Beautiful Ugly

IN A NUTSHELL
'Beautiful Ugly' was a five-star read with great storytelling, great narration, great suspense, and a clever, satisfying conclusion.

‘Beautiful Ugly’ was my first Alice Feeney novel and it was astonishingly good. Given that it was about a recently widowed thriller writer retreating to a remote, barely inhabited island, I’d expected a bookish domestic psychological thriller. To my surprise, the book had quite a spooky, menacing atmosphere from the start, more like a slow-burn horror novel than a domestic mystery.

The story is told mostly as a first person, present-day account by the author Grady Green, narrated by Richard Armitage, interspersed with first person some-time-earlier accounts from an unnamed woman, narrated show more by Tuppence Middleton. I was drawn in immediately, both by Alice Feeney’s excellent writing and by the perfectly pitched narration.

From the start, I felt I couldn't trust what I was being told by Grady Green. I made allowances for his grief and It wasn't that I thought he was lying. It was more that he seemed like a man who habitually avoided unpleasant truths. Even so, I was engaged enough with him to feel anxious on his behalf as the events on the island started to feel more and more menacing in subtle, non-dramatic but deeply disturbing ways.

The sense of menace was increased by the slices of historical narrative told from a woman's point of view. They were vivid and tense but I couldn't identify whose story was being told or how their story related to Grady Green. The only thing that was clear was that these slices of life were strung together by a thread of misogyny. Given that Grady was the only man on an island populated by women, the narratives added to the sense of non-specific threat.

For much of the book I had no idea where the story was going but I knew that I absolutely had to find out.

I loved how hard it was to tell truth from lies, deception from delusion and paranoia from necessary caution.

The ending left my head spinning, it was so surprising and so perfect. show less

Wow, this book was a wild ride. Beautiful Ugly totally sucked me in from the start and didn’t let go. It had all the twisty, jaw-dropping moments I’ve come to expect from Alice Feeney, and I was hooked trying to piece everything together. Just when I thought I had it figured out—nope. She got me again.

I listened to a lot of this one on audio, and it was so good. The narration was spot on and actually kept my attention the whole time—which rarely happens for me with audiobooks. Only certain books can do that, and this one nailed it.

The way the story jumps between timelines and perspectives made it even more gripping. It’s dark, emotional, and really digs into beauty, identity, and the masks people wear. Some parts were show more heartbreaking, others totally messed with my head—in the best way.

Also—I can’t believe I’m saying this—but I actually felt bad for Grady. He was a total mess, but somehow Feeney made me feel a little sorry for him. That said… he 100% got what was coming to him.

I knocked off half a star because a couple moments felt a little too perfectly timed or dramatic, but honestly, that’s me being picky. I flew through this one. It’s fast-paced, addictive, and absolutely worth it if you love thrillers that keep you guessing.

If you like twisty plots, layered characters, and audiobooks that actually hold your attention, definitely give this one a shot. Feeney crushed it again. show less

Uk thriller writer, Alice Feeney, pens another propulsive page turner that will stump even the most dedicated armchair detectives. Author Grady Green just received the best news of his life; he is finally a New York Times Bestselling author. When he calls his wife, Abby, to tell her his amazing news, things take an unexpected turn. He hears screeching tires, and his wife tells him there is a body in the road. He warns her not to leave the car and to call the police, but of course his wife doesn’t listen. Abby is never seen again, and his best day has just turned into his worst nightmare. The story picks up a year later; Grady can no longer write, he’s lost his house, his dignity, and he can barely function. When his agent offers him show more use of a small writing cottage on a secluded Scottish island he jumps at the chance, maybe he can get his life back on track? Once he’s on the island however, he keeps seeing unexplainable things, namely, his missing wife. Brilliantly narrated by Richard Armitage, who expertly ramps up the tension in this twisty thriller with his slick cadence and excellent pacing. Verdict - Feeney fans and thriller lovers will love this ominous mystery where nothing and no one are who they appear to be. show less

A book about a writer and a remote Scottish island? Yes please! Bestselling author Grady Green's wife, Abby, went missing a year ago. Unable to write and earn a living, he is down on his luck when his agent suggests taking himself off to the Isle of Amberly to knuckle down and try and regain his writing mojo.

From even before Grady boards the ferry something feels very amiss about the island and that continues throughout the whole of the book. I loved the way it messed with his mind and with mine. Was Grady the ultimate unreliable narrator or was there something seriously odd going on? The mystery of Abby's disappearance, the bizarre behaviour of the characters and the brilliant and peculiar setting kept me hooked.

For I do love an show more island setting and a map such as the one at the beginning of the book. Amberly takes remote to an extreme and Grady's feelings of being trapped there become more and more intense. I had a little idea of what might be going on but Alice Feeney still managed to throw in a few more curveballs to keep Grady and me on our toes.

I really enjoyed reading Beautiful Ugly. It's cunning and clever, the plotting is tight and the storyline is taut and gripping. show less

4.5 ⭐️. Alice Feeney deserves all of the hype she gets. This was beautifully written and I was shocked for most of the twists/reveals. The few that I did predict beforehand didn’t feel like a let down, but rather that I was let in on a secret before the lead knew what was happening. The continual nod to oxymorons made the writing just that much more amazing. “Beautiful Ugly”, “Best Worst Day”, “The Wise Fool”, just to name a few. Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton both narrated well (4/5⭐️). this is a book I will buy once it is officially published. if you’ve loved any of Feeney’s books, please check this one out!

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for approving my ARC request.

Midlist author Grady Green travels to a sparsely populated island to work on his next novel and to come to terms with the mysterious disappearance of his wife, Abby, a year prior. The remote Scottish island of Amberly is alluring, but its inhabitants are, predictably, a tight-knit, secretive lot. Needless to say, there is no way to leave the strange little community or to communicate with the outside world. Trapped in such a claustrophobic environment, Grady’s already paranoid mindset grows even darker, and he starts thinking that he sees Abby everywhere. Is he finally cracking up for good?

I was expecting this novel to be a page-turner, but it seemed to take a long time to read. Amberly’s denizens are all one-note characters, and, show more on top of that, I didn’t care enough about Abby to be invested in the resolution of the mystery. So, my overall verdict on this book is not bad, not great. show less

In Beautiful Ugly, author Alice Feeney weaves a riveting psychological thriller that easily draws the reader into a dark storyline that follows author Grady Green as he tries to move forward with his life a year after his wife Abby disappeared.

Set in London and on the remote Isle of Amberly in the Scottish Highlands, the story is told in alternating first person narratives by Grady and Abby. The reader follows along as Grady travels to the remote Isle of Amberly in order to try to get his life back in order after it unraveled a year ago with the unsolved disappearance of his wife Abby. Grady soon discovers that his life is in danger on the strange island, when eerie incidents begin to happen, and he realizes that he is completely cut show more off from the world.

Beautiful Ugly is a complex and multi-layered tale of a marriage gone wrong and ultimate revenge. The story is rich in detail and vivid descriptions. It has intriguing and suspenseful twists and turns, and the author plays a clever cat-n-mouse game with the reader as she provides enough strange island characters and clues into Abby's disappearance that keeps the reader guessing if Grady can turn his life around ... that is if he survives. The author leaves the reader no other option than to keep turning the pages to find out what happens next.

As a diehard fan of psychological thrillers, I must admit that author Alice Feeney's books always exceed my expectations. The dark intensity of the storyline and the complexity of the intertwining connection between Grady and Abby's troubled pasts, kept me thoroughly riveted, engrossed, and guessing as the pieces to the puzzle come together.

With a complex and realistic cast of characters, the author does a phenomenal job of delving into the tangled web of secrets, lies, betrayals, and a history of emotional past trauma. The author transports the reader into this fast-paced white-knuckle storyline with her creative interweaving of a psychological cat-n-mouse game between the characters that leaves the reader's heart palpitating until the surprise ending ultimately leaves them completely shocked. It just doesn't get any better than this!

Beautiful Ugly is one heck of an adrenaline rush that is a must-read for the true diehard psychological thriller junkie!

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