3.5 stars for this book.
Strange story. I thought Grady was in a dream or in Purgatory for most of the book. I kept thinking of The Wicker Man , it had that cultish, insular feel to it. Lots of red herrings. I think the themes include: finding oneself, obsession, relationships, revenge and community. One thing that annoyed me:; the author is British, the story is set in Scotland but the book is written with American spellings! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an enook ARC

Hmm. Not sure what to say. I can see the appeal of a fast moving twisty scary thriller and I enjoyed the beginning and parts of it were very atmospheric. But, it all got too far fetched and silly for me. I think it's probably me , wrong audience.

Another delicious twister by Alice Feeney that will leave you guessing until the very end!

Author Grady Green lost his wife a year ago. While driving home on the phone with him, she sees something in the road, stops - and vanished. The car with all her belongings still in it is all that is found.

A year, later, Grady, still grieving, has lost everything. He can no longer write, his publisher wants the advance back that he's already spent, he's had to sell his house and his belongings. Having hit rock bottom, he's existing in a room in a one star hotel. When his agent Kitty offers him the use of a writing shed on a small Scottish Island, all expenses paid, to get back on his feet, he has no other choice left but to accept. And who knows, maybe this is the fresh start he needs?

But when he thinks he sees his missing wife on the ferry to the island, things begin to take a far stranger and darker turn than he could ever have imagined...

Don't look further than Alice Feeney for dark, unguessable thrillers with a killer twist!
I had already read and loved Daisy Darker, so I knew there would be a major plot twist coming at the end, but I still wasn't able to guess it.

I want to thank NetGalley, and PanMacmillan for a free review copy in exchange for a honest review. All opinions here expressed are my own.

4.5 ⭐ WOOOW!! I can’t believe what i just read! Very original, twisty, page turner, and towards the end it did give me chills and felt kinda sad i won’t lie. I really don’t see anyone guessing or expecting how this could end. The narrator makes you feel anxious and go crazy with him, so well written but i didn’t expect anything less from Alice Feeney!! A MUST read for thriller lovers and non thriller lovers!

Thank you Pan Macmillan for the arc!

My first by Alice Feeney and it did not disappoint!

I breezed through this. It's a fast paced thriller that will keep you guessing till the very end. The characters are so well written which is pretty rare for thrillers.

The twists were unexpected but when I slept over it, I came to the conclusion that the twists were so far-feteched and unnecessarily serendipitous. I do see many people loving it.

Grady is an author who's having the best worst day of his life. His wife is on her way home to celebrate Grady's success. She's on call with Grady while driving when she suddenly hits the brakes because someone is lying on the road. Grady tells her not to get out of the car but she does. Ever since then, Grady's wife has been missing. Until one day he sees her on a remote island.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange of a honest review.

As always, there are plenty of twists and turns in this Alice Feeney novel, but a solid read rather than standout. The environment of the island, though, is brilliantly created - descriptive, evocative and beautifully atmospheric. It's a quick and tense read.

Alice Feeney is an author I stumbled upon a few years ago ago, now I have to read everything she writes. Beautiful ugly is by far the best twisty thriller that she has written! Loved it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

One of the best, most thrilling books I have read in years. I picked it up and couldn't stop reading until 3 am. I read it in less than 48 days despite being super busy. Loved it!
A few notes: I will say that you can tell it was written by an American. As a Brit myself there were things that bothered me, such as "band-aid" (rather than "plaster"), "See you at THE London Book Fair" (we say "See you at London Book Fair") and the American spelling, of course. There were quite a few American expressions that should have been fixed by a Brit / Londoner.
The epilogue was quite gruesome. I needed to read something light-hearted before I could sleep. Not sure if I liked the not-happy ending... 😬
But all in all, brilliant book, great concept, wonderfully quirky characters and names. Great!

I can't get over how good this book was!
I absolutely LOVE Alice Feeney’s books When I saw she has a new book out next year I just knew I had to read it ! I think this is my favourite that I have read so far ! It's definitely is a must read in my opinion

Alice Feeney’s *Beautifully Ugly* is a captivating psychological thriller that masterfully blends suspense and emotion. Feeney’s signature style of dark twists and complex characters shines throughout the novel. The story unfolds with multiple layers of intrigue, keeping readers guessing until the very end.

The characters are compelling, if not always likable, and the narrative explores the murky territory between beauty and ugliness in both appearance and human nature. The pacing is brisk, with each chapter leaving you wanting more. While some plot points can feel slightly predictable for seasoned thriller fans, the strength of Feeney’s prose and the depth of the character development make up for any minor shortcomings.

Overall, it’s a gripping read that beautifully balances tension and emotion, leaving a lasting impression. If you’re a fan of thrillers with a touch of psychological complexity,

I love a good twisty tale but oh so often these days they don't live up to the promise, offering predictable outcomes and oft dull characters.

Not so with Alice Feeney and Beautiful Ugly (a great title that suits the story perfectly) because it is clever, descriptive and highly unpredictable even though you think you've worked it out several times.

The island setting is both beautiful and claustrophobic with a genuine sense of menace circling the well drawn characters. In a way it is a locked room mystery on acid.

I loved it, because the writing was terrific the plotting was intelligent and character wasn't sacrificed for the cheap shock. It was a Beautiful Ugly read.

Recommended.

Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read one of my most anticipated 2025 releases as an arc
Alice feeney has never missed the mark for me, and this one didn't disappoint either I love all the twists that always get me rethinking everything I've read before
Can't wait to see this hit the shelves next year and for everyone to pick it up!

I enjoyed this revenge thriller, though it did take me a while to get into the story. The twist wasn’t totally unexpected, but there was a second twist which was more so!

Yet another fantastic book by Feeney!

It was a bit slow going at the start whilst the scene was set but once it got going, it really got interesting. I felt so stupid when the 'plot twists' happened because the hints had been dropped and I didn't pick up on them 🤦🏼‍♀️ I honestly did not see the big twist coming at the end and I loved it!

Highly recommend!

Great thriller. Read in two sittings this was a real page turner. The story begins with us meeting Grady who is a writer married to Abby. He is on the phone to her one evening when she is coming home and she disappears. She leaves behind her car, bag and phone. Next we fast forward to a year later and Grady is travelling to stay on a remote Scottish island, The Isle of Amberly. Set up for him by his publisher to help him write his next novel after he finds it hard to write after his wife's disappearance. The island only has 25 inhabitants. The writing is very atmospheric and creepy which I loved, Great plot line and interesting characters. I will be recommending and cant wait to read more from Alice Feeney

My thanks to Pan MacMillan and NetGalley for a copy of “ Beautiful Ugly” for an honest review.

I’ve always enjoyed reading Alice Feeney’s books, they are well written and full of twists.
I was completely captivated and intrigued by the majority of the book , but I’ve had to drop one star from my review as the ending left me a little dissatisfied.
Well worth a read but not my favourite by this author

Beautiful ugly by Alice Feeney

What should have been one of the most exciting days of his life quickly turns into disaster when Grady Green's wife goes missing. A year later a struggling Grady travels to a Scottish isle in hopes to be inspired to write a new book. The island is however not the fresh start he wanted, when Grady starts seeing his missing wife everywhere he begins to question everything

Beautiful Ugly grabbed my attention from the first page and held it until the last. The way Alice feeny describes the island not only painted the picture but also helped set the atmosphere. Every chapter of this book left me wanting more, I was constantly trying to figure things out. Alice Feeney once again proved she was the queen of plot twists because by the end of this book I was lifting my jaw off the floor. However the one thing I didn’t like about this book was at times it felt a bit repetitive. Overall I rated this book 4.5 ⭐️. If you are looking for a creepy, suspenseful thriller that is full of twists then I highly recommend you check out this book.

Beautiful Ugly will be released in January 2025. Thank you Alice Feeney, the publishers and netgalley for my review copy

“Beautiful Ugly” is an atmospheric novel by author Alice Feeney that gripped me early on and held me to the very end. This is an excellent read full of suspense, emotion and obsession all set against the mysterious location of a remote Scottish island.

Grady Green is an author whose world is rocked following the disappearance of his wife, Abby. On the day Abby disappeared Grady was on top of the world due to the news that his latest novel was a success. He was eagerly waiting for his wife to get home to share his news when he receives a phone call off her. His mood rapidly changes when during the phone call Abby disappears and her car is found abandoned by the edge of a cliff, the driver’s door left open, and her phone still in the seat.

A year later, Grady is still suffering the loss of his wife and feels unable to write or sleep. In desperation he takes up the offer of his agent to flee to a desolate island to try to get back to writing. Grady not only misses Abby but is tormented by the mysteries surrounding her disappearance. While he is travelling to the island he catches sight of a woman who looks exactly like Abby and he starts to wonder what is real.

Grady is an excellent character, suffering deeply from his wife’s disappearance, feeling guilt, grief and obsession almost all the time. The island is very different, very atmospheric, mysterious and plenty of unusual characters. The island appeared to be a perfect solution to Grady’s torment but there is definitely something not right on the Scottish island. The isolation adds to the atmospheric tension and suspense.

Grady is not only forced to confront the mystery of his wife’s disappearance, but also the darker aspects of his own soul. His obsession with uncovering the truth leads him down a path of self-reflection where he grapples with guilt, unresolved trauma, and the haunting fear of abandonment. The deeper he delves into the secrets of his marriage the more he is confronted with the reality of his own imperfections, the “ugly”.

A thought provoking novel combining a psychological depth with suspense. Highly recommended.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Many other reviews summarise the concept well. Therefore, I would like focus on who this book is for.
1. If you are an avid Alice Feeney fan, this is a perfect book. She never disappoints.
2. If you like unreliable narrators and twists, this is for you.
In my personal reading experience, I have had several questions as to why the characters would do this or that, which affected my read.
In other words, I did not buy everything, unfortunately.
Yet, this is certainly a high quality read. I enjoyed disliking the characters (they are flawed and often unlikeable, and sometimes do not make sense; which is part of their personalities)
3.5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and Pan McMillan for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Grady is a successful author happily married to Abby. But on the night that he becomes an NYT bestselling author, Abby is on her way home from work, intending to celebrate with Grady, and talking to him on the phone, when she sees a woman lying in the street and stops to help. The phone goes dead and Abby is never seen again. Buried in grief, Grady is due to provide his next novel, but can't seem to write anything, so his agent, and Abby's godmother, Kitty, suggests that he go to a remote island off the coast of Scotland where another famous author once lived in order to restart the creative juices. Once he gets to the island, he feels like he sees Abby everywhere. Is she really there or is he losing his mind?

I have really enjoyed most of Alice Feeney's novels and this was no exception. All of her novels have a major twist at some point and of course I was trying to figure out what that would be and of course I didn't figure it out. This was a quick read and I tore through it in one day. I just couldn't figure out where it was going so it held my interest throughout. I look forward to her next one.