suspenseful, captivating! I still can't believe this is a debut. I thoroughly enjoyed Moehling's style of writing. The sheriff's deputy, Packard, was an interesting character. He's carrying around some crazy secrets of his own. Will he find the two missing teens before it's too late?

This book is such a page turner and a great read for summer!

Looking forward to reading what Moehling comes up with next!

Highly recommend! 4.5/5 stars

*** - 3 Stars
Cheers to Joshua Moehling for his debut Book And There He Kept Her. Thank you to Netgalley for letting me get my hands on an Advanced Reader Copy for an honest review!

The first couple of pages really grabbed me in and I was ready for that ride with Ben Packard. But then I just felt like the book lost its steam for me. I felt like the book moved really slow and he may have had a reason for it but I found myself putting the book down more than I normally do.

The main Character, Packard has his hands cut out for him when he moves back to a small town in Minnesota where he used to vacation at his grandpa’s lake house. As acting Sherriff, he has his first big case as two teens go missing. One of the teens ends up being his cousin’s daughter.

You pretty much know whodunnit from the get-go. There was no real twist or turns throughout the book that kept me guessing or wanting me to read more. I was expecting more of a thriller (especially with that cover!)than dark and disturbing. Sometimes the disturbing stuff rubbed me the wrong way and seemed more disgusting.

I really liked Packard’s character and would love to see how he develops more as a character. I was also hoping to find out more about what happened to his brother who disappeared when they were growing up in the same town where the teens have gone missing. I think I was more interested in finding out what happened to his brother than finding the teens.

If you want a fast pace knock you off your feet thriller, this book is not it. I think he did a great job on his debut book, and I may give Moehling's books another shot. As I did like his writing style and I think he has it in him to be a good writer. But at this time this book did not do it for me.

The book cover would of grabbed my attention if I saw this at a bookstore.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/13442817?shelf=netgalley

Happy pub day to one of my favorite books this year, and maybe even last year.

There are very few books that I read slowly on purpose - let alone detective novels (I can rarely get into them). I did not want to finish this book, because I loved it so much. I did not want to leave Sandy Lake. I did not want to stop hearing from Packard. I really, truly hope that we will get to meet him again, so that I can continue to experience his personal growth. I cannot recommend this book enough. The audiobook is also stellar, FYI.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5

• disturbing and fast paced
• captivating writing
• great characters -- even the secondary ones are so interesting!

I switched up between reading and listening because I was just devouring this book. And this is a debut, folks! It was a great balance of detective procedural and downright creepy scenes. Our MC is awesome and so easy to root for! Please tell me there is more Packard coming!

🗣️ Thank you to @netgalley, @poisonedpenpress, @dreamscape_media, and @jmoehling for the opportunity to read and review this book via gifted eARC and audiobook! All opinions are honest and my own.

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I finished the book this morning and I enjoyed it! I liked the main male character. At the end, when he felt comfortable being who he was and no longer pretending to hide certain parts of himself was one of my favorite parts of the whole book.

It was a good steady paced thriller throughout the whole book.  You do need to have a bit of a stronger stomach for this one but I really like that aspect of it.

The author uses a lot of detail in a good way. It wasn't detailed to death (you've read those books) and sometimes the details made me giggle 😆 although I'm pretty sure that's not what the author intended.

I'd recommend this book and mark it is as a BARGAIN OR BORROW on the scale of Buy, Bargain, Borrow, Bud (audio) or Bust.  (Yes I came up with the scale. I'm oddly proud of it!)

Thank you @netgalley the author & the publisher for a copy of this book for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this debut novel, the characters were very fleshed out, and the plot kept me interested throughout the whole novel! Would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a new author to try out!