31 Reads of Terror: 'The Hand That Feeds You' by A.J. Rich

There’s a familiar pattern I can’t seem to shake: I stumble upon a horror book marked down and mysteriously appearing at Dollar Tree. Yes, indeed, that magical dollar store where dreams of literary discovery come at the price of a buck! With excitement and nostalgia for those glorious dollar days, I grab it off the shelf, knowing full well it might just collect dust like so many others before it. But, infatuated by the cover art and ominous title, The Hand That Feeds You, I resolve to give it a shot as part of my 31 Days of Terror reading marathon. What can go wrong?

The journey begins with Morgan, a thirty-something engaged to Bennett, a man who exudes both charm and a more than healthy dose of possessiveness—a combination that, let’s be honest, can lead to some hot nights and colder revelations. Everything seems picture-perfect until one fateful day when she returns home to find Bennett brutally mauled to death and her beloved dogs dripping in blood. Talk about a red flag, right?

As Morgan plunges into the treacherous waters of Bennett’s past, seeking out his parents to share the dreadful news of his demise, she discovers that the man she thought she knew was nothing but a well-crafted façade. Where he came from, where he lived in Montreal, and even his job—each tale was a carefully spun web of lies. And then, like a grim game of pick-a-card, one by one, all of Bennett’s other fiancées start dropping like flies. Morgan’s research into victim psychology has transformed into a desperate race for survival. How does a savvy woman, whose life revolves around studying predators, find herself ensnared in such a terrifying trap?

The book is penned by A.J. Rich, a moniker shared by the duo Amy Hempel and Jill Cement, who crafted this tale in memory of their late friend, Katherine Russell Rich. She herself had been ensnared in the web of a seductive con artist, only to succumb to cancer before she could narrate her own story. Such dark irony.

Now, get this: The Hand That Feeds You wasn’t banished to the indie shelves—it was published by the reputable Scribner. It seems their gamble didn’t pay off exactly as they hoped. I mean, who really knows how many copies a book racks up? If you want those snazzy statistics, do yourself a favor and reach out to the author or publisher instead of flooding my inbox with queries. Seriously, let’s save the high-stakes drama for the plot!

As for the narration, it reads like an indie short story stretched thin to meet a predetermined word count. I wouldn't say it's bad, but it definitely doesn't have the polished feel of a professional work or works, considering it's penned by two. Descriptions flit by like fireflies in the night, and the dialogue sounds more like awkward exchanges at a family reunion than anything believable.

Honestly, the plot had all the flair of a low-budget direct-to-Netflix flick. At times, I found myself wrestling against boredom, forcing my eyes to glide across the pages. It’s as if the authors crammed in every cliché they could find without really considering how to weave them into a cohesive narrative. And Morgan herself? A character as flat as a day-old soda, lacking depth and dimension to draw you into her perilous predicament.

In the end, The Hand That Feeds You stands as yet another notch in the belt of disappointment. Not atrocious, mind you, but needing a stern talking-to from a third author to set the other two straight. If psychological mysteries are your jam—hey, even the New York Times had the gall to tag it as such—you might give this a whirl. But, heed my warning before reading. You’ve been advised; grab it at your own peril. ╌★★✰✰✰

〜B.J. Burgess