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Beautiful Ugly
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Mystery & Thriller (2025)A gripping and deliciously dark thriller about marriage. . .
. . . and revenge.
Author Grady Green is having the worst best day of his life.
Grady calls his wife to share some exciting news as she is driving home. He hears Abby slam on the brakes, get out of the car, then nothing. When he eventually finds her car by the cliff edge the headlights are on, the driver door is open, her phone is still there. . . but his wife has disappeared.
A year later, Grady is still overcome with grief and desperate to know what happened to Abby. He can’t sleep, and he can’t write, so he travels to a tiny Scottish island to try to get his life back on track. Then he sees the impossible — a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife.
Wives think their husbands will change but they don’t.
Husbands think their wives won’t change but they do.
. . . and revenge.
Author Grady Green is having the worst best day of his life.
Grady calls his wife to share some exciting news as she is driving home. He hears Abby slam on the brakes, get out of the car, then nothing. When he eventually finds her car by the cliff edge the headlights are on, the driver door is open, her phone is still there. . . but his wife has disappeared.
A year later, Grady is still overcome with grief and desperate to know what happened to Abby. He can’t sleep, and he can’t write, so he travels to a tiny Scottish island to try to get his life back on track. Then he sees the impossible — a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife.
Wives think their husbands will change but they don’t.
Husbands think their wives won’t change but they do.
306 pages, Hardcover
First published January 14, 2025
About the author
Alice Feeney
20 books50.3k followersAlice Feeney is the New York Times and Sunday Times multi-million-copy bestselling author of novels including HIS & HERS, SOMETIMES I LIE, ROCK PAPER SCISSORS, DAISY DARKER, BEAUTIFUL UGLY and MY HUSBAND'S WIFE.
Her books have been translated into forty languages, and have been optioned for major screen adaptations. HIS & HERS was an instant Global #1 Netflix show in 2026, starring Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal.
Alice was a BBC journalist for fifteen years before becoming an author. MY HUSBAND'S WIFE is her eighth novel.
You can follow Alice on Instagram or Facebook. To be the first to know about her tours, TV shows, and books, visit her website: alicefeeney dot com.
Her books have been translated into forty languages, and have been optioned for major screen adaptations. HIS & HERS was an instant Global #1 Netflix show in 2026, starring Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal.
Alice was a BBC journalist for fifteen years before becoming an author. MY HUSBAND'S WIFE is her eighth novel.
You can follow Alice on Instagram or Facebook. To be the first to know about her tours, TV shows, and books, visit her website: alicefeeney dot com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53,515 reviews
December 27, 2024
Not only did this make me not to want to pick up another Alice Feeney novel ever again, but this made me genuinely question if I even like the thriller/mystery genre. That is just how much of an utter STINKER this book is.
The premise is cool, if not something seen before. A woman, Abby, goes missing under mysterious circumstances. Over a year later, her husband, Grady, is still struggling to come to terms with the loss— how can you ever move on if you don’t have answers? Struggling with life and also with his forthcoming book, his agent sends him to a remote Scottish island where he begins to confront whether he’s going crazy or that this island had something to do with his wife’s disappearance.
At first, I actually enjoyed this. The vibes were eerie and suspenseful. I also noticed Feeney had reigned in her colloquialisms from Good Bad Girl to a way that still worked for her, but also made it sound believable coming from the narrative of a down-on-his-luck, pretentious author. Kudos to her. Off to a good start.
But then the suspense kept building. And building. And building. And there was no payoff until the last 20 pages. At that, pages that didn’t even make sense.
This whole book felt like I was waiting for a metaphorical gun to go off, but —instead of ending with a bang— the gun backfired and I got absolutely hammered in the head. In other words, it left me with a headache.
Why, might you ask? It’s because the plot twist / big reveal made absolutely no sense whatsoever.
For example, the first big twist is that Grady was the “woman” lying in the road when Abby got out of her car and then attempted to kill her.
There are so many things wrong with this plot point that I wanted to hurl the book in the garbage. Then set it on fire. Then tie a cement block to a the bottom and let the charred husk of this book decay at the bottom of the ocean.
First off, based on Grady’s description, this makes NO sense— he is written as a physically MASCULINE character. This is attempted to be explained away by saying that Grady was wearing a red coat, but there is a very distinctive difference between a masculine build and a feminine build, regardless of what coat you’re wearing.
Second, since Abby and Grady were on the phone the whole time (and Grady was on SPEAKER PHONE!!) there is no way Abby could have NOT heard the wind and sea in the background of Grady’s call. Not to mention that —if he was lying on the ground and positioned in a way to disguise his face after running for over a mile— he should have sounded muffled and/or out of breath.
Third. Grady’s agent tries to account for his alibi that he was waiting for Abby at home when she went missing. When, in reality, he got her phone call, ran down the road, and then threw himself in the middle of the road to intercept Abby. Once again, this makes no logical sense. The timing is too tenuous and doesn’t add up to when he got off the phone with his publisher. Also, considering how easy it is to flip back to the first chapter where this incident is written, the stories and timelines don’t add up.
However, most annoying/illogical BY FAR, is Grady’s attempt to kill Abby.
For the ENTIRE novel, Grady is written as a passive man who would do no harm to others. Strangers frighten him, he loves his dog, he’s friendly with the locals even when they’re unkind to him, nor does he exhibit any signs of anger or other behavioral issues. Even in the excerpts from Abby’s perspective, he seems like a harmless guy with a narcissistic streak. Sure, he would be the type of person to STAND BY while someone gets hurt, but he would never be the person to pick up the weapon and hurt someone himself. Except for the one scene where the plot conveniently calls for it.
And even then, he goes through all this trouble to kill Abby only to throw her off the cliff and not check to make sure she actually fell off the cliff. On one hand, I get it— there’s no way a person could survive that fall. Except Abby did. BY GRABBING ONTO A LOOSE TREE BRANCH TO STOP HER FALL (like a cartoon!! while chloroformed!!!) AND HELD ON UNTIL SHE COULD PULL HERSELF UP. Bitch, are you Hercules?!
The second twist happens after Abby makes the big reveal she’s still alive. This is the reveal where the agent/her godmother, who for some reason is also named Abby, reveals that her perspective is the “alternate perspective” the reader has been reading throughout the novel. Except it’s not because there ARE chapters (i.e., the night of Abby’s disappearance) WRITTEN FROM GRADY’S ABBY’S PERSPECTIVE. This has ZEROOOOO continuity.
So, after all this hullabaloo, why the big reveal on the creepy island?
Get ready. Prepare yourself for the worst plot twist you’ll ever hear.
It’s because a bunch of women, who had been wronged by men, decided to band together and make an island with NO men and no connection to the outside world. Which, sure, that sounds fun hypothetically, but makes no sense from a realistic perspective. Or even reporting your taxes to the government perspective.
‘Cause that’s the whole thing: because this island generates ZERO income and is actively LOSING money due to their isolation/reliance on the outside world for basic goods, they need a “resident author”to bring money back to their island. And considering that there’s a lot of contingencies on Grady (his will to live, if people will actually like his book, etc.), this seems ABSOLUTELY STUPID. Why not have one of the women who had a dream of writing and making a difference —SUCH AS ABBY— do that?? Why would you need a man —who everyone hates because of what he did to Abby— to complete said quota?? And what happens when he dies or the royalties run out? Is there not a simpler solution??
The absolute stupidest plot I have ever read aside, there were also a number of smaller things that set me off about this book.
I’m tired of Alice Feeney being on this kick of using oxymoronic titles that make no sense. Yes, she tries to use an entire chapter to justify the title of the book, but it only makes her sound like she has the intelligence of a rock. And I KNOW she’s smarter than that. I loved Rock Paper Scisssors.
The second thing (that is more of a personal thing) is how no editor stopped Alice Feeney from writing these ATROCIOUS little articles by Abby. NO NEWSPAPER WOULD HAVE PUBLISHED THOSE!! The way she wrote it was not news-worthy OR follows basic news formatting (inverted pyramid anyone?). It follows no AP guidelines and is riddled with spelling and grammatical errors. It is heavily skewed and, if published, would be classified as an op-ed. She would be fired long before she would be awarded. Excuse my ire and foul language but DON’T WRITE NEWSPAPER ARTICLES INTO YOUR NOVEL IF YOU DON’T KNOW HOW TO FUCKING WRITE THEM. I did not study journalism for four years to be tormented like this.
Horrendously long review aside, I will never be purchasing another novel by Alice Feeney again. I love her older works, but it’s as if someone beat her over the head with a baseball bat while writing her new ones.
The premise is cool, if not something seen before. A woman, Abby, goes missing under mysterious circumstances. Over a year later, her husband, Grady, is still struggling to come to terms with the loss— how can you ever move on if you don’t have answers? Struggling with life and also with his forthcoming book, his agent sends him to a remote Scottish island where he begins to confront whether he’s going crazy or that this island had something to do with his wife’s disappearance.
At first, I actually enjoyed this. The vibes were eerie and suspenseful. I also noticed Feeney had reigned in her colloquialisms from Good Bad Girl to a way that still worked for her, but also made it sound believable coming from the narrative of a down-on-his-luck, pretentious author. Kudos to her. Off to a good start.
But then the suspense kept building. And building. And building. And there was no payoff until the last 20 pages. At that, pages that didn’t even make sense.
This whole book felt like I was waiting for a metaphorical gun to go off, but —instead of ending with a bang— the gun backfired and I got absolutely hammered in the head. In other words, it left me with a headache.
Why, might you ask? It’s because the plot twist / big reveal made absolutely no sense whatsoever.
For example, the first big twist is that Grady was the “woman” lying in the road when Abby got out of her car and then attempted to kill her.
There are so many things wrong with this plot point that I wanted to hurl the book in the garbage. Then set it on fire. Then tie a cement block to a the bottom and let the charred husk of this book decay at the bottom of the ocean.
First off, based on Grady’s description, this makes NO sense— he is written as a physically MASCULINE character. This is attempted to be explained away by saying that Grady was wearing a red coat, but there is a very distinctive difference between a masculine build and a feminine build, regardless of what coat you’re wearing.
Second, since Abby and Grady were on the phone the whole time (and Grady was on SPEAKER PHONE!!) there is no way Abby could have NOT heard the wind and sea in the background of Grady’s call. Not to mention that —if he was lying on the ground and positioned in a way to disguise his face after running for over a mile— he should have sounded muffled and/or out of breath.
Third. Grady’s agent tries to account for his alibi that he was waiting for Abby at home when she went missing. When, in reality, he got her phone call, ran down the road, and then threw himself in the middle of the road to intercept Abby. Once again, this makes no logical sense. The timing is too tenuous and doesn’t add up to when he got off the phone with his publisher. Also, considering how easy it is to flip back to the first chapter where this incident is written, the stories and timelines don’t add up.
However, most annoying/illogical BY FAR, is Grady’s attempt to kill Abby.
For the ENTIRE novel, Grady is written as a passive man who would do no harm to others. Strangers frighten him, he loves his dog, he’s friendly with the locals even when they’re unkind to him, nor does he exhibit any signs of anger or other behavioral issues. Even in the excerpts from Abby’s perspective, he seems like a harmless guy with a narcissistic streak. Sure, he would be the type of person to STAND BY while someone gets hurt, but he would never be the person to pick up the weapon and hurt someone himself. Except for the one scene where the plot conveniently calls for it.
And even then, he goes through all this trouble to kill Abby only to throw her off the cliff and not check to make sure she actually fell off the cliff. On one hand, I get it— there’s no way a person could survive that fall. Except Abby did. BY GRABBING ONTO A LOOSE TREE BRANCH TO STOP HER FALL (like a cartoon!! while chloroformed!!!) AND HELD ON UNTIL SHE COULD PULL HERSELF UP. Bitch, are you Hercules?!
The second twist happens after Abby makes the big reveal she’s still alive. This is the reveal where the agent/her godmother, who for some reason is also named Abby, reveals that her perspective is the “alternate perspective” the reader has been reading throughout the novel. Except it’s not because there ARE chapters (i.e., the night of Abby’s disappearance) WRITTEN FROM GRADY’S ABBY’S PERSPECTIVE. This has ZEROOOOO continuity.
So, after all this hullabaloo, why the big reveal on the creepy island?
Get ready. Prepare yourself for the worst plot twist you’ll ever hear.
It’s because a bunch of women, who had been wronged by men, decided to band together and make an island with NO men and no connection to the outside world. Which, sure, that sounds fun hypothetically, but makes no sense from a realistic perspective. Or even reporting your taxes to the government perspective.
‘Cause that’s the whole thing: because this island generates ZERO income and is actively LOSING money due to their isolation/reliance on the outside world for basic goods, they need a “resident author”to bring money back to their island. And considering that there’s a lot of contingencies on Grady (his will to live, if people will actually like his book, etc.), this seems ABSOLUTELY STUPID. Why not have one of the women who had a dream of writing and making a difference —SUCH AS ABBY— do that?? Why would you need a man —who everyone hates because of what he did to Abby— to complete said quota?? And what happens when he dies or the royalties run out? Is there not a simpler solution??
The absolute stupidest plot I have ever read aside, there were also a number of smaller things that set me off about this book.
I’m tired of Alice Feeney being on this kick of using oxymoronic titles that make no sense. Yes, she tries to use an entire chapter to justify the title of the book, but it only makes her sound like she has the intelligence of a rock. And I KNOW she’s smarter than that. I loved Rock Paper Scisssors.
The second thing (that is more of a personal thing) is how no editor stopped Alice Feeney from writing these ATROCIOUS little articles by Abby. NO NEWSPAPER WOULD HAVE PUBLISHED THOSE!! The way she wrote it was not news-worthy OR follows basic news formatting (inverted pyramid anyone?). It follows no AP guidelines and is riddled with spelling and grammatical errors. It is heavily skewed and, if published, would be classified as an op-ed. She would be fired long before she would be awarded. Excuse my ire and foul language but DON’T WRITE NEWSPAPER ARTICLES INTO YOUR NOVEL IF YOU DON’T KNOW HOW TO FUCKING WRITE THEM. I did not study journalism for four years to be tormented like this.
Horrendously long review aside, I will never be purchasing another novel by Alice Feeney again. I love her older works, but it’s as if someone beat her over the head with a baseball bat while writing her new ones.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 1, 2024
Final review after desperately waiting for ARC and buying my own😂📚:
Oh boy! For the first time after finishing a book, I’m unsure how I truly feel about it. It started off as a five-star read, hooking me with the intriguing mystery of a wife’s eccentric disappearance and Grady, the grieving husband who has lost everything—including his ability to write—embarking on a journey to a remote Scottish island filled with bizarre female characters. I became even more invested while reading about Abby’s sessions with her psychiatrist, which subtly hinted that her marriage to Grady wasn’t as idyllic as portrayed through his perspective.
However, in the second half, the story’s pace slowed significantly due to repetitive depictions of Grady’s struggle to differentiate between reality and hallucination. This shift rattled me and diminished my engagement with the plot.
By the time I reached the conclusion, the resolution attempted to tie up all loose ends with a semblance of logic, but parts of it felt far-fetched. The intended women-empowerment message didn’t resonate with me as much as it could have, mainly because I struggled to connect with the characters and understand their motivations. While justice is technically served in the story, I still felt indifferent, as the final twist—though interesting—seemed predictable and somewhat obligatory. It felt like the author intentionally misled readers with layers of unreliable narration. At times, you’re not even reading the actual perspective of the character in question, which left me confused. The final quarter of the book, in particular, left me dissatisfied, and I even debated giving it three stars at some points.
The ending didn’t surprise me, as I had already predicted the final words of the book, and sure enough, it concluded as expected.
One of the most striking lines from the book that captures its essence is: “Sometimes I think we are all the unreliable narrators of our own lives.”
If you decide to pick up this book, be prepared to remain on high alert for the narrations, as nothing is ever as it seems. You’ll find yourself wandering through a fog of uncertainty until you finally reach the destination.
I would give the first half of the book five stars and the second half two stars. Averaging it out, I land at 3.5, but I’m rounding it down to 3 due to the far-fetched twists and unrelatable characters. I especially struggled to connect with Abby, possibly because her voice wasn’t given as much prominence as it deserved—we primarily see her through the lens of her therapy sessions.
I had high expectations for this book and checked my NetGalley account daily, hoping the publishers would approve my request for an ARC. Sadly, my request remained in limbo, so I ended up purchasing a copy anyway. Ironically, if I had read the ARC first, I likely wouldn’t have bought the book, as I didn’t enjoy it as much as I had hoped.
Overall, Rock Paper Scissors remains my favorite work by this author, and this book ranks as my least favorite after I Know Who You Are. That said, it still has potential, and I’m confident many readers will enjoy it. From what I’ve seen, opinions on this book are polarizing—either five stars or two stars. Personally, I’m giving it three stars: I liked certain parts, but it didn’t meet my expectations. I realize this might be an unpopular opinion.
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———————————
Things I planned to barter to receive an ARC copy of this book:
-The grey cells of my husband (not many left after his addiction to watching Black Mirror episodes before bed)
-My selected Chardonnay, Sancerre, and Chablis collection (of course, the bottles are empty—I can't waste any good drink)
-My teenage diary (I still keep it to read aloud and berate my younger self in front of others)
-My DVD collection (who still has a DVD player, by the way?)
-My VHS collection (okay, this is a lie! Even I don't have those things)
-My self-pity and self-control (I don't have any of those, so if you find them, please return them!).
Overall: I need this book ASAP! Please, dear publishers, consider this avid reader and twisty crime thriller maniac at your service. Give it to me, give it to me, give it to me!
Oh boy! For the first time after finishing a book, I’m unsure how I truly feel about it. It started off as a five-star read, hooking me with the intriguing mystery of a wife’s eccentric disappearance and Grady, the grieving husband who has lost everything—including his ability to write—embarking on a journey to a remote Scottish island filled with bizarre female characters. I became even more invested while reading about Abby’s sessions with her psychiatrist, which subtly hinted that her marriage to Grady wasn’t as idyllic as portrayed through his perspective.
However, in the second half, the story’s pace slowed significantly due to repetitive depictions of Grady’s struggle to differentiate between reality and hallucination. This shift rattled me and diminished my engagement with the plot.
By the time I reached the conclusion, the resolution attempted to tie up all loose ends with a semblance of logic, but parts of it felt far-fetched. The intended women-empowerment message didn’t resonate with me as much as it could have, mainly because I struggled to connect with the characters and understand their motivations. While justice is technically served in the story, I still felt indifferent, as the final twist—though interesting—seemed predictable and somewhat obligatory. It felt like the author intentionally misled readers with layers of unreliable narration. At times, you’re not even reading the actual perspective of the character in question, which left me confused. The final quarter of the book, in particular, left me dissatisfied, and I even debated giving it three stars at some points.
The ending didn’t surprise me, as I had already predicted the final words of the book, and sure enough, it concluded as expected.
One of the most striking lines from the book that captures its essence is: “Sometimes I think we are all the unreliable narrators of our own lives.”
If you decide to pick up this book, be prepared to remain on high alert for the narrations, as nothing is ever as it seems. You’ll find yourself wandering through a fog of uncertainty until you finally reach the destination.
I would give the first half of the book five stars and the second half two stars. Averaging it out, I land at 3.5, but I’m rounding it down to 3 due to the far-fetched twists and unrelatable characters. I especially struggled to connect with Abby, possibly because her voice wasn’t given as much prominence as it deserved—we primarily see her through the lens of her therapy sessions.
I had high expectations for this book and checked my NetGalley account daily, hoping the publishers would approve my request for an ARC. Sadly, my request remained in limbo, so I ended up purchasing a copy anyway. Ironically, if I had read the ARC first, I likely wouldn’t have bought the book, as I didn’t enjoy it as much as I had hoped.
Overall, Rock Paper Scissors remains my favorite work by this author, and this book ranks as my least favorite after I Know Who You Are. That said, it still has potential, and I’m confident many readers will enjoy it. From what I’ve seen, opinions on this book are polarizing—either five stars or two stars. Personally, I’m giving it three stars: I liked certain parts, but it didn’t meet my expectations. I realize this might be an unpopular opinion.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
medium blog
———————————
Things I planned to barter to receive an ARC copy of this book:
-The grey cells of my husband (not many left after his addiction to watching Black Mirror episodes before bed)
-My selected Chardonnay, Sancerre, and Chablis collection (of course, the bottles are empty—I can't waste any good drink)
-My teenage diary (I still keep it to read aloud and berate my younger self in front of others)
-My DVD collection (who still has a DVD player, by the way?)
-My VHS collection (okay, this is a lie! Even I don't have those things)
-My self-pity and self-control (I don't have any of those, so if you find them, please return them!).
Overall: I need this book ASAP! Please, dear publishers, consider this avid reader and twisty crime thriller maniac at your service. Give it to me, give it to me, give it to me!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 18, 2024
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.
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.
January 17, 2025
Bit of a slow burn mystery - which I feel is hard to do since it doesn’t leave you on the edge of your seat the whole time. BUT Alice Feeney is the queen of plot twists (she always gets me) & I can say she did this time as well!
The whole book felt like a build up for the surprise ending & the main character was so god damn hard to follow along with (he missed EVERY sign)
Anyway I love alice feeney’s books, she’s one of my favorite mystery authors - but this one’s not my #1!
The whole book felt like a build up for the surprise ending & the main character was so god damn hard to follow along with (he missed EVERY sign)
Anyway I love alice feeney’s books, she’s one of my favorite mystery authors - but this one’s not my #1!
May 8, 2024
Ugh. This was not good. At least there's a dog. You're a good boy, Columbo.
January 23, 2025
Wait WHAT just happened
March 15, 2025
3.75 stars! I reallyyyy enjoyed this mystery! Great hook & great ending twist!! I never ever would've guessed the twist. Some parts in the middle felt a little repetitive and the twist was a tiny bit far fetched but I also mostly loved this book. Lots of weird wild things happening that I had no idea how to explain (until the end ofc). Also the book pretty immediately hooked me! In the first few chapters, the main character's wife goes missing and then a year later he thinks he sees her 😳
This is my second Alice Feeney book and I think I'm officially a fan of hers. I don't have any big complaints as to why I didn't rate it higher. I think it was just a fun fast paced mystery. Not crazy memorable but super fun read.
This is my second Alice Feeney book and I think I'm officially a fan of hers. I don't have any big complaints as to why I didn't rate it higher. I think it was just a fun fast paced mystery. Not crazy memorable but super fun read.
November 26, 2024
➳
3/5 stars
"There's no need to be afraid of the dead, it's the living that you have to watch out for."
"Beautiful Ugly" was easily one of my most anticipated reads of 2025, and I was counting down the days until its release. I couldn't have been more thrilled to get an advanced copy, and for that, I want to sincerely thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with the opportunity to read it early in exchange for an honest review. It truly felt like a gift to dive into this story ahead of time!
Alice Feeney has always been one of my go-to authors, the kind of writer whose books I pick up without a second thought as soon as they’re released. Naturally, I was just as eager to dive into this one. However, to say I was a bit disappointed would honestly be an understatement.
I’ve always loved her previous works and went into this hoping for the same magic, but try as I might, I just couldn’t connect with it. The story felt overly complicated, and some of the twists and turns didn’t even make sense, leaving me more confused than intrigued. It lacked the seamless brilliance I’ve come to expect from her books, and that was hard to ignore.
➳ ABOUT THE BOOK —
This story follows a couple with a crumbling marriage, desperately trying to hold on. One day, the wife mysteriously vanishes without a trace, no notes, no explanations, just gone. Her husband, frantic and heartbroken, does everything in his power to find her, but all efforts fail. The weight of her disappearance takes a toll on him, plunging him into depression.
Unable to write, he follows his agent’s advice to retreat to a secluded island for peace and inspiration. But the island proves to be anything but tranquil. He begins to see his wife, hear her voice, and experience eerie, unexplainable events. The locals are just as unsettling, raising more questions than answers. Did he finally find his wife? Was it all in his mind? And why did the island seem to awaken something so strange, so specific, only for him?
➳ ABOUT THE CHARACTERS —
╰┈➤ GRADY GREEN—
Grady Green, the husband , the author and male lead in this story, was easily one of the most frustrating characters I’ve ever read. Honestly, I can’t sugarcoat it this man lacked every ounce of common sense. As a thriller author, you’d expect him to pick up on the strange and unsettling things happening on the island, but no, he was utterly oblivious to even the most obvious clues. While I sympathized with him initially, thinking he was just a victim of his circumstances, it became clear that his cluelessness was his defining trait.
What also grated on me was how often the author repeated how much Grady loved his books and solitude. We get it he's passionate about writing and enjoys being alone. But the constant mentions started to feel redundant and unnecessary, adding little to his character. By the end, I was left shaking my head at how infuriatingly naive and oblivious Grady turned out to be.
╰┈➤ ABBY GREEN—
Abby Green, the journalist, the planner and female lead of this story, felt like such an insignificant character to me. Even now, as I’m writing this review, I can’t think of a single standout moment that justified her presence in the book. She wasn’t even the mastermind behind the plot, that credit went to her godmother. It felt like she was simply there to move the story along, without much depth or significance to her role.
That being said, I won’t deny that after learning about her past and what she endured, I did start to pity her. Seeing things through her perspective added some emotional weight, and I could understand her struggles better. However, even that wasn’t enough to make me truly love or connect with her character. I just wish the story had given us more insight into Abby’s thoughts and motivations, something that would’ve made her feel more fleshed out and impactful.
➳ ABOUT THE WRITING —
Now, you might be wondering, if I didn’t love much about this book, why did I rate it 3 stars? Well, the answer lies solely in how much I adore Alice Feeney’s writing style. Her storytelling is truly captivating, and this book was no exception. Despite my frustrations, it managed to keep me on edge the entire time. I found myself constantly thinking about what would happen next, unable to put it down until I had all the answers.
Her books always seem to have this effect on me, and honestly, that’s a testament to her skill as an author. Call me biased, but it’s the reason I rated this book as high as I did. Even when the plot or characters didn’t meet my expectations, her ability to grip the reader and create suspense carried the story for me.
➳ ABOUT THE PLOT —
When it comes to the plot, I felt it was overly complex and, at times, nonsensical. I kept waiting for that classic Feeney twist , the one that leaves you completely stunned, but unfortunately, it never came. The story felt poorly executed and exaggerated in parts, which only added to my frustration as I read.
What made it worse was the sense of wasted potential. The premise had so much promise, and I truly believe it could have been an incredible read if the execution had been stronger. Instead, the underwhelming delivery of the plot left me disappointed, and I couldn’t help but feel that the story fell short of what it could have been.
°˖➴ "Overall, if you're in the mood for a book that keeps you hooked from start to finish, making you think and constantly guess what might happen next, then this could be the perfect read for you." 💌
— Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈
ᯓ pre-read review
GOT MY FIRST EVER ARC OMG IM SO FREAKING EXCITED 🤞🏻
"There's no need to be afraid of the dead, it's the living that you have to watch out for."
"Beautiful Ugly" was easily one of my most anticipated reads of 2025, and I was counting down the days until its release. I couldn't have been more thrilled to get an advanced copy, and for that, I want to sincerely thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with the opportunity to read it early in exchange for an honest review. It truly felt like a gift to dive into this story ahead of time!
Alice Feeney has always been one of my go-to authors, the kind of writer whose books I pick up without a second thought as soon as they’re released. Naturally, I was just as eager to dive into this one. However, to say I was a bit disappointed would honestly be an understatement.
I’ve always loved her previous works and went into this hoping for the same magic, but try as I might, I just couldn’t connect with it. The story felt overly complicated, and some of the twists and turns didn’t even make sense, leaving me more confused than intrigued. It lacked the seamless brilliance I’ve come to expect from her books, and that was hard to ignore.
➳ ABOUT THE BOOK —
This story follows a couple with a crumbling marriage, desperately trying to hold on. One day, the wife mysteriously vanishes without a trace, no notes, no explanations, just gone. Her husband, frantic and heartbroken, does everything in his power to find her, but all efforts fail. The weight of her disappearance takes a toll on him, plunging him into depression.
Unable to write, he follows his agent’s advice to retreat to a secluded island for peace and inspiration. But the island proves to be anything but tranquil. He begins to see his wife, hear her voice, and experience eerie, unexplainable events. The locals are just as unsettling, raising more questions than answers. Did he finally find his wife? Was it all in his mind? And why did the island seem to awaken something so strange, so specific, only for him?
➳ ABOUT THE CHARACTERS —
╰┈➤ GRADY GREEN—
Grady Green, the husband , the author and male lead in this story, was easily one of the most frustrating characters I’ve ever read. Honestly, I can’t sugarcoat it this man lacked every ounce of common sense. As a thriller author, you’d expect him to pick up on the strange and unsettling things happening on the island, but no, he was utterly oblivious to even the most obvious clues. While I sympathized with him initially, thinking he was just a victim of his circumstances, it became clear that his cluelessness was his defining trait.
What also grated on me was how often the author repeated how much Grady loved his books and solitude. We get it he's passionate about writing and enjoys being alone. But the constant mentions started to feel redundant and unnecessary, adding little to his character. By the end, I was left shaking my head at how infuriatingly naive and oblivious Grady turned out to be.
╰┈➤ ABBY GREEN—
Abby Green, the journalist, the planner and female lead of this story, felt like such an insignificant character to me. Even now, as I’m writing this review, I can’t think of a single standout moment that justified her presence in the book. She wasn’t even the mastermind behind the plot, that credit went to her godmother. It felt like she was simply there to move the story along, without much depth or significance to her role.
That being said, I won’t deny that after learning about her past and what she endured, I did start to pity her. Seeing things through her perspective added some emotional weight, and I could understand her struggles better. However, even that wasn’t enough to make me truly love or connect with her character. I just wish the story had given us more insight into Abby’s thoughts and motivations, something that would’ve made her feel more fleshed out and impactful.
➳ ABOUT THE WRITING —
Now, you might be wondering, if I didn’t love much about this book, why did I rate it 3 stars? Well, the answer lies solely in how much I adore Alice Feeney’s writing style. Her storytelling is truly captivating, and this book was no exception. Despite my frustrations, it managed to keep me on edge the entire time. I found myself constantly thinking about what would happen next, unable to put it down until I had all the answers.
Her books always seem to have this effect on me, and honestly, that’s a testament to her skill as an author. Call me biased, but it’s the reason I rated this book as high as I did. Even when the plot or characters didn’t meet my expectations, her ability to grip the reader and create suspense carried the story for me.
➳ ABOUT THE PLOT —
When it comes to the plot, I felt it was overly complex and, at times, nonsensical. I kept waiting for that classic Feeney twist , the one that leaves you completely stunned, but unfortunately, it never came. The story felt poorly executed and exaggerated in parts, which only added to my frustration as I read.
What made it worse was the sense of wasted potential. The premise had so much promise, and I truly believe it could have been an incredible read if the execution had been stronger. Instead, the underwhelming delivery of the plot left me disappointed, and I couldn’t help but feel that the story fell short of what it could have been.
°˖➴ "Overall, if you're in the mood for a book that keeps you hooked from start to finish, making you think and constantly guess what might happen next, then this could be the perfect read for you." 💌
— Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈
ᯓ pre-read review
GOT MY FIRST EVER ARC OMG IM SO FREAKING EXCITED 🤞🏻
May 8, 2024
As the British like to say… ‘Are you taking the mick!?’
In Beautiful Ugly, Grady Green is having the worst best day of his life. He has just heard some exciting news regarding his job and now on the phone to his wife Abby he hears his wife slam on her brakes and when he tries to find out what is happening, he hears her get out the car and that’s it.
Arriving at the scene where her car is by a cliff edge he realises she has disappeared. Still overcome by grief a year later, he goes to a tiny Scottish island to try and find solace and get his life back on track. But this becomes far from possible when on the island he sees a woman that looks exactly like his missing wife…
Ok so if you’re like me, after reading that blurb you’re probably expecting to read a tantalizing, suspenseful, domestic, cat and mouse tale surrounding husband and wife right!?
WELL, SORRY THAT’S NOT HAPPENING!! For me the intro chapters were the only exciting part of the book. As I was trudging through chapter after chapter, the same question kept sweeping through my mind ‘so when does this get good!?’
Feeney deserves an award for her over descriptive analysis of the island. She packs on all the adjectives and atmosphere to makes sure you picture what this island looks like whether you want to or not. This consumed most of the book rather than the plot and I found myself closing my kindle many, many times.
There is not one likeable character in this book except the dog Columbo that I kept praying would somehow gain magical powers and escape this batshit island. I can see that Feeney was trying to create an ominous atmosphere within all the characters, but it just irked me and felt like a typical trope being stuffed down my throat. The book is formatted in a dual POV with Grady and Abby (before) chapters and even that couldn’t entertain me enough.
PAGE 305! Yes, that’s what I said, that it takes for the ‘reveal/ action’ to take place and I’m just going to say it really is a love it or hate it kind of twist.
I HATED IT…
1. It made no sense
2. It created a massive plot hole to a particular scene and that was not explained
3. Way too far fetched
4.
⋆｡°✩WHAT I LIKED⋆｡°✩
➽ The premise (initially)
➽ The short chapters
➽ The atmosphere
➽ Columbo the Dog
⋆｡°✩WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE⋆｡°✩
➽ The book dragged
➽ Quite Trope-y in the overused way
➽ The characters
➽ The ‘reveal’
➽ Inconsistencies
➽ Gave me a headache
➽ The last chapter nearly had my eyes glued to the back of my head
To conclude Alice Feeney books really are hit or misses and its always the twist that makes or breaks them. It’s a shame that this book didn’t deliver for me, but I won’t give up and will probably read the next book she puts out.
SPOILER
⇩
⇩
⇩
⇩
⇩
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
⋆｡°✩pre read⋆｡°✩
This author is such a hit or miss for me!!
but I live for her TWISTS! (when they're good😏)
Come on Feeney! Give it to me good!😁😁
💚🤍💚
In Beautiful Ugly, Grady Green is having the worst best day of his life. He has just heard some exciting news regarding his job and now on the phone to his wife Abby he hears his wife slam on her brakes and when he tries to find out what is happening, he hears her get out the car and that’s it.
Arriving at the scene where her car is by a cliff edge he realises she has disappeared. Still overcome by grief a year later, he goes to a tiny Scottish island to try and find solace and get his life back on track. But this becomes far from possible when on the island he sees a woman that looks exactly like his missing wife…
Ok so if you’re like me, after reading that blurb you’re probably expecting to read a tantalizing, suspenseful, domestic, cat and mouse tale surrounding husband and wife right!?
WELL, SORRY THAT’S NOT HAPPENING!! For me the intro chapters were the only exciting part of the book. As I was trudging through chapter after chapter, the same question kept sweeping through my mind ‘so when does this get good!?’
Feeney deserves an award for her over descriptive analysis of the island. She packs on all the adjectives and atmosphere to makes sure you picture what this island looks like whether you want to or not. This consumed most of the book rather than the plot and I found myself closing my kindle many, many times.
There is not one likeable character in this book except the dog Columbo that I kept praying would somehow gain magical powers and escape this batshit island. I can see that Feeney was trying to create an ominous atmosphere within all the characters, but it just irked me and felt like a typical trope being stuffed down my throat. The book is formatted in a dual POV with Grady and Abby (before) chapters and even that couldn’t entertain me enough.
PAGE 305! Yes, that’s what I said, that it takes for the ‘reveal/ action’ to take place and I’m just going to say it really is a love it or hate it kind of twist.
I HATED IT…
1. It made no sense
2. It created a massive plot hole to a particular scene and that was not explained
3. Way too far fetched
4.
⋆｡°✩WHAT I LIKED⋆｡°✩
➽ The premise (initially)
➽ The short chapters
➽ The atmosphere
➽ Columbo the Dog
⋆｡°✩WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE⋆｡°✩
➽ The book dragged
➽ Quite Trope-y in the overused way
➽ The characters
➽ The ‘reveal’
➽ Inconsistencies
➽ Gave me a headache
➽ The last chapter nearly had my eyes glued to the back of my head
To conclude Alice Feeney books really are hit or misses and its always the twist that makes or breaks them. It’s a shame that this book didn’t deliver for me, but I won’t give up and will probably read the next book she puts out.
SPOILER
⇩
⇩
⇩
⇩
⇩
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
⋆｡°✩pre read⋆｡°✩
This author is such a hit or miss for me!!
but I live for her TWISTS! (when they're good😏)
Come on Feeney! Give it to me good!😁😁
💚🤍💚
January 8, 2025
Instead of torturing me with 320 pages of laughable conflict here’s how this book should’ve been:
after a long work day, Abby turned to her right side in bed as she heard the murmur of her husband saying -“I hope you die in your sleep” it was his form of saying “I love you” and between me and you She was fed up with it. so she grabs the lamp near the bedside table and smash it repeatedly on his head, Abby didn’t stop till she felt him goes limp. Gracefully she puts the lamp back in place and continue her beauty sleep, well.. one of them definitely died in their sleep.
The end.
***ALC provided by the publisher macmillan audio.***
after a long work day, Abby turned to her right side in bed as she heard the murmur of her husband saying -“I hope you die in your sleep” it was his form of saying “I love you” and between me and you She was fed up with it. so she grabs the lamp near the bedside table and smash it repeatedly on his head, Abby didn’t stop till she felt him goes limp. Gracefully she puts the lamp back in place and continue her beauty sleep, well.. one of them definitely died in their sleep.
The end.
***ALC provided by the publisher macmillan audio.***
December 15, 2024
I wish I could unread this.
April 2, 2025
most importantly, i support women's wrongs
November 26, 2024
Five Happy Dance Stars!!! 💃💃💃💃💃⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Author Grady Green is having the worst best day of his life.
Grady calls his wife to share some exciting news as she is driving home. He hears Abby slam on the brakes, get out of the car, then nothing. When he eventually finds her car by the cliff edge the headlights are on, the driver door is open, her phone is still there. . . but his wife has disappeared.
A year later, Grady is still overcome with grief and desperate to know what happened to Abby. He can’t sleep, and he can’t write, so he travels to a tiny Scottish island to try to get his life back on track. Then he sees the impossible – a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife.
Wives think their husbands will change but they don’t.
Husbands think their wives won’t change but they do.
I just love this book. It blew my mind. On the island nothing is what it seems to be. Odd and bizarre things happen on this island. There are so many crazy characters on the island too they are all unlikable.
I listened to the audiobook and The twists kept on coming. It was loaded with twists. I kept rewinding it, listening to the twist again and I would say, Say what? You got to be kidding me. The twists made my jaw drop to the floor. There were a lot of jaw dropping moments. I kept on asking myself, What did I just read??
When I got approved for this audiobook I screamed with excitement! Because I just love this author. The audiobook was so awesome. I loved the narrators they did a great job. You also hear sound effects of the sea and walkie talkies along with the phone ringing tone.
I am jumping up and down with excitement because I fell in love with this audiobook. It was my everything! It had everything that I love in a thriller! I can't wait for my next Alice Feeney book!
This was a buddy read with Jayme, DeAnn and Marilyn. Make sure you check out their reviews!
I want to thank Netgalley, Macmillan Audio for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Author Grady Green is having the worst best day of his life.
Grady calls his wife to share some exciting news as she is driving home. He hears Abby slam on the brakes, get out of the car, then nothing. When he eventually finds her car by the cliff edge the headlights are on, the driver door is open, her phone is still there. . . but his wife has disappeared.
A year later, Grady is still overcome with grief and desperate to know what happened to Abby. He can’t sleep, and he can’t write, so he travels to a tiny Scottish island to try to get his life back on track. Then he sees the impossible – a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife.
Wives think their husbands will change but they don’t.
Husbands think their wives won’t change but they do.
I just love this book. It blew my mind. On the island nothing is what it seems to be. Odd and bizarre things happen on this island. There are so many crazy characters on the island too they are all unlikable.
I listened to the audiobook and The twists kept on coming. It was loaded with twists. I kept rewinding it, listening to the twist again and I would say, Say what? You got to be kidding me. The twists made my jaw drop to the floor. There were a lot of jaw dropping moments. I kept on asking myself, What did I just read??
When I got approved for this audiobook I screamed with excitement! Because I just love this author. The audiobook was so awesome. I loved the narrators they did a great job. You also hear sound effects of the sea and walkie talkies along with the phone ringing tone.
I am jumping up and down with excitement because I fell in love with this audiobook. It was my everything! It had everything that I love in a thriller! I can't wait for my next Alice Feeney book!
This was a buddy read with Jayme, DeAnn and Marilyn. Make sure you check out their reviews!
I want to thank Netgalley, Macmillan Audio for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
November 23, 2024
This is a review for the Audible version wonderfully narrated by Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton, with atmospheric music and sound effects to further enhance the listening experience! 🎧
9 hours, 19 minutes at 1.0 x
6 hours, 13 minutes at 1.5 x
“Wives think their husbands will change-But they don’t
Husbands think their wives won’t change-But they do!”
Highlight worthy passages like that one and her twisty storylines always have me eagerly awaiting the next Alice Feeney novel! I am always drawn in from the very beginning and stay engaged until the very end, and this was no exception.
Author Grady Green was hoping that his wife Abby would be with him when he received the phone call he had been waiting for his entire career-he was finally a N.Y. Times bestselling author!
But, his wife, an investigative journalist was running late. During an apologetic phone call to him, that she makes while driving home, he hears her slam on the brakes and get out of the car, quickly explaining that she spotted a woman lying on the side of the road.
And, then there is SILENCE.
She wasn’t far from their house, so he heads her way. Her car is by the cliff’s edge, and the headlights are still on, but there is no sign of his wife or of the woman she stopped to assist. Equally disturbing is the doll he finds in the passenger seat-one that has its mouth sewn shut.
A warning because of a story she wrote?
Fast forward one year later…
Grady is still debilitated by grief over Abby’s disappearance. His literary agent, Kitty has recently inherited a writing cabin on the tiny Scottish island of Amberley, so when she suggests that a change of scenery might do him good, offering him (and his faithful black Labrador, Colombo) the chance to stay there-he jumps at the chance.
The secluded Island is haunted by tragedies of its own, and the residents are a strange bunch, who don’t enjoy hosting non residents.
Grady begins to see and hear things that he can’t explain. And, he begins to receive anonymous envelopes labeled “READ ME”.
Do they contain clues about what happened to Abby? And how would someone on this Island, with a population of only twenty-five, have the answers?
Although, I enjoyed MOST of the reveals and was entertained throughout, I found the ENDING to be too convoluted for MY personal taste, so this wasn’t a favorite FEENEY for ME. (-.5)
BUT the final sentence whispered in this AUDIBLE version sent a shiver down my spine!
3.5 stars rounded up
No harm comes to Columbo! Woof! 🐕🦺
A buddy read with DeAnn, Mary Beth and MarilynW. Was it a 5 star book for them? Be sure to watch for their amazing reviews!
NOW AVAILABLE
Thank You to Macmillan Audio for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley Shelf. As always, these are my candid thoughts!
9 hours, 19 minutes at 1.0 x
6 hours, 13 minutes at 1.5 x
“Wives think their husbands will change-But they don’t
Husbands think their wives won’t change-But they do!”
Highlight worthy passages like that one and her twisty storylines always have me eagerly awaiting the next Alice Feeney novel! I am always drawn in from the very beginning and stay engaged until the very end, and this was no exception.
Author Grady Green was hoping that his wife Abby would be with him when he received the phone call he had been waiting for his entire career-he was finally a N.Y. Times bestselling author!
But, his wife, an investigative journalist was running late. During an apologetic phone call to him, that she makes while driving home, he hears her slam on the brakes and get out of the car, quickly explaining that she spotted a woman lying on the side of the road.
And, then there is SILENCE.
She wasn’t far from their house, so he heads her way. Her car is by the cliff’s edge, and the headlights are still on, but there is no sign of his wife or of the woman she stopped to assist. Equally disturbing is the doll he finds in the passenger seat-one that has its mouth sewn shut.
A warning because of a story she wrote?
Fast forward one year later…
Grady is still debilitated by grief over Abby’s disappearance. His literary agent, Kitty has recently inherited a writing cabin on the tiny Scottish island of Amberley, so when she suggests that a change of scenery might do him good, offering him (and his faithful black Labrador, Colombo) the chance to stay there-he jumps at the chance.
The secluded Island is haunted by tragedies of its own, and the residents are a strange bunch, who don’t enjoy hosting non residents.
Grady begins to see and hear things that he can’t explain. And, he begins to receive anonymous envelopes labeled “READ ME”.
Do they contain clues about what happened to Abby? And how would someone on this Island, with a population of only twenty-five, have the answers?
Although, I enjoyed MOST of the reveals and was entertained throughout, I found the ENDING to be too convoluted for MY personal taste, so this wasn’t a favorite FEENEY for ME. (-.5)
BUT the final sentence whispered in this AUDIBLE version sent a shiver down my spine!
3.5 stars rounded up
No harm comes to Columbo! Woof! 🐕🦺
A buddy read with DeAnn, Mary Beth and MarilynW. Was it a 5 star book for them? Be sure to watch for their amazing reviews!
NOW AVAILABLE
Thank You to Macmillan Audio for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley Shelf. As always, these are my candid thoughts!
January 28, 2025
Did I just read my favorite book of 2025?
I'm gagged, I'm gobsmacked, I'm elated. I had so much fun reading this. I highly recommend the audiobook, fabulously narrated by Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton.
It's like Feeney wrote this with me in mind.
The very start of this novel gripped me so hard I could barely breath. That's how you start a story. I can't remember if it was a Prologue, or just the first chapter, but I was immediately hooked.
This story follows author, Grady Green, who we meet when he is on the cusp of receiving some excellent news for his career. His wife, Abby, is running late for dinner and he is anxious for her to return home, so they can hear the news together and celebrate.
They end up on the phone on her drive home, and while speaking, she comes across a person laying in the road. He tells her to keep driving, but she insists on stopping. He hears her get out of the car, with him still on the line, but never hears anything from her again...
Picking up a year later, Grady is an absolute mess. He can't sleep, he can't concentrate, and he certainly can't write.
There are so many unanswered questions. Abby's car was found, all of her belongings still there, but she was just gone without a trace.
Worried about his state of mind, his agent, Kitty, who was Abby's Godmother, offers Grady an escape. The use of her cabin, a verifiable Writer's Retreat, on the remote Scottish island of Amberley.
By remote, we're talking only a handful of people live on this island year-round. Grady is willing to try anything, he needs to get his mind straight, so along with his lovable Labrador, Colombo, he sets off for Amberley.
From the very start, things do not go as planned. Once there, even he is shocked by the remoteness. It's a bit like traveling back in time. The atmosphere, the solitude, the quiet, it ends up getting under his skin and into his mind.
Complicating matters further, he keeps seeing a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife? How can this be? Is it just the island playing tricks with his mind, or is Abby alive and well on Amberley?
Beautiful Ugly has everything I love. I was beyond immersed. I barely remembered the synopsis by the time I picked it up and I loved the directions Feeney took this one.
Not to mention, the ending left me with that exquisite little evil grin on my face that I love so much at the end of any Thriller story. It was brilliantly-executed.
I'm an Atmosphere Girlie, first-and-foremost and the atmosphere in this is off-the-charts.
The island itself was so interesting. We get to meet quite a few of the regular residents and they had me scratching my head. It's an odd group of people.
There were aspects that reminded me a bit of Thomas Olde Heuvelt's Hex, just in regards to the overall mystery of this little community. In fact, this did feel like she was toeing the line into Horror territory on more than one occasion with the haunting descriptions of this location.
As an island resident myself, I feel like Feeney truly nailed the island vibes, from the troubles with getting a ferry to and from, to the isolation over the off-season months.
The mystery and suspense of the story also kept me guessing and kept me wanting more. I read this so quickly, because I needed to know the truth of what was going on.
I know some Readers are not going to like the truth behind the mystery, but for me, I felt it was really fun and I'm happy with how it all turned out.
I would absolutely recommend this story to any Mystery-Thriller Reader, particularly if you've enjoyed other works by Feeney. I feel like it's a must-read for 2025. I loved it.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I consider Feeney to be an absolute Queen of Suspense, and she didn't disappoint here!
I'm gagged, I'm gobsmacked, I'm elated. I had so much fun reading this. I highly recommend the audiobook, fabulously narrated by Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton.
It's like Feeney wrote this with me in mind.
The very start of this novel gripped me so hard I could barely breath. That's how you start a story. I can't remember if it was a Prologue, or just the first chapter, but I was immediately hooked.
This story follows author, Grady Green, who we meet when he is on the cusp of receiving some excellent news for his career. His wife, Abby, is running late for dinner and he is anxious for her to return home, so they can hear the news together and celebrate.
They end up on the phone on her drive home, and while speaking, she comes across a person laying in the road. He tells her to keep driving, but she insists on stopping. He hears her get out of the car, with him still on the line, but never hears anything from her again...
Picking up a year later, Grady is an absolute mess. He can't sleep, he can't concentrate, and he certainly can't write.
There are so many unanswered questions. Abby's car was found, all of her belongings still there, but she was just gone without a trace.
Worried about his state of mind, his agent, Kitty, who was Abby's Godmother, offers Grady an escape. The use of her cabin, a verifiable Writer's Retreat, on the remote Scottish island of Amberley.
By remote, we're talking only a handful of people live on this island year-round. Grady is willing to try anything, he needs to get his mind straight, so along with his lovable Labrador, Colombo, he sets off for Amberley.
From the very start, things do not go as planned. Once there, even he is shocked by the remoteness. It's a bit like traveling back in time. The atmosphere, the solitude, the quiet, it ends up getting under his skin and into his mind.
Complicating matters further, he keeps seeing a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife? How can this be? Is it just the island playing tricks with his mind, or is Abby alive and well on Amberley?
Beautiful Ugly has everything I love. I was beyond immersed. I barely remembered the synopsis by the time I picked it up and I loved the directions Feeney took this one.
Not to mention, the ending left me with that exquisite little evil grin on my face that I love so much at the end of any Thriller story. It was brilliantly-executed.
I'm an Atmosphere Girlie, first-and-foremost and the atmosphere in this is off-the-charts.
The island itself was so interesting. We get to meet quite a few of the regular residents and they had me scratching my head. It's an odd group of people.
There were aspects that reminded me a bit of Thomas Olde Heuvelt's Hex, just in regards to the overall mystery of this little community. In fact, this did feel like she was toeing the line into Horror territory on more than one occasion with the haunting descriptions of this location.
As an island resident myself, I feel like Feeney truly nailed the island vibes, from the troubles with getting a ferry to and from, to the isolation over the off-season months.
The mystery and suspense of the story also kept me guessing and kept me wanting more. I read this so quickly, because I needed to know the truth of what was going on.
I know some Readers are not going to like the truth behind the mystery, but for me, I felt it was really fun and I'm happy with how it all turned out.
I would absolutely recommend this story to any Mystery-Thriller Reader, particularly if you've enjoyed other works by Feeney. I feel like it's a must-read for 2025. I loved it.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I consider Feeney to be an absolute Queen of Suspense, and she didn't disappoint here!
August 1, 2025
I can’t decide between a 4 or a 5😭 this was insane
June 16, 2024
HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY!
“I hope you die in your sleep.”
The queen of the twists has done it again! Beautiful Ugly can best be described as Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl meets Catriona Ward’s Looking Glass Sound. Feeney’s latest domestic thriller keeps readers engaged and on the edge of their seats from the beginning to the end!
Grady is patiently waiting for the call from his publisher, as he might have written a New York Times Best Seller! However, he wants his wife Abby by his side to help celebrate the good news. He is frantic when he learns that on her way home from work she disappears after stopping to help a woman lying in the road. Consequently, Grady is grief stricken and believes he has lost everything…his wife, the ability to write, and all of their money. When an opportunity arises to write on an island all expenses paid, he takes the offer.
However, despite its great beauty, something sinister is happening on the island. After all, there is no phone or ferry service to the mainland and Grady keeps seeing Abby everywhere. Is she really alive or is it just the insomnia, alcohol, and grief? What happened to Abby? Will Grady make it off the island?
Locked room mystery ✅
Unreliable narrator✅
Twists and turns ✅
Clever plot ✅
Red herrings ✅
Predictable ❌
Readers, enjoy the ride! No one makes you question everything like Alice Feeney!
I highly recommend this unpredictable domestic thriller!
5/5 stars
Expected publication date: 1/14/25
Thank you to Edelweiss and Flatiron Books for the ARC of Beautiful Ugly in exchange for an honest review.
“I hope you die in your sleep.”
The queen of the twists has done it again! Beautiful Ugly can best be described as Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl meets Catriona Ward’s Looking Glass Sound. Feeney’s latest domestic thriller keeps readers engaged and on the edge of their seats from the beginning to the end!
Grady is patiently waiting for the call from his publisher, as he might have written a New York Times Best Seller! However, he wants his wife Abby by his side to help celebrate the good news. He is frantic when he learns that on her way home from work she disappears after stopping to help a woman lying in the road. Consequently, Grady is grief stricken and believes he has lost everything…his wife, the ability to write, and all of their money. When an opportunity arises to write on an island all expenses paid, he takes the offer.
However, despite its great beauty, something sinister is happening on the island. After all, there is no phone or ferry service to the mainland and Grady keeps seeing Abby everywhere. Is she really alive or is it just the insomnia, alcohol, and grief? What happened to Abby? Will Grady make it off the island?
Locked room mystery ✅
Unreliable narrator✅
Twists and turns ✅
Clever plot ✅
Red herrings ✅
Predictable ❌
Readers, enjoy the ride! No one makes you question everything like Alice Feeney!
I highly recommend this unpredictable domestic thriller!
5/5 stars
Expected publication date: 1/14/25
Thank you to Edelweiss and Flatiron Books for the ARC of Beautiful Ugly in exchange for an honest review.
November 23, 2024
Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney
Narrated by Richard Armitage, Tuppence Middleton
If possible, listen to the audiobook of this story because the narration and sound effects are very good. The story is already steeped in atmosphere and the voice acting and sound effects add to that atmosphere in a way that sent chills up my spine. There is already a claustrophobic, on the verge of insanity, feel to the story and the sounds make the story even creepier.
I can't say I liked anyone in this story and whiney, simpering, pouting Grady Green got the story off to a good start as far as helping me to like no one. It seems he's had much success as an author but rather than building on it he's floundering in too many ways. He's on the verge of maybe finding out he's a New York Times best selling author and he's upset because his wife hasn't gotten home in time for the phone call giving him the news. Then he gets a phone call that turns this possible best day of his life into the worst day of his life.
From there, Grady just falls apart day by day, his world self destructing thanks to his inability to cope with anything. The tension is high in this story, things have gone wrong, things are wrong, things will go wrong. At rock bottom, Grady is offered the use of a cabin on a remote island. He'll be shut off from everything but the few inhabitants of the island. Paranoid already, Grady's paranoia only rises as he feels eyes on him all the time. What is with the women of this island, they seem to say one thing and do another, and are they being honest with him? Nothing seems right here and there is no way to contact the outside world or leave this place.
The first half of the book really had me going. What is going on with Grady? It is him or is it his surroundings that are out of sync, out to get him, making him seem crazy and off his rocker? There is Grady's wonderful black lab and I worried about him but know that the dog is always okay. Grady's problems are not the dog's problems.
At some point things are revealed to us and that's where the story lost some of it's spooky feel. I had the "oh, it's that" eye roll moment where I felt let down by what's behind everything. I know some folks love this kind of story but I get bored with certain black and white actions/beliefs that don't seem realistic to me. Still, the story had me going for a very long time and the audiobook is a lot of fun. This was a great buddy read with DeAnn, Jayme, and Mary Beth.
Publication January 14, 2025
Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.
Narrated by Richard Armitage, Tuppence Middleton
If possible, listen to the audiobook of this story because the narration and sound effects are very good. The story is already steeped in atmosphere and the voice acting and sound effects add to that atmosphere in a way that sent chills up my spine. There is already a claustrophobic, on the verge of insanity, feel to the story and the sounds make the story even creepier.
I can't say I liked anyone in this story and whiney, simpering, pouting Grady Green got the story off to a good start as far as helping me to like no one. It seems he's had much success as an author but rather than building on it he's floundering in too many ways. He's on the verge of maybe finding out he's a New York Times best selling author and he's upset because his wife hasn't gotten home in time for the phone call giving him the news. Then he gets a phone call that turns this possible best day of his life into the worst day of his life.
From there, Grady just falls apart day by day, his world self destructing thanks to his inability to cope with anything. The tension is high in this story, things have gone wrong, things are wrong, things will go wrong. At rock bottom, Grady is offered the use of a cabin on a remote island. He'll be shut off from everything but the few inhabitants of the island. Paranoid already, Grady's paranoia only rises as he feels eyes on him all the time. What is with the women of this island, they seem to say one thing and do another, and are they being honest with him? Nothing seems right here and there is no way to contact the outside world or leave this place.
The first half of the book really had me going. What is going on with Grady? It is him or is it his surroundings that are out of sync, out to get him, making him seem crazy and off his rocker? There is Grady's wonderful black lab and I worried about him but know that the dog is always okay. Grady's problems are not the dog's problems.
At some point things are revealed to us and that's where the story lost some of it's spooky feel. I had the "oh, it's that" eye roll moment where I felt let down by what's behind everything. I know some folks love this kind of story but I get bored with certain black and white actions/beliefs that don't seem realistic to me. Still, the story had me going for a very long time and the audiobook is a lot of fun. This was a great buddy read with DeAnn, Jayme, and Mary Beth.
Publication January 14, 2025
Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.
November 18, 2024
Hmm... I'm still really not sure what I think about this one lol. I've only read one other Alice Feeney book, which I wasn't very impressed with.
I really thought I was going to be super disappointed with this one too - the first 60% of this book really drags. I mean it's the most mundane day to day activities that the characters were doing that it was really easy to zone in and out while listening to the audio.
At 2x speed, it didn't seem fast enough on occasion.
But anyway, once we get past that 60% things start to pick up and one of the twists knocked me on my ass a bit, I was definitely surprised, but then it got weird and confusing. I wasn't sure if I was nuts or ... idk, dumb?
I'm a little indifferent with this one. While some parts were fun, they didn't outweigh my boredom for a good chunk of the book.
╰⪼ 💙Missing Woman
╰⪼ 💙Secluded Island
╰⪼ 🏰Scotland Setting
╰⪼ 📚Recluse Author
╰⪼ 💙Unreliable Narrator
╰⪼ 💙Locked Room
╰⪼ 💙Red Herrings/Shocking Twists
╰⪼ 💙Atmospheric
Expected Release Date - 01/14/25
⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ Connect with me on Instagram ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹
✨ Many thanks to my besties at Macmillan Audio for gifting me an advanced audio copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ✨
I really thought I was going to be super disappointed with this one too - the first 60% of this book really drags. I mean it's the most mundane day to day activities that the characters were doing that it was really easy to zone in and out while listening to the audio.
At 2x speed, it didn't seem fast enough on occasion.
But anyway, once we get past that 60% things start to pick up and one of the twists knocked me on my ass a bit, I was definitely surprised, but then it got weird and confusing. I wasn't sure if I was nuts or ... idk, dumb?
I'm a little indifferent with this one. While some parts were fun, they didn't outweigh my boredom for a good chunk of the book.
╰⪼ 💙Missing Woman
╰⪼ 💙Secluded Island
╰⪼ 🏰Scotland Setting
╰⪼ 📚Recluse Author
╰⪼ 💙Unreliable Narrator
╰⪼ 💙Locked Room
╰⪼ 💙Red Herrings/Shocking Twists
╰⪼ 💙Atmospheric
Expected Release Date - 01/14/25
⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ Connect with me on Instagram ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹
✨ Many thanks to my besties at Macmillan Audio for gifting me an advanced audio copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ✨
February 16, 2025
My hatred of this book is all-encompassing, visceral, and possibly irrational.
Beautiful Ugly:
1. makes no fucking sense (the first chapter - no way any of that happened; and the whole island situation - I'm more likely to believe Jurassic Park is real);
2. carries a depraved misandrist agenda (women who despise men but also need a man to support them financially - WHAT);
3. contains telenovela levels of melodrama to the point of hilarity;
4. feels smug and self-indulgent, like the author thinks she's sooo clever;
5. exists solely for the twists (a story should stand on its own merits, with twists adding an element of shock and surprise; here, there is NO STORY without the twists).
The author lies to her readers. We can't possibly guess where the book is going, because we are being led through a swamp of sadness with blinders on.
Every character is unsympathetic and a few sandwiches short of a picnic (except Columbo the black Lab; you're a good boy, Columbo!).
The oxymoronic chapter names made me want to tear out my hair. Again, with the freckin smugness! They don't relate to the chapters' contents, so WHY?
I honestly felt kind of bad for Grady. He didn't want a kid and wasn't going to change his mind. And here comes Abby with her shocked Pikachu face, like, bitch, you knew this.
This is my first foray into Feeney's work, and
if two roads diverged in a wood, I—
I'd take the one where I poke out my eye,
rather than read another.
Beautiful Ugly:
1. makes no fucking sense (the first chapter - no way any of that happened; and the whole island situation - I'm more likely to believe Jurassic Park is real);
2. carries a depraved misandrist agenda (women who despise men but also need a man to support them financially - WHAT);
3. contains telenovela levels of melodrama to the point of hilarity;
4. feels smug and self-indulgent, like the author thinks she's sooo clever;
5. exists solely for the twists (a story should stand on its own merits, with twists adding an element of shock and surprise; here, there is NO STORY without the twists).
The author lies to her readers. We can't possibly guess where the book is going, because we are being led through a swamp of sadness with blinders on.
Every character is unsympathetic and a few sandwiches short of a picnic (except Columbo the black Lab; you're a good boy, Columbo!).
The oxymoronic chapter names made me want to tear out my hair. Again, with the freckin smugness! They don't relate to the chapters' contents, so WHY?
I honestly felt kind of bad for Grady. He didn't want a kid and wasn't going to change his mind. And here comes Abby with her shocked Pikachu face, like, bitch, you knew this.
This is my first foray into Feeney's work, and
if two roads diverged in a wood, I—
I'd take the one where I poke out my eye,
rather than read another.
December 2, 2024
Taking place on an enigma of an island with a plot that undeniably matched the setting step for step, Beautiful Ugly was quite possibly Alice Feeney’s most mind-blowing novel yet. From the twistiest of twists to the deliciously eccentric characters, I was thoroughly immersed in a book that will easily be one of my favorites of the year. It wasn’t until I closed the gorgeous cover, however, that I was hit with the clever, thought-provoking message. Seemingly much deeper than any of this author’s prior works, it made me feel all of the feels while also delivering one altogether beautifully written tale.
With dual timelines and dual POVs, the characters gleamed with all of their wacky, oddball behavior. Along with an unreliable narrator caught in a locked room mystery plot, the inevitable twists and turns kept me spellbound until the last shocking word. But it was the island itself that made those very words come alive. So intensely evocative that the Isle of Amberly seemed like yet another character in the story, the vivid descriptions brought the smell of salt water to my nose and the sight of misty fog to my eyes. When I say that this was a truly special novel, I’m not exaggerating in the slightest. It was Feeney at her finest, no doubt about it.
Then there was the underlying feel of the novel. Ringing with foreboding and an ever present sinister vibe, I just knew that something wasn’t quite right—even if I was happily blind to what exactly it was. Twist after brilliant twist was laid at my feet until the truth was finally revealed in all of its perfectly timed glory. And through ever present tension and suspense, this often hard to find thriller double-act delivered in spades. Even better, however, it was all rounded off with a truly unguessable conclusion that had me smiling with glee. After all, there’s a reason why Alice Feeney’s known as the queen of unforgettable twists.
All said and done, I’m utterly blown away. From the riveting start to the somewhat open ending, I was glued to the pages as this book was 100% unputdownable for this thriller lover. So if you love a good jaw-dropping twist or sublime character study that packs quite the punch, this is most definitely a book you need to read. I mean, half of the time I was unsure what I could believe. Was Grady seeing things? Or was it all real? I promise that I won’t say another word other than that you need to order this one ASAP. Flawlessly crafted and plotted to perfection, be prepared to second guess everything within these awe-inspiring pages. Rating of 5+ stars.
SYNOPSIS:
Author Grady Green is having the worst best day of his life.
Grady calls his wife to share some exciting news as she is driving home. He hears Abby slam on the brakes, get out of the car, then nothing. When he eventually finds her car by the cliff edge the headlights are on, the driver door is open, her phone is still there…but his wife has disappeared.
A year later, Grady is still overcome with grief and desperate to know what happened to Abby. He can’t sleep, and he can’t write, so he travels to a tiny Scottish island to try to get his life back on track. Then he sees the impossible—a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife.
Thank you to Alice Feeney and Flatiron Books for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: January 14, 2024
Trigger warning: missing person, mention of: sexual abuse, drowning
With dual timelines and dual POVs, the characters gleamed with all of their wacky, oddball behavior. Along with an unreliable narrator caught in a locked room mystery plot, the inevitable twists and turns kept me spellbound until the last shocking word. But it was the island itself that made those very words come alive. So intensely evocative that the Isle of Amberly seemed like yet another character in the story, the vivid descriptions brought the smell of salt water to my nose and the sight of misty fog to my eyes. When I say that this was a truly special novel, I’m not exaggerating in the slightest. It was Feeney at her finest, no doubt about it.
Then there was the underlying feel of the novel. Ringing with foreboding and an ever present sinister vibe, I just knew that something wasn’t quite right—even if I was happily blind to what exactly it was. Twist after brilliant twist was laid at my feet until the truth was finally revealed in all of its perfectly timed glory. And through ever present tension and suspense, this often hard to find thriller double-act delivered in spades. Even better, however, it was all rounded off with a truly unguessable conclusion that had me smiling with glee. After all, there’s a reason why Alice Feeney’s known as the queen of unforgettable twists.
All said and done, I’m utterly blown away. From the riveting start to the somewhat open ending, I was glued to the pages as this book was 100% unputdownable for this thriller lover. So if you love a good jaw-dropping twist or sublime character study that packs quite the punch, this is most definitely a book you need to read. I mean, half of the time I was unsure what I could believe. Was Grady seeing things? Or was it all real? I promise that I won’t say another word other than that you need to order this one ASAP. Flawlessly crafted and plotted to perfection, be prepared to second guess everything within these awe-inspiring pages. Rating of 5+ stars.
SYNOPSIS:
Author Grady Green is having the worst best day of his life.
Grady calls his wife to share some exciting news as she is driving home. He hears Abby slam on the brakes, get out of the car, then nothing. When he eventually finds her car by the cliff edge the headlights are on, the driver door is open, her phone is still there…but his wife has disappeared.
A year later, Grady is still overcome with grief and desperate to know what happened to Abby. He can’t sleep, and he can’t write, so he travels to a tiny Scottish island to try to get his life back on track. Then he sees the impossible—a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife.
Thank you to Alice Feeney and Flatiron Books for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: January 14, 2024
Trigger warning: missing person, mention of: sexual abuse, drowning
November 19, 2024
thank you netgalley and macmillan for the arc!
➳ 2 ☆
this novel starts out with a missing wife and a husband who is desperate to find out what happened to her. grady green—an author—finds himself on a reclusive private island in the scottish area, hoping to write a novel after this tragedy. it is told in dual first person POV between abby (the wife) before she went missing, and grady (past & present).
i have read five alice feeney novels and in my opinion, they aren’t anything super special and have a tendency to be redundant and repetitive. for 65% of this novel, there is quite literally NOTHING happening in regards to the characters or the plot. after that, there is a plot twist, which i was able to predict even before i started the book. entail, this leaves the ending to be very jarring and bereft with an unsatisfying confusion to the narrative. i saw many reviews saying the last sentence ties this together, however, that one sentence made me more confused than i already was.
all in all, i do not hate the book, but there is too much melodrama and theatrical antics for a thriller. seeing as this is my favorite genre, i am usually quite peculiar about the ways i like these novels to be constructed. the atmosphere was adequate and the setting was pleasant. other than that; the characters mannerisms and deportment were not a strong suit for this book and could’ve used less inessential monologue. lastly, her books have a tendency to over use certain facile plot devices. unfortunately, this had the overall prose to be lacking, which is a shame because there was a potential for this to be a good winter thriller.
➳ 2 ☆
this novel starts out with a missing wife and a husband who is desperate to find out what happened to her. grady green—an author—finds himself on a reclusive private island in the scottish area, hoping to write a novel after this tragedy. it is told in dual first person POV between abby (the wife) before she went missing, and grady (past & present).
i have read five alice feeney novels and in my opinion, they aren’t anything super special and have a tendency to be redundant and repetitive. for 65% of this novel, there is quite literally NOTHING happening in regards to the characters or the plot. after that, there is a plot twist, which i was able to predict even before i started the book. entail, this leaves the ending to be very jarring and bereft with an unsatisfying confusion to the narrative. i saw many reviews saying the last sentence ties this together, however, that one sentence made me more confused than i already was.
all in all, i do not hate the book, but there is too much melodrama and theatrical antics for a thriller. seeing as this is my favorite genre, i am usually quite peculiar about the ways i like these novels to be constructed. the atmosphere was adequate and the setting was pleasant. other than that; the characters mannerisms and deportment were not a strong suit for this book and could’ve used less inessential monologue. lastly, her books have a tendency to over use certain facile plot devices. unfortunately, this had the overall prose to be lacking, which is a shame because there was a potential for this to be a good winter thriller.
October 12, 2026
“My books have always been a place to hide myself inside myself when the real world gets too loud.”
One year ago Grady Green's wife went missing on the same day that he found out that he finally became a NYT bestselling author.
For the briefest of moments, it was the best day in his life...but then everything came crashing down. He was awash in grief - unable to write, to function on his own. Living out of motels with only his faithful dog, Colombo, by his side.
“The only good thing about losing everything is having nothing left to lose.”
Just when things seem the most dire, his editor offers him respite. A place to live, food to eat, and time to focus on his work. The Isle of Amberly.
“Hope can be just as devastating as despair.”
Turns out he was not the first resident writer on the isle - Charles Whittaker, a truly phenomenal author - lived in that same cabin he moved to and what's more, Grady finds a hidden final manuscript under the floorboards. Should he...could he...just take it?
The longer Grady stays on the island, the more he realizes something is wrong. Especially when he sees someone wearing his dead wife's face.
“Constantly lying to yourself requires a special variety of stamina.”
Ugh. So. I went into this one with high hopes. I've never read a Feeney book before and I was really excited cause I've heard so many good things...but gosh dang I couldn't stand this book.
Immediately, I pegged Grady as yet another abusive alcoholic main character who gaslights himself into a good person to cover for something really shitty he did... and I was .
So, I never really connected to him as a main character or believed anything he said because I was constantly squinting at everything he did. And when he proved , I had even less sympathy for his plight.
I did really like the setting of the story - the Isle of Amberly felt so atmospheric and hauntingly beautiful. I really liked being pulled into their mystical isle and had so much fun imagining what it would be like to live on that island.
And the dog, Colombo, was truly a king among the beasts. He was the bright, shiny star.
The mystery element was...meh. Disappointing.
I'm going to throw some more spoiler tags cause if you know the ending, the rest of the book is truly pointless but THAT WAS THE BIG PLOT TWIST?
I just felt really blah by the end of it. Didn't like the characters, thought the plot twist was lame...I don't want to completely write off the author cause I've heard so many good things...but this was a bumpy start.
August 27, 2024
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.
Publishes in the U.K. in January 2025.
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.
Publishes in the U.K. in January 2025.
December 28, 2024
Author Grady Green has just gotten the biggest news of his life: his new novel is a New York Times bestseller. The very same night his wife Abby mysteriously goes missing while talking with him on the phone on her drive home. Still devastated and aimless a year later and unable to write, his agent Kitty - Abby's godmother - suggests he go to a quiet, idyllic island off the coast of Scotland to see if that will help inspire him to write again.
Welcome to the isle of Amberley - a place so perfectly defined by the title of this book and one that might be giving me nightmares for the next few days! One friend described it and its residents as giving Stepford Wives vibes, and I'd absolutely agree with that, but for me it also had shades of the 70's folk horror movie The Wicker Man, ironically also set on a Scottish island.
The constantly changing weather, the island's folklore, the ferry that mysteriously never seems to have an outgoing schedule, the pounding sea, the towering trees and forest, the residents whose smiles belie their suspicious stares and the writing cabin atop a cliff's edge once inhabited by another male author, now deceased, all inundated my senses with an undercurrent of foreboding from the moment Grady steps onto the island.
From the get-go you know something isn't right, and the unease stuck with me through every moment of my listen, narrated expertly by the wonderful Richard Armitage, with a few chapters by Tuppence Middleton. The sound effects of the waves crashing, voices calling out, the crackle of walkie-talkies and increasingly ominous occurrences built the sense of dread so perfectly that I would almost classify this as lite psychological horror.
Grady is the perfect unreliable narrator, as you lose all sense of whether he's seeing and hearing things or if it's real, which only increases as his insomnia and drinking affect his perception. The residents of Amberley were written so well that I almost felt like I was in Grady's shoes, which was quite an unpleasant and claustrophobic place to be!
Alice Feeney has officially scared the bejeebers out of me with this one. She nailed the atmosphere and characters so well, and I could visualize the whole story so vividly in my mind like a movie. The denouement lost a little bit of its zing for me with an arrangement I couldn't quite buy into, but the big twist preceding it and the foreshadowing for the ending were so delicious!
Feeney has written an excellent book and I highly recommend it to those who like a pervasively creepy, ominous, psychological suspense story that creatively examines the power dynamic between men and women.
★★★★ ½ (rounded to 4)
Thanks to Macmillan Audio, NetGalley and author Alice Feeney for the ALC to honestly review. It's out on January 14, 2025.
Welcome to the isle of Amberley - a place so perfectly defined by the title of this book and one that might be giving me nightmares for the next few days! One friend described it and its residents as giving Stepford Wives vibes, and I'd absolutely agree with that, but for me it also had shades of the 70's folk horror movie The Wicker Man, ironically also set on a Scottish island.
The constantly changing weather, the island's folklore, the ferry that mysteriously never seems to have an outgoing schedule, the pounding sea, the towering trees and forest, the residents whose smiles belie their suspicious stares and the writing cabin atop a cliff's edge once inhabited by another male author, now deceased, all inundated my senses with an undercurrent of foreboding from the moment Grady steps onto the island.
From the get-go you know something isn't right, and the unease stuck with me through every moment of my listen, narrated expertly by the wonderful Richard Armitage, with a few chapters by Tuppence Middleton. The sound effects of the waves crashing, voices calling out, the crackle of walkie-talkies and increasingly ominous occurrences built the sense of dread so perfectly that I would almost classify this as lite psychological horror.
Grady is the perfect unreliable narrator, as you lose all sense of whether he's seeing and hearing things or if it's real, which only increases as his insomnia and drinking affect his perception. The residents of Amberley were written so well that I almost felt like I was in Grady's shoes, which was quite an unpleasant and claustrophobic place to be!
Alice Feeney has officially scared the bejeebers out of me with this one. She nailed the atmosphere and characters so well, and I could visualize the whole story so vividly in my mind like a movie. The denouement lost a little bit of its zing for me with an arrangement I couldn't quite buy into, but the big twist preceding it and the foreshadowing for the ending were so delicious!
Feeney has written an excellent book and I highly recommend it to those who like a pervasively creepy, ominous, psychological suspense story that creatively examines the power dynamic between men and women.
★★★★ ½ (rounded to 4)
Thanks to Macmillan Audio, NetGalley and author Alice Feeney for the ALC to honestly review. It's out on January 14, 2025.
December 18, 2024
I have no words.
The absolute improbability that an entire island of manhaters gathered round to murder a man they’d never met because he attempted to kill one of their own by an even MORE improbable likelihood that a man could lie in wait on the HIGHWAY while fielding business calls and having chloroform while also perfectly timing only his wife to see him! Oh and he does all of this to yeet his wife off a cliff and doesn’t even make sure she fell off the cliff?!?!
I cannot process this.
I am furious this book came together in this way.
The absolute improbability that an entire island of manhaters gathered round to murder a man they’d never met because he attempted to kill one of their own by an even MORE improbable likelihood that a man could lie in wait on the HIGHWAY while fielding business calls and having chloroform while also perfectly timing only his wife to see him! Oh and he does all of this to yeet his wife off a cliff and doesn’t even make sure she fell off the cliff?!?!
I cannot process this.
I am furious this book came together in this way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2025
2.0 stars—-Woe is me. What has become of my favorite author. After absolutely hating “Good Bad Girl”, I was hoping that Ms. Feeney would have a return to form with her new book, “Beautiful Ugly.” Unfortunately, it was not meant to be. ‘Beautiful Ugly” begins with successful author, Grady, receiving a call from his wife, Abby, that she is returning home with supper. While still on the phone, Abby stops to assist a woman lying across the road. When Grady loses phone contact, he runs to find his wife and is unable to find any trace of her. Grady is forced to go on with his life not knowing what happened to his wife. The story takes off from there as Grady tries resume his career by accepting his agents offer of relocating to a cabin on a sparsely populated island in an attempt to regain his writing mojo. It is at this point I will stop because the story gets weird.. very weird. I can’t say I enjoyed the rest of the book due to the strangeness of both the plot and main character, Grady. No matter what he sees, hears or happens he be-bops along like Ned in the first reader. Nothing affects this man nor does he ever seem to be bothered by hallucinations, thefts, imaginary phone calls or seeing people who aren’t really there. Nobody would act like this dolt did with all of the clues surrounding him that something was amiss. The author’s resolution to the mystery as well as the usual “Feeney Twist” were downers as well. (I actually hated the Feeney twist in this book because it meant much of the early portions of the book were 100 percent inaccurate —with no indication or reason provided for why. The book’s open to interpretation ending was also a letdown. The book as a whole was disappointing and I just never got in-step with the cultish vibe it gave off. If someone asked me to sum up this disappointing book in one sentence, I would tell them it is basically the Jordan Peele movie “Get Out’ but with men instead of blacks.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 18, 2024
I’ve enjoyed all of Feeney’s previous novels that I read, but this one is by far my favorite!! 🤩 Everything about this book is five stars for me 🌟 I love the title of this book, the cover, the synopsis, and I loved every single page written in this book!! I could not turn the pages fast enough, and the twists in this story were amazing 🤯
Grady Green has just received news that he is a New York Times bestselling author. Grady calls his journalist wife, Abby, to share the good news. Abby is driving home from work when she is on the phone with Grady and spots someone lying in the middle of the road. Grady begs Abby not to leave her car, but she does not take his advice. Abby stops the car and gets out to investigate, never to be seen or heard from again…
It’s been one year since Abby’s disappearance, and Grady has not been able to sleep or write another novel. In one year Grady has lost everything he ever owned and worked for. He even feels as if he is losing his mind without Abby.
Grady’s publicist suggests that he go and stay on a secluded island in a cabin that she inherited, so that he can clear his mind and perhaps be able to write another book. Grady takes Kitty (his publicist), up on her offer. While on the Isle of Amberly, Grady thinks he keeps seeing his wife in the red coat that was left behind the night she disappeared. Is Grady seeing things? Is he losing his mind? Are people really who they seem to be on this small, secluded island?
If you love twists and turns- then this is the book for you! I highly recommend reading this book, and I am so happy that I chose this as my December, 2024 BOTM pick. 📚
“Everyone you know is capable of being both good and bad. And one man’s right is another man’s wrong. We have built a society that places far too much importance on a phony idea of beauty and perfection. The world is full of people behaving like clones, all trying to look, sound, and be the same. Too busy constantly comparing themselves to each other on tiny screens to see the bigger picture.”
“Life is beautiful and life is ugly and we have to learn to live with both sides of the same coin and see the light in the darkness. The world is Beautiful Ugly, relationships are Beautiful Ugly, love is Beautiful Ugly. Understanding that makes life easier to live with.”
Grady Green has just received news that he is a New York Times bestselling author. Grady calls his journalist wife, Abby, to share the good news. Abby is driving home from work when she is on the phone with Grady and spots someone lying in the middle of the road. Grady begs Abby not to leave her car, but she does not take his advice. Abby stops the car and gets out to investigate, never to be seen or heard from again…
It’s been one year since Abby’s disappearance, and Grady has not been able to sleep or write another novel. In one year Grady has lost everything he ever owned and worked for. He even feels as if he is losing his mind without Abby.
Grady’s publicist suggests that he go and stay on a secluded island in a cabin that she inherited, so that he can clear his mind and perhaps be able to write another book. Grady takes Kitty (his publicist), up on her offer. While on the Isle of Amberly, Grady thinks he keeps seeing his wife in the red coat that was left behind the night she disappeared. Is Grady seeing things? Is he losing his mind? Are people really who they seem to be on this small, secluded island?
If you love twists and turns- then this is the book for you! I highly recommend reading this book, and I am so happy that I chose this as my December, 2024 BOTM pick. 📚
“Everyone you know is capable of being both good and bad. And one man’s right is another man’s wrong. We have built a society that places far too much importance on a phony idea of beauty and perfection. The world is full of people behaving like clones, all trying to look, sound, and be the same. Too busy constantly comparing themselves to each other on tiny screens to see the bigger picture.”
“Life is beautiful and life is ugly and we have to learn to live with both sides of the same coin and see the light in the darkness. The world is Beautiful Ugly, relationships are Beautiful Ugly, love is Beautiful Ugly. Understanding that makes life easier to live with.”
February 17, 2025
Ugh…This book took me foreverrrrr. I can appreciate the storyline, but I just really didn’t care about what was happening :/ Fine to check it out, but not great imo
January 26, 2026
I’m clearly marooned on Outlier island here!
This was not my favourite Alice Feeney. I felt it was a slow burn mystery, and dragged a little too much for me. However, it had the inevitable twist, which I didn’t see coming!
It certainly won’t stop me from reading other offerings from the author, she’s very good, but sadly I didn’t love this one.
This was not my favourite Alice Feeney. I felt it was a slow burn mystery, and dragged a little too much for me. However, it had the inevitable twist, which I didn’t see coming!
It certainly won’t stop me from reading other offerings from the author, she’s very good, but sadly I didn’t love this one.
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