AND THERE HE KEPT HER
by Joshua Moehling

Don’t let the synopsis fool you- this is a very rugged, masculine thriller.

Most of it feels like spending the day with your local small-town sheriff. A bit like living in his head and be forewarned, he has a lot of strong opinions.

In one pov we’re following Ben as he continues through his day as a sheriff deputy which includes a very personal missing persons case-his cousin and her boyfriend.

In the other pov we’re following Emmett who has more to hide than most. And he’d do anything to keep his secrets buried.

The interweaving of the two stories was intriguing and I wanted to keep listening to get back to the storyline I was most interested in.

Sometimes this back and forth works but unfortunately it was pretty lopsided in this book. Most of the action was in Emmets pov. I wish we could have lived in that pov more.

I also had a lukewarm feeling towards all of the characters. I neither wanted to know more about them but also didn’t really dislike who I was supposed to.

This mixed action and lack of caring led to tepid results and I ended at ⭐️⭐️⭐️ for AND THERE HE KEPT HER.

Thanks to Netgalley and Poised Pen Press, Dreamscape Media for the advanced copies!

Omg! I don’t even know where to begin with this review. It is an awesome thriller with such descriptive writing. You could absolutely see, smell, and feel the details in this novel. I could not put this book down and I want more from this author.
Jesse is breaking into to Emmett Burr’s residence. His girlfriend Jenny was getting impatient waiting for him so she heads inside also. When Emmett hears them he shoots Jesse. Jenny is put in a special room that he had built previously.
Ben Packard had left the twin cities to come to Sandy Lake to be a detective but was the acting sheriff after the sheriff became to ill to work. Ben is very much a loner and quite about his life but Jenny is his cousin’s daughter and he promised he would find her.
I loved how the author incorporated how they were getting the pills to resell. Everything about this book is on the dark thriller side but it is written so you can’t wait to find out more. Best thriller I have read for awhile.

I received this ARC for free from Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Unfortunately I’m in the minority here because this book is getting amazing reviews! it was VERY slow for my liking and I couldn’t connect to any of the characters. I found the plot to be all over the place and there was no twist as you expect in thrillers.

A spine-tingling new thriller series by a debut author! I love having access to both the ebook and audiobook. The narrator is fantastic at gripping the audience with her sinister narrative of the horrifying story.

“He felt like he was staring into the mouth of something that wanted to swallow him.”

Ben Packard temporarily stepped into the position of sheriff in his hometown while his boss is getting Cancer treatments. Sandy Lake is where he spent his childhood but he left after his brother disappeared and didn’t plan on returning. But he needed a fresh start and he hoped this place would provide it. He’s not your typical sheriff and he’s easy to like!

This is a story in a story. Packard is hunting a vicious and depraved killer while looking into his brother’s disappearance. This debut series ends without revealing all the secrets. Will they be revealed in the next book? I hope Mr. Moehling is speedily writing the next book and it will satisfy my curiosity!

Thank you to everyone I tagged for providing this complimentary ARC! All opinions are my own.

#andtherehekepther #joshuamoehling #sourcebooksearlyreads #poisonedpenpress #netgalley #dreamscapeaudio #sourcebooks #earlyreads #psychologicalthriller #depravedkidnapper #murder

And There He Kept Her brings us a small town with a new sheriff. The new sheriff has his own back story (one that I hope is explored more in the future) but he has to figure out the stories behind all of the inhabitants of his town. That’s the thing about small towns, isn’t it? Everyone is supposed to know everything about everyone but then there are always secrets. Living in a small town, I sometimes wish it were more like they are in books.

Anyway, two young people go missing and it is time to see how everyone in town connects to everyone else. I like that the author was not coy with the characters. You now whodunnit. You even know why. That’s not really the issue. The real mystery is figuring out how everyone fits together and lead to the moment we see at the beginning of the book.

Joshua Moehling did this part in a fantastic way. He managed to show us multiple sides to the same people. Yes, many of them are still horrible and parts are hard to read. But the characters feel more fleshed out than simple victim or villain or hero. No one is one thing or easy to put into a small box on your thriller Bingo card. He wrote real characters in really horrible situations. I’m looking forward to what he does next.

And There He Kept Her by Joshua Moeling has so many great reviews all over booksta. Unfortunately, I seem to have an unpopular opinion. I had a hard time with this book. At first, I thought it would be a slow burn but the burn never came into play. The stakes never felt high enough and while I really liked Packard, he wasn’t enough to keep me interested the whole book. It could have been my mood and I know others have loved it, it just wasn’t for me.

4.25 stars/5

I am highly impressed with this debut by Moehling!!! An amazing and impressive thriller book that was a fast paced read for me! This one had it all-it was shocking, disturbing, packed with tension, and gave me all the creepy feels!

I LOVED the MC, Ben Packard! Ben is a gay police officer who is investigating a case of two missing teenagers. This book follows Ben’s journey and his investigation, and it literally kept me up way past my bed time because I could not put it down! This is definitely a character driven book, there is no big twist that is thrown at you, rather you go in knowing what is going on from the beginning. The well developed characters are what make this book what it is—Dark, Intense, and Creepy!

What a thrilling and amazing debut! I am so excited for Moehling’s next book, and hoping that perhaps Ben Packard makes a comeback and the this is turned into a series, because THAT WOULD BE A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!

And There He Kept Her is an intriguing book that begins when two teens are discovered by the owner of the house has broken in and are attempting to steal prescription drugs. Emmett Burr has secrets he's been keeping in his basement for more than two decades, and he'll do everything in his power to keep them.

Ben Packard returns to his hometown of Sandy Lake hoping for a new start. Packard gets a call from his sister that his niece is missing. In spite of being worried, she acts out of character by going to visit a "friend" before calling Ben. Not overly concerned at first, Ben mildly investigates Jenny's whereabouts until her boyfriend is also reported missing and the urgency heightens ton find them before it is too late.

The culprits are revealed early on so trying to figure out who is responsible isn't part of the plot. But their actions from the beginning to end are of more interest as the story evolves.

The characters are a mixed bunch, some are likeable, some are strange and bland, the villains are detestable. All in all it is a worthwhile read with the possibility of sequels as it is revealed Ben's brother has been missing and never found, lots of potential going forward.

The story starts of with a bang but plods along due to the characters blasé responses. However it picks up speed as more teens seem to have secrets as well that lead Ben in the right direction.

A well told story for those that like mysteries that don't follow a script. The mystery wasn't predictable in my opinion. As a result it held my interest curious about what would happen next with Jenny.

Read this if…you are looking for a new police procedural series with complex characters.

When a pair of teenagers break into an old man’s house in the middle of the night, they quickly realize their target isn’t as harmless as they thought. In fact, he’s an inactive serial killer who has a makeshift dungeon in his basement. Their only chance of survival rests with Ben Packard, acting sheriff of Sandy Lake.

Packard is a new transplant to town after recently experiencing the death of his lover in the line of duty. Despite keeping to himself, the arrival of a smart and handsome gay cop has the gossip mill going strong. Packard throws himself into the missing teens’ case and has no idea the investigation is going to lead him right to the door of a serial killer.

I love a good police procedural! I’ve gotten really picky about which detective series I follow, but I’m going to be adding Ben Packard to the list. I found his character to be complex and endearing. Finding a way to merge his sexuality and his profession is a major theme in this book and makes Packard a memorable character.

The case in this one really hooked me from the beginning. The POV bounces back and forth between Packard and the serial killer, which really upped the suspense. I liked how the author made the characters morally gray. I was surprised to find myself empathizing with the bad guy a few times. The pacing does slow down for a bit in the middle, but I find that to be pretty typical with the subgenre. Overall, this is a solid procedural and an impressive debut!

A big thanks to Netgalley, the author, and Poisoned Pen Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for providing me this Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review!]

If I had to choose 1 word to describe Joshua Moehling’s debut novel And There He Kept Her, it would be ‘safe’. The plot was entertaining enough, and the characters were fine, but the whole time I was reading this book, I kept getting this nagging thought in the back of my mind that I have already read a book with this same plot. It’s a decent crime thriller, but nothing about it feels new or exciting in comparison to every other crime thriller.

One upside of And There He Kept Her that does make it stand out against the crowd is it’s queer representation. Detective/Acting Sheriff Ben Packard, the story’s main protagonist, is gay. It is hard to find thrillers with queer representation, so at least this story gives readers another option when looking for them.

For a debut novel I enjoyed this quite a bit and liked the setup of how this could be a new series about Detective and acting Sheriff Ben Packard. He was a solid hero, diverse enough to keep the attention of many, but relatable on many counts. I wouldn't call this a police procedural per se but an inverted detective story as we already know the crime and the perps who committed the crime. What we don't know is the why and the investigation done by the police leading up to the discovery of the victim gives us the why. The pace is on the slow side but I'd rather called it metered than slow. My attention was kept while the hero tried to figure out what happened to the two teens.

Many have described this as dark and violent...I guess the description of the violence is graphic but having read many kidnapping books I did not find this "dark" in comparison...maybe that says more about me than this book, lol.

Ultimately what I enjoyed most wasn't the criminal storyline but the small town setting and character description that went with it. The town has a cast of characters that's charming, intriguing, and I would be interested in getting to know them better as they get to know Ben Packard better as well.

The story got right into everything and I really appreciate the speed in which the events transpired. I love that this is an LGBTQ+ inclusive book (the MC, Ben Packard, being gay). I loved Gary and Cora, their back and forth was funny.

I loved Joshua Moehling's writing as well and look forward to reading more by them!

Even though the crime is revealed in the beginning of the story, this book is an enjoyable journey of small town life in Minnesota with well fleshed out characters and a tragic mystery to solve. I loved Ben Packard, the deputy in charge of solving the case of 2 missing teens, I hope the author brings him back in future stories. Thank you Netgalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press Sourcebooks and Dreamscape Media for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the debut novel by Joshua Moehling, wonderfully narrated by Linda Jones - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Acting Sheriff Ben Packard is back home in small town Sandy Lake, Minnesota, after a devastating personal loss. When his cousin's daughter and her boyfriend go missing, Deputy Packard is determined to find them. The two teens broke into an elderly man's house looking for drugs and met the homeowner, Emmett Burr, who was armed. Now Burr's fighting to keep the secrets found in his basement.

I loved this book - it's one of those stories where the crime happens right away and you go along with the police as they try to solve the case, while learning all the characters' backgrounds along the way. This was a gripping story, expertly written to make you feel contrasting emotions towards the perpetrator while despising the crime. In addition, despite the terrible nature of the crime, the author never made the violence gruesome and over the top, like so many books do. Readers are smart enough to fill in the blanks without it being so blatant. So bravo for a fabulous debut with fingers crossed that this was just the first in a series featuring Ben Packard (and Franklin!).

Ben Packard returns to the small town of Sandy Lake, MN after a personal loss. He is the acting sheriff and most of the calls range from petty squabbles to a bear in a garage until today when two teens are missing.
Emmett Burr lives alone so when two teens break into his house hoping for an easy score, he reaches for his shotgun and kills one of them. Unfortunately for the girl left behind, Emmitt has secrets that means he cannot risk the police coming to his house.
I loved this debut although it took a couple of tries to get engaged with the story but I think it was more me being distracted than the writing. Once I started reading I couldn’t put it down and I look forward to reading more of Ben Packard and I’m not a fan of series. This will be released Tuesday, June 14, 2022 and is a good start to your summer reading list. Thanks to # netgalley and the publisher for the advanced e copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

And There He Kept Her introduces us to the new sheriff in the town of Sandy Lake: Ben Packard , a home town boy.

Ben's family has a tragic history in town with that of his missing brother Nick, presumed drown years ago.

Ben's niece is missing along with her boyfriend and she needs insulin to stay alive.

Ben is tough yet kind, fair yet understanding and he works non stop to find the missing teens.

The book is tense, there are characters that are despicable and those you can help but like.

Great start to a new series and I can not wait to see what adventure Ben will face next: will he resolve his brother's case?

I will be first in line to read Book 2.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Press for a gripping read.

I do love a good police procedural. This one didn't disappoint - from the troubled cop to the history of the past coming up in the case, it was very well done. At the same time, it was just another police procedural, but if you like these, then I'd recommend it!

"They thought he was a helpless old man. They were wrong."

WHEW what an opening chapter. We start And There He Kept Her knowing who the bad guys are and knowing what's happening to our two missing teenagers... but the Sheriff's Department and newly-returned-to-town Sheriff Ben Packard are still trying to figure it out. But we're still left with a handful of questions that make the book increasingly more suspenseful as it goes on. I found myself unable to put this down because I wanted to see how everything would play out. And There He Kept Her is a dark, disturbing, and spectacular debut. 

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC!

Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!

I was excited to get an early copy of this as I saw it listed in my Costco Connection magazine as a book to read this summer! I could not put it down! I thought I knew what was coming next and I was never right! So many twists and connections. Appreciated the different perspectives of Emmett and Packard. Was interesting to see the thought processes of each person and how they ended up connecting people when they really weren't planning on it. You never know what is happening behind closed doors....

A KNOCKOUT! "June Pride Month Book Pick"

"Andy Griffith meets Schitt's Creek in this small rural Minnesota town of Sandy Lake— with wit, grit, long-buried secrets, and a well-developed cast of diverse, colorful characters that will have you drooling for a series. I LOVED IT! Prime for the big or small screen."

A STAR IS BORN! Joshua Moehling, the newest voice in crime fiction, is at the TOP of my favorite author list, and I predict he will be on the bestselling charts for years to come. An author to watch and an impressive debut.

SECRETS DO NOT STAY BURIED FOREVER!

From the dazzling character development, the artful blending of dark humor, suspense —and insights into the dark side of the human psyche, AND THERE HE KEPT HER is a well-crafted knockout psychological crime thriller debut! I cannot wait to see what comes next.

For fans of — A cross between Karin Slaughter/Lisa Gardner, Paul Cleave/Linwood Barclay/Michael Robotham, LGBTQ PJ Vernon/Catherine Ryan Hyde, Janet Evanovich/Sally Hepworth/Kaira Rouda/Kimberly Belle, and Allen Eskens/Heather Gudenkauf/John Hart (all favorites) with a winning Joshua signature style.

Hilariously funny, and hopefully, a new series featuring hunky new Sherriff Ben Packard (LGBTQ) Sandy Lake, MN, and the loveable gay Gary reminds me of Leslie Jordan (a favorite). Also, Gary's neighbor, the Bible preaching Cora with the evil husband, Carl. What a fun banter between Gary and Cora.

Gay, white Ben Packard is a new deputy (acting Sheriff) in the small rural town of Sandy Lake, Minnesota. He also has to contend with a not-so-bright and naive Barney Fife type. He is using the job as a mask to keep a low profile, but being the current Sheriff who has cancer, his role is getting more attention. He wants to keep his personal life his own business.

His former black lover-partner (cop) was killed in the line of duty, and he has been grieving and decided to take this job back in Sandy Lake and put his personal life on hold. He keeps to himself in his personal time, living on the lake and swimming daily. However, he might be ready to start dating again and his new pal, sidekick dog, Franklin named after his grandfather.

However, he is haunted by his brother's death years earlier, and I have a feeling much more to come in future books about this. What happened to Nick?

There is always drama in this small, complex town, and Ben is trying to make peace with an array of drama. Then you have the high school drug dealers stealing the meds of the crazy older folks.

Susan, (cousin of Ben) and mother of Jesse, and upscale restaurant owner— is a bit of an enigma and I think there is more to her backstory. Very intriguing. Then you have the monsters (one may be worse than the other) Emmett and Carl, who have been begrudging allies for years.

Jesse is a teen being blackmailed by Sam, a small-town teen drug dealer in town(wealthy parents and grandson of the sheriff, and threatens his sister if he does not pull off a drug deal. As the book opens, Jesse and his girlfriend, Jessica break into a remote lake house owned by an older man with known prescription drugs.

However, things do not go as planned. Emmett, the crazy owner, is a monster with guns, prescriptions, a prison cell/bondage set up in the basement, and dead bodies in the backyard going back for decades, and he will do anything to keep his dirty secrets. They have no clue.

Jessica has diabetes. If she does not get insulin, she could die. The niece of acting Ben Packard and daughter of Susan—wise, but can she outsmart Emmett and remain alive? A creative, quick thinker, brave, fearless, and tenacious.

THE TWIST: The author brilliantly showcases his talent when he turns the tables: a robbery victim into a retired serial killer, flipping the script from victim to predator. The lines blur between the victim, abuser, and protector.

Sandy Lake is one crazy and complex town. I cannot wait for the next in the series. Get this one on your TBR list! I cannot recommend this book highly enough and the author. This one will be in my Top 10 thrillers of the year and contender for best crime thriller of 2022. Yes, it is that good and then some! The summary description does not do it justice.

A BLENDING of rural small-town underbelly, dark, gritty, cop procedural, LGBTQ. A rural noir crime psychological thriller with loads of sarcasm, suspense, witty humor (which I adore) with lots of heart, entertaining morally complex, and multi-dimensional characters.

UPCOMING INTERVIEW: Stay tuned for an upcoming exciting June 14th Featured #AuthorElevatorSeries Interview with Joshua, where we go behind the scenes of the book and this exciting new talent. You can sign up for my newsletter to have it delivered to your inbox on pub day.

SPECIAL THANKS: To the amazing Mandy Chahal at Poisoned Pen for this fabulous recommendation (you know what I love) for a print and e-book ARC and also NetGalley to read, listen to, enjoy, and review.

I also listened to the audiobook by narrator Linda Jones, which was excellent. She gave an award-winning performance, and I highly recommend it. Thank you, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an audio ARC—You are the best!

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@JuditheDCollins | ##JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: 14 June 2022
My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
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