Twist and turns that kept me guessing, this was most definitely a page turner. The weaving together of the stories and the characters was very clever and how they all come together for the reveal at the end was very well done. I’ve enjoyed all of Harriet Tyce’s books and this is another one to add to that list.

Harriet Tyce does thriller twists and turns that would give Thorpe Park a run for its money, and LIC definitely had those. Told in 4 parts which although you assume must be connected in some way, it Is not until the end that it becomes clear how and even then it gets thrown on its head, again, once or twice. Cruelty, revenge and justice can often melt into each other. Those who are in charge of how much punishment for a crime should be restorative are in a very intricate and tricky position and one size does not fit all. Even the most level-headed of people can make mistakes or let the power change their understanding of right and wrong or being able to clearly assess their motivations. Especially when we don’t always have the full picture.

3.5* --> 4*

‘A Lesson in Cruelty’ starts off with a character called Anna. She has spent the last three years in prison but now she finds herself on the eve of her release. However, something happens during the night. Anna had plans for when she got out, but now she finds she has another mission first. I know, vague. Trust me though, you want to go into this one as blind as you possibly can. Anna’s story had me entirely enthralled. So cue fierce annoyance when that storyline was suddenly rudely interrupted by part two.

That part deals with Lucy. She has developed quite the crush on a professor and she is desperate to catch his attention, and then some. Something lurks in the professor’s life and past though. Maybe Lucy should be careful what she asks for. Finally, there’s Marie. All you need to know about her is in the book description. Marie is a recluse, who longs to be free. But does she deserve to be?

These three women’s stories will obviously come together at some point. Yet figuring out how was nearly impossible. The pieces of the puzzle were all there. I just couldn't get them to fit properly. Obviously, having these three characters makes things more interesting. However, it also annoyed me. Anna was someone to root for, to throw your support behind, to wish better things for. Lucy, on the other hand, irked me so much that if the entire story had been about her, I probably wouldn't have finished it. And Marie was just a big mystery, intriguing for sure, and I desperately wanted to know how she fitted in to it all.

Don't even get me started on the professor, though. He has very strong opinions on the prison system, feeling that it doesn't work. Criminals are not rehabilitated at all, in his opinion. There has to be an alternative to this lesson in cruelty. You'll have to read the book to find out what his alternative is, obviously. Personally I felt his opinion (or maybe the author's) was maybe slightly forced down my throat somewhat. I could have done with input from someone whose opinion contrasted his, just for some balance.

All in all, there were parts I enjoyed and parts I could have done without. It's really not until somewhere around the last quarter that things begin to pick up, that the tension starts to build and you wonder how things are going to end up. Seeing everything come together was quite thrilling, and yet the ending left me feeling somewhat unsatisfied as well, particularly for the character that sets all this in motion.

This is one of those books that's very difficult to review without giving anything away. I already feel like I said too much. Harriet Tyce's books always seem to leave me feeling somewhat conflicted, though, and this one is no different. For the most part I enjoyed it, but there were niggles. Still, 'A Lesson in Cruelty' is a cleverly plotted psychological thriller, full of suspense and intrigue, and it will definitely give you something to think about.

I have been looking forward to this book for sometime, “A Lesson in Cruelty” by Harriet Tyce is a fascinating read which focus’s on the lives of three women, Anna, Marie and Lucy. We are told of their three lives and how they eventually become entwined.

Anna Flynn has just served three years in prison and is about to step out and try to start a fresh although her past haunts her every move. Lucy is obsessed with her law professor who is already married yet she still dreams of having him to herself. And Marie who live a reclusive existence in Northern Scotland and still doesn’t want to face others. The story is so well written and I felt pulled into a web of intrigue and suspense that kept me guessing to the very end.

The characters are excellent and for me a big part of my enjoyment in this novel as well as the intriguing plot full of mystery and suspense. Set in Oxford and Northern Scotland, the story is atmospheric and so well written that I felt I was there with the characters.

As the story develops we begin to see the connections between the characters and the tension steadily builds making it very difficult to stop reading till the end. “A Lesson in Cruelty” is an excellent psychological thriller that kept me completed transfixed throughout and on finishing it wanted to read another one of the authors books. I would like to thank both Netgalley and Headline for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to like this, but the whole package is so disappointing. I was drawn in by the blurb, which having finished the book is not at all an accurate representation of the story. The book starts off strong but quickly dissolves into a bizarre, far-fetched mess, with multiple forgettable characters and a rushed ending that jumps about erratically and tries too hard to deliver a shock twist. I was waiting to understand how these women connect together and it turns out, clumsily and badly. It felt like I was reading a half-formed first draft, which is a shame because I loved BLOOD ORANGE.

#ALessonInCruelty #NetGalley
Anna wants a fresh start. She doesn't believe she deserves it, but after three years behind bars she has finally paid her dues. Most of them, anyway. Lucy craves the attention of the only man she can't have, her alluring Oxford professor. He's married - not for the first time. Maybe she should be next in line? Marie the recluse has been locked up for too long. She's not ready to be free, but some rules are meant to be broken. Everyone wants a perfect life. But not everyone is prepared to take it. Unless someone decides to teach them a lesson.
Thanks to NetGalley and Headline Wildfire for giving me an advance copy.

This book is unique because each story feels completely separate from the other, and until the last 30% of the book, you will never be able to guess how they all come together.

Each story has its own mystery, so they are all intriguing in their own way. I liked the different POVs, but I was also a bit confused about what was going on at the start, which made this a bit of a slow burn for me.

But once the pieces of the puzzle start to come together, I wasn’t able to put the book down. The twists and revelations were worth the wait!

Wow this book is going to take some recovering from
This book did not take the turn I expected it to from reading Anna’s story but oh I was so impressed
The book is focused on 3 women; Anna, who has just been released from prison, Lucy, who is studying criminology and Marie who is living in a remote house in Scotland. How on earth were they going to be related to each other
This book was read in one day, I struggled to put it down This is the perfect book for me. It was a complex, intense, legal thriller that gave me all the feels
I really did feel for Anna and what life had handed her.
This was a great book and it is highly recommended

It was entertaining enough for me to binge read it on a flight but not a memorable one. I already forgot most of the plots as it is presented in 6 parts which confused me for a while, as they didn't match and made no sense to me. Eventually, everything comes together. However, the last part felt quite rushed, like everything had to get together somehow very quickly.

Rating: 3.2/5

Presented in six parts, "A Lesson in Cruelty" initially tells the stories separately of three women: Anna, who has been serving time in prison, but is due to be released on parole; Lucy, a talented and ambitious law student, but who is unhealthily enamoured with her college professor; and Marie who has been leading a secluded existence in Scotland. Each of the three strands could potentially be a story in its own right, but the reader knows that they will prove to be somehow interconnected - because that's just how these things work in fictional literature.

For the first two-thirds of this novel I was absolutely hooked. Yes, there were some aspects that required me to grant the author some artistic licence, but I was more than happy to do so, because it was making for compelling reading and there was a palpable sense of drama and tension developing - particularly in the threads relating to Anna and to Lucy. The third string of the plot, featuring Marie, was harder to swallow, but I was prepared to overlook that for the sake of the novel as a whole.

Disappointingly, in the final third, the tight execution of the story really did start to unravel. Plot developments seemed rushed in this closing section and the resolution to the mystery was just too convenient, too contrived and stretched credulity beyond the acceptable parameters of dramatic fiction. This was such a pity after all the positive aspects there had been during the build up, with so much tension and excitement being created. Overall, "A Lesson in Cruelty" is still an enjoyable read, but if the earlier quality level had been maintained throughout, then it would have been even better.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

Harriet Tyce has an amazing talent of making her characters literally jump off the pages, this book being no exception. This is the type of thriller that you will definitely leave you breathless!

I usually enjoy books with multiple perspectives/narrators but I found that in this book, they only confused me. And while the reveal about two thirds of the way through, when the three perspectives coalesce and come together, was satisfying, it only heralded a particularly far-fetched and unsatisfying final third. Not a book for me, I’m afraid.

I liked this book althought the beginning was a little long winded and took me a while to get into.
I liked the way the chapters alternate between Anna, Lucy and Marie, and you spend time wondering how they are all connected before the story unfolds.
A good thriller.

I loved this creepy somewhat thriller and it was completely unexpected!
Wow this author is amazing and I have read everything they write, I will be picking up the next one

Not one of my favourite books unfortunately, I struggled to get into the storyline or gel with the characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and Headline Publishers for this ARC, just sorry I didn't enjoy it more

A web of lies and deceit, unfolding into an even more confusing finale. This story built well with several different stories happening at once. However things got a bit silly once they all came together and the ending felt hurried and over complicated. Thank you to Netgalley for the advance reader copy.

Oh how I enjoyed this story of treachery, fear, desperation and, for one woman, lust - and I haven't even touched the surface with those. I've loved Harriet Tyce's novels from the beginning, and this latest is as highly original, deeply enthralling and entirely captivating as I could want in a thriller.

We follow three women's lives through vicarious circumstances and watch as they choose the path to take. Do they have a choice? How did they arrive at that point in the first place? The hints are there and we're encouraged to follow the links - how are the three connected? It's a very clever tale indeed and I'd suggest the darkest from the author's pen, to date. There is some pitch perfect character observation which I enjoy so much with Harriet Tyce's work, which frankly means some of the people who carry the story forward are not always very likeable - just how it should be. An intriguing, extremely clever and thoroughly enjoyable read, and considerably darker than anticipated.

I have read all of the author books and this one is my favourite so far, I read this book before christmas 2023 and nearly a month later I am still thinking of this story and characters in a good way as this book takes you on so many twist and turns , wow that ending without giving any spoilers away I did not see the ending coming and I was gripped by the story of the book the whole way through

This book need to be adapted for Netflix as it so good and would make amazing movie or tv show

I have pre-ordered this book so I can add it to my collection of the authors work

I wish the author all the best with this book and I hope it sells lots of amazing books and gets on best selling list

I wish I could give this book 20 out of 20 stars as I would if I could as i loved this book so much

Many thanks to Wildfire and Netgalley for allowing me to read arc of this book before it gets published

A cleverly written thriller, with three women telling their stories throughout the book.
The chapters alternate between Anna, Lucy and Marie, and you know it's only a matter of time before their stories become intertwined, but at the beginning of the story I thought it a little complicated before it started to come together as I read on.
A well thought out thriller.

Couldn't get into this book. I got a few chapters in but it just didn't grip me. I wonder if I just wasn't in the right mood for a dark read, and so I will give it another try later on and update with a review if I change my mind on it. Thanks for the chance to read.