Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

I have to say, this book started off pretty slow and I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to finish it. But I pushed through and I am glad that I did. About 25% into it, it really picks up and doesn't stop from there. It was fast paced and not overly twisty, which can muddle up a good book. I've never really been in to police procedurals, but lately I've read some good ones and this was one of them. There were no discernable plot holes, which I find in a lot of books like this. So, if you're like me and you find the beginning of the story boring, please keep going. It's worth it. The opening scene of the book will suck you right in, but several chapters after that are just Packard's back story and while it's important, I don't think they needed to devote that much to it.

Sheriff Packard has returned to his home town as acting sheriff. Shortly after taking the job, two local kids go missing. One happens to be a family member.

The story reminded me a lot of the film Don't Breathe, which is one of my favorite horror/thriller movies. Two kids break into the wrong person's house and all hell breaks loose. Sheriff Packard has to find out what happened before it's too late. Joshua Moehling did a fantastic job of wrapping this story up but leaving it open ended enough for this to be the beginning of a series of standalone books.

The writing was phenomenal. The author actually managed to make me feel empathy towards the bad guy. I enjoyed the development of all of the characters and they felt authentic. Overall, this is a strong 4.5 star book. I would give it 5 stars if the beginning moved a little quicker.

Jenny and Jesse made a huge- huge- mistake when they decided to rob Emmett Burr. He kills Jesse and puts Jenny into a dungeon of sorts where he's kept and tortured other young women. Ben Packard, the Sheriff. tells the story of his hunt for her alternately worth Jenny's story of the horrors. Packard has a tragic back story and is trying, without success to find love with a man who doesn't- and couldn't in any event- live up to his dead love. Much of this is familiar territory but the writing is good. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

TW: Murder, animal death, cancer, lose of parent, death of spouse, fat shaming, drug abuse, toxic parent relationships, language, sex workers

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:When two teenagers break into a house on a remote lake in search of prescription drugs, what starts as a simple burglary turns into a nightmare for all involved. Emmett Burr has secrets he's been keeping in his basement for more than two decades, and he'll do anything to keep his past from being revealed. As he gets the upper hand on his tormentors, the lines blur between victim, abuser, and protector.Personal tragedy has sent former police officer Ben Packard back to the small Minnesota town of Sandy Lake in search of a fresh start. Now a sheriff's deputy, Packard is leading the investigation into the missing teens, motivated by a family connection. As clues dry up and time runs out to save them, Packard is forced to reveal his own secrets and dig deep to uncover the dark past of the place he now calls home.
Release Date: June 14th, 2022
Genre: Horror-thriller
Pages: 320
Rating: ⭐ ⭐

What I Liked:
• The writing style was good
• Story flowed

What I Didn't Like:
• Will make you hungry for Hardee's/Arby's
• I was completely bored... Nothing happens
• All the pregnancy threats in this book
• Gary saying hunny too many times

Overall Thoughts:
Gary is treated like a stereotype of gay man. Down to calling people hunny, visiting bath houses, and people treating him like he doesn't belong.

Everyone has cancer in this town. This story should really look at if the coal mine/timber/random business is poisoning the water.

Most boring conversations with the man that kidnaps her.

She's so calm. She fights with him that she needs healthy foods and about her insulin too. Like dude is holding you hostage and you're over here telling him that he has to keep you alive. It was weird.

Everyone is so calm. Dan hears that his son is found dead and daughter is almost in coma but he doesn't seem at all affected. Emmett doesn't even tell Patty her son is dead but decides to tell her husband.

Reminded me heavily of Don't Breathe


Seriously nothing happens outside of the teen being shot and the girl being held in the room. He even gets her medicine and feeds her with no reasoning. He keeps saying he's going to let her die since he isn't a pedo, but he continues getting her things. And she isn't even freaking out while shes walking around naked. She's just throwing the towel over her shoulder and walking. Like wtf?

Everyone talking about getting pregnant over and over like it's a death sentance. It's insane.

It's odd to me that Packard didn't think to even ask if anyone had filled prescriptions for insulin even the over the counter.

No one found it odd that a man shows up for insulin and then wanting to get a copy from the library of David Copperfield, that all the seniors are reading....when a girl who's diabetic and a senior is missing.

Final Thoughts: Boring book. I thought things would happen but nothing does. You are never surprised with anything happened. Everything happens so straightforward that I just didn't care.

We never find out what happened to Packard's brother!

And There He Kept Her by Joshua Moehling. Pub Date: June 14, 2022. Rating: 🌟🌟🌟. If you’re looking for a chilling and creepy thriller, then this one is for you. Based on Minnesota, a young female and her boyfriend suddenly go missing one night. The local sheriff’s deputy, Ben Packard, is in charge of investigating and has a connection to the young girl through family. Throughout the novel, the reader unravels Ben’s emotions and current mental state with past history. It’s more of a police procedural type of novel than a “where are they” because the reader from the get go knows where they are. This novel was okay, but not mind blowing. Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #netgalley #poisonedpenpress #andtherehekepther

And There He Kept Her was hard to put down. I got so caught up in the story and loved every word. The characters were well developed and pulled you right into the story right away. I loved the main characters and the small-town setting. I would love to read more- Gary added so much humor and I loved his interactions with Packard.

Officer Packard has moved to a small town to escape his past. When two teenagers go missing it is Packard's job to find out what happened to them. During that search Packard finds out that the town already knows his secret.

Emmett has had his medication go missing a few times. When Jesse and Jenny go to his home to get his latest prescription, Emmett is ready for them. Read this great story to find out what Emmett does to Jesse and Jenny. Thanks netgalley I loved this one.

Two teenagers break into a house. One is killed by the person living there and one is kept there. When the local acting sheriff finds out that two teens disappeared he tries to figure out what happened to these kids. Little by little bits are revealed about the possibility of what might have happened to these teens. There is a cast of interesting side characters as well in this book.

This was well written and definitely kept me guessing as to the motives behind what was going on. I would highly recommend.

4 – 4.25 STARS

Set against a small Minnesota town backdrop, “And There He Kept Her” is a dark and disturbing story centering around two teenagers who unwittingly fall prey to a serial killer while in the act of their own criminal wrong-doing.

The investigation into the teens’ disappearance is led by the troubled and emotionally distraught acting sheriff, Ben Packard, who has a familial connection to one of the missing youths.

While the central characters are well-developed, the pacing of this complex, lackluster thriller is extremely measured, drawing out the events a little too slowly for my personal tastes. Still, I found the overall premise quite intriguing, and I was drawn into the story from start to finish.

I liked the concept but the execution fell flat for me. I was hoping for more excitement but it never came.

Ben Packard moves to a small town to escape his past. Acting as the temporary chief of police, Ben’s cousin’s daughter goes missing. But can he find her before it’s too late?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ACR in return for an honest review.

And There He Kept Her is a debut psychological thriller by Joshua Moehling, based in the small town of Sandy Lake, Minnesota. The book begins with Jenny and Jesse being caught in a home robbery and then going missing from there. Bring in the small town police officer (Ben Packard), the missing teens families, a serial murderer and small town drug corruption and the story takes off from there.

The first part of this book spent a lot of time setting up the characters and background story and I found there were a lot of characters and had a hard time keeping them separated. Once the characters and their histories were set, the book started to flow well and was fairly easy to follow.

This book had some underlying themes of violence, abuse, homophobia, substance abuse and sexual assault; however, the story only briefly touched on these themes.

This book had a similar feel to it as We Begin At The End by Chris Whitaker.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC version of this new release in exchange for my honest review and opinion.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Two teens break into a home believing it will be a quick in and out job but it turns into a nightmare for everyone. The old man who lives there has been keeping secrets and he’ll do anything to protect them. Ben Packard is running the sheriff’s department and goes on the hunt for the missing teens. In a race against the clock and lacking more clues, Packard might be forced to reveal his own secrets to save the teens.

•Told mostly from the detectives and old man’s POV
•Marketed as a mystery/thriller but I really call the genre Suspense
•beautifully written

This debut novel by Joshua Moehling was beautiful written and had a good flow. I enjoyed this one but I would say it’s more of detective novel then thriller. And there isn’t really a mystery because the reader knows what happened to the teens the whole time. It’s more suspense in if the detective can crack the case in time. The perspective from the old man is definitely creepy!

Thank you @netgalley and @poisonedpenpress . And ThereHe Kept Her comes out June 14th, 2022!

This book had me hooked from the very start! I thoroughly enjoyed it. As the connections were being made in the later chapters, I was squealing and smacking my husband because I didn't see some things coming and I was SHOOK! One thing I really appreciated about this book is the representation. I felt like it was done really well, it felt very genuine and organic. Gary was a hoot and a half! I would read a prequel that just follows Gary through his prime years haha. I really hope this ends up being the beginning of a series because I would LOVE to read more. This has been my go-to recommendation for library patrons for the past few weeks! We had one patron come in recently who had also read an early copy and she & I were raving about it to my coworkers, both of whom put it on hold to read when it comes in. Fantastic book!!

Wow, I can’t believe this is a debut! I am definitely looking forward to reading more from Joshua Moehling.

When two teenagers go missing, the acting sheriff Ben Packard, is called to investigate. He grew up in this small town of Minnesota and knows what it is like to lose a loved one. He throws himself head first into this case and it takes him on quite a journey.

This story was intense and full of suspense. If you enjoy dark crime/thriller books, this is the one for you. I’m thoroughly impressed by this debut. I’ve heard rumblings this may become a series and I’m here for it. Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for this ARC. This one is available 6/14/22.

And There He Kept Her is a dark and disturbing thriller..

On a frigid, rainy night, two teens attempt to break into what they believe is an unsuspecting senior’s home. What they do not know is that Emmett Burr has decades-old secrets. Secrets he would kill to keep.

It is up to acting Sheriff Ben Packard to find these teens as quickly as possible.

This suspenseful and well-written thriller shifts perspectives between Emmett and Packard. After the first few chapters, there are no shocking reveals. The reader merely has to wait for Packard to piece all of the clues together, which he does smartly and intuitively. There is a nice buildup of tension as the story progresses. Even though there are no big twists, the story never felt boring.

It was refreshing to see a detective-type main character that was not the usual cishet male that typically saturates this genre.

I’ll also give the author brownie points for briefly touching on issues that affect Indigenous communities. But minus many brownie points for making the only Indigenous character in the book a sex offender. But I’m willing to move past it.

Overall, I did enjoy this, and I hope to see more of Sheriff Packard in the future. I can easily see this as the beginning of a new series.

I recommend this novel if you want a fresh spin on a police procedural/thriller.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

https://booksandwheels.com

And There He Kept Her
Joshua Moehling
Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: June 14, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Jesse and his girlfriend, Jenny, break into an old man’s house to steal prescription drugs. As they creep up the steps, trying to remain calm and quiet, the basement door opens and a shotgun blasts them to the bottom of the steps. Are they alive or dead and why did Emmett Burr shoot so quickly?

Not knowing if they just ran away together as young lovers, or even if they are alive or dead, Acting Sheriff Ben Packard has to unpack mystery after mystery to find them in the small town of Sandy Lake.

Moehling’s debut novel is a page-turner! I could not put this book down! Each character added to the depth of the crime. Some quirky characters lightened the mood of the story. I encourage those who enjoy crime stories to read this asap! Get this one off your TBR!

Four stars

A young teenage couple, Jenny and Jesse, break into an elderly man’s home after midnight to steal his prescription pain medication. Unfortunately the old man, a 400 lb., once-upon-a-time, rapist and serial killer, hears them, kills Jesse and injures Jenny with a couple of shotgun blasts. The elderly man, Emmett, had built a room in his basement where in past years, young women were kidnapped, kept prisoner, sexually assaulted, and killed. Jenny ends up a prisoner in the locked room. The rest of the story is about trying to find the "two missing teens".

Lots of interesting side stories and plots in this book revolving around small town issues - drug dealing, family dysfunction, neighbor disputes, a gay temporary sheriff, etc. Overall, a pretty good book, but I had a couple of issues with it.

Given Emmett's past, it didn't make sense to me that he kept Jenny prisoner rather than just killing her. Also, I thought there was too much misplaced focus on gay subject matter given the premise of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

I enjoyed this story; unique twist on the serial killer plot. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

(Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for a honest review)

Publication date: 14 June 2022
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press

Trigger warnings: substance abuse, sexual abuse, kidnapping, blood, rape, gun violence

Plot:

An attempt to break into an apartment to steal prescribed drugs by two teens Jesse and Jenny ends with their disappearance. Sheriff's Deputy Ben Packard is then tasked to find them again as a series of events and secrets are revealed. Will the teens be found or is it just the beginning?

Thoughts:

I liked this book for a debut by the author, Joshua Moehling because it had a balance of both Ben's POV and the perpetrator's POV. The book wasn't too heavy to read and it took place in a small town with a tight knit of characters who supported Ben. However, it did not give the thriller aspect as the blurb described it to be but instead seemed like an adventure Joshua brought us along for - there were no worthy plot twists or mystery as the perpetrator is revealed from the start. Therefore it didn't keep me as excited throughout the book. At times it felt like I was rushing to get through the book just to complete it instead of wanting to read the plot because it was unnecessarily long. Please do check out trigger warnings before reading.

This book was a thrill ride from start to finish, I couldn't put it down. I loved the dual narration/perspective, it made for gripping pace and had me internally shouting at the detective to solve the case faster. I hope the characters continue in other books, I want to hear more about this town and these people!

This was a book that really surprised me! I felt that the beginning was a little slow but once I got into this book, I couldn’t put it down! The main character, Ben Packard, was very like-able and you wanted to root for him to solve the crime (of two missing teens). An interesting aspect to the story was the portrayal of the villain of the story, his thoughts and actions provided an interesting insight into the serial killers mindset. The story goes back and forth from characters points of views, which was nice and the story flowed well. I also am hoping this will be continued into a series because it does seem as that was how the ending and underlying storyline was set up.