Deputy Ben Packard moved back to Sandy Lake to try to start over after a personal loss. When Jesse and Jenny break into an old man's house to steal prescription drugs, the break in becomes a nightmare. The old man, Emmitt has secrets of his own that he will do anything to keep hidden.

This book was a wild ride that you didn't want to get off of. Great characters and great storyline. This book will keep you turning the pages and keep you guessing what will happen next.

I look forward to more from this debut author!

Absolutely a fun read. It was great change a pace and my first read by this author, I’m very impressed and thankful for the opportunity.

Very much enjoyed this read . Two teens choose to rob an old debilitated. man of his medicines but they could not have made a worse decision not knowing what their fate would be . . The author provides intrigue as he provides background for the characters , particularly one teen, Jenny , whose mom and her cousin, Packard , who is the lead in law enforcement, try to solve this puzzle as to what actually happened to the teens . The enjoyable part is the story that leads to their discovery . I definitely recommend this book as a suspense mystery !

I knew I was going to enjoy this one when I requested it and I’m glad I’m right!! AND THERE HE KEPT HER is a start to a crime fiction series. The story is dark and twisted so its not your regular thriller. The protagonist and the antagonist aren’t what you usually see in these type of crime fiction. But you’ll definitely route for the queer sheriff. He is hot, fierce and unapologetic. The best part in crime fiction is to guess the plot and then watch the main character piece all the clues together. Super satisfying.

If you enjoy reading from Louise Penny or even Lars Kepler, check this out. You wouldn’t be disappointed.

Thank you Sourcebooks via Netgalley for the e-arc

Crime fiction is one of my favorite genres. I also love police procedurals. And There He Kept Her is a debut that follows Detective Ben Packard as he puts the clues together to solve the mystery of the missing teens. Overall, a pretty good debut.

One thing I loved is the small town setting. This is one of my favorites to read in mysteries. I also enjoyed the different POVs and the thought process laid out by the author as Detective Packard wades through the murky waters of the townsfolk and their history.

As with some police procedurals, the whodunnit is know from the beginning. I don't mind this at all, but if this is the route the author decides to go, I would hope to be locked in and interested during the entire book. This one was pretty slow and dragged on in some places. It definitely wasn't one I was in a rush to get back to.

However, with that being said, it's a solid debut and looks to be a series. I would definitely read more from this author and recommend this one for fans of this genre. I appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone.

This is a debut novel from Joshua Moehling. It has that small town feel and the characters are well written. I liked the character, Ben Packard - he is the acting police chief who just moved back to his hometown. Two teens are missing and Ben is determined to find them. There is a lot of police procedure as we follow Ben on the search. There is also two truly evil and creepy characters - Emmett and Carl - these guys are extremely high on the nightmarishly disturbing meter! It gives me the yucky sick feeling just thinking about them. Their severe creepiness and some slowness of the plot is the reason for just three stars. It is a pretty good first novel and I will look for more from the author.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this novel!

I had never heard of Joshua Moehling but was very interested to read this book based on the advance praise from some well respected authors. I thought it would be a standard thriller, but I was wrong. The author creates morally complex characters and the storyline takes many unexpected turns.

The book begins with two teenagers breaking into a man's house to steal drugs. The man, Emmett Burr, understandably is upset and the consequences of the home invasion propel the rest of the plot. Ben Packard, the investigator appointed to find the missing teens, has secrets of his own that he is forced to reveal as the leads dry up.

The chapters alternate between Ben and Emmett. The backstory of these characters is gradually revealed throughout the book and allows the reader to more fully understand the motivations behind the actions of both characters. This really allows character depth to develop and allows the reader to understand what has led these men to their current situation.

Overall, this was an excellent debut by Joshua Moehling. The book was intriguing from the start and kept me engaged as it progressed. There were some graphic elements in the novel so it may not be for everyone but I enjoyed the novel very much. I heard that the author may be working on additional books featuring Ben Packard and I am looking forward to reading about his next adventures.

This was a compelling thriller that kept my interest the entire time. I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen. The writing was quick paced and enjoyable.

Interesting but not what I was expecting from the synopsis. Skimmed most of the sheriff perspective, wasn’t very intrigued.

This just didn't do it for me and kind of grossed me out, and I don't gross out easily! I had to give it a pass and I will say that while I finished it, it was out of a sense of duty and not enjoyment.

And There He Kept Her by Joshua Moehling

This was a fast moving cosy. Lots of mystery and murder,even kidnapping. There were v a nut characters, good band bad. I recommend this book.

I was given this ARC to read and review for my honest opinion, my thoughts are my own.
Wow. Just wow on this book. I was hooked within the first couple of pages into this book.
This book is about kids breaking into a older man's home that end up being held captive. The story is told in two views, the detective trying to find the missing kids and the older man that took captive.
I felt like you instantly connected with the detective trying to work thru the case but also you became someone rooting for him while you learned about his past.
The older man digging into his history, I felt like at times he was disgusting and others you felt sorry for him.
Great read and would recommend to anyone to read if wanting a good thriller

I went into this one blind and whew was it fun! I wasn’t quite sure what to expect since I had read the description months prior, but this was a interesting read! A bit disturbing, but very intriguing
! I would recommend this to someone into something a bit darker or ready to read dark themes.

Really good mystery. Lots of interesting characters, both good and bad. Jessie and Jenny, teenage sweethearts, are missing. We know what happened to them because that's how the book opens. Packard, the acting sheriff is doing his best to find them with very few leads. Emmett and Carl are real lowlifes. Cora and Gary are at each other's throats constantly. And Olivia is hilarious. Good entertaining read!

And There He Kept Her by Joshua Moehling is a thriller about two teenagers who break into an old man's house in search of his prescription drugs. But something terrible happens to them while they're in the house. Ben Packard is leading the investigation into the missing teens, and he's running out of time to try to find them. Will he find them in time? And will he be okay with revealing his own secrets? I really enjoyed this book and would love it if the author made a series with sheriff's deputy Packard because he was a very compelling character. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc for the e-arch. This book was solid I like it when I know what is going on but still enjoy the read it kept me entertained until the very end.

Wow, what a great debut book. The descriptive writing was extremely believable. I felt that Emmett was absolutely horrifying, and had a visceral reaction to him. I never quite knew what would happen with the kidnapped girl, and enjoyed how the ending unfolded. Karma was at work. I will continue to read this author if future books are released.

I couldn’t put this book down! All of the characters were both likable and un likable.. I was never sure who I was rooting for. This book is dark! Not for the novice thriller reader, or someone who is easily scared.

This is a wild ride! I really enjoyed everything about this one, it had great characters, an impelling storyline, and lots of suspense!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advanced copy of this novel.

And There He Kept Her begins when two high school students try to burgle a house and are caught by the owner. Unfortunately, the homeowner Emmet Burr had secrets that would prevent him from ever calling for the police so he shoots the boy and locks the young girl up in his cellar. The secrets become obvious because he has a locked room and chains all ready and waiting for her.

The Sheriff is dying of cancer so Assistant Deputy Ben Packard is running the show. He’s a recent resident of Sandy Lake, the small resort town in northern Minnesota. He has history with the town. His grandparents had a lake house and his brother disappeared one night, presumably drowned in the lake. The missing girl is his cousin’s daughter and he promises to find her.

As someone from northern Minnesota, I always look for mysteries that take place there. And There He Kept Her is a fair mystery though it’s not a whodunnit but an open mystery or “howcatchum” though much of how Emmett was caught relied more on Emmett’s bad luck and unreliable partner than Packard’s deduction, though he was on the right track when he connected a local murder to the students’ disappearance.

As to a sense of place, I grew up on a resort lake in northern Minnesota. Sadly, this town really could be anyplace. There was no real sense of being in a specific place. There was the gossip of a small town but there was none of the shared history and the long memories that you will find in a small town. The resort aspect of the population quintupling on weekends is absent as well. There is this strange intimacy during the week that completely disappears on the weekend filled with strangers. There is no real socializing between the weekenders and the residents and Sandy Lake felt more like Anytown than Resort Town.

Still, I like Ben and think there is potential for the series to grow. I like that the teen who was captured was smart and never gave up hope. I think Ben’s “secret” was a bit overplayed as this is Minnesota, not Texas, but it looks like in Book Two, he will be more open about his life.

I received an e-galley of And There He Kept Her from the publisher through NetGalley

And There He Kept Her at Poisoned Press | Sourcebooks

Joshua Moehling