Moehling kicks off his tale with a 'grab you by the throat' opening prologue. Two small town Minnesota teens break into the house of a old man. We're not quite sure what they're after, but things definitely don't go as planned....
We then meet new on the job, Acting Sherriff, Ben Packard. He's got ties to the town and his own secrets that he keeps close to his chest. I quite liked Ben as a lead character. He's smart and more than capable. Moehling has given him an interesting personal life as well. The supporting cast gives us a very competent woman deputy and another deputy not so on the ball. The residents of Sandy Cove are eclectic. And truthfully, it's not a town I would want to live in.
Moehling has penned a dark, gritty tale. From the publisher: "They thought he was a helpless old man. They were wrong." There's lots of ways for the book to unfold from that initial premise. As readers, we know what's happened in the basement, even as Ben tries to piece things together. Having the advantage of the two narratives definitely ramps up the tension. (Gentle readers - this one may not be the book for you.)
There's a satisfying ending to And There He Kept Her. But, there's also a door left open for an unanswered question from the past. So, it sounds like there will be another book with Ben Packard - one I would happily pick up. See for yourself - read an excerpt of And There He Kept Her.
4 comments:
This one popped up as a Goodreads recommendation recently, so I'm happy to read that you enjoyed it!
In other news, the publisher sent me a copy of With Prejudice. I know you didn't love that one, but it looks like I'm going to give it a read after all.
Hmmm...I think I'll try this one if I can get access to it. My smaller town library doesn't get as many books as the 'big town', but I can always buy it. We shall see. Published by the Poisoned Pen Press and that's a big plus in my book. LOL
Sounds interesting but I think i’ll take your warning to heart & avoid this one. Not a fan of dark thrills. Glad you enjoyed this one Luanne!
I thought it was a strong debut Ethan. But definitely 'gritty'. Book mail is the best isn't it!? Now, I will be waiting to see what you think of With Prejudice.
Kay, hope you can find a copy. Does your library do interlibrary loans from other branches/ systems? Poisoned Press is now a part of Source Books now.
Yes, it's pretty dark Icewineanne, which is why I always mention that in my review.
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