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Kind of Cruel
 
 

Kind of Cruel [Kindle Edition]

Sophie Hannah
3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)

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Product Description

Review

'[Hannah] has outdone herself with KIND OF CRUEL . . . Her trademark precision-layered structure creates a multi-dimensional maze that holds at its centre a revelation which is truly hair-raising, even by Hannah's standards.' (Independent on Sunday )

'An exploration of memory and the way trauma lives on in the present. Cool, calculating and utterly chilling, KIND OF CRUEL is another compulsive book from Hannah, to be gulped down with all the lights on and someone to grab when the sense of menace grows too great.' (Observer )

'Like Hannah's previous multilayered thrillers, her seventh offers the unravelling of several mysteries, a rich mix of the dark and diverting, and astute portraits of women falling apart.'

(The Sunday Times )

'An audacious puzzle of a novel that is impossible to second guess . . . Crime novels are often dismissed in literary circles for not being literary enough. Yet KIND OF CRUEL is exactly the intelligent, reflective and stunningly written novel that has "literary" critics swooning and judging panels lining up to reward. The fact that it has a police investigation at its heart is a plus, not a minus, and makes for one hell of a journey.' (Sunday Express )

'KIND OF CRUEL is another compulsive book from Hannah'

(Sunday Independent Ireland )

'Hannah excels at dissecting human behaviour, and the way she describes little acts of cruelty can send real chills down the spine.'

(Psychologies )

'Hannah's classy psychological thrillers are known for their amazing openings and this one is a doozy . . . The plot developments are often jaw-dropping and the ending is wonderfully satisfying. Another triumph for one of the very best crime writers out there.' *****

(Heat )

'If you have ever finished a crime novel having already correctly worked out whodunit and why and are feeling slightly disappointed and cheated as a result, allow me to introduce you to Sophie Hannah . . . if you reach the end of her latest, baroquely plotted novel KIND OF CRUEL one step ahead of her, I wouldn't just be surprised but downright suspicious and sceptical too.'

(Scotsman )

'Intricately plotted and pleasingly sinister, it's guaranteed to get under the skin'

(Good Housekeeping )

'Fast-paced prose makes this a suspense-filled page-turner with a vividly unsettling atmosphere.'

(The List )

'I was looking forward to this book very much and it did not disappoint . . . Again we are given insights into Simon and Charlie's relationship as the new storyline unravels its secrets. I cannot recommend this author enough - I find her books so interesting and readable.'

(www.eurocrime.co.uk )

'This taut, intelligent psychological thriller . . . opens up a lot for reading groups to get their teeth into . . . intensely satisfying personal read.'

(New Books magazine )

'[Sophie Hannah] has perfected the psychological thriller, always with strong female characters, and always with a high degree of edge-of-the-seat peril.'

(Bookseller )

'Expect twists and turns throughout and a satisfyingly gripping ending. I would read a shopping list if Sophie Hannah wrote it but I thought this was definitely one of her best'

(Woman's Way )

'A new thriller by former poet Hannah is always an occasion for lip-smacking anticipation. And, unlike with other examples of the genre, these are well-written, psychologically probing works . . . It's chilling without the usual fireworks of violence and police chases - and better for it.'

(City A.M. )

'Sophie Hannah's well-written and intelligent psychological thrillers always chill and intrigue'

(Choice magazine )

'Just when I think I've seen everything a psychological chiller can throw at me, along comes Sophie Hannah to keep me guessing until the last page . . . Hannah begins at the heart of the knot and teases out the strands; she's a princess among crime writers.'

(Saga )

'A stunningly clever and compelling tale about a woman accused of killing someone she's never met' *****

(Heat )

Review

'[Hannah] has outdone herself with KIND OF CRUEL ... Her trademark precision-layered structure creates a multi-dimensional maze that holds at its centre a revelation which is truly hair-raising, even by Hannah's standards.' -- Independent on Sunday 'An exploration of memory and the way trauma lives on in the present. Cool, calculating and utterly chilling, KIND OF CRUEL is another compulsive book from Hannah, to be gulped down with all the lights on and someone to grab when the sense of menace grows too great.' -- Observer 'Like Hannah's previous multilayered thrillers, her seventh offers the unravelling of several mysteries, a rich mix of the dark and diverting, and astute portraits of women falling apart.' -- The Sunday Times 'An audacious puzzle of a novel that is impossible to second guess ... Crime novels are often dismissed in literary circles for not being literary enough. Yet KIND OF CRUEL is exactly the intelligent, reflective and stunningly written novel that has "literary" critics swooning and judging panels lining up to reward. The fact that it has a police investigation at its heart is a plus, not a minus, and makes for one hell of a journey.' -- Sunday Express 'KIND OF CRUEL is another compulsive book from Hannah' -- Sunday Independent Ireland 'Hannah excels at dissecting human behaviour, and the way she describes little acts of cruelty can send real chills down the spine.' -- Psychologies 'Hannah's classy psychological thrillers are known for their amazing openings and this one is a doozy ... The plot developments are often jaw-dropping and the ending is wonderfully satisfying. Another triumph for one of the very best crime writers out there.' ***** -- Heat 'If you have ever finished a crime novel having already correctly worked out whodunit and why and are feeling slightly disappointed and cheated as a result, allow me to introduce you to Sophie Hannah ... if you reach the end of her latest, baroquely plotted novel KIND OF CRUEL one step ahead of her, I wouldn't just be surprised but downright suspicious and sceptical too.' -- Scotsman 'Intricately plotted and pleasingly sinister, it's guaranteed to get under the skin' -- Good Housekeeping 'Fast-paced prose makes this a suspense-filled page-turner with a vividly unsettling atmosphere.' -- The List 'I was looking forward to this book very much and it did not disappoint ... Again we are given insights into Simon and Charlie's relationship as the new storyline unravels its secrets. I cannot recommend this author enough - I find her books so interesting and readable.' -- www.eurocrime.co.uk 'This taut, intelligent psychological thriller ... opens up a lot for reading groups to get their teeth into ... intensely satisfying personal read.' -- New Books magazine '[Sophie Hannah] has perfected the psychological thriller, always with strong female characters, and always with a high degree of edge-of-the-seat peril.' -- Bookseller 'Expect twists and turns throughout and a satisfyingly gripping ending. I would read a shopping list if Sophie Hannah wrote it but I thought this was definitely one of her best' -- Woman's Way 'A new thriller by former poet Hannah is always an occasion for lip-smacking anticipation. And, unlike with other examples of the genre, these are well-written, psychologically probing works ... It's chilling without the usual fireworks of violence and police chases - and better for it.' -- City A.M. 'Sophie Hannah's well-written and intelligent psychological thrillers always chill and intrigue' -- Choice magazine 'Just when I think I've seen everything a psychological chiller can throw at me, along comes Sophie Hannah to keep me guessing until the last page ... Hannah begins at the heart of the knot and teases out the strands; she's a princess among crime writers.' -- Saga 'A stunningly clever and compelling tale about a woman accused of killing someone she's never met' ***** -- Heat

Product details

  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • File Size: 690 KB
  • Print Length: 385 pages
  • Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0340980699
  • Publisher: Hodder (16 Feb 2012)
  • Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.
  • Language English
  • ASIN: B0071M89DU
  • Text-to-Speech: Enabled
  • Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #2,320 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
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More About the Author

Sophie Hannah
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
I thought Sophie Hannah's plots couldn't get any more preposterous after the simply ridiculous narrative of Lasting Damage (which I still rather enjoyed until its laughable denouement).

I was wrong.

I think the problem with Kind of Cruel is that I just didn't care. If I have to read another interminable scene between Charlie, Simon, Proust, Sam and the other two who I care so little about I can't even remember their names, I may just hurl the book across the room.

The book picked up a little about halfway through, once the true character of the main suspect began to unfold but I found I was still skimming whole paragraphs in an effort to find something of interest. The weak-as-water 'climax' (told entirely in back-story) and the hypnotist's email which literally went on for pages explaining emotional incest - seemingly lifted straight from a psychology textbook - were the last straw. No more Sophie Hannah for me. Shame because Little Face, Hurting Distance and The Point of Rescue were wonderful.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition
Having bought this book on the strength of its Amazon reviews, I was amazed that I disliked it so much. To me, none of the characters seemed believable - just two dimensional pawns for the author to force her storyline ahead. As others have noted, the plot splits into two main streams - the story surrounding Amber, and the police officers' murder investigation. I never warmed to Amber, but this plot stream wasn't dreadful. The police part, however, seemed to me to add nothing to the book whatsoever. In general, I found the characters in 'Kind of Cruel' irritating, the plot far-fetched and poorly executed, and the style over-ambitious. I was willing the book to end and will not be buying another Sophie Hannah in a rush.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition
I was disappointed by "Kind of Cruel". It lacked the substance/suspense of Sophie Hannah's other novels, in that it wasn't too hard to guess "who dunnit" and the long explanation by Waterhouse in the final chapter as to the perp's motives smacked of the author trying to build credibility around a motive that really wasn't that credible.

However, the real problem with this novel is the relationships between the police officers, which are narrated at length but add little/nothing to the plot development. There is far too much focus on a rather boring power struggle between Proust and Waterhouse which ends with absolutely no consequences for any party, and the relationship between Olivia and Gibbs also adds very little. Waterhouse is getting odder by the chapter and harder to like on any level. Is he going to be the murderer in the next one?

Overall, the impression was of a rather thin plot, padded out by unengaging sub plots and somewhat unlikeable characters.

Disappointing, especially against the quality of her other novels. Hope she re-finds her form for the next one
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Preposterous and awful!
I was intrigued when I read the good reviews of this book but oh my, how I wish I had read the not so good reviews as well. Read more
Published 11 days ago by Austen Wannabe
Gripping
It took me a little while to get into but having read all the others in this series I wanted to pursue it and I'm pleased I did. Read more
Published 11 days ago by Lulu Lex
Cruelty To Readers
At the risk of repetition, I have been a huge Sophie Hannah fan since I 'discovered' her, with her first novel. However this one was hard going. Read more
Published 11 days ago by Mystery Girl
Kind of Unconvincing
I was disappointed by Sophie Hannah's latest psychological thriller. The narrative is often gripping but ultimately irritating & unsatisfying, with a tortuous over-ambitious... Read more
Published 12 days ago by patrician
Huge disappointment
What a disappointment! I have read and enjoyed every book that Sophie Hannah has ever written and she usually has a twist in the tail of her stories but this one was predictable. Read more
Published 15 days ago by Maz
Should have read other customer reviews
I bought this book after reading so many positive press reviews. I am plodding on with it (only have 4 pages to go) because I keep hoping something will happen or I will suddenly... Read more
Published 18 days ago by Londonsilver
Average
I can't say I didn't enjoy this book however, although the content was good, it should have been an exciting read, and it wasn't. Read more
Published 22 days ago by banana
Ridiculous, long winded - terrible effort!!
I picked up this book happily as I'd read all of Sophie Hannah's other books and found them to be very readable, enjoyable page turners with good plot twists. Read more
Published 23 days ago by Lilly Anne
New Sophie Hannah
I would not say that this was one of her best novels, but it was still a good page turner. The ongoing relationship between Charlie Zailer and Waterhouse is fascinating. Read more
Published 24 days ago by S. Cannadine
Couldn't wait for it to be finished
My "Couldn't wait for it to be finished" is distinct from "I couldn't wait to finish it".

This was a frustrating read that I completed only because I hate to walk away... Read more
Published 29 days ago by M. Wynde
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