At Daddy's Hands

Books like this (child physical, sexual, and emotional abuse) are hard to read due to the disturbing subject matter. However, it is essential to hear what occurs as these are real things that happen to children and families.

The story is told from the perspective of each person involved and done well. The author discusses how the system can sometimes abuse the victim even more. It also shines a light on the hero’s that step forward.

I was able to read this in one night as the author developed the story and the emotions involved well. At Daddy's Hands is written with passion and disturbing details.

At Daddy's Hands by Jacob Paul Patchen is a very good book about a difficult subject, but one that needs to be told.

God, this book broke my heart. It's such a sensitive and important piece of work. Thanks to Jacob for writing it and solidarity with all the brave people who shared their stories at the end. This novel tells a tale as old as time, of the evil lurking in many homes across the world, the flaws in the system which devastate lives further and the ability of survivors to heal.

Great book will be reading other books by this author.
Will also recommend this book to others.
Great read! 5*****

This book was well written, and I can see how this would help some students. This book was interesting, upsetting, and ground breaking all in one. It also showed how hard it is to tell someone you trust the truth.

I want to say I enjoyed this book, but given the subject matter involved “enjoyed” may not be the best term to use. It had me hooked, and I felt extreme emotions for the characters and what they endured. It is both powerful and gripping, tracing the story of a family's abuse at the hands of their father/husband. It is thought-provoking and raises awareness of what can (and unfortunately is) going on behind closed doors, even by those deemed respectable by the outside world.

Whilst being marketed as teen/young adult I do feel that due to the content in this book I would only recommend it to older teens, say 16+. I feel that it tackles sensitive subjects and issues that may not be suitable for younger teens.

At 152 pages it was a quick read and I finished it in an afternoon.

4/5

Very thought provoking well written book. Can't say it was an easy read given what the storyline was about but then I expected that.
I went through different emotions of anger, disbelieve and shock that a family couild be so let down by other people and the system..

It seems as if there is something wrong with the mother of this family, Ashley. However, when her husband, Jim, comes home from work (as a police detective) we find out the truth. Ashley is one of the number of abused/battered women in our country, today. Their children, Ally (16), Tyler (15), and Nikki (11), each have a story of their father's abuse to them as well. The children form a pact to try to poison their father but it fails...

We find out that Jim was abused as a child and Ashley left an abusive step-father to marry Jim.

Things change when Nikki opens up to her school teacher, Ms. V.

Does the family fare better or worse with school intervention?

An extremely frightening look at what some people endure in their lives. This story is good for Family Life teaching or as a suspense read!

Many Thanks to Black Rose Writing and NetGalley for a look into a world in which no one wants to exist.

Heartbreaking story of not one but three kids sexual assault at the hands of their father. He is heroic well respected policeman in their town. He physically abuses their mother and his abuse us unpredictable. How they get through the days and survive this horror is amazing. I wanted to choke the father myself. Survival and recovery of the victims of abuse is how you want it to end, read this great book and find out.

This book was heartbreaking to read. Although a subject that does need to be discussed more within a public forum. It was engrossing in the type of manner where you needed to read more but didn't necessarily want to know what the characters went through.
A hard hitting read but worthy for everyone. The tone of the book makes it more an adult read than a YA one.

After years of abuse, and being failed by the system, one family takes matters into their own hands.
I want to say this book was unbelievable, but sadly, living in a time when just a month ago, a judge admonished lawyers for not telling a rape victim she might ruin her rapists life by pressing charges and suggesting that since the rapist comes from a "good family" he should not have to face consequences makes this story feel all too real. Jim Handler, husband, father, hero, pedophile can do no wrong. The town loves him, his fellow cops love him, even his victims love him and hope that one day he will change.
Although a work of fiction I have no doubt that somewhere this story happens every day.

Well written in every sense. The emotions of each character were exceptionally well put across. A lovely ending. Great that real life stories were also included. A great book.

At Daddy's Hands is a story about a cop who is a pillar of the community that can do no wrong. But, behind closed doors he has become a monster. He beats his wife, who has become a drunk and has sexually abused his oldest daughter and his son. When his wife gets pregnant later in life he is not happy about it but his wife refuses to get an abortion.
As the youngest daughter gets into elementary school he slowly starts to introduce her to the sexual abuse but after a while she decides to tell her teacher in a letter.
What happens from there is such a good portrayal of what victims go through. This book was hard to read at times but if you can get through it you will have a better understanding of what these kids go through and the lengths they will go to to stop the abuse.
Thank you for writing this story Jacob Paul Patchen. I hope you get a lot of reads!

It's always hard with these type of books on such topics to actually 'enjoy' reading them, but overall this is a well put together book which keeps you turning the pages. I would preferred more detail put in the characters who were abused rather than the abuser however.

Thank you to Netgalley and Black Rose Writing for an advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

Thank you to the publisher as well as Netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was definitely not for me, I dnf'd it due to graphic material.

Now I knew this book would deal with a tough subject, however, most books I have read don't seem very realistic. This book was realistic and more, while I do agree that more books need to be like this one it definitely isn't something I can read.

There was quite a bit of stuff that I just couldn't read due to past experiences, as well as having children of my own. I know this stuff happens, I just can't read about it.

However, I still rate it three stars because of the parts I did read. The book in a whole is very well researched and written. It conveys feelings and emotions in a very realistic and relatable way. This will definitely be a 5 star for a lot of people.

I... huh.

This might be the hardest book I have ever had to review. While the story itself is fiction, it deals with very heavy, serious subjects. As the TW states, there is abuse, sexual assault, childhood rape, and familial rape as the basis of this story. If you continue to read this review and find any of those subjects triggering, please proceed with caution.

Honestly, I have no idea what to rate this book. I have battled with numerous different ratings and reasonings, but I guess I just have to... go with my gut on this one. Try to bear with me as I attempt to explain why.

As I said, the subject matter is very serious and reading the book was almost gut-wrenching. This is coming from a reviewer who reads extremely dark subjects on a daily basis. As if the fact that the abuser/child rapist in this book is their father isn’t bad enough, he also happens to be a cop. And, as one might expect, that makes any legal proceedings near impossible, as nobody chooses to believe the victims... and, as a reader, it was very aggravating.

The story was told in alternating POVs. You read from the perspective of the three children, as well as their parents. And... yes... that does include the child-raping scumbag. While I understand that the author wanted to get all of the different perspectives, I’m not quite sure how I feel about that decision. In fact, reading from Jim’s POV almost made me DNF. Almost. As someone who, thankfully, has never been sexually assaulted in her almost-21 years of life, if I considered DNFing then I can’t even begin to imagine what some victims of sexual assault might think if they read the same thing. I think I understand... maybe... what the author was trying to go for, but I just... don’t think it was very smart. Maybe others will disagree with me. I dunno.

That said, I also didn’t much care for Ashley, the mother. She was just... so fucking aggravating. She KNEW what was going on right under her own roof and did NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING, in an attempt to stop it. While I whole-heartedly understand that women in abusive relationships might be afraid to speak up or get help, this woman just... literally sat there and watched her children be taken to the bedroom to be raped. In all honesty, she pissed me off almost as much as the actual child-raping scumbag did.

However.

While I have extremely mixed feelings about the story itself, at the end of the book the author has included accounts from real sexual assault victims from Ohio — where the story is set. That, to me, was better than the story itself, and I would almost consider purchasing this book just for that. Hearing these stories, giving these victims a platform, was incredible on the author’s part, in my opinion. It’s one thing to read about fictional sexual assault, but to actually read from real people... well, that causes feelings that I can’t even begin to describe.

Overall... well, I think it’s up to the individual person whether they can stomach a story like this. As I said above, I almost think it’s worth the read just to hear from real people, but the subject matter is, obviously, very grim and very real. Whether you’d want to read this particular story or not is completely up to you — but I definitely have newfound respect for the featured people who chose to speak up.

Speak up and speak out.

At Daddy's Hands by Jacob Paul Patchen chronicles the horrific realities of domestic abuse from the individual perspectives of each member of a single family. Gritty, graphic, and difficult to process, this is nonetheless an epidemic that needs to be addressed. Although the family is fictitious the circumstances, unfortunately, are a grim reality for many of those whom we encounter socially in our daily lives. The inclusion of personal stories solicited by the author are brief yet impactful, and should not be missed.

Jim is a police officer who was sexually abused as a child and continues the linear cycle with his own family, including wife, Ashley, daughters Ally and Nikki, and son, Tyler. Each family member speaks to their personal experience at the hands of Jim's abuse, and the fear, pain, and suffering endured is almost palpable. The author does a commendable job of demonstrating the impact of this shocking abuse on families, and how the cycle is perpetuated from one generation to the next.

This book details circumstances that are not only difficult to read, but are almost impossible to fathom for so many. I applaud the inclusion of helpline and contact information that is provided at the end of the novel. This is a story that will linger in your conscience long after the final page is turned.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Black Rose Writing for this ARC.

This ARC was courtesy of netgalley - all thoughts and opinions are mine and unbiased

This was a really hard read - mostly because the premise is so within the realms of reality

Congratulations to the author though, because as hard as it was to read, its such a deserving topic

Heartbreaking but thoroughly recommend

At Daddy’s Hands, such a powerful and disturbing read. A father(a cop), that the whole town thinks is a hero, abuses his wife and children. I had many different emotions going on while reading this. Anger, sadness, more anger!! This was a hard book to read due to the awful actions of this man, but one that needs to be out there. So sad that this happens way too often in this world now and that the justice system works pretty much the way it was portrayed in this book. Thank you to the author for doing so much research, surely that had be a painful experience.
Many thanks to the author and Netgalley for allowing me to read this and give an honest review.

This was certainly a difficult book to get through although it's a short read. It's a dark subject matter but it's unfortunately one that happens every single day. A family living with a monster - and the way it affects each of them for the worst. We jump from one character to another - from the eyes of the children, the wife, the abuser himself, and the system that failed them (and others) so miserably - in order to see the full story. No one is alright in this book and I appreciated the author never tried to paint the abuse as 'okay'. The writing style was a bit average; very straight to the point without much detail (and while I was glad the detail wasn't graphic for certain scenes I think it would have set up less graphic scenes better with some more detail).

Still, a very quick read that I hope will bring light to how awful the legal system can be to the ones who need its help the most.

At Daddy’s Hands by author Jacob Paul Patchen is a tough to read yet remarkable thriller of a book. It probably won’t be for everyone, but it’s good!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Super hard read. Many trigger warnings.

As hard as this was to read, I do think there should be more awareness of each of these topics. Physical, mental, and sexual abuse. I understand that this is just a fictional story, but this stuff does happen in every day life.

I'm not sure what more to say....

At Daddy’s Hands by Jacob Paul Patchen
Wow this book literally took the will to live out of me. Child sexual abuse is a brutal truth that we have to face and it is rampant the world over but this book really hits you in the face with this harsh reality.
Reading this book was far from enjoyable – it was gut wrenching but I guess sometimes we got to get rid of the escapist attitude within us and open our eyes to the real world.
Jim is a well respected homicide detective but there is a dark side to him. He was sexually abused as a child and continues the abuse with his own family, including with wife, Ashley, daughters Ally and Nikki, and son, Tyler. Each family member speaks about their individual personal experiences - the fear, pain and abuse they endured at Jim’s hands. The shocking abuse by the father is something difficult to stomach. Did the sexual abuse suffered by Jim in his childhood justify his actions? Can the abuse to his innocent children be validated?
Why didn’t the mother react to this scumbag of a husband? Yes she was suffering too but how could she allow this to happen to her children. The anger we feel at her helplessness is palpable.
This is one book which is difficult to read. Frankly I skipped a few parts merely because I just could not stand the suffering the children were enduring. I cannot fathom the pain real victims of abuse go through. The very thought sends shivers down my spine and yet there are children going through this day in and day out and predominantly, the perp is a loved one and thats what hurts the most. When someone we trust harms us in every way possible and leaves us emotionally scarred, it is something which is intolerable.
The reminded me of a similar book I read – Damaged by Cathy Glass. A well written book which really gets under your skin. I know it is not always fair to look at the world with rose tinted glasses. We need to step out of that illusion.

Jim Handler is a man with a gun ...and a badge. He's a homicide detective... and a small town hero.

Jim Handler is married with 2 daughters and a son. He is also abusive ..physically, mentally, sexually. And it's getting more severe day by day. His wife is drinking to deal with her husband, leaving her children at his mercy.

The older daughter reported the abuse to a teacher, who reported to the school psychologist, who reported it to the police. The police notified Handler and of course, he denied all allegations. The court system failed them as well. Basically, nothing has changed, except for his growing anger.

The kids have had enough. They have devised a plan that will stop the violence one and for all.

This was really hard to read due to the disturbing subject matter. It's a hard topic to tackle, especially as we all know these things still exist in our society.

The story is told from everyone's perspective ... mom, each of the kids, and dad. It's gut-wrenching to read the parents's backgrounds and instead of stopping the cycle of abuse, they continued it. It's a fairly short read ... thank goodness ... and guaranteed I will probably have nightmares when the lights go out tonight.

Many thanks to the author / Black Rose Writing / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological drama. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Jim Handler, husband, father, star detective and child molester. His three children have been raped and abused by this man. His wife beaten to a pulp.
No one believes them. No one will listen. The children decide to take things into their own hands. They hope a percocet cocktail will end their abuse.
This is a story about strength, courage and survival. Though this story is fiction it is written about a subject that presently is running rampant in our society. Children being abused and no one listening because the abuse is so good in everyone's eye that he couldn't possibly be doing these atrocities. It happens each and every day.

This is a well-written book on a very hard, heartbreaking subject. The author did an excellent job portraying the horrors that exist in many houses across the globe and hits home to many victims and their abusers! This book will evoke many emotions and feelings and touch your very core being!

This was a tough book to read. The descriptions of sexual abuse are hard to take. The worst part for me was when Nikki came forward and the judge decided to sweep it all under the carpet because it was an election year. Awful. Having said that, I think it was well written and thoughtful.
I received this book free from NetGalley and give this review voluntarily.

This book was totally gripping! It starts off with 3 kids coming up with a plan to get themselves out of an abusive situation At Daddy's Hands. This chapter ends on a cliff hanger. Then it sends you right into the back stories of each of the 3 kids and the wife/mother. It sends you on quite the roller coaster of emotions giving you a peek at what someone in a situation like this would be going through mentally and physically. For me it gave insight to the question of "why don't they speak up and tell someone? Why do they stay in this situation?" The book hits the climax, but it gives you another chapter after that to read about the conclusion. I think this could be a great read for everyone.

This was a not the easiest subject matter to read. Sexual and physical abuse from anyone is HORRIBLE! But when its from a parent its exponentially more horrendous is my opinion. This was very well written and sad to read. I LOVED the victim stories that were included in the end.


Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and to Jacob Paul Patchen for allowing me to read and honestly review this ARC.

What if your father was not only abusing you but abusing your whole family? Would you tell someone? Now what if that abuser was a respected Homicide Detective in a small town? Would you still tell someone, and what if you told and it was disregarded because such a well respected man would "never do such a thing"?
This is the reality for one family in this book that delves deep into matters that are seldom discussed in real life, we are on a journey with not one but 3 children and a mother who are victims and when the youngest finally speaks outs her story is minimized and swept under the rug. Than what do you do to protect yourself and your family? This was a great read that both horrified me and warmed my heart. A families survival and how they beat the odds. Great characters, great plot, a very easy read if you can handle the subject matter. The author is brutally honest in his story but it is done with class and respect.

# At Daddy’s Hands # Netgalley
A extremely powerful message well written book. Of incest, sexual physical, emotional, mental abuse. Of a farther on his three children. It probably the closest books on this subject I have ever ever read. Even when his children conspire to try and get something done to stop it. It often fails. Just like it did in the 70s and 80s. When sexual abuse was rampant. Yet no one would of could do much about it. Due to the. High ranking police, court judges, Queens councils. Politicians where involved in the abuse. The children where a comodotiy. Not worth much in the eyes of such powerful men. Where blind eyes where tuned and a child was made to suffer more. For taking and bringing attention to the sexual assault, abuse. Oh how the mighty felt untouchable. Because they where. Children where sent back home. Children where sent back to children’s homes. It often been said when reports started to come into the police. No one really knew what to do. Because these children, where naming big stars names. Who where being protected. This book is so life like back to that era. A absolutely brilliant written book on the horrors of sexual abuse where no one seemed to want to do anything about it. I can honestly say although it’s such a extremely in-depth story line. I certainly would advise a cautionary paragraph for anyone who has been through the horrors of incest or any type of sexual abuse. I say this with such a well meaning reasons. Someone who just happens to pick this book up, yet knowing it’s on a dark horrific subject. Of someone having been through this kind of think. Often read books like this. I have found it’s like the read them looking or hoping a fictional or true book will help them find answers to why. Yet I feel this particular book. Is such a exceptional eerie almost real life book. The author has dared to cross a line between fact and fiction, in such a way, that I really believe some sexual abused people could read this book and it quite easily be read in the wrong way. It’s actually so well written and storyline so absolutely phenomenal real although it’s fictional. Because the author has actually put so much research it could quite easily be mistaken for a factual book. Hence bringing such strong and powerful messages that if someone where to read this I would hate in to be confused with reality for some. Provoking horrific memories from the past back I would be exceptionally concerned. For a person who has not dealt with their own experiences properly. I can not express how extremely powerful and emotionally charged this book is. After of 50yrs of reading I can honestly say. The author has gone to the edge of fictional to the boundaries of reality. As I stated at the beginning it’s the closest read to the actual real thing. It’s not just the closest it’s the fear written in the book is actually so much on the edge of reality I found myself thinking this is a factual book. Then I had to keep telling myself no it’s a fictional story not reality. However there’s such a fine line between the two. I have such a immense., respect to the author for bringing this subject so close to life. That crossing the line from fact to fictional storyline. Is such a touch of brilliance. He has surpassed any other author by far. By being as close to the actual truth I think without him realising how much brilliance and such a a piece of genius writing. What a great fantastic read above and beyond anything I have read in years. Probably more for the realism, he’s caught the true essence of a survivor and of a abuser like no one else ever has done both so well ever before. A pure pure brilliant thriller. This is really really one book no one can pass by. You really would be missing out on a brilliant almost realistic storyline ever.

I'm honestly not sure how to go about reviewing this book. It make me uncomfortable and sick at times, but I'm pretty sure that was the intent. While I can't say I "enjoyed" the the book, I did find it interesting and had a hard time putting it down.

In public, Jim Handler is a well-respected, small-town hero, and homicide detective who solved the case of the Will’s Creek Massacre. But at home, in the shadows, Jim’s childhood demons come alive to feast upon his family in the form of sexual, physical, and mental abuse.

But his three teenage children have had enough. They have devised a plan for redemption.

Empowered by the legal system’s lack of accountability, a judge who offers a quiet and meager plea deal to save face, Jim feels enabled to do whatever he wants to his family. With no one to keep Jim in check, this cycle of sexual and physical abuse is rampant. It is up to Nikki, Tyler, and Ally to end the evil that is devouring the Handler family.

This is one of those books that you probably shouldn't enjoy, necessarily - I can appreciate what it was doing and the conversations it was having but it's a difficult one to actively like, purely because of what it's about - sexual assault, rape, domestic assault. It's a heavy story and quite a disturbing one.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

This book.... holy cow. Let me start by saying there's obviously a lot of talk about the abuse these kids endured. That's an obvious trigger for some. Books with this subject matter are difficult to read for obvious reasons. The story is told in multiple points of views of everyone involved. The writing was well done. While difficult to read due to subject matter, it was essential to hear everyone's story.

The book also focuses on how the system is sometimes flawed and can at times hurt the victim.

I read this book quickly, and am so glad I did.

"In public, Jim Handler is a well-respected, small-town hero, and homicide detective who solved the case of the Wills Creek Massacre. But at home, in the shadows, Jim's childhood demons come alive to feast upon his family in the form of sexual, physical, and mental abuse."

This story was so sad, but absolutely gripping. I loved the stories of the victims that were included at the end of the book. Such a great read.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and to Jacob Paul Patchen for allowing me to read and honestly review this ARC.

An amazing book, I was gripped by what the family had to go through, very tense and honestly an interesting insight to what can happen in life. Would reread book again and recommend to anyone, who might be interested.

At Daddy’s Hands is about the abuse of 3 kids by their father who is an upstanding policeman in the town. I found it to be an interesting story but also sad for what this father did to their children. The 3 children, 2 girls and a boy band together to try their best to protect themselves while mom turned into basically a drunk who couldn’t help her children. I won’t talk about the ending as that would give the story away.