Little Cruelties

By: Liz Nugent

Narrated by: Sam O'Mahony, Stephen Hogan, Paul Hickey, Dermot Crowley, Mary-Lou McCarthy

Length: 10 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's Summary

From the internationally best-selling author of Lying in Wait, a biting and masterful new “dark jewel of a novel” (A.J. Finn, number-one New York Times best-selling author) that explores the many ways families can wreak emotional havoc across generations, appealing to fans of HBO’s acclaimed series Succession.

All three of the Drumm brothers were at the funeral.

But one of them was in the coffin.

William, Brian, and Luke: three boys, born a year apart, trained from birth by their wily mother to compete for her attention. They play games, as brothers do...yet even after the Drumms escape into the world beyond their windows, those games - those little cruelties - grow more sinister, more merciless, and more dangerous. And with their lives entwined like the strands of a noose, only two of the brothers will survive.

Hailed by New York Times best-selling author Shari Lapena as “brilliant, engrossing", and perfect for fans of breathtaking suspense, Little Cruelties gazes unflinchingly into the darkness collecting in the corners of childhood homes, hiding beneath marriage beds, clasped in the palms of two brothers shaking hands. And it confirms that Liz Nugent is truly “a force to be reckoned with” (Lisa Jewell, New York Times best-selling author) in contemporary fiction.

©2020 Liz Nugent. All rights reserved. (P)2020 Penguin Audio. All rights reserved.

Creative, but a Mixed Bag

Let’s start with the positive....very creative and detailed storytelling, and I love the Irish subtle humor (wish there would have been more). I also loved piecing together the childhood experiences & events that each character viewed slightly differently, and how those experiences manifested in each adult. Overall, it was a pretty effed family dynamic, and the kids all suffered emotionally and mentally as adults.

For the bad news... I’m all about moving between past and present, but with this one, i was halfway into the book before I could kind of get who was who and what was what. I was also hoping for more narrator diversity, but several of the narrators just popped in for mini-scenes, and two of them sounded so similarly that I couldn’t tell them apart. It’s also disappointing to me when I see both male and female narrators listed in book details, assuming I’ll get a mixed perspective, but the female only pops in for the final scene. Out of the many audio books I’ve listened to (so many that it’s embarrassing), thus is only the second on that has “tricked me” like that..

So, to purchase or not to purchase... This book is interesting enough to take a chance on, but if I could go back in time, I probably would’ve skipped it.

excellent

Can't wait for Liz Nugent to write another book. This one was like an Irish version of "The Corrections".

Engrossing story and great performances

I was happy to discover this new book by Liz Nugent. The title is perfect. The story is told from the perspective of three brothers. Their relationship with their mother and each other unfolds beautifully. By the time you reach the climax, it all makes complete sense. A thoughtful and well-crafted book. Looking to Liz's next book.

Great Read

I have been waiting for this book and Liz did not disappoint! Story plot was good & enjoyed the narration from all 3 brothers. No dull moments in this book!

Amazing

This grabbed me from the beginning. Liz Nugent has such a talent for developing characters that just pull you in, even if they are rather unlikable. This had everything I needed- complex characters, a little dark humor, a little suspense, a lot of entertainment. Some people won't like the timeline and the way it switches character povs to past to present to further in the past and back again but I loved it.

Very depressing topics for anyone suffering from family anxiety issues

Be aware.... this is a very depressing book.... not enjoyable for anyone who deals with anxiety issues.

Not a mystery or suspense

Still a pretty good, but way too dark, story. It shouldn't be listed under mystery/thriller category. It's more of a family drama where pretty much everyone is a horrible person doing horrible things.

Entertaining book if involving horrible people

Characters are all awful people in the book. It is entertaining and it is hard to stop listening, while at the same time I am cringing inside about how horrible they all are. That last chapter is really something!

Good different read than I usually read....

this was a different book than I usually read. but I did enjoy it. they did a good job on each brother telling their side of the story

Such a hodgepodge

First - the audio was all over the place on this one. Too soft in areas that I had to turn the volume up. Then it would be too loud. No happy medium.

Second - the story is about family dynamics and drama. It was all over the place as well. Not my cup of tea but I powered through it. Now I am wondering why…I can’t get those listening hours back.