Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

PUBLICATION DAY: June 14, 2022

Two teenagers go missing in a small Minnesotan town, and the new acting police chief will stop at nothing to ensure their safe return. Jenny and Jesse chose the wrong house to rob when they encounter the elderly, yet dangerous Emmett Burr. When the teens don’t show up the next day, Ben Packard resolves to follow every clue until he finds them. But what evil is lying beneath the surface of this small town? And how long has it been there??

PROS and CONS:
This book is so well written, with a multi-layered plot and fabulous characters…and it’s Moehling’s first book??? What?? Ben Packard is a great main character, sensitive, smart and realistic…contrasting him with Emmett’s perspective that was much more painful and corrupt was genius. I enjoyed every minute of this one.

READ IT?
With a couple of unresolved points, I think (hope) I see a new series in the making and I’m here for it!

5 Stars

Great debut novel from this author.
So much going on in this small town.
I love anything serial killer reads I'm weird that way and this one was right up my alley.
So much going on and well written.
Looking to see more from this author in the future.

Thanks to the author the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

And There He Kept Her is a good book. Two young men break into a house and find more than they bargained for. Deputy Sheriff Ben Packard gets a call that his cousin is missing.
This book is interesting because you already know most of the details. But as Ben investigates, we find out details about him.
I like the writing. All the characters are well developed even the bad guy. I have not read many books when I already know the story. I think this book will be a hit.

Here is a new author, Joshua Moehling, with an exciting first crime novel. The book begins in Sandy Lake, a small town in Minnesota. As in most small towns, everyone knows - and judges- everyone else. There is drug use in the high school, drug dealers, unsolved crimes, dysfunctional families, small businesses, nosy neighbors, perverts, and colorful characters with personalities to match.
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 is a serial killer, hears them, blasts a shotgun down the stairs, killing Jesse and injuring Jenny. The elderly man had built a small locked room in his basement where in past years, young women who were kidnapped, were kept, sexually assaulted, and killed. Jenny, who was injured in the shotgun blast that killed her boyfriend, is also a Type 1 diabetic with an insulin pump. She ends up a prisoner in the locked room and time is of the essence to find her and save her.
The town sheriff, who is undergoing chemotherapy, has turned over his authority to Ben Packard, a fairly new addition to the police department in Sandy Lake, although familiar with the town as he spent childhood summers there. The sheriff is a loner, but handsome, intelligent, intuitive and a workaholic. He delves into the case of the missing teens with a vengeance, and the majority of the book is about the twists and turns of his investigation. Along the way, the reader is introduced to a number of the town’s residents - Jesse’s alcoholic mother, Jenny’s mother, the sheriff and his drug-dealing grandson, local dog rescuer, Gary, who has a flamboyant past, and local criminals Emmett Burr, and his partner-in-crime Carl.
I found the characters disturbingly real, and the book had a good flow of action. Ben Packard skillfully investigated numerous leads that wove many of the town’s characters together, as happens in real life. The descriptions of Emmet’s life, his decrepit home, and his past and present murderous activity continually had my stomach in knots.
The events were, unfortunately, believable. On the other hand, Ben Packard, the protagonist, is handsome,, insightful and competent, but gives the townspeople plenty to talk about as he is also gay. The reader will wish the best for Jenny, the teen girl who ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time,
I received this digital ARC from Netgalley, but my opinion is my own. I welcome this new author of crime drama and enjoyed his first book. His style, word choice, character development, and storyline were all well done. He also set the stage for Ben Packard and Sandy Lake to be part of future books. Ben Packard has a connection to Sandy Lake, in that his brother went missing there years ago, and was never found. I’m looking forward to more from Joshua Moehling.

This book went from 2 missing teens to a serial killer to a sadistic rapist to drugs sold in school and more. All of this in a small town. I found myself feeling a little sorry for Emmett until I learned more about him. Didn't like Carl at all. This also had some neighbor drama and a temporary acting sheriff trying to run from his past. It's a perfect example of what people can hide behind their closed doors. I just wish we found out what happened to Ben's brother and what happened to the files from his case. I enjoyed this book.

I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Two teens go missing in a small town, with no clues at all as to where they’ve gone. When the police get involved, they really don’t have much to go on, but by a combination of chasing small leads and the process of elimination, they’re able to figure out where they might be. That’s the good news. The bad news is no matter how fast they work, they still might be too late to save them. Something about this book grabbed me right away and kept my attention throughout. Although the story isn’t necessarily a new one (even the book title seems a bit overused), I liked the way the author introduced his characters, giving the reader the chance to try and see the various POVs from all angles. I’ll read more by this author for sure!

Special Note: Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! I couldn’t put it down when I started it! I would definitely recommend this book!

This was too slow moving for me and I just couldn’t get into the story. I felt like I knew what would happen before I got there and it didn’t have the twists and turns I usually like. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

A terrific murder mystery! The story will grab you and keep you. The characters are interesting and real. You will not want to put this down.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was fortunate enough to win a print copy of this novel as well as receive a copy from NetGalley (I really should check my shelves first!).
Upon looking at Mr. Moehling’s web site, I discovered this is his first/debut novel. Talk about impressed! I am eager to watch Mr. Moehling’s writing career over the years, especially if this first book is any indication.
Jesse and Jenny – Teenagers who have very different lives but are drawn together.
Emmett Burr – He’s an interesting character, described as morbidly obese, with all the associated medical complications. There are two sides to Mr. Burr.
Ben Packard – Has moved back to the small town of Sandy Lake for personal reasons, trying to outrun his ghosts, trying to keep his secret just that – secure. Sandy Lake, being a small town where people talk, he discovers that people know his secret. Sandy Lake is also where his brother, Nick, disappeared.
Gary, Cora, Olivia, Carl (Cora’s husband), Sally (Ben’s cousin), and a few other characters all lend to this tale where you’ll find drug deals gone wrong, several unsolved murders, Nick’s backstory, Gary’s colorful past, neighbors fighting with each other, pasts that can’t be outrun. And the pink room, bad things happen in the pink room.
Again, I look forward to following Mr. Moehling’s career through the years. I suspect his writing will only get better. Be sure to get this one when it publishes in June 2022.

Ben Packard has come back to the small town of Sandy Lake, Minnesota. A family tragedy when he was younger made him leave, now another tragedy in his life pushed him back. He's a good detective, but needs a change in his life. When 2 teenagers go missing, one of them being his cousin's daughter, Ben starts digging into what is going on in Sandy Lake.

Emmett Burr is one of the 'villains' in this book. He's lived a very secretive life and now has killed one of the teens and has the other one chained up. We see things from his perspective and he is a very damaged man, although none of the abuse done to Emmett made me like him at all. He's an awful human being.

There weren't really any big twists or mystery in this book. We know who the villain is and we know who the hero is. It was mostly about the characters - Emmett and Ben finding out who they are. Not everything was resolved in this book, so I can see a follow up coming.

A dark and complex mystery that will consume you." could not put this book down was absoutely capitavating. they thought he was just a lonely old man. definitely a new crime author. I think anyone who likes James Patterson will truly love this book

I was intrigued by the description on NetGalley of this book, which said it is a "A dark and complex mystery that will consume you." I didn't finish the story. What happened and who did it is revealed early on, and I wasn't invested enough to stick around while Ben Packard, the acting sheriff, solved the case.

I went in blind reading this and I’m not disappointed that I did. Ben was troubled, but got the job done. Emmett was interesting as well to follow. I enjoy books where you get to be in the mind of the abuser. How he was able to hide under everyone’s noses. He felt no remorse. Brutal in a good way. I love a good disturbing thriller.

My thanks to Poisoned Pen Press, Joshua Moehling and Netgalley.
It's just a sad thing to admit, but even though I finished this book just a day or so ago, I don't remember much!
So, what I do recall is that this story didn't end up in my "shit list!"

I really really enjoyed this book. First of all, all the characters were so so SO well written! The love I have for Packard is so big. Emmett’s character literally made me go through so much emotions, I felt disgusted, then I was sympathetic, then I rooted for him. Just wow. Carl’s character too gave what should have been given.

The storyline was good, any big twists or mysteries were not needed. I liked the small reveal of backstories, the build up of relationships, how they got information to piece the puzzle together and solve the crime. My only real gripe was that the ending seemed rushed, after such a long build up.

Will be waiting for any followups about the case of Packard’s brother.

And There He Kept Her is a dark, slow burn thriller that kept me intrigued. Another small town with lots of secrets, a setting that I find hard to resist. There is a lot going on and lots of characters that are not so likeable. I read this in a day.

Two teenagers get a lot more than they bargained for when break into the house if an elderly man to steal his prescription drugs. But they picked the wrong old man to cross. What happens next is shocking and disturbing. Ben Packard was once a frequent visitor to Sandy Lake but hasn’t been back since a family tragedy. He has now come back as the acting sheriff, in order to have another fresh start. His search for the missing kids, with a family connection, will show him the hidden stories of this town.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read

This is an debut novel from author Joshua Moehling. The story begins when teenager, Jesse, breaks into an older, reclusive man's house to look for something in particular to steal. Jesse brought his girlfriend , Jenny, along for this task, he thought it would be a quick chore. Things go horribly wrong for the pair, because the old man is home. And for reasons of his own, the home owner would rather not report the break and enter to the police, but handle things himself.

Ben Packard has returned to the small community of Sandy Lake to escape from his own personal problems. Sheriff Shaw has appointed Packard as acting Sheriff while Shaw undergoes cancer treatment. That places the investigation of the missing teenagers in Packard's hands.

The story is very well written and the characters were realistic. I would live to read more about Ben Packard, he would do well as a police procedural series and it would be interesting to see him unravel the mystery of his own brother's disappearance years earlier.

Thank you to Netgalley and Poison Pen Press for the opportunity to enjoy this exciting e-ARC.

A chilly small-town detective novel from a debut author. I think it’s going to be a hit!

Sheriff Ben Packard is somewhat new in town, haunted by his past.

One night, his second cousin goes missing. What follows is a complicated character study of a host of small-town weirdos; some lovable and some revolting, but nobody is completely bad or good.

If you’re looking for a book with complicated heroes and villains, this one is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for a fair and honest review.

What fascinating characters and vivid setting Joshua Moehling has created in "And There He Kept Her." (Acting) Sheriff Ben Packard is one of my favorite protagonists from recent mysteries, and the supporting cast -- from evil doers to delightful oddballs -- means there's rarely a dull passage. I could do without plots about abducted girls, but this one didn't settle for being simply chilling, offering depth as well. I was surprised to learn this is Moehling's first novel, and glad he'll continue the series.