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Our Little Cruelties

The gripping psychological thriller from the No.1 bestselling author of Strange Sally Diamond

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Our Little Cruelties

By: Liz Nugent
Narrated by: Sam O'Mahony, Stephen Hogan, Paul Hickey, Dermot Crowley, Mary-Lou McCarthy
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Brought to you by Penguin.

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

Will, Brian and Luke grow up competing for their mother's unequal love. As men, the competition continues - for status, money, fame, women . . .

They each betray each other, over and over, until one of them is dead.

But which brother killed him?

'Liz Nugent is a force to be reckoned with' Lisa Jewell

'Brilliantly observed family life and a plot that is part rollercoaster, part maze. Loved it!' Graham Norton

'MAGNIFICENT. Her best yet, and that's really saying something' Marian Keyes

© Liz Nugent 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

 Crime Thrillers Domestic Thrillers Family Life Genre Fiction Psychological Suspense Thriller Thriller & Suspense Fiction Crime Exciting Scary
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Critic reviews

Liz Nugent is a force to be reckoned with (Lisa Jewell)
Liz Nugent has a gift for filling us with a terrible fascination for truly horrible people (Val McDermid)
MAGNIFICENT. Her best yet, and that's really saying something (Marian Keyes)
A dark jewel of a novel - finely observed, swift and exciting (AJ Finn)
Dark, beautiful, devastating - pure genius (Lucy Foley)
Brilliantly observed family life and a plot that is part rollercoaster, part maze. Loved it! (Graham Norton)
A sizzling thriller
Fascinating ... Shows how thoroughly families can mess one another up, and how sometimes the greatest mysteries are found within the psyche
The finest psychological thriller writer currently at work (Tammy Cohen)
Disturbing and addictive ... You'll be desperate to get to the bottom of it all
All stars
Most relevant
I really loved all of Liz Nugent's books but this has to be my favourite! So excellently crafted as wheels within wheels twist and turn to reveal the truth of what went on as these three brothers grew up to become men in this intriguing portrait of an Irish family from the 70's to the present day.
I felt like I was invited in, sat down in the good chair and given a cup of tea while events unfolded such was the authenticity and atmosphere created by superb writing.
I adored the way all the brothers got a turn to give their oversight and insight into the events and the reveals were thrilling, humorous and poignant in equal measures.
The narration was excellent overall but I did prefer some brothers to others and as expected there was a dark surprise in store to delight and devastate which you will never see coming;
I consider it excellent timing that "Our Little Cruelties" was just released when we were all told to stay at home as this book is like a giant warm Irish hug with just the hint of nails digging into your back. Genius!

Best ever from Liz Nugent - deliciously gripping!

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I never fail to fall in love with Nugent's books and I wasn't disappointed this time around. A tale of 3 brothers, narrated in turn and starting with a funeral...but whose? The story jumps around in time and we get to see each brother's perspective on the situations they orchestrate. Another binge listen for me- believable but abominable characters, intrigue and a brilliant twist right at the very end. Amazing!!

Another absolute corker!

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A story about three unlikable (and mutually dis-liking), self-serving brothers. About one third of the story is narrated by each of the brothers in turn over a long period covering 1976 to 2019. Interestingly, the years are delivered to us at random, so gaps in the story are gradually filled in as we wait to hear which brother died.

The plot involves show business, exploitation of women, the #metoo movement, and a generally dysfunctional Irish family.

I was gripped by the story, right from the start. The writing was wonderful and generated clear mental images of what was going on. The ending left me a bit flat though. Following the year-by-year build-up I'd come to expect more from the ending than was actually delivered. There was a reasonable twist at the end I suppose. Generally the story needed more depth and meaning. I've listened to all of Liz Nugent's books, she's a great writer but not quite good enough for 5 stars this time.

I didn't understand the significance of the English voice at the ends of chapters 13 and 27.

Enjoyable Read, but Lacks Depth.

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This book wasn’t what I was expecting. It tells the story of three brothers and their intermingles lives through each of their voices. Not a lot appears to happen in it until you realise how they have all affected and destroyed each other. Really well told and excellent narration throughout.

Different, but really good

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Completely different again. You never know what your get . ,I find that keeps her so interesting,family is always a sure bet ! Characters & Dynamics !

Unusual ‘however that’s pretty usual for liz Nugent

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