I have previously read a couple of novels by this author and enjoyed them, which is why I chose to read A Lesson in Cruelty.

Anna is in prison and the novel opens the day before she is due to be released after three years' incarceration. She is transferred to another cell in preparation for the next day and her old 'padmate' gives her a strong pill so that she can at least sleep on her last night. She soon feels sleepy and befuddled but is dimly aware that another woman - Kelly - takes the second bunk in the cell and she overhears parts of a difficult conversation on a tiny, smuggled-in phone. In the morning Anna wakes to find Kelly has had her throat slit. Anna is concerned that the pill she herself took could have caused her to kill Kelly whilst she was under the influence, and, although the authorities question her on suspicion of murder, she is nevertheless released later that same day. Would that really happen in such a short space of time, I wonder?

Tom, her legal representative, just happens to spot Anna shortly after her release, as she is waiting out the prison at  the bus stop for her ride to the train station. He observes a small white car mount the pavement and, heading straight for her, it flips her into the air. He is immediately by her side but she insists on no police, no ambulance, even though she might well have concussion. He complies (odd behaviour given her woozy and befuddled state). Instead of continuing on her way to London, he scoops her up and suggests she spends the night at his. Really?

We learn that Anna has been a lawyer but she had her licence to practice withdrawn because of her prison sentence (she was responsible for a devastating accident). She is already in Tom's house and my sense of disbelief at his lack of appropriate boundaries just continued to grow (clearly an agenda was brewing but it all just seemed so implausible).  Then he suggests she work for him, doing some of the donkey work that faces him everyday as a legal aid solicitor; she does at one point recognise that he is getting 'over involved' in her case but she likes the idea of using her skill set. I was once again left gawping at the lack of his professional boundaries.....

Given their legal backgrounds, they chat about the Magic Circle (an informal term describing the five most prestigious London-headquartered multinational law firms) and, having each worked for one of those firms, both share their experience of the terrible work pressures that are imposed by these companies on their employees. One of the law firms is specifically named in none too flattering terms and I would have thought it was a bit risky to do this 🤷‍♀️ but, given that the author is a former criminal barrister, she hopefully knows what she is doing when it comes to libel. Wouldn't the publisher be concerned? It also felt like a swipe at the author's previous profession.

Part way through the book, the story of Anna is dropped in favour of Lucy's story, who is at Oxford specifically to stalk a maverick law professor, and she does a good job of ingratiating herself with him. Following on from Lucy's story is the strange story of 2 women, living together, who have each been given a name from Greek mythology to cover their identities - to wit, Scylla and Charybdis (probably a nod to choosing the lesser of two evils). Anna's story is then picked up again and the strands, of course, eventually come together after a long and jigsaw-puzzle build-up.

This particular "listening' experience has left me wondering about the nature of the support that authors get from their publisher. It feels like this book - and I am talking about this novel in its audiobook format only - feels like it is perhaps an early manuscript that hasn't been through the full and final editing process; maybe an early version has been passed in error to the narrator? Could that explain things? There are mistakes: you have an aperitif before dinner, not after; in one conversation a woman talks about her nephew, naming him very clearly and the response from the man is to ask what the boy's name is... non-sequiturs should be weeded out from the get-go; did I notice a brief mention of Cambridge instead of Oxford?? And there is the potential defamation issue already highlighted above.  There are blocks of storytelling that don't really gel and flow - for example, the author has worked to get the reader invested in Anna and then Lucy pops up, which left me quite discombobulated.

Early on the author is clearly very keen to hammer home the notion of penal reform, especially when it comes to the sentencing of women.  This is truly admirable, although at times her message is conveyed so passionately that it can overwhelm the narrative a bit: "It's a small, tight society, this, these women brought together by poverty and addiction, falling through the same cracks. They're as hollow-eyed and gaunt as the ones Anna saw in prison, shunted in for a few weeks of custody for something petty, the sentence wildly disproportionate to the devastation caused. Nothing learned, no help given for the outside, only a lesson in cruelty".

Somebody, somewhere has not taken time to go through the text with a fine tooth comb, to ensure a smooth and credible transition between the storylines to create a flowing narrative. It feels very much like a pitch of ideas and plots that haven't as yet really been honed into a cohesive whole, and I can only think that a really early version of this book - errors and all - have somehow landed in the public domain in audiobook format. The hard copy, in contrast, is garnering a lot of positive reviews because the author is a good writer and storyteller and here she has brought together a lot of interesting and inventive components.

To cap it all the narrator develops a terrible cold part way through. On occasion, she can hardly enunciate without supreme breathing effort, making me, the listener, gulp for air as she labours through the words. That's not a pleasurable reading experience. When she wasn't suffering from a very blocked nose, she did a good job. But what was the publisher thinking in putting the audiobook out into the world in this state? Are the pressures in the publishing world such that the narrator could not wait until she had recuperated? Honestly, I despair....

And finally in the Author's Note: "Michael Howard was wrong. Prison doesn't work, at least not the way we do it in this country". Something to ponder at the end of the novel.....

Harriet Tyce is one of my favourite authors so when I got the chance to read A Lesson in Cruelty I was so excited.

In this novel we follow three very different and complex women Anna who is about to be released from serving a prison sentence; Lucy who is slightly in love with her professor and then Marie who is lonely and isolated.

The question in the novel is how do these women become entwined within the novel and at times, I did have to re-read some parts but it does make sense eventually and I was really invested in the characters.

The story is quite strong and moving and I really think the characters were well rounded and interesting.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and the author for allowing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this thriller which was a bit different from the usual; examining and commenting on the prison system through three women's eyes in different ways. I found the ending satisfying, but would have liked a bit more of a build-up on the identity of Kelly, which felt a bit convenient. Overall though I couldn't wait to get back to this, and listened whenever I could.

Three women, three stories. How will they connect?

I was hooked in to this book from the very start and although Anna had done wrong, I found myself rooting for her on her release from prison. Lucy, obsessed with her professor was intriguing and Marie, well, I had absolutely no idea what was going to happen in her story.

When the three women’s worlds collided, my mind was blown! Harriet Tyce has woven a twisty web of intrigue and I loved it!

The characterisation was excellent and the twists so very unexpected.

I listened to the audiobook and Candida Gubbins did an excellent job of bringing the characters to life and creating a sinister feeling.

4.5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Harriet Tyce and Headline Wildfire for an ARC in return for an honest review.

DNF at 45% - The narrator has done an incredible job of voicing three separate POVs but I am thoroughly uninterested in the story. Tyce is clearly a talented mystery writer and I’m sure these threads will come together in a clever reveal, but I’m not interested enough to persevere until that reveal. Will recommend to customers and fellow readers but I’ve unfortunately lost interest. Thank you so much to Headline Audio for the advanced listening copy and I’m really gutted I didn’t like it.

Absolutely loved listening to Harriet Tyce’s new novel. Three seemingly unconnected women’s stories. Three mysterious deaths. Two additional mysterious narratives. One burning theme. Prison, retribution, revenge, crime and punishment run through each story. Superb female characters. An experiment in cruelty.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for early access to this audiobook ARC

This book follows 3 women: Anna, Lucy and Marie, following each of them on their own storyline. Anna who has spent 3 years in prison and is now being released. Lucy who is a university student in love with her Professor. And Marie who lives reclusively off grid.

I really had no idea how each of these three storylines were going to connect to each other in the beginning, and after reading and loving 'Blood Orange' by Harriett Tyce, I knew that as much as I tried to guess, the author would completely wow me and throw a curveball that I absolutely did not see coming.

I liked the different POVs, and each storyline really did feel so unique. I loved Anna's storyline, and was intrigued by Harriett's storyline, although I struggled with Lucy's storyline. I disliked the Professor and Lucy both, so I found that the story lulled when it came to Lucy's POV. My only comment regarding the plotline, would be that the pacing of the book was slightly off because of this, and so I didn't enjoy specific parts, but otherwise, this was SUCH a complex, intriguing psychological thriller, and I loved the underlying themes of mental health.

I was intrigued and questioning everything throughout the story, which is exactly what you want from a book like this!

The majority of the audiobook narration was fine, but there were certain parts where the narrator did different voices that were slightly unbearable to listen to - the whispers, and gasps, and squeaky voices were not great, unfortunately. I usually love listening to this sort of book via audiobook as I feel like it makes it much more realistic, but sometimes this was hard to listen to.

Overall, a really intriguing read, 3.5 stars!

I listened to this book on audio. The narrator was ok, not irritating at all, which is a bonus. Quite soothing for a thriller.
I have read several Harriet Tyce and I think this was the most confusing - that isn't a criticism, it all came together at the end, and I wasn't sure how it would turn out.
Clearly a lot of research involved, which made it good and thorough.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've read two of Harriet Tyce's books previously, Blood Orange I adored. But this one fell flat for me. I couldn't get into the story and I didn't find the relationship between Anna and Tony believable at all.

I don't know if it that I usually read Harriet's books instead of listen but it didn't grab me and keep my attention. I also felt the ASMR of one of the narrators really grated me. I'm sure it will be devoured by lots of crime thriller fans, but it just wasn't for me. DNF's at 30%.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

After enjoying other books by Harriet Tyce, I dove straight into this one and wow, did it take me on a journey!

It initially follows three women who are seemingly unconnected but as the story picks up pace, there are twists and turns that bring the three women together in dramatic form. The narrative was well suited to this book and kept me wanting to listen to more each time. I found that the characters were well written, particularly Anna who I found myself warming to more as the story continued. The discussions around the prison system were interesting, especially the differing opinions of each of the characters.

My only gripe is that the ending felt a little rushed, as though the author just needed it to be done. One of the women's connection felt pretty weak and it was only addressed in the very last chapter, almost like it was an afterthought.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoy the pace and story, I just wish the ending had been a little stronger.

Thanks to NetGalley and Headline Audio for the eARC

This book takes place in three parts. Anna has just been released from prison after three years and Lucy is a young woman involved with her professor. The stories do join together but it is a bit confusing at times and I don't think the audiobook helped where you could skip back a few pages on a physical book. It was ok but not particularly gripping. Narration was good.

This book tells the stories of three different women all with their own stories who we slowly discover are connected and a shocking plot twisting way.

I read this on audiobook on holidays and started it twice as I found it initially confusing because of the different characters. The story itself was very good, and I think if I had read it in book form, I would have enjoyed it even more.

Three appearingly separate tales of three women, their scenario and problems. It is hard to see how they are connected but eventually they do. I found this book was quite put together in quite a blunt style and didn’t like the suddenly move to another character to another. The twist was not as expected and made a confusing conclusion. The narrator was not easy on the ear which didn’t help. Not quite what I was expecting after enjoying other books by Harriet Tyce.

I love Harriet Tyce’s novels. This one was a little more complex in structure than previous ones - three separate narrative strands come together eventually, but they did keep me wondering for a long time.

Having worked for barristers as a librarian a long time ago, I really enjoyed hearing Tyce use her professional experience so thoroughly. Her character Anna, who we meet for the first time on the eve of her release from prison, comes across as unusual to me in my comparatively sheltered library life, but she has walked straight out of the work tales of barristers I have known. Avoidant but perseverant and clued up on the legal system from her previous work as a corporate solicitor, Anna quickly takes charge of a situation that would leave someone like me stumped.

Meanwhile, lawyer-in-training Lucy moves quickly from wide-eyed ingenue to switched-on investigator, assisting Anna in the final stages of the novel.

In short, this is a novel by a lawyer with lawyer main characters which examines the relationship between the human instinct for justice with the experiences meted out by the court and prison services. That may sound dry, but it is anything but. It’s a Harriet Tyce novel, so of course it raises our heart rates in all the right places.

This book was not for me. I kept stopping and starting the audiobook and struggled to finish it. The problem with having one narrator and having multiple characters makes for a confusing listen if they don’t have discernible voices for each character, this added an extra layer of confusion to this read. I’ve found that with Harriet Tyce’s book to not expect anything to be what it seems nor will it end how you think it will. A Lesson In Cruelty is no different.

A sensational thriller… Dark, engrossing and atmospheric… sublime tension. EXCELLENT
Packed full of twists and turns, I couldn’t stop frantically turning the pages! Listening to the audio was mind blowing too!

There were lots of promising parts of this novel but overall, delivered less than I would have liked.

I have read all of Harriet’s other novels.

Was really keen to read this when I read the blurb and feel the idea is strong.

The three stories about women creates a strong premise and lots of intrigue, however, it takes a while to get going and some of the points seem laboured.

Anna’s story is the most developed and interesting, and for the first half I was disappointed when the viewpoint changed.

Lucy and Marie were less developed in comparison and I would have liked to hear more about Tom.

Without spoilers, there are some interesting parts but nothing that caused a gasp. There was almost too much build up to get that.

The narration was okay but also probably a little forgettable.

Would recommend for a beach read and probably better to read than to listen so you can have control of the pace.

Thanks for the opportunity to read.

I always enjoy a Harriet Tyce thriller and this was an entertaining, fast-paced thriller, with several interconnected stories which came together very cleverly. Kept me hooked and guessing throughout.

The narration was excellent and well adapted to the different characters and plot lines.

I'm sad and disappointed to say that I DNFed this book.
I tried. I really tried to go through with it. I hate DNFing ARCs, and especially because I requested this book because I liked the synopsis and the reviews I read from other readers. I do enjoy a revenge story and I love books with alternate POVs.
The thing is: this was the audiobook version of the book, and I hated...no...I loathed the audiobook narrator. She was driving me insane with all her whispering and gasping. WHY? Just...WHY?? I've been listening to audiobooks for 3 years now and I still don't understand WHY some narrators insisting on gasping and whispering or murmuring words and full sentences! It makes no sense! Normal people, REAL people don't speak like that! To whisper a sentence in a dialogue is ok, if the situation really asks for a whispering tone. But out of dialogues makes NO sense to keep whispering.
Unless we're at a place with total and absolute silence, we can't hear them! It's so annoying. :(
I certainly do not recommend this audiobook to anyone. Maybe I'll try this book again when it is officially published and I get the ebook version. But for now, it's a huge HELL NO!
Thank you to NetGalley, anyway.

A Lesson in Cruelty by Harriet Tyce and narrated by Candida Gubbins just took my breath away and so creepy when the narrator Candida whispers! It gave me goose bumps especially if you have your earphones in......You feel like you are there in the audiobook.

WHAT PRICE WOULD YOU PAY FOR THE PERFECT LIFE?

"But, No ones live is perfect everyday..........."

This latest book called “A Lesson in Cruelty” by Harriet Tyce was a brilliant audiobook/ book which tells of the lives of three women, Anna, Marie and Lucy and is set in Oxford and Northern Scotland.

Anna Flynn has just served three years in prison and is about to step out to freedom but her past will always haunt her every move she makes everyday. But, she is free now and has to try and live a normal life outside from the prison.

Lucy craves the attention of the only man she can't have, her alluring Oxford professor. But, He's married - not for the first time. Maybe she should be next in line? She will do anything to be the next wife!

And Marie who lives as a reclusive in Northern Scotland. She had been locked up for a long time and is not ready to be free and and to face others, but some rules are meant to be broken.


This book is well written and it is full of twists and turns throughout that had me sitting on the edge of my seat many times. All the characters were brilliant. The book starts off slow, then bang.......You are hooked and I could not turn my earphones off. I was hooked!

I highly recommend this book and especially the audiobook. The narrator was excellent especially the creepy whisper voice she does!

5 stars for this book and 5 stars for the Narrator!

Big Thank you to Netgalley, Headline | Wildfire for my copies of this novel in exchange for an honest review.