What a clever story. I was absolutely captivated right from the start. Three separate stories, on the face of it, but clearly linked and the twists just kept coming. I loved the rather unusual narrative style which followed Anna initially. But interlinked with snippets from another character and with no obvious connection. Anna is about to be released from prison but is accused of murder. Her salvation is Tom, duty lawyer. Little by little her full backstory is revealed and it’s gripping. As she catches up with her past and seeks redemption, the story suddenly stops and switches to Lucy. There have been snippets of her tale throughout; clearly obsessed with ‘the Professor’ it’s difficult to know how she slots in. It’s a totally different tale involving Lucy and Edgar. Equally compelling and so skilfully interwoven. Then there’s a third, very mysterious narrative which appears to bear no relevance to anything else going on.

Harriet Tyce is not only a natural storyteller, she’s skilled in pacing and plotting. So much so that I listened to most of this through one night. I just couldn’t switch it off, keen to know how it was all going to slot together. A cast of plausible characters, troubled and tortured for various reasons, seeking resolution. This is a cracking tale and I’m just disappointed that it’s finished. Double 5 stars if I could for tension, twists and thrills.

I really got into the three individual stories of Anna, Lucy and Marie, really missing each of them when they ended quite abruptly. I was a little confused as to how they were going to be drawn together. However that became clear once Anna was released from prison and two of the three became acquainted. There is no shortage of twists throughout the book as the women interact with Rachel, Tom, Edgar and Victor. Best of all the book ties up all loose ends and has an extremely clever ending. I really like a book that ends properly, be it good or bad! Finally I have to compliment the narrator. A narrator can make or break and audiobook. Candida Gubbins definitely enhanced A Lesson in Cruelty with her excellent narration.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Three women, three separate stories.
Anna is spending her final night in prison when a new inmate is placed in her cell late at night. When Anna wakes the next morning her new cellmate is dead.
Lucy, a brilliant law student, is obsessed with her professor. She will do anything to get his attention.
Marie has lived in an isolated cabin on the edge of a remote loch for five years. Her only contact with the outside world is the weekly supply drop and the cameras that watch her every move.



A Lesson In Cruelty by Harriet Tyce is one of those stories that will initially have you wondering what you are reading/listening to. The first part focuses on Anna but every so often you get little snippets from other characters. An unknown character; lurking, watching, whispering and clearly obsessed with someone. We also hear from a pair of characters, Scylla and Charybdis, two women living together but the relationship is difficult.

Anna's story really draws you in. Initially, we don't know why she's in prison but we do know that she's filled with guilt and has decided that once she's released the only solution is to kill herself. When she is forced to share her cell on her last night in prison you can understand her reluctance to engage with her new cellmate, Kelly. All Anna wants to do is get through the night so she can be released and carry out her plan. Anna can hear that Kelly is distressed, she's talking to someone on a mobile phone. The following morning Anna discovers that Kelly has committed suicide and this puts Anna's release in jeopardy. When she is eventually released, Anna decides to change her plans and discover why Kelly was so upset.

Lucy is a law graduate, she's jumped at the chance to further her knowledge by studying under an eminent professor at Oxford. Lucy doesn't want anything to do with the rest of her cohort, all her attention is on getting closer to her professor. The closer she gets, the more she discovers about his home life but Lucy doesn't care, all she wants is him.

Marie shares a remote cabin on the edge of a loch with Janice. Their life is a difficult one, they rely on a weekly delivery of provisions but after five years they know that the actual contents can't always be relied on. It becomes clear that both women have committed terrible crimes and the remote cabin is their punishment. Over time Janice has become more and more disturbed, with Marie struggling to ensure their survival.

Eventually, you realise that the stories are connected and they begin to converge. The big question is what connects them? There is a lurking sense of dread about what will happen, you are filled with trepidation, worried about the fate of some of the characters as you realise that someone will stop at nothing to get what they want.

There are twists galore as the fates of the three women are revealed. The narrator, Candida Gubbins, has done a fantastic job voicing the different characters but particularly "the watcher", Scylla and Charybdis. I could feel the hairs on my neck rising each time I listened to a section featuring these characters.

4.5 stars
Firstly I enjoyed this so much more than Blood Orange. I felt like the pacing was so much better and both the plot and the characters felt a lot more fleshed out and well-rounded. It took me a while to get into the story but I think that's more of a reflection of this book being the first audiobook that I have listened to and me not liking the narrator instead of the story itself not being engaging.

First, we meet Anna, a prisoner waiting to be released after serving her sentence before an incident on her final night leads her into trouble again. Next, we meet Lucy, a postgrad student at Oxford who is obsessed with her married criminology professor and is convinced she can have a relationship with him. Finally, we meet Marie, a reclusive individual living in a remote area of Scotland.

From the start, the story is told in chunks from the POV of each character with the occasional fairly vague view from an unknown character. As there are so many POV switches, I would've liked for it to be narrated by multiple voice actors to avoid confusion. Other than the professor, I couldn't for the life of me work out how the three individual storylines could come together but the author did a wonderful job of dropping subtle hints throughout that I didn't take too much notice of until the big reveal at the end.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to A Lesson In Cruelty and I look forward to reading more from Harriet Tyce in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wildfire for an ARC/ audible of this book. Harriet Tyce is one of my go to authors in the mystery/ thriller genre after I read Blood Orange in 2019.

I really enjoyed it from start to finish. No spoilers here but a great twist at the end! The 3 POV was well handled by the narrator and I was hooked from the start with the plot.

**Listened to the audio book**

I really struggled with this book. I was left a little confused, and wasn't completely engrossed so when it came to picking up up this book again I wasn't really that interested.
I'm not sure if it was the writing or the lack of differentiation between the characters with the narrator.
Just not for me, this one!
Dull! Not original! All over the place.

I really enjoyed this - yes it was time a little convoluted and some helpful coincidences but it was highly entertaining

The lives of three women leading very different lives collide in this tale of power and corruption. Anna, released from prison following the death of a relative in the car she was driving under the influence of drink. Lucy; a young woman in love with her university professor, and Marie living a reclusive life away from prying eyes. The story begins as three separate tales all meeting as secrets and lies become uncovered and connections are made. Flicking from one perspective to the next, the pace veers from racing to a crawl with no time for the reader to adjust accordingly. Having read Blood Orange I expected to really enjoy this book but the pace, and a very obvious ‘twist’ at the end made this less than enjoyable.A shame as it had an interesting premise questioning society’s handling of both mental health and reform issues. Finally, I listened to the audio version and whilst the plot was intriguing to a point the narration was poor. Did the narrator have a cold? She sounded very nasal and as though she were struggling to catch her breath. This distracted from any pace she tried to build. The book itself would be 3 stars but I’ve dropped the overall rating to 2 stars for that reason.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publishers Headline audio and author, Harriet Tyce for this audiobook in exchange for my personal, honest review.

Despite my excitement to read this, this audiobook ended with a "meh" feeling and fell a little flat for me.

I enjoyed certain aspects of the audiobook, but some areas could have been improved. For example, I found myself zoning out and having to rewind at several points in the story, which made it hard to follow the plot. However, I appreciated the deeply developed characters and the clever connection between them all. The conclusion was interesting and well executed.

I found the thriller aspect of the story entertaining, but the plot pace was sporadic and didn't flow as smoothly as in other audiobooks and previous works by this author. Despite these drawbacks, the plot was engaging enough to keep me from reading.

Overall, I recommend considering reading the physical book instead of the audiobook format to fully immerse yourself in this story. However, this is based on my personal preferences, and I don't wish to discourage anyone from picking this up in any format!

This is a hard review to write because for the vast majority of time I was completely absorbed by the tale. Wondering how on earth everyone and every strand would eventually fit together. So full marks for that. However the problem started when the links and the history became clear and then to quote a line from the book ‘ the story is so outlandish it will be met with derision’… I rest my case.

Well, what can I say. I really enjoyed this and couldn't put it down. It keeps you guessing and just when you think you’ve guessed right, nope, you’re back to guessing right up to the end.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐+⭐
wow! A Lesson in Cruelty by Harriet Tyce, an audiobook narrated by Candida Gubbins is wow!
First of all the storyline is insane!
Secondly, Candida Gubbins is an absolute superstar! I can't believe this book is narrated just by one person! The voices, the accents, and the theatrical benefit! wow! I am so happy that I got this as an audiobook as the narration made this book so good!

Now back to the story. I must say I was a bit confused at the end. I could not understand where this was heading but once it picked up - wow! And I mean it!
What I loved so much was that this book felt like a reading/listening series! Like each part of the book is a separate book - absolutely unrelated. And there is no link whatsoever don't break your brain trying to twist them together! Each story is interesting so the following part brings all three together and this is where things get so interesting! The new story is insane and ends with a mind-blowing twist! And when you finally steady your breathing the final twist comes in like an asteroid... boooom!

1) Anna serving her sentence for drink-driving and finally is due to be released on parole but things get complicated as her new cellmate is found dead in the morning. All Anna wants is a fresh start but sometimes a fresh start can appear differently!

2) Lucy, an outstanding Law student is madly in love with her college professor Edgar and she will take any chance to get close to him. When she gets a chance to assist in the research, she can't say no!

3) Marie experiences a secluded existence in a secluded area in Scotland's woods. She is under cameras 24/7 and at some point, she doesn't pay attention to them. She takes care of Janice's needs and counts the days till the next delivery day. They never know what will be delivered but still, this is the only highlight of the week.

And then all the stories are twisted together like a professional spider web! So many things click in the places!

Thank you, Headline Audio and NetGalley for this fantastic book!

This book is literally the written embodiment of the idea that men need to start off in prison, and earn their way out.

Thank you to Harriet Tyce, Netgalley and Headline Audio | Wildfire for the audio Arc of A lesson in Cruelty.
Narrated by Candida Gubbins

I really enjoyed this book as a medium paced Thriller set as 3 separate POV in 3rd person. Anna, who is due to be released from prison has a last minute cell share with a mysterious inmate. A law student, Lucy, who has an infatuation with her lecturer and lastly, Marie. A women who is sharing a cottage in a secluded part of Scotland. The first half of the narrative is mainly Anna's POV with inserts of Lucy and Marie. As the story unfolds, you find out why and how these 3 POV and women are linked. The last 3rd of the story really picks up.

Candida Gubbins had a nice voice that suited the pace of the book itself. I did, however find that it was also a little nasally ( like she had a cold throughout the book ) I didn't really notice it right at the beginning and Im not particularly fussy with voices as Ill listen to most.

A great psychological thriller which is my first from Harriet Tyce.

3.5 stars

Narrators can make or break a book.

This audiobook's narrator did the latter.
😭😭😭

Narrator Candida Gubbins' gasping was not easy on one's ears.

And this book had a lot of gasping.

The book showcases the stories of three women:

1) Anna who is due to be released on parole and wants a fresh start
2) Law student Lucy who is infatuated with her alluring married college professor
3) Marie, a woman leading a secluded existence in Scotland.

How are these women connected?

Although I applaud the author for creating a complex and compelling storyline, the book's pacing was uneven.

Also, since the book unfolded from three POVs, I would have enjoyed the book much more had there been a full-cast narration with fewer gasps.

Harriet Tyce has blown me away with her latest novel, A LESSON IN CRUELTY! I liked how the story was set up in several parts. In each part we are introduced to different characters and learn about what is currently going on in their lives. I enjoyed trying to figure out how they would all tie together. This is a great book to listening to, but I would recommend that you pay close attention to the characters, there are several, and it kept me on my toes. Overall, I'd say this is another winner by Tyce. I look forward to reading her books each year!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Headline Audio for my gifted ALC.

This review will be shared to my Instagram account (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

A lesson in cruelty started promisingly but I felt it lost itself in the middle part and i found it harder to stay focused with it, so i didn't finish. Maybe its one I will head back too, The premise was good and the narrator did a great job with the parts i listened too.

Brilliant read! Couldn't put this down. It keeps you guessing right to the end and ties all the stories up nicely.

A thoroughly enjoyable whodunnit, which I couldn’t figure out until quite close to the end! There was one slightly annoying bit where a few loose ends were brushed under the carpet with our protagonist essentially saying “yeah, I didn’t figure that stuff out either but oh well”… but that aside, I had fun listening to this one. It almost made being stuck on the M25 in standstill traffic for an hour an enjoyable experience! ALMOST!

Superbly written twisty page turner.

Told from the perspective of three unconnected women: one with a crush on her professor, one a recluse, and one just about to be released from prison.

The author and narrator both do a great job of differentiating between the women and bringing their stories to life.

From about half way through, the stories begin to converge and we start to understand how they are linked.

A great listen with a satisfying ending.