This was a fast paced page turner of a book. But, ultimately, not so much suspenseful as just downright stalker crazy. And, the ending wasn't enough of a payoff for me to recommend. The modern "psychological thriller" has become too much of a trope, I fear.

received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

This is told entirely from the perspective of Mike, a successful banker, who does not accept that his ex-girlfriend Verity has truly broken up with him and is happy to be marrying Angus. Instead Mike is convinced Verity is continuing with a sexual game the two of them used to play called the Crave. I don't think its a spoiler to say that Mike is delusional and an unreliable narrator. The inner workings of his mind are fully laid bare to the reader, to an extent (specially in the middle) that is convoluted and repetitive.

For me the court room scenes worked the best, and I was hoping for a different ending to the one we got. Mike has had a tragic childhood and that part was also well done, but by the end I was finding being in Mike's head all the time too much.

Our Kind of Cruelty by Araminta Hall is a novel of psychological suspense that is much in the same category of YOU by Caroline Kepnes. This is the type of book that let’s readers see up close just why restraining orders were invented and give all the single ladies a reason to think twice about their dates.

The story takes readers into the mind of Mike Hayes. Mike has come from a horrible background a childhood that when hearing about would bring tears to any compassionate person’s eyes. He’s now in a successful job and in love with Verity Metcalf and planning their life together.

The problem with Mike’s love story is that Verity broke off the relationship with Mike after a few years together. Mike had cheated on Verity but this is just her excuse to end things. Mike however thinks back to the games they played while together and hasn’t quite gotten the memo that Verity has moved on.

Our Kind of Cruelty is yet again the type of book that has one thinking I need to scrub my brain after spending a few hours in the main character’s head. Mike is obviously not what one would classify as “normal” with his thoughts but yet he passes as such to many around him. It’s very hard not to become engaged just waiting for the train wreck to happen as you know it’s coming.

Comparing this one to YOU however is a bit of a double edged sword. The writing is good and the story is compelling but it lacked that extra spark that had YOU standing out from the crowd. Mike did not have the sarcastic humor Joe possessed and he was not as extreme in his motions. There was also a deeper message of the dangers of social media involved in YOU that I didn’t find with this one either.

However, without nit picking the details this one is still a highly relevant read to show just how far some actually do go with their obsessions. Stalkers are a very real thing and unfortunately some women actually do live in fear of men who claim to love them dearly. That my friends is Mike’s true love story that is being told and the author did a very good job doing so.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Fast paced book that made me both hate and feel bad for the narrator. I couldn't decide what to believe and that just made me want to finish the book faster. If you loved You by Caroline Kepnes then you will enjoy this book.

Since everyone else's review is saying it, I'll mention it too--this book holds some similarities to YOU by Caroline Kepnes. YOU is one of the best books I have read in recent memory, so once I made the comparisons, it was hard to stop comparing the two novels. But, Our Kind of Cruelty has a psychopathic main character with issues all his own.

The story is told from the viewpoint of Mike, whose girlfriend Verity (V for short) has broken up with him after he cheated on her while away at a job in New York City. Since Mike and V were obsessed with each other and were together for seven years doing things like sex games involving strangers, Mike takes this loss extremely hard. He eventually gains some perspective and he just knows that even though V is marrying someone else, she'll come back around to needing him and he'll be there waiting when she does.

Mike's creepiness jumps off the page at you. He's not even a somewhat likable psycho like Joe from YOU. The only person in the world he cares about is Verity, and he can barely spare a nice word to anyone else in his path. His coworkers and neighbors have noticed something off about him, but he seems to think of himself as normal and therein lies some of his psychosis.

To say Mike is obsessed with V is an understatement. He goes above and beyond the "normal stalker" actions like watching her inside her house, to some truly disturbing behaviors that again, he does not see any problem with. In his mind, he's just doing whatever it takes to allow his love to come back to him.

There are two parts to this book, really, and for my part I found the tension and tone leading up to the climax more exciting than the aftermath. For me the final few chapters were a bit boring, and I read them kind of hurriedly so I could go ahead and finish the book. Unlike some others, I didn't find the plot to have a big twist, and although I wouldn't quite call it predictable, I knew some of the things were bound to happen.

Our Kind of Cruelty presents an interesting and timely juxtaposition between the truths and perceptions of male and female sexuality, and the constant fight between the person we are now and the one we used to be. I know this novel will have thriller fans talking this summer.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for sending me this title in exchange for a fair review.

Our Kind Of Cruelty is a tense, taught yarn that follows one single fiber of an idea: what goes on in the mind of a stalker? Here, the author nails the personality and voice spot-on; Mike is everything you would expect a stalker to be. He’s obsessive, single-minded, relentless, creepy, annoying.

Mike had a thing with V. She moved on. He never could. He refuses to believe it’s over. And in reading Our Kind Of Cruelty, we are privy to the inner voice of someone troubled and damaged and dangerous.

The novel unfolds slowly, tension building yet it doesn’t ever release. There aren’t surprises. Just a jaw-dropping that arrives fairly early and happens several times.

If you think of this as a character study more than a mystery, it won’t disappoint.

I couldn't put this book down; I was so enthralled by the voice and the suspense of it all! I love unreliable narrators, and Mike was about as unreliable as they come. ;) There were moments in the book where my mouth just dropped open in shock at some of the justifications he was using for his behavior, and the build to the end kept me turning pages as quick as possible so I could find out what was really going on.

...That brings me to the reason I can't give this book 5 stars. I was waiting and waiting for the other shoe to drop the whole time I was reading, and it never really did. Maybe it's because I'm familiar with the mindset of guys like Mike, but nothing happened in the end that I didn't expect. I loved the feminist aspects of the book, and how it outlines how women are treated in the court systems--however, I also felt as though there was a lot of tension built toward some kind of "twist," and that twist never came to fruition.

I would not hesitate to buy another book by Araminta Hall--she's an extremely skilled writer and her characterization of Mike was spot on, to the point that it was eerie. I would also not hesitate to give this book to friends, although I wouldn't compare it to Gone Girl--as many people are--so much as something like Behind Closed Doors by BA Paris. It's a solid psychological thriller, but I have a hard time describing it as "twisty" per se.

All in all, a very compelling read!

I loved this book! I was sad at night when I had to stop reading it so I could go to bed.

I enjoyed the pre-trial sections the most. There was so much depth to Mike’s character & even though I knew what he was doing and what was going to happen, I still really felt something for him. It was so clear to the reader that Mike’s view of the relationship was not based in reality, but it was also painfully clear how he continued to see the relationship through this alternate reality.

Similarly, Mike’s view of his relationship with Verity and Verity herself ended up having an effect on how I felt about Verity’s character. I didn’t like her that much, if I’m honest. She seemed controlling and rude, but ultimately that was how I saw her after being seen through Mike’s eyes. It colored everything in a way I haven’t really experienced before.

Regarding the social commentary on women, I enjoyed aspects of it. I felt annoyed by Verity’s lawyer constantly insisting that everything was asked or done in an attack because she was a woman. On the other side, it was devastatingly accurate how Verity and Mike’s sex lives both worked against Verity.

I cannot wait to recommend this to others!

I would like to thank NetGalley, MCD, and Araminta Hall for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have so many questions after reading this book. Was the main character really as delusional as I thought he was or is his significant other responsible for unknowingly sending him mixed signals? Doesn't seem to matter who you chose to blame, they both are somewhat at fault. Who you decide to blame most is based on your perspective. A love story gone horibbly wrong in the worst way possible.

The ultimate unreliable narrator and a page-turning story you won't be able to put down. Salacious and tantalizing.

So dark and twisty I feel like breaking up with every single man I come in contact with

Thank you to both the publisher and NetGalley for this twisty thriller. In exchange for the ARC I am offering my unbiased opinion.

This book is bananapants crazy, and that's a compliment. I found myself craving this book whenever I had to put it down. Mike is such a nutty main character, you find yourself rooting for the villian. Mike loves Verity and he's not about to let her engagement to another guy keep him from his true love.
This book is similar to another psychological thriller I really enjoyed You

I want to let the reader discover this book on their own without giving away too much. I will say, it's a fun read. A true page turner and plenty of WTF moments, without a tremendous suspension of belief.

Bravo to author Araminta Hall for creating an unforgettable thriller.

Mike Hayes was not always a successful businessman with the perfect job, body, and home. Mike's childhood was troubled but instead of becoming a victim of the foster care system he sculpted out a perfect life for V and himself. Verity Metcalf is the love of his life, he is her Eagle, and they are meant to be together forever. It doesn't matter that she won't return his emails or phone calls or even that she is preparing to marry Angus. Mike knows this is all part of a secret game, called the Crave, which they play. Mike just needs to figure out the rules so he will know when to step in and rescue V.

Our Kind of Cruelty is told from the POV of Mike. It begins with Mike being incarcerated and writing down the story of him and V leading up to the event. His lawyer feels this is the best way for the court to understand the complex relationship that Mike and V had. I realize that my rating is in the minority with its 3 star rating. The plot summary for this one hooked me and I was excited to read this psychological thriller. The novel starts off very interesting as you are trying to get a handle on Mike, who appears to be a very disturbing character with a bit of an obsession for V…like stage 5 clinger/stalker crazy. As he tells about his history with Verity, I was uncertain what parts were "real" and what parts were "real" for Mike. As the story went on the buildup for the climax began to seem a bit monotonous for me. This is not to say that I didn't enjoy reading this novel I just didn't "crave" it. I still anticipate that this will be a top read and very enjoyable for many people in 2018.

Apologies for this review...no stars. None. I had to DNF this one.
I was so excited to read this. However, I only made it 25% through and I was forcing myself to read it, just to read it. At 25% I had to pull the plug. I wasn’t drawn in. I didn’t care. I felt nothing, but pure annoyance.
The psycho stalker main character was really just boring me. I love a good stalker book but this character was sad, pathetic, desperate, annoying, and not a very good stalker or boyfriend. He repulsed me like nails on a chalkboard because he was so annoying. I couldn’t see where it was going. And the use of “V” for a name for the girl...OMG make it stop! I think I was more annoyed about that. V this V that. I couldn’t stop cringing. In that 25% it was just repetitive with the theme of him missing an ex girlfriend who moved on. NOTHING was happening. I have high expectations because my book time is so precious so to invest time in a book I need to Really want to turn the next page. With this one, I wasn’t itching at the bone to get back to it and I wasn’t connecting with the characters. Instead I kept thinking when is something, anything, one thing going to happen? Give me something!
I wish the author much success and I’m sorry that this wasn’t for me and my liking.
My star rating is because 1) I really didn’t enjoy it and 2) I had to DNF it.

Thank you to #NetGalley, the author and the publisher for my free ARC in exchange for my HONEST review.

A richly emotional and urgently compelling novel which is impossible to put down, once begun.

Very interesting book. Can't say I have ever read anything like it, that's for sure. I was a bit confused/thrown off towards the end. I thought for sure there was going to be some twist where she was involved. Mike is just a super insane stalker and I found myself feeling bad for V. It was an easy and quick read for me. A lot of what he did creeped me out and I kept thinking of what I would have done in those situations. I would recommend it! I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the opportunity!

WOW! I read a lot of thrillers/psychological thrillers but this was one of the better ones I've read in a while. I like a book with a lot of action, twists and turns, unpredictability.... It was interesting to be in the head of what I could call a crazy obsessive/stalker/maybe sociopath and how his mind processes things. The book held my attention the whole way through and I really couldn't put it down. The characters were also well developed as seen through Mike's eyes (so you know this book you'll have to read between the lines). Verity was also an intriguing character - I could tell that she was playing Mike but I'm not sure if she really and truly stopped once she met Angus. The author definitely left some loose ends on her truth, but I appreciated the chance to decide for myself.

If you like psychological thrillers, thrillers, suspense, stalker-stories... this book is for you!
I read it in about 2 days because I couldn't put it down. It's one of the better thrillers lately. There is action but it's more about character issues and what is going through Mike's head. It's definitely psychological as you're not sure what the truth of each character is. The story breaks down into 3 parts and throughout each part, I changed my mine about the Mike & Verity and what they were thinking. I'm still not sure as to what Verity's truth is - there was no finality about it, but I also love that loose end. Basically, it breaks down to this: Mike is crazy obsessive and Verity takes advantage of that until she lets him go... or does she?

This book reminds me of a combo of Gone Girl + Girl on the Train + Fifty Shades of Grey. Take an unreliable, batsh*t crazy narrator, toss him into a sexually charged relationship with some twisted beliefs, mix it in with some murder and plenty of biased against women, and Our Kind of Cruelty is what comes out of the oven. Don't get me wrong; the story is unique and quite compelling; I just feel like I want to take a shower after spending a couple days in the world of Mike and Verity. If you like dark, nasty twisted tales, where the courtroom scenes put on full display the hypocrisy of what the world thinks of sex and women, then this book is for you. It would definitely be a provocative choice for a book club. Thanks to Net Galley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a whirlwind and quite disturbing and creepy in a very real-world way. Talk about an unreliable narrator! I loved every moment of this supreme psychological thriller. It gave me chills in the closing pages.

Thank you Netgalley for my free copy in return for an unbiased review!