I read a lot of books but I think this is one of the most clever but unhinged books I’ve ever read! I was glued to the story and couldn’t put it down for fear of missing out on key information. The whole book has you questioning everything you know and is the definition of a ‘psychological’ thriller! Short chapters and sensible time jumps and flashbacks add to the story. Twists and turns throughout and the ending is just perfection! Wow! Add to your TBR now!!

I'm a big fan of Alice Feeney and this book is another hit in my opinion. Great plot that kept me hooked!

Wow! What a read!
The plot is unlike anything I’ve read before and had me totally engrossed. The writing is atmospheric and clever. I loved the various twists and the ending took me completely by surprise.
I finished this book a few weeks ago, but it’s stuck with me and is one of my favourites this year.

What would you do if your partner vanished ? This is what happens to Grady Green in this twisty, page turning book. Grady an author has been unable to write since his wife’s disappearance and seems to see and hear her everywhere he goes.

When he gets an offer to travel to a secluded Scottish
Island he thinks this may be the answer to put his past behind him and finally start living and writing again. All does not go to plan and he finds himself encountering strange events which leave him questioning his sanity.

This book is full of suspense, each character brings their own element of mystery and as the story develops I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what was real and what wasn’t.

The tension., intrigue and dread builds up in the story leading to an astonishing end one which I never imagined coming! Breathtaking writing one which I will remember for a long time .

I love Alice Feeney, so I was excited to read this one! Tbh I didn’t love her last one, Bad Good Girl. I was hoping she would go back to writing psychological thriller with wild twists, and this didn’t disappoint. Not as wild as her earlier thrillers, but this missing wife x locked island mystery is addictive so I finished it in just two days. The pace is on the slow side compared to Paper Rock Scissors and His & Hers, but it’s not too slow with suspense building at a steady pace until a shocking reveal. The ending is quite sinister it gave me chills.

I’d say 4-4.5 🌟 Highly recommend if you’re a fan of psychological thriller!

When author Grady Green's wife mysteriously disappears everyone believes that she has left him. Devastated he is offered the chance to escape to a remote island to work on a new novel and attempt to rebuild his life. However not is all it appears to be on the island and the longer that Grady stays the more sinister the residents appear to become. Is this his grief skewing the real world or is something more sinister happening on the island?

I loved Daisy Darker so when I saw that Alice Feeney had written a new novel I jumped at the chance to read it. This was a a gripping and insidious thriller; I felt Grady's fear as he slowly realised that he was trapped on the island and that something else was going on. I really liked that the character's were flawed and I loved the twisty ending 4 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

It’s a testament to Alice Feeney’s writing that even though I had absolutely no clue what was going on throughout most of the book, I still thoroughly enjoyed it! There were some quite creepy moments, not one to read alone on a dark night!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

✨ARC Book Review✨

Title: Beautiful Ugly
Author: Alice Feeney
Publication Date: January 30, 2025
Rating: 4/5 stars

I always read anything written by Alice Feeney, so when I received an advance copy of Beautiful Ugly, I was ecstatic. What a fantastic page-turner, and if you’ve read anything by Feeney, you already know the twists are immaculate. The ending will make you ask yourself, 'WTF did I just read?'.

Beautiful Ugly follows the once-bestselling but now struggling writer Grady Green, whose wife vanished a year ago. In an attempt to resume his life and his writing, he flees to a cabin on a secluded Scottish island. Although the people on Amberly Island are lovely and the island itself is stunning, Grady feels as though something is not quite right.

Those who enjoy well-written psychological suspense and books that keep you guessing until the exciting conclusion should definitely read this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan | Macmillan for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney is a dark story that delves into themes of revenge, grief, and the evils of neglecting one partner’s career over the other. Grady Green is an author who is unable to write following his wife, Abby’s tragic disappearance a year ago. Tormented and plagued with writer’s block, his agent suggests he stay in the late bestselling author Charles Whittaker’s cottage on the small Scottish island of Amberly to immerse himself in his work and hopefully, start writing again.

The idea of no noise and no distractions appeal to Grady and he retreats to Scotland. But no sooner does he arrive on Amberley, he becomes so haunted with visions of Abby, he believes she exists somewhere on the island. Not only does he find something under the floorboards of “Whitty’s” house, but his creativity comes back twofold, and he begins to write again. His quest takes him on a journey of self-discovery but what seems like charming village life on the outside is deceptive, and the idyllic island with all its fresh air and beautiful scenery slowly becomes ominously stifling. Even the houses on the village green have names like The Last Straw and Whit's End and I love the map in the front matter and its compass that says, "You are not here."

The locals appear to have banded together in what appears to be some kind of cultish behaviour, which gave me eerie reminders of the 1973 film The Wicker Man. There is no way off the island except by ferry. Isolated, Grady has been “persuaded” by some of the locals to stay. If it weren’t for his loyal labrador, Columbo, he would have lost his sanity.

Each islander is intricately crafted with the personalities you’d expect to find in a remote area. They appear resilient on the outside – determined to protect their turf and the people who come to live there - but underneath, they harbour vulnerability and pain. The weather seems to change with their moods, impacting Grady more than he imagined. He can’t help questioning if what he sees and learns is real. One thing the reader will sense is Grady’s terror.

The underlying tension throughout the book makes this a page turner which is testament to Feeney’s skill as a top psychological suspense author. It resonated with me long after I’d put the book down and it will be a story I will think about for some years to come. Memorable and utterly brilliant. Five stars, more if I could give them!

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC

Alice Feeney has done it again! Another masterfully crafted novel that this time also explores themes of grief, family, marriage, betrayal and revenge. It was gripping and fast-paced. The characters were well fleshed out and the atmosphere enhanced the story even further. A thrilling read with a jaw-dropping ending.

I've always had Alice Feeney down as a hit or miss author. She hasn't written a book which I have disliked previously but nor has she delivered a knockout blow either....until now.

This, for me, was the book that she always had in her and has finally delivered a 5 star book. The novel tells the story of Grady Green, finally a successful author, but whose best day (becoming a NYT bestseller) turns into his worst day when his wife disappears on her way home after stopping at the scene of an accident.

Filled with questions, and no answers as to the whereabouts of his wife, Grady's publisher suggests that he visits Amberly, a small Scottish island with only a handful of residents, in order to regroup, recover and begin working on his next novel. However, when he gets there, all is not as it seems....

The story is told in the present day from Grady's perspective but with some chapters interspersed from his wife, Abby, in the week before his disappearance. The book moves slowly but steadily on to a dramatic conclusion, killer twists and a hidden message in the book.

A brilliant novel and one of the best I have read this year.

Thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Alice Feeney has once again proven her talent for creating captivating, mind-bending stories!!
Beautiful Ugly is a brilliant psychological thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Set on a remote Scottish island. The story follows author Grady Green, whose wife Abby mysteriously vanished a year ago. Struggling with grief and writer's block, Grady’s agent offers him her house on the island, however, the eerie atmosphere and strange behaviour of the island's residents over and above him seeing his wife everywhere, makes him start to question his sanity.

This book is best suited for fans of psychological thrillers - if you appreciate a story that keeps you guessing until the very end, Beautiful Ugly is your next must-read.

Grady Green is eagerly anticipating a telephone call that means the world to him. Only ever so slightly (!) annoyed that his wife Abby is not waiting with him, Grady calls her to find out where she is. On her way, almost there she tells him, then Abby sees someone lying in the road. Grady begs her not to get out of the car.

Twelve months later Grady is a shadow of his former self, so when Kitty, his agent, throws him a lifeline he is only too happy to accept. The result of his actions are soon apparent!

An amazing read, lots of twists and an unexpected plot. Alice Feeney at her very best. So atmospheric and fairytale like, with an evil undertone, is Grady dreaming? Who knows! The clues are there but tantalisingly just out of reach of solving. Don’t try to work it out, just enjoy the ride.

The ending, OMG 😱! Breathtakingly good. A very cleverly written book.

Thank you NetGalley and Pan Macmillan.

Grady's wife Abby mysteriously goes missing one night leaving him with no answers to what happened to her. A year later he goes to stay on a small Scottish island to work on a new book. It doesn't take him long to realise that the few people that live on the island act very strangely around him. He keeps seeing his wife everywhere, that and all the other strange things that are happening there makes him question his own sanity. This book Alice Feeney has done such a good job creating a spooky atmosphere on the island. Some of the characters give you the chills with their strange behaviour and you can really sympathise with Grady's wish to get off the island. There are twists and turns along the way to add to the suspense. This is a five star read for me and I am so glad I got a chance to get an early read.

Beautiful Ugly is an exquisitely written mind twisting novel about bestselling author Grady Green whose wife has disappeared. Set on the remote Scottish Island of Amberley, the novel explores grief, identity, and marriage plus the lies we tell ourselves and others. The setting provides a fabulously claustrophobic and creepy backdrop to a story where nothing is quite what it seems. This is an excellent book and I raced through it.

Thank you to Alice Feeney, Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for my advance copy.

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney is a well-written story that kept me engaged throughout. It tells the story of author Grady Green who is suffering from grief and writer's block after the disappearance of his wife. He hopes that a stint in a cabin on a remote island will help him to recover. The setting of a remote Scottish island in winter adds to the chilling atmosphere. There is no phone or internet and the ferry to the mainland is unreliable. Visitors are not allowed on the island and the 25 inhabitants are insular and secretive, adding to the claustrophobic atmosphere. Grady doesn't know who to trust. There is also a hint of the supernatural. Some great twists and an unexpected ending. A thoroughly enjoyable read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Wow wow wow wow wow!

What a book. I could not put it down.

This is Alice Feeney at her finest.

I will be telling all my friends and family to read this

A slow build up but well worth reading on.
Terrific psychological suspenseful and full of drama.
Fabulously written characters and everything you expect from this talented author.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

Wow… Just WOW! A beautifully written tale of an ugly situation.

What an incredible read and what a book to follow up with after her amazing Daisy Darker. Feeney, in my opinion has found her niche in the world of crime fiction. If you want an atmospheric, compelling psychological thriller Alice Feeney has a created her own very special blend served with a twist of suspense.

If you hadn’t guessed already I loved this book by Alice Feeney. From the moment I picked it up I was captivated by her writing and the unsettling island of Amberley. Similar to Daisy Darker this book is a ‘closed door’ tale whereby all the characters and the tale unfolds in a place that is inescapable and truly unsettling.

Had this book been a dark comedy you’d be forgiven for comparing the island and it inhabitants as similar to those who lived in Sandford in the movie Hot Fuzz ‘it’s for the greater good’. But as there is little light relief in the oppressive nature of the situation, Amberley is one of a kind. Whilst I’m referencing movies there is a slight nod to The Shining in how Grady slowly begins to loose his grip on reality.

The bit that stands out the most to me about this book is the ending and that’s where Alice Feeney really comes into her own. This is the type of book that you read rapidly and absorb every single word and yet when you get to the end you question what you’ve read and if you were actually paying attention?

Beautiful Ugly and her Daisy Darker - both have echoes of Sarah Pinborough’s finale to Behind Her Eyes. I know I’m referencing a lot of other peoples’ work here but when you look at what I’ve referenced collectively, (Hot Fuzz, The Shining & Behind Her Eyes) I don’t think that’s a bad place to demonstrate how clever this book really is!

Thank you to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

After Good Bad Girl, I couldn’t help having hugely high hopes for the new Alice Feeney book. It was so original and clever. Beautiful Ugly, I would say, is a return to a more classic Alice Feeney psychological thriller - for me, not AS special and stand-out as Good Bad Girl, but still a cut above most for the genre.

Grady Green has the perfect life. As he waits to find out if his latest novel has the made the Times Bestseller List, he just wants his wife Abby to get home to share the moment with him. But whilst on the phone to her on her drive home, she gets out of the car to help someone in the road - and completely vanishes! A year later, he is struggling to write and running out of money. When he’s offered the chance to stay in a cabin in a very remote island off the coast of Scotland to concentrate on writing his next novel, he grabs the opportunity. But when he gets there, he is sure he spots his missing wife…

I felt like it took a while to really get going. But slowly the atmosphere built and built until it seemed the island became a character of its own and started kicking out serious Midsommar vibes! As Grady learns more about the island, its history and its inhabitants, things get very claustrophobic. Coupled with his own doubt as to whether or not he’s hallucinating from lack of sleep and the island curious tea, it’s hard to know who or what to be wary of - for both him and the reader!

I had no idea how things were going to turn out, and it was a clever story - BUT I wish there was a bit less of one character explaining all at the end which always comes off a bit unnatural to me. Still, a very enjoyable read which was hard to put down.