And There He Kept Her
- Downloads：5449
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-06-20 11:21:51
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Joshua Moehling
- ISBN：1666583707
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Carrie
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I only read 25% of this one but just didn’t want to keep going。 All of it up to this point has been dark and depressing and I just did not want to hear any more about the creepy old man。 Sorry， but this “thriller” was not working for me。 My thanks to Net Galley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to read this audiobook copy of And There He Kept Her。
Jessamyn Rasmussen
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3。5
Karen。Books。Cats。Travel。Food。
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And There He Kept Her is not a thriller I would usually pick up， but after seeing so many rave reviews from it from trusted friends I am glad I decided to give it a chance！It’s great if you like dark gritty thrillers set in small towns with various points of view。 This book starts out with a bang， and had me cheering for different characters throughout the book。 I loved how it ended。 A really strong debut and I look to reading more from @jmoehling in the future！Thank you to @poisonedpenpress for And There He Kept Her is not a thriller I would usually pick up， but after seeing so many rave reviews from it from trusted friends I am glad I decided to give it a chance！It’s great if you like dark gritty thrillers set in small towns with various points of view。 This book starts out with a bang， and had me cheering for different characters throughout the book。 I loved how it ended。 A really strong debut and I look to reading more from @jmoehling in the future！Thank you to @poisonedpenpress for my copy this one just released this past week！ 。。。more
Teresa
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Thank you Netgalley for this audio edition of And There He Kept Her by Joshua Moehling。When two teenagers break into an old man's house， they have no idea what they are getting themselves into， and how hard that man will fight to protect some old secrets that he holds。Ben Packard is a cop in a small town keeping a big secret。 But really what he needs is a fresh start and a lot of distractions。 That's exactly what he finds when two teenagers go missing without a trace。 But will this case be the o Thank you Netgalley for this audio edition of And There He Kept Her by Joshua Moehling。When two teenagers break into an old man's house， they have no idea what they are getting themselves into， and how hard that man will fight to protect some old secrets that he holds。Ben Packard is a cop in a small town keeping a big secret。 But really what he needs is a fresh start and a lot of distractions。 That's exactly what he finds when two teenagers go missing without a trace。 But will this case be the one that runs him out of town？Ooof， this is a doozy， and a lot of fun。 I listened to it on a road trip and it had me on the edge of my seat！ The character development is complex and very well done。 I loved the suspenseful story， without it being overdone or hokey。 I liked how human the author kept the characters， even the bad guys。 Great read！ 。。。more
Libros2Read
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This book had some serious creepy moments that had me pausing before continuing。 I seriously enjoyed the idea of a retired old man who has gotten away with so much having it all on the line because of a break in。Though this is just one of the main storylines we follow， I found myself with unanswered questions about this man’s background and hoping for flashbacks when it came to this past he doesn’t want exposed。 Emmett Burr was still a very fun and creepy villain but he’s not counting on this th This book had some serious creepy moments that had me pausing before continuing。 I seriously enjoyed the idea of a retired old man who has gotten away with so much having it all on the line because of a break in。Though this is just one of the main storylines we follow， I found myself with unanswered questions about this man’s background and hoping for flashbacks when it came to this past he doesn’t want exposed。 Emmett Burr was still a very fun and creepy villain but he’s not counting on this thief being brave， smart and even charming when needed to survive。We also follow Ben Packard， new sheriff deputy back in town。 I honestly thought his story had a very slow start but I think it worked very well。 He was written in such a way I found myself believing he existed and that I would know more about him in more books to come。 （A series， please？） To not give away too much about his life before moving here， I think his character is a very important one to have and hopefully someone we see more of。Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook。 Will for sure keep an eye out for future Joshua Moehling books！ 。。。more
Cj Reads Reviews
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I really want to love this book but sadly I couldn’t。 I found the book was a super slow burn book and I really lost interest once I knew who and what happened to the teenagers。 For me it didn’t feel like a page turner I had thought it would have been。 I found the characters lack personality and I just couldn’t like them。 However， I did like the perpetrator side more than I did Packard's story only because I found it slightly more interesting。 Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for provid I really want to love this book but sadly I couldn’t。 I found the book was a super slow burn book and I really lost interest once I knew who and what happened to the teenagers。 For me it didn’t feel like a page turner I had thought it would have been。 I found the characters lack personality and I just couldn’t like them。 However， I did like the perpetrator side more than I did Packard's story only because I found it slightly more interesting。 Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing a digital copy for reviewing purposes。 。。。more
Vikki Bullock
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This book is a suspenseful thriller that has the reader guessing， a great read from this debut author！I thoroughly appreciated the depth of detail contained within the storyline。 The characters all have an interesting part to play， a reason for being involved and their history is appropriate。I particularly enjoyed the method of writing that the author chose， the title tells us what happens， the character’s are all revealing where they fit in， but yet there is still suspense and wonder！ There’s d This book is a suspenseful thriller that has the reader guessing， a great read from this debut author！I thoroughly appreciated the depth of detail contained within the storyline。 The characters all have an interesting part to play， a reason for being involved and their history is appropriate。I particularly enjoyed the method of writing that the author chose， the title tells us what happens， the character’s are all revealing where they fit in， but yet there is still suspense and wonder！ There’s definitely a lot of real life issues covered， in a sensitive and caring manner。 Two teenagers are missing， an old man and a town with secrets make up an exciting and thought provoking adventure！I’m sure that we’ll hear more from Ben Packard and the townspeople he protects， there’s a series waiting to be developed！ 。I appreciate the opportunity given by the publisher， NetGalley and the author， to review this book。I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more
Casey Gale
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️And There He Kept Her @jmoehling DEBUT NOVEL 📖“…no one is happy not being themselves…”Ben Packard is my new favorite cop。 An edgy mystery with two missing teenagers that lead to other tragedies in this small town debut thriller。 Well written with an ending that reveals the darkness in society and the lengths humans will go to indulge their evil tendencies。 Look forward to following Ben Packard again on his next case， hopefully in book two where he is out， proud and keeping peace in Sandy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️And There He Kept Her @jmoehling DEBUT NOVEL 📖“…no one is happy not being themselves…”Ben Packard is my new favorite cop。 An edgy mystery with two missing teenagers that lead to other tragedies in this small town debut thriller。 Well written with an ending that reveals the darkness in society and the lengths humans will go to indulge their evil tendencies。 Look forward to following Ben Packard again on his next case， hopefully in book two where he is out， proud and keeping peace in Sandy Lake。 。。。more
Bookreporter。com Mystery & Thriller
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Teenager Jesse Crawford got a lot more than he bargained for when he broke into the old man’s house in search of prescription drugs。 He came across a horrific scene that didn’t make sense --- a room that resembled a cage。 When he found his teen partner in crime， Jenny Wheeler， he urged her to leave with him。 However， they were not able to get past the fat naked man with the shotgun pointed at them。 This is the weapon that would then fire and take Jesse’s life， leaving Jenny in the clutches of a Teenager Jesse Crawford got a lot more than he bargained for when he broke into the old man’s house in search of prescription drugs。 He came across a horrific scene that didn’t make sense --- a room that resembled a cage。 When he found his teen partner in crime， Jenny Wheeler， he urged her to leave with him。 However， they were not able to get past the fat naked man with the shotgun pointed at them。 This is the weapon that would then fire and take Jesse’s life， leaving Jenny in the clutches of a human monster， for they had chosen the wrong house that evening。Thus begins the intense thriller debut of Joshua Moehling。 In AND THERE HE KEPT HER， there is no black or white， just shades of gray。 That is to say， each character is filled with his or her own corruptions and complexities， making for a dark and challenging read。 Detective Ben Packard has had to step up as acting sheriff of Sandy Lake as the current sheriff is battling cancer。 Packard has his own baggage， having left the big city P。D。 under suspicious circumstances that may have involved his sexual orientation and caused him to return to the small Minnesota town where he tragically lost his older brother decades earlier。 He is now tasked with finding the two teens without having much evidence to go on。Jenny's captor， the creepy Emmett Burr， has abducted and killed many other young women。 He is a truly reprehensible character who blames his ex-wife for the way he is， even though we learn that he was always a lecherous type。 Any sympathy that could have been felt for him as a victim of theft is instantly removed once his personal history is revealed。Emmett has just one friend， if you could call him that --- a guy named Carl， who joins him in molesting and torturing his female victims and helps dump bodies from time to time。 They need to get rid of Jesse’s corpse and vehicle， which Carl agrees to do only if Emmett then turns Jenny over to him。 Emmett agrees， so they stuff Jesse into the trunk of his own car。 Carl uses a wrecker tow-truck from his work at the garage to bring the vehicle to the quarry where they plan to dump it。 Let’s just say that this scene gets pretty out of hand。Packard， meanwhile， is running a tight investigation。 Even though things might not be moving fast enough for the families of the missing teens， he is methodically covering ground the right way。 Ultimately it will put him on a collision course with Emmett in a finale that is worth the price of admission。Joshua Moehling has created realistic， extraordinarily complex characters who are not immediately likable。 Perhaps more impressively， though， he addresses issues that are sweeping our nation， like the massive opioid crisis， which serve as an undercurrent throughout the novel like a shark preparing to strike。 This is dark， gritty writing at its finest， and I look forward to reading more from him。Reviewed by Ray Palen 。。。more
Kimberley A
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Quick read。 Good thriller…was surprised to find out it was author’s first book。 Impressive！！ Lots of different scenarios leading to a great ending。
Stephanie
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Solid thriller read， the first in a series with a sheriff in a small town。 The sheriff， Ben， is an interesting character who you root for and want to find out more about his backstory and his missing brother。 The mystery in this book deals with two teenagers who break into the house of a seemingly helpless old man who has terrible secrets and they have to deal with the consequences。 Diverse set of characters， creepy villains， and a good ending but do note that this is a slow burn read。 Solid 4 s Solid thriller read， the first in a series with a sheriff in a small town。 The sheriff， Ben， is an interesting character who you root for and want to find out more about his backstory and his missing brother。 The mystery in this book deals with two teenagers who break into the house of a seemingly helpless old man who has terrible secrets and they have to deal with the consequences。 Diverse set of characters， creepy villains， and a good ending but do note that this is a slow burn read。 Solid 4 star read。Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley For an advance copy in exchange for an unbiased review。 。。。more
Kaitlyn Young
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When two teenagers break into an older man's house looking for prescription drugs， they are surprised at how a simple burglary turns into a crazy nightmare。 The older man， Emmett Burr has been hiding his past secrets in his basement where the two teenagers stumble into。 Former police officer， now detective， Ben Packard is put in charge of locating the missing teenagers。 Thoughts: I didn't love the book， but I didn't hate it。 It was overall a very average read。 The only character I enjoyed was Be When two teenagers break into an older man's house looking for prescription drugs， they are surprised at how a simple burglary turns into a crazy nightmare。 The older man， Emmett Burr has been hiding his past secrets in his basement where the two teenagers stumble into。 Former police officer， now detective， Ben Packard is put in charge of locating the missing teenagers。 Thoughts: I didn't love the book， but I didn't hate it。 It was overall a very average read。 The only character I enjoyed was Ben Packard。 He carries a lot of baggage and I feel that the author did an excellent job of conveying his internal struggles。 I do wish the book had a twist or more suspense of some sort。 From the very first page， you know just about everything that is going to happen。 It didn't have me on the edge of my seat or leave me feeling like I just HAD to read one more chapter。 I could see the author turning this into a series with the detective， which I would be willing to try another one of his books。 Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Press Pen for a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Vicky
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Creepy story with lots of twists & turns。Thank you Poison Pen Press for this ARC。Published now for all my friends who love a good thriller story， and great summer reading。
Jill
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This will be a brief review because this plot didn't connect for me， so I'll try to neutrally give feedback on the writing。 The premise of the book is strong and I was intrigued by the concept。 The beginning is a quick start and I was invested right away。 After that though， it began to move much slower and I just couldn't get into it。 In fairness， I read a lot of thrillers and mysteries and if something feels a bit familiar or slow to me， it might not to someone who is more casually reading in t This will be a brief review because this plot didn't connect for me， so I'll try to neutrally give feedback on the writing。 The premise of the book is strong and I was intrigued by the concept。 The beginning is a quick start and I was invested right away。 After that though， it began to move much slower and I just couldn't get into it。 In fairness， I read a lot of thrillers and mysteries and if something feels a bit familiar or slow to me， it might not to someone who is more casually reading in this genre。 Overall， it's a well-written book and the right length - what holds it at a liked not loved is the slower pace and somewhat predictable turns。I am grateful to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the chance to listen to an advanced copy of this book。 。。。more
Tammy Calhoun
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Ok so i wasn't sure if i even liked this story or if i should keep going but i did and it turned out really good！ Im glad i kept going。 I loved the ending too！ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ They thought he was a helpless old man。 They were wrong。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 k Ok so i wasn't sure if i even liked this story or if i should keep going but i did and it turned out really good！ Im glad i kept going。 I loved the ending too！ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ They thought he was a helpless old man。 They were wrong。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。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。Thank you Net Galley for my copy for my honest review。 。。。more
Steven Zacharius
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Teriffic debut thriller about a gay cop in a small town who is searching for two missing kids in a drug related case that uncovers a lot more than he was looking for。 Characters were very good and it was loaded with suspense。
Andi
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I received a preview of this book from NetGalley。 This was just an average mystery about 2 missing teenagers and a towns drug crisis。 While the main character Detective Packard was interesting， overall this book was not really a page turner。 No big twists or reveals。 We know from the start where the missing kids are so it’s just following along as the cop connects the dots。 It was decently written but as a thriller it kind of falls flat。
Diane
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Harmless old man？ I don't think so！ This was a somewhat creepy and dark psychological thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat。 Two teens break into a house to steal drugs， and everything spirals from there。 Ben Packard， who has stepped in as sheriff's deputy has a history with the town and his secrets are revealed all while an investigation is going on。 This debut novel is not to be missed if you like crime fiction。 Harmless old man？ I don't think so！ This was a somewhat creepy and dark psychological thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat。 Two teens break into a house to steal drugs， and everything spirals from there。 Ben Packard， who has stepped in as sheriff's deputy has a history with the town and his secrets are revealed all while an investigation is going on。 This debut novel is not to be missed if you like crime fiction。 。。。more
Heather Wood
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The premise reminded me a lot of the movie Don't Breathe and I feel like it was definitely inspired by the film （two teens break into an elderly man's home and come across more than they bargained for）。 However， the book does read more like a police procedural than a horror/thriller with the inclusion of the new sheriff's point of view。 The writing style was very engaging and I did feel like the book was an enjoyable quick read。 The reveals were dark and disturbing and will definitely stay with The premise reminded me a lot of the movie Don't Breathe and I feel like it was definitely inspired by the film （two teens break into an elderly man's home and come across more than they bargained for）。 However， the book does read more like a police procedural than a horror/thriller with the inclusion of the new sheriff's point of view。 The writing style was very engaging and I did feel like the book was an enjoyable quick read。 The reveals were dark and disturbing and will definitely stay with me for a long time。 。。。more
Jennifer
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Okay， so this book has 2 ratings for me。 My personal rating would be 3。5 stars since I'm seasoned in thrillers and I feel like this one was too simplistic for me。 But as a debut novel， it's 5 stars。 This is the perfect book for someone who wants to dip their toes into thrillers without getting too overwhelmed。 Okay， so this book has 2 ratings for me。 My personal rating would be 3。5 stars since I'm seasoned in thrillers and I feel like this one was too simplistic for me。 But as a debut novel， it's 5 stars。 This is the perfect book for someone who wants to dip their toes into thrillers without getting too overwhelmed。 。。。more
Linda McCutcheon
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"They thought he was a helpless old man。 They were wrong。"Oh Lord！ And There He Kept Her by debut author Joshua Modeling begins with the words "4 a。m。" Nothing good really happens at 4 a。m。。 it is also how late I stayed awake reading this book in one night。 From the first page I was hooked and terrified for just about everyone。Teens Jesse and Jenny sneak into old man Emmett's remote lake cabin looking for pain killers。 They figure he's asleep and even if he isn't， he is too large， sick and old t "They thought he was a helpless old man。 They were wrong。"Oh Lord！ And There He Kept Her by debut author Joshua Modeling begins with the words "4 a。m。" Nothing good really happens at 4 a。m。。 it is also how late I stayed awake reading this book in one night。 From the first page I was hooked and terrified for just about everyone。Teens Jesse and Jenny sneak into old man Emmett's remote lake cabin looking for pain killers。 They figure he's asleep and even if he isn't， he is too large， sick and old to chase them。 Boy were they wrong。Not only is Emmett catching them but you see， Emmett has 20 years of secrets to keep hidden。。。at any cost。Deputy Sheriff Ben Packard has a personal reason to find the missing teens and his own hidden secrets。 As he gets close to finding them everyone's truth may be revealed with nowhere to hide。 Oh， and one more thing， Emmett has a friend。。。and he is not as nice as Emmett！I am shocked that this police procedural thriller， maybe horror thriller is a better description， is a debut novel。 It is written with such graphic precise terrifying descriptive prose。 There aren't any excessive words。 No unnecessary moments。 It is a quick sharp ready made scary movie read that kept me reading。。。 until 4 a。m。I received a free copy of the book from the publishers via #netgalley for a fair and honest review。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Shannon
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Meet Ben Packard， the new acting Sheriff in Sandy Lake。 I liked Ben from the moment he was first introduced！ He is no nonsense， down to business， smart， and gay。 I read a lot of mysteries and reading from the perspective of a gay man is a refreshing change in perspective that I thoroughly enjoyed。 Ben works well with the locals and his fellow deputies to solve the mystery of two missing teenagers。 The story line moved along very quickly。 I listened to the audiobook and found I could not listen t Meet Ben Packard， the new acting Sheriff in Sandy Lake。 I liked Ben from the moment he was first introduced！ He is no nonsense， down to business， smart， and gay。 I read a lot of mysteries and reading from the perspective of a gay man is a refreshing change in perspective that I thoroughly enjoyed。 Ben works well with the locals and his fellow deputies to solve the mystery of two missing teenagers。 The story line moved along very quickly。 I listened to the audiobook and found I could not listen to this book fast enough。 We know right away in the story who the bad guy is， so from there it is just watching Ben and his team work through the details in search of the answers。 As the reader I knew where he should look and found myself cheering him on as he moved closer to finding the right answers。 I enjoyed the process and the way the book concluded。 It would be awesome to see another Ben Packard book！ Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook version of this book in exchange for my honest review。 The narrator did a fantastic job with all of the characters。 。。。more
ABookwormWithWine
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Well， now I officially know what an inverted mystery （AKA reverse whodunnit） is thanks to And There He Kept Her by Joshua Moehling。 In this debut novel， you know who the perpetrator is from the very beginning， so really the book is spent watching as the police work and try to find the missing teens。 The bulk of the story is told from either Packard or Emmett's POV， as well as having a couple of random ones thrown in at times。 I really enjoyed this method， and I thought it made the book a mix of Well， now I officially know what an inverted mystery （AKA reverse whodunnit） is thanks to And There He Kept Her by Joshua Moehling。 In this debut novel， you know who the perpetrator is from the very beginning， so really the book is spent watching as the police work and try to find the missing teens。 The bulk of the story is told from either Packard or Emmett's POV， as well as having a couple of random ones thrown in at times。 I really enjoyed this method， and I thought it made the book a mix of both police procedural and suspenseful thriller。 I didn't think there were many twists or turns， but because I loved the execution of the plot， this wasn't an issue for me。 It actually reminded me a bit of Criminal Minds in the way the killers are never a huge surprise， and you usually get to see the killer in action while the team tries to find them。 This could also be a reason why I enjoyed it so much since I love both the idea of and execution of Criminal Minds。I also loved Packard as a character， and I really hope And There He Kept Her is the beginning of a new series with him at its center。 All of the characters felt fully imagined to me， and I liked that there was the inclusion of a dog and some humor as well。 This one isn't overly violent or gory either， so it did feel a little on the tamer side despite the terrible things that the reader is made aware of。 I listened to the audiobook， which was amazing， but also interesting since the viewpoints are almost all men， but it is narrated by Linda Jones who is a woman。 It seems like an odd choice to have a female narrator when there are mostly only male POVs， but her narration was so amazing that I barely even noticed。 So， for that reason， I do highly recommend listening to the audio if you enjoy audiobooks as much as I do。 I couldn't listen to And There He Kept Her fast enough， and it ended up being a huge page-turner for me despite the lack of twists。 Overall， I was really satisfied with this book， and I can't wait to see what Moehling will write next！ 。。。more
David
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A good police procedural and debut novel。 One of the things that I enjoyed with this book is that there is no great "who done it" element。 We know what happened， why it happened， and who did it。 Throughout the novel we learn more of the backstory on characters。 At the same time， we get to follow the police investigation and the leads they have as they pull at the various threads they find hoping to unravel the case before it is too late。There is a dark side to the book that may be unsettling to A good police procedural and debut novel。 One of the things that I enjoyed with this book is that there is no great "who done it" element。 We know what happened， why it happened， and who did it。 Throughout the novel we learn more of the backstory on characters。 At the same time， we get to follow the police investigation and the leads they have as they pull at the various threads they find hoping to unravel the case before it is too late。There is a dark side to the book that may be unsettling to some readers。 Not only do we know what he has currently done， but we learn of his past， and the dark and depraved history he has。 On top of this， the book is set in a small， lake town in rural Minnesota。 As is true with every small town， there is drama within the fabric of a population where everyone knows everyone and all of their business， or at least it feels that way。It was an impressive debut novel。 I look forward to future books from Moehling， and seeing where his writing career is headed。Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me a free e-book to read in exchange for my thoughts。 。。。more
Donna Edwards
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Solid novel， great character work。 Stoked to see more from this author。
Rachel Holmberg
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" Oh， I don't like it or dislike it。 Most of the time， I don't even see it。" This line seems to be a theme for this read。 The characters in this book ring true to me in their Minnesota reserve to not see the problems in front of them but to rather remain stoic in their attitudes to the things around them。 My Grandmother passed in 2011 and my mom had already been living and taking care of her。 Since 2011 not one thing has changed in my Grandma's bedroom。 Shirts and bed clothes still lay where the " Oh， I don't like it or dislike it。 Most of the time， I don't even see it。" This line seems to be a theme for this read。 The characters in this book ring true to me in their Minnesota reserve to not see the problems in front of them but to rather remain stoic in their attitudes to the things around them。 My Grandmother passed in 2011 and my mom had already been living and taking care of her。 Since 2011 not one thing has changed in my Grandma's bedroom。 Shirts and bed clothes still lay where they last were cast off。 Books， Tums and socks are covered in dust as they've yet to have been even pushed aside in 10+ years。 When the character of Gary utters the line above， "I don't even see it"， the undercurrents of this story become suddenly personal。I myself am from Northern Minnesota （and I mean， NORTHERN Minnesota。） So I was bought in the moment Duluth and other small Minnesota towns were named。 The idea that getting to "the cities" meant you escaped the trappings of your small town is an idea that still permeates all high school graduates。 I know I felt like a real adult when I left my family and town behind to work in California for a multi-media company that specialized in encouraging media。 I returned home no less then 5 times over the next 7 years for all different amounts of time and reasons。 It's hard to get away when familiarity is available。 A small scene where the Minnesota Twins are brought up and how they'll be playing Seattle was almost as unnervingly accurate as when he brings up "Sarasota。" It's a small line but， I live in Sarasota， so I'm a bit spooked。 This was all at once thrilling， scary and heartfelt。 Big risks were taken early on and continue in the ways characters who should have no appeal somehow charm you into slightly hoping for a surprise twist to validate your choice to cheer on a seemingly aberrant character。I feel like there is more to the stories in this town and the ending seemed to leave the door open for further books to explore some mysteries left unsolved。 I really enjoyed my time with this book as it brought me to my own life long forgotten since moving to Florida in 2016。 I did struggle a bit in the beginning but the currents of this book kept picking me up and bringing me further down the river of unknowns and secrecies。 Thank you to NetGalley， Sourcebooks and Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced reading copy。 。。。more
Kimberly Hicks
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It’s hard for me to describe how I felt about this book， but I’m going to do my very best to get through it。 Police Officer Ben Packard returned to his small-town home in Sandy Lake to start over fresh。 He got a job as a sheriff’s deputy and was immediately thrown into an investigation of two missing teenagers。 As Officer Packard slowly begins his investigation， he realizes that his own personal struggles may have to be revealed in order to catch the kidnapper he seeks。OMG！ So， where do I begin。 It’s hard for me to describe how I felt about this book， but I’m going to do my very best to get through it。 Police Officer Ben Packard returned to his small-town home in Sandy Lake to start over fresh。 He got a job as a sheriff’s deputy and was immediately thrown into an investigation of two missing teenagers。 As Officer Packard slowly begins his investigation， he realizes that his own personal struggles may have to be revealed in order to catch the kidnapper he seeks。OMG！ So， where do I begin。 My biggest hurdle to get past was the over saturated detail that was more of a distraction than an aid to push the story forward。 The detail was so massive that I had to constantly go back and read what was happening prior because I was so immersed in the detail I couldn’t remember。 At the end of the day， I struggled to get through this story。 There were key points regarding Officer Packard’s life that I didn’t feel was necessary to reveal。 Due to the fact I do not provide spoilers， I can’t say much more without giving away too much。Overall， the story was professionally written， but that was the problem。 It was written too well， as though this author was getting paid by the word versus telling an actual story。 There were so much extra things being said that could have been left out。 The reader couldn’t do much because the author took care of it for us。 That grated on my nerves something awful。 I so wanted to enjoy this book， but I found it hard to do。To read original post， please go to: https://www。thesexynerdrevue。com/2022。。。Thanks。 。。。more
Sandra Hoover
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And There He Kept Her is the well-crafted， debut thriller of author Joshua Moehling。 I was struck by the originality of the story as I started reading - one that puts readers in the head of the villain with his identity revealed from the beginning。 This isn't just another dark， gritty， graphic suspense thriller。 Readers are summoned to ride shotgun from beginning to end， meaning they are privy to all the dirty deeds， secrets and intentions of everyone involved。 So what's left？ A chilling， comple And There He Kept Her is the well-crafted， debut thriller of author Joshua Moehling。 I was struck by the originality of the story as I started reading - one that puts readers in the head of the villain with his identity revealed from the beginning。 This isn't just another dark， gritty， graphic suspense thriller。 Readers are summoned to ride shotgun from beginning to end， meaning they are privy to all the dirty deeds， secrets and intentions of everyone involved。 So what's left？ A chilling， complex plot line that tackles issues like mental illness， teen drug use， sexual abuse and orientation， and kidnapping - all rolled up into a disturbing， shocking thriller。 This story unfolds through the police investigation of acting Sheriff Ben Packer who has returned to his ancestral roots after the murder of his partner。 Many residents of the small town of Sandy Lake， Minn。， don't remember the boy who left， but small town gossip runs rampant so keeping his private life private is out of the question。 He figures they'll accept him and his sexual orientation or they won't。 Either way， he's back with no plans of leaving。 When Ben's cousin's daughter Jenny is identified as one of two missing teenagers， Ben promises his cousin he'll find her。 What he can't promise is if she'll be alive or dead。Jesse takes girlfriend Jenny along for the ride when he breaks into old man Emmet Burr's basement with the goal of stealing prescription drugs。 He's been assured that the broken down， morbidly obese， elderly man will be out like a light for the night。 A bomb wouldn't wake him。 However， when Jenny joins Jesse in the basement just before the upstairs basement door swings open， it's old man Emmett staring down the barrel of a gun with the intruders in his sights。 Definitely， a change in plans。 Readers follow events through the dual points of view of Emmett and Sheriff Packard。 Emmett has decades old secrets buried in the basement that he'll do anything to keep hidden。 All he wants is to be left alone， and yet through no doing of his own， he's forced to deal with these kids。 Again， the fact that as readers we are aware of everything happening turns this thriller into an atypical police procedural of sorts as Sheriff Packard works the case。 An evil， intense atmospheric vibe sets a frantic pace as authorities deal with the lack of clues in a race against time to find the teenagers before it's too late。 During this time， as readers spend more time with Burr， the line between good and evil gets a bit blurry。 Is he a villain？ Victim？ Abuser？ Protector？ Readers will be charged with considering his many deeds， combing through the evidence and rendering a verdict themselves。And There He Kept Her is a chilling， creepy thriller with ominous vibes。 The author does an outstanding job of muddying the line between villain and victim in an attempt to build empathy for Emmett。 The character development in this story is excellent as the story proceeds and more background information surfaces。 Moehling handles social issues such as teen drug， sexual and senior abuse with the respect and attention they deserve。 And There He Kept Her is a dark， dark read and an exceptional debut novel。 I believe the author has potentially laid the groundwork for a series featuring Sheriff Ben Packard。 I， for one， would love to see where his story goes。 Highly recommended to fans of suspense thrillers。*Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for an arc of this book。**Review published in Mystery & Suspense Magazine***Reviewed at Cross My Heart Reviews 。。。more
Nicki
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Oh my， so much evil in a small town。 Even small towns have drug issues。 Two teenagers break into the home of a older guy that needs pain medication to function。 But this is not the first time the same house has been broken into。 And the owner is ready with gun in hand。 As the story unfolds we learn about missing women and a new acting sheriff。 And the story of the teens too。 How do all the random crimes intersect？ Or do they？ The book was interesting to read but a bit scary too。 I live in a smal Oh my， so much evil in a small town。 Even small towns have drug issues。 Two teenagers break into the home of a older guy that needs pain medication to function。 But this is not the first time the same house has been broken into。 And the owner is ready with gun in hand。 As the story unfolds we learn about missing women and a new acting sheriff。 And the story of the teens too。 How do all the random crimes intersect？ Or do they？ The book was interesting to read but a bit scary too。 I live in a small town。。。I read the book on NetGalley 。。。more
David Morgan
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