Grady Green is a bestselling author who's wife goes missing while he's on the phone with her one night. He's tortured by her disappearance - and running out of money. So when his agent suggests he stays in an old cabin on a remote Scottish island to write his next book, he jumps at the chance - and then he starts seeing things...

Beautiful Ugly has an intriguing premise, but it's a very slow burn, which is frustrating when you start figuring out aspects of the plot chapters and chapters ahead of the main character. It might be different if he was a wonderful person to spend time with, but he's not really. I enjoyed finding out the truth about the island, but it wasn't the kind of plausible twist that makes you go 'oh that makes sense, I must tell my friends about it'. Perhaps I simply wasn't the right reader for this one.

I did enjoy this book and found the mystery intriguing but felt it just too far fetched. I’d have given it a 3.5 though.

THIS. WAS. SO. GOOD. I felt as though every time I walked away from this one I couldn't stop thinking about how Grady was getting on in his cabin in the woods - a strange mix of a horror like setting, with some unsetting psychological dilemmas - is Grady mad or is there something more at play? A missing wife, and a strange bunch of people on the island...What isn't to love?! I was left jaw dropped at the end and can't wait to read whatever Alice Feeney writes next!

I am a huge Alice Feeney fan, and this book is potentially my second favourite of all that she’s written. Brilliant characterisation of the island - wouldn’t mind taking a one way trip to Amberly myself one day!

Alice Feeney delivers yet another masterful thriller in Beautiful Ugly, a deliciously dark tale of love, marriage, and revenge set against the eerie backdrop of a remote Scottish island. Brilliantly twisty, this novel keeps you on the edge of your seat, questioning not only the characters’ realities but your own. Feeney’s storytelling is razor-sharp, her characters complex, and her pacing relentless. I devoured this book in just a few days, unable to put it down.

The story centers on Grady Green, a celebrated author whose life is shattered when his wife, Abby, vanishes. On what should have been the best day of his life, Grady calls Abby to share exciting news. Moments later, he hears her slam on the brakes, get out of her car, and then—silence. He finds her abandoned car by a cliff edge, headlights on, door ajar, phone left behind. Abby is gone without a trace. A year later, consumed by grief and desperate for answers, Grady retreats to a small Scottish island to reset. But then he encounters the unthinkable—a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife.

Feeney masterfully explores themes of identity, love, and the cracks in seemingly perfect marriages. The island’s brooding atmosphere mirrors the tension bubbling beneath the surface of Grady’s psyche. Each twist and revelation will leave you questioning who to trust and what is real, much like Grady himself.

This was my first encounter with Feeney’s work, but it certainly won’t be my last. Her ability to create a story that is as haunting as it is addictive is unparalleled. If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers that leave you breathless, Beautiful Ugly is an absolute must-read. Nothing on this island—or in this story—is quite what it seems.

Grady is an author and Abby is an investigative journalist. They are happily married … or are they?

When Abby disappears one night, Grady is lost without her and hasn’t written a book since. His agent, Kitty, suggests he goes to stay on a Scottish island called
Amberly, she owns a cabin that was last owned by another author.

With his dog, Columbo, Grady heads off to Amberly to try and clear his head and write his next bestseller.

With strange goings-on from the moment he steps foot onto Amberly, will Grady settle on the island? Why does he think he keeps on seeing his wife?

The story is told over two different points of view - Grady’s and Abby’s. Just when I thought I was putting it all together, I was proven wrong.

The characters are intriguing and I loved Cora, who came across as quite eccentric. Interesting backgrounds to many of the residents of Amberly.

There are a lot of twists and red herrings in this story, which help to make this such a great and dark thriller.

My thanks to Pan MacMillan and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Dark, twisty and slightly spooky, this is totally enthralling. I honestly had no idea what was going to happen or if the narrator was hallucinating. Alice Feeney is a total queen of atmospheric thrillers.

Alice Feeney’s Beautiful Ugly is a dark and twisty tale that had me hooked from the first page. Feeney’s trademark blend of psychological suspense and raw emotion is on full display here, with a story that’s as haunting as it is beautifully written. The characters are flawed and deeply human, making their journey all the more compelling. If you’re looking for a thriller that’s equal parts chilling and thought-provoking, this one’s for you! Picking for our bookclub, 2,400 members!

This novel is full of the most incredible twists and turns. It was utterly gripping and kept me guessing - I couldn’t put it down and couldn’t work out what was going on. I absolutely loved around 90% of this book but the ending didn’t quite do it for me and just left me a little unsatisfied.

3.75⭐️

This book was crazy. It started out a bit slow, and the secluded setting quickly made me feel uneasy, especially the characters in it. Once I hit the 50% mark I read it one sitting, things were getting weirder and weirder. However I didn’t feel satisfied by the ending for some reason. But definitely a wild ride and would recommend if you want a fun fast paced thriller. I would love to see this as a movie!!

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this arc.

This was good!!! I had a good time with it. It’s possibly one of my faves now by Alice Feeney. I will definitely be recommending this book!

A creepy setting where nothing is what it seems, and a sinister tale of revenge that knows no bounds, Beautiful Ugly kept me enthralled to the bitter unexpected end. A lot of the plot was very far fetched but Feeney is such a brilliant wordsmith that you just go along with it. Brilliant!

Grady Green has just become a NYT Bestseller, but as he's celebrating his wife disappears while still on the phone to him.

As Grady struggles with his grief his ability to write suffers so when one year on, his agent suggests a writing retreat he feels he has nothing to lose. Grady travels to the tiny remote Scottish island with his faithful pooch Columbo by his side and from even before he boards the ferry there's something unsettling about the island. He sees someone who looks exactly like his missing wife but that's impossible, it must be just the pure exhaustion right?


"Wives think their husbands will change, but they don't.

Husbands think their wives won't change, but they do."


This was my favourite quote from this book, like all Alice Feeney stories I was guessing the twist the whole way through. This was full of creepy island vibes where nothing is what it seems. I absolutely loved this book, it kept me second guessing the whole time! Dual POV, creepy island, and a story that keeps you on your toes. This is one I'll definitely read again!

Thank you to Netgalley and PanMacmillan for providing me with an ARC of this book. As always opinions provided are my own.

My first Alice Feeney book and i gotta say I wasn't disappointed in the slightest. The writing was anything I've ever read in a thriller books, in a positive way ofc. The writing in this book was poetic! Even though the plot twist and the whole story felt lacking but the writing really made up for it. I just hoped the side characters could've been given some more development.

I have heard good things about Alice Feeney books but I dont think this is the book to introduce new readers to them as this was so boring.

I've had a longstanding love/hate relationship with psychological thrillers but I can somehow never pass up an Alice Feeney story. Even if, judging by the book description, 'Beautiful Ugly' had the potential to be extremely predictable. Well, it's not quite that. But more on that later.

In short, Grady's wife goes missing. Or does she? She could be dead? Or is she? A year later and, as an author, Grady really needs to deliver a new book to his publisher. But without, Abby, his missing-presumed-dead wife, by his side, writing just isn't happening. His agent, conveniently also Abby's godmother, sends him to a cabin on a very, very remote Scottish island. And it is there that Grady is convinced he sees a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife. I'm assuming you see what I meant about the potential for predictability. But again, more on that later.

Grady is rather unlikeable, in my most humble opinion. I found him somewhat narcissistic; everything is about him and other people should just adjust. Despite claiming he lacked confidence, he came across as quite arrogant. I'd probably dump him somewhere remote too. That said, the island is an odd place. Alice Feeney uses every possible trick in the book (ha, see what I did there?) to keep the reader guessing from beginning to end. Strange things are happening but Grady suffers from insomnia, has a bit of a drinking problem, and may just find himself slightly addicted to a local brew of tea. Any of these may cause hallucinations, bad dreams, going totally crazy, and thus turn Grady into quite the unreliable narrator.

Through some flashback chapters, the reader gets an insight into Abby and her feelings towards Grady, and their marriage. For some reason, I didn't find her particularly likeable either. And that definitely became worse with one of the many (many) reveals later on in the book. I quite quickly lost interest in whatever happened to her. Nor did I really care about Grady, but I did want him to find out about the mysteries surrounding the island he found himself on. That part most definitely intrigued me.

I would for sure hand out bonus points and biscuits to Feeney for the isolated and atmospheric setting. Somehow this island nearly felt like a character all on its own, with the most delightful threatening vibe and a real sense of doom. The local residents seemed rather intimidating and I desperately wanted to know what they were hiding. 'Beautiful Ugly' had me hooked for the longest time.

But then ... Well, there's really no other way to describe it but to say this tale went entirely off the rails. So much for predictability. Queen of Twists, Alice Feeney may be. But sometimes too much is just too much. Some parts even stopped making sense to me, and it's never a good thing when I try to over-analyse what I've been reading. Up until that point, I was truly enjoying this one though. Shout-out to the dog!

So, all in all, an entertaining and super twisty story about marriage, revenge, and never truly knowing someone. It's dark, and often rather absurd. But if you like locked room mysteries and you're able to just go with the flow, you'll have a good time with this one. For me, nothing here has stopped me from picking up Alice Feeney's next book.

I am a big fan of Feeney's work, and this book did not disappoint!
It is a great mystery where nothing is what it seems to be. I loved the characters - although un likeable, I couldn't help being drawn to, and fascinated by them, especially Grady. The setting was perfect and it added so much mystery and darkness to the story, it was really well done.
And do we want to talk about THE twist? It honestly gave a a headache and I had to spend 10 minutes staring in the void and regroup all my thoughts, trying to make sense of what I'd just read. It was perfection.
And as always, Feeney's writing was easy to follow and engaging, a perfect combination for binge reading!

Thank you NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh. My. Word. What a ride! I loved this book — Grady’s descent into hallucinations and paranoia. The increasingly sinister, almost gothic vibe around the island. And the twists! I did not see that coming. Thoroughly enjoyable read.

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!