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!
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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.

WOW! What a great first novel by a debut author. I was hooked from the moment the two youngsters went down the stairs.
This is a deeply disturbing thriller that will keep you wanting more and more.
I loved that the acting Sheriff was a gay man with a past. I thought that was a brilliant addition and really nice to see in the storyline.
The drugs were part of the story but NOT the central part, which is another breath of fresh air.
The location, Northern Minnesota...I am guessing Hibbing, Chisholm, I know the Iron Range was also a great addition to the thriller market.
However, I wanted more detail about how Carl and Emmett met and how they first began their crimes.
I wanted to know more about how Sam was going to hurt Jessies sister.
There was some loose ends that really needed to be cleaned up to make this a SPECTACULAR story.
However, overall you won't be sorry to pick up and read this book.

I really enjoyed this book. While I would say it’s not for the faint of heart or those just transitioning into the thriller genre as it has its graphic moments. It kept it edgy & on my toes.
The character development had you questioning your own beliefs of a real villain. Once an even more “evil” villain is unveiled does it make the other villain good??

Synopsis: Packard is a cop who lost his brother at Sandy Lake years ago, he returns to wash away old wounds just “in time” to be the head sheriff when 2 teens go missing again. It’s up to him to connect the dots in this small town while confronting his own demons of his past & present.

The cover art was stellar & a great depiction for the story. (The major bonus was the corgi!!)

I loved reading this book! I found the writing to be very insightful and interesting. I was intrigued by the premise and I enjoyed reading it from start to finish.

I was immediately dragged in and couldn't put it down. The first few sentences are magnetizing, definitely an amazing recommendation.

Once again we have a decent plot overwhelmed with WOKE issues – none of which have anything to do with the plot.

Also the characters simply don’t make sense. A lot of it is that the characters have been caricatured to the point of disbelief or painted as some sort of zebra changing its stripes. There’s an old curmudgeon who’s retired from producing hard core porn and is now raising rescue dogs in the grandest and cleanest of circumstances. There’s a 400 pound bad guy with multiple health problems who is not only going up and down stairs to his basement, but walking quite a distance up and down hill – or around town, shopping. Then there’s the policewoman who’s barely 5’ tall. And on and on.

It was a good story. I’m sorry I can’t give it a better recommendation.

I thank NetGalley and the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Just finished this book and what a great book.. When two teenagers break into an old mans house looking to steal his prescription drugs they both get more than they bargained for.
When they are both reported missing it is up to Ben Packard to find them.
It is the first time I have read a book from this author and would do so again.

The disappearance of two teens, a sheriff and a desperate mother looking for them. Time is of the utmost importance because one of the teens has diabetes and needs insulin. This book takes you through the twisted thoughts and happenings of a small town and how you don't always know your neighbors.

This book was a refreshing change from everything else has been published lately. It drew me in from the beginning and the multiple view points was actually a refreshing change from other books with multiple view points. After reading this book, I truly hope that Joshua Moehling turns this into a series because it left me wanting more at the end because I need to know if he dives into his brother's unsolved disappearance and I want to know more about him and if he finds true happiness with his dog and his lover.

Ben Packard is the acting sheriff in a small town and is tasked with finding two missing teenagers. With not much evidence to go on, he uses any and all resources within reason to get the job done, while keeping secrets of his own. Flash to Emmett Burr who's house was recently broken into, who took matters into his own hands and defended his property the only way he knew how. Now Emmett also has secrets. Secrets he doesn't want to get out because if anybody knew what he was hiding, he'd be done for. Can these secrets be kept? Can Packard find these missing teens?

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the free copy for an honest review.

Heart stopping and terrifying from the first page. This book has everything one could ever want for a fast paced rollercoaster of a read. Characters you empathize with, ones you are not sure of and some you really hate. All crafted by an amazing author. This book literally gave me chills. The suspense was almost to much at times, I had to keep reading to make sure that this wasn’t the end for one of those characters. The way this crime ties together is nothing short of amazing. The finale is incredibly intense. And yet there is sympathy for the devil here. What a masterpiece.