The Hand That Feeds You

by A.J. Rich, Amy Hempel, Jill Ciment

Morgan's life seems to be settled - she is completing her thesis on victim psychology and newly engaged to Bennett, a man more possessive than those she has dated in the past, but also more chivalrous and passionate.

But she returns from class one day to find Bennett savagely killed, and her dogs - a Great Pyrenees, and two pit bulls she was fostering - circling the body, covered in blood. Everything she holds dear in life is taken away from her in an instant.

Devastated and traumatised, Morgan tries to locate Bennett's parents to tell them about their son's death. Only then does she begin to discover layer after layer of deceit. Bennett is not the man she thought he was. And she is not the only woman now in immense danger ...

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Crime

273 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2015

About the author

Amy Hempel is the author of four collections of stories: REASONS TO LIVE, AT THE GATES OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM, TUMBLE HOME, and THE DOG OF THE MARRIAGE. THE COLLECTED STORIES was published in 2006. She has won many awards, including a Guggenheim Fellowship and an inaugural USA Foundation Fellowship, and the PEN/Malamud Award for the Short Story. She teaches writing at the University of Florida and at Bennington College. She is a founding board member of two dog rescue nonprofit organizations: The Deja Foundation (www.dejafoundation.org) and Morgan's Place, a rescue in New Milford, CT.

Jill Ciment was born in Montreal, Canada. She is the author of Small Claims, a collection of short stories and novellas; The Law of Falling Bodies, Teeth of the Dog, The Tattoo Artist, Heroic Measures, and Act of God, novels; and Half a Life, a memoir. She has been awarded a National Endowment for the Arts, a NEA Japan Fellowship Prize, two New York State Fellowships for the Arts, the Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. A film adaptation of Heroic Measures, starring Morgan Freeman and Diane Keaton, will be in theaters 2015. Ciment is a professor at the University of Florida. She lives in Gainesville, Florida, and Brooklyn, New York.

Reviews

[Patty · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a pitiful book. It's poorly written, the characters aren't developed. I don't feel anything for the characters, the characters don't feel anything for themselves or each other. The dogs aren't even interesting. The authors go off subject so much it is annoying and ridiculous. I believe the point of the story might be that once a victim always a victim.

At one point in the book she includes this paragraph:

“The last funeral I had attended was Kathy’s, a “green” funeral. No coffin, no headstone; we carried her shroud-wrapped body on a handcart deep into a forest in her native Virginia to a designated area where we, her friends, dug the grave. Kathy weighed practically nothing at the end. We lifted her off the cart and laid her in the ground. After we filled the grave, we scattered leaves over the freshly turned earth and brushed away our footprints with branches.”

Really! That's a nice little paragraph..., but it has absolutely no place in the story, secondly you can't just go burying people in the ground wherever you want. It's like the author wanted to throw in the subject of being "green," and she liked this paragraph so she just threw it in there.

I really wanted to like this story. The premise is still good, it just needs rewritten. Throw out all the stuff that doesn't have any place in the story and build the characters so that they come alive and make us have some compassion for them. In the story one of the dogs is executed and we get nothing from her, no feelings at all. She is devoid of feelings. Ug...

[°°°·.°·..·°¯°·._.· ʜᴇʟᴇɴ Ροζουλί Εωσφόρος ·._.·°¯°·.·° .·°°° ★·.·´¯`·.·★ Ⓥⓔⓡⓝⓤⓢ Ⓟⓞⓡⓣⓘⓣⓞⓡ Ⓐⓡⓒⓐⓝⓤⓢ Ταμετούρο Αμ · Rating 4 out of 5]

- Αν δεν υπάρχουν σκύλοι στον Παράδεισο,τότε όταν πεθάνω θέλω να πάω όπου πήγαν κι εκείνοι.
Will Rogers.


Ένα δυνατό ψυχολογικό θρίλερ με μυστήριο και ανατροπές αλλα και αναπάντεχες εξελίξεις.
Τα πάντα κινούνται γύρω απο την διαταραχή αντικοινωνικής συμπεριφοράς και την ψυχοπαθητική διαταραχή.
Άνθρωποι που δείχνουν φυσιολογικοί και ζουν ανάμεσα μας υποφέρουν απο προβληματική αυτοεκτίμηση -ενσυναίσθηση -αναλγησία-ανευθυνότητα-εχθρικοτητα και έλλειψη ανησυχίας για τα προσωπικά όρια.

Ειναι αυτοί που ψάχνουν θύματα δοτικά και συμπονετικά για να ανεχτούν και να υπηρετούν ολες τις εντολές τους αδιαμαρτύρητα. Οι κοινωνιοπαθεις λίγο διαφέρουν απο τους ψυχοπαθείς που σε αυτή την κατηγορία χειραγωγούν πανεύκολα τα θύματα τους και εκμεταλλεύονται αδυναμία και καλοσύνη απο άτομα-θύματα που τους λείπει η αγάπη.

Η Μόργκαν μια τρυφερή και ευαίσθητη ύπαρξη κάνοντας μια έρευνα για το μεταπτυχιακό της με θέμα την θυματολογία, γνωρίζει μέσα απο σελίδες κοινωνικής δικτύωσης έναν ιδανικό άντρα που καταφέρνει να γίνει ο εκλεκτός της καρδιάς της σε βαθμό υπέρτατης χειραγώγησης κυρίως ερωτικής.

Η Μόργκαν λατρεύει τα σκυλια και μαζί με το δικό της φιλοξενεί αλλα δυο απο καποιο καταφύγιο αδέσποτων και παρατημένων σκυλιών που ειναι και εθελόντρια.
Γυρίζοντας σπιτι μια μέρα βρίσκει τον αγαπημένο της κατακρεουργημένο απο δαγκώματα και επιθέσεις άγριων σκύλων που προφανώς ειναι οι δικοί της.

Ο νεκρός αρχίζει να ξετυλίγει όλο το κουβάρι μυστηρίου που τον περιβάλλει αφού στην ουσία ειναι ένα άτομο που δεν υπάρχει ταυτοποιημενο πουθενά,ενώ παράλληλα εμφανίζονται κι άλλες γυναίκες που είχαν σχέση μαζί του και παραδόξως μια-μια πεθαίνει με παράξενο τρόπο.
Απο εκεί και μετα αρχίζει η περιπέτεια και η αγωνία ενώ η μια αποκάλυψη αποτελεί μεγαλύτερη έκπληξη απο την επόμενη.

Μια ιστορια απο την οποία μαθαίνεις πολλά για τις σχέσεις των ανθρωπων,για τις προβληματικές προσωπικότητες,για την εμπειρία που δυστυχώς αποκτάται μονο μέσα απο πόνο και άσχημες καταστάσεις. Τα φαινόμενα απατούν,ειναι το προφανέστατο.
Αλλα όταν κάποιος θέλει να ειναι απατημένος, δεν δέχεται την αλήθεια ή Δεν έχει τη δύναμη να τη δεχτεί και συνεχίζει να χειραγωγείται τοτε ισως να μην ειναι το θύμα αλλα ο θύτης.

Καλή ανάγνωση.
Πολλούς ασπασμούς.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The hand That Feeds You by A.J Rich is a well written thriller that mixes psychological with a high Mystery content. I found it a real page turner & had my full attention.


Morgan a Psychology student is completing her thesis on victim psychology when she returns home to find her fiancé Bennett murdered & two of her dogs Cloud & George covered in blood & her other dog Chester shot , she immediately fears for her dogs safety as they are taken to the Boston animal shelter.


Morgan starts seeing Cilla a Psychiatrist who helps her cope with Bennett's death she try's to find his parents but there is no trace of them, then in comes Detective Homes as she shows Bennett's photo , he immediately starts grilling her about him & she starts to wonder why?


Meanwhile Morgan tries to see her dogs at the shelter & is unable to see them as they are classed as Dangerous until she meets Billie a volunteer who works there, she seems kind & helps Morgan see them BUT HAS BILLIE GOT MORGANS INTEREST AT HEART?


Morgan then starts getting emails about Bennett from a person Susan Rorke , she goes to see Detective Homes & he tells her that Susan Rorke was killed 6 weeks ago SO WHO IS SENDING THE EMAILS? Is Bennett WHO SHE THINKS HE IS?

What we do find out is that Bennett was also engaged to a lady named Samantha , who does not believe that what Morgan is telling her about Bennett is true so she shows her the exact same ring that Samantha has.

As Detective homes finds out more information about Bennett, Morgan hires a lawyer Laurence McKenzie who her brother Steven knows he then tries to get her dogs out of the shelter does it on pro bono basis as he is a dog lover too, anyway what happens from here is a game of cat & mouse.

I liked this book a lot due to being an animal lover whether its cats or dogs or whatever there was a bit of sadness about one of Morgan's dogs that brought a tear to my eye. 4 stars

[Kristin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was pretty disappointed. I didn't find it "smart" or "sexy" or "emotionally riveting" as the publisher suggests. The idea of a psychologist studying victimology while exhibiting traits of a victim herself was quite fascinating, but somehow it fell flat. I just can't get over how such a great concept was executed in such a watered down way -- I can't really explain it better than that. The ending was also incredibly abrupt, with a giant twist (which I saw coming from a million miles away) that could have ramped up the suspense but was resolved way too easily instead. All of the characters -- particularly Morgan, Bennett, and "Libertine" -- could really have used fleshing out. For instance, a tragic event in Morgan's early life is callously used as a plot point to underline the modern plot (at least in my reading), without adding an emotional complexity to her character (as it should). Speaking of strangely handled emotional events, this book is not for dog lovers. While the authors write about the importance of dog rescues and how difficult of an environment and calling it can be, they seem to write about the fates of some dogs with a shocking emotional detachment. This almost echoes the sociopaths Morgan was studying -- in a bad way. I really wouldn't recommend this one, and especially not to animal lovers.

[Audra (ouija.reads) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not sure why I keep doing this to myself. I always want these "psychological thrillers" to be good, or at least interesting, or at the very, VERY least to have some sort of twist that I don't figure out within the first 50 pages. But, alas.

The characters, especially Morgan, were flatter than frogs hit by all eighteen wheels of a semi. Even the dogs were underdeveloped.

Add this one to the towering stack of less-than-thrilling-thrillers clogging the arteries of bookstores everywhere. The cheeseburger smells so good, but I'll try harder to remember next time how awful it makes me feel after I'm done eating it.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5★s

When Morgan returned home to find the front door ajar she was worried – the dogs could easily escape – she worried Bennett hadn’t latched it properly. Bennett didn’t like her dogs; but Morgan loved dogs and had rescued two pit bulls plus she had owned her Great Pyrenees since she was a puppy; Cloud was a gentle giant. The absolute horror of what confronted her when she entered the house was shattering – her dogs were covered in blood and her fiancé, Bennett, dead in a brutal, macabre way.

With help from her brother Steven, Morgan began to search for Bennett’s family to let them know what had happened to their son. She hadn’t been to his home, but he had told her the address – but that address didn’t exist. When the police could find no identification for Bennett, the situation became bizarre. Deeper investigation revealed to a stunned Morgan that the man she had been engaged to was not the man she thought he was. Was his name even Bennett? The lies and deception; the layers and layers of deceit were shocking! But the sudden realization of the immense danger that Morgan as well as others were in left her in a state of complete disbelief. What was the truth? Who was this person?

The Hand That Feeds You is an incredibly twisted and gripping psychological thriller which I found impossible to put down! The fast pace and page turning action was full of suspense; Morgan was a well-crafted character, flawed but likeable. For those of you who love a good psychological thriller, I have no hesitation in highly recommending The Hand That Feeds You.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy to read and review.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars: I really enjoyed this book and I’m not sure why because it’s bad in so many ways. Yet, I couldn’t stop reading it. It’s Amazon’s best book of July 2015, which is interesting in that Amazon found it suspenseful as well, despite all the flaws.

It’s a story of 30 year old woman who should know better. She possesses incredibly self destructive and risky behaviors. She’s not very likeable. She behaves more like an out-of-control teen girl. The tale begins when she comes home and her fiancée has been dismembered in her bed and it appears that her dogs did it.

The reader learns how she met him and their first date, which is beyond ridiculous. Yet, it is a mesmerizing tale. Have you ever stayed up late at night due to insomnia and watched reality crime shows like “Snapped” and just couldn’t stop watching even though the victims are generally incredibly stupid? Well, this is just like that, only you’re reading it and not watching it. The story is full of holes that a reasonable person wouldn’t have fallen for. Yet, it’s very readable. I knew who the murderer was halfway through the book, yet I didn’t care. I read it in two days because I couldn’t stop.

This is a great beach/airplane read. It’s suspenseful enough and enjoyable enough to read if you want a mindless and fun read. It’s book candy.

[Andrea · Rating 1 out of 5]

A.J. Rich is actually Amy Hempel and Jill Ciment writing as a team, and I was so excited when I heard that. Individually, they are both beautiful writers. Sadly, I found this novel to be terrible - poor characterization, repetitive, an implusible plot, and worst of all it was terribly written. Really disappointing.

[Jo Anne B · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book really frustrated me. Morgan is supposed to be a psychologist studying victomology and is herself a victim! I guess that could be a clever story if it weren't so obvious and the person didn't do such ridiculous things to put themselves into dangerous situations. Morgan did not even come across as intelligent enough to be a psychologist. No need to launch a whole study online about being a victim when you make yourself into one. She was what she should have been studying. I felt like a victim reading about this psychologicaly disturbed woman. The characters were very poorly developed. I didn't like any of them. They all seemed stereotypical and cold. I only kept reading to figure out who murdered Morgan's boyfriend and what his whole deal was. Ever hear of DNA testing? That would have put a lot of questions to rest in this story. I ended up not caring about what happened and just wanted it to end. There were a lot of violent scenes with rescue dogs attacking and killing people that I didn't care for either. The story ended so quickly compared to how long and drawn out the rest of the book was. This quote sums up how messed up the plot was:

" You'd been studying men who manipulated women, but the real fun starts when a woman manipulates a man to manipulate women".

Totally disappointing psychological thriller. It was just a psychological mess.

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Hand That Feeds You is a psychological thriller that has an awful lot going for it. The addictive quality is spot on, I read this in one sitting, readability factor high.

When Morgan comes home to discover that her fiancee is dead, her dog's are the culprits, she has a breakdown. Upon recovery she discovers that he was not who he claimed to be, in fact nobody seems to know who he is. Further investigation shows that she is not the only one he has been taken in by him and death seems to follow him around...

Overall though I had a few issues here. The resolution is so predictable, unbelievably so, although right up until the last moments I did wonder if the authors were doing a terrific job of misdirection. No though. My guess is that YOUR first guess at the ultimate "bad guy" will be the right one. Now I don't necessarily mind that, when you read as many of these types of books as I do surprises are few and far between. Still that was a slight disappointment given the quality of the writing and the depth of storytelling that had gone before.

Also at points for me the plot got over convoluted and nonsensical, especially in relation to the actions of certain characters. Of course a reader needs a modicum of suspension of disbelief when reading this type of novel, if everyone behaved sensibly you wouldn't have much of a story - still I did often find myself saying out loud "But WHY would you do that?"

On the plus side I did like Morgan as a character although she was actually entirely unlikeable. She is set up as intelligent and proactive yet has a decent amount of vulnerability. She's a bit of a victim (in fact that was one of my things - really, how many times can you get into that type of trouble in one lifetime?) who's dry yet engaging character voice kept me turning those pages. I also enjoyed the "dog" elements of the tale, liked how the authors created little pockets of interaction between the players that gave flashes of insight into their motivations and the mystery element is well imagined if a little bit of an ultimate letdown.

Overall I would definitely recommend this for fans of psychological thrillers mainly because, despite some flaws, this is one of those books that you won't be able to put down once you've turned the first pages.

Happy Reading Folks!

[Figgy · Rating 2 out of 5]

LINK UPDATED

This book was an incredibly quick, engrossing read.

“I saw the pig hearts,” I said, as neutrally and calmly as one can say I saw the pig hearts.

It dealt with forensic psychology, specifically that of sociopaths, and was made all the more fascinating by the real world facts dropped in there.

Sociopaths make up 4 percent of the population, 12 million Americans. They are not necessarily raging criminals: most of them are charming, intelligent, and know how to mimic concern, and even love. But they lack conscience, do not feel empathy, and feel neither guilt nor shame for their behaviour. They are also expert manipulators. During childhood and adolescence, 9 percent of the sociopath population tortures or kills animals.

So why the low rating?

Well, while this is an easy book to lose yourself in, and while it appealed to this wannabe forensic investigator who’s fascinated by the psychology of serial killers, sociopaths and so on, it left a lot to be desired.

The rest of this review can be found here!

[Linda Strong · Rating 3 out of 5]

Authors Amy Hempel and Jill Ciment write this as A. J. Rich.

Morgan Prager comes home to the apartment she shares with her fiancee and finds him dead, brutally mauled by her three dogs ... 2 of them are rescued pit bulls and 1 is a Great Pyrenees.

It is here that the story divides into two individual stories.

She finds that her fiancee isn't who he said he was .... not his name, not his parents, not his job, not his education ... seems like he has lied about everything. On top of that, he was manipulative and bordering on cruel.

Morgan is berating herself for not picking up any clues that he was a sociopath. After all, she is a graduate student attending John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Feeling that the local police aren't much interested, she starts her own investigation. She want ..needs...to know who this man was that she loved.

In the meantime, authorities have taken her dogs away (one was killed by police) and she is awaiting a court date to see if she can get her dogs back.

Following both strands of the plot, there are fascinating characters including Bennet’s oddball exes and an all-too-attractive animal rights lawyer.

But things heat up when her fiancee's exes start turning up dead.

This is billed as a psychological thriller .... but I don't think this one lives up to that description. I lost interest in finding out about the fiancee ... he had no redeeming qualities.

I did enjoy (for the most part) the scenes with the dogs. And of course, we all read in the news about how dangerous pit bulls can be. But in a lot of instances they have a bad rap and can be just as gentle and loving as any other dogs.

There were areas that seemed rather slow and some that kept me glued to the pages. It was an okay read.

3 stars

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

When we meet thirty year old Morgan Prager, she is living in a Brooklyn apartment and writing her Master’s thesis in forensic psychology at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Her thesis is looking at what identifies a victim and it was through her online research that she met her fiancé Bennett. Bennett told Morgan he lived in Montreal, where he managed bands and she thought little of his unwillingness to meet her family. After all, she only really had her brother, Stephen, and the distance between them made their time precious.

Morgan had three rescue dogs and, despite their size, she had never considered that they would be violent. However, one day she returns to find her apartment door open and Bennett’s body torn apart in her bedroom. After the initial shock, Morgan attempts to contact Bennett’s family – but they cannot be located and, it seems, that Bennett himself does not exist…

This is an interesting thriller, where Morgan has to face the fact that she might be one of the very victim’s she has been studying. Duped by a man who was not what, or indeed, who he said he was, Morgan embarks on a quest to discover who the man she loved really was. Although I really enjoyed the thriller part of this storyline, the novel does get a little bogged down in a side story which revolves around Morgan’s dogs and the lawyer, Laurence McKenzie, who attempts to help save them. Although the strands of the story are brought together, I felt it would have been better if less of the novel had dwelt on this part of the book.

Overall, this is an interesting psychological thriller about a woman who has to confront the fact that she was duped by a man who had ruined several lives – and possibly even taken at least one. Morgan’s search for answers brings her into danger and there are a good range of possible suspects, as you wonder who she can trust. It is a little formulaic in parts and the plot gets a little side-tracked, but I did enjoy it and would certainly read more by this author.

[Fanny · Rating 2 out of 5]

La Mano Que Te Da De Comer como thriller deja bastante que desear, no se si yo me hice una idea equivocada despues de leer la premisa o si es que realmente la sinopsis pinta la historia con su mejor color, pero me decepciono mucho.

La historia empieza en su punto algido e inmediatamente te metes en la escena, y durante gran parte de las hojas mantiene tu atencion, sin embargo, llega un momento en el que todo alcanza un nivel un tanto absurdo, y a partir de ahi ya no hay vuelta atras.

El estilo de las autoras no me impresiono lo mas minimo, le falta chispa y mas gancho, percibi la pluma de las autoras muy basica y nada memorable, creo que pasara un tiempo antes de que vuelva a repetir ( si es que lo hago ) con su trabajo.

El refran " mucho ruido y pocas nueces " le viene ideal a este libro, creo que se le da mucho bombo al asesinato y luego la realidad es que el crimen no pudo ser mas simple y obvio, ademas, el que las escritoras no se molesten mucho en darle personalidad a los personajes es otro punto a tener en cuenta, incluso la protagonista femenina es basica a mas no poder, lo que es una lastima, puesto que por su profesion pudo haber sido una protagonista dificil de olvidar.

La lectura no es excesivamente larga, no obstante, encontre mucho relleno innecesario, no con el tema de los animales ( el cual me removio inmensamente ) sino mas bien con el drama de Morgan con el abogado, cada vez que un capitulo trataba de ese tema sentia que estaba leyendo un romance adolescente y no un supuesto thriller.

Para terminar, La Mano Que Te Da De Comer no fue tan increible como la hice yo en mi cabeza previamente, tenia una buena base para desarrollar un misterio formidable pero las autoras no supieron sacarle provecho, encima, me falto mas tension y suspense, es lo minimo ya que me lo vendes como un libro de suspense y misterio.

2 Estrellas!

[Bookread2day · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect couple. The perfect life. The perfect murder.
This is most fascinating unusual thriller that I have ever read. Morgan who is engaged to Bennett and is studying victim psychology. When Morgan returns home from her class she finds Bennett has been savagely killed and her dogs circling the body covered in blood. But who is framed for Bennett's death?.
This is a fabulous novel that has the perfect victim that sinks his claws into his life that he once shared with Morgan long after he has died. It would be unforgivable of me to give too much away.
This is a must buy must read.
The Hand That Feeds You is mesmerizing and terrifying being hugely effective and entertaining with may twists and shocks for crime fans.

[AmberBug com* · Rating 2 out of 5]

www.shelfnotes.com review

Dear Reader,

I feel so let down by this book. What should have been a page turning thriller, not to mention well written... became an annoyance to me. A dog loving psychology student comes home to find her fiance murdered by what looks to be her dogs. That alone sounds horrifying and a good twisty mind frak. So yes, I was intrigued and wanted to stick with it and find out what truly happens. Being a dog lover myself, I was definitely on the side of "the dogs didn't do it". I'm not going to give anything away, don't worry! Let's just say that the thriller wasn't what disappointed me...

One thing I can't stand when reading is superfluous descriptions that don't DO anything for the story. These needless sentences bother me so much that I can't focus. Now maybe, just maybe The Hand That Feeds You suffered from this because two Authors were cooking in the kitchen (a small kitchen) and didn't cut down on the ingredients enough?! If you don't know what I mean about "two" authors, go search online because A.J. Rich is just another pseudonym. Anyways, I guess I should back up my complaints with some examples, and since this isn't an ARC (just a plain old book I decided to purchase), this is finished work. Here's a few examples of unnecessary wording that had me so distracted:

"I hung up the black dress I had bought for the funeral. I had worn it before to a cocktail party, but this time I'd wear it with black tights instead of lace thigh-highs." -Do we REALLY need to know exactly how she wore this dress before?

"I could not read any more, so I changed into a larger pair of sweatpants and continued reading more." -What?! I'm not sure if I'm missing something or what but really?

Before I go any further, I have to admit that for some people, this won't bother them and might in fact enhance the story, giving even more background to the characters. I'm just not one of those people. It bothers me to the point that it takes away from all the good this book has to offer. For example, I DID not see that ending coming at all. The characters were well written and very intriguing and the story itself was very unique. I would rate this higher overall in general but I'm sticking to my low rating for me... I have to be true to myself.

Happy Reading,
AmberBug

[Sheila · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars--meh. I'd give this 1 star ("I didn't like it") except that the plot kept me engaged throughout.

Sadly, I found this book lacking in characterization. Good guys or bad, I couldn't tell you a single personality trait for anyone. I also found it lacked realism (how on earth does Morgan maintain her lifestyle with no job? Why would the cops not contact a murder victim's mother to interview her--or notify her of the death? Etc.). There were some weird off-topic rants by the main character that seemed out of place as well--and some uncomfortable language about a transgender woman as well as some dated psychology. Just not for me, I'm afraid.

[Airinė · Rating 3 out of 5]

Morgana gyvena ramų gyvenimą - baiginėja studijas, turi sužadėtinį ir augina tris šunis.
Vieną dieną po paskaitų sugrįžusi namo Morgana patiria šoka. Ją pasitinka krauju susitepę augintiniai, o miegamajame ji randa žiauriai suniokotą savo mylimąjį.. Ką padarė Benetas, kad šunys taip su juo pasielgė?


Knygos viršelis viliote viliojo kuo greičiau žengti pro praviras duris ir išsiaiškinti kas gi tokio kraupaus ten nutiko.
Peržvelgiau kitų šalių leidimus, tai be jokios abejonės, lietuviškas viršelis - gražiausias!
Kai sužinojau, kad po A.J. Rich slapyvardžiu slepiasi dviejų rašytojų duetas - baisiai nudžiugau. Iš karto atmintyje iškilo, turbūt, visiems trilerių mylėtojams gerai pažįstama sutuoktinių pora, pasislepusi po Lars Kepler pseudonimu. Puikios knygos, neįmanoma atsitraukti. Juk, kaip sakoma, kartais dvi galvos geriau nei viena, todėl šiai knygai automatiškai užsikėlė aukšta kertelė.

Rašymo stilius lengvas, per daug neapsikraunant plaukiau per istoriją, tad ir knygą "sukramčiau" per du vakarus.
Veikėjai? Hm.. keli tikrai stiprūs, bet kai kurie man pasirodė ne visai išbaigti. Suprantu, kokie rašytojų akimis jie turėjo būti, bet vat, manęs kaip skaitytojos, jie neįtikino.
Labiausiai patiko vietos, kur aprašomos Morganos studijos ir tyrinėjimai internete. Ji - teismo psichologijos studentė, susižavėjusi viktimologija ( viktimologija - kriminologijos šaka, kuri tiria nusikaltimų aukas ). Tai turbūt pirmas mano skaitytas trileris, kur didelis dėmesys buvo skiriamas aukoms, priežastims kodėl jomis tampama, jų mąstymui, o ne gilinimuisi į skriaudėjo elgseną. Už tai iš manęs knyga gauna didelį pliusą.
Kaip ir visiems gyvūnų mylėtojams, sunkiausiai skaitėsi apie gyvūnų prieglaudas ir netinkamą elgesį su gyvūnais. Taip gaila visų ten gyvenančių nelaimėlių, ne jie kalti, kad kai kurie žmonės neturi širdies. Ir aš esu be galo dėkinga kiekvienam, kuris yra neabėjingas ir stengiasi iš visų jėgų šiems gyvūnams suteikti geresnį gyvenimą.

Iki visiško wow man, dėja, kažko pabaigoje pritrūko. Taip, čia yra viskas ko reikia prikaustančiam trileriui : istorija originali, įtampa stengtasi išlaikyti iki paskutinio puslapio, pabaiga neblogai susukta, bet kaip greitai baigėsi! Keli puslapiai ir viskas. Man taip norėjosi daugiau paaiškinimų, įsigilinimo į priežąstis kas, kaip ir kodėl.

Na visumoje debiutas neblogas, kaip ir minėjau, istorija tikrai originali, šiek tiek apšlifavus būtų labai geras trileris. Nepaisant visko, manau, kad knyga tikrai atras savo skaitytoją.

[Agustina Uliarte · Rating 4 out of 5]

RESEÑA EN EL BLOG PRONTO
Aunque al principio estaba no muy convencida del libro, ya que la narración no me parecía la adecuada para envolverme en ambiente de thriller, logro atraparte muchísimo.
Toda la trama se entremezcla con la tesina de la protagonista, con animales y partes legales que hacen muy completa la historia.
Aunque debo confesar que varias veces quise dejar el libro de lado un rato porque sufría demasiado con algunas cosas que contaba, pero al final decidía seguir y pasar rápido todo eso.
Si a mí me hubiera sucedido lo que le sucedió ella, y todas las consecuencias, no hubiera podido salir adelante, realmente una luchadora y superviviente demostró ser.

[Tempo de Ler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Depois de o encontrar morto no seu apartamento, Morgan descobre que o noivo não era quem ela julgava ser. Bennett mentiu-lhe em relação ao seu nome, ao emprego e em relação a grande parte do que rodeava a sua vida pessoal.

A polícia acredita que foram os cães de Morgan que mataram Bennett, mas, embora tenha algumas dúvidas em relação aos dois cães que acolheu recentemente, Morgan está convencida que a sua cadela Cloud é inocente. Assim, decide começar a investigar por si mesma; Morgan precisa de saber qual a verdadeira identidade deste homem, quais as suas motivações e porque terá mentido.

Este início dá ao livro um alento misterioso que me deixou curiosa logo desde o início A inclusão de um advogado de defesa de animais e de uma preocupação genuína pelo destino destes cães traz uma originalidade interessante ao livro.

O enredo aprofunda-se e torna-se sucessivamente mais interessante a cada nova revelação e consequentes implicações. Nas suas investigações, Morgan encontra outras mulheres possivelmente enganadas por este homem e acaba por se deparar com outro homicídio; a mãe de Bennet não o via há mais de 20 anos e na sua terra natal parece que ninguém irá sentir a sua falta, antes pelo contrário...

Morgan é uma mulher inteligente e desenvolta, mas a cada nova descoberta sente-se mais isolada e assustada. É muito fácil simpatizar com a protagonista de A Carícia do Assassíno não apenas pelos problemas que enfrenta no presente mas também pelos episódios traumáticos que viveu no passado e pela sua dedicação e solidariedade para com os animais. No entanto, a perda do homem que era seu noivo parece atingi-la algo superficialmente. Mesmo descobrindo que Bennett era um mentiroso e um manipulador, a rapidez com que recupera da perda pareceu-me pouco realista (não querendo com isto dizer que gostaria de ver os autores perder demasiado tempo com o sofrimento de Morgan, o que, de uma maneira ou de outra, prejudica sempre um thriller, portanto esta foi provavelmente uma boa escolha por parte dos escritores).

Os conhecimentos de Morgan sobre psicologia criminal são muito interessantes. Curiosa por perceber por que não atravessamos todos a linha que nos separa de um assassino, Morgan dedica a sua vida ao estudo psicológico do homicida, tocando num conceito muito interessante: o altruísmo patológico.

Infelizmente, quando a história se começou a revelar, perto do final, o meu interesse por ela diminuiu bastante. O potencial do livro acabou por não se concretizar como eu esperava e acabei por ficar um bocadinho desiludida: não gostei especialmente do desfecho, mas gostei do percurso até lá chegar.

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Hand That Feeds You by A.J. Rich {a pseudonym for the partnership of authors Amy Hempel and Jill Ciment) offers an interesting premise.

Psychology student Morgan Prager is devastated when she returns home one evening to find her fiance, Bennett, mauled to death by her beloved pets, a Great Pyrenees and two fostered pit bulls. But when attempts to notify Bennett's family of his death reveal he was not the man she thought he was, for Morgan, a psychologist writing a thesis about victimology, the betrayal is stunning and she is determined to unravel the truth.

While I found The Hand That Feeds You to be a quick and largely enjoyable read, unfortunately I felt the execution didn't quite work on a number of levels.

Morgan is an inconsistent character, whose potential is undeveloped. I really loved the idea of a psychologist studying victimology becoming a victim, but was disappointed that Morgan was revealed to lack even a modicum of self awareness, especially for a thirty year old woman with years of psychology study. While I could just about believe she could be romantically duped by Bennett, and her stubborn denial of some truths was frustrating.

I felt uneven pacing resulted in diluted tension, some plot elements were heavily foreshadowed while others seemingly came out of nowhere. There were some odd scenes that seemed out of place and the ending was ultimately anti-climatic.

The writing didn't quite gel either, cold and occasionally awkward.

Overall I thought The Hand That Feeds You lacked the depth and subtlety that could have made this story a great psychological thriller.

[Alicia · Rating 1 out of 5]

http://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2015/07...

Look, I admire the backstory to this book, but this book is . . . not great. It centers on a young woman, a grad student, whose boyfriend dies (apparently mauled by her dogs), at which point she realizes everything she knows about him is a lie--and that the other women in his life are being murdered. The thing is, she is an amazingly stupid person, so you don't really sympathize with her for being fooled by a charismatic sociopath. I mean, really, she does all the dumb things amateur detectives in mysteries do, and then some. Plus there is way too much other stuff going on--romantic drama, etc. OK, there are some great dogs in this, but the heroine is a real idiot about everything, so it's a very frustrating read. The writing is also a little awkward at times, and there's a rape plot that I'm not sure is necessary, especially when her therapist characterizes it as part of a pattern of self-destructive behavior! I almost didn't finish this b/c it annoyed me so much, but then it was like, I'd already sunk so much time in, I might as well make sure I'm right about everything. And I was. C-.

__
A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book is available now.

[Sara Cutaia · Rating 5 out of 5]

OUT IN JULY! Oh my God. I don't usually go for thrillers, but I've heard lots of hype about one of the authors that co-wrote this and had to try it out. AND THANK GOD I DID. Morgan is a grad student studying victimology who ends up being victimized herself by a man she was engaged to. She finds him murdered by her dogs one day, and thus ensues a dazzling downward spiral as Morgan discovers Bennett is not the man she thought he was. It's full of fresh and shocking revelations on every page. Strangely erotic, always engaging, and sexy in a mysterious way, "The Hand That Feeds You" is a must read.

[Γιώτα Παπαδημακοπούλου · Rating 4 out of 5]

Πριν ακόμα φτάσει στα χέρια μου το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο, οι κριτικές που είχα διαβάσει σχετικά με αυτό ήταν εξαιρετικά διφορούμενες, κάτι το οποίο μου είχε προκαλέσει μια εσωτερική σύγχυση, αφού δεν ήμουν σε θέση να γνωρίσω εξ' αρχής την πραγματική του ταυτότητα. Ωστόσο, με το που το άγγιξα, συνέβη κάτι μαγικό. Όλα μου τα ένστικτα ενεργοποιήθηκαν στη στιγμή, φωνάζοντάς μου πως πρόκειται να διαβάσω ένα βιβλίο, την αναγνωστική εμπειρία του οποίου θα απολαύσω στιγμή τη στιγμή. Και πραγματικά, έτσι έγινε, αφού προς μεγάλη μου έκπληξη, "Το χέρι που σε τρέφει", δεν είναι ένα ακόμα κοινότυπο αστυνομικό μυθιστόρημα, αλλά κάτι πολύ περισσότερο, κάτι διαφορετικό, ένα κείμενο ικανό να σε συγκινήσει με τρόπους που δεν φανταζόσουν και το κυριότερο, ένα κείμενο που σε προκαλεί να σκεφτείς.

Η Μόργκαν είναι μια νέα, δυναμική, δραστήρια, έξυπνη και μορφωμένη γυναίκα, που θεωρητικά έχει μια τακτοποιημένη και ήρεμη ζωή. Είναι τελειόφοιτη θυματολογίας, έχει σχέση με έναν άντρα που φαντάζει ιδανικός για εκείνη, το διαμέρισμά της που αποτελεί το προσωπικό της καταφύγιο, ενώ δίνει απλόχερα την αγάπη της στα σκυλιά της που αποτελούν μέλος της οικογένειάς της, προσφέροντας παράλληλα βοήθεια σε άσυλα αδέσποτων ζώων. Η ηρεμία όμως αυτή θα ανατραπεί όταν η Μόργκαν θα βρει τον αρραβωνιαστικό της άγρια δολοφονημένο, και ως δράστες χαρακτηρίζονται τα σκυλιά της. Στην προσπάθειά της να ανακαλύψει τι πραγματικά έχει συμβεί, αλλά και να σώσει τους σκύλους της, ανακαλύπτει πράγματα για τον Μπένετ τα οποία θα την εκπλήξουν, με σημαντικότερο όλων πως δεν ήταν αυτός που έλεγε και πως όσο καιρό ήταν μαζί την χειραγωγούσε, όπως ακριβώς έκανε και με άλλες γυναίκες. Όμως αυτό είναι μόνο η βάση του παγόβουνο και μέχρι να φτάσει η Μόργκαν στην κορφή έχει να διανύσει μεγάλη πορεία και κυρίως, να αναθεωρήσει την ίδια της την ύπαρξη.

Η Amy Hempel και η Jill Ciment, δύο ιδιαίτερα αναγνωρισμένες και πετυχημένες συγγραφείς, αποφάσισαν να γράψουν από κοινού το εν λόγω μυθιστόρημα, υπογράφοντάς το ως A. J. Rich, επηρεασμένες από την προσωπική ιστορία μιας πολύ καλής τους φίλης η οποία και είχε όλα τα χαρακτηριστικά της Μόργκαν, ενώ παράλληλα είχε μπλεχτεί σε μια σχέση που αν και φάνταζε ιδανική, αποδείχτηκε πως μέσα σε αυτήν λειτουργούσε ως θύμα εν αγνοία της. Το γεγονός πως το μυθιστόρημα αυτό βασίζεται σε αληθινά γεγονότα το καθιστά όχι πιο ενδιαφέρον, αλλά πολύ πιο τρομακτικό. Ειδικά σε μία εποχή όπως αυτή που διανύουμε, που οι σχέσεις γύρω μας, ακόμα και οι συζυγικές, δεν σου παρέχουν καμία απολύτως ασφάλεια, αφού ο σύντροφός σου μπορεί να αποδειχτεί τέρας από τη μια στιγμή στην άλλη, το να διαβάζεις μια ιστορία όπως αυτή, όπου μια γυναίκα που ακολουθεί όλα τα σύγχρονα πρότυπα του χειραφετημένου μοντέλου γυναικών, γίνεται θύματα χωρίς καν να το συνειδητοποιεί, σε κάνει να ανατριχιάζεις. Ο λόγος, απλός! Είναι γιατί το επόμενο θύμα θα μπορούσες να είσαι εσύ ο ίδιος.

Οι συγγραφείς δεν εστιάζουν τόσο στο αστυνομικό σκέλος της πλοκής, που αν εξαιρέσουμε το κάπως βεβιασμένο και εύκολο -για τα δεδομένα της ιστορίας- τέλος, είναι άρτια δουλεμένο και σε παραπλανεί σε πολλά σημεία επιτυγχάνοντας να εντείνει την αγωνία του αναγνώστη, αλλά περισσότερο στην εγκληματολογική ανάλυση της όλης ιστορίας. Εκμεταλλευόμενες στο έπακρο την επαγγελματική ιδιότητα της πρωταγωνίστριάς τους, οι συγγραφείς αναλύουν μέσω αυτής τα ψυχολογικά προφίλ θυμάτων και δραστών, επεκτείνοντας την δράση τους αυτή -πέραν του προσωπικού επιπέδου- σε μια εκ βαθέων κοινωνιολογική ανάλυση της σύγχρονης κοινωνίας, η οποία μαστίζεται από διαστροφές, διαταραχές, και την απεγνωσμένη ανάγκη πολλών ανθρώπων να ασκούν τον έλεγχο με τρόπο που ξεφεύγει από τα όρια της υγιούς επιθυμίας, αλλά και την ασυναίσθητη παρόρμηση κάποιων άλλων να αφήνονται σε αυτά που με ύπουλο τρόπο τους κατευθύνουν ορισμένοι έτσι ώστε να σκέφτονται, να πράττουν και να λειτουργούν κατ' εντολήν και όχι κατά βούληση.

"Το χέρι που σε τρέφει" είναι -για μένα- ένα από τα καλύτερα βιβλία που διάβασα τελευταία και κυρίως, ένα από τα καλύτερα βιβλία στο είδος του. Οι συγγραφείς έχουν κάνει πολύ αυστηρή μελέτη του νομικού κώδικα και κυρίως, του ψυχολογικού κώδικα που απαιτεί μια επιστήμη όπως είναι η θυματολογία, η οποία και αποτελεί παρακλάδι της εγκληματολογίας, μετατρέποντας την θεωρία σε πράξη και αναλύοντάς την βήμα προς βήμα. Και ενώ η απόφασή τους αυτή εύκολα θα μπορούσε να χαρακτηριστεί ως ριψοκίνδυνη, θεωρώ πως υποστηρίζεται στον απόλυτο βαθμό από το τελικό αποτέλεσμα. Μια ιστορία που φαντάζει ξένη αρχικά και που όμως, καταλήγει να φαίνεται τόσο οικεία που το αίσθημα είναι σχεδόν τρομακτικό. Μια αποτύπωση της εποχής που διανύουμε με όλες τις αρνητικές της προεκτάσεις, αλλά και με τα θετικά που μπορεί να επιφέρει η αναγνώριση των λαθών μας. Μια ιστορία τρομακτική και συνάμα γοητευτική που σε παρασύρει και σε καθηλώνει ολοκληρωτικά, που με ένα λίγο καλύτερο φινάλε, θα μπορούσε να μας απογειώσει.

[Xana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bem, as 3,5* seriam justas sem dúvida, mas não chega as 4 porque não seria justo para com outros que têm mais qualidade de escrita.
Li-o num instante, e fiquei muito ansiosa para o terminar. Percebi o desenlace bastante antes, no entanto não perdi o interesse.
Faltou-lhe, para ser um 4*, uma personagem forte, com carisma. A rapariga era tolinha e fraquinha e envolvia-se com demasiada facilidade para uma mulher que estuda psicos e isso devia te-la tornado, pelo menos, mais cautelosa.
Por isto não consegui sentir empatia e isso não abonou a favor.
De qualquer forma foi um livro que me manteve sempre interessada. Gostei :)

[Stephanie H · Rating 1 out of 5]

this book is pretty terrible. it took all my strength not to throw it out of a window. poorly written and crafted, i couldn't care less about the characters/victims or perpetrator. wish i could un-read this book. The authors should be embarrassed that this was ever published. Truly one of the worst books I have ever read

[Carla Faleiro]

Desisto!!
Que trapalhada!

[Ugnė | pilna_lentyna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dar spalio mėnesį mano lentynoje priglausta kolegės knyga pagaliau baigta. Debiutinis dviejų autorių, pasivadinusių A.J.Rich pseudonimu trileris mano norų sąraše atsidūrė daug nesvarstant - pamačiau, sudomino, užsimaniau. Tuoj papasakosiu, ar buvo verta.⠀
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Morgana - mergina studijuojanti viktimologiją - mokslą tiriantį aukų asmenybes, individo potencialią galimybę tapti auka. Baigiamojo studijų darbo rengimas ir būsimų vestuvių laukimas pripildo merginos kasdienybę džiugaus jaudulio. Būtent čia ramus ir idiliškas Morganos gyvenimas apsiverčia aukštyn kojom. Iš paskaitų grįžusi namo, ji randa siaubingai šunų sudraskytą savo sužadėtinio kūną. Po kiek laiko, dar neatsigavusi po netekties, Morgana ima ieškoti Beneto tėvų, norėdama pranešti apie jų sūnaus žūtį, tačiau išaiškėja, kad joks Benetas iš tiesų neezgistuoja. Maža to - Morgana toli gražu ne pirma jo apgauta moteris.⠀
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Kūrinio pradžia taip susuko galvą, kad nepastebėjau, kaip įveikiau ketvirtį knygos. Įdomu atrodė viskas - Beneto mirtis, Morganos pokalbiai su psichologe, viena po kitos atsirandančios buvusios sužadėtinės, vis įpinamos kriminalogijos detalės. Vėliau pradžioje sukurta įtampa pradėjo sekti, iš vos kelių įtariamųjų lengvai atsisijojo tas tikrasis nusikaltėlis. Beliko sulaukti pabaigos ir įsitikinti, ar neklydau. Nuojauta nenuvylė 😉 Pabaiga pasirodė labai suskubėta. Visoje knygoje Morgana palengva yrėsi į priekį dėliodama visus taškus ant i, o pabaiga sumalta taip greit, kad net buvo sunku suprasti, kas vyksta. ⠀
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Apibendrinus - gerai, bet ne iki galo. Manęs neįtikino, tačiau, manau, kad mažiau įnoringam trilerių skaitytojui knyga paliktų didžiulį įspūdį.

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was interested in reading The Hand That Feeds You after learning of its backstory: When author Katherine Russell Rich learned that the man she was in love with was a lying con artist, she set out to write a novel about the experience; to explore what would make an intelligent and confident woman fall for such a fraud. That novel was barely started, however, when Rich succumbed to breast cancer. Two of her friends – authors Amy Hempel and Jill Ciment – then stepped in and collaborated under the pseudonym A. J. Rich to write the book, and as a tribute to their lost friend, it's a fitting piece. As a novel in its own right – without taking into account the backstory – it's just okay.

Morgan Prager is a 30-year-old completing her master's thesis in forensic psychology – trying to alter the definition of a predator by identifying the common traits of victims – who makes a grisly discovery in her Williamsburg apartment at the beginning of the book: her fiance Bennett has been dismembered and the prime suspects are her dogs (a Great Pyrenees that Morgan raised from a pup and two recent pit bull fosters). As Morgan tries to contact Bennett's family (whom she's never met), it becomes clear that he isn't who he said he was, and Morgan puts herself at risk while she tracks down the truth. The plot of The Hand That Feeds You follows a fairly typical thriller path, with leads and twists and danger, and although I had a good idea of how the book would end, there were some surprises along the way.

True to its purpose, The Hand That Feeds You shows how an obviously intelligent woman can be duped by a sociopathic predator (and especially if she displays pathological altruism as Morgan defines it) and it includes some nicely overt tributes to Katherine Russell Rich as Morgan remembers her dead friend Kathy, “An adventurous, indomitable, and wise spirit had guided her through a life many would envy”. In broad strokes, this was a fine book, but in the details I found so many things jarring.

In her author bio, it says that Amy Hempel is a founding board member of two dog rescue organisations, and it becomes clear that advocating for pit bulls is one of her passions, with many opportunities taken in this book to proselytise [“For every 1 pit bull that bites, there are over 10.5 million that don't”, “They were the most misunderstood and misjudged breed, that they were, in a sense, like tattoos, like instant gangsta cred (even though most of them were mushes”), “I was disappointed that they were prejudiced because he's a pit bull. He never did anything wrong and still they avoided him.”] And while I totally respect an author using every opportunity to advocate for her pet passions, using the whole set-up of having a dismembered body and blood smeared pit bulls in order to demonstrate how terrible it is that people jump to conclusions about the breed...well, that's pretty manipulative. I didn't like the eventual conflation of a falsely accused person being held in jail with the experience of a dog in a shelter (and especially when this person peed on the floor because no one would let her out) and the following caused me to scratch my head:

Unlike accused humans, Cloud and George didn't have a right to a speedy trial, nor was there such a thing as bail for dogs. They languished behind bars while the courts took their time. To say they languished is not accurate. Every day, they deteriorated physically and spiritually in the filthy confines of the noisy and understaffed shelter.

Why use the word “languish” if in the next sentence you write that that's not the right word? And then why in the next sentence would you describe the dogs' experience as the very definition of the word “languish”? (Yes, I was forced to look it up in case my mental definition was wrong; it wasn't.) Also jarring: random observations about the moon, and I found the following to be especially curious in a book with a theme of not prejudging:

Tonight, most of the downtown office buildings were dark, but not the new World Trade Center. It was lit up, and a new crescent moon – the symbol of Islam – was positioned such that it seemed to touch the tower.

There was much sloppy writing – I understand that Morgan is an academic, but there was nothing organic about her periodically inserting random facts with “this statistician states” or “this researcher found” – and I was annoyed by the specificity of Morgan's movements: I bought a Godfather wrap – soppressata, provolone, roasted red peppers – at Bagelsmith on the corner. But again...I appreciate what Hempel and Ciment were trying to accomplish, and with the lying con man of the story having both his body and his motivations torn to bloody shreds, I'm sure they found this project to be both a satisfying retaliation and a proper sendoff for their departed friend. I'm sure I like The Hand That Feeds You better because I learned of the backstory before starting it, and that's why I'm including that info here.

[Traci · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for an ARC to read and review.

The Hand That Feeds You is a psychological thriller that completely drew me in from the very beginning, making it impossible not to want to fly through the book to find out the ending. I usually hate writing reviews of thrillers because I think that the less you know about them, usually the better. However, I will attempt to at least give an opinion without any spoilers or comparing it to Gone Girl or The Girl on the Train! I generally don't like book comparisons, and will sometimes even AVOID a book if compared to another, even if I actually liked the book compared to!

The first chapter opens when Morgan (ironically, a graduate student in victim psychology) arrives at her apartment to find the door open, her fiance, Bennett, dead, and her three dogs (a Great Pyrenees and 2 pit bulls she rescued approx. 6 months before) covered in blood (the description is quite graphic, so be warned!). Not surprisingly, Morgan essentially goes into shock, but manages to call an ambulance. She barricades herself in the bathroom due to thinking she may be in danger from the dogs as well, and remains there until help arrives. Upon arrival, the police shoot Chester, one of the pit bulls. Paramedics take Morgan to the hospital and animal control is called for the remaining 2 dogs, who are subsequently quarantined until an investigation can be conducted. With a beginning such as this, how could anyone NOT want to keep reading constantly until finished?! :)

Morgan was admitted to a hospital psych unit. She is released several weeks later and then comes to realize that nothing Bennett had told her about himself, his life, or his family was true, and thus begins searching for answers. At the same time, she finds that her dogs are being held in a kennel, and due to the circumstances, she could only see them briefly, but not touch them or interact with them outside the kennel (at the same time, she is of course very conflicted due to thinking it's all her fault, and Bennett would still be alive were it not for her dogs). She must wait for a court hearing that will determine the dogs' fates.

Rather than give more details regarding the rest of the book, I'll just say that while it held my attention, I felt that the first half to two thirds of the book was extremely detailed (almost too detailed at times), but the last few chapters felt a bit rushed. Also, as with all thrillers, there was a twist, and it seemed almost too easy to figure out. All in all though, I really enjoyed the book and wouldn't hesitate to recommend (I'd give it 3.5 stars if possible, but due to not thinking it was quite a 4, went with just three).