This is one I went into blind and was absolutely blown away. There are several things going on with in here but each storyline is well developed and resolved satisfactorily. Ben Packard has returned to his small Minnesota town of Sandy Lake looking for a fresh start as a sheriff’s deputy, and he is one of my favorite characters in this book. Emmett Burr has lived a hard life with many secrets and wants to keep it that way. Two teenagers break into a house in search of prescription drugs, and things just fall apart from there.

This was gripping, dark, and quite a page turner. I read it in one sitting because I could not put it down. We are let in on what happens from the start but this in no way takes away from how good this book is, in fact it makes it better. To be able to see the POVs of both sides (Packard and Emmett) is absolutely brilliant, and is so additive to the story. I cannot say enough good about this one, it will most likely be in my top list for the year and you should add it to your TBR for sure.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the digital copy to review.

Moehling is a fantastic storyteller. I was hooked from the very first chapter. There are so many secrets in the town of Sandy Lake. You never know who can be trusted and who can’t Any number of people can be the prime suspect. Who took the teens? Where are they? Just when you think you know, you realize you don’t.

Rating: 3.5 stars
Trigger Warnings: Mentions of Rape, Drug Use, Lack of diabetes medicine, kidnapping, and murder.

And there he kept her is told from alternating points of view of Emmett and Ben.

Ben is the new sheriff/detective in town and is dealing with having lost someone he loved
Emmett is an older man whose house keeps getting broken into and one night he gets tired of it and takes matters into his own hands. This is when everything starts happening. We learn both men's back stories and what has led them to be where they are now.

Overall this story was a lot at times. It’s gruesome it’s raw and it shows the downright worst that people can do. I was not expecting this one to get as dark as it did at times and because of that I did put it down and come back to it later. The last 50% of this book I couldn’t read fast enough once Ben was piecing all the clues together and talking to more people and trying to save the missing teenagers before it was too late. While this is a small town story everyone seems to know everyone to a certain extent but some people have more dark secrets than others.
The ending of this one is one that I was happy with considering all that happened.

I’m very interested to see what the author can come up with next as the ending of this one has the potential to turn into a series following Ben.

I really enjoyed this book! The twists and turns kept you guessing through the story. It was as easy to love Ben Packard as it was to hate Emmett. Glad for a happy ending.

*I received a free copy of this novel from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for my honest review.*

Joshua Moehling's debut thriller is a must read for anyone who likes the thriller and suspense genres! This one kept me on the edge of my seat!

Ben Packard is the interim police chief in a small Minnesota town - a job he doesn't really want, but was forced into. When 2 teenagers go missing, it is reminiscent of past missing cases. Burr is a crotchety old man who has been terrorized and tormented by teenagers breaking into his house and stealing his pills and he is finally fighting back.

And the story unfolds from Ben's point of view and Emmett Burr's point of view. With a mix of how did things get to where are are now.

I can't wait to read the next in the series!

And There He Kept Her by Joshua Moehling is a puzzling thriller about a high school couple who goes missing and a detective who is determined to find them.

I'm not going to lie, I do not tend to pick up many thrillers that have the police procedural trope in them, but I couldn't help but be drawn to this cover and knew I wanted to read it. I had a really fun time! Is it my new favorite thriller? No, but I binged the book in less than 24 hours and was engaged throughout the entirety of it. I loved the rotating POVs and the unsettling parts from Emmett's perspective. Even though we knew who the antagonists were from pretty much the beginning, it was still intriguing to get the full picture and watch the case come to an end.

CW for kidnapping, murder, attempted rape, violence, blood, alcoholism, drugs.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC of And There He Kept Her by Joshua Moehling!

This suspenseful book is full of twists and turns. Really keeps you guessing almost to the end.
When Packard returns to a small town that he has fond memories of growing up, he doesn’t know what is waiting for him. He just wants a fresh start. But when a couple of teens turn up missing, he digs in and tries to untangle the few clues left behind their disappearance.
He can’t focus just on this case, because in a small town with a small force they are spread thin. He has several other cases as fill in sheriff to handle as well.
I have a feeling the end is leading toward another book. Not sure if I will read or not.
I would have rated this higher, but I am getting tired of the gay male themes. I am not a fan and especially when it is not obvious a part of the story. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC. This did not affect the review I am leaving. I try to review every book I read.

Deputy Ben Packard moved back to Sandy Lake to try to start over after a personal loss. When Jesse and Jenny break into an old man's house to steal prescription drugs, the break in becomes a nightmare. The old man, Emmitt has secrets of his own that he will do anything to keep hidden.

This book was a wild ride that you didn't want to get off of. Great characters and great storyline. This book will keep you turning the pages and keep you guessing what will happen next.

I look forward to more from this debut author!

Absolutely a fun read. It was great change a pace and my first read by this author, I’m very impressed and thankful for the opportunity.

Very much enjoyed this read . Two teens choose to rob an old debilitated. man of his medicines but they could not have made a worse decision not knowing what their fate would be . . The author provides intrigue as he provides background for the characters , particularly one teen, Jenny , whose mom and her cousin, Packard , who is the lead in law enforcement, try to solve this puzzle as to what actually happened to the teens . The enjoyable part is the story that leads to their discovery . I definitely recommend this book as a suspense mystery !

I knew I was going to enjoy this one when I requested it and I’m glad I’m right!! AND THERE HE KEPT HER is a start to a crime fiction series. The story is dark and twisted so its not your regular thriller. The protagonist and the antagonist aren’t what you usually see in these type of crime fiction. But you’ll definitely route for the queer sheriff. He is hot, fierce and unapologetic. The best part in crime fiction is to guess the plot and then watch the main character piece all the clues together. Super satisfying.

If you enjoy reading from Louise Penny or even Lars Kepler, check this out. You wouldn’t be disappointed.

Thank you Sourcebooks via Netgalley for the e-arc

Crime fiction is one of my favorite genres. I also love police procedurals. And There He Kept Her is a debut that follows Detective Ben Packard as he puts the clues together to solve the mystery of the missing teens. Overall, a pretty good debut.

One thing I loved is the small town setting. This is one of my favorites to read in mysteries. I also enjoyed the different POVs and the thought process laid out by the author as Detective Packard wades through the murky waters of the townsfolk and their history.

As with some police procedurals, the whodunnit is know from the beginning. I don't mind this at all, but if this is the route the author decides to go, I would hope to be locked in and interested during the entire book. This one was pretty slow and dragged on in some places. It definitely wasn't one I was in a rush to get back to.

However, with that being said, it's a solid debut and looks to be a series. I would definitely read more from this author and recommend this one for fans of this genre. I appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone.

This is a debut novel from Joshua Moehling. It has that small town feel and the characters are well written. I liked the character, Ben Packard - he is the acting police chief who just moved back to his hometown. Two teens are missing and Ben is determined to find them. There is a lot of police procedure as we follow Ben on the search. There is also two truly evil and creepy characters - Emmett and Carl - these guys are extremely high on the nightmarishly disturbing meter! It gives me the yucky sick feeling just thinking about them. Their severe creepiness and some slowness of the plot is the reason for just three stars. It is a pretty good first novel and I will look for more from the author.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this novel!

I had never heard of Joshua Moehling but was very interested to read this book based on the advance praise from some well respected authors. I thought it would be a standard thriller, but I was wrong. The author creates morally complex characters and the storyline takes many unexpected turns.

The book begins with two teenagers breaking into a man's house to steal drugs. The man, Emmett Burr, understandably is upset and the consequences of the home invasion propel the rest of the plot. Ben Packard, the investigator appointed to find the missing teens, has secrets of his own that he is forced to reveal as the leads dry up.

The chapters alternate between Ben and Emmett. The backstory of these characters is gradually revealed throughout the book and allows the reader to more fully understand the motivations behind the actions of both characters. This really allows character depth to develop and allows the reader to understand what has led these men to their current situation.

Overall, this was an excellent debut by Joshua Moehling. The book was intriguing from the start and kept me engaged as it progressed. There were some graphic elements in the novel so it may not be for everyone but I enjoyed the novel very much. I heard that the author may be working on additional books featuring Ben Packard and I am looking forward to reading about his next adventures.

This was a compelling thriller that kept my interest the entire time. I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen. The writing was quick paced and enjoyable.

Interesting but not what I was expecting from the synopsis. Skimmed most of the sheriff perspective, wasn’t very intrigued.

This just didn't do it for me and kind of grossed me out, and I don't gross out easily! I had to give it a pass and I will say that while I finished it, it was out of a sense of duty and not enjoyment.

And There He Kept Her by Joshua Moehling

This was a fast moving cosy. Lots of mystery and murder,even kidnapping. There were v a nut characters, good band bad. I recommend this book.

I was given this ARC to read and review for my honest opinion, my thoughts are my own.
Wow. Just wow on this book. I was hooked within the first couple of pages into this book.
This book is about kids breaking into a older man's home that end up being held captive. The story is told in two views, the detective trying to find the missing kids and the older man that took captive.
I felt like you instantly connected with the detective trying to work thru the case but also you became someone rooting for him while you learned about his past.
The older man digging into his history, I felt like at times he was disgusting and others you felt sorry for him.
Great read and would recommend to anyone to read if wanting a good thriller

I went into this one blind and whew was it fun! I wasn’t quite sure what to expect since I had read the description months prior, but this was a interesting read! A bit disturbing, but very intriguing
! I would recommend this to someone into something a bit darker or ready to read dark themes.