This is the kind of book that will get you hooked from the beginning, because you will want to know what happens next. So well written and characters were well developed. 2 thumbs up.

Shrouded in mystery and carrying secrets, Ben Packard moves back to his small town of Sandy Lake, Minnesota to work as a sheriff's deputy. He's soon faced with becoming lead detective in an investigation of two missing teens.
Emmett Burr is a retired serial killer living on painkillers when the teens break into his home to steal his pills. When they discover hints of a sinister past in his basement, Emmett makes sure his secrets won't ever be told...
I was sold based on the premise alone and was expecting a dark and suspenseful tale. Unfortunately, it felt a little lackluster and my heartbeat stayed steady throughout. The story had a monotonous tone to it and there weren't any suprises since you already know who the killer is from the beginning. I did enjoy the storyline from the killer's perspective but when it changed to Packard's POV, It just felt kind of flat and dull at times. I just never really felt or believed the sense of urgency in locating the teens.
While this is well written, I don't see myself picking up the next book in the series. Maybe if Packard didn't come across as so uptight, my opinion could have been different. Granted, he did have reasons to be the way he is (no spoilers here), but he was missing something.
I'd recommend this to people looking for a light police procedural read with a queer cop with a tortured past and a killer who struggles between being victim to aggressor.

“Some things would never go back to normal…Some things would stay with him the rest of his days.”

Emmett Burr is a chain smoking, slovenly obese senior citizen who relies on his prescription of OxyContin just to heave his extreme bulk out of a chair. So, when he stumbles across two teenagers breaking into his secluded home, he lets his shotgun do the talking with the boy…and the girl…well, there is a special room in his basement…and there he kept her…

Deputy Sheriff Ben Packard has retreated to the small Minnesota town of Sandy Lake thinking no one will guess his secrets. But Sandy Lake is no ordinary small town, and when he’s contacted about a couple of missing teens, Sherriff Packard is led on an investigation that goes beyond potential runaways…even beyond his own troubled past…

Sandy Lake has secrets some thought long buried…until a couple of teenagers break into the wrong man’s house and sets in motion events that will uncover the truth…

Joshua Moehling’s debut novel is not at all what I was expecting when I started reading. Perhaps the cover and blurb tricked me into believing it’s a run of the mill murder mystery novel, which most will interpret it to be…but in all actuality, it’s a horror story…one where the monsters aren’t hiding under the bed or in the closet…they are walking amongst us. There is no greater monster than what one human is capable of doing to another…

Absolutely terrifying and this reader is looking forward to more thrills and chills from this author, as well as the continuation of one Deputy Sherriff Ben Packard’s tale! Loved & highly recommend!

Attention Netflix…if you are looking for a new show idea, this is it!





**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **

Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Joshua Moehling for the advanced copy of And There He Kept Her in exchange for my honest review.

This is a stunner of a debut, so first and foremost kudos to Moehling! What first gripped me about this one was hearing rumblings of how dark it was. It was in fact pretty dark and it was probably my favorite aspect of the book.

This was more of a police procedural than I was expecting but I'm definitely not mad about it! When done well, I tend to really enjoy them, and this one was definitely done well. I loved Detective Ben Packard along with the fact that this was set in Minnesota. My hometown even got a shout out! (Is this only exciting to Midwest people?)

I've mentioned in previous reviews I'm not big on trigger warnings because I don't really have them, but readers should know this one is pretty dark before diving in. (Although I feel the synopsis does a pretty good job sending that message).

And There He Kept Her will be on bookshelves June 14!

Although i enjoyed this book it was dark and creepy i could only read in the daytime! Yes i was that scared! Thank you for the arc Netgalley!

For a debut author, I must admit I absolutely loved it. It was such a different take on the kidnapping genre. Whilst I was reading it my thoughts were very grown up - the exploration into the different themes - small town, sexuality, etc was very interesting.

I will definitely look forward to any more books by this author.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

Two teenagers, Jesse and Jenny, break into Emmett’s house to steal his painkillers to sell to other kids. But their plan goes awry when Emmett catches them, aims his shotgun at them, and keeps one of them as a prisoner in his basement. Meanwhile, Sheriff Packard is on the hunt for the missing teens in hopes that he can discover what happened to the two of them before it’s too late.

While the synopsis was intriguing, what really caught my attention was someone’s review that she DNF’d this book because it was too much for her. Sign me up! Is it bad that I’m drawn towards disturbing books?

I really like books with big plot twists, but there were no surprises with this one. It also seemed to drag on for quite some time during the middle of the book, so I found myself not wanting to pick up the book at times. Overall though, it was a decent read, and I look forward to reading more of Joshua Moehling’s books in the future!

And There He Kept Her took me by a complete surprise and shocked me to my core. I adore the characters, the feuds and the secrets. I love every single POV we hear the story from, from our lovably, interesting cop who happens to be hiding in the closet after the death of his husband in a small southern town. To the interesting neighbors, one a dog rescuer and the other.. well… she’s something.

And then we have the two teenage lovebirds. One dead. One captive. And the two men who hold the girl’s life in their hands.

This was, hands down, one of the best crime thrillers I have read in a very long time. The authentic development of the characters, the vibrant personalities and histories of every single character and how they fit into the story.

Absolutely breathtaking, creepy, and a book that every crime nerd will love. I had goosebumps for days. Brilliant work and I cant wait to see more from this author.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Jenny and her boyfriend Jesse find themselves in danger when they enter Emmett Burr’s house to steal prescription drugs.
Acting sheriff Ben Packard recently located to Sandy Lake takes the lead on the missing teens. Time is running out, will he find them alive?

This is a intriguing and dark debut thriller by Josh Moehling. I was definitely hooked by this story and the pace of this book and didn’t want to put it down until I found out what happened. I loved the dual perspective of Packard and Emmett where we follow the story from the eyes of hero and villain.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for giving me an arc.

This was too disturbing for my taste and had a lot of trigger warnings. I would not recommend. I really thought I’d enjoy this one so it was a let down.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

For two teenagers, what starts as a simple burglary turns into a horrible nightmare. Jesse and Jenny are teenagers who were on the hunt for prescription drugs and have now turned up missing and the acting Sheriff Packard is working hard to find them!
*
What a debut novel for Joshua Moehling! The first chapter starts out on a bang and draws you in fast. It slows down for a bit but once you hit about 50% you won’t want to put the book down. I thought that he did a great job getting the readers to see through the mind/action of the killer as well as the acting Sheriff. If you love small town mysteries and mysteries around not knowing who your neighbors really are, then you will enjoy this book!

This review will be posted to my Instagram blog (read_betweenthecovers) in the near future!

And There He Kept Her by Joshua Moehling was an interesting look into the mind of someone who has no lust for life and is just surviving. Emmett is an old man, in pain and feels he has nothing to lose. When two teenagers break into his house he defends himself but then is lost for what to do. The story that follows how he tries to cover up his crimes is a great ride!

Don't read if your home a lone! This is very twisty and unusual for a book, might fine that not always are the kids from good family are good! Makes you wonder what goes on behind closed doors?

Wow what a debut from this author! I thoroughly enjoyed this book as it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire thing. I thought the writing was excellent and the story was dark! If that's your thing, then this book is for you!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review! This debut novel was dark and delicious! I enjoy police procedural books and this has some of that in it! Quick wild ride!

I was hooked from the first page, kept me interested right until the end. Would definitely recommend.

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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.

Unrelentingly suspenseful and written with a piercing gaze into the dark depths of the human soul, And There He Kept Her is a thrilling page-turner that introduces readers to a complicated new hero and forces us to consider the true nature of evil.

I am not sure how I feel about this book. The writing is very good but the story is depressing and made me feel “dirty”. Filthy protagonist physically and emotionally. He seemed to have a spark of kindness in him towards his captive, but he was holding a teenager captive so that negates any goodness. Too many cookie cutout characters. I just didn’t enjoy this book. Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy for my honest review.

I received a free digital ARC from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. Teens Jenny and Jesse are missing and Acting Sheriff Packard is on the job. Jenny’s mom is Packard’s cousin and they haven’t really connected since he moved back to the small town of Sandy Lake, Minnesota where they used to vacation as kids. Packard has his own secrets, but he is good at his job and has a lot of ideas about the trail of drugs that must have got Jenny and Jesse in trouble.

I was very pleased with this crime thriller. I enjoyed being in the dark mind of the killer as well as Sheriff Packard as he navigates a heavy work load and unravels the clues before him. The secondary characters where very well drawn out. I loved Gary! I will definitely read a sequel with Packard because I became invested in him and the town. Hopefully, there will be more edits before publication because I noticed several errors in this advanced copy.

This was just mediocre to me. I didn't love it or hate it. It kinda fell in the middle. The plot was OK, but I couldn't really connect with the characters. I'm not saying it wasn't good, but it just did not stand out as phenomenal to me.

I love a small town narrative story and I thought this one was excellent. The setting is superb and the story, not a whodunit but a race against time to stop yet more loss, is cleverly plotted and full of deeply drawn characters of the morally ambiguous kind. This looked to be a thriller and the title sounded like one as well. If one goes into this book expecting that, one will be disappointed. So, kids Jesse and Jenny break into old man Emmett Burrs house intent on stealing some narcotics. What they didn’t expect is for Emmett to be home when they did it. This is when it gets crazy. Emmett seems like a harmless old man however, he has many secrets buried in his basement and he is determined to keep them hidden. Simultaneously, Ben Packard is a friend of the family of one of the missing teens and is put in charge of the investigation. Sheriff Packard is an engaging character who is relatable and focused, dealing with loss of his own in more than one way. He also manages to avoid all cliche which is a huge plus

I don’t want to give too much away but I thought it was an interesting read. I liked the different perspectives of the characters and I was fully invested in the deputy finding the missing teens.