His belief in Verity's commitment to him is painfully pitiful and makes for a miserable read. All's well, and crazed, until circumstances separate them and it all goes wrong for Mike.

Their game, Crave, sets up unwitting men at bars to come on to Verity until Mike forcefully intervenes, and then they have urgent couplings immediately afterwards. She is sexually voracious, not a bad quality unless it leads to scary outcomes for both strangers and Mike. However, meeting the wealthy Verity messes it all up. Mike has, however, been lucky enough to have been 'in care' (Brit for fostered) by a wonderfully loving couple, and this almost, but not quite, sets him on a path to career fulfillment and happiness. Told in the first person voice of Mike, the reader must sympathize with his incredibly miserable childhood, and all the literature says that this type of severe neglect almost precludes a 'normal' outcome. This one is a bit unusual because instead of one villain and one innocent, the object of desire is almost as perverse as the stalker. Yawn, I'm tired of novels of romantic and sexual obsession. If he keeps track of her every move, he’ll know just when to come to her rescue. If Mike watches V closely, he’ll see the signs. It’s all just part of the secret game they used to play.

It doesn’t matter that she says she’s marrying Angus. It doesn’t matter that she hasn’t been returning his e-mails or phone calls. He knows they’ll be blissfully happy together. He’s found the perfect home, the perfect job he’s sculpted himself into the physical ideal V has always wanted. V taught him about love, and in return, Mike has dedicated his life to making her happy. Mike Hayes fought his way out of a brutal childhood and into a quiet, if lonely, life before he met Verity Metcalf. Finn, author of The Woman in the WindowĪ spellbinding, darkly twisted novel about desire and obsession, and the complicated lines between truth and perception, Our Kind of Cruelty introduces Araminta Hall, a chilling new voice in psychological suspense. Astonishingly dark and sensationally accomplished.” -A. “A perfect nightmare of a novel-as merciless a thriller as I’ve ever read. I loved it, right down to the utterly chilling final line. “ This is simply one of the nastiest and most disturbing thrillers I ’ ve read in years. May well turn out to be the year’s best thriller.” -Charles Finch, The New York Times Book Review “A searing, chilling sliver of perfection.

Our Kind of Cruelty by Araminta Hall