It took some time for me to get into the story, but once I did, I couldn't stop reading. While slightly predictable, I enjoyed the characters and felt like everything moved quickly enough to keep the story flowing. I would recommend!

3.5 ⭐

I usually don't like police protocol stories unless it's Karin Slaughter but my favorite thing is the main character, while the story itself was super creepy/disturbing which is also a thumbs up in my book! I loved the writing as well!

It fell flat for me for the plot but it was still a good read

No huge mystery or twist, but this book is one that keeps you on your toes. It has just enough suspense to keep you reading more and more.

This is a perfect novel for those who enjoy a good story from start to finish, because the entire time something is happening.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC 📖🤍

Ben Packard moves to a small town where he used to summer as a child to become the acting Sheriff and get away from the city where he was a cop. In this town two kids break into a house to commit a robbery and soon go missing. Ben’s niece is one of those kids and he promises his cousin that he will find her. She is kidnapped and held in the basement of Emmet Burrs. This is a dark story, a thriller but not a mystery. Great character development, especially with Ben. You get to know and feel the characters. The writing is very descriptive and makes the story flow. Since the reader knows at the onset what happened, it is more me wondering who was going to live and who was going to die. Really intense!

I found this to be suspenseful enough.

Two teenagers break into the home of an older man with a bunch of health problems, many of them compounded by Emmet’s heavy drinking and terrible diet. He’s sickly, but he can still make terrible decisions.

There is more than one horrible human being in this novel, and I feel like the author tried to downplay the nightmarish behavior of what these people did. With Emmet, he’s in ill health physically and mentally, but he’s not a complete sociopath in that he sort of gets why his behavior is evil.

In terms of pacing, this novel works. Yes, the teenagers made a bad decision, but their punishment far outweighed the crime. I like the acting sheriff Ben Packard, who came to this small town to get away from bad memories. I also liked his interactions with reliable cops and a lazy cop.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES JUNE 14, 2022.

Great book, not at all what I expected when I finished the first chapter. This story makes all the characters relatable, even the bad ones. It gives voice to the evil ones, and you almost, see their point and concerns. This is a great read for someone wanting to find something new to read. I also feel this would be an excellent book for a book club, especially in the fall of the year.

Page turning and distubing, And There He Kept Her is well written. It's a fast read, and hard to put down.

Two missing teenagers, a questionable victim, and the emotionally damaged cop tasked with connecting the dots. I was granted early access via @netgalley and @poisonedpenpress to read and review this book, and while I generally enjoyed it and the plot advanced at a good pace, some moments needed work. I think overall the characters are really strong and enjoyable, especially the main character and “villain,” it is just evident that the storytelling could be more consistent in spots. 3/5 for me. #netgalley

okay hold up what just happened ..i dont even know what to say ..Thank you to the author and his team this book left me speechless and confused also wanting more.I was up all night trying to figure out what was going on .To be honest the writing was captivating ,the characters unbelievable and i cared fro each of them and felt their stories with understanding .Every good thriller has a way of making you want more and this book did more than that .The book was well placed and has a certain rhythm my sister most probably thought am crazy cause i was so stuck on my phone.Those moments i was just like ''what just happened ..no he did not ""Am looking forward to reading more of his books

This is the second book I have read recently that I did not finish. I was interested in this novel because it was set in Minnesota, my home state. The book started out pretty suspenseful and then when it moved into the male homosexual sex scenes, I realized that there was nothing more here that I wanted to continue to pursue.

I am not a big fan of sexual scenes in any book as it is never really required, just a toss in because authors need to try to punch things up. (note: it doesn't) Definitely not a fan of the gay sex and it has nothing to do with the storyline of two missing teenagers.

And There He Kept Her is the ultimate dark mystery thriller. When teenagers Jesse and Jenny disappear in the middle of the night, their parents’ worst nightmare will come to light. Where are they? What happened to them? Did they run away? Are they in trouble? If you are a parent, you know the horrors that can come to mind in such a situation. When the local Sheriff’s department becomes involved, it will be led by no other then Ben Packard, newly appointed acting Sheriff. Packard may be a recent addition to the local force, having left the big city to join the department, but he knows the area well. He used to spend many summers there at his grandparents’ home until his older brother disappeared. Packard will uncover clues that will lead to horrifying results. It will also put to rest some past criminal activities. Though this novel begins as a missing persons investigation, it will blossom into a much larger story touching all the players in this well written story. The detailed plot is very interesting, the descriptions are spot-on, and the suspense is incredible. I felt every emotion and it kept me intrigued from the first page to the last. This may be Joshua Moeling’s first novel, but I do hope to see more from this great storyteller. I do want to read more of Ben Packard. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Ben Packard, after the death of his close friend, moves to small town Minnesota where he becomes an investigator in the Sheriff’s Office. Shortly thereafter the Sheriff becomes seriously ill and Packard, based on his previous experience, is appointed acting Sheriff. A pair of teenagers sneak out of their respective homes in the middle of the night and disappear. Packard begins looking into their absence and comes across murder, drugs, serial killers and kidnapping. Going further into the plot will lead to the kinds of spoilers that will ruin the reading experience. The story is fascinating, the methods of discovery even more so. The characters are winning and complex. I am looking forward to more of Ben Packard and his coming into himself. Thanks to Net Galley and Poisoned Pen Press (Sourcebooks) for an ARC for an honest review.

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

Wow, well what a debut that was. An amazing, thrilling, yet dark story of two teenagers breaking into a home to steal the drugs of an (unknown to them), deranged killer. When one of them is kept prisoner, Sheriff Packard begins his pursuit to find them delving into his own past and that of the town.

This was such an intense read that at times I couldn't decide whether to put it down or keep turning the pages as fast as I could. I absolutely love that this author didn't join the current fad of putting as many twists and turns into this as possible as it's honestly becoming so repetitive with so many books now. This was a brilliantly put together book where you already know who the perpetrator is and you are dying to see what happens next. I can honestly see this becoming a new series with the main character Sheriff Packard as he is such a likeable, intriguing character that you keep rooting for. Kudos to this author for his fabulous debut.

This was such a unique read. We get a dual POV from the antagonist and protagonist, which is a rare narrative to have in books! I thought the characters were really interesting! They each had their own personality and flaws.

However, I did find it odd that the book was characterised as a thriller/mystery/suspense novel, as there were zero elements of those genres. We knew the story from both ends, we know what happened, the plot was predictable and there were no plot twist. It isn’t what I was looking for in a thriller read.

Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Review of Advance Reader’s Edition eBook

When Detective Ben Packard suffered a tragic personal loss and left the Minneapolis Police Department after serving there for some twelve years, he headed to Sandy Lake. As a child, he and his family had spent time in this small town and, although it continued to hold the secret as to what happened to his brother, Nick, more than twenty years ago, it also held some warm memories of time spent here with family. And his cousin, Susan, and her family lived there, too.

With Sheriff Stan Shaw currently undergoing treatment for colon cancer, Packard has assumed his duties as acting sheriff. And now, with Jesse Crawford and Jenny Wheeler missing, the whole department now hunts for the two teens.

Ben will need to unravel the secrets of Sandy Lake if he is to have any hope of bringing Jenny home to her family.

=========

Dark, grim, and compelling, this captivating narrative pulls readers in from the outset and keeps the pages turning at a brisk rate. Well-defined, nuanced characters populate the story; most are relatable and likable. [But a couple of characters are so detestable they redefine evil and are unlikely to elicit even a drop of sympathy from the reader.] The story is character-driven; surprising revelations keep the characters authentic as relationships are revealed and secrets exposed.

The evolving tale is complex and intriguing and, at the same time, sinister and disturbing. Nightmarish events keep the tension high while a strong sense of place anchors the narrative. The small town atmosphere permeates the telling of the tale.

In a twist from the usual mystery, readers know from the beginning exactly what’s happened and who did what, meaning there is no big mystery to unravel, no stunning reveal, no twisting plot to parse out answers or red herrings. Instead, the unfolding story is, for the most part, a police procedural that follows the investigation into the disappearance of the two teens.

The only disappointment here is that, with so much made of the missing brother, Nick, throughout the story, readers are sure to be disappointed that the question of his fate remains unanswered.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley
#AndThereHeKeptHer #NetGalley

“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 his past from being revealed. As he gets the upper hand on his tormentors, the lines blur between victim abuser, and protector.
Personal Tragedy has sent former police officer Ben Packard back to the small Minnesota town of Sandy Lake in search of a fresh start. Now a sheriff’s deputy, Packard is leading the investigation into the missing teens, motivated by a family connection. As clues dry up and time runs out to save them, Packard is forced to reveal his own secrets and dig deep to uncover the dark past of the place he now calls home”

This story was filled with a lot of suspense and a race against time as sheriff Ben Packard is trying to find the missing teens and he gets pulled into a loop hole of drugs, kidnapping and trying to piece together the clues that will lead him to the missing teens.

The characters are well developed and some likable (Gary Bushwright❤️❤️❤️). Some parts of the story take us a little back to Ben’s childhood and this small town and at some point towards the end of the story it seemed like it was coming back around full circle and then it was left alone. Is there a part 2 coming?? 😳😳


Thank you @netgalley @poisonedpenpress and author @jmoehlon for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book is set to publish June 14, 2022

Creepy, disturbing and definitely nightmare worthy! Like they always say, "The daker, the better" (or.. maybe that is just me?)

Two teenagers break into a home with something tragic happens - The owner is HOME and AWAKE. Their charade comes to a quick stop as a shotgun is pointed at them. Without giving too much away, this story has some twists and kept me on the edge of my seat. This book would be perfect in a series, I would love to know more about Detective Ben Packard and what case he will be on next.

I enjoyed all of the detective procedural, there was more "cop-talk" than I initially anticipated, but it was so well written that I enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

There were no huge plot twists, reveals, or earth-shaking announcements in this story, and it still worked well. Interesting main character who was complex and likeable. A pretty well-written debut novel. Recommended.

Thank you Net Galley and the publishers for an ARC of this book for my honest review.
I really enjoyed this book ! It was a page turner for me . It grabs you right away and you go down the rabbit hole with a couple of dark characters !!! I want to read more books by this author. It’s chilling. I would highly recommend.

Loved this book! I can't believe it's his first one. From the first page to the last it kept my interest. I would love to see Detective Packard become a series.