To be 100% honest, I’ve put off this review because I don’t know how I feel about this book.

You know within the first few chapters that 2 teens are missing and what happened to them. You know Jenny is being held captive. So I kept waiting for some big plot twist. Like Gary or Emmett turned out to be Packard’s missing brother. I guess I was more intrigued on finding out what happened to the brother because the rest was very predictable.

While I did enjoy the majority of the book, and the authors writing style, I expected more out of this book since it was labeled as “Mystery & Thriller”. I’m giving this a 3.5 rounded up, and would definitely read more from this author. I was just disappointed in the ending.

Thank you Net Galley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Joshua Moehling for an ARC copy of this book.

Fast paced and ever so disturbing….a must read!
And There He Kept Her has so much going on within the story!
Secrets, deceit, mystery, supsense and so much more.
A debut novel from author Joshua Moehling that really kept me engaged and intrigued in the storyline. He has written a intense and compelling thriller that kept me reading way late into the night. Hoping this will be part of a series. I want to know about Ben Packard.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and author, Joshua Moehling, for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A wonderfully creepy debut that kept me up and turning pages well into the night. I love the main character acting Sheriff Ben Packard. He is a tortured soul with a mysterious past.
I know after reading this book, I will be looking more closely at the old man living across the street.
I am looking forward to next book in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for gifting me a copy of this book for review.

And There He Kept Her was a suspenseful thriller. I believe this was the authors debut and he did a grand job. Fast paced with nail biting suspense. The whole story was well developed and intriguing. The author kept me involved with each and every character. I saw long stretches of humanity, love and deep rooted evil. I read and listened to this and the audiobook was narrated by Linda Jones. She was a fine choice and I highly recommend this novel.
If you love a solid suspense thriller then you’ll enjoy this one.
Thanks Dreamscape Media and Poison Pen Press via Netgalley.

In this extreme case of wrong place, wrong time a girl ends up a prisoner in the "pink room." Ben Packard, a local detective, must try to find her before it's too late. Mystery and intrigue abound and this book leaves the reader anticipating a follow-up that delves deeper into Packard's life and past experiences.

And There He Kept Her is a beautifully written dark story and shows a very, very promising new author, one I'll be looking forward to reading again. The story is compelling and thrilling, and the reader feels like the investigation is being done in front of him, therefore, it's very easy to understand the plot and what's going on. As the hidden secrets are being revealed and the truth is being exposed my hair started to rise, I'll certainly remember this story for quite a while!
I downloaded a free copy of this book through NetGalley and this is my unbiased review.

3.5 stars rounded down to 3!

A very middle of the road read - I didn't dislike it but I didn't overly enjoy it either. I feel like this one kind of falls into a gray area of genres, it's not necessarily a mystery because you know almost immediately who has done what and where they are, and it's REALLY not a thriller as it is very, very slow paced and did not have any kind of twists or reveals.

The writing was done well and I will definitely pick up more from this author, but this one just didn't really do it for me. I really enjoyed the multiple POV and chapters from the perspective of the captive and her captor, but did not so much enjoy the chapters from the perspective of the sheriffs deputy. Unfortunately though most of the chapters were from the deputy's POV, so this really kind of took me out of the story. Also doesn't help that I'm not a huge fan of police procedurals that are very slow-paced, but that's my own fault for going in more blind so this didn't affect my overall rating.

I've seen high reviews for this one from some of my friends on goodreads, so if the premise sounds good to you and you enjoy slower burn police procedurals where they slowly put together all of the pieces we already know as readers - then give this one a try!

And There He Kept Her” by Joshua Moehling ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Suspense/Police Procedural. Location: The town of Sandy Lake by Lake Redwing in northern Minnesota, USA. Time: Present, April and May.

Minneapolis detective Ben Packer is in a secret relationship with fellow cop Marcus. When Marcus is killed, Ben is devastated. He decides to change his life by moving north to Sandy Lake, the small town where he spent childhood summers. When the local sheriff gets sick, Ben is appointed Acting Deputy Sheriff. One night two teenagers go missing (one of them Ben’s insulin-dependent niece Jenny). Ben promises to find them.

In chapter 1, we learn the teens were attacked by elderly, disabled Emmett Burr at his lakeside home. We also learn Emmet has secrets he will protect at any cost. The danger is escalating, and Jenny’s insulin supply is almost gone. Thus, the storyline centers on: Will Ben find them in time? Who will live? Who will die?

Author Moehling focuses on Ben’s growing relationship with Sandy Lake residents, including his initial decision to keep his personal life hidden. As a gay man and cop, Ben is an anomaly in this conservative, religious, rural town. He keeps to himself, quietly remodeling his house, but small towns know all.

Although this is a police procedural/suspense story about forced imprisonment, the storyline is very character-driven. It switches between Ben’s personal point of view plus his police procedural methods and Emmett’s personal point of view. Main characters are generally well developed, especially Ben. Occasionally, nameless characters who don’t advance the storyline are described when they probably could have been left out.

The book makes it clear that even small town America suffers from drugs, family dysfunction, and violence. Although there are violent and abusive scenes, the character-driven focus makes this a book that can be read by those who don’t like highly graphic thrillers. It’s 4 stars from me, and I hope Ben comes back in a 2nd book. 🌵📚💁🏼‍♀️”
Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press, an imprint of Source Books Inc. for this advance copy.

When two teenagers break into a helpless old mans house late one night, they soon find out that they’ve targeted the wrong man.
After suffering a loss in his life, Ben Packard is the acting sheriff in Sandy Lake, the small town he now calls home. As he heads up the investigation into the missing teens, he must come to grips with the secrets in his own life as he searches for Jesse and Jenny. Will he be able to find them before it’s too late? This was a compelling police procedural that was quite difficult to put down. I’m hoping to see more of Ben Packard in the very near future!

Joshua Moehling…you had me by the end of chapter 1. This read was so very entertaining, with humorous parts interspersed between the dark twisted events occurring in small town America. Sheriff Ben Packard makes such an interesting character that he certainly needs to appear again, seeking the answer to the disappearance of his brother, Nick, many years ago. I loved reading his approach to determining what happened to two teenagers, Jesse and Jenny. Joshua Moehling definitely has a knack for bringing characters to life - even twisted Emmett and Carl. There were so many details that added depth to the main storyline - Jenny’s health issues, tracking Jesse’s phone records, Emmett’s background story, Ben’s background story, prescription drug thefts, a gay porn star, a dead body, several older buried bodies, feuding neighbors, dysfunctional family life… all put together in a well written story that leaves you wanting more.
Loved the alternating points of view and the pacing of the action, but most of all the details that moved this from “telling me” about the characters into “showing me” the characters making them very real and very fascinating, like people that you know and care about.
Please keep writing Joshua Moehling. Many many thanks to Joshua Moehling, Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley for affording me the absolute pleasure of reading an arc of And There He Kept Her as well as introducing me to a new author that I will absolutely look forward to reading in the future.

What appears to be a similar robbery turns into anything but for two teens and the unsuspecting town of Sandy Lake. Ben Packard is the new acting sheriff and has only been in town for 18 month. He came to Sandy Lake after his life in Minneapolis was changed drastically and has been struggling to find his new equilibrium. Now, it’s a race against the clock to find the two missing teams but every question he asks only leads to more questions until finally a break in the case is revealed.

And There He Kept Her is told in dual POV from the perspective of Sheriff Packard and Emmett, the old man victim of the robbery. Packard character is complex and hasn’t been fully explored yet so I have the feeling this is the first book in a series surround Sheriff Packard and the town of Sandy Lake. The story was predictable but the character of Packard keeps the reader engaged wondering about him. A fair warning, this book is dark and disturbing and should not be read by those affected by the triggers.

Thank you @netgalley and publishers for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

And There He Kept Her is not a thriller I would usually pick up, but after seeing so many rave reviews from it from trusted friends I am glad I decided to give it a chance!

It’s great if you like dark gritty thrillers set in small towns with various points of view. This book starts out with a bang, and had me cheering for different characters throughout the book. I loved how it ended. A really strong debut and I look to reading more from @jmoehling in the future!

Thank you to @poisonedpenpress for my copy this one just released this past week!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review of this book. The disappearance of 2 high schoolers sets the stage. Add to that a new cop in a small town who stands in for an ailing sheriff and residents with deep and dark secrets. The book is a quick read and all loose ends are tied up neatly at the end.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of And There He Kept Her by Joshua Moehling.

When two teenagers break into an old man's house, they have no idea what they are getting themselves into, and how hard that man will fight to protect some old secrets that he holds.

Ben Packard is a cop in a small town keeping a big secret. But really what he needs is a fresh start and a lot of distractions. That's exactly what he finds when two teenagers go missing without a trace. But will this case be the one that runs him out of town?

Ooof, this is a doozy, and a lot of fun. I listened to it on a road trip and it had me on the edge of my seat! The character development is complex and very well done. I loved the suspenseful story, without it being overdone or hokey. I liked how human the author kept the characters, even the bad guys. Great read!

I was engrossed in every page from the start because to the superb writing. Each figure was beautifully rendered in hues. The plot moved along at the proper speed, building tension as things began to deteriorate.

It’s hard for me to describe how I felt about this book, but I’m going to do my very best to get through it. Police Officer Ben Packard returned to his small-town home in Sandy Lake to start over fresh. He got a job as a sheriff’s deputy and was immediately thrown into an investigation of two missing teenagers. As Officer Packard slowly begins his investigation, he realizes that his own personal struggles may have to be revealed in order to catch the kidnapper he seeks.

OMG! So, where do I begin. My biggest hurdle to get past was the over saturated detail that was more of a distraction than an aid to push the story forward. The detail was so massive that I had to constantly go back and read what was happening prior because I was so immersed in the detail I couldn’t remember. At the end of the day, I struggled to get through this story. There were key points regarding Officer Packard’s life that I didn’t feel was necessary to reveal. Due to the fact I do not provide spoilers, I can’t say much more without giving away too much.

Overall, the story was professionally written, but that was the problem. It was written too well, as though this author was getting paid by the word versus telling an actual story. There were so much extra things being said that could have been left out. The reader couldn’t do much because the author took care of it for us. That grated on my nerves something awful. I so wanted to enjoy this book, but I found it hard to do.

When two misguided teenagers break into a house in search of some prescription drugs, they figure that the sick old man living there is too fragile to even register their presence. Dumbass move would be an appropriate description here.

In the blink of an eye, they find themselves in the middle of a nightmare and sick doesn’t begin to describe what they blunder upon in that house. Dark and disturbing secrets are to be found in the crevices there.

Full disclosure readers, the thriller part of this story was at times unsavory, but I stuck with it for the complex protagonist at the center of it. Ben is a deputy sheriff who has moved to a small town after a tragedy rocks his world. I love an eerie small-town narrative, rich with furtive behavior and morally ambiguous characters. And it’s in these places where that saying, you never really know your neighbours, comes to life.

Kudos to the author for taking a potentially icky premise and burrowing in just enough to keep the pace moving and not enough to make the squeamish put the book down. Ensuring that the reader was both engrossed and invested.

This was great writing but for me it was a little too dark. Dark and gritty! It reveals all the true evil in the world! You guys that LOVE dark thrillers will want to grab this book! I was on edge the whole time!!
I was shocked this was a debut for author, Joshua Moehling for it was creative writing for sure!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I really want to love this book but sadly I couldn’t.

I found the book was a super slow burn book and I really lost interest once I knew who and what happened to the teenagers. For me it didn’t feel like a page turner I had thought it would have been.

I found the characters lack personality and I just couldn’t like them. However, I did like the perpetrator side more than I did Packard's story only because I found it slightly more interesting.

Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing a digital copy for reviewing purposes.

*Note because of the negative review I will only be posting my review to Goodreads.

This book is a suspenseful thriller that has the reader guessing, a great read from this debut author!
I thoroughly appreciated the depth of detail contained within the storyline. The characters all have an interesting part to play, a reason for being involved and their history is appropriate.
I particularly enjoyed the method of writing that the author chose, the title tells us what happens, the character’s are all revealing where they fit in, but yet there is still suspense and wonder!
There’s definitely a lot of real life issues covered, in a sensitive and caring manner.
Two teenagers are missing, an old man and a town with secrets make up an exciting and thought provoking adventure!
I’m sure that we’ll hear more from Ben Packard and the townspeople he protects, there’s a series waiting to be developed! .

I appreciate the opportunity given by the publisher, NetGalley and the author, to review this book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.