What a disfunction family! They make most families look like saints.

"Al three the Drumm brothers were at the funeral, although one of us was in the coffin"

What a way to start a book and only at the end we find out who it was.

It is the story of William, Luke and Brian Drumm. Three brothers with very different personalities. We follow their lives from childhood to adulthood. We meet their overbearing mother and their father that they lost to cancer at a relatively young age. We live their roller coaster lifes with them until its end at a graveside.

Most of the characters are not very likeable which is kind of refreshing. The book is written out of all 3's viewpoints which make for interesting reading. A very well crafted book that I can highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Books UK for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Will, Brian, Luke. Three very different brothers. Three very different lives.

Our Little Cruelties opens with the three brothers a funeral, two in attendance, one in a coffin.

As the novel begins, it is clear that we need to go back in time to determine the events that bought them to the funeral.

Each brother has their own section of this novel to narrate, starting off with William, the eldest. This is followed by Luke, the youngest and finally we hear from Brian the middle child.

All three brothers have successful lives on the outside, but each of them has their fair share of problems and secrets.

A messy childhood and resentments carried through life shape each brother into who they are, ans ultimately determine their fate.

Most of this novels characters are extremely unlikeable, but this is part of this novel's brilliance, that you still care what happens to them, even though they are deplorable.

I can't say too much more as I don't want to give anything away, but this is another brilliant novel by Liz Nugent and I can't wait to read the next.

A real page turner and I couldn't wait to get to the end to see how it would turn out. The relationships with the brothers, the betrayals made this a really compelling read. A fabulous ending although shocking.

I was so pleased to receive an arc of this, I love Liz Nugent, she writes such narcissistic, messed up characters and this didn't disappoint. A story of an incredibly dysfunctional family told from the POV of three brothers, none of whom are in any way likeable, though I did feel for the youngest Luke, he was the only one with any redeeming qualities. The mother is a narcissistic, sociopathic nightmare and the apples didn't fall far from the tree. I was horribly fascinated all the way through by the cold, selfish manipulations and betrayals exhibited by the family, even though the jumping back and forth in time could be a little confusing, I liked the way it showed each incident through the eyes of all three brothers, each with their own particular brand of selfishness. A shocking at times but compelling 4 stars. Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley galley for the advance copy.

I actually really struggled to get on with this book. I think the overall plot was good but it just wasn't for me.

William, Brian and Luke are brothers, sons of a quiet man and a flamboyant showband singer. As they grow up they compete for their mother's love and, as adults, they want to be successful. However at every turn they betray the ones they love until one of them is dead. Is history repeating itself?
I'm glad I've stuck with Nugent as a writer because this novel is definitely a return to form. At the start of the book we know that one brother is dead and one of the others killed him and the book leads up to this. I liked the structure which allowed each brother to tell his own story and the way it jumped between past and present made this even better. There were several scenarios explored from different perspectives and all three are unreliable witnesses. When the death came at the end it was almost disappointing but overall the story is nicely done!

This was the first book I have read by Liz Nugent and I thoroughly enjoyed it. What made me give it five stars was the ending. I never expected what happened and I had to read the ending a few times to make sure I had read it right. Throughout the story I became very invested in the characters lives and was shocked by how it all turned out. All the characters were believable and you could easily imagine the emotions they were going through. Hopefully a sequel will happen so I can see how Daisy gets on in the future.

Meet the Drumms, a highly dysfunctional family. A family where each member has their own secrets and demons.
Liz Nugent is wonderful, as usual, at giving us main characters that are totally unlikable. I spent the entire book trying to decide who I disliked the most, it changed from chapter to chapter.
Highly recommend Our Little Cruelties

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book. I have been trying to read it since the start of April and kept going in and out of trying to read it to give up a few pages in.

I personally did not like the constant whining of the brothers, the situation between them all was so confusing and tiring to read, it honestly drove me insane at the time.

I've read other books by Liz Nugent like 'Skin Deep' and have enjoyed them enough, I was hoping to be able to dive right in and get absorbed into her writing but I can't and I don't want to put further pressure on myself to try to finish the book when reading for me is to be able to do so for enjoyment.

William, Brian and Luke Drumm, three brothers who have been rivals - often bitter - since early childhood, attend a funeral. One of them is in the coffin - but which one?

Melissa (or Moll) their mother dotes on William, the oldest, but is mean and cruel to Luke the youngest and ambivalent towards the middle son Brian. Dad seems to treat them all the same, but it’s Melissa who rules the roost. Now in her sixties, she was once a famous Showband singer and is the epitome of narcissism. All the boys make their careers in show business one way or another, where the rivalry continues. Luke, a faded pop-star, an alcoholic and drug abuser, is managed by Brian, a real money grabber if ever there was one, whilst William – a womaniser - has made his name as a film producer.

The four main characters are truly horrible people - possibly the most selfish, self-pitying, whingers and whiners I’ve come across in one novel, but that’s what works. Liz nugent has a remarkable talent for crafting characters who make you squirm, but you still want to read about them.

A hugely enjoyable read from one of our best authors.

My thanks to Netgalley for an ARC.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this arc. Liz Nugent is a consistently brilliant author, an auto-must, so I was excited to read this.
This follows three dysfunctional brothers. The prologue opens with a funeral of one brother, as the two stand and watch, a silent animosity between the two. But which brother is dead? And how did he die?...
The first third of the book is narrated from the POV of William, the older brother. William is mummy’s favourite, a film producer, and despite being married with a daughter, he’s also slightly seedy who takes advantage of his position to lure young women. The second third is narrated by Luke, the youngest. Luke becomes a pop star who goes off the rails and has mental health problems. The third part is narrated by Brian, the middle brother. Career-wise he’s not as established as his brother, something he harbours resentment for, and is extremely uptight financially.
All three brothers have their fair share of problems and are equally unlikeable, yet the writing pulls you in and the last third of the book is where the secrets comes together into a messy knot of tense revelations and heated confrontations. The story is non-linear, the narrative zipping backwards and forwards in time however that didn’t slow the reading down. The characters are well-fleshed and despite being horrible I did come to feel empathy for them.
Like her previous books this is a psychological suspense that is a slow-burning, character-driven read. This is less on the thriller side, and beers more towards being literary, as it traces the psyche and journey of each brother. Nonetheless I highly enjoyed this warped story of toxic brothers, harbouring deep resentment, jealousy and rivalry. 5/5

I liked the three different voices but didn’t particularly like the characters, but I don’t think that’s important. Memory is a strange thing and one person’s perspective can be so different to other people’s and likewise motivations are different and of course knowledge is key - a theme that’s explored in this book thoroughly.

3 brothers from Ireland look back on their lives.

An unpleasant tale of unpleasant characters who mistreat each other and those around them apparently at every opportunity. Lies, deceit, cupidity and betrayal with nary a hint of guilt or repentance. Each testimony is self-serving and rather banal and dull. The petty incidences of sibling rivalry are used to justify greed and selfishness.

Despite its many references to the #MeToo movement, female characters are not portrayed well in this narrative, being portrayed as unfaithful, opportunistic and predatory.

Structurally, the story splits into 3 narratives with pointless leaps around the chronology, anecdotes with no discernible link following each other. There is some interest in seeing different interpretations of the same events but ultimately unpleasant characters make for an unpleasant read.

I loved this twisted Irish family Saga. Talk about a dysfunctional family! Three brother so close in age but miles apart in character. Some dark humour in amongst the stories of mental illness, inappropriate behaviour, lies, disloyalties and deceit. The story is told in sections by each brother but which one is the one in the coffin in the opening scene. I loved the story of how we got to that day. A really gripping read. Highly recommended.

If novels about dysfunctional families are something you like to gauge your childhood against, Our Little Cruelties might just be the book for you as it will make your early years look blissful. The Drumm family - particularly the brothers Will, Brian and Luke - are textbook perfect illustrations for the word 'dysfunctional'. They are each bad seeds in their own way making this one of the most addicting novel.

As the book progresses we hear the story of their individual lives growing up in Ireland, and as grown adults, told from each of their perspectives. I couldn't put it down. The level of cruelty is high and lack of shame or any sibling loyalty is apparent. It's both shocking and enticing as the level of wickedness seems to ramp up knowing that one of them will be dead by the end of the book.

Normally, not being able to warm to any of the characters spells doom, but, in this instance it is a mark of my good judgement. There isn't much that is likeable and that works wonders for this novel as the reader feels a safe distance from the slings and arrows hurled about with reckless abandon. The cruelty and the twists that transpire would be worrying in a real family but here it simply feels like a guilty pleasure for the audience.

A great read, Our Little Cruelties opens the door to a world filled with cold, messed up people who might just deserve what they get. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

'Our Little Cruelties' is a book full of deeply unpleasant people being deeply unpleasant to each other. Don't let that put you off as, just like watching a car crash, I couldn't look away. I was fascinated to be able to see some scenes and events from the different perspectives of the three brothers. I loved the differences in the way the characters saw themselves and their actions compared to how others saw them. This is a fantastic in depth character study and an absorbing read.

Three brothers. One of them is dead. Murdered by the others? Brilliant on the slow train wreck that is dysfunctional family. Brilliantly written and constructed.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy of Our Little Cruelties, Liz Nugent's latest psychological thriller. And all I can say is... woah! Cancel all plans (oh, wait...) and devour this twisty little number.

The story opens with three brothers at a funeral. Only thing is, one brother lies within the coffin. One brother has been murdered, and you don't get to find out who it is and how he was killed until the final page. Our Little Cruelties really kept me guessing, tossing heaps of unexpected twists and turns my way.

Think your family is crazy? Think again! Liz Nugent writes delightfully delicious characters that leap off the page and remain etched into your memory for good. You just love to hate them.

Some pretty deep, dark stuff crops up in Our Little Cruelties, including addiction, rape, the #MeToo movement, mental health issues, and, of course... murder.

It's not my first Nugent and it certainly won't be my last!

Not her usual gripping kind of novel but this is a thought-provoking book about an unusual and dysfunctional family. The brothers are all self-absorbing and looking out for themselves alone. Lots of resentment from their youth probably because of their mother. The only “normal” character seemed to be the father. Covers sibling rivalry, addiction, adultery, “Me Too”. I loved this book.

OUR LITTLE CRUELTIES is the fourth psychological thriller by Liz Nugent. This is a character driven psychological family drama that will hook you in right from the beginning.

Her Novels Include:
Unravelling Oliver (2014)
Lying in Wait (2016)
Skin Deep (2018)
Our Little Cruelties (2020)

The story starts with three brothers are at the funeral. One lies in the coffin. None of the brothers had been close.

The Drumm family is one dysfunctional family, and one that I am glad I never grew up in! The story centers around s three brothers: William, Brian and Luke, all growing up competing for their mother's unequal love. The mother is a minor celebrity in Ireland and does not know how to be a real mother to her boys As men, the competition continues for status, money, fame, and women.

Will-Eldest, married to Susan with 1 daughter, Daisy.
-Film producer
-Mommy’s boy
-Always took what he wanted
-unfaithful (infidelity)

Brian-Teacher, living in Paris, later fired from a school for inappropriate behavior
-Was later managing the careers of most of Ireland’s young talent

Luke-Rock-star, successful kid-brother
-history of psychotic episodes and drug abuse
-lifetime of baggage

Each of the brothers betray each other, over and over, until one of them is dead.

But which brother killed him? We don’t know who died until the end of the book.

The book is told by each of the brothers, who all have their own story.

Their experiences had scarred them deeply, one of many that contributed to the plot of “Our Little Cruelties.” This is an addictive intriguing psychological family drama heading to a catastrophe.

Many thanks to the author, Penguin Books (UK) and Netgalley for my digital copy.