A Lesson In Cruelty by Harriet Tyce

                                          

Hardback: 358 pages                                                                                       

Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Contemporary Fiction

Publisher: Wildfire, Headline 2024

Source: Tywyn Public Library

Review Quote: 'Tyce's denouement pulls things together skilfully and surprisingly.' Sunday Times

First Sentences: Just one more night. Then it's done. Anna has packed, a clear plastic bin bag that contains all her worldly goods - tracksuits, a few toiletries. A pile of letters tied with string, pushed into the middle of her clothes.

My Opinion:  I have read and enjoyed Harriet Tyce's previous novels, so was keen to read this one. As in her previous novels the suspense is such that I could not put it down, so it was a quick read. 

Three female protagonists, with three separate plots occurring. The novel is so well constructed that the reader is kept guessing as to how and when the stories connect and what then will be the outcome. The women are Anna who is just finishing a prison sentence, Lucy who is studying for a Law Degree at Oxford and finally Marie living in isolation in rural Scotland. The tension builds as the connections between the three women are revealed.

Recommended to anyone that appreciates a well written thriller.

Previous Reviews:  Blood Orange   The Lies You Told.  It Ends At Midnight

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:

WHAT PRICE WOULD YOU PAY FOR THE PERFECT LIFE?

They say you can't always get what you want. But you can take it.

Anna wants a fresh start. She doesn't believe she deserves it, but after three years behind bars she has finally paid her dues. Most of them, anyway.

Lucy craves the attention of the only man she can't have, her alluring Oxford professor. He's married - not for the first time. Maybe she should be next in line?

Marie the recluse has been locked up for too long. She's not ready to be free, but some rules are meant to be broken.

Everyone wants a perfect life. But not everyone is prepared to take it.

Unless someone decides to teach them a lesson.

Author Profile:

                                                   

Harriet Tyce was born and grew up in Edinburgh. She graduated from Oxford in 1994 with a degree in English Literature before gaining legal qualifications. She worked as a criminal barrister for ten years, leaving after having children. She completed an MA in Creative Writing – Crime Fiction at UEA where she wrote Blood Orange, the Sunday Times bestselling novel. It was followed by The Lies You Told, another Sunday Times bestseller. It Ends At Midnight has just been published to critical acclaim. She lives in north London with her family and two dogs.



Photograph and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Amazon Author Page     Goodreads - Author Profile  Harriet Tyce - Author Offical Website

Twitter Account - Harriet Tyce.  Instagram - Harriet Tyce

It Ends at Midnight by Harriet Tyce

                                                 

Hardback: 328 pages                                                                                       

Genre: Psychological Fiction

Publisher: Wildfire, Headline 2022

Source: Tywyn Public Library

Review Quote: Full of twists and turns. An unpredictable, unforgettable read. ― Woman's Weekly

First Sentences: The fox hates fireworks. While they're going off, she'd rather keep herself hidden, curled up in a bush somewhere quiet.

My Opinion:  I have read and enjoyed both of Harriet Tyce's previous novels, so was keen to read 'It Ends At Midnight'. The level of suspense was such that I could not put it down and finished within a day!

The main protagonist is Sylvie an ambitious young Barrister with her sights set on becoming a judge. The mystery revolves around a secret that Sylvie shares with her close friend Tess. Circumstances cause the secret and lies they have told for years to start to unravel. At times it does get rather dark and complex, but this is surely, in this case, what keeps the reader turning the pages.

Recommended to anyone that appreciates a well written psychological thriller.

Previous Review:  Blood Orange   The Lies You told

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:

It's New Year's Eve and the stage is set for a lavish party in one of Edinburgh's best postcodes. It's a moment for old friends to set the past to rights - and move on. 

The night sky is alive with fireworks and the champagne is flowing. But the celebration fails to materialise.

Because someone at this party is going to die tonight.

Midnight approaches and the countdown begins - but it seems one of the guests doesn't want a resolution.

They want revenge.

Author Profile:

                                                   

Harriet Tyce was born and grew up in Edinburgh. She graduated from Oxford in 1994 with a degree in English Literature before gaining legal qualifications. She worked as a criminal barrister for ten years, leaving after having children. She completed an MA in Creative Writing – Crime Fiction at UEA where she wrote Blood Orange, the Sunday Times bestselling novel. It was followed by The Lies You Told, another Sunday Times bestseller. It Ends At Midnight has just been published to critical acclaim. She lives in north London with her family and two dogs.



Photograph and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Amazon Author Page     Goodreads - Author Profile  Harriet Tyce - Author Offical Website

Twitter Account - Harriet Tyce.  Instagram - Harriet Tyce

Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce

                                          

Hardback: 324 pages                                                                                       
Genre: Psychological Fiction
Publisher: Wildfire, Headline 2019
Source: Amazon
First Sentence: First, you light a cigarette, the smoke curling in on itself and up towards the ceiling.
Favourite Quote: The affair for me was solace and escape, a relief because I was wanted and not pushed to side.
Review Quote: Blood Orange is glittering and fierce and resolutely unsentimental, a glorious bonfire of a marriage thriller. The Irish Times.
Main Characters: Alison, her husband Carl and her lover Patrick.Setting: London
My Opinion: I thoroughly enjoyed this novel but it was not the strong psychological thriller I was expecting from the pre-publication hype it was given.
For me it read as a dark domestic life drama centred around the main protagonist Alison. A successful barrister who has just been given her first murder case. Her personal life is a mess as she tries unsuccessfully to balance home life, marriage, a racy affair and the pressures of her career.
There are some great twists and turns with an ending that momentarily left me quite shaken, though in retrospect should not have done so!
Recommended to anyone that likes a page turner, however you must be prepared for lots of domestic violence and sexual abuse which can be rather disturbing.


 Precis Courtesy of Amazon:

Alison has it all. A doting husband, adorable daughter, and a career on the rise - she's just been given her first murder case to defend. But all is never as it seems...

Just one more night. Then I'll end it.

Alison drinks too much. She's neglecting her family. And she's having an affair with a colleague whose taste for pushing boundaries may be more than she can handle.

I did it. I killed him. I should be locked up.

Alison's client doesn't deny that she stabbed her husband - she wants to plead guilty. And yet something about her story is deeply amiss. Saving this woman may be the first step to Alison saving herself.

I'm watching you. I know what you're doing.

But someone knows Alison's secrets. Someone who wants to make her pay for what she's done, and who won't stop until she's lost everything....

Author Profile:

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    Photo courtesy of Amazon


Harriet Tyce was born and grew up in Edinburgh. She graduated from the University of Oxford in 1994 with a degree in English Literature before gaining legal qualifications. She worked as a criminal barrister for ten years, leaving after the birth of her first child. She completed an MA in Creative Writing - Crime Fiction at UEA where she wrote Blood Orange, which is her first novel.


Photograph and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Amazon Author Page     Goodreads - Author Profile  Harriet Tyce - Author Offical Website

Twitter Account - Harriet Tyce