Thank you Poisoned Pen Press/Netgalley #partner, for the advanced copy of The Younger Wife in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Published: June 14, 2022
Summary:
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.
Unrelentingly suspenseful and written with a piercing gaze into the dark depths of the human soul, And There He Kept Her is a thrilling page-turner that introduces readers to a complicated new hero and forces us to consider the true nature of evil.
My thoughts:
There is nothing I love more than discovering a debut novel and then finding out it is the start of a new series. To me that is the jackpot! And let me tell you – if the rest of this series is anything like this first book, I’m all in!!!
I love small-town mysteries and I especially love when we get to discover all their secrets and schemes and that is what seems to be at the heart of this new series. But be forewarned – this is an unsettling, creepy read – but what I loved is that you know who did it right from the start. We know that Emmett Burr is our villain – and he just happens to be 70 years old. Why did he do what he did? That is the mystery and that is what makes this book so haunting and chilling.
The other appealing part of this story is the detective, Ben Packard. He has returned to Sandy Lake not necessarily by choice. He definitely has his share of secrets and baggage and while some of that is revealed in this first book, I am definitely looking forward to learning more about him. He is someone that is easy to root for and I have a feeling he will quickly become a favorite character as the series progresses.
This series has gotten off to a great start. This was an addicting, suspenseful read and I cannot wait to get my hands on book 2, which is due out next year!
Books in this series:
- And There He Kept Her
- When the Dead Sleep – due out June 2023
