Casual Cruelties

by Alison Irving, Anna Healy (Narrator)

Fifty-three, long married, and in the throes of menopause, Laura is dismayed. She’s always tolerated her journalist husband’s belittling insults and manipulation—but at least she got some peace when he was busy at his job. Now he’s working from home, and her life is becoming a nightmare. Laura’s blessed escape comes in the form of book-club meetings where her female friends commiserate and joke about raging hormones and rogue chin hairs. She also runs into an ex-boyfriend, and their renewed friendship awakens the spirit and self-confidence she thought was long gone.

But when Laura learns some startling things about her spouse, she begins to think she needs a different kind of life change. But an abuser can be dangerous when deprived of his fun—and just how far is Laura prepared to go to get her life back?

Genres: Audiobook, Thriller

Audible Audio

First published November 9, 2023

About the author

Alison lives in a village outside Belfast with her husband, two children and a very spoiled cat. Casual Cruelties is her first novel. The follow up Her Best Friend's Husband, can be read as a standalone and follows Laura's friend Claire, whose past is having a devastating effect on her present.
The sequel, The Cheated Wife, will be published by Bloodhound Books in November, 2025
The Love We Chase is a standalone women's fiction about love, friendship and betrayal.

Reviews

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

This amazing book introduces us the Laura and her journey to realising exactly what her husband is... a terrible, terrible person.

Laura is a gorgeous character. Even with her self-doubt and insecurities, she is a loveable and relatable character. You're rooting for her from the moment you start reading.

Her husband.... Well... I wanted to reach into the book and protect Laura. The way Alison writes , you feel a strong level of protection towards Laura as you're desperate for her to see what's happening and get out. He isn't worth my time writing about as he isn't a nice person at all.

As the blurb says, Laura eventually meets a old flame and her outlook changes and it is this beautiful moment when I started to cheer as you knew that finally, Laura has started to take her life back... but you're just not sure how far she will go to be in complete control.

This is a FANTASTIC novel, but be warned, it is very hard hitting. It's a novel to read with a brew, some snacks, and fluffy things to make you feel better when needed.

Alison takes you on a strong emotional rollercoaster that I can personally say I haven't experienced in a long time... one moment you're sad, the next shocked, out raged, happy... ultimately, as I say, you end up feeling very protective of Laura.

That ending Alison, though..... That was the biggest shock!

Considering the dark topic, I thoroughly enjoyed Alison's writing style and the novel overall and can
I absolutely recommend this book as it is a perfect example of domestic abuse and the impact it has on the victim trying to regain their identity, confidence and their feeling of purpose plus the impact on everyone around them.

🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

I was gifted this copy. This review is my honest and truthful review.

[Vartika Chaurasia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Where was the thrill? I'm still searching for it.

[Bookish Coffee UK · Rating 4 out of 5]

My honest thoughts..
Well I can not believe that this little gem is Alisons first novel! They way its written feels like this is not Alisons first rodeo (novel).

I absolutely the dark, uncomfortable and extremely gripping storyline! I don't wanna give too much away as I feel this is a must read!!

Characters are well written and well structured in their own way.

Such an enjoyable read that had me on the very edge of my sofa, unable to put it down! Honestly just go and buy this and read it now

[Suzanne Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Behind closed doors.

Very good read. I see myself, wishing it was me meeting my first love from many moon's ago.
I would have left her husband long before he got so controlling.
The way he treated her....his sly, Mr. Big manner and His too posh family looking down on others.

[Raya Baeva · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was so misleading being labelled as a 'thriller' as by the time I was halfway through, I was still hopeful that MAYBE something mind-blowing was going to happen. Nope, this book was a prolonged story of a selfish, self-centred, abusive husband and his wife who was also (in my opinion) quite self-centred and outright boring and their day to day life living worh and hating the ground they walked on. I liked the fact that it was set in my city as it was nice to listen to the descriptions of Belfast and was looking forward to a suspenseful thriller set right at home but of course, this whole book was one big disappointment up until the very last page.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was amazing!

You know when you are loving a book so much that you can't put it down because you need to know how it ends, but simultaneously don't want it to end because you won't be able to read it any more? It's that. I actually went and made a coffee just before the last 2 chapters so that I had a legitimate reason for not finishing it yet!

A chilling tale of coercion and systematic abuse by a once loving husband. Casual Cruelties shows how anyone can be a victim. On the face of it Laura has it all. A job she loves, a beautiful home and a grown up child she adores. She's intelligent and well educated. Her friendships felt so real. But behind all that is her cruel husband. I wanted to climb inside my kindle and give Laura a hug and the contact details for Women's Aid and The Freedom Programme.

I also loved the humorous mention of things she didn't do in lockdown. Like bake banana bread and do Joe Wicks workouts. Me neither hun 😳

But can we take a minute to talk about that ending? Actually let's not. Because spoilers. You'll have to read it yourself. And you should. You really should.

[Paula Hillman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a vivid story about coercive control. The sort of control that is subtle and insidious and has the victim questioning whether it is happening at all. Alison Irving has skilfully immersed those feelings within the wording of her story. When I started reading Casual Cruelties, I was taken into a world in which the victim seemed happy enough, though her husband was a bit grumpy. Nicely done, because when he started to ramp up his coercion, I wondered if I was imagining it. More than once, I read back to check. It took until the victim found her voice via another character, before she (and I) realised what was happening. While I accept that an unequal power base within a marriage can store up trouble, it doesn’t necessarily lead to coercive control. I think Alison Irving has succinctly shown that there will be tipping points and red flags, and ignore them at your peril. The well-chosen title of the book gives a hint of its oxymoronic themes. Casual Cruelties is a thought-provoking read, and I hope, given the prologue, there will be a sequel!

[Gemma Best · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Casual Cruelties’ is a well written story about the gradual breakdown of a marriage and the casual cruelties that couples who have been together a long time can inflict on each other. At the start of the novel, I thought that James and Laura were as bad as each other but over time my opinion changed.

What this novel does really well is a slow build up of tension and I found myself getting quite nervous about what was going to happen. It really is quite claustrophobic in places and I worried about the main character Laura’s safety. I found some of the things Laura did to be a little irritating and I didn’t like how much she needed the help of her male ‘friend’ towards the end of the novel. I wanted her to be able to make the decisions on her own.

Overall, this is an intense and vivid story. I think it will appeal to fans of slow burn dramas.

Check your trigger warnings before reading.

I received a gifted copy of this novel. This review is my honest opinion and written voluntarily.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My new favourite book! I love, love, love this book. If you only read one book this year make it this one!
Laura is in a long marriage to a man who enjoys belittling her, controlling all aspects of her life and generally making her feel bad about herself. Her job keeps her sane when his boss forces him to change to working from home as it allows her to escape him for a few hours but his constant insults about her menopause symptoms make her start to question her feelings for him.
This Author has really done her research into coercive relationships, it tells of the realities of living this life in such accurate detail. It was a breath of fresh air to see it there in black and white for all those people stuck in a bad relationship. Well done Alison.

[Karolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my review for Casual Cruelties by Alison Irving

I found this book to be interesting and so true to life for so many women going through the menopause and/or having a husband that mentally abuses them so that he completely rules their lives that they daren’t go against his wishes knowing what the outcome would be. The plot was superb and the writing was outstanding with the written prose making the book sound more and more believable by the second. The more I read, the more I was getting pictures in my head showing what was going on and it was like watching a film of what I was reading, it was brilliant. This was a terrific domestic suspense from the start until the finish and I can’t wait until the next book from this author comes out for me to read.

Blurb :

She wants to escape the prison of her marriage—but after decades of mind games, does she have the strength to break free?

Fifty-three, long married, and in the throes of menopause, Laura is dismayed. She’s always tolerated her husband’s belittling insults and manipulation—but at least she got some peace when he was working. Now he’s at home all the time, and her life is becoming a nightmare. And when she runs into an ex-boyfriend, their renewed friendship awakens the spirit and self-confidence she thought was long gone.

But when Laura learns some startling things about her spouse, she learns that an abuser can be dangerous when deprived of his fun. Just how far is Laura prepared to go to get her life back?

[Julie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this author's other book, Her Best Friend's Husband, and so eagerly started this book. But, I was bored. So bored. We spend way too much time learning about Claire and James, married for 28 years, and how he is taking her for granted. She cooks and cleans and also has a job, but the default is for her to take care of the house. And we hear about this often from Claire, over and over again, in chapter after chapter.

Then, still not yet 1/3 of the way through, she bumps into a man in the street, and surprise of surprises - he was her ex boyfriend who she loved for a year and then they broke up when he was moving to London for medical school. Soon after that, she met James and started loving him, got married, had a son and now 28 years later, is unhappy. When this accidental meeting happened, I rolled my eyes because I now knew she was going to start an affair with this man and that was going to take another 1/3 of the book. And I knew she still wouldn't have the courage to simply end the marriage.

So I skimmed to much later in the book and now James has become a truly terrible husband, man, person! And the ending .. well, yes, the ending. Casual Cruelties indeed.

[Scott Parsons · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this to be a dreary book that did not appeal to me. Laura's marriage has become a prison. Her husband James used to be full-time at the office but now that he is full-time at home he is wearing Laura down, grating on her nerves. He is a pompous twit who takes pleasure in indulging in put-downs and belittling of his wife- the "casual cruelties" of the title. As the novel progresses he indulges in more blatant abuse of Laura, including forcing himself upon her sexually. After all it is "her duty" as his wife.

Laura has a group of female friends who meet periodically to eat, drink and gossip but Laura keeps the "casual cruelties" to herself. Then she encounters her first boyfriend from university. They had been in love but parted because their career paths diverged. Their love reawakens and they plot a future together. Just as Laura is preparing to leave James in the dust, fate deals James his just reward.

It is a well written novel which will appeal no doubt to menopausal and post-menopausal women but did not appeal to me. But I am glad I persevered to see James get his comeuppance.

Thanks to Bloodhound Books for providing me an Advance Review Copy of this novel.

[Denise Howe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This definitely started as a slow burn for me and I found the mundane activities of everyday life for Laura tortuous (even irritating) to go through ..until realisation dawned that in emphasising these very ordinary, everyday activities of life the author was introducing us to the repetitive insidious behaviours that coercive partners employ to get under the skin of their other halves.
I wept and railed at poor Laura, worn down and beleaguered by her bullying partner and her hormonal mountains. I wanted to shake her into seeing what was happening – but of course, when openly identified the incidents appeared as inconsequential ‘niggles’- until the sheer volume and stress of them built into an unstoppable rolling stone, gathering more moss and detritus as it rolled down the steep hillside.
We are also introduced to some of Laura’s family and neighbours, with teasing glimpses of their own, less than perfect, relationships, but I like the way we are left to create their stories for them…and maybe even Lauras’ at the inexorable finale?!!!
Thanks to Bloodhound Books for this ARC read

[Moona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alison Irving's "Casual Cruelties" is a gripping domestic suspense novel that delves into the life of Laura, a fifty-three-year-old woman trapped in a toxic marriage. Laura has long endured her husband's manipulative and belittling behavior, but his constant presence at home due to remote work pushes her to a breaking point.

Irving masterfully captures the nuances of Laura's internal struggle, highlighting the psychological toll of enduring decades of emotional abuse. Laura's solace comes from her book club, where she finds camaraderie and humor among her friends. An unexpected reunion with an ex-boyfriend reignites her long-dormant self-confidence and opens her eyes to the possibility of a different life.

As Laura uncovers disturbing truths about her husband, she realizes that escaping her marital prison may require drastic measures. Irving's narrative is both intense and thought-provoking, with a shocking twist that keeps readers on edge. "Casual Cruelties" is a compelling exploration of resilience and the quest for freedom.




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[ericas_bookreviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

While this book could be described as a slow burn I feel the author was actually slowly building the tension and allowing the reader to feel some of the tension & claustrophobia Laura lived through everyday and how coercive control can slowly seep into a relationship, it was a pretty genius approach from the author.

I loved Laura's character despite sometimes sighing at her actions and wanting to shake her at other times, but my heart also broke for her while I was genuinely afraid of what was in store for her. I rooted for her throughout, wanting her to find her way out of the dark to a better life.

This is an emotionally filled, hard hitting read with alot of hard, dark topics covered, but its a fantastically well written thought provoking read that shines a light on the reality of coercive control and domestic violence & the impact they have, and that ending; just WOW I loved it...

[Tiffany aka Chai Tea And Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This domestic suspense was very much a slow burn. I had a bit of trouble staying focused in the beginning, with the monotony of life that was depicted. As the pace started picking up, my interest did as well. This was a well written book that showed the progression and acceleration of abuse in relationships. So a major trigger warning there. The disgust I felt for the MMC only grew and snowballed out of control, so the ending had me satisfied.

Laura is our FMC and with her only son off to college, she is suffering from not only from an empty nest, but menopause as well. With no one around to see the “casual cruelties” that he throws at his wife, James starts to accelerate his abuse. Laura hides this from her friends, and suffers alone. Until she runs into a former flame, and they start plotting how to get her a new life.

Thank you to Love Book Tours for the copy, all thoughts are my own.

[Eva Edge · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Casual Cruelties by Alison Irving is a domestic drama or in some way, I would say "the guide of how to leave an abusive husband". The book itself is really slow-flowing, it's a lot of descriptions and steady step-by-step building up to the "when is enough" stage.

Trigger warning - domestic abuse!
As a person who lived 3 years in an abusive marriage, I felt it deeply but I still wanted a little bit more action or just cut shorter as there were chapters where literally nothing happened.

My advice - gift this book to any friend of yours who you think lives in an unhealthy or toxic marriage/relationship as this could open their eyes and encourage them to take the first steps.

I loved the end of the book, made me satisfied!

Thank you Bloodhound Books for this advance copy!

[BooksandBacon · Rating 4 out of 5]

In "Casual Cruelties" it took a while for me to get into it, but the mundane activities of Laura's everyday life were unbearable. But the more I read, the more I realised the author introduced us to Laura's boring, everyday life. James, who is married to Laura, commands respect and holds considerable power in his professional life. Given their long-term relationship, Laura would find it challenging to assert herself against him - particularly due to his typical behavior and the newly emerging hormonal imbalance.

It may have been slow, but the read is incredibly tense and unsettling. The author has perfectly depicted the small yet destructive aspects of living with someone who shatters your confidence, yet feeling trapped in the relationship. I can really picture how scary that must be.

Many thanks to @Bloodhoundbook for the opportunity to read it.

[Bobbi Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this suspenseful story. This is still a newer author for me which I enjoy her attention to details that give her story a realistic feel which adds so much to the story. This is a well written story about Laura and her marriage that she wants so desperately to get out of. Problem is that he is her abuser and sometimes things just don't work the way you want them too. I enjoyed Laura's character. She is a strong, engaging character that took me on an emotional roller coaster in parts. I enjoyed watching her growth as well as the other characters in this story throughout the story. This is a fast paced story that you don't want to miss what happens. A hard to put down story where the twists and turns will have you guessing to the end. I really enjoyed reading this book which I highly recommend.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

While this book is classified as a domestic thriller, it read to me more like women’s fiction.
A woman, going through a certain stage of her life, is constantly finding herself having to do what her husband wants. Every day is filled with his constant little casual cruelties. Even though she works. Even though she’s smarter than him.

Every day is spent judging his moods, waiting to see if he will snap at her today, or if he’ll apologize for something he’s done. A great part of the book is spent with” Groundhog” like days – waiting, strategizing, waiting. Until a solution is finally at hand.

The book is well written with many witty turns of phrasing, has quite a few triggers, and has an ending that makes it worth the wait.

Thanks to Love Books Tours for an advance reader's copy.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Throughout this book we are giving a window in to the lives of Laura and James and discovering the dark secrets people so often keep hidden behind closed doors.

I am not usually a fan of a slow burn read but for this story it was particularly important and worked so well. The subtleties of Laura’s husband attitude and the in-depth reveal of his increasingly abusive behaviour in the marriage really made you feel connected to Laura’s character.

The fact that Laura’s friends clearly have marriage issues of their own going on made for an even more intriguing read, especially with the eye opening ending revelation.

This domestic drama really helps brings awareness to an important issue in such a relatable and realistic way.

[CeeCee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be really, really frustrating and wished I could reach in and shake some backbone into the heroine Laura.
The awfulness of her coercive, controlling, bullying husband, James, was difficult to read at times. I was willing him his inevitable comeuppance.
By the time Laura realises how badly she is being treated like a light bulb going off, we are already 85% into the story.
I read this in one sitting, hoping against hope that someone, anyone, would kick James where it hurts most. Sadly, no.
The storyline involving the friends was very patchy and left the reader with lots of unanswered questions. Maybe a sequel in the offing?
Thank to Bloodhound Books for the ARC.

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book, although it is much more of a slow burn than I was expecting. Much of the book details Laura's daily life and the gradual erosion of her self-confidence and happiness.

It is not an action-packed book and yet it is very tense and and unsettling read. The author has captured the minute yet devastating details of living with someone who destroys your self-belief and yet being unable to leave them. I could really start to imagine how frightening that must be.

Not an easy read, but a compulsive one.

Thanks to the author,  and Bloodhound Books for the eARC of this book.

[Caroline 'relaxing with my rescue dogs' · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a slow intense book about a wife slowly realising that she is the victim of coercive control - whilst reading I was thinking about how many people (both male and female) are now in that situation due to the changing dynamics of working from home etc. Working from home does change you, but hopefully not like this.
The book club members have a great relationship which reminded me of two of my book clubs - books can bring people together and then it is no longer about the books. But I loved the cliff hanger

I was given an advance copy by bloodhound books but the review is entirely my own.

[Denice Langley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Casual Cruelties is an apt name for the behavior of the husband in this marriage. His offhand comments and slights are so ingrained in their everyday lives that it takes looking at them from the outside to see the effect it has on the couple. When Laura joins a women’s group book club, she will see that her circumstances are not the norm. Her reactions will be influenced by the group and the return of an old flame. What happens next will surprise some and keep readers turning the pages to see where Laura will take her stand. The overall story is built in layers, with each day’s results adding to the suspense until something has to give……

[Robin Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a deeply emotional and utterly gripping novel. It is dark, sad, disturbing and claustrophobic.
From the very beginning it is frightenly realistic, weaving a taut plot around a middle-aged wife who is slowly realising the man she is married to is no longer the man she loved three decades ago. This is an astute and chillingly clever portrait of a relationship turned sour by toxic manipulation.
The author pays a passing homage to Brief Encounter before the story builds to a shocking and violent denouement.

[Melissa Borsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laura has been muddling through life for quite some time, putting up with her husband’s cruel, snide remarks that crush her self esteem. Between her son going away to college, the insidious Menopause systems, and the return of an ex boyfriend, who shows Laura what a real love can look like, Laura needs to make some changes! Unfortunately, her husband is closely monitoring her every move and may need to add physical violence to his arsenal. I thought this was a good, eye opening, family drama. I thank Bloodhound Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Anjali · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew going in that this would be a hard book to read for me. I grew up in a dysfunctional family in which my dad had absolute control over things. So I could empathise with Laura. I could understand the effort she had to put into finding her confidence again.

The book is slow paced, but kept me hooked because of how the author built the complicated picture that is Laura's life, the tension mounting in each chapter. I quite enjoyed the twist at the end. And I'm wondering if we will see more of Laura...

[Allison Valentine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really did feel for Laura the main character in the book but I also got frustrated with her aswell, which for me makes the character more believable.
Laura is in her early fifties and has endured her husband James belittling for far to long.
As she reaches the menopause her husband is getting worse as now he works from home and is constantly having digs at her.
When she bumps into an old boyfriend Laura's life changes for the better but what has her husband been hiding for so long?
A gem of a book and I'll look forward to reading more from Alison.

[xenistar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook.

Didn't feel particularly attached to the characters as things only picked up after she rekindled her relationship with her ex-boyfriend. Nonetheless, Laura's story sheds light into what it's like to be in an emotionally abusive relationship, portraying itself in the form of "casual cruelties".

From sexual assault to tracking her movements, it was heartbreaking and disappointing to know that she had to bear that alone for the most part. The ending felt like it lacked proper closure, but I wished that Robbie was more present in the story.