I thought this was going to be more of a mystery/ thriller that I was on the edge of my seat. However, it was more of a police procedural. There was no suspense whatsoever, nor any mystery.

An excellent start to a new detective series. Packard is a guy I instantly fell in love with, he's got a history that makes hum hugely mysterious. The plot was quick, pacy and full of wtf moments. The ending lends itself to lots of possibilities for the next installment. Top notch.

This is a new to me author and I have to say I am looking forward to reading more by this author! I loved this book

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this e-ARC of And There He Kept Her.

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me.

What a thrilling debut!! I thought the book was exhilarating, thrilling and just a great read overall. I hope the author continues to stick with this main character in the next book, as I feel that this is just the very beginning of the journey.

Great debut, and will be watching for the next one!

Wow just awesome twist and turns. I can't wait for the next book.... ok I really hope there is a book 2.

And There He Kept Her by Joshua Moehling is the first in the Ben Packard police procedural series. 

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Poisoned Pen Press and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


Series Information:
Ben Packard moved to the small town of  Sandy Lake Minnesota to forget the loss of his boyfriend Marcus.   He had good memories of the area, until his brother Nick went missing in the lake, so he thought it was a good place to start fresh.  He hasn't let anyone know he is gay, nor has he let them know his previous ties to the area.   He's now Acting Sheriff while his boss goes through chemo.



My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
High school students Jesse Crawford and his girlfriend Jenny Wheeler break into an old home on the lake looking for prescription drugs.  The owner, an old man named Emmett Burr catches them, and uses an old bedroom in the basement for containment.  It's not the first time he's had a girl in there. But things are rather more complicated this time.

Acting Sheriff Ben Packard is heading the investigation into the missing teens.  Jenny is actually his cousin's daughter, so things are tense.



My Opinions:
For the first in a series, this was quite good, and left enough mystery at the end to make you want to see what happens next in Ben's life.  Ben is an interesting character, with enough secrets of his own which are slowly coming to light.

The plot was quite good, and the story was told through both Ben's and Emmett's perspectives, which made it interesting. I think Ben is going to continue to be a great protagonist.  Emmett, although the perpetrator, was quite interesting. He showed as much compassion as he did vindictiveness.  It made his actions somewhat unpredictable. Even the teenagers were not perfect, which somehow made the story more real.

Although there weren't a lot of twists (we knew up-front the identity of the bad guys), there was still enough going on to keep the reader's interest.  It was a rather dark read.

Overall, the writing was good, and I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

This one I rated 3 stars but I it left me torn - I enjoyed it more than a 3 star rating but the plot I felt was 3 stars. It was gripping and kept me turning pages but the ending was predictable. There were no twists or shocking turns that left me gasping - I think that’s why I couldn’t rate it more then 3 stars. The one thing I loved most was Joshua Moehling’s ability to create characters with depth and weave in some light hearted moments into what is at its core a dark and disturbing story. The story is well written, engaging and told in third person with multiple points of view which I always find interesting. I would recommend this book to others, however, I feel in order for me to give it a 4+ star rating I needed a twist.

Two teenagers looking for free drugs get more than they bargained. Slipping into a house they think is empty they are confronted and one of the teens die the other is captive. A mother enlists the help of a relative to find her missing daughter being held by two violent men. The story switches between the hunt for the girl and sheriff looking for her.

And There He Kept Her by Joshua Moehling was pretty unputdownable for me! Edge of my seat and high anxiety throughout! So two teenagers, Jesse and Jenny, break into a house looking for prescription drugs but the house is occupied by Emmett who has some pretty dark secrets he's hiding! Ben Packard is the sheriff who is desperately trying to find the girls even though he's got secrets of his own. I really couldn't put this one down and highly recommend it if you're in the mood for a suspenseful thriller!

A beautifully written book. Really enjoyed reading this. Thanks to publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read.

Page-turning Thriller about two teens who go missing and the cop determined to find them, especially since one is the daughter of his cousin. Kept me engaged from beginning to end!

Ben Packard is the temporary sheriff in a small town where he spent summers as a kid. His brother disappeared when he was a tween and he is still haunted. His cousin lives in the town and when her daughter, Jenny, goes missing, she calls Ben first.

Jenny's boyfriend Jesse is a bit of a petty thief but quickly got in over his head when he broke into the wrong man's basement. Unfortunately, Jenny was with him. Now Ben needs to find Jenny and save her before she it's too late.

This book felt like it was taken from a headline, good writing, fast pace, interesting characters who a reader will care about - the good ones that is. I really enjoyed the book.

This was clever! Twisty and a ride and a half, This was my first by this author and won't be my last! It was twisty enough to keep me wanting more . Fantastic Read! 3.5 stars

When two teenagers break into Emmett Burr’s home they don’t realize this may be the biggest mistake they’ve ever made. Emmett has secrets that he will do anything to protect. Acting Sheriff Ben Packard is “new” to Sandy Lake, the small town he spent his summers in. After leaving the big city in Minneapolis after a tragedy, small town life might be just what Ben needs, but Ben has a secret past that he wants to move on from and start his life per fresh. When Ben’s cousin Sandy comes to him about her missing daughter, he’s determined to find her and not let her disappear like his bother did all those years ago.

This was such a great read. The suspense and race against time kept me wanting to read more. I really like the way the main character Ben Packard was written.. Very well written character that was not stereotypically written. Definitely recommend this read. Thank you NetGalley and The Poisoned Pen for this ARC.

“We all want out of our cages. We all want to be taken home and loved.”

This book felt like part thriller, part mystery and I was really drawn in right away.

Two teens go missing in the middle of the night, with little to no evidence surrounding their disappearance. Unlike most mysteries, we actually learn the villain’s identity early on, and while the town’s Sheriff is trying crack the case in real time, we are left to wonder how one person could become so twisted and evil over the course of their life.

Loved the premise of this one, but the execution fell just a little flat. I really enjoyed Emmett’s chapters, but felt like I was trying to rush myself through Packard’s. I enjoyed the ending though!

Thank you to Netgalley for the e-ARC of this novel to read and review! Better late than never, right?

I love a good dark mystery. This book paced well for me. I found myself creeped out at times. It was perfect and I can’t wait to read more from this author. Well written.

Thank you Netgalley & Poisoned Pen Press for an eARC of And There He Kept Her by Joshua Moehling!

What’s it about?
Two weeks break into a house looking for drugs - and the situation quickly turns into a nightmare. Emmett Burr has been hiding secrets in his basement for more than two decades, and he’ll do anything to keep them. Former police officer Ben Packard has been sent to Sandy Lake for a fresh start. Now he’s leading an investigation into missing teens and finds himself forced to reveal his own secrets while discovering those of the town he now calls home.

A great debut novel by Joshua Moehling. I love a book that gives a creepy, chilling and atmospheric small town vibe, and this one delivers on that. A unique, dark book with dual POVs that will keep you turning the pages - If you’re looking for a fall or winter read, this one will have you hiding under the covers.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

Absolutely yes! I really enjoyed reading this novel. The characters were fun, it held my interest, and provided an escape from reality. I would definitely recommend!