A highly accomplished shift of tone from an author I admire with a sense of creeping dread and compelling atmosphere.

Thankyou for giving me early access to this book. This was a great thriller. Good writing style and characters in this story.

Alice Feeney’s books are always my go to thrillers! The creepiness and suspense factors are incredible! This book was as amazing as I expected!

Alice Feeney has been one of my favourite authors for quite a while and books like Beautiful Ugly is the reason why! This had everything I wanted from a mystery and then some. Once I started reading I couldn't stop, I was kept on my toes for the entirety of the novel and the end had me shook! It was clever, engaging, mysterious, atmospheric, twisty and just so, so good! I'm going to keep this short and sweet as to not give anything away and to just make you go and read it! A favourite of 2025 for sure!


Thank you SO much to Pan Macmillan for this advanced copy and making this bookstagrammer very, very happy!

An interesting read, first chapter pulled me right in and I was desperate to know what happened but I did feel the pace slowed quite a bit and almost became a bit repetitive, some good twists but none of the characters were particularly likeable (apart from Columbo the dog!).
I enjoyed it and it kept me wanting to discover the truth but I preferred Rock Paper Scissors.
3.5 stars from me.

An interesting take on a domestic thriller, where you're never sure what's going on. Is it the truth or a lie? Reality or an hallucination? The atmosphere is claustrophobic and the characters all mysterious.
Don't read it while you travel on a remote island...

This one has it all - the ambiance, the mystery, and ultimately the setting of Amberley just played out in front of my eyes. There were horror elements as well as a chilling undercurrent that was there on every page and it really intrigued me. I’m so glad I listened to this on audio as the narrator was incredible but those little extras really added to the experience and it definitely gave the creep factor. Alice Feeney really knows how to build the suspense and gives you just enough to keep you listening. The characters are well developed and just bring there own in terms of adding to the storyline. It might verge on unbelievable but I think the author took it just far enough to make it believable and to keep you engaged. It’s definitely a well thought out, unique storyline has many a twists and turns and it comes together well.

Thanks to Netgalley and Pam Macmillan for the opportunity to read and review #BeautifulUgly

Where and how to begin this review, my mind is well and truly blown 🤯. One of my favourite authors, I always look forward to the next release and it always astonishes me how much she excels herself with each book.

This was so tense at times, not to mention scary. The radiator incident completely freaked me out, initially I was feeling the story was going somewhere else, so it was a complete surprise.

There was so much going on, I loved all the characters, but at times, I did get frustrated with Annie for not standing up to the twins more, but all of the characters worked well together and I was constantly chopping and changing my opinion on them, especially Jasmine!

The main twist was awesome, completely out of the blue and unexpected, I never even saw a hint of a clue with that. I don’t want to risk spoilers as I just want to gush about it, it was just bloody brilliant!

This is a must read if you want a thriller full of family drama, gaslighting, deceit, misdirection, twists.

Y’all need to add this to your TBR!

What a brilliant read! I absolutely love Alice Feeney, and have thoroughly enjoyed all go her books.

I was gripped from the start and really loved this book. Lots of twists and turns which I did not see coming. I would highly recommend this and Alice's other books too. I can't wait to read whatever comes next. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read.

As someone who has devoured everything Alice Feeney has written, this novel exceeds the high bar she's already set—dark, intricate, and masterfully crafted.
The narrative centers on author Grady Green, still haunted by his wife Abby's unexplained disappearance a year prior. Seeking solitude and inspiration, he escapes to a remote Scottish island that quickly proves anything but peaceful. Feeney excels at transforming the setting into another character—initially captivating but gradually revealing its menacing undercurrents.
I found myself utterly engrossed. Grady's deteriorating psychological state kept me questioning every detail: Are his visions genuine? Is his perception of reality crumbling? The supporting characters are exceptionally developed—each eccentric, guarded, and contributing fresh tension to the narrative.
Feeney's signature plot twists caught me completely off-guard. Just when I thought I'd unraveled the mystery, she introduced something entirely unexpected that had me audibly reacting. The conclusion is shockingly brilliant—unexpected yet satisfying.
"Beautiful Ugly" delves deeply into grief, obsession, and the shadowy aspects of human connection. It stands among my favorite reads this year. For anyone drawn to psychological thrillers that challenge your perceptions repeatedly, this book delivers magnificently. Once again, Feeney demonstrates why she remains at the forefront of the genre.

Oh my god. This is an amazing book. Run and read it straight away. The odd setting and absorbing final chapters are so worth it. 100%

I finished this book because I always do but I was relieved when I got to the end. It was clear that Abby's disappearance didn't happen quite the way it seems and Grady was obviously the unreliable narrator in the book. From the point at which he gets to the island I just found the plot too far fetched. Amberley is fictitious but I'm not sure why it had to be so unbelievable. A butcher's, a bakers, general store, pub, it was better served than most villages on the mainland! I don't mind a convoluted revenge scenario but I'm afraid that this went a little too far for me.

Author Grady Green's wife went missing while on the phone to him, and a year later he is struggling to cope financially, has writers block and still has no idea where she has gone. His agent, Kitty, suggests he uses her writers cabin on a remote Scottish island, where there's only 25 people and no phone signal, as he loves the isolation when writing. But as soon as he arrives, strange things start to happen. Is his exhausted brain playing tricks or is something else happening?

This is a slow burn standalone thriller with a lot of plot elements similar to The Wicker Man. As with Alice Feeney's other books, there's twist after twist towards the end of the book and I spent the second half of the book trying to guess them. Most of which I never stood a chance of working out which I love! It does get really dark towards the end too and I love the little Easter Egg that gets explained and gave me a thrill to go back and see if it was in the book I was reading, not just the one that Grady is writing with the same title.

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney is such a fun, twisted ride! The story follows Grady, whose wife, Abby, mysteriously disappears, leaving behind a lot of unanswered questions. A year later, he finds a woman who looks just like her on a secluded island, and trust me, things get crazy from there.

Feeney's writing is sharp and full of suspense, with twists that’ll have you gasping. The characters are messy and complicated (in the best way), and it’s one of those books that keeps you guessing until the very last page. If you're into psychological thrillers with dark secrets, a touch of mystery, and major plot twists, this one’s for you!

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

There's no need to be afraid of the dead, it's the living that you have to watch out for...

The day Grady Green becomes a New York Times best selling author is the worst best day of his life.

While awaiting the news that he has made the bestseller author list, Grady calls his wife Abby as she makes her way home from work in London. When he hears her slam on the brakes and go silent he is worried something has happened to her. She tells him that there is someone lying in the road and that she is going to check on them to which he implores her not to. But Abby can't leave someone laying there. What if it had been her? Surely he'd want someone to stop for her? And so he hears her get out of the car and walk away. As the minutes tick by, there remains silence - all but the ticking of her indicator still blinking.

Arriving at the scene, Grady finds his wife's car, her phone still on and the promised celebratory fish and chips on the front seat. But no sign of Abby. And no sign of anyone in the road. It's as if she's vanished into thin air. What on earth happened on that cliff road? And where on earth is Abby?

One year later, Grady is still overcome by grief and hasn't been able to write since Abby disappeared. So when his agent Kitty (also Abby's godmother) offers him a writing retreat on the remote Scottish Isle of Amberley. Grady figures what has he got to lose. The island is so remote, it only has twenty five residents and offers the silence and seclusion he always longs for to write.

He arrives on the Scottish isle with his trusted companion Columbo, a black labrador, after a rough ferry crossing and the self-appointed sheriff and ferrymaster Sandy drives him to the secluded cabin that once belonged to famed author Charles Whittaker before his untimely death, thus bequeathing this little cabin to Kitty in his will. Grady welcomed the tranquility and seclusion, hoping it will kickstart his writing. At least, he did at first.

But then strange things began happening. The strangest of all being when he sees a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife Abby! Until he looks again and she's gone. Did he really see her? Or is he so sleep deprived he is hallucinating?

Despite the strange goings on (of which there are plenty), Grady manages to churn out what he believes to be his best book yet - which he titles "Beautiful Ugly" - and sends it off to Kitty. And then he makes plans to leave the island. But he soon finds no one is forthcoming with ferry times or even about him leaving the island. And soon, Grady begins to wonder whether coming to Amberley was the best thing for him at all?!

The Isle of Amberley is a strange place. It is six miles long and five miles wide (I don't do miles as I'm metric but even I know that isn't very big) with a total population of twenty five residents. But that's not the strangest thing about them (I'll leave that one for you to discover). And yet, there is no phone signal, no landlines, no internet, no connection with the outside world. Even the ferry runs just twice a week (weather permitting) and there is no timetable for the ferry out...because "no one leaves Amberley".

First off, a huge THANK YOU to Alice Feeney for NOT injuring or killing off Columbo, Grady's trusted black labrador and companion. There was a moment there when Grady told Columbo that he had to leave him there (in the cabin) as it would be quicker without him and I started getting anxious. NO! Don't leave him behind! And I had visions of him returning to finding Columbo missing or something worse. But thankfully (no spoilers), this didn't happen and Columbo is alive and well. Injuring or killing off a beloved pet such as a loving companionable dog is a big no-no for me in books and I have been known to stop reading the moment it happens, never to finish it. So THANK YOU!!

There are so many layers to this intricate psychological thriller by one of the biggest Queens of Twist authors. And the beautiful setting of a remote Scottish island is both atmospheric and claustrophobic at the same time. It's tranquility and isolation are used masterfully giving the air of an illusionary calm. It isn't long before Grady begins to notice strange goings on and the hallucinatory visions he sees has him questioning what's real and what's not. But it's not only Grady that is questioning the reality but the reader as well. And one has to ask, is someone playing mind games or is Grady finally cracking under the grief of losing Abby? And yet everyone behaves oddly and everything just feels off.

There's a tension that is palpable throughout with a spooky and sinister undertone that is both chilling and eerie. Which is only made moreso by the unreliable narration that we didn't know was unreliable. But who is unreliable and who is reliable? And the plot twist?! I'm not just saying that - it really DOES have a great plot twist! But buckle up, because nothing is as it seems on the Isle of Amberley. It's like the Hotel California - you can check out any time you want but you can never leave.

Feeney delivers some cliched quotes that pepper the story throughout but in a way that tells the story that is unfolding before our eyes. There are some very clever witty quotes and some you have to re-read to try and get your head around. The most memorable quote of the entire book is the very last line, delivered with maximum effect and jaw-dropping realisation.

A dark tale about marriage and revenge but with a devious and unique twist.

I would like to thank #AliceFeeney, #Netgalley and #FlatironBooks for an ARC of #BeautifulUgly in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

One minute author Grady Green is on top of the world the next his world comes crashing down. He has not been able to write anything since that fateful day. However his agent is determined to get him writing a best seller again and suggests he hole up in a cottage she owns on an isolated Scottish island. Peace with no distractions could be just what he needs.

In Beautiful Ugly, as with most Alice Feeney books darkness descends more or less as soon as you start reading. Then following our protagonist a year later mystery continues to linger just like the mist I envisage surrounding the eerie Scottish island he is about to arrive at. For most of the book I had no idea what was going on...in a good way and I was happy to just go along for the ride and wait for Feeney to reveal more along the way. I was so immersed in the island's atmosphere and the local's quirks that I didn't even realise something that was staring me right in the face. I did suspect a small part of where the story was headed but couldn't quite fit it together with everything else. After revelling in the slow burn twistiness of Grady's time on the island I was slightly disappointed by the speed of the reveals at the end but then the final crescendo was highly satisfying. I love a book within a book and Feeney played this to perfection in that it added an extra something to the thrilling plot, I just hope she didn't write it from experience!

Thank you for letting me read a digital copy of this amazing book. Alice Feeney, all I can say is “wow”! What an incredible story you’ve written. It was fantastic. I didn’t expect the twists at the end but they were perfect. I look forward to the next book. Thank you.

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeny is as craftily plotted and twisty as one has come to expect of the Queen-of-twists.

The night Grady Green’s latest thriller makes it to the New York Times bestsellers list is also the night his wife vanishes. The disappearance, with no clue as to whether she is dead or alive, wrecks Grady’s life, draining his creative juices and making him a pauper. After a year of despair, Grady accepts the lifeline thrown by his agent, also his wife’s godmother, which will let him occupy the cabin of a deceased writer on a remote island off the Scottish coast and attempt to write again. With a resident population of twenty-five – no visitors for much of the year – and a tenuous connection with the mainland, the remote but picturesque island seems ideal for someone like Grady. But his stay on the island is marked by occurrences that rapidly rob Grady of his sanity – from visions of his wife to ominous messages – and it seems that his leaving the island alive is impossible.

Beautiful Ugly features Feeny’s trademark unreliable narrators and a storytelling that leads the reader away from the truth. The characters are well-crafted, but none of them, barring Columbo, Grady's dog, are much likeable. While it begins well enough, with the wife’s disappearance and the husband’s deterioration followed by plans of redemption, the plot slackens once Grady starts living on the island and picks up towards the end. The twists and the revelations towards the end are unexpected, albeit stretching plausibility at times, and the finish is satisfactory if somewhat darker than expected. If I have to compare, Feeny's previous, Good Bad Girl, was far more enjoyable due to its excellent set of characters in addition to the other Feeny features. Nevertheless, I liked Beautiful Ugly for its unreliable narration, eerie setting, and the twists that Feeny invariably delivers and would rate it 3.5 out of 5.

I would like to thank Pan Macmillan for the digital review copy of Beautiful Ugly through NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.

This was a twisty, atmospheric read full of eerie moments, curious character and just the right amount of mystery to keep you guessing. Grady Green makes for a compelling, flawed protagonist, and his unraveling journey adds depth to the spooky plot. The story starts with a chilling disappearance and only gets stranger from there. While there were times the pacing could’ve picked up, especially in the middle, the slow build did help to create a haunting, suspenseful tone. The island setting added an extra layer of creepiness. A solid pick for fans of psychological thrillers with a supernatural edge.

The beginning of the book gripped me as we meet Grady and find out his wife has disappeared without a trace and a year after his agent is sending him to an island to help him get back into writing another book and resuming his career. From here we see him spiralling and wandering what’s real and what isn’t real and then suddenly there are many twists and turns especially towards the end which make it a bit hard to follow along with all the new things being thrown at you.