Little Cruelties

By: Liz Nugent

Narrated by: Sam O'Mahony, Stephen Hogan, Paul Hickey, Dermot Crowley, Mary-Lou McCarthy

From the #1 internationally bestselling author of Strange Sally Diamond and Lying in Wait, a biting and masterful “dark jewel of a novel” (A.J. Finn, #1New York Times bestselling author) that explores the many ways families can wreak emotional havoc across generations—for fans of HBO’s acclaimed series Succession.

All three of the Drumm brothers were at the funeral.

But one of them was in the coffin.

William, Brian, and Luke: three boys, born a year apart, trained from birth by their wily mother to compete for her attention. They play games, as brothers do…yet even after the Drumms escape into the world beyond their windows, those games—those little cruelties—grow more sinister, more merciless, and more dangerous. And with their lives entwined like the strands of a noose, only two of the brothers will survive.

Hailed by New York Times bestselling author Shari Lapena as “brilliant, engrossing,” and perfect for fans of breathtaking suspense, Little Cruelties gazes unflinchingly into the darkness collecting in the corners of childhood homes, hiding beneath marriage beds, clasped in the palms of two brothers shaking hands. And it confirms that Liz Nugent is truly “a force to be reckoned with” (Lisa Jewell, New York Times bestselling author) in contemporary fiction.

Critic reviews

"Nugent once again provides a dark, dramatic story—this one enhanced by an ensemble of highly skilled narrators. The Drumm brothers, William, Brian and Luke, from a working-class family in Dublin, share the little cruelties that add up to shatter their lives. The novel begins ominously at a funeral of one of the brothers, without a clue as to which one. Each brother is effectively voiced by a different narrator, all with soft Irish accents. Toward the end, Mary-Lou McCarthy poignantly portrays Daisy, the next generation of Drumms. While listeners will have to pay careful attention as the story weaves between the boys' childhood and the present, and from one brother to another, they will find an engaging experience with plenty of surprises."

Good different read than I usually read....

this was a different book than I usually read. but I did enjoy it. they did a good job on each brother telling their side of the story

EXCELLENT!!!

This is my first book by Liz Nugent but it definitely will not be my last. I enjoyed the story, the characters and most of all the different points of viewevery.

Such a hodgepodge

First - the audio was all over the place on this one. Too soft in areas that I had to turn the volume up. Then it would be too loud. No happy medium.

Second - the story is about family dynamics and drama. It was all over the place as well. Not my cup of tea but I powered through it. Now I am wondering why…I can’t get those listening hours back.

Loved this book!

A unique dysfunctional family story.
All the narrators were terrific
It’s very well written, too.

So mean

I find it hard to believe that so many therapists wouldn’t tell the characters to stop being so mean and destructive at some point