Alice Feeney does it again with a twisty thriller packed with unreliable narrators!

📖 Synopsis:
Writer Grady Green’s life shatters when his wife, Abby, vanishes without a trace. A year later, while seeking solace on a remote Scottish island, he’s stunned to see a woman who looks exactly like her…

💭 My Thoughts:
✨ Feeney kicks things off with a writer’s missing wife, and from that moment, I was hooked.
✨ The atmospheric, tight-knit Scottish island setting adds the perfect touch of isolation and mystery.
✨ A cast of suspicious, secretive characters kept the tension coming—everyone seemed to be hiding something!
✨ Mysterious messages and unsettling clues unravel a multi-layered plot that had me gripped.
✨ Dark, eerie, and full of surprises—the ending was unexpected, but I absolutely loved it!

📚 If you love a thriller that keeps you guessing, this one’s a must-read!

Author, Grady Green is having the worst best day of his life. He's just been told he's a New York Times Bestselling author, but also his wife, Abby, has disappeared. A year on, with Abby still MIA, he finds himself heading to a remote Scottish island with a population of 25, in an attempt to get his life back on track. But not everything is as it seems and while the residents of the island are friendly, there's definitely something a bit peculiar about them. Throw in a bunch of possible sightings of Abby, and no way of communicating with people beyond the island, getting his life back in order doesn't seem quite so easy after all...
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If you love dark, twisty and unreliable narrators, this book is for you and going in blind is absolutely worth it! I had a real sense of the place, both good and bad. I'm first to admit that I bloody love a good old thriller, and invariably, I don't get even a little bit scared - but this. THIS!!! Creeped me out big time!
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Only down side for me was I felt a little short-changed by the ending, especially in the context of how good everything leading up to it was. It just all seemed a little far fetched, I missed some of the jumps from one thing to another and I felt like a couple of significant parts/explanations of the plot were skimmed over, leaving you to draw your own conclusions. Also, the plane scene was VERY odd.
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Despite all of that, I really would recommend this book but be warned, you'll probably be left with a few questions.
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Final thought, loved the hidden message concept and how it played through - but I can't say anymore than that without dropping a clanger 😂
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Overall, great book, really do recommend. It's my first by this author and will absolutely not be my last!

I love anything by this author and her latest book is no exception. Full of twists and turns with a satisfying ending

This novel is that rare thing - a bona fide page turner that is written in beautiful language.

Grady Green is a writer driven mad by his wife’s going missing. He thinks he sees her everywhere, but it always turns out to be someone else wearing a similar red coat to hers - the only thing the police found when she disappeared after coming across a body stretched out on the cliff road home.

On his uppers financially, Grady accepts the offer of staying in his agent’s log cabin on the Scottish island of Amberley, where he starts to doubt his sanity and we begin to doubt his reliability as a narrator …

🙏 NetGalley and Macmillan for the ARC of this brilliant thriller.

If you are looking for a whirlwind, mindblowing thriller that will keep you guessing, pick up an Alice Feeney book...and this one might be her best yet!

What gets me the most about her writing is that her characters all seem relatable on the surface, they suck you in then, before you know it, you’re squriming wondering, wait, what did they just do? Beautiful Ugly takes a sharp look at relationships, picks at the layers and spins a wild tale of desperation and deceit, on a remote Scottish island (what a perfect setting for the intensity of this book).

This one had me in its grip from the start and had me guessing until the end. I read this at the end of 2024 and I’m still chewing over it! I hear rumours of a film adaptation so I’m so excited for that!

A Gripping and Atmospheric Thriller

Beautiful Ugly is a tense and unsettling read that pulls you in from the very first page. The story follows writer Grady Green as he navigates the mystery of his missing wife, and with each chapter, the sense of unease deepens. The atmosphere is thick with tension, and the writing does a great job of keeping the reader hooked, making it hard to put down.

The twists along the way are well-executed, keeping the suspense alive until the very end. However, while the final reveals were surprising, I didn’t fully connect with how the book wrapped up. That said, the journey itself was gripping, and the dark, moody tone made for an immersive read.

A suspenseful, well-crafted thriller with an eerie atmosphere and plenty of twists. Even if the ending didn’t completely win me over, it was still a compelling and enjoyable read.

I have just spent about a week with Grady. He was once a successful writer, then his world came crashing down when his wife goes missing. No longer able to write, and in financial crisis, grieving, Gradys editor sends him to a remote Scottish island to rest his life...except the island is strange and mysterious, and seems to hold truths, and secrets...Read it!

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney is one of the most imaginative crime thrillers I’ve read recently. We meet author, Grady Green, who is waiting to hear from his American publishers to find out if his book has made it onto the New York Times bestseller list. He is annoyed his wife, Abby, isn’t here with him right at this moment; she calls him and insists she is on her way, but whilst he is on the phone to her, she stops to help someone, who appears to have fallen over in the road. But this is the last time Grady hears from Abby, the line goes dead and Abby vanishes into the night. Fast forward a year later, Grady is still reeling from the disappearance of his wife. He’s hardly written since she went missing, and so his literary agent, who is also Abby’s godmother, offers him a cabin on a Scottish island, gifted to her by a client in his will, who died recently. Grady accepts the offer, but when he arrives on the island, he soon starts to realise that something is very wrong here.

This was so cleverly crafted. I thought Grady’s personality and particularly his literary agent’s really leapt off the page. I had mixed feelings about Grady in the opening pages of the book. He came across as slightly controlling, but when his wife disappears, it is clear to see how much he loves her and how much he is desperate to find her. The island setting is done really well and right from the moment Grady arrives it feels unsettling, especially when he is informed that tourists are banned from bringing cars onto the island. There is only a very small population, no more than twenty five people.

I loved the atmosphere Alice Feeney created on the island, which is what made this island feel so real, even though Alice Feeney has created it. There is a very spooky atmosphere here, particularly with the legends and myths Grady hears about the island from the locals, and as he comes to understand the history of the island. The tension picks up the longer Grady stayed there and it made me feel as though he was trapped and I wanted him to escape and get back to the mainland.

There is a brilliant twist to this book which completely floored me, but Alice Feeney cleverly built up to this moment. I thought it was very well done and it made for a very satisfactory ending. If you’re looking for a compelling thriller, with a unique setting then I highly recommend Beautiful Ugly. I think it’s Alice Feeney’s best book to date and now I can’t wait to read what she writes next.

Alice Feeney has been a real 'hit-or-miss' author for me over the years, so I always go in to her books with a slight apprehension. I didn't need to for this book however. I really enjoyed this one!
Such an intriguing premise, I was left happily confused and intrigued right from the off. I had no idea where this book was going - but in true Alice Feeney style, the ending was incredibly unbelievable - but that didn't hinder my enjoyment all all.

Feeney has writing style that is so vivid, and her books always play out in my mind like a film or TV show, so I wouldn't be surprised if this book is snapped up by Netflix for a series.

Beautiful Ugly is the new slow burn thriller by Alice Feeney. I'm a big fan of this author, her plot twists always get me and this one is no exception. I was gripped by the story to begin with. It starts with Grady calling his wife while she is driving. Grady has some great news about his new book to share with her. But when she suddenly slams in her brakes as there is a woman lying in the road, Grady warns her against getting out of the car. She ignores his warning and the last thing he hears are her footsteps as she gets out of the car and then she disappears, presumed dead. The set up is perfect for a cat and mouse, domestic thriller. But then this is Alice Feeney so expect the unexpected.

I loved the island setting where Grady goes to try and concentrate on his writing with his dog, Columbo (who in my opinion is the best character). Feeney's descriptions of Amberley are eerie and atmospheric. The fact that it's so cut off from the mainland and has a dark history gives it a whole ominous feel. It's the perfect setting for things to get really dark.

Unfortunately I found the pace dragged in the second half of the book. Grady is quite an unlikeable character and a little dull. His actions and thoughts became repetitive and a little annoying. I also found the twist to be a let down as for me it was just ludicrous and therefore unbelievable. It's a shame that this book didn't quite deliver for me but I will certainly be reading the next Alice Feeney thriller.

Thank you to Pan Macmillan for granting my request for an ARC.

This is the second book I have read by Alice Feeney and I would highly recommend it.
I loved how the author takes us straight into the action with Abby slamming on her brakes whilst on the phone.
Grady is a a very interesting and wholly flawed character. Putting him on the isolated Scottish island only magnifies these flaws.
I loved how Feeney creates a sense of uneasiness in the island, you know something is off but you have to work out what.
The twist at the end was fantastic and I did not see it coming. This is a well paced and well plotted thriller.

Oh I loved this! I just loved it! This has everything I want in a thriller! Suspense, mystery, drama and THAT ENDING! GOOSEBUMPS!!

I was questioning everything and everyone from the first chapter. I love books that make me second guess every detail and constantly wonder where the plot is going because that means that it isn't predictable! And I love being genuinely shocked by a storyline!

What a journey. It was so immersive. I just couldn't put it down. I had to keep going, I had to know what happened!

It was a dark and claustrophobic novel that is an absolute must read for anyone who loves a thriller that is shocking, suspenseful and unforgettable!

There's also some really beautiful passages in the book that are very thought provoking and provide a little peace among the chaos ✨

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney Goodreads review

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.


Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney is a locked room thriller set on a remote Scottish Island, where author Grady Green goes to write his new novel.

Which he has been unable to do since his last book became a New York Times best seller on the day his wife went.

However on the ferry to the island he sees someone who looks like his wife!

Beautiful Ugly is a one of those novels that will divide readers, in a way it feels like one of those books that has been written so many times before and not just in books but films and TV shows as well.

Firstly the novel is told mainly through one perspective that of Grady Green, which does make the story easy to follow.

However there are a few chapters told through his wife's perspective set before she went missing, Which does give a different perspective on the state of the marriage.

As for the genre of the novel, while it is classed as a mystery thriller, Beautiful Ugly, is definitely more mystery and no mystery, however it does go into a psychological thriller as a lot of the novel plays on the lead character's mind.

As the tension builds throughout, which is done very slowly throughout, which does affect how long the novel takes to get going , so there may be times when not finishing the book by some readers mind you at 320 pages it is not that long.

Having said that when you get to the end it will not work for every reader, I am not saying it leaves the ending ambiguous as there is a definite ending it is just that some readers may be uncomfortable with it.

In conclusion while Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney may not be for every reader for those it is for will find a through provoking novel within its pages.

3.5 stars, rounded up

For most of the book, the story just trundles along - I found it interesting enough to keep reading but not gripping enough that I wouldn't be able to put it down. For the most part, I couldn't figure out where the story was going, and I was keen to figure it out. The last 10-15% person however had me in absolute shackles, and I did not see the last plot twist coming. Overall, an enjoyable read, but nothing extraordinary.

One of Alice's best books that I've read, it hooked me from the start and I couldn't put it down. Good characters and well plotted and what an twist. Grady's wife has been missing for a year and his life is falling apart, his literary agent sends he to her cabin on a remote Scottish island to get him back on track there he thinks he sees his wife, can it be her? Thanks to Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for this review ARC.

Wow oh wow! Alice Feeney has done it again. Just when you think you know how the book will end.. bam! A twist.

Put on your seatbelts for this wild and somewhat spooky ride.

A year ago Grady's wife Abby has gone missing whilst on the phone to him about his amazing news of being a New York Times best seller. He hears Abby go and check on someone left on the road and that was the last he hears from her. A year on Grady has been invited to a secluded writers cottage in Scotland. But things and the small community aren't what they seem.

I really enjoyed the new Alice Feeney novel. It was well written with many interesting characters. I was one hundred percent invested in this book and had to keep turning the pages to find out what happened to Abby. I had a shock when a few twists came at the end of the book. I will continue to read anything Alice Feeney writes.

Thank you Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for the gifted copy for my honest book review.

Back of the book :

Author Grady Green is having the worst best day of his life.

Grady calls his wife as she’s driving home to share some exciting news. He hears Abby slam on the brakes, get out of the car, then nothing. When he eventually finds her car by a cliff edge, the headlights are on, the driver door is open, her phone is still there . . . but his wife has disappeared.

A year later, Grady is still overcome with grief and desperate to know what happened to Abby. He can’t sleep, and he can’t write, so he travels to a tiny Scottish island to try to get his life back on track. Then he sees the impossible: a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife.

Wives think their husbands will change, but they don’t.
Husbands think their wives won’t change, but they do.

What I think :

Ok then … well what can I say ?
Whilst I realise that this authors books are slightly unusual, this one was a lot more than that.
It started off quite normally, if not a bit slow but some books are like that, at about half way through things started getting odd, then weird.

And that twist at the end !!! WOW !

The last quarter of the book was Fabulous, I really enjoyed it.
So yeah, I have got to say though I wasn’t really in love with the main character Grady and all the others didn’t really have much going for them either.

3⭐️’s

As always Alice Feeney managed to get me hooked right away and keep me surprised and unsure of where it was headed.

EXCERPT: "Are we okay?' she whispered.
'Of course. Always and forever,' I replied, kissing her on the forehead. 'Don't confuse problems at work with problems at home.' My wife was the most beautiful, clever, hardworking woman I have ever met, despite a childhood that was just as difficult and lonely as my own. At the age of ten she was abandoned and alone in the world, a bit like me. But Kitty took her in and loved her as though she were her own daughter. Abby was always so strong - I think a hard life made her that way - and I hated seeing her career slowly destroy her.
'Yes, maybe it's just the job getting me down. People can be so terrible to each other. I thought I could help people. Fix things. I could change the world if I became a journalist,' she said sadly.
'You are changing the world. One story at a time.'
'Am I?'
'Yes. I believe in you,' I said, but she still looked so unhappy.
I didn't understand it then and I still don't know why. I kissed her again then whispered, 'I hope you die in your sleep.'
She smiled. 'I love you too, Grady Green. Always and forever.'
A week later she disappeared.

ABOUT 'BEAUTIFUL UGLY': Author Grady Green is having the worst best day of his life.

Grady calls his wife to share some exciting news as she is driving home. He hears Abby slam on the brakes, get out of the car, then nothing. When he eventually finds her car by the cliff edge the headlights are on, the driver door is open, her phone is still there. . . but his wife has disappeared.

A year later, Grady is still overcome with grief and desperate to know what happened to Abby. He can’t sleep, and he can’t write, so he travels to a tiny Scottish island to try to get his life back on track. Then he sees the impossible — a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife.

Wives think their husbands will change but they don’t.
Husbands think their wives won’t change but they do.

MY THOUGHTS: Beautiful Ugly is the perfect title for this deliciously dark mystery/thriller about marriage and revenge.

This was an overnight read for me, and I was on the edge of my seat (and bed) the whole time. There was no chance of sleep. No way I wanted to sleep. But even if I had wanted to, I couldn't. I HAD to know what happened next.

Menacing, exciting, dark, twisty, sinister and unpredictable.

Set in an isolated cottage on an isolated island that he can't seem to escape (think Hotel California), Grady Green is subject to flights of fancy. He sees shadows move. Hears voices. Feels paranoid. Everyone on the island seems to be laughing at him, know something he doesn't. He gets messages that he must leave - if he knows what's good for him. He sees his missing wife everywhere and finds copies of her newspaper articles left for him to read. But by whom? And why? Is he going mad with grief and alcohol induced anxiety? Or, are they really out to get him?

Get in whatever your favorite reading supplies are and settle in for the long haul. Once started, you won't be able to stop reading.

'Life is beautiful and life is ugly and we have to learn to live with both sides of that same coin and see the light in the darkness. The world is Beautiful Ugly, relationships are Beautiful Ugly, people are Beautiful Ugly. Understanding that makes life easier to live.'

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

#BeautifulUgly #NetGalley

MEET THE AUTHOR: Alice Feeney is a writer and journalist. She spent 16 years at the BBC, where she worked as a reporter, news editor, arts and entertainment producer and news producer.
Alice is a Faber Academy graduate from the class of 2016. The best advice I was ever given, was to write a book that you would want to read yourself. I think that advice, along with 'never give up', are the most important things to remember if you want to be a writer. It took me a long time and I wish anyone trying to do the same the very best of luck.
(Source: https://www.suffolklibraries.co.uk/me... - abridged)
Alice currently lives in Devon with her family.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Pan Macmillan via NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/2025/02/04/beautiful-ugly-by-alice-feeney/

Fabulously gripping with a host of unexpected twists and turns, and a bunch of brilliant characters on a remote Scottish island. Another pacy, well-plotted and cleverly place-based Alice Feeney thriller!