Our Kind of Cruelty

A Novel

By: Araminta Hall

Narrated by: Nick Hendrix, Eleanor Matsuura

"This is simply one of the nastiest and most disturbing thrillers I've read in years. In short: I loved it, right down to the utterly chilling final line." (Gillian Flynn, New York Times best-selling author of Gone Girl)

This is a love story. Mike’s love story.

Mike Hayes fought his way out of a brutal childhood and into a quiet if lonely life - before he met Verity Metcalf. V taught him about love, and in return Mike has dedicated his life to making her happy. He’s found the perfect home, the perfect job; he’s sculpted himself into the physical ideal V has always wanted. He knows they’ll be blissfully happy together. It doesn’t matter that she hasn’t been returning his emails or phone calls. It doesn’t matter that she says she’s marrying Angus. It’s all just part of the secret game they used to play. If Mike watches V closely, he’ll see the signs. If he keeps track of her every move, he’ll know just when to come to her rescue....

A spellbinding, darkly twisted audiobook about desire and obsession and the complicated lines between truth and perception, Our Kind of Cruelty introduces Araminta Hall, a chilling new voice in psychological suspense.

©2018 Araminta Hall (P)2018 Random House Audiobooks

Head spinning

This was such a captivating book. It had my mind running in every which direction. Every time I thought I knew what was happening, a new point would be brought up that had me questioning where I stood with the main characters. Once I started, I couldn’t put the book down!… so to say with an audible book. The voice, or the reader, also did an amazing job captivating the sound of the character. 10/10 recommend

Strange, Original

A fascinating portrayal of obsession and delusion. The plot was clever and multilayered. This book will stay with me.

Just plain disturbing...and amazing!

Mike is in love with Verity, and he believes that she loves him too. And so begins the dark, downward spiral of Mike's frightening delusion, where he believes that Verity, his long-time ex-girlfriend, still participates in the game they used to play: The Crave. With only Mike's point of view, you get a really good inside look into obsession and desire from a man who believes that Verity is his one and only, no matter if she feels the same way or not. My favorite part about this book is that I started to question it all myself: Is it just a game? Is Mike in the right all along? Is this true love gone wrong, or the sociopathic rantings of a man with a troubled childhood and a desperate need to be loved? The book is well written, but I highly recommend the audiobook for this novel. The voice actor really captures the essence of Mike and takes the story to a whole new level.

This book is a standout in my vast Audible library.

I have a craving for British audiobooks, and “Our Kind of Cruelty” by Araminta Hall exceeded my expectations. Narrator Nick Hendrix delivers an outstanding performance with precise accents and inflections that bring this novel to life. Psychological romance is intertwined with manipulation, obsession, red flags and delusion. The story’s pace is expertly crafted by Hall, with twisty surprises around every corner. “This is a love story…” Mike’s love story is a dark and dangerous one. He’s escaped a brutal childhood and has tried to transform himself into perfection for Verity. He's convinced they'll be happy together, that it’s all just their “crave” game, and he’s playing along. Never a dull or a lull. I never expected the shocking ending. If you're a fan of psychological thrillers with a {{{mad}}} dash of romance, look no further. But be warned: Once you start, you won’t be able to stop. “Our Kind of Cruelty” is my audiction; will it be yours? Highly recommended and absolutely worth a coveted credit. I feel lucky to have found this gem at just over $10. I'm shouting from the rooftops: “Epic, I say! EPIC! EPIC! EPIC!”

👏✍️🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟✍️👏

Unsatisfying

This story had interesting parts and at times was fast paced. There was much repetition and excessive chatter about minor details also. I stuck with it in the hopes of learning what the was real and what was fantasy. That did not happen.

Crazy

This was a crazy story that kept you wondering about the psychotic state of the characters; and what was the actual true reality.

didn't enjoy this

I thought the narrarator was great, but the story not so much (in my opinion).

Good performance, but lackluster story

I didn't love or hate this book. The narrator's voice was both pleasing and convincing/sincere so it gave the book a little bit more depth. I found myself waiting for something groundbreaking to happen. I was hoping for a little more twists and turns but was disappointed. This book definitely takes stalking/obsession to great lengths, but I definitely wouldn't call it a thriller.

Sociopath? Misunderstood? We Will Never Know!

NO SPOILERS! If you like your stories to have answers by the end of the book you may not enjoy this book. The story is about a guy who is obsessed with his ex-girlfriend and its only written from his perspective. It leaves the listener to wonder whether or not his undying love is just a figment of his imagination or the real deal.

Overall, it was hard to care about this character because it was never clear as to whether or not he was a sociopath, a narcissist, or just totally misunderstood. There are hints of psychopathy throughout the story but just hints. One thing for certain is this character is utterly alone because his heart is only big enough to care about his ex-girlfriend, V.

I spent the whole book waiting for the truth to be revealed and it never happened. This book had a lot of potential, but I don't think it took enough risks and the lack of definition with its characters made it, forgettable.

For anyone who wants to listen to a good thriller about an obsessive boyfriend I highly recommend "You" by Caroline Kepnes.

Couldn't put it down

I finished it very quickly, but when it ended I didn't feel like I took anything away from it.
It reminds me of the show "You" on Netflix.