There are few books I’ve read in my lifetime that have kept me guessing what the outcome of its story will be right to the very end, but the new release from Liz Nugent, Our Little Cruelties, managed to do just that. Three adult brothers attend a funeral – two are in the pews, the other in the coffin, mourned by those, or at least most of those, in attendance. Question is, which brother was murdered, and by which of their siblings?
The story is set around a rather dysfunctional family and a disturbingly toxic familial environment. The brothers, William, Brian and Luke have, since they were young, endured difficult relationships with their family members – narcissistic mother and pushover father included – as they have with them, and no conversation or moment shared between any of them has ever been truly sincere; everything seems to be said and done with a hidden meaning or agenda. They may present a united, happy front to outsiders, but within the walls of the house, things are very different.
With the book divided into three parts, Nugent allows the reader a more in-depth, almost intimate look into the lives, hearts and minds of each of the three brothers as well as allowing them to compare and contrast their thoughts and reactions regarding certain moments or events. Now I’m not a vengeful or hateful person, but it must be said that I’m all for a protagonist that everyone should hate with every fibre of their being, and in all honesty, this book has, depending on how you react to what unfolds in the book, at least one. Hate is a strong feeling, and a rare one I feel coming off me in waves, especially when reading a book, but as I worked my way through the pages, that hatred all but refused to subside. The siblings are complex in their own ways, with flaws and strong points of character, so some readers might find it hard to decide whose side, if any, they’re on, but don’t be surprised if you don’t exactly feel sympathy towards or for any of them.
As someone who has often felt like the outcast in their own family, I personally felt drawn to Luke, the youngest brother. Bullied by his siblings and struggling with mental and emotional issues, I connected with him on some level, but at the same time I couldn’t ignore or disregard the fact that he, like his brothers, is far from perfect. Brian, the middle brother, comes across as feeling bested by his big brother, and full of self pity, while William has an egotistical, confident air about him that irritated the hell out of me. With three such very different characters and personalities at the heart of this story, Nugent cleverly makes it impossible for readers to work out which of them is the killer or, looking at things another way, which of the siblings are most deserving of taking their vengeance.
On the whole, Our Little Cruelties is perhaps Nugent’s strongest work to date, and a great escape from the madness and chaos we’ve all been subject to over the last year or so. Yes, it’s a little dark – what else can you expect from a murder mystery? -but not overly so, and the way the story unfolds means readers will likely lose themselves in it, perhaps devouring the book in one sitting, desperate to uncover the well-hidden truth, via the final ‘on the edge-of-your-seat’ few pages.
Author
