Synopsis

This story begins with a funeral. One of three brothers is dead, mourned by his siblings. But which one? And how? And, most importantly: why?

William, Brian, and Luke are each born a year apart in a lower middle class Catholic family in 1960s Dublin. William, the eldest, rises to the top of the heap in the film industry as a successful movie producer. Luke, the baby of the family, surprises everyone by morphing into a worldwide pop star. Brian, the compliant middle son, is the eternal adult in the room: the helpful, steady one, the manager of finances and careers.

But none of them is actually quite what he seems. Wounded by childhood, they have betrayed one another in myriad ways, hiding behind little lies that have developed into full blown treachery. With an unnerving eye for the complexities of families, Nugent delves into the secret life of a deeply troubled household and provides stunning insights into the many forces that shape us from childhood.

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Review

I have seen dysfunctional families but this one takes the cake. Three brothers that seem to despise each other, a self-absorbed mother and a father that doesn’t stand up for much of anything makes for an interesting family dynamic.

This book has sections for each brother and flips from year to year, and not in order. The saying that there is always more than one side to a story could not be any truer in this book. Each incident is told from each brother’s point of view and how they interpreted what was happening at the time. William is first, then Brian, and then Luke. Each brother’s story tends to paint them in a better light, but what is the real truth to the events that occurred? Perhaps there is a little bit of truth to each side with reality somewhere in the middle.

I was intrigued when the story started because I had no idea which brother was in the coffin. You get some hints, but are they reliable? I suspected two of the brothers at different points based on the text, but I was quite surprised by how the story unfolded. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect that ending.

I don’t think I liked any of the brothers but at times they each redeemed themselves, at least for a moment. They each have their own struggles that have to be dealt with and how they handle them is unique to each of their personalities. Sadly, this family could have used some counseling when they were younger.

This book covers so many hot topics such as the #metoo movement, marriage equality, alcoholism, drug use, various diseases (1 could be a spoiler so no specifics here!), narcissism, and possibly even child abuse or neglect. I had a hard time putting this book down. It was a train wreck waiting to happen. But that is what makes this book work in my eyes.

We give this book 5 paws up.

About the Author

Liz Nugent worked as a stage manager in theatres in Ireland and toured internationally before writing extensively for radio and television drama.

Unravelling Oliver was published in 2014, hit the number 1 spot for several weeks and won Crime Novel of the Year at the Irish Book Awards.

Lying in Wait, published in 2016, went straight to number 1 and was chosen for the Richard & Judy Book Club. It won the Radio 1 Ryan Tubridy Listeners Choice Award at the Irish Book Awards.

In October 2017, Liz won the Irish Tatler Woman of the Year Award in Literature.

Skin Deep was published in 2018. It also went straight to number 1 in the bestsellers charts and scooped two awards at the An Post Irish Book Awards in Nov ’18: Crime Novel of the Year AND the Radio 1 Ryan Tubridy Listener’s Choice Award.

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