This gripping and suspenseful story will definitely grab your attention! The line between villain and victim gets blurred in this thriller about discovering what happened to two missing teens in a small town. This is not a light read, but it is deliciously dark. 4.5 ⭐️ rounded up. Thank you to #netgalley for the ARC of #andtherehekepther

An Outstanding Suspense Thriller

Joshua Moehling has given us some great characters in this book. Even the bad guy is multidimensional, on the edge of evoking sympathy. He was a bad guy who'd become pitiful. He hadn't abducted anyone in years, he was aging and in poor shape to do much of anything. An Outstanding Suspense Thriller

Joshua Moehling has given us some great characters in this book. Even the bad guy is multidimensional, on the edge of evoking sympathy.

He was a bad guy who'd become feeble and pitiful. He hadn't abducted anyone in years, he was aging and in poor shape to do much of anything. Then, the painkillers he relied on to get through the day delivered a victim to him.

Sometimes, you have to move beyond your pain and use what strength you have left or you won't be able to take advantage of an opportunity. Or get rid of obstacles.

The rest of the story unwinds like a fishing line being dragged out to sea by a shark. It's original, twisty, and suspenseful. My heart was in my throat as I raced to the end. Obviously, there are triggers in this book which may be disturbing. It isn't unnecessarily violent, though.

Thank you to the author, Joshua Moehling, Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a free advanced reader's copy. On my own initiative, I'm happily spreading the word about this great read.

Officer Ben Packard returns to small town, Sandy Lake, where he used to spend summers with his family.

When his cousin’s daughter goes missing with her boyfriend, Ben begins to investigate. The course of the investigation reveals some of his own secrets as well as that of the residents of Sandy Lake.

This was a great thriller from a debut author! I enjoyed it being told not only from Ben’s point of you but also from that of the perpetrator. I read this book super fast, it is definitely a page turner. I hope that Officer Ben Packard becomes a series, I would definitely read the next instalment! It was gripping!

It’s out 14th June 📚❤️

This was a different thriller to what I normally love, there’s nothing to guess and no major twists, yet this was no less nerve-wracking and tense. All of the characters were extremely well written, even the minor ones. Moehling managed to write Emmet in such a way that you are totally repulsed and terrified of him, but still have moments where you almost felt sorry for him. And There He Kept Her is dark, and disturbing, but it is not full of graphic violence, the pieces of information you are given are more than enough to set the scene and had my heart racing. I can’t believe this was a debut. I really hope there is a sequel!

Thank you so much Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for the digital review copy

Some of the book is written from the point of view of the perpetrator (or at least one of them) in a series of abductions and murders of women in a small Minnesota town, which can be a little uncomfortable-making, since it seems to be an attempt to humanize someone whose motivations are really unfathomable. The main character is a sheriff's detective who's newly returned to the small town where he visited relatives as a child after the death of his boyfriend. He's not exactly closeted but isn't out, either, although it turns out to be a moot point. The story is set up to ease him into his new professional and personal situations, with room for development in a future series. I didn't get a lot of sense of place from this one, except that the town is economically depressed. I kept hoping he'd go back to Minneapolis just to get into a less-grim milieu during the course of solving an even grimmer series of crimes. The ending was a satisfying pay-off I wasn't expecting, and I would definitely read more by this debut author.

And There He Kept Her
By Joshua Moehling
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

It was...ok. There were essentially two different POVs and neither of them meshed well for me. It was entertaining and creepy. There were moments when I was thinking “Oh no!” However, it just didn’t do it for me. The mindset of Emmett was very interesting and I really liked Packard’s character but I felt like there was a great deal of effort made to shove a lot of his personal life into the professional side...and it didn’t flow well. There were a lot of facets to his character that never got polished or explored more. Basically, I wanted to know more about Packard.
It was a fun read overall. And it teaches you to never break into someone’s house lol.

I am not in the majority that read this book. I am far to conservative. I couldn't relate to the lead character due to their sexual nature. I don't have to read such a book and I refuse to do so. I ended it around the 100 page mark due to the aforementioned. I'm sure the writer will not appreciate it, but it is my pregractive what I read. Thanks to Netgalley for the Kindle Version of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book started out okay with a tense scene and high creep factor, but lost me completely when the cop shot the bear in the garage. I absolutely cannot stand when there is human animal contact that results in the animal dying. I won’t watch it in movies and I refuse to read it in books. It was an early scene and I hated it so much I couldn’t get beyond it. This ended up a DNF for me. It wasn’t necessary and added nothing to the book. This one just wasn’t for me at all. Thank you for the opportunity to try it.

When two teens break into a remote lakeside home in the middle of the night seeking drugs, they get more than they bargained for. Emmett Burr hears them break in and is ready for them. Jesse and Jenny find themselves looking into the barrel of a shotgun, Emmett fires.

Emmett, morbidly obese and addicted to pain meds, has never fit in. His whole life has been about doing what others wanted him to do, and "settling". But even misfits have dreams and fantasies, and Emmett's led to decades of secrets that he'll do anything to keep. He can't have anyone poking around his property for any reason.

Ben Packard, acting sheriff, returned to small town Sandy Lake, Minnesota looking for a new start following a personal loss. He has history with this town, family here (a cousin), and secrets of his own. His top priority now is finding the missing teens while there's still hope of finding them alive.

Told in third person narrative from Ben's and Emmett's POV, this is a dark yet entertaining read. There are a lot of triggers within its pages, but the book description adequately alerts readers to them. Well-written, this debut novel puts the author on my Authors-to-watch list. I rate it 3.5 (rounded to 4) stars. I hope this is the first of a series!

My thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for allowing me to read an ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given. The book is scheduled for publication on 6/14/22.

What an excellent thriller! I was enthralled from the beginning. A very well-thought out and detailed story of what happens when two teenagers attempt to rob an unhealthy, elderly man. I liked how we knew what was going on with each main character at all times, without trying to guess what was going on. We're able to tell what each character is thinking and why they do what they do.

I love the character of Ben Packard, and sincerely hope this is only the first of a series of starring his detective skills.

I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

5 stars

I was feeling in the mood for a thriller/mystery when I decided to delve into this advance copy of And There He Kept Her. I was not disappointed. This is a terrific book with an intriguing plot and expertly crafted characters.

Emmett Burr is an elderly, morbidly obese man with numerous medical maladies. His quiet life is interrupted when a pair of teenagers break into his home hoping to rob him of his pain medications. Little did the teens realize that Emmett is anything but a helpless old man. What started out as a burglary quickly escalates into a life or death situation for the teens and renews Emmett's fear that his long held secrets will be revealed.

Deputy Ben Packard has returned to his ancestral home of Sandy Lake, Minnesota looking to escape the pain of the tragic death of his lover. He is acting Sheriff when the pair of teenagers go missing. Unsure if the teens have just run off or if something more sinister has happened to them, he deals with small-town gossip and characters who try and obstruct his investigation.. As he gets closer to discovering the truth, he realizes that his own past may play a part in the current situation.

This is a fast-paced and engaging thriller. It's a beautifully written book with a dark plot and sprinkled with enough eccentric characters to lighten the tone. If you like Karin Slaughter, I think you'll enjoy Joshua Moehling as well.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advance copy of this book. The publication date is June 14, 2022.

Two teens sneak into the basement of an old man’s home in the middle of the night to find themselves stuck in a horrible nightmare. Now, one of them is dead and the other is being held in a hidden basement room that is set up for just that.. Keeping prisoners.

From the prologue of the book, I really thought this was going to be a fast paced thriller that bordered on disturbing. I was hooked right away, but it quickly turned into a very slow police procedural that digs deep into the character development.

Being from Minnesota, I did enjoy the setting and the many references to various places around the state that I am familiar with. Beyond that, I wanted to like this book more than I did. I kept waiting for a big twist or for it to turn into something more plot driven. However, it just did not become something gripping for me. It was enjoyable, and I needed to finish it to see how it would all play out, but it just wasn’t the edge of your seat I had anticipated.

Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Joshua Moehling for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Officer Ben Packard has returned to small town Sandy Lake where he used to spend summers with his family after experiencing a personal tragedy. Soon after arriving, he is made acting sheriff while the sheriff goes thru cancer treatment. When his niece goes missing with her boyfriend in the middle of the night, Ben will need to confront and reveal his own secrets and will find out that many of the towns people have their own secrets, many more dangerous that others.

What was supposed to be a simple robbery goes incredibly wrong for two teenagers, who find themselves in more danger than they bargained for. Ben Packard, the interim Sheriff of this small town, has just returned and is tasked with figuring out what happen to Jesse and Jenny. Will he find them in time or has there fate already been sealed?

This book is the classic, small town…big problems. I loved this mystery/thriller I feel as though the characters were developed well enough that this could possibly become a series if the author wanted too. I actually took my time reading this book because I didn’t want it to end!! Such a well done debut novel!! Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this early release. This one was middle of the road for me. I didn't dislike it but I was able to figure some parts of it out and that is always a let down for me. I love not being able to figure it out until the end. This one was about 2 kids that were wrapped up in some sketchy drug dealings and ended up at the wrong place with the wrong person. The main character who I really liked, is the acting sheriff who has to try to find them and while doing so uncovers lots more to the story. I would definitely try more by this author.

Firstly thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book had a slow start and I think that was partly because after Jenny and Jessie become embroiled in the drama at the old man, Emmetts house, the story goes off in other directions with Packard and his cousin, trying to find Jenny and as Packard runs around coming up with clues as to the connections of everyone and the missing kids.
We do go back to the kids and Emmett, it's just that their not the only main plot. Throw in all these other characters and you have plenty of other dramas and I really enjoyed it.

Very easy to read, if a bit nasty to read at times. It tells a good story and it surprisingly has you feeling empathy for the bad guy at times.

What happens when the victim of a robbery turns out to be a murderer? This dark thriller answers that question when two teenagers try to break in and rob an elderly man in bad health. Things don’t turn out well for them.

The first chapter following one of the teenagers gripped me right away. After that, we follow the fill-in sheriff, Ben Packard, as he tries to find the missing teenagers. We also get POV chapters from the man the teenagers were trying to rob.

This fast paced thriller kept me up well past my bedtime. I couldn’t put it down once I got to the halfway mark.

This story is okay. Nothing specular about it. The toggle from past to present did little to hold my interest as well, nor does it push the story along. The characters were bland, and I had to move to finish this story.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

hi! thanks so much for giving me the chance to read an early copy of this.
i didn’t enjoy it AS much as i was hoping to, but found the plot interesting.
my review on goodreads is in the link

This is a the story of two missing teens set in the small community of Sandy Lake near Minneapolis. It is an adult mystery with graphic content, dark violent predators, and disturbing human behavior. It was easy to follow the plot.
Detective Ben Packard is the acting County Sheriff in this small town department while the current Sheriff is on leave. He's just moved back to his former hometown where his cousin, Susan, also lives. They aren't close but, she's convinced her daughter, Jenny, is missing and has asked him to help find her.
Jenny and her boyfriend, Jesse, were both absent from school. There have been other missing women in the past. This fact isn't lost on longtime residents. Ben must follow every lead, clue, rumor and possibility to find Jenny, if she's still alive. Jenny's dependent on insulin and time is running out.
Ben has a ragtag department and really only trusts Detective Jill Thielen. The ensuing search for answers to what happened to Jenny and Jesse leads to prescription drugs, long buried secrets, murder and secret relationships.
The ending is not a cliff hanger, but Packard could easily have more cases for an interesting police series.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance digital copy of "And There he Kept Her" by Joshua Moehling and to Poisoned Pen Press. These are my honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily,