3.5 stars

This book was pretty good. It's been a while since I've read a good thriller and this one certainly was. Something that I found interesting with it is that it's dual POV, with the police officer and the bad guy, so the entire book you know whodunnit. So, it's more a matter of following along with the events and investigation and the suspenseful part comes from wondering how/when the bad guy will be caught.

Though I did enjoy the book, I am pretty over women as victims. I mean, at least there was no sexual violence in this one, which I appreciate, but I still would be happy to at least occasionally have a guy as the victim? Men can be victims of terrible crimes, too.

I initially picked this one up because it's listed as LGBTQ, and having read it I'm not sure how I feel about that labeling. Yes, the policeman protagonist is gay. But thrillers with straight MCs aren't labeled as such. They're just thrillers. And his sexuality didn't really factor into the story at all, it was just information about him. Now, a thriller like Bath Haus I think can rightly be labeled as LGBTQ, because the relationship was the main part of the book. If you took that queerness away, there would be no book. But with And There He Kept Her, they could have taken away Sheriff Ben Packard's queerness and it wouldn't have affected the story at all. I'm certainly not complaining about having a gay sheriff, I am always 100% on board with having queer characters here, there, and everywhere, but I question why this was/is marketed as a queer thriller when it's really not.

Anyway, good thriller, I'll likely watch for any future books by Joshua Moehling.

{3.75}

Thank you to @netgalley and @poisonedpenpress for this eARC of Moehling’s debut novel in exchange for my honest review. {Published 6/14!}

This isn’t a typical whodunnit read! We actually know who did it and what happened years ago. And with the current events of two teenagers disappearing and acting sheriff Ben Packard trying to solve the case while dealing with his own personal issues, we wait and read on until the two paths of Ben and the perpetrator cross. What makes it more interesting is the dual POV of both the acting sheriff and the offender. You can expect a locked room mystery as well as a police investigation.

My favorite character is definitely Gary and his sassy, unique self who also runs a dog rescue. 🥹 I also love how both Gary and the MC, Ben Packard are part of the LGBTQ+ community! It’s spoken about a couple times which I thought was pretty cool!

I didn’t rate this 5 stars because I personally found this read could have been a lot darker with more plot twists! Considering the room in the basement that was built for certain occasions. Also, the storyline wasn’t as expected, it didn’t go in the direction I was hoping for. Some not too important lines and parts could have been omitted as well. But overall a good read!

I really wanted to love this one, the synopsis was so intriguing and the first few chapters had me HOOKED! But unfortunately, I found the rest of the story a bit boring… and super predictable! There could be a few explanations for this:
- I didn’t enjoy the narrator, I found him to be quite one note and emotionless so it made it really hard to connect with the characters, I wish I had read this in a physical format
- The characters themselves were quite stereotypical
- We knew how the mystery would end, and this could just be a personal preference but I think it’s very difficult to execute this storyline well, while still maintaining all of the things people love about thrillers - suspense and unexpected twists and turns!

I do think that the premise of this one was super interesting - it was creepy and had a lot of potential! I look forward to trying more works from Moehling in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This book was creepy and kept me guessing throughout the whole book. The fact that the book take a place in Minnesota was also wonderful as a Minnesotan I loved it and it was fun to hear mentions of places I know. This book was great and gave me chills.

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

I’ll start with saying that I really enjoyed Linda Jones narration of this book. She switched characters seamlessly and was a delight to listen to! The story itself had me hooked from the beginning and I loved that you got to see from the bad guys point of view as well and the detective. Without spoiling anything, I will say that parts of the ending still took me by surprise and I have no doubt that others will also enjoy this book!

If you’ve ever seen Don’t Breathe, this might sound familiar to you: Some teens break into a house only to find that the homeowner wasn’t as helpless as they’d believed him to be.

But that’s where the similarities between And There He Kept Her and that movie end.

This story opens with the break in and then shifts to the fact that these teens are missing. We, as the readers, know exactly what happened to them, but sheriff deputy Ben Packard does not. While we do get more glimpses into the scene of the crime, we mostly follow Packard’s investigation. Despite not having any mystery for the reader to sift through, I felt the story was pretty suspenseful and the pacing was great. The big question is: Will Packard be able to save anyone in time?

This seems to be the introduction to a series, as there are details about a mystery from Packard’s past that remains unresolved. I’d be interested in seeing how the author develops all of that in later books. I enjoyed getting to know this heroic main character and wouldn’t mind spending time with him again.

Although I did feel the book was quite entertaining, part of that entertainment came from how corny it felt at times. This largely stemmed from the cartoonish feel of the villains, although a few other characters felt both over-the-top and one dimensional. Of course, if this continues into a series, there is plenty of time to better develop the townspeople.

Honestly, I liked this. I was going to give it 3.5 stars, which was influenced by my aforementioned issues with the characterizations, but I’m bumping that up to four stars as I write out my thoughts. This book may have been a sugary treat with empty calories, but isn’t that what we all crave sometimes? I think it was just what I needed to distract my brain, especially with certain emotions I’ve been struggling through lately.

I am immensely grateful to Dreamscape Media for my audio review copy through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

CW: Murder, sometimes graphic, attempted and discussed sexual assault, drug overdose, & homophobia.

Shocking, creepy, dark and downright disturbing yet absolutely unputdownable. This was a surprisingly fun and enjoyable audiobook. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC

Privileged to be able to say debut novel, And There He Kept Her by Joshua Moehling is a non-stop thrill ride and, hopefully, the first in a series. I'd never heard of this author, but was loving the book, and am floored this is a first book. Keep writing Joshua!

I requested this book from Netgalley where the tags call it: LGBTQIA | Mystery & Thrillers. I do not like to know too much about a book, so title & cover frequently are all I use to select a reading choice. I went into this only knowing the tags and not the story. This is so much more than the descriptors. Based only on those, I figured it would be YA where the LGBTQIA characters are normally young and coming into their own. This one features a mature adult, law enforcement male working in a midwestern town. Not what I expected and so wonderfully refreshing.

This is a well presented suspense thriller which starts with two teens burglarizing an ailing senior citizen who has a gun and is not afraid to use it. The story then centers on finding the two teens, the sheriff, townspeople and lots of clues. I love a good mystery and this is a winner.

My only criticism is the labeling on Netgalley and here on Goodreads. Yes, Sheriff Ben Packard is gay but this was a straightforward mystery. No graphic sex scenes. Not nearly as smutty as the average romance novel filling shelves. If we must throw the LGBTQIA term onto a mystery book because the main character is gay, then we should be throwing Hetero on books where characters are interested in the opposite sex. Everything about this book was refreshing and I'd read more by this author, and more with these characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to read this ARC in advance of its June 14, 2022 release.

Happy pub day to one of my favorite books this year, and maybe even last year.

There are very few books that I read slowly on purpose - let alone detective novels (I can rarely get into them). I did not want to finish this book, because I loved it so much. I did not want to leave Sandy Lake. I did not want to stop hearing from Packard. I really, truly hope that we will get to meet him again, so that I can continue to experience his personal growth. I cannot recommend this book enough. The audiobook is also stellar, FYI.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5

• disturbing and fast paced
• captivating writing
• great characters -- even the secondary ones are so interesting!

I switched up between reading and listening because I was just devouring this book. And this is a debut, folks! It was a great balance of detective procedural and downright creepy scenes. Our MC is awesome and so easy to root for! Please tell me there is more Packard coming!

🗣️ Thank you to @netgalley, @poisonedpenpress, @dreamscape_media, and @jmoehling for the opportunity to read and review this book via gifted eARC and audiobook! All opinions are honest and my own.

I enjoyed this book - the characters were creepy. The story was engaging. The writing was spectacular - I was literally transported into the town and felt as if I interacted directly with the characters. There are no big twists or jump-out-of-your-chair moments - instead all secrets are revealed early on and we have to wait for all the pieces to come together. The book never felt boring, since the characters and storyline were so engaging.

Told in alternating perspectives - Emmett Burr has secrets kept in his basement that may be revealed when two teenagers break into his house. And Ben Packard, a sheriff who is leading the investigation on the missing teens, despite the family connection and personal tragedy he is recovering from. As the investigation continues, will Emmett and Ben’s personal secrets be revealed?

Happy Pub Day!

Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader copy!

When did Packard moves back to Sunny💕When Ben Packard moves back Sunny Lake, Minnesota he is reeling from losing the person he was closest to in the world. He is ready to make a new start though he has recently been promoted to acting Sheriff because the real sheriff has colon cancer. So when the case comes around with two missing high school kids never in 1 million years does Ben think this will involve the sheriff personally. The missing teenagers or Jenny and Jesse boyfriend and girlfriend but they left their cell phones at home and Packard going from one clue to another is lead to the conclusion not only is it over drugs but his good friend the real sheriff’s grandson Sam may be involved. On the other side of town Maine name Emmett headshot Jesse unlocked Ginny in a pink room in his basement. The room was originally for the cashier at the gas station who Emmett diluted his self into believing would eventually love him if he just took her and locked her in the room for a little while. The only problem is Jenny is diabetic and although she has a pump insert in her stomach she only has enough to last three days. Can Ben get to her in time and what will he tell his cousin Susan if he finds her daughter‘s body and not the high spiritd teenager she saw before she went to bed last night? This book was so good and I logged how they really nailed Minnesotan attitudes and I absolutely love the gallery and love that he could tell Ben was gay even though Ben had motels and kept his business to himself. I thought the ending could’ve been a little stronger but it was still a great twist to a great book. This is real storytelling at its best and I absolutely loved it. I also thought Miss Jones did such an awesome awesome job at narration. And I can only hope she now rates books in my genre in the future. Kudos to you on a five store narration. I was given this book by net Galley and I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any errors as I am blind and dictate my review but all opinions are definitely my own.

Errrmmmm .. unpopular opinion coming in hot!

I went into this one totally blind. The cover looks creepy, the title sounds intense, it’s listed as a thriller. That was more than enough to sell me. I read the synopsis AFTER I finished reading the book and I am just left shaking my head. If you read the synopsis along with only chapter 1 , done , you basically have read the whole story. By only reading the synopsis and chapter 1, you know who the killer is, you know what happened to the teenagers, leaving absolutely no mystery throughout the story, no plot twists, nothing.

I hate to say this but I was beyond bored. The story is more of a detective investigation where nothing is shocking ... because again, we already solved the case in chapter 1 as the reader… 😑

Also there was just so many eye-roll moments … picture this … you are in a small town , a girl gets kidnapped and she is a type 1 insulin dependent diabetic … obviously this girl is going to run out of insulin … so what does the kidnapper do ? Well he just walks in to the pharmacy of course and gets himself some insulin from the pharmacist . 😑 wouldn’t you be a TAD suspicious about this grungy, sweaty, nervous man coming in and asking for insulin and will pay with credit card when it’s literally posted on every block and in the news that A GIRL WHO IS INSULIN DEPENDENT IS MISSING. And since when can you get insulin over the counter with no prescription? Especially in a small town… pull up that customers file .. hey .. you don’t take insulin …smh. After that I just wanted to start skimming. Was totally over it.

I could go on and on about this one, but I think I’ve written enough. Blegh. I don’t recommend. 5 stars for chapter one. 2 stars for the book itself as a whole.

4/5 ⭐️
This was super good! I wasn’t sure about where it was going to go but I’m glad I went into this blind.

It seems like every time I log onto bookstagram someone is raving about And There He Kept Her. So after a serious case of FOMO, I headed to Netgalley to snag a copy for myself to see if this one lived up to all the hype.

My synopsis is going to be very brief because trust me with this one the less you know the better!
Two teenagers Jenny and get the bright idea to break into a house near a remote lake to steal some prescription drugs to sell. What the teenagers didn’t know is that the house is occupied by an old man named Emmett. Emmett will do anything to keep some long-buried secrets from being discovered. So what starts as a burglary becomes something of a nightmare for everyone involved.

Ben Packard, the police officer that is working on finding the missing teens is one of the best fictional characters that I’ve read recently. Packard is such a likable yet complex and dimensional character. But it’s not just Packard, all of the characters in this story were cleverly written. The pacing was perfect and the various settings in this story were very vivid. I couldn’t find anything at all that I didn’t like about this one!

I listened to the audiobook version of And There He Kept Her by Joshua Moehling. The book is read by Linda Jones who did a fantastic job narrating this one! I didn’t realize it until I finished it but this is the author's debut novel. He writes like any seasoned author and I see a very bright future for him.

As I am sure you can tell from the synopsis, certain parts of this book are very disturbing and creepy. I wouldn’t recommend this book to everyone but horror and thriller fans will love this one!

And There He Kept Her by Joshua Moehling will be available in both book and audiobook versions on June 14. A massive thanks to Dreamscape media, Poisoned Pen Press, and Netgalley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

If you are a crime show junkie, this is right up your alley. Two teens go missing and one is a distant cousin of the police deputy who recently moved back to town. I really wish I could share more, but I feel like it would include spoilers and I don't want that!

While the book has LGBTQ+ advertising, it is a very misicule part of the book- most of the realtionships and interactions are not LGBTQ+. This book is more of the account of the story as it as happening- not a solve it as you read mystery/thriller.

3.5/5 stars from me- the middle started the get a little boring and the end felt so rushed. I also felt that there was just something missing from this book to keep it from officially being a page turner until the last 25% of the book. As I mentioned above, it is more of the story being told vs. a true mystery/thriller. Changing that as a descriptive part of the book might have given it a higher rating.

The audio narrators voice was wonderful.

"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 in his basement for more than two decades, and he'll do anything to keep his past from being revealed. As he gets the upper hand on his tormentors, the lines blur between victim, abuser, and protector."

And There He Kept Her is told through the lens of Ben Packard, acting Sheriff in small town Shady Lakes and captor, Emmett Burr. Ben is determined to find missing teens, Jesse and Jenny. While Ben is peeling through the layers to learn what happened, Emmett is racing to cover his tracks.
This story grabbed my attention from the very beginning. From following Ben and Emmett to meeting a fun cast of small town characters, I was completely engaged. The characters were so entertaining that I'm not ready to say good bye to them - fingers crossed this becomes a series.

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 (4.5)

Happy Audiobook Month

Book/Audiobook Review

And There He Kept Her by Joshua Moehling
@JMoehling
Pub Date: June 14, 2022
Read by Linda Jones
8H 53M
4 stars

The Gist

Sandy Lake’s newest sheriff, Ben Packard, is no stranger to the town. His grandparents owned a cabin there where he spent summers with his once close-knit family – until tragedy struck and tore the family apart.

Now, Ben is working through another tragedy and looking for respite from his grief. Especially when two teens go missing - one is his cousin’s daughter.

My Thoughts

This a surprising debut and a new beginning to a series with a colorful cast of characters and a beautifully descriptive narrative! Gripping and compelling, this is a story where the reader already knows who the big bad is but the nail-biting tension as the victim’s life hangs in the balance makes this so difficult to put down. Will Ben figure things out before it’s too late? I love that there’s two mysteries at heart and I look forward to the next book which will hopefully bring closure to Ben’s earlier trauma surrounding his brother.

The talented Linda Jones narrates this story beautifully, bringing the characters to life and moving the story along seamlessly! She is an absolute delight to listen to!

My thanks to @Dreamscape_Media for this gifted ALC

When a narcotic robbery of an elderly man goes wrong, Jesse and Jenny find themselves that the mercy of seemingly helpless Emmett Burr in a dark and desperate tale of survival. Detective Ben Packard, new to the area and bringing an air of mystery himself, is determined to find the two missing teenagers before lives are lost.

This one is difficult to describe as it did not have a lot of gripping scenes or suspenseful twists,, however it was entertaining nonetheless. I think I would attribute that to the author’s writing style, the story building and the character development because, although I was not on the edge of my seat, I still wanted to keep reading to see what happened in the end. I appreciated the imagery, with the vivid dark scenes and descriptions along the way, as it drew me right into the story and alongside Jenny in the fight for her life. And it seems set up for a sequel, which I would definitely read!

I found the narrator to be very fitting to the story, with intonations and voice changes that made it clear who was speaking and enabled a smooth listen.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an ALC in exchange for an honest review. Full review to be posted on my IG @manis.and.manuscripts on Monday 6/13 in honor of pub week.

Thank you to Net Galley and Poisoned Pen Press for letting me listen to an early copy of And There He Kept Her!

I can’t believe that this is Joshua Moehling’s debut! It was so well written, grabbed my attention from the start, and flowed smoothly. I loved how it focused on a small town, with a plethora of characters, that all intertwined together in one way, shape, or form. The thriller aspect kept me listening and not wanting to stop until I would find out if Packard would ever find Jenny.

The narrator was perfect and being that I listen to audiobooks on 2x speed, I could still understand every word clearly and didn’t miss any of the details.

I’m hoping this is either the start of a duology, or standalone series because I need more of Packard and to know what other cases he can solve.