Ben Packard is a handsome, by the book, police officer who is haunted by the disappearance of his brother. When he loses his sort of boyfriend he moves back to Sandy Lake from the twin cities and is made the acting Sheriff.

Jenny and Jesse are teenagers who break into the wrong house. Emmett is old but he still has a creepy pink room in his basement that locks from the outside.

Ben is determined to find the teens when they go missing and I really like his character. Part thriller and part police procedural this is a dark debut that I very much enjoyed.

Thanks to @netgalley and @poisonedpenpress for the eARC for review!

I found the characters for And There He Kept Her by Joshua Moehling very interesting, a gay policeman, a missing girl with diabetes…and what happens when two kids break into a man’s house to steal his prescription drugs….

Seems there are a lot of secrets for a small town. But, we all know, sooner or later, they will be exposed. In the meantime, some will do anything to protect themselves.

The clock is ticking and time is running out.

I love watching the characters as they walk through the pages, some worse than others. They remind me of how fragile live is. Is everyone either good or bad? I love villains that make me wonder…and we have many to choose from. The whys are intriguing. Nature or nurture seems to come up when dealing with drug addiction, murder, serial killers…

I didn’t take many notes as I read, but I will commend Joshua Moehling for a job well done for his first novel. I look forward to watching him grow and develop his writing. I foresee good things for him.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of And There He Kept Her by Joshua Moehling.

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And There He Kept Her, a debut novel from Joshua Moeling is a suspenseful, dark thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. Think of a cross between Silence of the Lambs meets Stranger Things. I know that makes no sense, but stay with me here...

Two Teenagers break into a house of an elderly man looking for elicit drugs. What they find is Emmett Burr, who is anything but elderly, and all things evil, with secrets to hide. And this is where the story begins.

This book is fast paced, giving the reader a sense that we are competing in a race against time. What adds to this pacing is that we are reading the book from two different points of view:

The first, Ben Packard, the prodigal son returning home to Sandy Lake Minnesota, with his own secrets to hide. He is quickly elevated to acting sheriff. His pressing concern is to locate the two missing teens. This character immediately called to mind, Jim Hopper from Stranger Things.

Next, we see the story from Emmett Burrs perspective, who is portrayed as an overweight , slovenly has been, who can't hold down a job, keep a wife and has no friends, but don't let that fool you, He is evil incarnate, and has decades of secrets buried on his property. This is where the two teenagers find themselves, at the mercy of Emmett, and his one friend, Carl. This entire POV gave Silence of the Lamb vibes, as Emmett and Carls shared secret lies in the basement of the house, in the pink room.

And There He Kept Her is a fat paced, character driven, often violent, dark thriller, and I loved every minute of it! I am hopeful that we will have more from Ben Packard, as I enjoyed his character, his flaws, and all.

Two teenagers in search of drugs break into the wrong house in And There He Kept Her, a taut thriller that had me glued to the pages. In search of a quick score, the teens unknowingly stumble into a house of horrors that quickly escalates in this twisty (and twisted) story, with the author deftly switching character roles, and the reader is caught between hating and rooting for the villain. The plot grabs you right from the opening scene, with a different take on the sheriff tasked with finding the teens, an interesting backstory, and enough tension throughout that completely hooks the reader. The book goes in unexpected directions and keeps getting better as the story unfolds. Definitely a must read! I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Does anyone else have a hard time deciding “what’s next”?

After reading some kick butt books these past couple of weeks I felt like I was in sensory overload . I want to continue this streak that I am on ! Since January 1st I have not read anything less than a 4 star read and not even one “DNF” .

So in order to keep my streak going I need to go with a sure thing, so here we are ...

And There He Kept Her, just looked like a sure thing. I instantly gravitated toward the cover, the synopsis peeked my interest and I got myself all hyped up to get home and start reading. Well, I did not just "start" reading, I started, became addicted, and ended, all in one sitting.

This book is absolutely mesmerizing! I have been seeing it everywhere and knew there must be something special about this one if everyone was obsessing over it and they were not wrong! The people have spoken! This is going to be a book we are all talking about this summer.

Jam packed with deceit, secrets, thrills and of course a major twist!!!

You do not want to miss this one!

TW: Rape, kidnapping

Two teens break into a remote lake home in search of prescription drugs, little do they know they have just entered their worst nightmare. Emmett Burr has kept to himself over the years, for he has secrets, secrets that he can never risk being exposed no matter what the cost. Ben Packard came to Sandy Lake in hopes for a fresh start, as acting sheriff deputy and his own personal ties, he is determined to find the two missing teens. As each day passes by time is running out and the closer Packard gets, the more his own dark past comes to light.

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This was a well-written crime mystery read. The story flowed effortlessly and interesting to read how the events unfold. I would not really characterize this as a thriller, there is no huge plot twist or surprises but does not really need it as this story keeps you on your toes regardless. I really loved Ben’s character and to read of his interactions with a small town that is filled with colorful characters. This is a pretty dark and disturbing read so I would be wary of the trigger warnings. I have a feeling this may be the first in a series as there were some things that were left unsaid and seemed unfinished and overall was a well done debut by the author. For all my crime junkies out there I would def recommend giving this one a go! Thank you so much to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an eARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This title is now available for purchase!

I really enjoyed And There He Kept Her. I absolutely loved the fast paced nature of the book, and how well developed the characters were. I wanted to know what was going to happen next and how everything would tie together so I had a hard time putting the book down. I liked that this is the first book in a series, but that all of my questions for this particular part were answered, but that there was some set up for future novels as well. Joshua Moehling's writing style reminded me somewhat of my favorite suspense author Harlan Coben. It immediately captures your attention and there is humor sprinkled throughout. If you like suspense, you will love And There He Kept Her.

This book will have a grip on you right from the beginning. Packed full of mystery, tragedy, and trauma , Joshua Moehling brilliantly wrote this story that just leaps off it's pages. This is what book lovers want! I love it when I get my hands on a book and get so entranced by what I'm reading that I can see it all play out in my head. I felt like I was right there with Ben Packard. I give a huge round of applause to Joshua Moehling. It's like I was taken on a wild ride that had an outstanding ending.

Joshua Moehling's story will keep you intrigued from start to finish. Though it's hard to thoroughly enjoy reading a story such as this given the context of what happens, the author does a great job in clearly describing events and characters in the story. I gave it 3.5 stars because I felt the back stories were unnecessary for this particularly story and was a little disappointed there was never closure given for the main character's story.

{3.75}

Thank you to @netgalley and @poisonedpenpress for this eARC of Moehling’s debut novel in exchange for my honest review. {Published 6/14!}

This isn’t a typical whodunnit read! We actually know who did it and what happened years ago. And with the current events of two teenagers disappearing and acting sheriff Ben Packard trying to solve the case while dealing with his own personal issues, we wait and read on until the two paths of Ben and the perpetrator cross. What makes it more interesting is the dual POV of both the acting sheriff and the offender. You can expect a locked room mystery as well as a police investigation.

My favorite character is definitely Gary and his sassy, unique self who also runs a dog rescue. 🥹 I also love how both Gary and the MC, Ben Packard are part of the LGBTQ+ community! It’s spoken about a couple times which I thought was pretty cool!

I didn’t rate this 5 stars because I personally found this read could have been a lot darker with more plot twists! Considering the room in the basement that was built for certain occasions. Also, the storyline wasn’t as expected, it didn’t go in the direction I was hoping for. Some not too important lines and parts could have been omitted as well. But overall a good read!

This was a very enjoyable thriller. I couldn’t put it down and I can’t believe that it was a debut novel. There was a lot of twist and turns and suspense. I hope there is more coming by this author.


I received a complimentary copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

And There He Kept Her is Joshua Moehling's debut novel.
Moehling kicks off his tale with a 'grab you by the throat' opening prologue. Two small town Minnesota teens break into the house of a old man. We're not quite sure what they're after, but things definitely don't go as planned....

We then meet new on the job, Acting Sherriff, Ben Packard. He's got ties to the town and his own secrets that he keeps close to his chest. I quite liked Ben as a lead character. He's smart and more than capable. Moehling has given him an interesting personal life as well. The supporting cast gives us a very competent woman deputy and another deputy not so on the ball. The residents of Sandy Cove are eclectic. And truthfully, it's not a town I would want to live in.

Moehling has penned a dark, gritty tale. From the publisher: "They thought he was a helpless old man. They were wrong." There's lots of ways for the book to unfold from that initial premise. As readers, we know what's happened in the basement, even as Ben tries to piece things together. Having the advantage of the two narratives definitely ramps up the tension. (Gentle readers - this one may not be the book for you.)

There's a satisfying ending to And There He Kept Her. But, there's also a door left open for an unanswered question from the past. So, it sounds like there will be another book with Ben Packard - one I would happily pick up.

Looking for prescription drugs to sell, Jenny and Jesse, break into a home of Emmett Burr.
What follows is a nightmare... Emmett Burr has dark secrets that he is willing to protect no matter what! So what starts as a burglary becomes something of a nightmare for everyone involved.

Ben Packard had been hired by Stan Shaw, Sheriff of Sandy Lake as an investigator for the Sandy Lake County Sheriff’s Department, but for the last months, he’d been serving as acting sheriff.

With this book you'll be on the edge of your seat, or couch... from whatever you're sitting on... did not want to put this book down. The writing was very fluid and flowed seamlessly from one scene to the next. You occasionally have to shake yourself and remember who you should be rooting for. I feel that there could be a sequel to this book.
Please note that this book is extremely graphic and contains drug abuse.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for allowing me the opportunity to get an early copy of this novel!

I just can't say enough about this one! Unbelievable that this is a debut! This is a dark, disturbing tale a little reminiscent of Karin Slaughter. I needed a break from the many domestic thrillers I had been reading and this was it! Ben Packard is a former big city cop and now a Deputy Sheriff in in the small Minnesota lake town where he spent his summers growing up. Packard has had a recent personal tragedy in the city and also a past tragedy from Sandy Lake. He takes on the case of 2 missing teenagers, one of which has a family connection, and it all takes off from there. What follows is a town full of secrets, many quirky characters (Gary and Cora, for instance) and a very well characterized lead in Packard. We are aware of what happened to the kids and who the culprit is all along, but we get to see inside his head the entire time and it is fascinating! Unpleasant, but fascinating. I do hope this becomes a series and that the world is ready for a character like Ben Packard. Go into this with an open mind, for sure. You won't be disappointed! I couldn't get enough and raced to the finish!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Joshua Moehling and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC! All opinions are my own.

A gritty, intense, fast-paced, riveting, artful melding of stunning psychological thrills and nail-biting suspense. An edgy mystery full of dark secrets, shocking plot twists and pulse-pounding, palpable tension. A MUST for fans who thrive on superbly-written, unputdownable thrillers!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

Could not put this book down. It was intense, it was thrilling and the reader is engaged from the beginning. The way it was written makes the reader feel strong emotions towards the characters, specially the whole town and you are aware of many things as the story evolves. Thrilling, suspenseful and worth waiting til the end.

I really enjoyed this book. It's a great thriller with lots of plot twists and turns. I didn't figure it out till the reveal.

If you're looking to read a book about kidnapped women and basically a man's descent into true carnage - this is the book for you. Very dark and serious themes surround what felt like a very realistic story?

Parts were so horrifying that you imagine it to come straight out of a true-crime podcast? To that effect, Joshua Moehling's writing accomplished what he set up to do in creating a compelling yet terrifying narrative. Another aspect that was done well was how life in a small town was interlaced with the sinister underbelly that exists almost everywhere. Little things start to pop up all over and you realize in the end the things you've missed!

A few things I didn't like:
- a couple of obvious red herrings
- some of it was more disturbing than I wanted - but I would classify this one as almost 50% horror, 50% thriller

Two teenagers go missing and Ben Packards cousin asks for his help finding her daughter. It's already known who has the kids and what happened to them, but I enjoyed reading it from the other perspectives and realizing all the pieces that fit together for this to transgress. Some of the middle was a bit slow, but overall was a good book.

This was so much more than I thought I was going to get. The characters were all so complete and fully formed, even the ones you’re not rooting for. Each individual was so interesting.

This is about two teenagers who go missing and upon their disappearance, we learn what happened to them, and what led up to not only what happened to them but what happened before and after.

There are twists and turns and a whole lot I wasn’t bargaining for. This book had its unsettling moments and those were actually some of my favorites. This book was twisted but seriously so good.