Member Reviews

A small town cop investigates the disappearance of two teens. But this is no case of runaways and the race is on to find them both alive. And there he kept her explores the heinous things people will do for affection, and the different types of monsters that live among us.

Excellent for fans of Jennifer McMahon or Tana French.

This book bordered on horror and had some darker elements to it. If dark mysteries are your thing, I recommend this. It is like Louise Penny-lite, darker content but not as complex of a story.

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I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very dark book, The story was pretty fast paced. There were quite a few characters to keep track of, but they all were important to the plot. Some of the characters were very dark and vulgar. There were a couple that were fun and added a bit of lightness. Overall, a pretty good read.

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Quick, easy read. Very dark but a little trying for my taste. I found myself pitying the antagonist for a bit and almost wishing for a happy outcome for him just to have it immediately spin around and bite me for thinking that way. I felt that way about a lot of the characters, sympathizing and then wondering why I gave them the benefit of the doubt. 3/5 stars

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This was fine. I wanted a little more out of it. It wasn’t the most compelling writing or plot for me.

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Great read! Great mystery about police work, theft, abduction, murder and so much more.

You won’t want to put this one down. I didn’t want to do any house work….just wanted to sit and read this book. Can’t wait to ready more by this author.

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And there he kept her was a great mystery ride. It wasn’t one that you could put down. It is a first book I the series about Ben Packard who returns to his sleepy little town. A teen is missing and because the family needs him he starts to investigate. The trail will lead him to many places where not only is he trying to save the teens life but find himself. Very suspenseful till the end. The characters were memorable, the plot was intense and the writing was well throughout and powerful.

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This was a rough read, but a good one! The bad guys are truly villainous, and the plot is clever with just in time good guys. Great read!

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Thank you NetGalley & Publisher for the opportunity to review!

Okay hold on.

I didn't think I liked thrillers. But this? Excuse me while I head to the thriller aisle and buy every book on the shelf.

Chilly small town suspense vibes all the way. I was SO invested in the characters. And every turn kept me guessing. Will definitely recommend!

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I loved this book. It was an intense thriller. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the book.
I absolutely loved the characters.
Surprisingly it was a real "thinker". I found myself trying to think of the situation from each character's point of view.
I received this galley from NetGalley.

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The title. The cover. I knew I had to read this one.
In a story of bad judgment that leads to nightmare consequences, this book reaches out and grabs your attention. Unfortunately, the pace kind of lagged from there. Still a great read. I’m a sucker for the characters and small town quirkiness.

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A good thriller that will keep you on your toes and is full of twists and thrills. A book that I would recommend.

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I enjoyed Ben Packard's perspective and character as well as a lot of the interactions with his cousin (the mother of the missing girl) and other people in their small town. Due to past trauma and grief, he's retreated from the world and thrown himself into his work, but on some level still wants to reconnect with family and form some new relationships.

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I’m glad I tried this one out. I thought the plot was original and the overall book was super creepy. I read a lot of thrillers and I have to say this one stood out and surprised me. I would go into it knowing nothing!

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When two teenagers break into the home of a seemingly helpless old man in search of prescription pills, the last thing they expect is to be held hostage. The new sherif’s deputy, Ben Packard - who recently moved back to Sandy Lake with his own skeletons in his closet - is on the case. But as the clues start to run dry, he’ll have to face the secrets of this town to so find out what happens before it’s too late.

I feel like I reluctantly enjoyed this book. I didn’t love it, I didn’t hate it. There were elements that were really strong - I really enjoyed the way the author made the reader think so deeply about the complex reality of victims and perpetrators sometimes being intertwined - and parts that I didn’t like as much. I think because so much of the story was focused on Deputy Packard, I wasn’t as interested as I could’ve been. He is an interesting character, and I appreciated that he wasn’t your typical small town cop in many ways. But I think at the end of the day, this was still a cop novel and not a thriller (which is what I was expecting). I’ll likely read the next book just because I’m interested in where the story goes next, but it’s not too high in my tbr.

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Now available in paperback! This suspense mystery offers cleverly written characters and a plot that doesn’t rely on shocking twists or supernatural intervention. When a young couple breaks into an isolated house looking for prescription painkillers, they are caught in the act and the encounter sets off a disturbing chain of events.
The title and cover give away that the young woman is taken prisoner. In a technique similar to Carolyn Kepnes’s You, Moehling writes some of the chapters from the old man’s perspective, to chilling effect. Betrayed by his broken-down body, Emmett Burr moves through the machinations of taking a captive with the bitter efficiency of someone checking off their grocery list. This matter-of-fact delivery helps ratchet up the suspense between these chapters and the ones from the investigators’ perspective as they close in on the missing young woman and her captor.
Police officer Ben Packard has returned to the small Minnesota town in search of a fresh start, and Moehling gradually teases out details of why one might be required. Ben is so likable, and we root for his success in the investigation and in life. The cat-and-mouse format of the book propels the plot along to a satisfying, if not 100% pleasant, conclusion.
It’s hard to believe that this is a debut novel, and readers who want more will be happy to know that the second Ben Packard book is scheduled to be published in August of this year. I’ll be interested to see what’s next for the deputy and for Moehling. 5 out of 5 stars

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Excellent spine chilling novel. The characters are brought to life and keep you constantly thinking about it when you have to set the book down.

I would recomend it to everyone!

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A disturbing story that you can't put down. And There He Kept Her follows the actions of two teenagers who break into a house, one left for dead and the other locked in a hidden room. As law enforcement searches for the teens, the reader is immersed in the small town of Sandy Lake where secrets are everywhere. There is no big mystery as we meet the creepers in the beginning of the story.

From debut author, Moehling delivers a dark thriller told from the POV of the sheriff and the kidnapper. I hope to read more with Sheriff Packard in the future. Thank you Poisoned Pen Press for the complimentary copy of this novel.

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Wow! Great debut for this author and a rare 5 stars from me for a new series. I could not put this one down and was riveted by the story and impressed by the excellent writing. I can't wait for the next one!

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This book was mysterious, thrilling, dark, and just down right enchanting. I could not put it down. Really great character development and I loved the LGBTQ representation in the book. The plot was very well down and I could absolutely was intrigued by the writing. Very well done!

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The plot line of the story kind of started out slow for me. It picked up midway through the book. Will definitely need to check out more titles from this author. I did like the character development and the story overall.

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