This book was received as an ARC from Gallery Books - Gallery/Scout Press in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was very difficult to read in regards to the pranks and games the brother's played on eachother but since the book is title Little Cruelties I didn't expect them to be so extreme. I am all for horseplay when it is fun and games showing brotherly love but some of these games have gone a little too far for my liking. However, I do know a crowd who frequents our library often that will appreciate this book and what it has to offer so I do not doubt this book will circulate at our library.

That is why we give this book 3.5 stars.

“The Drumms sounded like characters from a Greek tragedy.” Oh yes, that describes them and this dark, twisted story perfectly. As the story begins, two of the three Drumm brothers stand in front of their brother’s coffin. We won’t learn until the final pages which one of the brothers has died.

Three boys in three years - William, Brian and Luke - are born to a self absorbed mother and a father who chooses to ignore her behaviors. From the earliest years, the boys compete with each other for attention and crave the love that never comes. It’s no surprise that as they grow they reflect their tumultuous and cruel upbringing. For instance, when a dog charges the three brothers, their mother runs out to save the older boys, leaving the youngest one to be attacked. His brothers finally intervene. “It was one of our family’s little cruelties…”

William, Brian and Luke each narrate a section of Little Cruelties and describe the same events from their own point of view. These views strengthen this already compelling, well-written character study. There are no sympathetic characters here. Their mother, regardless of her troubled childhood, manipulates her young boys and destroys their lives.

You know that Little Cruelties will not end well. It doesn’t. Liz Nugent does not gloss over the damages done in a dysfunctional family. This book is painful to read and stays with you long after it is finished. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Gallery Books and Liz Nugent for this ARC.

2 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

Ugh. This book was really hard to read and I was so glad when I finished. It's a depressing mystery/thriller about a dysfunctional family of selfish, narcissistic people. None of the characters had any redeeming qualities.

William, Brian, and Luke are each born a year apart in a lower middle class Catholic family in 1960s Dublin. Their father is quiet and compliant and their mother is a performer and minor celebrity. She is crass, cheats on her husband and is only concerned about her career and own happiness. William becomes a big shot movie producer, after a series of teaching jobs Brian becomes an entertainment manager, and Luke becomes a pop star. None of the boys like each other and are jealous of each other's successes. They spend their entire lives back-stabbing each other, betraying each other and generally being total jerks. Anyone that gets sucked into their sphere eventually becomes a casualty of their cruelty.

I had a hard time reading this book. The writing was very good, but the subject matter was just too much for me. In addition, the story is divided into three sections, told from the perspective of each man. The chapters in each section jump back and forth in time and are a jumbled mess. You do get to see multiple scenarios from each man's perspective, but because there seems to be no rhyme or reason as to how each section is written, oftentimes you don't remember what the other brother's perspective was. Toward the end of the book the timelines merge, until the totally messed up conclusion.

Normally I don't have a problem with books about dysfunctional people, but I think this one bothered me so much because there wasn't a single person that wasn't a jerk, and nothing good happened to anyone. Other people seemed to really enjoy this book, so it's probably just me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Liz Nugent has done it again. I love Nugent's storytelling and writing. Little Cruelties does not disappoint!
Little Cruelties is the story of three brothers and their mother. Growing up with a mother who made a living as a stage actress and singer, didn't exactly give the boys the perfect life. Will, Brian, and Luke grew up trying to please their mother and each took their own road. Luke, the baby, followed in his mother's footsteps and became a pop star; only to falter many times. Brian was always there to pick Luke up and put him back together. William grew up thinking he was a gift to everyone. What Will wants, Will gets. The boys lives intertwine and they all lead quite the life.
Overall, I liked Little Cruelties despite being quite sad in parts. Nugent wrote the book in four parts, three parts coming from each sons perspective. Chapters were clearly labeled who was the narrator and the year. She did jump around in the years but I was able to follow along very easily. I will be recommending this book to others and I will continue to look for future works by Liz Nugent. I really enjoy her books. Special thanks to NetGalley, Liz Nugent, and Gallery/ Scout Press for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion. 4.5 stars

William, Brian, and Luke are brothers born to an actress her doting husband. They all became successful, at least for a time. But their competition and resentments grew through the years, until the inevitable straw broke the camel’s back, and two of the brothers found themselves at the funeral for the third.

Will, the oldest, had the easiest time growing up. His mother adored him and thought he could do no wrong. He didn’t have the hand-me-downs that his brothers had to share. Instead, he learned to take whatever he wanted and not worry about others. That’s how he became a top Irish film and television producer. That’s how he came to marry Susan and have a beautiful daughter. That’s how he almost lost it all.

Brian, the middle son, knew he could never be what Will was. Although their father tried to even the scales for the brothers, somehow Will always ended up with more. And Brian was bitter about that. But he still did well in school, studied hard, and when he had the chance to go to Paris to teach English to French teenagers, he grabbed that opportunity. But when family needed his help back home in Ireland, he was the first one they called to help.

Luke, the youngest, always felt a little out of step with his brothers. He did find his place in church as a child, and he wore his spirituality as a martyr. But as a teenager, he became discouraged with religion, and in college he found himself fronting a band that became pretty popular. The life of a pop star is filled with sex, alcohol, and drugs, and Luke’s overindulgence brought out the mental illness that had been circling him for a while. It’s with Brian’s help that Luke finds a therapist and medications that help him, and Brian discovers a new career in artist management.

But as the years go by, as relationships grow and break apart, the three brothers never quite get past their upbringing, the competition and resentments that have been there since they were kids. After the secrets and lies come to light, all those toxic emotions bubble over until the three men find themselves at a funeral. Of course, there may still be secrets in the family after all.

Liz Nugent is back with Little Cruelties, a story of a family torn apart by bitterness. Nugent is a master of stories about the darker aspects of human nature, and this is definitely in that wheelhouse. Seeing how these brothers come apart because of the “little cruelties” of their mother is a fascinating look at how narcissists tear other people down to make more room for themselves.

Little Cruelties is not an easy book to read. Watching these brothers and what they suffered through the years is painful and sad. I kept wanting to yell at them to just walk away, move to the other side of the world and start over. But I also understood the ties that bound them all to each other and to Ireland. And I found it really hard to put down. I wanted to find out what happened to these men, no matter how difficult it became to read about them.

This book may be a little harsh for some readers, but for those who can take a heart-wrenching story about a dysfunctional family, Little Cruelties may be the thriller you’ve been looking for.

Egalleys for Little Cruelties were provided by Gallery Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.

I have seen dysfunctional families but this one takes the cake. Three brothers that seem to despise each other, a self-absorbed mother and a father that doesn't stand up for much of anything makes for an interesting family dynamic.

This book has sections for each brother and flips from year to year, and not in order. The saying that there is always more than one side to a story could not be any truer in this book. Each incident is told from each brother's point of view and how they interpreted what was happening at the time. William is first, then Brian, and then Luke. Each brother's story tends to paint them in a better light, but what is the real truth to the events that occurred? Perhaps there is a little bit of truth to each side with reality somewhere in the middle.

I was intrigued when the story started because I had no idea which brother was in the coffin. You get some hints, but are they reliable? I suspected two of the brothers at different points based on the text, but I was quite surprised by how the story unfolded. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect that ending.

I don't think I liked any of the brothers but at times they each redeemed themselves, at least for a moment. They each have their own struggles that have to be dealt with and how they handle them is unique to each of their personalities. Sadly, this family could have used some counseling when they were younger.

This book covers so many hot topics such as the #metoo movement, marriage equality, alcoholism, drug use, various diseases (1 could be a spoiler so no specifics here!), narcissism, and possibly even child abuse or neglect. I had a hard time putting this book down. It was a train wreck waiting to happen. But that is what makes this book work in my eyes.

We give this book 5 paws up.

They say that every dysfunctional family is dysfunctional in their own way. Well, the Drumm family is truly off the charts dysfunctional! Ms. Nugent has written a truly disturbing story about an entire family who are destined to implode. The opening is at a funeral for one of the brothers but we don't know until the very end which one it is. Little Cruelties mounts and gathers intensity with every chapter. A cracking read!

Nugent's latest thriller centers around the dysfunctional Drumm family; narcissistic matriarch Melissa and her three flawed sons William, Brian, and Luke. Three brothers; one who now lies in a coffin, one who is a killer, and we won't find out their identities until the end. Highly selective towards her treatment of her son, Melissa makes no effort to hide her preference for her eldest son William, reserving the meager amount of maternal affection for William alone. While she is rather indifferent to Brian, she is downright cruel to her youngest son Luke, The timeline deftly jumps around, depicting key events in the brothers' life from each of their different, if rather unreliable perspective. The brothers fall in and out of each other's lives however the one thing that remains constant throughout is the cruelties they endure and inflict equally upon each other. Suspension builds slowly but steadily culminating in a shocking revelation.
Little Cruelties is a brilliantly written, character centered family suspense thriller. The non-linear timeline is deftly executed, allowing readers inside the minds of our three non reliable narrators, adding an extra layer of suspense. The Drumm family is character development at its finest, with each member containing their own uniquely crafted, complex personality. The family interactions were fascinating and engrossing, a train wreck readers will find it difficult to turn away from. The story touches upon many dark topics such as addiction, adultery, and mental health but Nugent's unique dark humor shines through adding a bit of levity. I highly recommend Little Cruelties for those looking for a slow paced, character centered thriller with a shockingly satisfying ending.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery/Scout Press for gifting me a digital ARC of the new novel by Liz Nugent - I was a huge fan of both Unraveling Oliver and Lying in Wait. This was another 5 star read for me - less of a mystery and more of a character study into a very dysfunctional family.

The story opens up at a funeral. We learn that all three Drumm brothers are there but one is in the casket. But which one? That mystery will remain until the end of the book. Meanwhile, we learn about the brothers, each from their point of view, but also through the points of view of the other brothers when it's their turn. Each brother's part of the story is told in different timeframes - it was like the author wrote the narrative with a chapter for each defining moment in time, and then threw the pages up in the air and that's that way they landed in the book for you to read. But it worked! In this way, we gain little bits and pieces of each of their stories, their interactions with each other, and the intertwining characters that have a role in each brother's story.

William, Brian and Luke all commit little cruelties to each other. Their mom, in particular, was a case study in her treatment of each of her sons as well as their significant others. There is lots at play here - mental illness, rape, infidelity, fame, money, addiction, social media - the list goes on. This isn't a fast-paced mystery; more an introspection on family and personalities. I loved it even though I didn't really like any of the characters!

Little Cruelties wasn't what I expected. The synopsis opened with a conversation dealing with the death of a brother. It led me to believe it was going to be a mystery or a thriller. It was neither. This story is about family drama. You know, the typical drugs, mental illness, cheating, lying, and misogyny. While reading, I completely forgot that a brother had died. The only time I was reminded was in the pretext before each sub-chapter. The story was more of a memory trip into each brother's account on family rifts. I like how Nugent showed personal, one-sided views each brother had on the same situation. It answered questions of how the brothers thought of and got into situations.

What lead me to read this book was the references to the hit HBO series, "Succession". I can trace each Drumm brother to the Roy family counterparts. William is Kendall, Brian is Connor, and Luke is Roman. If you've never seen the show, this book will serve as the perfect runner up. The Drumm brothers are the most f****d up individuals you would only hear about in scripted television dramas. A lot of their justifications will make you scream, "WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU"! This is such a dysfunctional family!

Overall it was an okay book. I'm not particularly impressed with the ending, which fell flat, especially after such a descriptive build-up. The individual, situational stories are what kept me flipping pages. Maybe you guys will find more pleasure reading this book than I did.

Thank you to @scoutpressbooks, @gallerybooks, and @liznugentwriter for my gifted copy of Little Cruelties! This book will be available this week, on November 10th.

Little Cruelties follows the Drumm brothers: William, Brian, and Luke. We meet at a funeral, where one of them has died. However, we aren’t sure which one is in the coffin. What follows is an intense family drama with a lot of psychological suspense that shows how relationships are impacted by one’s actions, alcohol, drugs, and more.

Man, what a book. I’ve decided that I’m a huge fan of the family drama with a side of psychological suspense. You won’t like any of the characters, even if you think you do, and that’s part of what makes this book so good! Nugent’s writing style throughout this book kept me on the edge of my seat, as she jumps back and forth between times in each man’s life and we build towards the present day. I wanted to see how we were getting to the funeral, and my predictions kept changing as more information came to light during the book. Nugent threw in so many unexpected moments, relationships, personality traits, and twists that I had to reread from time to time to make sure I had everything straight.

I will say that this book is written differently than Lying in Wait was, which took a minute to get used to. Check this one out, friends, especially if you’ve enjoyed her past books.

Little Cruelties was a fast paced, page turner of a book. I loved the family drama/suspense combination and finished it in roughly 24 hours. Even though I had a hunch which Drumm brother was in the coffin about 3/4 of the way through William's section, I still couldn't put it down. I needed to know if I was correct, and how it got to that point. I liked that each brother had his own section, and the non-linear timeline. It kept things interesting and I loved when one of the brothers made reference to an event we heard about from one of the others. It really goes to show you how much perspective plays a role in life, and how no two people will view an event the same way.
While I suspect it was intentional, I thought William and Brian were sorry excuses for human beings. William was a generally horrible human being. From his ego problems, to the way he treated his wife, I couldn't stand him. And yet, I flew through his section because I couldn't believe what I was reading. Brian wasn't much better, as his constant "poor me" attitude was incredibly annoying. Conniving, entitled, and very much the middle child, Brian's section wiped out every positive thought I had of him from William & Luke's sections. Even though Luke had plenty of issues, he was by far the most likable brother. Considering what his mother and brothers put him through, it's no wonder he turned out the way he did.
The only thing I found "off" about the book was that each brother got his own distinct section, and then all three were thrown together to end the book. While I think it was completely necessary in order for the ending to make sense, it made me wish the entire book was setup this way. Regardless, the writing was fantastic, and I really enjoyed this book. This was my first Liz Nugent book, but I can promise you it won't be the last.

As with all good psychological thrillers, the reader is kept guessing throughout the entire book. The question is who murdered the brother? Is it one of the two living brothers? They were raised by a narcissistic mother and a passive father. Dividing the book into three parts, Nugent focuses on a brother in each section and the parts of their lives which intersected with the other two. And after reading the book, I detested all of them. Despite the theme, the book was not as heavy as one might expect.

This was an absolute train wreck of a book... and by that I mean this was such an insane, dysfunctional family. You won't be able to tear your eyes away! Thank you, Netgalley, for this arc. I'm a big fan of Liz Nugent!

I'm loving this book!! It is told from three POV from three brothers. It is very fast paced and one that you'll need on your 2020 book pile!! Very good book!

Liz Nugent knows her way around some twists and turns! This is the story of the Drumm brothers, and what an upsetting story it is. The novel opens on one of the brothers' funeral; while the other 2 decide whether or not they killed him. We learn the harrowing and often cruel things each brother has done to the others throughout the years until it all ends with the death of one; and the guilt of the others.
Nugent's third novel is intense. I enjoyed it very much and didn't want to put it down. It's hard to decide who had died right up until the ending.

Happy to include this new psych thriller in Novel Encounters, my monthly top ten roundup column of notable upcoming fiction titles for Zoomer magazine’s Books hub. To read the feature, click on the link.

A Funeral, three Brothers - two alive, one dead. What a mess.

This book is told through the POV of the three brothers: William, Brian and Luke. William is a successful film producer; Luke is a worldwide pop star and Brian is a teacher who also manages Luke's career and finances. They could be typical normal guys, but they are not! They are all a mess in varying degrees. Each doing "little cruelties" to each other. Betrayal after betrayal. They give new meaning to the term "dysfunctional family"

The only real mystery in the book is the identity of the dead brother. You will not know his identity until the end. The book takes you from the funeral and moves back in time to their childhood and throughout their lives, with each sharing their POV. We learn secrets, watch them lie, watch them manipulate, watch them love, watch them fall apart, watch them get back on their feet, only to fall apart again.

This book touches on several things: family, addiction, mental illness, greed, infidelity, the pros and cons of fame, money, sibling rivalry, and even the #METoo movement.

Will you like these characters? Probably not, although there was one, I felt sorry more than his brothers. But their relationships were fascinating. Plus, their mother was a whole other can of beans as was each's relationship with her.

The storytelling was a little bit of a mess in that it was all over the place, but that felt right as these brothers were all over the place as well. I thought Nugent did a good job keeping the reader in the dark with the "mystery" narrator who tells the story in the beginning. We do not know who is telling the story, so you have to hang in with them on the chaotic ride/journey of their lives until the end of the book.

This is not your typical mystery/suspense/thriller book. It is not fast paced. It is more character driven. As I stated earlier, the real mystery is who is dead, why, how and who is to blame? Otherwise it is a decent into the character's lives, those in their lives, and what motivates them.

Thank you to Gallery/Scout Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

A high 4 stars!

I have really liked all of Liz Nugent’s books. Little Cruelties is no exception. Set in Ireland from the 1970s to 2019, the story focuses on three brothers and their tortured relationship with each other and everyone else. At the beginning, we know one of the brothers has died but we don’t know which one. The story is then told from each of the brothers’ perspectives. It’s somewhat of a mystery, but mostly it’s a story about family and contemporary issues. Nugent’s writing is strong and direct. The story has many strands that all fit together tightly by the end. I also love the Irish setting. Well worth reading, as are Nugent’s other books. Thanks to Netgalley for giving me access to an advance copy.

I went into Little Cruelties expecting a psychological thriller and some suspense. Instead, I think this book is another case where Men’s Fiction should be a genre because if this same story was told with three sisters instead of three brothers, it would definitely fall under the Women’s Fiction category.

The story is told through the first person POVs of three brothers, Williams, Brian, and Luke. The book covers decades and swings around from one year to another in no organized fashion that I could discern. Before each brother’s section of chapters are short excerpts from an unknown brother’s view, discussing the funeral and aftermath of one of the other brother’s death. This is really the only bit of suspense in the whole book, though. The rest of the chapters don’t really even allude to someone being murdered, though they all certainly have the motives for it. We don’t find out which brother is dead until the final chapter and by then I was so fed up with these characters that I hardly even cared.

I always struggle with really character-driven books that feature such awful characters. There’s a small amount of sympathy for them because they had such a dysfunctional childhood, which carried into adulthood, but that excuse really only goes so far. Luke also gets a bit of a pass because of his mental health issues, but William and Brian were just straight up despicable. I didn’t enjoy reading about them and often wondered why I kept going. I think I kept hoping that there would either be redemption arcs or some real suspense would start to build. Neither happened.

Overall, Little Cruelties was not for me. I didn’t really ever care about the characters and I while I’m normally a fan of alternate timelines, the haphazard manner it jumped around here didn’t work for me. I also expected a lot more of a psychological thriller/suspense than family drama. However, I did think the first person POVS were well done and that’s why it’s getting two stars instead of one from me.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 2 Stars