In the famous words of Phillip Larkin, ‘they fuck you up your Mum and Dad’. Reading this book was a very interesting experience and patience definitely paid off. Had I given in to my impulses and thrown the book down in frustration during the first part, I would have missed out on a great read. The story of three brothers over their lifetimes is compelling, interesting and a great study in how mental health difficulties can be passed on from one generation to the next.

The structure of the novel is what I had difficulty with at first. The first section was narrated by the eldest brother, Will. Written in short chapters, slipping between decades, we see aspects of his childhood through to the present day where he is a successful movie producer. He meets his wife Kate through his brother Brian,when she’s brought to a family dinner. They have a little girl called Daisy, but Will is much more focused on work than he is his family. We get the sense that Kate is a long suffering woman who gets more support from Brian, who is now Daisy godfather. Brian is there for the birthdays and school concerts and has a great rapport with her Uncle. Will is dismissive of Brian and his lack of ambition. He is also dismissive of Luke, despite Luke’s success as a pop star in his late teens. He is close to his Mum and through flashbacks we see she favours him, quite openly.

Luke, by contrast, really gets the brunt of their mother’s moods. He is the youngest, the weakest but soon finds success as a pop star. However, in the later fragments of his life he has times of struggle, where his mental health is poor and he turns to drink or experiments with drugs. He is an unusual child with a religious fixation to the extent where the family priest thinks he has a vocation! The other boys use his goodness against him, it gets them extra food and attention. There are moments where it seems his life is on track and he could be happy, but others where I wondered if he was just not meant for this world.

Finally, there’s Brian the middle brother. If Will is his Mum’s favourite and Luke is doted on by his Dad, it leaves nobody for Brian. He does seem fatally dragged between the two of them. Will is very dismissive of him, even though Brian does so much for his niece. He’s not grateful that Brian stands in for him or that he looks after Luke when his mental health deteriorates. In fact their relationship becomes so destructive that other family members get caught in the crossfire.

The genius of this book is its structure. During the first part, narrated by Will, I was ready to put the book down. I couldn’t stand him. He was arrogant, self-centred and treats women appallingly. If the whole book had been his viewpoint I might have thrown it out of the window. Just when I was at the point of giving up, I saw Luke’s name across the next section and it was such a relief. As the tale goes back and forth in time and perspective we see a tiny bit more of the whole. At a Bob Dylan concert at a local castle, Will ends up in a fight and is taken to hospital with Dad and Luke following behind.
Mum is left behind at the castle and doesn’t arrive at the hospital till late. However, through Luke’s story we learn that something terrible happened to her, something that explains so much about how she behaves. When we finally get Brian’s section we see what a lifetime of being in the middle feels like. Overlooked, unconsidered and brushed aside. We find out things we already suspected and other things that surprise and enlighten us. Every single strand of this novel teaches us that we are only ever a small part of the picture and we must step back to see the whole.


This brings me to the second line of Larkin’s poem, which is the best; ‘they do not mean to but they do’. There are parts of this novel, particularly the way Dad behaves, where genuine mistakes are made and misunderstandings occur in the same way they do with any family. However there are other situations where the damage seems deliberate, especially in their mother’s attitude to Luke, Will’s intervention in Luke’s relationship, and in the treatment of Will’s daughter Daisy towards the end of the novel. These acts are more than little cruelties. They are deliberately causing lifelong psychological disturbance. This is a complex and interesting novel that moves from one narrow perspective to give us all the pieces of the emotional jigsaw puzzle that makes up this family.

Three brothers, which one is in the coffin? The reader doesn't find out until the end. The book is told from the perspective of the three brothers, none of which are particularly likeable. Thoroughly enjoyed.

I loved the opening to this book - "All three of the Drumm brothers were at the funeral, although one of us was in a coffin." Our Little Cruelties tells the story of the Drumm family and is rich with character, dark family dynamics and suspense. An enjoyable read.

Liz Nugent is incredible at getting into your head. The whole time that I was reading Our Little Cruelties, no matter what I was doing when I wasn't actively reading, I was thinking about the Drumm Brothers.

The story begins at the funeral of one of the three brothers. We know immediately that this is not a very happy family, and judging by the false sounding condolences, that they aren't particularly well liked. We also know that the man they are mourning died under very suspicious and violent circumstances.

The book goes from this ominous beginning (which is more or less also how the story ends) back in time as it is narrated in turn by each of the three brothers. The story is not told in chronological order but back in forth as each subsequent narrator either fills in the gaps, clarifies something that another brother has said or completely contradicts it. You are never entirely sure who is telling the truth, if the narrators are lying, don't remember correctly because of illness, addiction or another trauma, or because they have convinced themselves that something is true. The rivalry between the brothers comes from a deeply troubled mother who explicitly had favourites, even making this clear by endangering one child in other to protect another, and is made no easier by a mostly kind but distant and distracted father who has his own trouble with his much younger wife.

Nugent writes despicable, unlikable characters that you can't look away from, and this is her best since the amazing and horrifying Lying in Wait. This book goes to some very dark places, not just because they are violent or morally wrong, but because they subvert the norms of acceptable family life. As with Lying in Wait, the mother is a terrifying figure, but in this case one we don't hear from directly, as much as we crave the truth about her mysterious upbringing, her now faded glory days, and the truth about her marriage. Similarly, we never really understand the father's part in all this, which I was at first disappointed by but I feel that this is ultimately fitting in a book where the three sons' lack of understanding of their family dynamic and inability or disinterest in empathising with each other's lives is so integral to the plot.

No one writes a domestic thriller like Liz Nugent, and this is her at her very best.

Our Little Cruelties by Liz Nugent is a mesmerizing read that will draw you in and leave you in shock as you become aware of the crazy stunts that each of the three brothers, Will, Brian and Luke are responsible for. The story opens with a funeral scene of one of the brothers but we are not aware which one; as the story unravels we witness numerous twists, revealed as each narrator tells their side of the story; bit by tragic bit all is revealed leaving the reader thankful that they are not involved in this extreme case of sibling rivalry!!

This is a story about three Irish brothers Brian Will and Luke all the sons of an self absorbed singer .It starts at the funeral of one of the brothers and we don't find out which one it is until the end .The story is told by all three brothers and jumps forward and backwards.The only likeable character was Luke all the rest were vile .I did enjoy the book though .Many thanks to the Publisher the Author and NetGalley for my review copy in return for an honest review .

What an amazingly good read we have here right from the first pages it draws you into a story of revenge, jealously and rivalry in a completely dysfunctional family and it’s unputdownable !!
It starts with a funeral, three brothers and one is dead but who and why. The story is set out in different timelines and from the perspective of each of the brothers and it’s so damn compulsive it hurts to have to put the kindle down when ordinary life gets in the way grrrrrrr.
The writing is brilliant and the characters are flawed and not always likeable at all but this just adds to the very real feel of this excellent read.
It’s a book that will have you hooked as you are drawn into the lives of these three brothers as little by little the whys and wherefores of what made them the way they is explained by each of the characters giving their take on what happened in a complex and compelling.
So what more can I say other than don’t miss this one is a winner and my thanks to the fabulous Liz Nugent for such a wonderful read.
My thanks also to NetGalley and Penguin Books UK, Penguin Ireland for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

In a lot of ways Liz Nugent's Our Little Cruelties is an epic family drama, jumping around in time and character, each new little gem of a chapter adding to the reader's experience of this trio of brothers. As ever with her characters none of them are flawless, all of them are divisive and she plays on your emotions pitch perfectly throughout.

As well as that the mystery element- just which one of them is in that coffin and how did his journey take him there - is intuitively embedded within the narrative, every reader will hope that it's not this brother but that one, yet whatever the outcome may be, you just know it's going to hurt. This is twice in a row now that this author has utterly traumatised me with an ending I simply can't let go of - for me that's the sign of a true genius with words, there is a power here that has a mesmerising affect on you as you read.

I won't give anything away, Our Little Cruelties is a novel you feel rather than read, live rather than observe and just solidifies my opinion that this kind of thing is the type of quality we should all hope for when we pick up a book. Watch out writers everywhere- Liz Nugent is coming for you all.

I am already highly anticipating what might come next - But for now Our Little Cruelties comes highly recommended from me.

I really enjoyed this book so much. It has a really great plot, superb main characters and I read it in one sitting. I would highly recommend this book.

I commenced reading ‘Our Little Cruelties’ by Liz Nugent last night, just before going to bed. This was most definitely a mistake, because several hours later, I was still reading away, excited to reach each new chapter.
The book has an intriguing opening chapter as two of the infamous Drumm brothers attend the funeral of their brother – the third Drumm sibling. We do not learn who has actually died, or whether his passing is an accident or not, until the end of the book. Within a few short paragraphs, Nugent has once again, set up a fantastic premise for her novel and caught my attention. The story features the three brothers, Will, the eldest and a filmmaker, Brian, the middle brother and agent and finally Luke the youngest and a musician. Not forgetting, their mother Melissa who is the root of many of their issues, and a thoroughly difficult character herself.
The story is told from the perspective of each of the brothers in turn, starting with Will, then Brian and finally Luke, before returning to Will and working through again. The story also jumps in time with each chapter from the present to the late 1970’s to the 1990’s and back again. This constant change in timeline, could easily become confusing and lead the reader to lose interest in the story, but this is not an issue in the hands of such a skilled author as Liz Nugent. The timeline helps the reader to gain an insight into the dynamics of the family and possibly to understand, how they came to be so incredibly dysfunctional. Also, the reader can review the tales that they are told and try to determine the veracity of each sibling’s story.

Nugent has created and crafted each character so carefully that you find yourself at times sympathising with them and understanding their viewpoint, while at the same time, wondering what on earth is wrong with them. The twists and turns are continuous in this novel and is the rare example of an actual “shocking twist”. Read this, love it!!

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of the eArc of this book from NetGalley and Penguin in return for an honest review.

"Our Little Cruelties" is the story of three brothers, Will, Brian and Luke. We know from the start of the book that one of them is dead - but which one, and who killed him? What follows is a complex and intricately plotted story, narrated by all three brothers, detailing not only who died and what happened, but also the much more intricate story of their relationships, both with each other and their wider families. 

I loved that each of the narrators tells a flawed version of the whole story - as each is telling their own version, their own personal biases and perspectives invariably shape the tale, so that the reader feels at once both included and voyeur, as we have access to truths that that particular narrator isn't privy to. 

The story is so well-written - it feels like a sweeping family saga, even though we are only dealing with three brothers, and we can't look away as the ramifications of certain actions unfold. 
Several times in the book, I gasped out loud, and parts of the story genuinely hurt me (don't worry, no spoilers!). It's hard for me sometimes to invest in an unlikeable character, and this story is full of them, but in this author's more than capable hands, the reader finds themselves drawn further in rather than pushed away or repulsed. The writing and the plotting is just brilliant, and I loved that this was so multi-layered - I'm certain I will be reading this again in the future, and even more certain that I will find further layers when I do. 

I will be recommending this one to anyone who'll listen. An absolute triumph of a novel - I will be thinking about this one for a long time. 

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for this advanced reader's copy. Delighted to read this new offering from Liz Nugent. Tense and atmospheric. Loved how the story built into a tense conclusion.

Liz Nugent has done it again. Has written a page-turner filled with devious and broken characters that we hate to love – but love anyway! A compelling read with all the clever twists that we have come to expect from this very accomplished storyteller.

An enjoyable slow burning read with a good ending you do not expect. It wouldn't be my favourite book belonging to Liz but still worth the read.

I have always loved Liz Nugent’s books so was looking forward to this. Revolving around 3. brothers we know one has died as the story opens with a funeral but who? We are then treated to a fabulous twisting story from multiple perspectives and times and you definitely need to have your wits about you to keep up with everything that is and has gone on making it a fascinating and challenging read. If i’m honest I didn’t enjoy it as much as her previous books as I found some bits not as gripping as others but overall it very enjoyable and well written read,, definitely recommended. Will thanks to the publisher for an advanced copy.

I loved Liz Nugent's previous books especially Skin Deep (see my review here) and Lying in Wait (see my review here) so when I saw that she had a new standalone psychological thriller called Our Little Cruelties being published on 26th March 2020, I jumped at the chance to read an early advance copy thanks to Netgalley.

There was NO DOUBT in my mind that Liz Nugent is a very sick and twisted person in real life who should possibly not be allowed near small children or pets, however having met Liz at Harrogate Crime Festival she is actually very sweet and nice and not scary at all which is why I am shocked at how dark and disturbing her books are... but then you do hear that saying "it's the quiet ones you should watch out for".

So, back to the new book.  We start at a funeral - three brothers - 1 dead, the other 2 alive, and who is narrating the story?  Well I can tell you that all 3 brothers narrate the story and take the reader on a journey back and forth from their earliest memories to the current day.  Liz Nugent very cleverly gives each brother their own story to tell in their own words and we flit to and fro, jumping timelines, skipping decades and returning to major events within each part of the book.  

None of the brothers are particularly likeable, we have Will, the eldest controlling and selfish brother, Brian, the middle child who has some serious sibling rivalry issues and little Luke, the youngest brother who has mental health illness on top of a really harsh and unloving mother.  The stories are sad and the brothers entangled lives are laid bare to the reader which at times is so uncomfortable you may have to change seats.

Some of the subject matters are hard to read about - I particularly found the mother's behaviour towards her children disgusting and upsetting.  Reading Luke's journey into stardom as a young pop star and his decent into mental heath illness and drug/alcohol addiction was moving and emotional and following Will's career progress and his cavalier attitude to life made me want to hit him over the head with a brick (tied to a chair).

Liz has created several very unlikable but plausible characters and taken the reader on a roller coaster of a journey to find out which of the brothers died and who killed him.  I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would recommend it to fans of dark, disturbing and dis likeable characters.

Not the best Liz Nugent book i have read, i found a lot of it repititve. I enjoyed the switch between characters and the ending was excellent.

I read the simple preface of this book and instantly wanted to read it. <b>'Three brothers are at the funeral. One lies in the coffin. Will, Brian and Luke grow up competing for their mother's unequal love. As men, the competition continues - for status, money, fame, women ...
They each betray each other, over and over, until one of them is dead. But which brother killed him?'</b> Added to that I had previously enjoyed 'Skin Deep' by the same author.
This book had me hooked from start to finish although I was slightly disappointed by the ending but nevertheless I very entertaining read. The book is told by each of the three brothers all the while the victims and the killer are kept secret. They all have their own story and it is interesting to see their individual take on each plot line. The characters are not not people but fascinating all the same.
I would like to thank both Net Galley and Penguin UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

My final book of 2019 and what a high to go out on! As an avid fan of Liz Nugent, I knew from the second I read the description that I would be completely enthralled by this book and I wasn’t disappointed!

‘Our Little Cruelties’ tells the stories of the Drumm family brothers Brian, Luke and Will, which spans over a number of years. They’re extremely competitive with each other and all crave to be in the spotlight. This way of life will result in the demise of one of the brothers.. but which one?

Fantastically exciting, gripping and compelling. Liz Nugents genius writing skills have a way of transporting you into her world and captivating the imagination like no other.

From the very first (brilliant) opening line, Liz Nugent had me enthralled. As a current fan of this author, I was already prepared to dislike the characters.....and I wasn’t disappointed 😅 The writing, as always, is excellent, and the story itself is gripping. I’m pretty sure we’re going to see a lot of hype when this book is released! I’m giving it the full five stars.