I don’t know where to start with this because omg, this was a corker of a twist. I’ll be honest I didn’t think there would be a twist that could get me as much as the Daisy Darker one, but this did! I had cottoned on to a couple of things that the main character Grady Green had missed but I still was not expecting the reveal to be what it was!

Author Grady Green got the big news he was waiting for just before his wife Abby vanishes into mid air after stopping to help a woman in the middle of the road. His life falls apart and he can no longer write. His agent sends him to a strange remote Scottish Island to see if he can start to write again. Grady soon notices things in the island are not what they seem. He is still struggling with his wife’s disappointment, will the island be able to help him find some closure?

I just couldn’t put this book down. It is so fact paced and has been excellently executed and it may even top my book of the year list! Alice Feeney is the queen of twists and this did not disappoint.

A great, story full of twists and turns and intrigue. Keeps you engrossed all the way through and totally absorbed.

I am grateful to Pan Macmillan Publisher for giving me early access to this book.

This is the best book of the year. Alice Feeney is my favourite author. This is a mind-blowing book with killer twists. The book is twisted, suspenseful, dark, atmospheric and jaw dropping. The book will make you question everything and the twists will keep you on the edge of your seat. The book is dark and truth is twisted. After reading the book, you will realise why the title fits so well. If you like Scottish island setting, atmospheric vibes, and a good revenge plot, read it.

Alice Feeney is an auto-buy of an author for me. She’s there with Lisa Jewell, CL Taylor, and Claire Douglas. An excellent writer of domestic noir and suspense reads that are pacy, gripping with a shocking twist or two at the end.

Most of the time her books are a hit for me, however this one didn’t quite work for me. I felt, for me personally, the reveal at the end just didn’t quite land and I wasn’t really with it. That being said sometimes it’s a taste thing. I just think maybe this one wasn’t to my taste.

This one is similar in themes to Rock, Paper, Scissors (Feeney’s earlier book) in that it follows a couple and the unraveling of their marriage. However that book was much superior in my eyes. This one is more of a slow burn with a vivid sense of place. It’s definitely atmospheric, moody and more eerie. I felt like the twist had potential but it just wasn’t executed in a compelling way. All that build-up and then it falls flat at the end. Although I did enjoy the build-up and the characters were intriguing enough. It had potential. Again this could be a taste thing. I will continue to anticipate Feeney’s future books. Again this is just my opinion. Other readers may feel differently.

I loved reading Alice Feeney's books.
And I loved this one. I read this on a holiday and it just enhanced that for me.

I love a thriller set on a remote island. I love it even more when the women of the island perplex a man.
I think this is one of those one sitting books that you will enjoy a lot.

I read this in two sittings! I have read one of the authors previous books and was pleased to be given a copy via netgalley! It’s a very easy read that I seemed to be half way through before I knew it!
After reading the synopsis, most of the anticipated plot happened in the first couple of chapters and I genuinely couldn’t guess where the book was going!
If you are looking for a book to get you out of a slump or some dark winter nights, this is it!

What a gripping, creepy thriller. I raced through this desperate to find out what on earth was going on. Just when I thought I had worked something out another twist comes along and blows that out of the water, this was definitely an ending I didn’t see coming.

The queen of the twisty twist is back 💃🏾 and her crown is firmly in place.

Life is both beautiful and ugly.
The day Grady Green becomes a New York Times best selling author is both the best day and the worst day of his life. Why so? His doggedly brave investigative journalist wife Abby is driving home when he calls her to share his excitement. Mid call, she suddenly breaks, gets out of the car and disappears. A panic stricken Grady dashes to find her, discovers the car with its headlights on, the drivers door wide open but there’s no sign of Abby. One year on, in a state of stasis, he’s unable to function in any way shape or form, stuck in an awful land of limbo. When he’s offered the use of a cabin on the tiny Scottish island of Amberley, he jumps at the chance, travelling north hoping to find the peace and tranquility he needs to get his life back on track. Perhaps it will even enable him to pen a new novel. There, the impossible happens - can the impossible become the impossible?

There are so many layers to this latest psychological thriller from one of my favourite authors but first let me mention the beautiful and magical descriptions of Scotland. The love of the place really stands out with a rich and ever-changing atmosphere permeating all. You get all weathers in one day which could equally apply to the ever-changing mood of those that live on the island and of Grady himself. As he approaches the island there’s a strong sense of calm before a storm although his excitement and anticipation are infectious. Perhaps though, the noisy seagulls as he awaits the ferry to whisk him Amberley sound a warning that he should heed. Prophetically so as it soon becomes very ominous.

The peace of the island, its isolation and silence are used so masterfully to drop little bombshells into the illusionary calm which of course being Alice Feeney are often worthy of an OMG jaw drop. It’s very cleverly done as you become as unsure as Grady about what’s real and what not. Is someone playing mind games or is it Grady’s mind that is broken? The island becomes stranger and stranger, with the residents behaving oddly and the whole feel is off kilter. At times it has a sense of Stepford Wives which is very unnerving. There’s tension which underpins the whole storyline and there are occasions where it’s so intense I realise that I’m holding my breath. As well as having a spooky, chilling and sinister tone, it’s also a very good character study. All are well portrayed but especially Grady and Abby. Through them a number of pertinent issues are raised and questioned which I really enjoy. It has several twists of course and an excellent ending – just desserts?

Overall, this is a thought provoking and suspenseful psychological thriller. It’s perhaps a bit more understated than some of her other novels but it packs a punch nonetheless . Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to. Pan Macmillan for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Alice Feeney releases roughly one new thriller per year, and each one to date has been a treat, with an original and well-researched plot line (the author is a former journalist, after all), strong characterisation and what thriller readers like to refer to as ‘plenty of twists and turns’. I was delighted to be granted an e-ARC of this, her latest novel, and savoured it until the end. The book represents a departure from previous Feeney novels in that we have a male protagonist by the name of Grady Green. However, reassuringly familiar are the ‘disappearing female’ (Grady’s wife Abby who vanishes after a brief and chaotic conversation on car speakerphone) and a series of ominous events that arise. Numb with shock and grief, Grady takes up an opportunity for a writing retreat on a remote island, hoping to come to terms with Abby’s mysterious disappearance and make sense of everything that has happened since. This decision marks the intersection where the plot of ‘Beautiful Ugly’ starts to resemble the storylines in ‘Daisy Darker’ and ‘Rock Paper Scissors’ a little, as these two Feeney novels equally feature the voluntary seclusion of characters who have to stomach their chosen retreats from the world slowly turning into menacing ‘locked room’ settings. As in her previous novels, Feeney slowly leads us along a narratorial trail full of suspense and deception that leads to a masterfully crafted ending. Highly recommended! Thank you, NetGalley and the publishing house, for the free e-ARC that made this book review possible.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This was my first Alice Feeney book, but it won’t be my last!
Beautiful Ugly presents two characters who are distinctly unlikable and show little respect for each other or their desires. Grady comes across as dim-witted, dull, and difficult to care about, while Abby feels flat and equally unappealing. However, I did appreciate that both characters serve as unreliable narrators, adding an intriguing layer to the story.

I'm not a fan of plot twists delivered through first-person narration; they often feel unrealistic and nonsensical to me. Despite this, the book was a fast read. The sections set on the island, particularly the plot surrounding its inhabitants, were well-executed. The atmosphere was intensely oppressive and claustrophobic, which I found captivating.

I also appreciated the feminist themes woven throughout the narrative. The messages were powerful, though at times they felt a bit heavy-handed, especially as the story neared its conclusion.

I read a lot of books but I think this is one of the most clever but unhinged books I’ve ever read! I was glued to the story and couldn’t put it down for fear of missing out on key information. The whole book has you questioning everything you know and is the definition of a ‘psychological’ thriller! Short chapters and sensible time jumps and flashbacks add to the story. Twists and turns throughout and the ending is just perfection! Wow! Add to your TBR now!!

I'm a big fan of Alice Feeney and this book is another hit in my opinion. Great plot that kept me hooked!

Wow! What a read!
The plot is unlike anything I’ve read before and had me totally engrossed. The writing is atmospheric and clever. I loved the various twists and the ending took me completely by surprise.
I finished this book a few weeks ago, but it’s stuck with me and is one of my favourites this year.

What would you do if your partner vanished ? This is what happens to Grady Green in this twisty, page turning book. Grady an author has been unable to write since his wife’s disappearance and seems to see and hear her everywhere he goes.

When he gets an offer to travel to a secluded Scottish
Island he thinks this may be the answer to put his past behind him and finally start living and writing again. All does not go to plan and he finds himself encountering strange events which leave him questioning his sanity.

This book is full of suspense, each character brings their own element of mystery and as the story develops I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what was real and what wasn’t.

The tension., intrigue and dread builds up in the story leading to an astonishing end one which I never imagined coming! Breathtaking writing one which I will remember for a long time .

I love Alice Feeney, so I was excited to read this one! Tbh I didn’t love her last one, Bad Good Girl. I was hoping she would go back to writing psychological thriller with wild twists, and this didn’t disappoint. Not as wild as her earlier thrillers, but this missing wife x locked island mystery is addictive so I finished it in just two days. The pace is on the slow side compared to Paper Rock Scissors and His & Hers, but it’s not too slow with suspense building at a steady pace until a shocking reveal. The ending is quite sinister it gave me chills.

I’d say 4-4.5 🌟 Highly recommend if you’re a fan of psychological thriller!

When author Grady Green's wife mysteriously disappears everyone believes that she has left him. Devastated he is offered the chance to escape to a remote island to work on a new novel and attempt to rebuild his life. However not is all it appears to be on the island and the longer that Grady stays the more sinister the residents appear to become. Is this his grief skewing the real world or is something more sinister happening on the island?

I loved Daisy Darker so when I saw that Alice Feeney had written a new novel I jumped at the chance to read it. This was a a gripping and insidious thriller; I felt Grady's fear as he slowly realised that he was trapped on the island and that something else was going on. I really liked that the character's were flawed and I loved the twisty ending 4 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

It’s a testament to Alice Feeney’s writing that even though I had absolutely no clue what was going on throughout most of the book, I still thoroughly enjoyed it! There were some quite creepy moments, not one to read alone on a dark night!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

✨ARC Book Review✨

Title: Beautiful Ugly
Author: Alice Feeney
Publication Date: January 30, 2025
Rating: 4/5 stars

I always read anything written by Alice Feeney, so when I received an advance copy of Beautiful Ugly, I was ecstatic. What a fantastic page-turner, and if you’ve read anything by Feeney, you already know the twists are immaculate. The ending will make you ask yourself, 'WTF did I just read?'.

Beautiful Ugly follows the once-bestselling but now struggling writer Grady Green, whose wife vanished a year ago. In an attempt to resume his life and his writing, he flees to a cabin on a secluded Scottish island. Although the people on Amberly Island are lovely and the island itself is stunning, Grady feels as though something is not quite right.

Those who enjoy well-written psychological suspense and books that keep you guessing until the exciting conclusion should definitely read this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan | Macmillan for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney is a dark story that delves into themes of revenge, grief, and the evils of neglecting one partner’s career over the other. Grady Green is an author who is unable to write following his wife, Abby’s tragic disappearance a year ago. Tormented and plagued with writer’s block, his agent suggests he stay in the late bestselling author Charles Whittaker’s cottage on the small Scottish island of Amberly to immerse himself in his work and hopefully, start writing again.

The idea of no noise and no distractions appeal to Grady and he retreats to Scotland. But no sooner does he arrive on Amberley, he becomes so haunted with visions of Abby, he believes she exists somewhere on the island. Not only does he find something under the floorboards of “Whitty’s” house, but his creativity comes back twofold, and he begins to write again. His quest takes him on a journey of self-discovery but what seems like charming village life on the outside is deceptive, and the idyllic island with all its fresh air and beautiful scenery slowly becomes ominously stifling. Even the houses on the village green have names like The Last Straw and Whit's End and I love the map in the front matter and its compass that says, "You are not here."

The locals appear to have banded together in what appears to be some kind of cultish behaviour, which gave me eerie reminders of the 1973 film The Wicker Man. There is no way off the island except by ferry. Isolated, Grady has been “persuaded” by some of the locals to stay. If it weren’t for his loyal labrador, Columbo, he would have lost his sanity.

Each islander is intricately crafted with the personalities you’d expect to find in a remote area. They appear resilient on the outside – determined to protect their turf and the people who come to live there - but underneath, they harbour vulnerability and pain. The weather seems to change with their moods, impacting Grady more than he imagined. He can’t help questioning if what he sees and learns is real. One thing the reader will sense is Grady’s terror.

The underlying tension throughout the book makes this a page turner which is testament to Feeney’s skill as a top psychological suspense author. It resonated with me long after I’d put the book down and it will be a story I will think about for some years to come. Memorable and utterly brilliant. Five stars, more if I could give them!

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC

Alice Feeney has done it again! Another masterfully crafted novel that this time also explores themes of grief, family, marriage, betrayal and revenge. It was gripping and fast-paced. The characters were well fleshed out and the atmosphere enhanced the story even further. A thrilling read with a jaw-dropping ending.