Gritty, gruesome, awful family drama. I agree with other reviews that this is more a family drama than a psychological thriller. The brothers' narratives did seem to be somewhat repetitive at times and I really didn't care what happened to them... I would happily read more from this author as I love the way she writes. This subject matter just wasn't for me and I ended up scanning rather than devouring the story.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

” Three brothers are at the funeral. One lies in the coffin” “

The opening line of the novel is enough to grab your attention and it manages to hold your attention till the end. First thing first, though classified as a mystery thriller, Our Little Cruelties is more of a family drama. The main mystery is the identity of the dead brother but it’s not critical to the main story. This is a dark, disturbing story of a dysfunctional family of three brothers Will, Brian, and Luke, and their twisted relationship with their mother and with each other, starting from their childhood through to the rest of their lives.

Will, Brian, and Luke grow up in a dysfunctional family. Of all the dysfunctional families I have read over the years, this has to be the worst of the lot. Will, the eldest and most successful brother, Brian, the middle child who is a perennial loser and Luke, the youngest, who has probably the most exciting life journey of all, is more of rivals and competitors than brothers. As they grow up and go ahead in their different careers, the 3 brothers often find themselves, crossing each other’s paths, always with disastrous results.

The story is narrated by the three Drumm brothers, told from their individual perspectives. Covering one brother’s story at a time, their stories move forward and back again in a random manner. The author skillfully manages to keep the narrative running smoothly as keeping track of individual events may prove tough. The story tracks their bitter relationship full of betrayals, adultery, rivalries, and full-blown rivalry towards each other. Though disturbing at times, I found the Drumm’s family history immensely readable.

Our Little Cruelties by Liz Nugent is a dark story full of cruel individuals, doing despicable things to each other. So, it’s not a surprise that none of the characters are likable but Liz Nugent has kept the readers engaged despite the characters. The narrative is engaging and you keep reading on. There are shades of dark humor, probably to lighten the mood. The alternating point of view makes the story more unpredictable.

The stories of brothers often overlap and feel repetitive; especially when each brother’s story starts right from the beginning. As none of the characters are likable, you tend to not care about them over time, and that includes the final reveal. The final third act feels unnecessarily stretched with a lukewarm ending.

Overall, Our Little Cruelties is more of a family drama than a psychological thriller. If you enjoy dark & twisted family dramas, you will enjoy this one.

Many thanks to the publishers' Penguin Ireland and Netgalley for the ARC.

Competitive brothers, rivalry, betrayal and constant expectation that something bad is going to happen.

Gripping and dark.

Oh my!! A dark gritty family drama about 3 unlikable brothers and one died and lay in the coffin. Who was he and how did he die?

Having read a book prior to this, I was sure the author would rock my world with suspense and twists. What I didn't expect was how much I would hate the brothers. They really did mean, nasty things to each other.

The story moved on as the reality was unfurled and I got to know the truth. The author's writing was flawless, the characters terribly flawed.

Overall, it was entertaining, but quite dark.

Her debut novel, Unravelling Oliver, became a sensation, making Liz Nugent the queen of Irish psychological thrillers. She followed up with the scabrous Lying In Wait and the pitch-dark Skin Deep. Now comes Our Little Cruelties. It’s the story of three brothers, one of whom becomes a famous rock star. When it opens, we know one of them is dead – but which one? And which of the other two killed him?I t’s as compelling as the previous three, with Nugent’s trademark delightful disregard for the happiness of any of her characters.

3.5 stars
Thanks to netgalley for a digital ARC in return for an honest review.

Our Little Cruelties is a beautifully written story about some dreadful characters. Set in Ireland, it's about the three Drumm brothers and the awful things they do to people (primarily to each other). The opening of the novel starts in the present day where one of the brothers has died, but it's unclear as to which one. The story then dives into the perspective of the eldest Will, the golden boy in his mother's eyes but a really nasty piece of work in terms of how he treats women. Then it's on to the youngest Luke, hated by their mother, who battles mental health and substance abuse issues in his adulthood as a pop star. Rounding out the trio is Brian, the middle brother, whose stinginess and manipulation of Luke and others for his own benefit don't leave much sympathy for him either. These sections run through their stories from when they were kids, flipping back and forth in time, overlapping various events with each other, until the end where everything comes together to reveal which brother was killed, and why.

While there's no doubt this was a very sordid, bleak character study, I didn't necessarily like that this was framed or written as a thriller or a psychological thriller. Instead, I wish Liz Nugent had leaned further into this being a family drama, leaving the thriller aspect be. The characters were extremely fleshed out and authentic up until the last section of the novel where it felt like it was falling into thriller style conventions when I could see a stronger ending being possible without taking it that direction. Her writing style is extremely engaging and strong, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this even though the subject matter was so dreadful. 3.5 stars, and would recommend it to anyone who loves a dark, seedy family drama.

“All 3 Drumm brothers were at the funeral, although one of us was in a coffin”

A fantastic opening to Liz Nugent’s new novel, but for me it ultimately failed to deliver on this very promising start. Our Little Cruelties is a family drama, narrated from the POV of William, Brian & Luke Drumm, 3 of the most unlikeable siblings you could meet. Set in Dublin, the novel explores the dysfunctional Drumm family and in particular the brothers intense dislike for each other, traversing between the past and present, with nostalgic references to concerts in Slane Castle, U2, & the Popes visit to Ireland. Aside from the nostalgia, I failed to connect with any of the characters, they simply had no endearing qualities. Main protagonists need some type of personal attributes that the reader can root for, whether that be their humour, honesty integrity etc., a hook to draw in the reader. However the Drumm brothers had such an abundance of the worst sibling qualities, I could not empathise with any of them.

If it’s family drama you like, with zero suspense, this book certainly has it all; drug addiction, alcoholism, mental health, deceit, affairs, fraud, sexual & physical abuse. For me, it felt like the author was trying to cram in far too many cultural references for the sake of it, so we had #metoo, 9/11, the Marriage Equality Referendum, even a sideways reference to Harvey Weinstein which at times felt clunky and contrived.

Apologies to the many Liz Nugent fans, but this book was not for me. I found the characters were very one dimensional (William in particular) with no depth and I eventually tired of their incessant whining and sped-read to the end. 2 stars from me

Many thanks to @netgalley and @penguinbooksuk for the e-book in return for my honest review.

This was a story about a dysfunctional Irish family.. The three brothers tell the story of their life as they see it and the way it impacts on the rest of the family. I found it a very depressing story with no resolution or change in the pattern but interesting nonetheless..

Our Little Cruelties seems, from the synopsis, to be a sort of ‘whodunnit’ – which brother is lying in a coffin at the funeral at the start of the story, and which brother killed him? However, as you delve further into the book, it’s clear that the story is far more of a dark and epic family drama. It charts the three brothers – and their families – over 40 plus years, starting with their childhood.

Our Little Cruelties features an array of characters which can be classed as one of (or all of) these adjectives: greedy, deceitful, horrible, selfish, self-pitying, jealous… basically, there’s few characters here to actually like or warm to, but this makes up the basis of the book. We’re following a family with a seemingly spiteful, nasty mother and three brothers of varying degrees of meanness: Luke, Brian, and Will. Luke is by far the most likable of the three of them, because he does seem to have a good heart and he has his own demons to contend with, whereas Brian and Will are in a league of their own in terms of cruelty.

Liz Nugent’s writing is brilliant, taking us back and forwards in time and across different continents to tell the three brothers’ stories. Reading each brother’s narrative from their point of view means we see inside their head, and see their reasonings for what they have done – but it doesn’t mean we’re supposed to believe them or empathise with them. We see it all: their terrible life choices and the way they treat others around them, including children, partners and friends. We start to see how their lives spiral out of control, leading to the day where one of them dies – but this ‘mystery’ element, although put forward as the driving factor in the plot, feels secondary. We may wonder throughout who is in that coffin, but I didn’t have much time to consider this because I was so engrossed in their stories, dark and gritty as they were.

There are a lot of serious issues explored in this book, including addiction, destructive relationships, fame, sexuality and body image, the #MeToo movement… it’s all portrayed in a starkly honest way; we see clearly how wrong some of the characters are, and there are no excuses made for them from the author. Our Little Cruelties lays it all out on the table, depicting how the Drumm family have tried to survive over the years, and the various ways they have hurt and destroyed those around them in order to achieve their own personal “goals”.

Our Little Cruelties is dark, intriguing and shocking, and I loved every page!

Our Little Cruelties is Liz Nugent's best book yet. Covering the lives of three brothers, all vying for their mother's approval since childhood, the novel opens with all three brothers in a funeral home. But one of them is the deceased! Nugent does not reveal which of them is dead until the very end.

This thriller is delicious fun and the author has created a whole set of minor monsters here,. There are monsters in her previous novels too, but this particular set of siblings, who appear completely normal to the rest of the world, grind their axes quietly. From small, petty meanness to wholesale foul play, Will, Brian and Luke spend their lives betraying each other. Until one of them ends up dead. I didn't so much read this novel as inhale it. Whole. Excellent.

A brilliant, psychological drama that introduces the most wonderfully created characters; descriptions of family interactions that are shocking but engaging for the reader.
Its an interesting read, the story being told by each of three brothers all the while the victims and the killer are kept secret.
The book ties together towards the end, which may shock you.

Liz Nugent’s latest book doesn’t disappoint. Our Little Cruelties tells the story of the dysfunctional relationship between three brothers, Will, Brian, and Luke Drumm, and, as readers of Nugent’s work know, there are plenty of twists and reveals throughout. All three brothers are unlikeable in their own ways but we also get a sense of why they turned out to be so cruel. The book begins with a funeral, with one brother in the coffin, yet we have to wait until the end to find out which is dead and how they died. The book switches between the three brothers’ narratives and moves back and forward through time to demonstrate just how toxic the relationships are. The result is a tense family drama in which familial relationships are explored from three very different perspectives.

This was an easy to read thriller thaylt kept my attention all the way through! Lots of twists and surprises I didn't see coming. Very good, would recommend!

Liz can do no wrong. Another fantastic book that I couldn't read fast enough. Loved every second of it and was sad to reach the end. Will definitely recommend this book to friends.

Our Little Cruelties is a character-driven novel about three brothers — Will, Brian and Luke Drumm — and the rivalries of their family life.

The story begins at a funeral. One of the brothers is dead but we don’t find out which one until the end of the novel.

Timelines move back and forth from the brothers’ childhood through into their adult lives. The story unfolds slowly, switching between individual points of view and revealing key events that help us understand how each brother became the man he is.

Different but alike, each life story is both influenced by and impacts the brothers’ wider family, work and social relationships. Individual actions have consequences in this novel, often lasting and terrible.

As in her earlier novels, Unravelling Oliver and Skin Deep, Liz Nugent manages to make us feel sympathy for unlikeable characters in a tightly-woven story with unexpected twists, nicely wrapped up in a satisfying ending.

Liz Nugent is the Queen of opening lines, dark characters and amazing plots and does not disappoint with this new offering, Our Little Cruelties.

Three brothers, one dead, one murderer. All equally hateful. They betray each other at every available opportunity. This is a fast-paced, page turning, roller coaster ride of a story. We travel through the decades and lives of the three brothers as their stories and characters unfold.

I have loved every book by Liz Nugent and this one is no exception. As usual, I eagerly await the next book by this author.

Loved it!

My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Ireland

“There are lots of dirty little secrets in this family”.

3 brothers who all have very different stories. The mummy’s boy, the black sheep and the daddy’s boy. The Drumm brothers seem to have it all and throw it away

Do you know the feeling when you see something horrific and can’t look away? It’s like watching a trainwreck or a car accident. You know you shouldn’t but you can’t help yourself. You know there is horrific finality. Nothing will change for the better. But you still look. Then, you can’t get the image out of your mind. You roll it around, keep thinking, keep bringing it up…

Our Little Cruelties by Liz Nugent is just like this – a never ending trainwreck you can’t look away from.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read my first ever Liz Nugent book. This book was a rollercoaster ride for me. Just when I thought things could not get any worse, they most certainly did…

Three brothers born a year apart. Three enemies from birth. Will, the eldest, a sexist sociopath with entitlement complex. Brian, the middle brother, with ‘middle child’ complex so great it overshadows all his redeeming qualities (if he ever had any). He is very envious, greedy and shallow. And ‘saintly’ youngest brother Luke, pop star in decline.

Out of all three brothers only one has admitted to having mental illness. But it runs in the family. Like a river, through all of them.

Our Little Cruelties tells the story of exactly that – little cruelties that three brothers inflict on each other, other people around them and even on themselves. Little cruelties pile up throughout the years and explode in one huge mess when all three the least expected. How far would each of them go to avoid backlash of the past deeds? You have to read to find out, as brothers, created by Liz Nugent, will surprise you.

The author has done an amazing job with creating characters. You can’t possibly choose whom to like in this book, let alone identify with. Only when you decide that you will like this character, this character deserves some levy, the character says or does something so outrageously cruel, you shake your head.

Our Little Cruelties is all about small deeds, snippy comments, lies, cover ups. It is as much about a new bike for two brothers as it is about whose girlfriend it is and why one brother can have her…

Oh, I can carry on for eternity. These three brothers left a burnt out trail in my mind. They are extremely talented, capable and creative when it comes to inflicting pain. Their mother is the undoubted leader and creator… It does runs in the family.

There is no happy end. There is simply can’t be one.

I take my hat to the author for creating such a tight, suspenseful, beautifully ugly and horribly beautiful story inhabited wish such twisted and complex characters. This book is definitely ‘unputdownable’.

I gave it 5 stars.

A bold move by the author to weave a story around extremely unlikeable characters but it worked. The plot was suspenseful and keeps the reader gripped from start to finish.

ess of a thriller to me, more of a family drama and a very well written one.

Focusing on the lives of 3 brothers we jump from one to the other backward and forwards in time in what could easily be a jarring experience but instead, Nugent cleverly keeps things clear and interesting. We know one brother is dead by the end but the whole family's story and circumstances are a really dysfunctional ride.

Hard to like any of the brothers but impossible not to want to know what they end up getting themselves into with their complex family dynamics. Would recommend.