Grady Green becomes a New York Times best selling author the same day his wife disappears. It happens while he's on the phone with her. A year later he's offered the use of a cabin on an island hoping to find a sense of peace.
This thriller only gets better, a definite 5 star read. It's twisty with so many turns, multiple perspectives,and a layered plot. I listened to the audio version and was immediately hooked. The narrators were amazing, kept me engaged, and at the edge of my seat. The sound effects were an added bonus making this my top audiobook yet!
Many thanks to NetGally, Macmillan Audio, and Alice Feeney for sharing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5 ⭐️
Expected publication date: January 14, 2025

I know I can always count on Alice Feeney for a dark and twisted thriller, this one did not disappoint!

The audiobook version was excellent. Probably the best audiobook I've listened to. The sound effects and atmospheric music enhanced the listening experience. I've never heard that done in an audiobook before. It was so creepy that at times I would jump and then realize it was just coming from the audiobook. The last whispered sentence is one that will give you chills.

This is one not to miss and I would highly recommend listening to the audiobook!

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I just finished reading Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney and absolutely loved it! The isolated island setting gave off major locked-room mystery vibes, which kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I listened to the audiobook, and the narration really captured the eerie atmosphere. The twists were fantastic, and I loved how past mysteries were slowly unraveled and connected in such unexpected ways. A gripping, twisty thriller that kept me guessing until the very last moment! (and by last moment... I mean, literally the final... last... words!!!)

This was my first Alice Feeney novel, but it won't likely be my last. Beautiful Ugly features a male novelist and his journalist wife. As the book opens, Grady Green is waiting at home for a call from his agent which he hopes will bring the news that his latest book has made it to the NYT Best Seller list. He's anxious for the call, and dismayed that his wife Abby has not arrived home to be present for the hoped-for announcement, when she calls to tell him she's on her way. But in the middle of that call, he hears the screech of brakes, and moments later, silence. Abby has disappeared.

One year later, Grady's still struggling to put his life and his career back together. There's been no news about his wife, and he's been unable to resume his writing. His agent steps in with an offer: he can live in a cottage she owns on a small Scottish island, and there have the peace and quiet he needs to write. But once he arrives on the island, strange occurrences mar the serenity and solitude of the lovely island, and he vacillates between feeling that someone is stalking him and fearing that he's losing his mind.

The audiobook, well-narrated by Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton, also includes occasional musical interludes and eerie sound effects. The plot is tight, and Feeney maintains the suspense to the very end. Mystery lovers, be sure to watch for this one in January.

I devoured this audiobook. 🎧 It was creepy, suspenseful and had me captivated for the duration.

There were so many twists that once I thought I had it figured out there was another layer unveiled that kept me guessing. The last hour or so of the audiobook rapidly developed and it felt like each paragraph had a new wild twist.

The audiobook production included additional immersive sounds that had me jumping and looking around. This definitely plays into the suspense and thrill of the whole book.

I really wish the book ended on the revelation *right before* the final ending. I think the way it ended was expected, and I was strangely hoping Grady would get the last laugh? There was a lot of miscommunication between Grady and Abby throughout their marriage that could've been avoided, so I fault both of them for their situation. It's all the "island community" components that make this story so wild.

Also, I was so ready to throw this whole book away if anything happened to Columbo.

Wow! The last hour of this audiobook is full of shocking twists that I did not see coming.

I highly recommend the audiobook version of @alicewriterland’s latest book. The whole production is on point with fantastic narration and sound effects that really bring the story to life.

I also loved the setting (remote Scottish island), unreliable narrator, and the different POVs. All hallmarks of a Feeney novel and why her books are must reads for me!

Thank you Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to this audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion. I have shared this same review on the Barnes & Noble website as well.

I’ve loved so many of Feeney’s books. This one was so good until closer to the ending and it just took a direction I wasn’t expecting and I just really wished it was a different direction. It was not a bad book, just not my favorite Feeney book. The audio book was very well narrated.

I received this book as an audiobook ARC. Let me start by saying that the audiobook narrators were exquisite. They kept me attached to each of the characters throughout the entire novel.

I have never had the pleasure of reading one of Alice Feeney's books, and I will now be in search of her other works. This book had me second guessing reality, wondering if the narrator was reliable, and curious if this was bridging on paranormal suspense. Every time I thought I had an answer or figured out a plotline, I was proven wrong and left with my jaw on the floor. Maybe I am gullible, but I also did not anticipate the ending which was such a great tie into the entirety of the story. I will be recommending this book to all my thriller loving friends, and I have already ordered the hardcopy to add to my library collection.

A big Thank You to @netgalley !
I'm a big fan of @alicewriterland and this book was a blast! I took my sweet time and enjoyed every little bend in the road. Is Grady Green loosing his mind...seeing his missing wife everywhere!?!? That ending...didn't see that coming! Everything this author writes makes me so happy and this cover is AMAZING!

Author Grady Green calls his wife to share his exciting news. But while on the phone, he can hear her slam on the brakes. Her car is found parked on the edge of a cliff with her phone in the seat but she is gone. A year later, a grieving Grady wracked by insomnia visits a small Scottish island to try to start writing again and bring himself back to life. Except he thinks he sees a woman on the island who looks exactly like his missing wife.

Although I generally enjoy thrillers with unreliable narrators, Beautiful Ugly suffered from an overcomplicated plot without any likable characters. Despite its decent ending twist, the story was completely inconceivable and the characters didn't draw you in. On the bright side, the audiobook production for Beautiful Ugly was top-notch. With A-list actors Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton narrating, the audiobook incorporated just the right amount of music and sound effects to enhance the story without overpowering it.

Wow, Alice Feeney kept me on the edge of my seat with ‘Beautiful Ugly’! Even though the storyline unfolded at a slower pace, I couldn’t stop listening.

I especially enjoyed the narrators, Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton, who brought the characters to life so vividly that I could picture them all. The addition of ocean sounds was a lovely touch—it made the experience even more peaceful.


** Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Alice Feeney for an ARC copy of Beautiful Ugly’.

I wasn't sure how this was going to go. There was more than a bit of gaslighting and I was HERE for it! I figured some of it out (which I like to do) and it was even twister than I thought. Great, atmospheric read!

Amazing thriller! I really enjoyed this book. It was strange but not so out there like some books are. It kept my interest the entire book and did not end how I thought it would end. Highly recommend!

I adore this author to begin with and when @macmillan.audio sent it to me I screamed 🤣 An author dude’s wife passed away. He’s soooo messed up of course as one would expect. Ends up in a remote location a year later, to be able to write (cause let’s face it he needs to make a living) then stuff goes down. I couldn’t put it down and guessed absolutely nothing 🤣 Narration was fab, too.

If you're looking for a thriller that will keep you up all night questioning everything, you need to read this. Highly recommend!
The book summary introduces the primary storyline of a grieving Grady, who has been mentally and emotionally incapacitated by the disappearance of his wife, Abby, a year earlier. As if it wasn't bad enough that Grady was a needy, insecure, man-child before Abby's disappearance, he has now become a full-on morose recluse incapable of taking care of himself, although he seems to still be able to still take care of Columbo, his devoted black Lab.
Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney will be available on January 14, 2025. Many thanks to Macmillan Audio and Flatiron Books for the gifted audiobook!
4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Grady Green, newly minted bestselling author, is looking for his wife. She disappeared while on the phone with him the night he found out he was a bestseller, and he's been upset and struggling ever since. When his agent gives him an opportunity to go to a remote writing cabin on an island in Scotland, he takes her up on it, and decides to stay there while he figures out his next moves. And there begins the mystery...

This is my first Alice Feeney novel - although I had a bunch on my TBR - and I'm not sure she'll be a repeat author for me. I hate to say I called (a good chunk) of the ending of this novel by like, 30% through. I was like, nah, there is no way. There was a way. There were quite a few twists I DIDN'T predict, but so many of them were so outlandish, I don't know that anyone could have. And the fact that the prediction I made early came to be true disappointed me.

Let me start with what I DID like, before I go into what I DID NOT. Firstly, the book sucked me right in. I love an unreliable narrator, and am of the opinion that ALL first person narrations are unreliable. Thrillers, this is even more the case. So Grady narrating this? Automatic plus. And his narration was solid. It definitely left you wondering, from page one, what he was and wasn't telling you, and how much you could trust what he presented. I also liked the motley cast of islanders we are introduced to, and the way their oddities and personalities started to develop through both interactions and clues. The narration and production of the audiobook was also stunning. I loved the sound effects, and it immersed me into the story. I loved some of the themes, which seemed both timely and valid - they resonated with me, and the mystery WAS intriguing.

The plot was interesting enough, although the ending was so wildly unfeasible, I don't want to think too hard about it - if I do, I think it'll make me angry. It already made me angry enough. There are quite a few really dark elements of this book that made me squirm, so look up trigger warnings. I also take issue with (minor spoiler about a character) <spoiler>how little Grady seems to know or remember - what the heck, my dude. You're married to an investigative journalist. Do some damn research</spoiler>.

I think, with a healthy dose of suspension of disbelief, and a willingness to vibe with some craziness, this would be a great choice. The audiobook is a great way to experience it - seriously, super well produced. However, if you're someone who finds logical inconsistencies infuriating <spoiler>(for example, the fact that somehow gas in a vehicle lasts for years without going bad? Ever since watching a SciShow on that - thanks Hank Green! - I cannot read books with old cars just working after sitting for long chunks of time without rolling my eyes!) </spoiler> then this might drive you nuts. Also, and I cannot stress this enough, there were chunks of this book's story that made me uncomfy, and I'm sure that was the author's point. But I'd recommend you look up warnings before embarking upon it if you are sensitive to content, especially involving children.

"Beautiful Ugly" by Alice Feeney was easily a 5-star book for me—up until the last 10%. The big reveal was a major letdown. In fact, all of the "big" reveals felt unbelievable and completely disconnected from the build-up throughout the story. By the end, I was left feeling frustrated and disappointed. The first 90% of the book, however, was exceptional. I couldn't put it down. I was fortunate enough to receive an advance audiobook copy, and the narrators did a fantastic job, bringing the story to life with their performances. The added sound effects enhanced the experience even further. It's just that I feel Feeney may have had one direction in mind for most of the story, only to change the ending—through rewrites or a shift in vision—into something far-fetched and unsatisfying.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for the ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review

If you’re looking for a creepy, atmospheric read, this is the book for you. From the opening of the book I was drawn into this story. Grady is a writer who has just received the news he’s been hoping for, that he’s a bestselling author. While he’s on the phone with his wife, sharing this with her, she stops her car when she sees someone lying in the road….so she gets out to investigate…

A year later he is still grieving her loss and wondering what could’ve happened to her. His agent sends him to a remote Scottish island in hopes that he can start writing again.

Highlights |
•Black lab named Columbo
•Atmospheric setting
•Unique set of characters
•Psychological hijinks

The book has some pretty wild twists and turns, and often I was surprised and wondering what would happen next. A few parts of the plot were a bit much… Yet I still really enjoyed it overall. The narration is really top-notch. Highly recommend the audio format!

"Fear can make something beautiful become ugly."

I must say that I did not anticipate the culmination of the book. It’s quite a doozy!

CW | Contains a small amount of strong profanity and a few very brief intimate scenes.

I LOVE all of Alice Feeney's books but this audio fell flat for me. I'm not sure why, I just had a hard time with all the narrators and even the story line just didn't do it for me. I think it's just me as it has a lot of 5 stars. I look forward to her next book.

Whoa!!! This is my second Alice Feeney book. She is one twisted author. Grady and Abby have a rocky relationship, they are both super involved with their jobs. Abby is an investigative reporter and Grady Is a New York Times bestselling author. Abby is supposed to meet Grady but something happens and she disappears. The story was definitely a thriller and you never knew what was coming! The ending… I will just leave that part for you to figure out. Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of the audio book.