A Lesson in Cruelty by Harriet Tyce

A powerful opening to a complex, pacy novel about three different women. Each is guilty of making a mistake with serious consequences but also the three of them have a vulnerability too.

Although not clear how the women's stories are connected initially, they all have some relevance to the legal system. The first woman has just completed a prison sentence, the second studies criminology at university and has a crush on her lecturer and the third lives in isolation with another woman who has a criminal past. The chapters are from their different points of view.

There is plenty to think about besides the plot. There are themes surrounding rehabilitation, forgiveness, revenge and punishment, as well as a brief insight into the academic side of criminology. Fascinating stuff. Although the story slows a little towards the end as all the loose ends are tied up and drawn together, this is a fast moving tale that looks at what it means to be free. Clever and an excellent read.

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Published by Headline, Wildfire on 11 April 2024.
​Advance review copy supplied by the publisher.

Urban Grid: Gritty Metropolis ​