First of all I have to say that I don't think the blurb gives an accurate summary of the book. This is not so much a psychological thriller as a contemporary drama. The Drumm family are probably as dysfunctional as you can get. Their story is told from the viewpoints of the three sons, Will, a film producer, Brian, the failure of the family (in his own words) and Luke, a pop star. It is told over the course of a number of years. Each in their turn tells of the betrayals of the others. They are an unpleasant bunch with Will perhaps being the worst. Luke I felt sorry for especially as his awful mother put him down at every opportunity. It's always interesting to read different accounts of the same events and although none of the main characters were appealing I found myself warming to them when they were narrating only to have this turned upside down when someone else put their point of view! This book wasn't what I expected from the blurb but I enjoyed it anyway. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

Will, Brian, and Luke; the three brothers have been competing with each other for as long as they can remember... until one of them died.
Was either of his siblings responsible for his death?

The story is told from 3 perspectives, we learn each of the brothers' versions of their whole lives, from their childhood to adulthood.
The narrative is interspersed with personal accounts from one of the brothers' funeral, and we don't find out which one of them died until the very end.
I did enjoy this book, but it was a slow read and not exactly what I had expected. Rather than a thrilling and suspenseful story, it was a slow-burning recap of the brothers' lives and the little betrayals that kept accumulating over the years and had, in the end, resulted in the death of one of them.
The story does pick up at the end when the brothers learn about the aforementioned betrayals.
I also found the constant switching of the dates a little confusing.
I'm really on the fence about the rating. It was a good story that kept me interested throughout and that deserves 4 stars, but because I'm more in for thrilling, fast-paced rides, I'm leaning towards 3 stars.
Nonetheless, I still recommend this book to anyone who's looking for something other than a mind-blowing read full of twists and turns.
This was my first book from this author, but I will definitely check out her other books.

Liz Nugent's latest psychological thrillers gives us the Drumm family, the selfish and narcissistic show biz mother, Melissa Craig and her three sons. Mommie dearest overtly favours her eldest, William, a film producer, an entitled, nasty misogynist piece of work, is indifferent to the mean and grasping Brian, and is unbelievable cruel to her youngest, the fragile Luke, ensuring that his mental health issues dog him throughout his life. The book opens with the funeral of one of the brothers, we are not told whose, and in a non-linear narrative, the brothers perspective on the events in their lives is laid bare, it culminates in a shocking finale that reveals which one dies. William and Brian are unencumbered by anything in the way of scruples or morality, behaving so badly that I wanted to biff them hard over their heads with the heaviest of frying pans, the vulnerable Luke elicited a little more of my sympathy. A deranged family story with some dark humour, of murder, cruelties, betrayal, addictions, adultery, mental health issues, fame, rivalries, and #MeToo issues. Once again Nugent has me compulsively enthralled by the most despicable of brothers in this car crash of a family! Many thanks to Penguin UK for an ARC.

Three brothers who have competed all their lives for their mother’s love and admiration. Written from the points of view of each of the brothers, it is clever in the way it shows how easy it is to justify even our ugliest actions to ourselves – and that we never learn from mistakes but merely blame others. Liz Nugent is frighteningly good at depicting male narcissists.

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I enjoyed this story very much and felt like I knew each character personally due to the description of them. I enjoyed the storyline. This is not my usual genre but in this instance I am extremely pleased and grateful for opening up my mind to something totally different. Thanks again.

Well, what can I say? Liz Nugent has done it again and written something completely new and different to all the rest. I was gripped and appalled in equal measure. If you think your family is dysfunctional this will make you feel like they are a walk in the park! The Drumm brothers are something else but at the same time totally believable.
Honestly, I loved everything about it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a wonderful, intriguing book. Three brothers and three different stories of lives intertwined. Support for one another, competition, but also treacherous displays of hypocrisy and betrayal. Wealth, fame, drugs and infidelity all come into the mix.
The story tells of the brothers upbringing and then their lives as they move through the years. Each brother has success in a grand or modest way, then failure in equal proportions.
The action seamlessly moves from their place of birth in Ireland to Europe and USA.
Liz creates a whodunit guesser right from the start. One brother dies and it is a tease through the book to decide which one goes and how.
I enjoyed this book from cover to cover.

Thanks to Penguin Books (UK) and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Whenever I read a Liz Nugent story my expectations are unrealistically high. Yet, time and time again she responds with another 5 star novel. Nugent is quite simply a wonderful, highly imaginative writer. Whilst many so-called 'psychological thrillers' are a pale imitation of what this term actually implies, Nugent's stories always comprise astute observations of the dark-side of the human condition. The dysfunctional, twisted psyche and its expression in human behaviour are her stock in trade. In her understanding of this Nugent is masterful. 'Our Little Cruelties' is the fulcrum of the worst that we humans can do to one another. I won't talk too much about the plot here as this will spoil a memorable read, but you won't be disappointed in this one. This novel is about a mother and her three sons. Dysfunctional doesn't even come close to describing the dynamics of this family unit and their internecine conflicts. I suspect that even Freud would have trouble categorising the neuroses and concomitant personality disorders of this merry band of brothers. Then there is mama who encourages conflict and competition amongst her children with disastrous results. Really, mama is a psychological study of her own - the human petri-dish of an outsized ego that poisons the bloodline of her children. The end result is where we begin this novel, with the death of either Will, Brian or Luke. Why? 'Our Little Cruelties' is the story of how and why. Ever page is thrilling, revelatory and engrossing with plenty of twists and turns along the way. Liz Nugent has written another addictive novel, I only wish I could give this more than 5 stars.

One word: Amazing

OMG, this family! I would say they put the fun in dysfunctional, but there's nothing fun there. This is the story of three brothers & the story opens at a funeral with all of them present - two are mourners & one is dead. You get to see the history of each brother & how they interact with each other & compete for their Mother's love & attention. It was a very well written story about horrible people.

The book's main characters are three brothers, who each tell their own story of events that have happened during their lives from being children up to the present day. It starts in the present where one of the brothers is dead but which one? It is a compelling read, not about brotherly love but about hatred, revenge, and betrayal I enjoyed the different aspects of the book and can highly recommend.

A confusing read that seemed to be side tracked by the premise of telling the story from numerous viewpoints and jumping around timelines. Added to which the lack of plot was attempted to be covered by introducing every possible misery-lit trope (infidelity, emotional abuse, sexual harassment, rape, psychological illness, addiction ... to name a few) multiple times from various viewpoints; by the end of the book I didn’t care who had died, I was just glad the book was over.

Full disclosure: Liz Nugent is one of my favourite authors. All her books are very different, with one thing in common - they are brilliant! Our Little Cruelties is no exception - clever, well written and dark, with realistic and multifaceted characters. The plot is based on the story of one family, which is told from different points of view. Although many of the events are described several times by various people, the book is never boring or repetitive, which is a credit to the author's brilliant writing. There are many themes and layers that continually tease and surprise the reader. I thoroughly enjoyed Our Little Cruelties and happily recommend it.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House UK for the ARC.

This is a good read - just not as good (in my opinion) as others that I've read by this excellent author.

It's a decent, easy to read family drama / thriller - but, be prepared, there's not a lot to like within this family. It's focused on the relationship of 3 brothers, not close and one has died. The story then takes us on a journey from each perspective, told in the past and present. This makes for a confusing read at times and I did find it hard going and overly detailed.

So, in summary, if you're interested in the shenanigans of an Irish dysfunctional family, this is the one for you!

For me, a 3* good read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview in exchange for this honest review.

It's addictive. You just can't stop reading. A textbook example of a narcissistic parent and the effect she has on her three sons.
There's one big hook: the book opens at the funeral of one of the three brothers. Right to the end, you don't know which will be the dead brother, although I would cheerfully have finished all three of them off at various points myself. It works brilliantly as a hook to keep you invested in the story, and the pace of the telling also keeps you reading . One of the brothers is in films and is working direct from Weinstein's play book. Another's in the shadows and making the best of it. The last is a troubled boy with his mother's singing talent and a strange religious obsession. The text weaves in and out of chronological time and from each brother's perspective. What might have been repetitious backstory was always intriguing for what each brother noticed or failed to notice about the others' experiences of key events, from a star turn by the mother at the Pope's visit to Phoenix Park, to younger brother's debut turn at a big rock venue. Some lovely touches, particularly on class sensitivities in Irish society, in what was sometimes rather two-dimensional characterisation. The snobby Mum's relatives who sold bleach and toilet paper at the market, much to her shame, had the ring of truth to it. The five bedroom house, big enough for her ego, but not big enough to allow the boys to have parties in. Mum had the use of three bedrooms: one for her wardrobe, another for her piano, the third for sleeping. Leaving only two to be shared between three boys.
A damn good read, but not an author I would go to for lipsmackingly evocative or envy-inducing writing.  Thanks to Penguin Random House UK and Netgalley for the chance to taste the book pre-publication.

Liz Nugent has done it again! This is the fourth book I've read by Liz and they keep getting better. She 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. I loved every page. Her best book so far! I highly recommend.

Oh my word, what a book. Three brothers, a horribly dysfunctional family, A showbiz mother and a downtrodden father. None of this should make for an electrifying read but -oh boy- yes it did. The book is told from the three brothers viewpoint, the story veers from present to past, but we know from the outset that one will die. Brilliantly plotted and written, I was transfixed. I loved it. Highly recommended.

This novel opens at a funeral. One brother is in the coffin, and the other two brothers are there, but we don't know which brother is where. I was expecting a true thriller with this novel, but it is actually a story of a dysfunctional family. The reader's sympathies move to and fro depending on who is narrating at any point, and it is really interesting to hear all their points of views. It is not a crime novel in the true sense of the word, and I found it all the more engaging and absorbing because of this. Highly recommended.

Liz Nugent has done it again! She has created a cast of extremely unlikeable people in a dysfunctional Irish family. The ending gave me shivers.
The story is based on a family of 3 boys with a showbiz mother and long suffering father. The mother could be based on a number of Irish showbiz "stars". The boys bicker and compete throughout their childhood and carry this behaviour through to adult life inflicting misery on those unfortunate enough to get involved with them. I would love to see this made into a movie and am busy casting the characters in my head.
I was given a copy of Our Little Cruelties by NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.

Liz Nugent’s latest offering might just be her best yet! It opens by introducing 2 brothers who are at the funeral of their third brother and hint that one of the surviving brothers is responsible for his death. None of the brothers are named at this point so you don’t even know who has died up until the final pages. The main story takes the form of a dysfunctional family drama which slowing unwinds and is told in present and past tenses alternating between the perspectives of the 3 brothers and the twists come via the multitude of ways they betray each other for their own self-serving purposes throughout their entire lives. All the characters are incredibly well fleshed out as we follow them from childhood to present day and all are thoroughly unlikable (something Liz Nugent does so well) but the thing that sets this book apart from her others is that every single thing in this book, every betrayal, every twist and turn of the story and every decision her characters make is entirely believable and plausible. The story unwinds slowly but gathers pace towards the second half and the events surround the death of the unnamed brother are revealed at the end. The plot also focuses on topical issues of the moment like the #MeToo movement, addiction and mental health which helps ground this book in reality. I did feel the first half was very slow and the jumping between a multitude of timelines and different brothers perspectives was hard to keep track of at times but if that kind of thing doesn’t bother you then this is a well-plotted and tightly woven dysfunctional family drama and a cracking read and would make a fantastic movie!

I am a huge Liz Nugent fan. Five stars all the way. I was delighted to receive an advance copy of Our Little Cruelties via email. This book however, while good, did not live up to my expectations (think I am on my own here). I struggled through it a little at times and wasn't drawn to pick it back up - at times it seemed just like a bit of a chore..

However, I absolutely loved the author's portrayal of the characters in all their horribleness. It was also good to hear about their mother's own background and how the boys turned out they way they did. I actually felt the most compassion for Luke, he was so badly treated by his mother. The background storyline for me was lacking. This book can get very dark at times but all in all a good read. . 3.5 stars rounded up to four!