Our Little Cruelties By Liz Nugent

‘Our Little Cruelties’ is latest book by bestselling Irish author, Liz Nugent.

Three brothers are at the funeral. One lies in the coffin. Will, Brian and Luke grow up competing for their mother’s unequal love. As men, the competition continues – for status, money, fame, women. They each betray each other, over and over, until one of them is dead. But which brother killed him?

Liz is back with another crime thriller that has the readers on the edge of their seats as they try to figure out who the bad guy is this Irish story of jealousy and greed.

The story is seen through the narrative of 3 brothers Will, Brian and Luke Drumm in the present moment when they are at the funeral of one of them. From the beginning, it is never clear which one is dead and that’s what pulls the reader in.

All the brothers are so different from each other. Will, the eldest of the brothers is a successful film maker, who’s the apple of their mother’s eyes. But despite his success, Will is a really dislikable character, a sexist narcissist who’s obsessed with his success and being better than his brothers. Brian, the middle brother, is the least creative of the trio but he’s content with leeching off his brothers success whilst Luke, the youngest has battled demons and addictions throughout his life. From his obsession with religion to his drug addiction, he’s a vulnerable character that people prey upon, particularly his brothers.

This book is a fascinating story, Liz has a fantastic skill of cleverly crafting a complex and thrilling story with such a range of deplorable and sympathetic characters. Set in bustling Dublin through the decades, Liz paints a vivid of the music and film scene in Ireland, that the reader really feels part of the story, from the queues of people at Slane to the glamorous film festivals.

The different narratives give an interesting insight to the brothers and their jealousy and resentment towards each other as they all move forward in their careers, relationship and lives.

‘Our Little Cruelties’ is a tense and deliciously dark and unsettling story about the dynamics and rivalries of the brotherhood.

You can buy ‘Our Little Cruelties’ from Amazon and is available to buy from good bookshops.