3.75 stars

At times, this book was just a lot. The plot was entertaining, but the way many of the characters were written grated on my nerves. The stereotypes were seriously real for a lot of the characters, the fatphobia was wild, and the homophobia was intense at times- FYI because I know sometimes people don’t want for read those things. Much of the story was told from the point of view of a cop, which I didn’t love; that was my own fault, though, as I guess it didn’t register back when I initially requested the book. There was a random loose end or two introduced near the very end, which was a bit weird, but in hindsight, it was probably intentional to set up a future series for the character(s). All in all, although I didn’t love everything about it, the story itself was pretty good, and I would be interested in seeing what the writer comes out with in the future.

Wow, what a debut! This was such a fun ride, that kept me on my toes, but didn't fall into the cliche tropes that mysteries and thrillers often fall into. I loved that the cast of characters were so complex and whole, it was a wonderful change from bad is bad and good is good. One of the best thrillers I have read in a while!

“And There He Kept Her” by Joshua Moehling
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Release Date: 6/14
Genre: Thriller

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. I absolutely loved it!!! It has the mystery and thrill that I was looking for! Plus a great main character that really connected! I would definitely recommend!

Two teenagers break into an old man’s house with an unsettling history. One ends up dead and one ends up captured.
Ben Packard the Sheriff Deputy of Sandy Lake gets a call from his estranged cousin. Her daughter snuck out and didn’t come home. She has no idea what she was doing or where she was going. She was most likely with the bad news boyfriend. The reason she wouldn’t stay gone is she’s diabetic and needs her medicine. While Ben wants to believe it’s just teenage drama he takes her seriously and begins the search. The secrets that are uncovered are wild. Will he find Jenny alive?

A teenage girl and boy go missing, but we know who did it from the start of the book. I loved how it was told from the POV of both the deputy and the perpetrator. There was no crazy twists or turns, but I was still hooked. I’m hoping the author turns this into a series featuring Ben.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC

I received an ARC of this book. Wow! This book had me on the edge of my seat. An intense, and terrifying mystery, all too believable.

This was a pretty good story. The very beginning grabbed my attention, but I was still unsure what to expect. It kept me guessing to nearly the end.

It was fairly a well-written, story though some parts of it were a little slow. Not too much, though, not enough to stop me from reading another book by this author. I actually didn't expect the ending that we got or for things to turn out how they did. So yeah, some parts kept me guessing.

A past mystery, small town, drug dealing, missing teens -- some elements to weave together an interesting mystery. Ready for book 2, if there will be one!

Move over William Kent Krueger! Minnesota has got a new thriller author that needs a seat at the book store table!

I couldn't get through this book fast enough. Ben Packard leaves the Minneapolis PD and seeks a geographical cure by accepting a job at the Sandy Lake Sheriff's Department. Two local teenagers go missing and it's up to Ben and the entire force to find them.

Moehling was masterful at character development. I really loved the back story of why Ben left Minneapolis and who he was as a person. I felt empathy for his backstory with his brother Nick, his personal life and Ben's attempts at being accepted into a new role on the rural county Sheriff's department. I won't get into spoilers but we need a character like Ben represented in books.

Let's move on to Moehling's development of the "bad guy". He's despicable, gross, weak and I loved that I loathed him. But Moehling brings us one step further and introduces fears and threats that are directed towards the villain of our story. As a reader I had to wrap my head around hating the villain but also hoping that some plot elements turned out in his favor to further the story. How do we as readers hope for a horrible character to have something that works out?

The transitions that went back & forth between Ben Packard's point of view and that of Emmett our villain were seamless. There wasn't one point of view that I preferred over the other. I easily kept turning pages consistently between both perspectives.

I need more from Deputy Ben Packard. This simply can't be the one and only book in this series. This was a fabulous start to what I hope is an ongoing series.

This debut novel was a lot of fun to experience and created a twisting novel that I was not expecting when I decided to pick it up.

Throughout the novel, there are a few mysteries happening. These mysteries make you question how it got so wrapped up in these two kids breaking into an old mans house. This one event leads to the death of many people and the opening of past murders to be solved. It also talks about acceptance by the town when the Police chief is gay and willing to be open about it.

If you like novels with sympathetic killers and many deaths this novel will be entertaining to you, Fully recommend!

This was a good book! It definitely kept me guessing and wondering what was going on. Strangely, I also felt bad for Emmett at times. Yeah, he was a bad guy, but no one person is all bad or all good. He was deeply flawed and chronically ill - just like me. But then, I don't have anyone chained up in my basement....or do I?!

Four stars!

AND THERE HE KEPT HER
by Joshua Moehling

Don’t let the synopsis fool you- this is a very rugged, masculine thriller.

Most of it feels like spending the day with your local small-town sheriff. A bit like living in his head and be forewarned, he has a lot of strong opinions.

In one pov we’re following Ben as he continues through his day as a sheriff deputy which includes a very personal missing persons case-his cousin and her boyfriend.

In the other pov we’re following Emmett who has more to hide than most. And he’d do anything to keep his secrets buried.

The interweaving of the two stories was intriguing and I wanted to keep listening to get back to the storyline I was most interested in.

Sometimes this back and forth works but unfortunately it was pretty lopsided in this book. Most of the action was in Emmets pov. I wish we could have lived in that pov more.

I also had a lukewarm feeling towards all of the characters. I neither wanted to know more about them but also didn’t really dislike who I was supposed to.

This mixed action and lack of caring led to tepid results and I ended at ⭐️⭐️⭐️ for AND THERE HE KEPT HER.

Thanks to Netgalley and Poised Pen Press, Dreamscape Media for the advanced copies!

Omg! I don’t even know where to begin with this review. It is an awesome thriller with such descriptive writing. You could absolutely see, smell, and feel the details in this novel. I could not put this book down and I want more from this author.
Jesse is breaking into to Emmett Burr’s residence. His girlfriend Jenny was getting impatient waiting for him so she heads inside also. When Emmett hears them he shoots Jesse. Jenny is put in a special room that he had built previously.
Ben Packard had left the twin cities to come to Sandy Lake to be a detective but was the acting sheriff after the sheriff became to ill to work. Ben is very much a loner and quite about his life but Jenny is his cousin’s daughter and he promised he would find her.
I loved how the author incorporated how they were getting the pills to resell. Everything about this book is on the dark thriller side but it is written so you can’t wait to find out more. Best thriller I have read for awhile.

I received this ARC for free from Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Unfortunately I’m in the minority here because this book is getting amazing reviews! it was VERY slow for my liking and I couldn’t connect to any of the characters. I found the plot to be all over the place and there was no twist as you expect in thrillers.

A spine-tingling new thriller series by a debut author! I love having access to both the ebook and audiobook. The narrator is fantastic at gripping the audience with her sinister narrative of the horrifying story.

“He felt like he was staring into the mouth of something that wanted to swallow him.”

Ben Packard temporarily stepped into the position of sheriff in his hometown while his boss is getting Cancer treatments. Sandy Lake is where he spent his childhood but he left after his brother disappeared and didn’t plan on returning. But he needed a fresh start and he hoped this place would provide it. He’s not your typical sheriff and he’s easy to like!

This is a story in a story. Packard is hunting a vicious and depraved killer while looking into his brother’s disappearance. This debut series ends without revealing all the secrets. Will they be revealed in the next book? I hope Mr. Moehling is speedily writing the next book and it will satisfy my curiosity!

Thank you to everyone I tagged for providing this complimentary ARC! All opinions are my own.

#andtherehekepther #joshuamoehling #sourcebooksearlyreads #poisonedpenpress #netgalley #dreamscapeaudio #sourcebooks #earlyreads #psychologicalthriller #depravedkidnapper #murder

And There He Kept Her brings us a small town with a new sheriff. The new sheriff has his own back story (one that I hope is explored more in the future) but he has to figure out the stories behind all of the inhabitants of his town. That’s the thing about small towns, isn’t it? Everyone is supposed to know everything about everyone but then there are always secrets. Living in a small town, I sometimes wish it were more like they are in books.

Anyway, two young people go missing and it is time to see how everyone in town connects to everyone else. I like that the author was not coy with the characters. You now whodunnit. You even know why. That’s not really the issue. The real mystery is figuring out how everyone fits together and lead to the moment we see at the beginning of the book.

Joshua Moehling did this part in a fantastic way. He managed to show us multiple sides to the same people. Yes, many of them are still horrible and parts are hard to read. But the characters feel more fleshed out than simple victim or villain or hero. No one is one thing or easy to put into a small box on your thriller Bingo card. He wrote real characters in really horrible situations. I’m looking forward to what he does next.

And There He Kept Her by Joshua Moeling has so many great reviews all over booksta. Unfortunately, I seem to have an unpopular opinion. I had a hard time with this book. At first, I thought it would be a slow burn but the burn never came into play. The stakes never felt high enough and while I really liked Packard, he wasn’t enough to keep me interested the whole book. It could have been my mood and I know others have loved it, it just wasn’t for me.

4.25 stars/5

I am highly impressed with this debut by Moehling!!! An amazing and impressive thriller book that was a fast paced read for me! This one had it all-it was shocking, disturbing, packed with tension, and gave me all the creepy feels!

I LOVED the MC, Ben Packard! Ben is a gay police officer who is investigating a case of two missing teenagers. This book follows Ben’s journey and his investigation, and it literally kept me up way past my bed time because I could not put it down! This is definitely a character driven book, there is no big twist that is thrown at you, rather you go in knowing what is going on from the beginning. The well developed characters are what make this book what it is—Dark, Intense, and Creepy!

What a thrilling and amazing debut! I am so excited for Moehling’s next book, and hoping that perhaps Ben Packard makes a comeback and the this is turned into a series, because THAT WOULD BE A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!

And There He Kept Her is an intriguing book that begins when two teens are discovered by the owner of the house has broken in and are attempting to steal prescription drugs. Emmett Burr has secrets he's been keeping in his basement for more than two decades, and he'll do everything in his power to keep them.

Ben Packard returns to his hometown of Sandy Lake hoping for a new start. Packard gets a call from his sister that his niece is missing. In spite of being worried, she acts out of character by going to visit a "friend" before calling Ben. Not overly concerned at first, Ben mildly investigates Jenny's whereabouts until her boyfriend is also reported missing and the urgency heightens ton find them before it is too late.

The culprits are revealed early on so trying to figure out who is responsible isn't part of the plot. But their actions from the beginning to end are of more interest as the story evolves.

The characters are a mixed bunch, some are likeable, some are strange and bland, the villains are detestable. All in all it is a worthwhile read with the possibility of sequels as it is revealed Ben's brother has been missing and never found, lots of potential going forward.

The story starts of with a bang but plods along due to the characters blasé responses. However it picks up speed as more teens seem to have secrets as well that lead Ben in the right direction.

A well told story for those that like mysteries that don't follow a script. The mystery wasn't predictable in my opinion. As a result it held my interest curious about what would happen next with Jenny.

Read this if…you are looking for a new police procedural series with complex characters.

When a pair of teenagers break into an old man’s house in the middle of the night, they quickly realize their target isn’t as harmless as they thought. In fact, he’s an inactive serial killer who has a makeshift dungeon in his basement. Their only chance of survival rests with Ben Packard, acting sheriff of Sandy Lake.

Packard is a new transplant to town after recently experiencing the death of his lover in the line of duty. Despite keeping to himself, the arrival of a smart and handsome gay cop has the gossip mill going strong. Packard throws himself into the missing teens’ case and has no idea the investigation is going to lead him right to the door of a serial killer.

I love a good police procedural! I’ve gotten really picky about which detective series I follow, but I’m going to be adding Ben Packard to the list. I found his character to be complex and endearing. Finding a way to merge his sexuality and his profession is a major theme in this book and makes Packard a memorable character.

The case in this one really hooked me from the beginning. The POV bounces back and forth between Packard and the serial killer, which really upped the suspense. I liked how the author made the characters morally gray. I was surprised to find myself empathizing with the bad guy a few times. The pacing does slow down for a bit in the middle, but I find that to be pretty typical with the subgenre. Overall, this is a solid procedural and an impressive debut!

A big thanks to Netgalley, the author, and Poisoned Pen Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for providing me this Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review!]

If I had to choose 1 word to describe Joshua Moehling’s debut novel And There He Kept Her, it would be ‘safe’. The plot was entertaining enough, and the characters were fine, but the whole time I was reading this book, I kept getting this nagging thought in the back of my mind that I have already read a book with this same plot. It’s a decent crime thriller, but nothing about it feels new or exciting in comparison to every other crime thriller.

One upside of And There He Kept Her that does make it stand out against the crowd is it’s queer representation. Detective/Acting Sheriff Ben Packard, the story’s main protagonist, is gay. It is hard to find thrillers with queer representation, so at least this story gives readers another option when looking for them.

For a debut novel I enjoyed this quite a bit and liked the setup of how this could be a new series about Detective and acting Sheriff Ben Packard. He was a solid hero, diverse enough to keep the attention of many, but relatable on many counts. I wouldn't call this a police procedural per se but an inverted detective story as we already know the crime and the perps who committed the crime. What we don't know is the why and the investigation done by the police leading up to the discovery of the victim gives us the why. The pace is on the slow side but I'd rather called it metered than slow. My attention was kept while the hero tried to figure out what happened to the two teens.

Many have described this as dark and violent...I guess the description of the violence is graphic but having read many kidnapping books I did not find this "dark" in comparison...maybe that says more about me than this book, lol.

Ultimately what I enjoyed most wasn't the criminal storyline but the small town setting and character description that went with it. The town has a cast of characters that's charming, intriguing, and I would be interested in getting to know them better as they get to know Ben Packard better as well.