Little Cruelties opens at the funeral of one of three brothers, but whose?
Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the eARC for review.
The book is divided into four parts - filmmaker William, rock star Luke and manager Brian, then the final section "Strangers".
Each chapter therein is a different year, bobbing around from the 1970s to 2000s. Despite the switch in characters and timelines, the narrative flows well. Each chapter adds detail and layers to events previously presented.
The portraits work together, of life's circumstances and choices and the ways we can self-destruct. Mental illness, addiction and family dysfunction are at the heart of the many issues.
Little Cruelties is indeed aptly-titled, as the brothers work against themselves, others and each other in some awful ways. All of the characters are so flawed and you can't look away.
This is my first Liz Nugent book and definitely won't be the last. This book gripped me early on and kept me tuned in throughout. Recommended!
For release on Nov. 24, 2020.

The Drumm family is fuuuuucked up.
I do wish part#1 had been arranged in the same fashion as part#2.
All the disjointed flashbacks of multiple decades in part#1 were tricky to absorb cohesively.
That being said, this book is engrossing!
All the brothers are interesting, but Luke was my favourite.
I felt his emotions were the most authentic.
Much love to NetGalley & Simon & Schuster Canada for my DRC.

I had a really hard time connecting with this story. Between the back and forth timeline and trying to keep straight which brother was which I just couldn't seem to dive deep into this story.

I found that it started to drag on a little bit for me, but must say I found the last 1/3 of the book a better pace and I was happy quite a bit more engaged.

The characters are entirely unlikeable (which I am pretty sure was done on purpose) and you truly don't really want anyone to succeed. Really enjoyed the very end!

This was an incredibly dark character driven novel about three Irish brothers. We meet at the funeral of one of the brothers, left unknown until the conclusion. The book is then split into three sections, told in part by each brother. We delve deep into their past and follow them through to present day as we get a look at how each one interprets specific events that take place in their youth and beyond and their diverse relationships with their complicated mother. (Yikes!).

I could not help but be sucked in to this one and the psychology behind the nature versus nurture element that was at play here. I don’t want to give too much away but these are some dark individuals who are devoid of morals or integrity. Two of the brothers actually fall on the other end of the spectrum and are the epitome of selfish, ruthless, and downright cruel. Despite the utterly abhorrent characters, Liz Nugent skillfully navigates us through the palpable tension in this family drama that culminates in the abrupt ending of this dysfunctional brotherly triad.

I have not read Liz Nugent's books in the past, but after reading this one, I am diving into the backlist soon! This is the type of psychological mystery that I enjoy... messed-up family dynamics, a solid build-up to something (but you're not entirely sure what it is), and characters that you don't necessarily like, lending to their believability. This is not a thriller, rather it is a well-written character study, examining how adults become the people they are, warts and neuroses and all.

The story opens at a funeral home, all three brothers are present, one is dead. Nugent then moves into each brother's story, from childhood to adulthood. But she doesn't make the process linear, in any way. The stories bounce around from the 1970s to 2017, focused on events and moments that created each brother, influenced their adult psyche. This is a story of how miscommunication, bullying, parental ignorance and human nature work together to mould young minds, and harden grudges. And when the story returns to the funeral at the end, the story clicked into place for me in the most satisfying way.

Nugent has touched on some very timely topics, the #MeToo movement, addiction and mental health stigma and treatment, bullying, narcissism, and the very real, and often skewed, relationships that we hold with our family members. As a reader, I didn't like these characters, I didn't really root for them, I didn't form empathy for the brothers, but they felt real and whole and believable to me. This author knows how to write characters. Period.

I have not read a book that gripped me from the first page in quite some time. I started reading this book, and could not put it down.
Told from the various viewpoints in various points of time from three brothers, it tells the story of their family dynamics. As soon as you think you agree with one brother and are rooting for them, you read it from another brother's point of view and your opinion changes.

This book discusses celebrity life, love and heartbreak, children, sickness, affairs, and the love/hate relationship between brothers, but also relationships between son and parents and daughter and parents.

While not a traditional thriller, this book was constant in its surprises and twist and turns. I highly recommend it!

5/5 ⭐️ for LITTLE CRUELTIES by Liz Nugent!

Friends, I literally had to go for a run in order to collect my thoughts about this book. This is NOT your typical thriller. It is heartbreaking, psychological, eerie, creepy, and just plain sad.

The relationship between the three Drumm brothers, and their relationship with their parents was so toxic and unhealthy, but Nugent did a FANTASTIC job writing their backstories and their personalities.

Many times throughout the book it felt like I was reading personal diary entries from these brothers, and at times, forgot that they were even fictional.

Yes, there is an aspect of mystery within this book.. which brother dies? How? Why?you’ll get that answer at the end of the book, but THE JOURNEY TO GET THERE was incredibly well done.

I LOVE when a book has such well written, thought out characters that I will keep in my heart for forever. Despite the tragedies and.. *little cruelties* this family faced literally all their lives... part of me wishes them the best. I’m so sad to part with them.

If you like character driven, family dramas mixed with psychological/domestic suspense, pick this up!!!! It comes out NOVEMBER 10th! Thank you x a million for this gifted copy @simonschusterca !!

This is tough one, none of the characters are very likeable or redeemable, if that’s a deal breaker for you this might not be the right fit. However I did not find it to take away from the book so much that I couldn’t continue reading. Nugent has a definite talent for writing horrible people! The writing is solid & fast paced but overall the book was just ok for me. I thought it’d be more of a thriller/mystery based on the blurb but it’s really just a story about a messed up family. I think you’d be better off reading Nugent’s other books Unraveling Oliver or Lying In Wait, both are much better & have a lot more going on in them.

Well, wasn't this a dysfunctional roller coaster ride ...

Liz Nugent does it again my friends! She sets the stage and delivers! Little Cruelties definitely lived up to its title! This family is so beyond ****ed. The story starts off with the Drumm brothers at a funeral, one is in a coffin. WHAT!? WHO!?

I'm not going to give anything away but you need to read this book to truly understand the level of UNREAL this family puts eachother through. It's infuriating!

Huge thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for my review copy!

I'm a big fan of Liz Nugent's books and couldn't wait to dive into Little Cruelties.

The book starts with a funeral, immediately drawing the reader into the mystery of who died and what transpired leading up to the day, The story unfolds through the very different perspectives of, brothers William, Brian and Luke. I love story the looks at a family and the same events through different perspectives and this book is great at showing that.

I'm a big fan of Nugent's writing style and she always keeps me engaged and eagerly waiting to turn the next page. At times, i had trouble with the all of the different timelines and POVs taking me out of the story, but that didn't take away from my overall enjoyment of the book.

Recommend this for readers who love a good family drama full of secrets, lies and betrayals.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simone & Schuster Canada for the arc in exchange for my honest thoughts.

LITTLE CRUELTIES by Liz Nugent is an oftentimes hard to read domestic suspense novel about the three Drumm brothers. They’re such a dysfunctional family and it’s just one bad thing after another. I didn’t like the beginning of Part One at all. The first main character we’re introduced to, William, is entirely unlikable and the timeline would jump back and both while also containing flashbacks. Once you get past that first part then the story does pick up. I liked the character Luke the best. I didn’t care for much of the subject matter but I did really enjoy the fast pacing and it certainly was engaging as I finished this book in 24 hours.

"Three is an odd number, so there had always been two against one, although we all switched sides regularly. Nobody would ever have described us as close."

The Story: William, the oldest is a successful film producer, Brian the middle child, is a teacher who ends up managing careers and finances, and finally, Luke, the youngest, surprises everyone when he becomes a famous pop star.

But they are not what they seem to be. Behind closed doors, their personal and family relationships are filled with little dark secrets. With the death of their father, their mother, Melissa Craig or Moll, a fading actress and singer, is left to raise them on her own. Instead of loving one another, these brothers play cruel games, or "little cruelties" on one another, competing for their mother's love. Their resentment towards one another follow them into adulthood and in the end, one of them ends up dead. But who and why?


My thoughts: This is one really messed up family drama and I think the mystery in the story is the identity of the dead brother. The story is told from the three brothers POVs and as you learn about them, you will quickly see how flawed these characters are, and really any one of them could end up dead.

There is NOT ONE likeable character to be honest. The Drumm brothers are products of a dysfunctional family and being raised by a self-obsessed mother, you really see how selfish and calculating they turn out to be.

I quite enjoyed the story as the family drama is so crazy. Moll was not subtle in showing favouritism towards one of her sons, and this intensifies the sibling rivalry. It's just cruel and sinister.

While I enjoyed everything about this book, I did find the non-linear timeline in each of the brother's POV to be so confusing. There are also some parts that felt a bit too long but the pace did pick up at the last quarter of the book. The ending is a satisfying one.

Overall, this is quite an enjoyable read. It's more like a slow-burn psychological thriller, mystery with crazy family drama. If you like character driven story, this is a book that will not disappoint.

Pub. Date: 10 Nov, 2020

***Thank you Simon & Schuster Canada, author Liz Nugent and NetGalley for this gifted review copy in exchange for an honest review.***

A family drama about 3 brothers, and how the same life has 3 different perspectives.

I enjoyed the way I could feel how different these 3 perspectives really were, even though they lived the same events. It was interesting and the takeaway of the book.

There are very unlikable characters here, don't expect to be on anyone’s side, but the main issue is that the plot gets lost among their lives. I spent so long with the retelling of their messy lives! So many words could´ve been saved and the actual story of the book would´ve been the main focus.

This story is told from the multiple POVs, brothers William, Brian and Luke. The opening chapter begins with a funeral but we do not know who’s or the events which transpired leading up to that day. So right away there is an air of mystery as we are taken through the lives of the boys, and their family dynamics. Based on the synopsis and marketing, I am expecting a mystery/thriller but this honestly felt more like a family drama. Not necessarily a bad thing as I seriously love other peoples drama, makes me feel more normal. I also love her writing and this book kept me curiously engaged. What I wasn’t a fan of were the time lines. They were all over the place which made the book feel a bit choppy and disjointed. But, and I might be biased here, she made it work. Overall I really liked this one although I can’t say I loved it. I was hoping for something a bit darker based on her previous books but as always, it was a solid read.

First thank you to Netgally, Liz Nugent and Simon & Schuster Publishing for the opportunity to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Just WOW! This book is full of psychological drama and took some turns I was not at all expecting. This book follows the Drumm family and is told from the perspective of the three brothers as adults - William, Brian and Luke. The book delves into pieces of their childhoods where they were raised by a famous mother who completely favored the eldest, William. The family dynamic and psychological issues that play out with the favouritism I found fascinating. Each brother also played huge games on the ones and in some ways tried to sabotage what another had going on because of jealousy. I found it really interesting to see some events from multiple perspectives and see what was actually going on vs. what was assumed. Would highly recommend picking this up when it comes out in November.

When this author debuted her first novel a couple of years ago, I was delighted to find a new writer that could offer up darkly comic domestic thrillers. With her second offering, my praise was restrained by a cast of characters that were diminished in both their level of impressiveness and provocativeness. And with this latest book, I’m out.
William, Brian and Luke are bound by blood but split by fate and a dysfunctional mother. As they grow into adulthood, they play games with each other, little cruelties they call them, that grow more sinister with each passing year. The book opens with two of the brothers at a funeral, and the other is in the coffin. And so we begin…
Let me be perfectly clear, I have absolutely no issue with unlikable characters. In fact, I applaud authors who can pull off luring the reader into a story teeming with truly despicable people. But there must be a justification for it, it must serve the narrative. I don’t want to just read page after page of terrible people doing terrible things with flaccid intent. And that my friends and followers, is what I got here.
Thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada, Netgalley and the author for the advanced readers copy.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for a copy of "Little Cruelties" in exchange for my honest review. The story begins at a funeral of an unidentified character.

The story then continues with William Drumm and there begins the confusing jumping all over in time - 1994, 1985, 1992, 1978, 1999, 1983, 1998, 1981, 2006, 1984, 2001, 2004 and finally 2016. It's very choppy bouncing through the years, the story lines don't match up and it makes for a hard to follow story.

Luke Drumm's story continues the book in 1977, 1989, 1984, 1995, 1988, 1983, 1997, 1978, 1994, 1979, 2010, 2003, 2000, and 2016. Same as William's story very hard to follow along and choppy.

Brian Drumm is next in 1978, 1993, 1979, 1976, 1989, 1995, 2005, 2011, 2008, and 2015.

The last portions of the book take place in 2017 with William and Brian, 2018 January & March with Luke and the book ends in April 2019.

I enjoyed Ms. Nugent's previous books very much and while the book sounded interesting, the choppy nature of it made it way too hard to follow.

I started writing this review of Little Cruelties by Liz Nugent when I was halfway through the book, because I was worried that the end would disappoint me and taint the whole thing. From the much loved first line of the book that sets up the mystery in one easy little gift, I was hooked. It's really smart writing.


Little Cruelties is story of three brothers is captivating right away. The book follows the dysfunctional Drumm family and is split into three parts, each telling the family story from the perspective of one of the brother's lives. There is overlap in the events, but reading the events from different perspectives opens your eyes to new details. I love this type of story telling. It shows that there are many sides to a story and you can't always assume something. I don't want to give away anything from the different perspectives, but there were definitely surprises when reading stories from Will, Luke and Brian and the way that the things they didn't know about each other shaped how they treated each other.


Now that I'm finished the book, I can promise that Liz Nugent did not disappoint with the end of Little Cruelties. The fourth section of the book is a fast paced pinnacle that's leading you to the funeral mentioned in the first line of the book. It changes perspective quickly and brings together everything you know about the Drumm brothers. I burned through the part with every page tempting me and leaving me on the edge of my seat. Honestly, the end is more tragic and disturbing than I could have imagined, but that made it even better.

Id like to thank NetGalley for my eARC for my honest review. Liz Nugent writes consistent psychological mysteries. Her strongly written characters make her books the thrillers they are, yet this novel though it has all these things was not a favourite. If you can handle reading about a bat shit crazy family And how they interact with each other, then this will be the perfect novel. I got tired of the constant oneupmanship to see who was worse. 3.5 stars

Great read about some very messed up family dynamics! The only improvement I would suggest is that I didn't like how the years jumped around. I loved the different point-of-views, and the ending (holy!!), but I would have liked it better if the years were in chronological order I think.