This is an unconventional crime novel in that it focuses not on a police investigation but on the traits and motivations of the people in the victim’s life, especially her two best friends.

The book opens with the death of Nancy Hennessy who is found beaten to death. A call from Nancy’s husband Robert has Eleanor Meakins, one of Nancy’s best friends, having to tell him that Nancy was having an affair with a man named David, though she had been trying to end it. Who was this lover? Did he murder her because she tried to put a stop to their relationship? Did Robert know about the affair and kill his wife for her unfaithfulness? Or was it someone else who murdered Nancy?

There are three parts to the novel. The first section, describing events immediately after the murder, is from Eleanor’s point of view. The next section belongs to Nancy; it covers the time leading up to her death. The third part is from the perspective of Mary Smithson, the other friend; it focuses on events about a year after the murder.

As the title indicates, the three women are all flawed. Eleanor is single; she runs an overseas relief organization. She has never sustained a long-term relationship but shortly after Nancy’s death, she begins a new relationship which totally consumes her so she neglects everyone else. She has promised to regularly check on an elderly neighbour but doesn’t do so and does nothing to help Mary who is looking after her husband whose health is more and more precarious. Nancy is beautiful and rich and seems to have it all, but she struggles with depression. Though her marriage seems solid, she doesn’t feel totally satisfied and happy so she looks for drama to add excitement to her life and boost her self-esteem. Mary, a mother of three, has abandoned a promising career in academia and lets her psychologically abusive husband Howard dictate her life, though she and her children have suffered because of her passiveness. Now Howard is ill and she spends her time catering to his needs.

One of the book’s themes is the examination of the disappointments that come with the passage of time. Eleanor, Nancy, and Mary met in college when they were eager to succeed in their respective careers. They spent their time sharing dreams of their bright futures. Of course, their lives have not turned out as hoped and expected. Eleanor is single and lonely, Mary is tied to an abusive husband, and Nancy who has never found her life satisfying is dead.

The book also explores how difficult it is to understand another person. Eleanor, for instance, wonders about Nancy’s behaviour: cheating on her husband and recklessly threatening her family life. Why did Mary ignore Howard’s many affairs and now indulge him? In the course of the novel, many secrets are revealed. It seems that virtually no one is totally honest with even those they love. And then there are the many betrayals.

I found myself becoming frustrated with the women at times because they seem too self-absorbed. Each spends so much of her time ruminating and complaining about the state of her life. On the other hand, I did feel some sympathy for them because they all face society’s high expectations and harsh judgments at work and in their personal relationships. The men in the novel seem not to have the same pressures and when they make mistakes seem not to suffer serious consequences.

This book is for those who don’t mind the mystery taking a back seat to character dissection. I listened to this as an audiobook, but it might have been better if I had actually read it. I’m sure I missed some nuances.

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Despite the messy ending of Our Kind of Cruelty, the first book I read by Hall, I was impressed enough to pick up another novel by the author.

This is a story of three good friends and how two of them cope with their grief after one is murdered. Of course, it's not just a case of life after the loss of their best friend, it's also about the secrets about the deceased each has.

Whilst I enjoyed this and found it compelling, I did find it a little intense, and the endless unparagraphed passages of each of the women's insecurities and dissatisfaction with their lot were rather tedious…to the point I very nearly just wanted to shake them and tell them to grow up and either stop moaning and deal with it or change it. Ultimately, they were each victims of their own life-style choices, so the incessant 'poor me' outpourings are rather grating.

No messy ending for this book: neatly conclusive in a rather 'wow, I wasn't expecting that' way. On the whole, an enjoyable book, but I have to say, the editing is dreadful: countless grammatical and punctuation errors, missing or misplaced words. 'Were sat' can never be forgiven: new editors required, Ms Hall. ( )

This book is told in three points of view, Nancy, Eleanor and Mary and flips between past and present. They have been best friends since college, and now they are older they are still friends, have shared the highs and lows of their lives with each other.
One night Nancy leaves Eleanor at a restaurant to tell her secret lover that it’s over, she is found early the next morning....dead!
Eleanor and Mary are set to find out who the secret lover is and who killed their friend.
Wow, can I say I really liked this book, I have read other books by Araminta Hall and liked them so I was pleased I like this one too.
This book has a lot of secrets, lies, suspicion and mystery. I thought early on in the book I knew who murdered Nancy only to be shocked when it finally came out. I was wrong!
I think the narrator Helen Keeley portrayed these women really well and I was drawn in living in their lives, imagining I was actually there. I was hooked from start to finish.
If you like suspense this will keep you on the edge of your seat!
Absolutely brilliant!
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Nancy, Eleanor and Mary have been best friends since college. All three of them hoped for a perfect life but each of their lives are far from perfect.

Nancy married her college sweetheart and is now missing that excitement of her youth. Whereas, Eleanor put her career above all else and hasn't looked back, despite her soft spot for Nancy's husband. While, Mary fell pregnant far too young and is now coping with three children and a mentally unwell husband.

But when Nancy is killed, Eleanor and Mary must align themselves to uncover her killer. And as each of their stories unfold, they realise that there are so many truths that have to be uncovered along the way.

First of all, the title was perfect! These three women are totally imperfect. The book is written in three parts, from the perspective of each of the friends and is filled with infidelity and grief.

I really thought I would enjoy it but I did not. The mystery surrounding Nancy’s death was pushed back as a secondary story with more focus given to the lives of each of the women. Sadly, I never connected with any of them and their husbands were just so intolerable.

So, overall the idea behind the plot was good. But this book was just not for me!

Thank You to NetGalley and Orion Publishing for this ARC!! ( )

Interesting story ( )