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.

‘Completely unpredictable. The shocks kept coming right up to the final pages.’ – Lisa Jewell

‘Harriet’s best so far.’ – Sophie Hannah

‘Nothing short of unputdownable. One of the best openings I’ve read in forever.’ Alex Michaelides
‘A shocking, provocative, standout thriller.’ – Chris Whitaker

‘Left me breathless.’ – Lucy Clarke

‘A dizzyingly satisfying page-turner.’ – Sarah Pinborough

‘Utterly compelling, A Lesson in Cruelty is in the very top tier of psychological thrillers and further cements Harriet Tyce’s place amongst the great British crime writers.’ – M. W. Craven

‘Perfect plotting, utterly brilliant.’ – B.A. Paris

‘I absolutely loved it and devoured it whole in one day. So suspenseful and clever of course, but such great characterisation and real heart.’ – Laura Marshall

‘Compulsive, dark and smart, A Lesson in Cruelty delivers on every level.’ – Gilly Macmillan

‘An imaginatively told (and very bingeable) thriller.’ – John Marrs

‘Superb, twisty plotting that’s sure to keep readers guessing until the very end.’ – Femi Kayode

‘A deliciously sinister tale of revenge and redemption, with heart-in-mouth tension and head-spinning twists.’ – Ellery Lloyd