3.25⭐
Genre ~ crime
Series ~ Ben Packard #1
Publication date ~ June 14, 2022
Page Count ~ 324
Audio length ~ 9 hours 28 minutes
Narrator ~ Linda Jones
POV ~ dual 3rd
Featuring ~ debut, police procedural, missing teens, drugs, r@pe, torture, abuse, dark

Ben, our police detective, is searching for missing teens, Jesse & Jenny.

It's more geared towards police procedural as there isn't really a mystery of whodunnit or where it's taking place as we have that information all along. And the where is not a great place to be. It's pretty dark and disturbing.

This was a pretty good debut if you can get past the horrible things happening to Jenny. I liked Ben well enough, he was about the only likable character, and his detective skills were great, so I'll probably give the next book a try sometime.

I was able to listen to a copy as well and I thought the narrator did a great job, but why was it not a man since both POV's were from men?

Two teenagers break into an old man's house trying to steal his pills. Unfortunately for them, the old man catches them and holds them hostage at gunpoint.

There's a new sheriff in town, and the now missing girl happens to be his cousin's daughter.

This book isn't one where you have to figure out who did it, you know from the beginning, but there is more to the old man's story than you initially believe. This book was very well written and was one I finished in a day because I couldn't put it down. The characters are all well developed and you feel connected to them with emotion, whether you like or hate them.

There are some disturbing scenes in detail when the teenagers are held captive.

I can't believe this is the author's debut novel. I am glad this became a series, looking forward to reading book 2!

Special thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the digital book in exchange for a candid review.

Really enjoyed this novel. Story was very interesting and engaging. Looking forward to reading more by this author. Highly recommend!

I was absolutely blown away by this book. Deeply disturbing and fast paced. A small town sheriff is investigating the disappearance of his cousins teenage daughter. This book starts with a bang and ends with a bang. I found the main character so like-able and I was very excited to find of this will be a series.

This was a very average read to me. I don't have a ton to say about it either way. I wouldn't recommend this book but I also wouldn't caution a friend from reading it.

I will say this was longer than it needed to be and I felt a complete lack of suspense. I was also not aware this was a set-up for a series and wouldn't have picked this book if I knew that. Just a heads up for anyone who doesn't like series.

Sheriff Ben Packard is newly returned to his hometown, looking for a new start in life, even though this town is filled with bad memories. His cousin’s daughter and her boyfriend go missing, and Ben is racing to find them. This intense book presents Ben with obstacles not only in his job, but his personal life as well. It’s a thriller!
I was given a complimentary copy of this book, but my opinion is entirely my own.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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

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.

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!

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.