Unique plot! It’s got a lot of elements readers today will like. A little thriller, a little crime fiction. A police officer moves to a small town to take a deputy position after a loved one dies. He is made acting Sheriff due to an illness of the of the actual sheriff. At some point two teenagers go missing and he has to unravel the tangled threads that also involves multiple missing women from decades ago.

I did not want to put this book down. I needed to know what happened next. The writing was very fluid and flowed seamlessly from one scene to the next. Highly recommend! — in fact I already have. Can’t wait til it comes out in June so I can remind people to read it!

This was a fabulous thriller! I could not put it down, not could I figure out the ending before it happened (which to me is the sign of a great book!). The main character, Sheriff Packard is not the average small town law enforcement type that would normally be encounters in a book about a small town crime. He definitely has a well-described life of his own, having left his prior position when his boyfriend was shot and also the endless behind the back comments about his sexuality. Ben returns to his home town to escape the situation he is in. The story is fabulous, so many twists and turns and well-described characters that I had to keep reading, not because there was a big resolve at the end, but because the characters were fascinating and made the book so much better. Very fast paced which I loved and a also made it riveting and even somewhat alarming as I read more. I am definitely looking forward to a sequel to this debut novel. Do not miss this thriller!!!!!

Thanks so much NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press. Man, Poisoned Pen is really hitting it out of the park lately with thrillers.

What a stunning debut from Moehling. There are several smaller themes in this thriller, and he manages to pull them off almost flawlessly. Nothing surprising or big reveals here, straight up mystery thriller at its best!

I finished this book in record time. It was definitely a page turning suspense novel where I absolutely needed to know what was happening and what would happen next.
I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a thriller.
This book had some new twists, turns, and plot points that make it stand out from all the other books of this genre. Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read an ARC of And There He Kept Her. #NetGalley

Oh my gosh. This book was SO good. It felt like I was reading an actual true crime based novel. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book in 2 days of picking it up!

The story follows a detective that returns to a small town of his past, when a family member goes missing. The twist and turns the story takes to draw everything together is interesting and even the “filler” pages keep your attention.

I will recommend this book to all of my reading friends!
Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book! It was definitely worth it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - BOOK REVIEW -

And There He Kept Her by Joshua Moehling centers around a small town in Minnesota where peacefulness should be almost guaranteed, but as we learn, peace is hard to find. Our lead protagonist Is “acting” sheriff Ben Packard. I like this character. He’s a no-nonsense guy determined to solve even the smallest of cases. He’s also a gay man trying to find his place. This story is about contrasts. Nothing is black and white, and as we find out, you can be a victim and a killer. Two young high school kids do something foolish, and tragedy ensues. There's a fine line between studying chemistry and stealing drugs. Hopelessness is the primary emotion with a belief in a future out of reach. As we see, small towns aren’t any different than large cities because there is always someone making a wrong decision, criminals aren’t always dumb, and sometimes they become victims until they aren’t. People have problems they can’t overcome, drugs are rampant, and alcoholism is a beast. The book centers around finding two missing teens with the Sheriff constantly pulled in different directions. I liked how Sheriff Packard had to compartmentalize his life and his work, and yet his work ruled his life. He hides his true self behind a public persona, but no one is fooled. Isn’t that the way most things go? It’s hard to keep secrets. I enjoyed this well-written story with a creepy vibe that made it hard to sleep. I look forward to more Sheriff Packard stories, and I think the author has found a multi-faceted and memorable lead in Ben. #thriller #AndThereHeKeptHer @jmoehling #murder #mystery #misery #joshuamoehling @netgalley #pageturner @poisonedpenpress #arc #triggers #missingwomen
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I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to NetGalley, and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read this book. Pub Date: June, 2022.
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CONTENT WARNING: homophobia, grief, addiction, murder, violence, blood

This was really good for a debut novel! I was so impressed by the easy, flowing, and tense writing combined with a story that challenged how we view the roles that people play.

It’s easy to define victims and villains, or at least it is usually. However, this book takes that concept and turns it upside, creating characters who are both victims and villains, as well as showing the fallout from various horrific events.

When Jesse and Jenny break into an old man’s house to steal his pain medication, they’re surprised by the intended victim, and things definitely don’t go their way. It creates a cascade of events that rock the small town of Sandy Lake, Minnesota.

The chapters take place from the POV of Emmett Burr, the man whose house was broken into, as well as from the Acting Sheriff, Ben Packard. Ben has recently moved to Sandy Lake after his boyfriend was killed while responding to a police call. While he is new to the small town, he’s got old ties to the place, where he spent his summers as a child, until something happened to his older brother. It also talks about the homophobia he faces, and his journey to being comfortable in his own skin as a gay man in a small town setting, especially one who is on the police force. Emmett isn’t a likable character, but he wasn’t completely bad, making him the kind of character who will definitely haunt me.

This was a fast read, partially because I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next, and partially because the writing was smooth and just the right amount of descriptive. It’s fast-paced, and while there weren’t a lot of major plot twists that shocked me, there was an aura of tension that flowed throughout the story. This is definitely an author to watch, and I was thrilled to discover that this is going to be a series!

I don’t really know what to say about this book. I didn’t really like it, but I didn’t hate it. It was darker than what I prefer to read, so I’m not sure why I requested it from NetGalley. The main character, Packard, was a pretty likeable dude, but the majority of the people in the book were not, and they were also not all that well developed. I think I’m just confused as to what this book was trying to accomplish, therefore I really have no idea how to feel about it. Since I never felt connected to the story, it just ended up feeling a bit pointless to me.

It wasn’t a bad book and I’m sure others will really like it. I just think it was not for me. 2.5 Stars rounded up to 3.

Thank you for the ARC

this was a medium paced read, where you knew all the characters involved and what had happened you were left wondering how they were going to try to get away with it.

It’s a story of two teens going missing and the person holding them doesn’t want them found.

What will happen?

"And There He Kept Her" is one of the best thrillers I have read this year. Ben Packard is a new hero in the cop world and his story is interesting and real. Ben is "acting Sheriff" in a small lake town when two teenagers go missing. The quest to find him is wrapped up in his own professional and personal story and several interesting characters in the small community. Ben has baggage of his own and has been reluctant to share his stories with even those close to him. As he deals with personal pain, loss, and sorrow he must solve several missing person reports, and delve into the criminal and drug activity in the area and the potential for violent crime and murder. All these pieces come together in the end in an action-packed story that introduces his character to readers and lovers of crime thrillers and cop stories. I hope this isn't the last we hear of Ben Packard and his journey in law enforcement and it is always great to find a new storyteller with a new voice. Thanks, Josua Moehling for this story. I can't wait to read more. Thanks also to #NetGalley#AndThereHeKeptHer for the opportunity to read and recommend this exciting new book.

I was interested in this book in the beginning, but it fell apart fast. I enjoyed learning the back story of Packard and his conflict about moving to the small town of his childhood memories. There was a decent mystery for awhile about the missing teenagers, but the plot fell apart for me when we learned more about the culprits. They seemed more like cartoon characters than real human beings. For me, this book ended up being a skimmer. It was easy to follow the plot without feeling like I was missing anything by fast forwarding.

I notice that this appears to be the start of a series about the main character. That’s fine, but I’m wondering about the fact that the upcoming plots likely depend upon solving murder mysteries. If that’s so, why would you set the background in a “small town?” I mean really, how many nefarious murderers reside in a town where everybody knows your name? Just asking.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read and review. I’m very appreciative of the opportunity.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this digital ARC of And There He Kept Her.

I had such high expectations for this book but about a third of the way through it felt a little disjointed and honestly bored me I wanted to DNF this book but I kept going. However, I could not connect with any of the characters, parts of the story made NO sense and there was a real lack of believability. For example, the detective talking about adopting a dog in the middle of an intense high profile investigation just didn’t make sense to me. This book was just not for me. Interesting concept but failed on delivery.

This was a great chilling and thrilling debut with the potential to be the first of a series.

Summary
Two teenagers break into a house in their small Minnesotan town looking for prescription drugs to sell. However, the chose they wrong house and are confronted by a now elderly uncaught serial murderer who has others plans for them.
Interim Sheriff and Detective Ben Packard is relatively new to the area as a police officer coming from the Twin Cities. However, he is familiar with the area as he spent summers in the small town at his grandparents' lake house until his brother disappeared one evening and is now presumed dead. Invested in the case of the missing teens, Detective Ben Packard uncovers history of the small-time drug circuit and previous missing women's cases in the area.

Opinions
Although at times graphic and hard to read, this was a very strong debut with the potential for series development. I thought the main central characters were strongly developed, the plot quickly paced and action-packed, and I just kept wanting to read the book.

I decided to give it 4/5 due to the fact of the eye-rolling improbability of some situations, too much added detail that seemed irrelevant to the plot (lots about diabetes medication), and a plot line that I'll explain in the spoiler below. The themes of prescription drug abuse and small town living were very well done, and presented in a frank non-glamorous way that I believe would be hard to accomplish as a writer.

I'm not sure if I would be interested in reading others in the series, because the backstory and struggles of Ben Packard did not grab fully grab me. Also, the theme of Ben Packard being a closeted gay man did not jive well with me. I understand the reasons the author gave to try to justify this plot device, but it seemed like a cheap and antiquated plot driver. Had this book been set in 2002, that plot line might have worked better. It's totally fine that people not share their sexuality with others, obviously, but it was such a driving factor for this book that it was cringey. So much so that seemingly irrelevant stories regarding his sexuality were told (the carnival "date," etc...).

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!

This book started off as a slow burn but picked up speed around the halfway point and then I just couldn’t put it down! It reminded me of The Silent Patient that way. I loved the flawed characters and I absolutely love Jenny! There were a couple of little plot holes I wanted answered so I’m giving it 4 stars rather than 5 but overall, it kept me totally entertained!

When Samantha Downing said this book was unputdownable, she wasn't lying! I was obsessed with all things Packard and his search for two missing teens. The web of drugs, the dealing of said drugs, and crazy citizens that inhabited the town made for the secret sauce in this police procedural/thriller. Moehling had me enthralled with each and every one and I loved that you were given chapters with the perspective being from the bad guy. Some slight, short lived sympathy for him but he was written so well that you were able to feel both sorry for him and disgust. Ended beautifully as well. Overall, 4.5 stars!

I'd definitely recommend this and will sit here wishing for more books starring Ben Packard!

Deep thanks and much appreciation to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen for the advanced copy.
This book doesn't quite seamlessly blend its mixture of small town police procedural, with the now familiar 'enslaved-girl-at-the-mercy-of-her loathsome captor' genre. But that doesn't stop it from becoming a fast paced compelling read.
And like so many other sleuths in procedurals, acting sheriff Ben Packard struggles with his own stressful baggage. He's returned to policing the same small Minnesota lakeside town where he grew up......where, as a child, his older brother disappeared, never to be found. And now ,as a gay man still suffering the recent tragic loss of someone he loved, he's tasked with finding two missing teens, Jesse and his girlfriend Jenny the daughter of Ben's cousin.
For the reader, however, there's no mystery about what became of those kids, who'd been raiding the homes of elderly retirees for prescription painkillers to steal and sell.
In parallel chapters alternating with Ben's dogged, investigation, we know the unlucky duo picked the wrong guy to repeatedly rob - Emmett Burr, a pain wracked, psychotic, 400 pound horrorshow right out of a Stephen King short story. And Emmet, along with his equally hideous pal Carl share past serial killings of women, they'd captured, horribly abused and murdered in Emmett's homemade dungeon. '
Emmett's shotgun wipes out Jesse instantly but Jenny, a type 1 diabetic, finds herself shackled in Emmett's 'pink room' with her insulin pump running low.
Now that's more than enough suspense, family dysfunction. creepiness and outright terror to keep you turning the pages at .record speed. Yes it's one of those books that'll make you lose track of time and stay up all night glued to it as the two side-by-side storylines reach their final collision.
As I mentioned before, there's so many elements in play here that they aren't always given the full attention they deserve, such as Ben's dealing with the town's intolerance toward him and the few attempts to humanize Emmett a little. But the characters did grab me and the story kept me in its right grip throughout. So everything's in place here for a fine propulsive thriller..

I downloaded this one kind of randomly but I am SO glad that I did! I flew through this one in two days and if I didn't have such a time consuming job I would have probably finished in one.

Two teenagers stumble into the wrong old mans basement and their actions set off a chain reaction they could never imagine. Told in two POVs (the cops and the old man) it had the perfect chapter length for a binge read. I loved Ben Packard and I really hope this turns into a series because I would read so many books with him as the protagonist.

If you are looking for a fast paced read that is the perfect mix of police procedural and thriller I highly recommend picking up And There He Kept Her.

This debut novel by Joshua Moehling is a big hit in my book! I loved it. Ben Packard returns to the small town of Sandy Lake, MN and is made acting Sheriff while the current Sheriff battles cancer. Two high school students, Jesse and Jenny, are on a mission to break into a home to steal prescription drugs and they both end up missing. It is up to acting Sheriff Packard to find out what happened to them and why. This story has some very interesting and complex characters in it with lots of secrets which are uncovered that will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat. I am really hoping that this book is the first in a series with Sheriff Ben Packard.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC of this fantastic book which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Wow, Joshua Moehling doesn't mess around when he decides to write a book. Burst out of the gate with a creepy page turner, thought provoking and entertaining. Win. I am sincerely hoping there is a book 2. We all want to know what happened to his brother. Acting Sheriff Ben Packard has secrets. Or so he thinks. Jesse and Jenny are two teenage kids searching for the get rich quick and going down the wrong path. Entering Emmetts house, thinking since he was old and a known drunk, they could steal from him, was another wrong road. The secondary character Gary made me laugh out loud several times. As creepy as this book is it also brings to light family (jenny is his cousin) and the good and the bad and ends with hope. You can't lose with a book that takes you into the dark and ends with hope. Thank you Joshua Moehling, Poisoned Pen and NetGalley for the arc, I freely volunteer my thoughts and opinions.

And There He Kept Her was a great debut novel by Joshua Moehling. I really enjoyed the pictures Moehling painted in the novel and how grounded the characters were in reality. While moments in the story were very hard to read and very dark I ultimately really enjoyed that these characters and moments felt very authentic. I would definitely read another book by Moehling.