Beautiful Ugly was a Pretty Appealing Thriller

Tense from the start, I knew I was going to be quickly seduced by Alice Feeney’s new book. With her usual sharp prose and pithy retorts, the narrative swept me up and transported me into the story.

Set in a particularly isolated island off the coast of Scotland, I felt like I was sinking into the sinister atmosphere. Not gonna lie, I did get vibes that reminded me of the village from Hot Fuzz- let’s just say I knew something was off from the start 😂

As you can imagine, I also appreciated the writerly themes, with the author being a bad art friend indeed. Interesting how this preoccupies so many novelists now- though I can imagine it is an issue that many writers fear.

While the plot did jump around a little, I did enjoy the mystery. Especially when we got another perspective- which absolutely changed *everything* I thought I’d understood so far. I did also glean a little from the clues breadcrumbed throughout. But man oh man, THAT ENDING! I was so salacious and insane, I wasn’t sure what to make of it, and yet I couldn’t help but be captivated. It was so brave! I’d recommend this for the ending alone!

And, as a small bonus, if you do get to the end, you’ll find there is a secret message coded into the book, which is a really nice touch. If only I hadn’t read this before it was too late to save the day 😉

Rating: 4½/5 bananas

This haunting story simply blew me away. Grady Green is a self absorbed author whose wife has been missing for a year. Grief stricken and suffering from writers block, he accepts an offer from his agent to take up residence in a small cabin on a remote Scottish island where he hopes he can find his muse again.
But nothing on the island is as it appears and when he catches glimpses of his wife he begins to think he is losing his mind. This book is an exploration of love in its best and darkest aspects, as well as an atmospheric page turner. Just marvellous!

This was a great book with a great story but a not-so-great delivery. Alice Feeney was able to take us through time but not able to keep me invested

I enjoy Alice Feeney’s books, her skill as a writer, her plot development and believable characters and this book was no exception. I didn’t particularly like Grady Green, a writer whose wife went missing while driving home to him one evening, but that didn’t detract from the story. I found the tension ratcheted up nicely as the book progressed although I did feel there was a slight dip in the middle section. A very satisfactory ending.

Rating - 4.5 stars

The queen of atmospheric and twisty thrillers strikes again!

Thanks Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for the ARC!

Synopsis-

Grady Green has just received some exciting news and is eagerly sharing it with his wife Abby as she drives back home. But Abby has had to brake abruptly and he can’t hear anything at her end. When Grady eventually finds her car along the cliff road, Abby has disappeared. Now, one year after she’s gone, Grady is struggling with his life and is burdened with her absence. He takes the opportunity that comes his way to get his life back on track by going to a remote Scottish island. But what awaits him there?

Review -

Feeney has once again proved her mastery over atmospheric evocation as she teleports us to the quaint little Isle of Amberly in Scotland. We can really feel the island’s beauty in its serene mountainous landscapes, the sea spray on our skin, the misty overcast weather, the lush vegetation and a certain eerie vibe that she adds in.

If that’s the beautiful part, we have the ‘ugly’ side brought out in the plot construction. Feeney veers to the darker side by introducing islanders who have bizarre outlooks and questionable pasts. Nothing is what it seems to be and no one is who they say they are.The remoteness and isolation of the island only contribute to the rising sinister quality.

So watch out as Grady’s island life begins and he starts hearing/seeing the impossible, learns creepy island legends - until he feels as if he is going crazy, only to further drive us the readers, already teeming with questions and speculation into deeper bewilderment. An unreliable narrator at his best.

As I raced through to the end, my worst fears were confirmed and I realised how far from the truth I had been in my mind! The ending delivers a high octane climax and though some may find it hard to believe, it somehow totally works and I loved it. Trust Feeney to pull off the impossible!

Definitely a brilliant thriller read for your 2025 list! Run, dont walk if you a are a Feeney fan. She seems to be on an “opposite” words spree with her titles! (Good Bad Girl, Beautiful Ugly 😉)

There’s nothing new about the age-old missing woman trope, but Alice Feeney manages to put a whole new spin on it in this atmospheric read. The premise intrigued me, and having enjoyed her previous books I was excited to dive into this one.

I found the story took a while to get going, but after the first few chapters it really took off. The island was depicted so vividly and the author managed to sustain a sense of unease as Grady grappled with a series of unsettling events. I didn’t find him hugely likeable, but I was invested in what happened to him and in unravelling the mystery of what happened to Abby.

Overall I’d give the book a solid 3.5 rounded up to 4

Wow! What a book. An absolute page turner. I was totally hooked. I loved it so much. I couldn’t put it down.
A gripping and dark domestic thriller about marriage and revenge. Told in two POV’s from author Grady Green and his missing wife Abby.
On a day when Grady should be getting exciting news about his book, he finds out his wife has disappeared. A year later, still grieving Grady travels to the tiny Scottish island of Amberley, where nothing is what it seems and strange things happen and many odd behaving untrustworthy characters live on the island. He even thinks he sees his missing wife Abby.
This book has so many twists and has you on the edge of your seat, from the beginning to the end. With its clever plot, red herrings, eerie setting, suspense and unpredictably. Grady is an unreliable narrator. It’s hard to know what is real and what is imagined, adding to the mystery and tension.
The writing is engaging and I loved how the story developed. It’s thought provoking and chilling, and the atmospheric setting is so beautifully described.
I just loved it all. Definitely recommend if you enjoy this genre. I can’t wait to see what @alicewriterland writes next.
With thanks to #NetGallery #PanMacmillan for an arc of #BeautifulUgly in exchange for a honest review.
Book publishes 30 January 2025.

This book is a real page turner, it had me gripped right till the end. Set on a beautiful fictional island in Scotland, this thriller packs a punch. Abby, wife of Grady goes missing one night. Grady, struggling to move on goes to the remote island to write his new book, when he gets there everything is strange and he swears he keeps seeing his wife Abby. This author is brilliant at describing the the island, one minute its beautiful views, picture prefect land and the next its dark mist is creeping in ready to mess with Grady. The twist will keep you guessing and the ending was a great round up for an engaging mystery thriller

Round up to 3.5✨

The story follows Grady Green, an author haunted by the disappearance of his wife, who vanished a year ago after stopping to help a woman by the roadside. Her abandoned car was the only clue, leaving Grady trapped in a cycle of grief, sleepless nights, and creative paralysis. Desperate for a reset, he accepts his agent’s offer to stay in a secluded writing cabin on a remote Scottish island. But the island holds its own mysteries and chief among them, a woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to his missing wife.

The writing was hauntingly beautiful, immersing me in Grady’s fractured psyche as he grappled with loss, guilt, and the faint hope of moving forward. I was swept up in his mental and emotional unraveling, but the final twist left me conflicted. While the first 80% delivered a gripping, atmospheric journey, the conclusion felt far-fetched and undermined the story’s impact. I legitimately said HUH instead of what I wanted- which was to fall off my bed with shock. That said, the eerie tone and vivid prose kept me hooked, and I’ll still look forward to this author’s future works. A mesmerizing read, even if the ending fell short.

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney is the first book I've read by the popular British novelist for some time and I'm a bit torn about it. It's full of turmoil with a sinister undertone so for much of it there's a sense of suspense (and impending doom) which I loved, but as it nears its end there are some twists... and the premise becomes - perhaps - a little too far-fetched to be completely satisfying (taking this back from a 4 star to 3.5 star read for me).

Grady is in a bad mood when this book opens and comes off as a bit of a self-absorbed twat, but we learn it's because he's waiting to hear of the fate of his latest book. He'd expected his wife (Abby, a journalist) to be there when he got the call but she's running late and still enroute home. He also explains the pivotal role she plays in his life - the woman who made him believe in love and the woman who helped get him an agent and turn his world around... in some ways, crediting her with his success - or at least believing there's some correlation.

So her disappearance hits him badly. Fast forward a year and Grady is broke and unable to write. His agent (Abby's godmother) throws him a lifeline offering him an isolated cabin on an island - once the writing haven of another author who's since passed. It's a tad obvious what will happen when we learn the deceased author had been working on his 'best book ever' when he died, though it was never seen again.

Although this centres around Grady, his ability to 'write' and how that shapes his identity, Feeney manages to make this as much about the island and its inhabitants, imbuing in this a sinister undertone. Indeed Grady's spidey senses tingle from the moment he sets sail for the island but he's also beguiled by its beauty.

It's enroute to the island Grady first thinks he catches a glimpse of Abby, though slowly pushes those thoughts aside, realising he's sleep deprived and fanciful. Someone toys with him however, leaving him old newspaper articles by Abby, the subject of some potentially being residents he's met on the island. Which is where the creepiness factor steps up a gear.

<i>How could so many residents on the small island (coincidentally) be subjects of Abby's work as an investigative journalist?</i>

Adding tension are interwoven chapters narrated by Abby during a visit to a therapist a week before her disappearance. And it's in those chapters we learn more about her side of the marriage. This seemed straight forward but I later got confused because the story of how they met their husband, is exactly the same intro-story (#cutemeet) that another character shares, so I wondered if that WAS Abby?!  Potentially I am alone in that confusion but it threw me a little and I found the direction this takes to be a little outrageous before being again confused by the timing and pacing of the final chapter. Having said that I know others are LOVING this book, so it could be a 'me' thing.

3.5 stars

From up u till approx 85% through #BeautifulUgly I would be giving this amazing book a 10 out of 5! The way I connected with TMC and the style of writing really touched. I literally could not put it down.
Generally in every 10 or so books I read, I will make a note of a quote or a line that really resonates with me. In this 1 book alone I made 6 quotes. The grief our mc feels is so real, I felt every single second of his pain and loneliness.
The excitement or maybe mystery grabbed me more once our mc goes to stay on this remote Scottish Isle. Everyone there are all a bit weird yet Grady, is unsure whener it's them or him due to his mental state of health.
I had no idea where this was going, which is rare and excellent nowadays after reading so many books. Surely, I thought, how on earth can this all be solved??.. Sadly I hated the ending, I felt so let down. I'm not sure how I wish it couldve finished but just not this way. A pet peeve of mine is when feeling so connected to the mc and then find out as a reader I've been lied to. Such a shame.
This is my 1st book by #AliceFeeney and it won't be my last as the writing was so engaging. Really special.
Thank you #NetGalley for the arc. A 4.5 star rou ded to 5 stars

Grady Green is a bestselling author whose wife Abby disappeared over a year ago. She was an investigative journalist and Grady’s worried that she has been kidnapped or killed by someone she was investigating. He has been unable to write since. Told from both Grady and Abby’s POV’s this is a spine chiller of a read.

Briefly, Grady’s agent offers him the use of a cabin on the Island of Amberly off Scotland. It is a strange island with only 25 residents, a ferry service that runs irregularly, no phone or internet service and, it appears, no children or men! Grady is settled into the cabin, which had previously been occupied by a famous writer, and finding an unfinished book from the author he sets about editing it into his own. Grady thought he saw Abby on the ferry coming to the island and again on the island and when other strange events happen he thinks he’s losing his sanity.

This is a seriously tense and at times creepy book. Weird goings on and some brilliant twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat. A twisted tale as life gets stranger and stranger until a major revelation shocks both Grady and the reader! An excellent psychological thriller, very entertaining. And I’m still thinking about the last sentence in the book!

Beautiful Ugly is Alice Feeney at her absolute best.

I devoured this book, drawn into the story from the very first page and unable to put it down as the need to know what happened next was consuming me. This was a read that got under my skin in the best possible way, I could not turn the pages fast enough.

We follow author Grady Green as he is struggling to cope with the disappearance of his wife, now unable to write he retreats to an isolated cabin in a remote Scottish island that is home to only 25 permanent residents. Grady arrives to an idyllic, stunningly beautiful location and a cabin that literally looks out over the edge of the world, the perfect writing haven. But before long the island & its strange residents begin to appear far from idyllic; strange, weird and creepy things that are happening start consuming Grady but are they real, tricks of the mind, a slow decline of his mental state or something far more sinister.

Feeney has created a beautifully atmospheric story with an intriguing and compelling plot, you will struggle to know who or what to believe, made all the better as the author drip feeds us information from the characters & islands past. Speaking of the characters, they are fantastic, a real mixture of quirky, mysterious and unsettling individuals, their actions perfectly add to the mystery and suspense.

I was gripped from the very beginning of this story until the very last line, the tension and twists kept me on the edge of my seat and I felt the eeriness leap off the pages, the twists towards the end truly shocked me and caught me so off guard.
While this is a outstanding mystery/thriller it is also an brilliant look at the dark side of marriage, family, relationships, retribution, how isolation & solitude can be both beneficial and damaging.

A perfect exploration of how many things can be both Beautiful and Ugly.

I raced through this book in 2 days. It had me on the edge of my seat throughout, the twists and turns really kept me guessing right to the end. I loved the ending, as dark as it was! The whole vibe of the island and it’s people was truly creepy and sinister and there was an underlying sense of threat throughout that highlights just how great the author is at building atmosphere and suspense. This is by far my favourite of Alice’s books and I will be recommending it to everyone.

I had heard a lot about this book on TikTok & boy did it live up to the hype!
This book will go far in 2025!
Amazing read.

Initially this took me a bit to get into but I am glad I continued. It was a highly enjoyable read with an ending that creeped me out so I call that a win.

The story revolves around Grady who is a writer who absolutely loves his job and his wife Abby who is a journalist. While waiting for his publishers to call him about his latest book and for his wife to arrive home from work to join him in the celebrations he gets a call from her to say she's on her way and running late. Suddenly while on the phone he hears his wife brake suddenly. She has come across a body of a woman lying on the road. Despite warning her not to get out of the car when she's alone Grady hears her open her car door and call to the stranger then nothing. Abby was nearly home when she last called so he runs to see if he can get to her car. When he does he finds her car but his wife has disappeared. What has happened Abby? Grady spends the rest of the book figuring out how to move on but the ghost of his wife and her disappearance haunts him.

His editor Kitty send him to a remote Island so he can get away from things and maybe get his writing juices flowing and when he sets upon the island of Amberly he finds the quiet space he needed to write but its not long before visions of his wife find him and the island is not what it seems...

Very enjoyable mystery.

Grady's life changes dramatically when the same night his dreams come true, his wife disappears.

Now, one year later he can't write, he doesn't have any money, or house, in an attempt to get his life back he retreats in a small Scottish island in hopes that he can write once again. But from the moment he sets foot in the island he experienced something very strange, he sees a woman that looks exactly like his wife.

I can't share much about this book, because I really don't want to spoil it. So I will keep this review a bit vague.

The pace of the plot is a bit slow at first but the more the story processes the more you can see and understand about what is happening in this small island.

There are a number of twists that are revealed one at a time, I figured out some aspects of the mystery but the biggest secret was very nicely hidden through the story.

I enjoyed how the plot was developed and the finale was truly amazing, I definitely recommend giving this book a try, and then let's take about it.


* I received an ARC and this is my honest opinion

Firstly thankyou NetGalley and pan macmillan for honouring me with this masterpiece of a book before release date. I was fortunate enough to get this arc copy, as a devote Alice feeney fan that has read all of her book I can hands down say this is her best one yet and she is bringing 2025 in with a bang.

Now for the review.

My Summary

It follows Grady a struggling author trying to navigate his life after his wife all of a sudden goes missing, he is given the opportunity to go to a remote island to focus on his work to try and bring a comeback to his writing career before it’s too late.

My Review

Starting this book i opened it open minded I didn’t know what the book was about and I’m so glad I didn’t because it made it even better, I was hooked from the first page but also the anted to savour each chapter as I didn’t want the story to end, Alice gave me a false sense of trust 🤣 *this is a joke* I read the book completely forgetting that Alice will have you reading her book thinking you know the plot and you just thet for a good time when in true style 🙂your humbled with twist after twist. I’m not adding spoilers as I feel everyone should have the right to experience the turmoil of this book. Did it feel like I was Grady in a fever daze as he’s trying to write a book and be part of a close knit society yes. Do I want to live on the island also yes. The moral of the island and th story of the island of how it become is a beautiful entity of protecting something that isn’t broken. I would 100% recommend this book, be prepared your gonna be in for wild ride.

Thanks to NetGallley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book a bit slow to start but saying that I was invested enough to keep reading and then I NEEDED to know what was going on and what had happened to Grady’s wife!! So many strange goings on had me baffled and looking for answers and I did not guess the twist which shocked me!!!

Alice Feeney can be hit or miss for me but this one was definitely a hit!!!

This was a rollercoaster ride I DID NOT want to get off! Twists, turns and gasps! What more do you want?!