Rating: 4.5/5

Over the past few years Alice Feeney has become one of my favourite writers. She not only manages produce standalone novels that are markedly different from one another, but she also has an almost magical way of delivering a story that is not always the one I had anticipated reading at the outset. However, that is no bad thing as I always enjoy the voyage of discovery and "Beautiful Ugly" is no exception.

There are some echoes of Stephen King's "The Shining" in the premise, with Grady, an author struggling to rediscover his writing mojo, taking himself off to a remote location in search of solitude and inspiration, but although "Beautiful Ugly" contains a leitmotif of otherworldliness that wouldn't be out of place in a Stephen King book, this is certainly no facsimile.

The remote backdrop of the Scottish island of Amberly is described in a wonderfully evocative fashion that really helps to transport the reader into that setting. The cast of characters is drawn in an equally impressive manner, so that each one steps out from the page. As ever in Alice Feeney's novels, the plot is well-crafted and takes unexpected turns, which will almost certainly blindside most of the audience, but without cheating the reader - the clues are there, they simply need to be picked up on. Another great read from Alice Feeney and I am already looking forward to the next one.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

“You can only rearrange the furniture of your life a number of times before things look the same as they did.”

Grady Green gets the best news - his latest book just made the NY Times bestseller list! However, his reverie is cut short when, on the phone to his wife, Abby, she disappears.

A year later Grady is still grief stricken; he’s struggling to sleep, let alone write. His life is falling apart. He’s handed a lifeline when his agent offers the use of a cabin on the beautiful island of Amberley, Scotland.

But once there, Grady gets the impression not everything is as idyllic as it first appeared. That can’t be his wife he keeps catching glimpses of .. can it?

I really enjoyed this one - another I devoured in a single day. I thought the pace was perfect, balancing slow-building tension with bursts of high-stakes revelations. The slow unraveling of Grady’s mental state parallels the escalating suspense, culminating in a shocking, yet satisfying, climax that I did not see coming.

Feeney excels in creating complex, unreliable narrators, and Grady is no exception. His grief over Abby’s disappearance is present on every page. Abby, though physically absent for much of the story, is brought to life through flashbacks that explore the cracks in her seemingly perfect marriage. The inhabitants of Amberly are equally compelling - layered with secrets that enhance the novel’s creeping sense of unease. I got real Wicker Man vibes at times!

I’m again intrigued by Feeney’s use of Americanisms (something I first noticed in Good Bad Girl) - favorite, realize, fall etc.

It’s a dark, twisty, and beautifully written psychological thriller that kept me enthralled until the final pages. Prepare to be captivated - and to question everything you think you know.

A huge thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan for the advance copy. Beautiful Ugly is out January 30th (UK)

Oh Alice, you take me through the wringer every time. Beautiful Ugly felt like a carnival hall of mirrors, I didn't know what was real, what was imagined, or which way was up! I loved the setting of remote Scottish island and the subtle creepiness that I decided EVERYONE had.

The story gave me Wicker Man vibes, and at one point I had to put the book down and say (aloud to my husband who didn't have a clue) "Noo, that didn't just happen"!

I'm writing this review after lack of sleep as I was up way after my bedtime finishing it last night. Thank you for a thrilling, trippy escapade!

I was excited to hear about this latest Alice Feeney book. I have read her books in the past and enjoyed them, but I'm afraid I found this not one of her best. Grady Green is an author, and has just heard some exciting news. He calls his wife as she is driving, on her way home. As she is speaking to him, he hears her slam on her brakes, the car door opens, her footsteps walk away, and then nothing. He goes out and finds the car, but his wife is missing.
One year later Grady is still grieving, unable to sleep, eat properly or write. His publisher recommends a cabin where he can stay to write in peace. It is on a remote Scottish island where no one will bother him. He agrees to go, he will try anything to get his life back, While on the island, he sees a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife.
I didn't find the characters in the book particularly likeable, they all seemed selfish and only concerned with what they wanted. There was a twist at the end of the book, but I had guessed it before I got there. A little disappointing.

When author Grady’s wife Abby goes missing he’s distraught. She was talking to him on the phone one minute and then she was gone. One year later, Grady is lost without Abby and his publicist sends him to a remote island to write.
On the Isle of Amberley strange things start to happen and Grady is more confused than when he went. This is a well written book from Alice Feeney that twists and turns. I was left with questions hence the four stars not five.

This book was promising and led me into it's depths. Good writing, interesting characters. However, the ending seemed rushed and not very believable and thee were elements that I felt didn't add up, which spoilt the end of the book for me.

Thank you so, so much to Netgalley, Alice Feeney, and her publishers for the ARC. Even though I had issues with the format on my reader, I finally managed to read it on my computer and I have really enjoyed it.

Even though at first it might seem to be a slow-paced one, this thriller gets your attention the more Grady, the protagonist, immerses himself in the Isle of Amberly. I love the way Feeney never misses out on keeping the reader hooked up to her stories and this one is not an exception, for there are too many surprises along the road.

I have to admit that I hadn’t read a book by Alice Feeney before. Of course, I’ve seen lots of her books in bookstores, on Goodreads, on social media, etc., etc. but somehow, I was never attracted to the blurb enough to pick one up. That’s a shame because I really liked Beautiful Ugly.

I always love authors who throw around snippets and make me feel lost while reading until I start connecting the dots. Alice Feeney’s writing has a certain kind of eeriness in it, and I read the story breathlessly—some twists I didn’t see coming, and my heart jumped in my throat once in a while.

After reading this book, I’ll probably be tempted to buy one of Alice’s books whenever I see one of her books in a store. I love it when an author makes me feel like that!

It's been years since I read an Alice Feeney book because the last one I read-- I Know Who You Are --was so bad that it really put me off. But she's gained an impressive fan base since then; enough to make me want to try another. So here we are.

And I can now feel confident in my decision to avoid the author's books. Beautiful Ugly is simply one of those types of thrillers I never like and, for some reason, are extremely popular. The Freida Mcfadden-type thrillers where weak characters, loose plotting, everything is built around a wacky twist that of course you didn’t see coming because it’s so ludicrous.

We open Beautiful Ugly to struggling author Grady detailing his wife's disappearance a year ago. While on the phone to him, she saw a woman lying by the side of the road, got out to help her, and hasn't been seen since. Her car was found abandoned at the roadside.

Now, Grady is tortured by what happened to her. He can't sleep. Can't write. When his agent offers him a unique opportunity-- to live in the remote writing cabin of a much-loved and deceased author --even moving to a strange little island seems worth it if he can rescue his career.

The premise is interesting and there is enough in the first half that is compelling and eerie to make me give this two stars instead of just one. But there is not a single character worth caring about and, in fact, I cared less about both Grady and Abby the more I read about them. Plus, the further I got into the book, the more the implausibility mounted.

Everything is built up around the twist, and the truth is that I just couldn't believe in it. Part of the explanation of events made me laugh out loud because it was so bizarre and silly. Many characters behaved in a way that didn't make sense. And when we got to the whole island backstory, my god... what a convoluted mess.

I like a good twist as much as anyone, but it is not enough, for me, for it to be shocking. It also has to be somewhat believable.

A dark pacy thriller with marriage issues, isolation and seclusion. Grady is a best selling novelist whose wife dissappears and as he begins writing books again he is after a secluded location for him and his dog. He moves to a island but it holds more secrets than Grady could ever imagine. Fast paced, breathtakingly atmospheric.

I’ve only read one novel by Alice Feeney so far which I really enjoyed but wasn’t sure what to make of the ending. Thus I was curious to see what I would think of this novel. It’s very clear to me that she can write atmosphere so well. Her descriptions are great and I could picture everything clearly in my head. The atmosphere here is eery and Alice Feeney writes plot twists so well. It took some time until the plot really got going but I enjoyed the journey and will read more by the author in the future.

I have loved all of Alice Feeneys books and this one is no exception!
Beautiful Ugly is the most creepy and atmospheric psychological thriller that I’ve read in a long time and the ending is absolutely brilliant!
I shall certainly be recommending this to my friends and family, and can’t wait for Alice Feeneys next book!

For me a book of two halves - the first had real promise but I’m sorry, the second just missed the mark leaving everything a bit disappointing
Grady Green is at home waiting to hear if he has made it on to the New York best sellers list, he is also waiting for his wife Abby to return home. She is close by driving home from her latest job as an ivestigative journalist.
Abby and Grady are speaking on the phone when Abby tells him that she can see a body lying in the road ahead. Grady tells her to stay in the car and call for help. However she goes to see if she can help and that is the last that Grady sees of her - she disappears without a trace although her red cost is found by the police
A year later and still struggling with the loss, unable to write his agent loans him an isolated cabin on a remote Scottish island . He is troubled by insomnia, sleep deprived he begins to see Abby. But is she real or is he hallucinating?

Grady, having achieved success writing his first book, has been speaking to his wife Abby on the phone while she is driving home. However, she suddenly brakes, gets out of the car, and when he reaches the scene she is nowhere to be seen.

The story takes place one year later, with Grady suffering deep depression and unable to write due to Abby’s disappearance. Mainly told from Grady’s viewpoint and taking his editor’s advice, he travels to Amberly, a remote Scottish island hoping to regain his writing skills.

At first the island seems a refuge, but strange things start happening, Janice Feeney skilfully bringing a sinister element of danger, adding mystery and intrigue to this gripping plot. Short chapters helping to keep up the pace.

Characters are well described, and you begin to feel empathy with Grady as he interacts with the other islanders. The setting is beautiful but eerie, with surrounding overpowering tall dark trees, strange sounds and mysterious happenings, although seems far-fetched at times.

This is a gripping, atmospheric twisty plot, which keeps you turning the pages. The ending is unexpected, and dramatic.

Just like is typical for Alice Feeney, this book is full of twists, turns and shocks and it had me gasping out loud!!! The imagery in this story was amazing and the whole atmosphere was eerie and dramatic. I really enjoyed this one.

This was a 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I was excited to read this one when I received the ARC and had pretty high expectations, which were met (kind of).

The book felt pretty slow to me but because of the setting and the strangeness I simply couldn’t put it down. I enjoyed the book and thought it was quite unpredictable. But, you do have to get to almost the end of the book for things to pick up. When things do pick up however, there’s twists upon twists with a killer ending, literally. Definitely worth a read.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, the author and publishers for the ARC.

I have really enjoy Alice Feeney’s books previously so am a bit disappointed with this one. It took a long time for me to get going and even then it was still dragging in parts for me. The last 25% was fast paced but the ending didn’t wow me in any way.

I did enjoy the way the story was creepy and chilling at times and the descriptions of the island were vivid in my head as I read about them.

Unfortunately this one just wasn’t for me but I’ll still look forward to reading another by this author.

Thanks to Netgalley and the Author for a copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

A disappointing novel. The premise was interesting but the path to the final twist was laboured and tortuous. I had a feeling all the way through that I seen or read many of the plots points before.
Not the best Alice Feeney book I have read.

A really incredible thriller. A writer's wife goes missing. He is inconsolable. He loses the will to write. His money is all but gone. He is given a lifeline by his publisher; a writer's retreat on a small Scottish Island called the Isle of Amberly. Hopefully that will restore his writer's block. This is where it all gets rather weird, he starts seeing fleeting glimpses of his wife on the island but never really for long enough to take off after her. Now, for island read crazy place. This is where I got the feeling I was on drugs, an island of 25 soles but with a pub, butcher, general grocer, candlestick maker but no birds, no communications other than walky talkies and everyone in a zen like state, unless you are a grieving author. To a degree it reminded me of The Prisoner (a 1966 TV series). Our author starts to feel like a prisoner and wants to leave the island but there's no ferry to take him (at least that's what the islanders say). Could it get any weirder? Yes because it's a story within a story and some really dark stuff is revealed.
I found it a great read and I am sad that I've finished it. I don't think the title did it any favours though.

I liked it! I didn’t know what was going to happen and I did not expect the ending. I wasn’t blown away but I’d recommend!