An interesting read about a dysfunctional family. Three brothers tell the story of their lives from their differing perspectives. There are arguments and lies and revelations.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

three brothers are at a funeral, one of them is in the coffin....

three brothers william, brian and luke each have chapters telling you about their lives and what happened to them during their childhood and into adulthood

its a gripping novel and the tension builds as you identify with each brother, every trial they go through and as you reach the end and find out who is in the coffin and who killed him...you are left gobsmacked....

hard reading story at times with hints of drink and drug abuse, *metoo, and all the politically correct campaigns that are now here, tick in the box for all of those...but its a compelling read just to see who what and where

I really enjoyed this book, had me hooked from the first page to the last. This is an excellent psychological drama involving the dysfunctional Dunn family. The book starts with the lime 3 brothers are at a funeral and ones body lies in the coffin.

The book is made up of four distinct parts, the first three parts sees each brothers telling their story from childhood hopping about through time. What is really interesting is you get to hear each brothers perspective as it skips back and forth through their lives.

The characters have been brilliantly crafted, although they are not likeable, you get a real understanding in terms of what makes them tick and how Luke’s life in particular is shaped by the poor way is mother treats him.

The book starts with Will telling his story. Will is a womaniser and is very self centred, then we move on to the youngest brother Luke who had a successful pop career just after leaving school, but he is very damaged with serious mental health issues, not helped by his drug and alcohol addiction. Brian is the middle brother and his story follows Luke’s. For Brian, he is jealous of his other 2 brothers success, he is very tight with money and can come across as arrogant
Brian it’s moneyHe’s not likeable as he can be jealous, belligerent and smug.

The brothers basically do not get on and do some awful things to each other, particularly against Luke, the most likeable brother of the 3.

The fourth and final part is based on the lead up to the incident which we’ve been waiting for i.e. which of the 3 brothers is lying in the coffin.

It’s a must read and I’d like to thank NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book

This corker of a story is all about the Drumm boys growing up with their parents in a spacious and nice house. We learn about them through the narrative, in flashbacks to the past and from other characters in the story. In order of birth their names are Will, Brian and Luke. They take it in turns to tell the story from their own perspectives. I knew from the very beginning of the novel that I was going to enjoy their stories because in the prologue it is made clear that the three brothers had had both troubled and loving relationships solely because they are rivals for their mother’s love and praise, each trying to out-do the other and changing allegiances so that at times, although two are sticking up for each other, one of them is an outcast and being picked upon. Their luck is definitely in if they are two together and supporting the other’s story. Of course they are all devious, disloyal and untruthful but the lone brother against the other two changes with the weather depending on which is best for them.
In the prologue of this story it is February 2018 and the three brothers are together at a funeral, now grown men, but one of them is laid to rest in his coffin and the other two are standing together receiving condolences from the other mourners. They both knew this would happen at some time and that it is for the best, but his ending was shockingly violent and the remaining two brothers are numbed to the bone and once again they are rivals. Which brother is dead and which brother is a suspect is as yet unknown and this secret is kept until the finale of the story.
Their upbringing within their family could be determined as dysfunctional. Their mother is an actress, often away from home on tour, and sometimes suffering from debilitating and deep depression when she is not working. Their father, calm and fair-minded, takes up the slack but as a lone parent of three boisterous boys, he can only do so much trying to keep the boys fed, clothed and well behaved. As men the brothers all go their chosen ways, rivals to be the best in their careers, earn the most, achieve the most success and take the best women to their beds. They do what it takes to achieve these goals, never mind if it takes lies, jiggery-pokery and deception, especially if it is for something they desperately want. In fact they are all unreliable narrators, self-seeking and not at all likeable. If they help their brother out, it is only because they can shaft him, earn money from their strategy, or discredit him. Kind acts are only done for their own benefit. Their partners in life are all devious too. There is depravity, unfaithfulness, back stabbing, and mental health issues (often caused by one brother or other). However the story is absorbing, full of menace, twists and turns, misfortune and comebacks secrets and lies – it is deliciously exciting and evil.
I really enjoyed reading this story and would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher Penguin for my copy of this novel sent in return for an honest and fair review. It’s a 4.5* review from me. I recommend it as a powerful story about mother-love and family issues. I was totally hooked by the storytelling, the character development and the insane plotting and one-upmanship that threaded itself generously throughout the novel.

Once again this author has written a book with several despicable characters.I disliked the characters in this book but that didn't stop me liking the book.. The three Drumm brothers are so very different to each other but having a self centred selfish mother is one thing they do share. The book begins with a funeral of one of the brothers but it is only much later that we discover which brother. I was intrigued with this plot and it certainly had some surprises. Not a fast paced read but certainly a slow burner.

The story starts with the funeral of one of the 3 Drumm brothers. But whose?

We learn the tale of the brothers in turn from each of them at differing times of their lives. A very dysfunctional family including their mother. It is very interesting seeing events through a different pair of eyes

A fabulous read, highly recommended

Our Little Cruelties starts at a funeral, but whose funeral? Three brothers, all at the funeral but one of them is in the coffin, which one?
Each brother gets to narrate his version of life growing up in the dysfunctional Drumm family. None of the brothers are particularly likeable and sibling rivalry takes on a new meaning in this family. Timelines jump from past to present and back again, giving context to some of the big issues the family deals with. Some of the subject matter is not easy to read, but it is topical, current and well written and at times I was so drawn in to the lives of the Drumm family, I forgot to wonder which one of the brothers was going to die.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Liz Nugent is one of my favourite thriller writers of the past few years. I loved "Skin Deep," which featured a deeply unpleasant female lead and was compulsively readable. So, I knew that when I got my hands on 'Our Little Cruelties,' it would be a delight.

I'm so happy to say that I wasn't disappointed. When my plans were cancelled by the arrival of Storm Ciara a few weeks ago, I used it as the perfect opportunity to spend the day reading this. The story of three brothers - all remarkably unlikeable in their own ways - who are dominated over by a preening, selfish, self-absorbed (yet still sympathetic) mother takes what could have been a clichéd story of jealousy and revenge and turns it into something fresh, modern and compelling. Topics such as #MeToo and Body Positivity are handled well and sensitively (I know that Nugent reached out to a fat positivity influencer to be a sensitivity reader for this book, and that thoughtfulness shows in the characterisation of Daisy.)

You will hate all three of the brothers who are selfish, self-absorbed, thoughtless and (in one particular case) deeply misogynist. Yet, you'll also feel for them because you discover how they were made that way by their life circumstances and the environment they grew up in. I found the story so good that it actually didn't matter who murdered who. You'll probably guess it as the book races along anyway and the rest of it was so good, that I didn't mind that it felt a bit rushed.

Nobody writes nasty little thrillers as well as Liz Nugent. I'm already eagerly awaiting her next book.

Our Little Cruelties by Liz Nugent

As a big fan of Liz Nugents previous books I was delighted to get my hands on copy of this book, and I loved it!
I dont think anyone writes dysfunctional families quite like Liz, her skill as a writer really draws you in.
The characters were brilliant, and I enjoyed the way the narrative switched between the characters and timelines.
I particularly enjoy a book with unlikable characters, and there were plenty of those in this book, yet I still felt myself rooting for them.
If you enjoyed previous books by this author, then you should love this book too.
Liz Nugent is now another author who's books I will automatically want as soon as they are written!! An easy 5 stars from me.

WOW that’s a cryptic opener;

“All three of the Drumm brothers were at the funeral, although one of us was in a coffin’

This is a story about a dysfunctional family, three brothers Will, Brian and Luke and their relationship throughout their childhood and adulthood.

I loved that we don’t know who has died until the end of the book and how the timeline skips backwards and forwards so that we see important events in the brothers lives that have shaped them to who they are.

I really immersed myself with this book and the characters. I’m glad I’m not a part of this family who are to put it bluntly “Out for themselves”

A must read that will keep you hooked until the end!!

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

If this tagline doesn't suck you in then nothing will - " Three brothers are at the funeral - one lies in the coffin" Although we do not find out who, how or why until the very end this book is addictive! At any point in the story it could have been any of the 3.

The Drumm family are so dysfunctional they would make any other family look normal. The mother is a minor celebrity in Ireland and does not know how to be a real mother to her boys. Brian, Luke and Will all grow up craving the love and attention of their mother. None of them turn out too great, all self centred and troubled. Theirs lives are a mess and they show no family loyalties. We hear each brother's story and learn how they become the way that they are. We see each life occurrence through each set of eyes. It all comes to a head in the last few chapters and the ending will shock you.

Thank you to Penguin UK and Ireland and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.

What a book. I finished it not knowing what to think, it cannot be wrapped into a neat bow. I will say it was a difficult, rewarding read that really captured Irish family and the many "little cruelties" that can live within a family, known but unacknowledged. A tough but worthwhile read.

One brother is dead, two brothers are left. They struggle with getting along throughout their lives, constantly bickering and fighting. But which one put their brother in a coffin?🤔

4/5⭐⭐⭐⭐- Liz Nugent manages to write an entire book centering on 3 horrible people, and yet makes it impossible to put down! It feels like a story arc from a soap, but so much better!

The book starts with a funeral. William, Brian and Luke Drumm are brothers and now one of them is dead. We don’t know which of them ended up in a coffin and which of them maybe responsible.

“Our Little Cruelties” is an epic character driven family drama as well as a murder mystery. Each of the brothers tells us their story from their point of view. If you ever saw a dysfunctional family, consider the Drumms. This family is the real kicker. Their mother is a kind of small celebrity in Ireland. She is a singer and actress and an absolute narcissistic person. She does not love her three sons equally and they are all aware of that. But the three brothers are a piece of work themselves. We hear the story of their family from each of the brothers in turn and of course we see them through their selfish eyes so you better not trust any of them.

Liz Nugent is one of my favorite authors. I just adore her ability to create all those unsympathetic characters. Here we meet not only one but four psychopaths. The book is quite long and the author takes her time in getting to the point. She lets us see through every brother’s eyes some of the key points in their life. I enjoyed reading about those despicable characters. The reason I give not 5 stars is because something I did not like in the authors last book. There is a lot of telling. It is always a problem with a first-person narrator but here a lot of the story is just told by one of the brothers. There are interactions and dialogs but for my taste the telling gained the upper hand. The other thing I had to get accustomed to was the jumping back and forth in the timeline. At the beginning during Williams POV I got really confused what has happened at what time. I would have preferred a straight timeline. After a while I got used to it and did not care so much about it anymore but it confused me a bit.

Liz Nugent wrote again an unusual psychological thriller/family drama with quite a bunch of terrific unlikable characters. I am looking forward to her next book.

I really loved this book, I didn't think of as a psychological thriller though, but more of engrossing tale of family dynamics. Ms Nugent managed to create a page turner of a story about three very unlikable brothers and make the reader really care about what happened to them and their family. Can't wait for her next book
Thank you to netgalley and penguin books for an advance copy of this book

We know from the start that one of three brothers is dead but no idea who or how.
The story is told in flashbacks by them each putting a different perspective on their actions and their relationships. All appear flawed, each behaving badly towards each other. Luke, the youngest, believes he is unloved and suffers fragile mental health. Brian takes advantage of Luke and anyone who can further his interests. Will, the eldest, treats women appallingly. Their lives remain entwined throughout until the tragic end.
Set in Ireland, this closely examines thoroughly flawed family dynamics and the selfishness of all involved.
An excellent read - thanks netgalley for the opportunity of reading this early.

Will, Brian, and Luke are three brothers and the novel tells the tale of their dysfunctional family and interactions.

The story is told from the point of view of each brother and passes through their childhood, adulthood and present day. Each story drifts through different time periods and it is gratifying to see seeing the same scenario from different perspectives and see how different, and indeed wrongly, people can view a situation.

The story begins with the funeral of one of the brothers and which brother and how is not revealed until the end.

It is certainly interesting to see the cruelties between the family members and the fight between them for their mother's love and acceptance. It is a stage well beyond the sibling rivalries that most families know.

This novel follows the three Drumm brothers, their dysfunctional relationships and their incessant need for one-upmanship.

I found all the characters to be wholly unlikeable which hampered my enjoyment of the book and it took me a long time to finish because of this.

I enjoyed Nugent's style of writing and that the story was told from the perspective of all three brothers - even if they were the most unreliable of narrators. The non-linear structure also made the book slightly more interesting. That being said, I cannot recommend this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books (UK) for the ARC.

Telling the life stories of the three dysfunctional Drumm brothers, this novel spans 5 decades detailing their interlocking lives from each of the brothers point of view. From the opening chapter of the three brothers at a funeral and only one of them is dead to the gripping finale when it is finally revealed which one has died it is totally absorbing. Enthralling and beautifully written it makes most families seem very normal in comparison.

I have read a number of Liz Nugents novels but for me this was the best. What an imagination she has, this is a superb psychological drama featuring a dysfunctional family with brilliantly flawed characters that are fascinating to read about
It has certainly kept me gripped from start to finish and when I had to put it down out of necessity I couldn't wait to pick it up again. Brilliant storytelling and character portrayal at it's best, an excellent read and highly recommended. Looking forward to reading Liz's next novel.