This thriller is often called a love story. Well, if love is spelled T W I S T E D it is! You’ll want to be single after reading it. No characters to care about. Mike, the main narrator would make NormanBates look normal. Psychotherapists would have a field day with this lot!

There’s a LOT to take in in this novel - it’s a love story with twists that lead to the courtroom for goodness sake. It’s not so much a psychological thriller than a psychotic psychological thriller with added psycho.

Damaged men and women, how society looks at them both, how even a sexually active woman is still seen as an anomaly of sorts.

It’s not a book that’s going to make you feel good - a shower might be in order to wash off that uurgh feeling - and than have you running to lie down on a couch to recover. It's a gripping read though!

Our Kind of Cruelty was an interesting read that unveiled the frightful side of fixation. You wouldn't honestly think anyone could be so deeply absorbed by another person, so enthralled, but Mike was certainly under the spell of Verity here. But was it all by design or something else entirely different?

I read this with a real expectation of some form of twist or misconception exposed that didn't really develop. That's alright but kept me from giving more stars. Though I was surprised by Mike's utter fixation on V, I didn't get the feeling it was with dark intent just a focus so extreme as to make most people uncomfortable. Not V...or am I wrong? You'll have to read it to find out.

Our Kind of Cruelty is a fantastically twisted thriller of a book.
It's pacing is wonderful and the storyline kept me guessing throughout.
I would definitely recommend it to fans of this genre, they won't be disappointed!

A page turner. Narrated by Mike, who is convinced that his ex-girlfriend's marriage is all part of a sex game and that really she wants him. His ranting delusions show us how fixated he is with Verity, and even when a few shadows of doubt cross his mind, he still manages to make it seem that he is the only sane person in this love triangle.

The author writes at the end of the book that she was inspired to write this having seen how Amanda Knox was treated at her trial for murder. She was vilified because she enjoyed sex and did not act appropriately when the police came knocking, neither are crimes or indicators that she was a murderer.

The build up to the trial was a little long-winded, I had tired of reading about Mike's delusions. however once the lawyers and the judge got involved the story picked up, giving the reader much to think about as regards discrimination towards female defendants.

Mike wants to have a wonderful, perfect life with girlfriend V (Verity). He has it all planned out in great detail because he loves V so, so much. Too much perhaps. Their relationship is passionate to say the least, and they particularly like to play a kind of sex game they call Crave.

Despite an awful start in life Mike has managed to get a good education and now has a fantastic job in Banking. But Mike's personality is somewhat intense, painful memories of his childhood ever present. He is also bit of a loner, V being the only person he really has any time for. She is his whole life. V loves Mike too and is happy in their relationship...until something changes.

Told from Mike's perspective throughout, this is a story about passionate, obsessive love and delusion with tragic consequences.

I loved Our Kind of Cruelty - such a clever psychological story and a real page turner, a phrase I never use lightly. This is a compelling novel about obsessive love and its inevitable fall out. While Mike is obviously 'sick' with love, the object of his desire, Verity, becomes a pawn in a disastrous murder trial that is the result of Mike's obsession with her. Highly recommended for fans of Gone Girl, Girl on a Train, Apple Tree Yard etc. Thanks very much to Net Galley and Century for the opportunity to read and review it.

Utterly compelling, Our Kind of Cruelty is the epitome of a psychological thriller. Mike's voice is burned into my brain and I'll find him and Verity hard to forget.

I have to admit that I struggled with the first 50% of this book, but all of a sudden things picked up and I was hooked.
Mike and Verity are a strange couple and I couldn't decide whether MIke was delusional or whether there was more to Verity than we are allowed to see. The whole book is narrated from Mike's obsessional point of view. After a horrendous childhood with an absent father and an alcoholic mother Mike struggles to trust anyone and finds making friends and any social interaction particularly difficult. This therefore influences his relationship with Verity greatly, so when they split up he really cannot believe that she has moved on with her life and is getting married.
No matter who tries to tell him that the relationship is over he continues to believe that Verity still loves him and there are hidden messages in everything she says or does, even after he attends hers and Angus Wedding.
Things come to a violent head with tragic results but even as he stands in the dock with evidence being presented to the judge and jury he still cannot compute that the relationship is over and continues to make plans for their future together.
I found this quite a disturbing book to read as every situation is completely credible from Mike's point of view and hence has you asking question after question as to what the reality of the story is.
As a debut this is an absolutely brilliant example of a psychological thriller, with layer upon layer of deceit within each of the main characters. How much is truth and how much is in Mike's mind will have you puzzling over for hours after you finish the book.

Really liked the premise, and the voice of our main character, Mike, reminded me very much of Joe Goldberg from "You" by Caroline Kepnes - creepy yet compelling. Very much a page turner, making you need, rather than want, to see what happens next, which I guess is the aim of any writer. Good, rather than outstanding, but will have me looking out for the authors next book for sure.

This is a psychological thriller by author Araminta Hall that is also a love story.
Mike Hays had it all, good job, money and the woman of his dreams but he threw it all away when he had a one night stand. Now V the woman of his dreams is promised to another but Mike is not easily deterred and sets to get her back. Mike is convinced that V's actions all stem from a game they played called 'crave'. Her refusal to answer his emails, inviting him to her wedding are all part of the game or are they. Is this a game they play or is Mike delusional.
This is a fascinating and gripping novel that keeps you guessing right to the very end.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Random House for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

When I first read the blurb for Our Kind of Cruelty, I thought it sounded like something I would love, with its flawed characters and messed up relationships. Then I started reading it, and I really wasn’t sure how I felt about it. I reached about half way and I managed to convince myself I really didn’t like it. I even considered giving up on it. But then something happened to me or the book, and I ended up completely absorbed by the second half of the story.

I’ve tried to work out what changed. I think perhaps I thought this book was going to be super dark and shocking, and when I didn’t experience that, I was somewhat disappointed. However, I love psychological thrillers and getting into the minds of messed up and complex characters, so I think I started to really enjoy that side of the story. I really enjoyed the courtroom part of the story too and was eager to find out which way it would go. I therefore give this book 4 stars.

Very disturbing and unsettling with lots of twists which you won't see coming! Found this book very addictive and hard to put down

I really enjoyed this book. "Enjoyed" because it was particularly chilling and nasty and because we view things through one person's eyes. It is only near the end that you begin to question things a bit more and then - wow!

The central character was very clever indeed. I think the book has film written all over it.

Mike and V(erity) are a couple but with a secret. They play a game called The Crave where innocent people are embarrassed and humiliated .Mike then goes to America on business and has a one night stand. He admits this on his return and V leaves him. However, Mike is obsessed with her and things come to a head when he is invited to her wedding. Is she really in love with Angus, her fiance, or is she still playing the game.
A game which goes horribly wrong.

This is a real tale of obsession, love, lies and everything else you can think of.

The book is written mainly as a memoir that Mike has written about his version of the truth leading up to an event which has led to him being in prison.

Mike and Verity dated for 8 years before things went wrong whilst Mike was in the US. Some months later Mike returns to make things right but finds the love of his life is marrying someone else. Is the marriage real of is it all part of a game Mike and Verity played when they dated ?

Is Mike retelling the story as it was, is it all just a game or is he imagining signs that aren’t really there ?

This is a great book that is very different and it really gets you thinking how the minds of some people work. All in all a great read that will keep you interested until the last page.

Mike had a rough childhood, he was taken into care at a young age before being fostered and finally finding the loving family life he's missed out on.  Whilst at university he meets and falls in love with Verity and their love story begins.  Mike will do anything for her and after returning from New York he finds their forever home, where he knows they will be very happy together.  There's just one problem, they are not a couple anymore and Verity is marrying someone else, but that's not an issue for Mike as it's all part of the game they play called The Crave!

This is a dark and deadly tale of a man that is so obsessed and sure of his love for this woman and of her love for him that nothing will stand in the way of them being together and he won't settle until they are, but does Verity feel the same?

It's a well written book which kept me guessing throughout, wondering how it would end.  I look forward to reading more by this author.  I'd like to thank Random House UK Cornerstone for approving me to read this and I will post my review on Goodreads now and on Amazon on publication day.

If I had even the vaguest notion of how good this book was going to be, I don't think it would ever have been anywhere but the very top of my reading list. I can hardly believe that such a superb read has been hanging around, waiting for me to reach it!

Mike and Verity have history; romantic history. Slowly this story peels back it's layers and reveals the inner core to us, the readers. From page one I was hooked. The style of writing makes it very hard to set the book aside when real life intervenes - which is why I read it in less than a day.

A finely sculpted dark tale of love and obsession, this is a stunning read. Told from Mike's point of view, his relationship with Verity is revealed little by little and there is a LOT of information to take in. My sympathy changed direction several times. I think that, more than any other book, this one has made me realise how difficult it must be for detectives to take everyone's statements of a crime and make sense out of them. I know that all witnesses tell things from their point of view, but this author has driven that point home like no other. Above all, this is one story I'm not going to forget in a hurry. Striking, impressive, dazzling and devastating, this is a five star read to which I give the very highest recommendation!

My sincere thanks to publishers Michael Joseph at Penguin UK for pre-approving my requests via NetGalley. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.

Mike had a cruel beginning but eventually is taken y foster parents who showed him love and stability. Verity is an only child. Together they played the game “Crave”. Mike is intense and loves Verity forever ...... or does he want to “control” her or is she “ controlling” him. Is he confused or psychologically damaged.?
I felt empathy for Mike but as his behaviour became more disturbing the more I cringed at his delusions. The ending wasn’t what I expected and I wanted to know more.
For me it was a compelling read and left me with questions, who was really the controller?

This is a love story. Mike's love story. Mike Hayes has fought his way out of a brutal childhood and into a quiet if lonley life, before he met Verity Metcalf. Verity taught him about love, and in return, Mike dedicated his life to making her happy.

Mike and Verity are in a relationship. They have a healthy sex relationship which includes playing a game called Crave. Mike will do anything for Verity. When the relationship ends, Mike is devastated. He will do whatever he can to get her back. Although this is a well written novel, I'm still not sure if this book was for me. For most of the story we are inside Mikes head and it's clear that he is delusional. I did not like the court drama in the final third of this story and the conclusion was a little disappointing.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Random House UK, Cornerstone and the author Araminta Hall for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Having read and, largely enjoyed, ‘Everything and Nothing’, I had high expectations for this, and I wasn’t disappointed. I love an unreliable narrator and they don’t get much more unreliable than Mike Hayes from whose point of view the story is told. Exploring male privilege, delusion, misogyny, and obsession, ‘Our Kind of Cruelty’ is a chilling tale of how large sections of society are female sexuality as something to both be feared and punished. This isn’t a thriller with a twist, but the ending is still a punch in the guts.