This book is absolutely fascinating. The first chapter sets the scene for a terrible crime, and the story moves from Maddie and Ian’s time in the Balkans, to the days leading up to the crime. There is so much more to this story than I first expected, the story travels around the world, describing life in the Balkans during turbulent times, it deals with PTSD and therapy, and the intricacies of Maddie and Ian’s marriage. It’s very well written, and perfect for anyone who wants to read a thriller with a bit of a difference.

I was so excited to pick this book up and even though I still recommend it to certain people, it wasn't my cup of tea. I loved the twisty parts and the revelations but there was so much fluff in between and still so many unanswered questions.
Unfortunately I just didn't connect with the characters, the plot or the book, but am grateful for the opportunity to have read it.

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<p>I finished Beautiful Bad a couple of weeks ago but it has taken me until now to decide what I really thought about it. That is often an admirable quality in a book but in this case I have been fighting too very diverse opinions. In many ways that is very typical of the book itself. It is a tale of two halves. One of a domestic suburban American home and the life lived there. The other in war torn countries, of poverty and death and destruction. </p>
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<p>The book opens with a police officer responding to a 911 call. A young woman has been attacked in her home, the intruder is still present. It's a dangerous situation and anything could happen. The police officer enters the home. There is blood. A lot of blood... </p>
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<p>Maddie and Ian met when he was serving in the British Army and she was visiting her charity worker friend Jo, writing travel books to keep her income going. Now it is sixteen years later and they are married with a young son Charlie. When an accident leaves Maddie horribly disfigured she begins going to a therapist to help her. The therapy sessions reveal a woman starting to fear Ian's PTSD and the effect that that and his drinking are having on the family. </p>
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<p>In many ways I could understand how Ian felt because just reading about Maddie was driving me to drink! This is a story that frustrated me more than it entertained me. Aspects of the plot became glaringly obvious chapters in advance and others just seemed entirely superfluous. I really wanted to like it as it is just the sort of book I really enjoy but the characters were all largely awful. Deceitful, unstable and eminently unlikeable. It is one of those stories that you either love or hate. </p>
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<p>Supplied by Quercus and Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. </p>
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<p>UK Publication date: Mar 5 2019. 400 pages. </p>
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Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and of course the author for this digital ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

This book is a twisted psychological thriller that initially drew me in with plenty of twists along the way.

The story flits between the past and present day. While I was pulled in to the story it did slow but then gathered momentum to an explosive ending.

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This is an interesting story to read, as it tells of the relationship between Maddie and Ian. The chapters flit between three different times - 2001 when they met, the twelve weeks ‘before’ and the Day of the Killing. Interestingly, the identity of the victim isn’t made clear until some way into the book, keeping the reader guessing. It’s well written and, unlike some books, the time jumps are easy to follow and help move the action along. The main characters develop and change throughout the story, with opinion changing as to who is in the right.

My only negative was that I would have preferred more closure at the end, as to me it was a little rushed. However, overall, a book I thoroughly enjoyed.

I almost stopped reading this book as I found it really quite confusing jumping back and forth from the main event. I did persevere and got to the end. I thought it was going to be about PTSD in one of the characters but the twist is that it probably affected one of the others much more dramatically.
The book might not be on my bucket list but having persevered I don't regret it. For anyone reading, it be patient, pay attention and underneath it you will find a book with a good story and good descriptions of life with an NGO.

4 Stars from me

The opening pages, ominously entitled 'The Day of the Killing' absolutely sucked me in and then I was then rudely wrenched from the bloodied crime scene and dumped back in the past as the book teasingly led me back to the present day. Whose blood was it? Who had died? Who did it?

Once I got over being dragged away from the edge of your seat, high alert scene of the crime the book settled into a reasonably chronological account of the events leading up to that frantic 999 call.

Maddie has lead quite the life as a travel writer and she and her best friend Jo (who is a ballsy lady who does whatever she pleases and to hell with the consequences) get into some dangerous situations. The whole part of the story when Maddie first meets Ian gives a fascinating insight into the difficulties faced by those trying to protect and deliver aid in worn torn areas.

I loved the bits with 'Cami-toe', and sensed that not everything Maddie shared with us could be relied upon entirely, there are a few clues and red herrings along the way and I have to confess I thought I had guessed the ending and 'whodunnit' but I wasn't quite right...

Overall, great book, gripping and thorough engaging.

Synopsis:'Ward writes with the same compelling energy as you get in a blockbuster Netflix series' Daily Mail'Compelling. Filled with unexpected twists... a riveting read' Sarah Pekkanen, author of The Wife Between UsMaddie and Ian's romance began when he was serving in the British Army and she was a travel writer visiting her best friend Jo in Europe. Now sixteen years later, married with a beautiful son, Charlie, they are living the perfect suburban life in Middle America.But when an accident leaves Maddie badly scarred, she begins attending therapy, where she gradually reveals her fears about Ian's PTSD; her concerns for the safety of their young son Charlie; and the couple's tangled and tumultuous past with Jo.

Things that make me scared: When Charlie cries. Hospitals and lakes. When Ian drinks vodka in the basement. ISIS. When Ian gets angry… That something is really, really wrong with me.

My goodness I have read some stunning thrillers this year and Beautiful Bad is right up there with the best. The title alone is just perfect. Throughout the book we explore the beauty and the bad in Maddie and Ian’s life and romance.

Maddie and Ian’s relationship began with a chance encounter at a party overseas; he was serving in the British army and she was a travel writer visiting her best friend, Jo. Now almost two decades later, married with a beautiful son, Charlie, they are living the perfect suburban life in Middle America. But when an accident leaves Maddie badly scarred, she begins attending writing therapy, where she gradually reveals her fears about Ian’s PTSD; her concerns for the safety of their young son, Charlie; and the couple’s tangled and tumultuous past with Jo.

From the Balkans to England, Iraq to Manhatten and then finally to settle in Kansas as this story concludes – we are taken on a journey through countries steeped in conflict as we learn more about a marriage’s own personal war. This book is artfully told over several timelines and from different perspectives – a very tricky style to master but the author does this with ease. Carefully woven throughout these perspectives are some surprising twists and turns which will take the reader by surprise.

You will be on the edge of your chair, with your heart racing, as you battle through the conflicts described in this book to find out exactly what has happened to prompt the desperate 911 call that we were introduced to at the very beginning…

I received my copy from Netgalley in return for an honest opinion.

An enjoyable read that sometimes seemed a little bit like hard work as the narrative is from the points of view of the three main characters and from different locations. I did get used to this though but I could not get over my dislike of the two women Maddie and Jo. Ian was different in that one could see past the damage he had incurred whilst working in war situations and feel for the man behind his sometimes extreme behaviour.

The ending has a most unexpected twist that left me bereft.

I will be looking out for further work by Annie Ward.

I enjoyed the first half of this book but after that I lost interest and didn't quite believe in the two main characters. However it is well written and has an interesting and unusual setting.

You won’t be able to put this down!
Very well written, the plot moves quickly enough for you to want to read ‘just one more page’ until you have found you reached the end.
Intertwined with the gripping story line are beautiful prose describing the different countries the book is setting, adding another layer to the enjoyment.
Well described characters makes you identify and empathise, you will find you’re invested in the outcome!

This was somewhat tangled and all my preconceived ideas and what I'd believed all through were challenged at the end. Cleverly done and a good build up of characters. Different settings from usual, beginning in the Balkan countries with war and uncertainty raging, ending in modern day USA. Told through flashbacks and from multiple points of view. Ian was clearly a complex character and I wasn't sure what he'd actually done to his wife and child although we were being led to believe there had been some abuse. In the end, it was quite shocking the level of manipulation, but definitely a book where all is not as it seems. I genuinely was shocked by the ending! #netgalley #beautifulbad

I really enjoyed this book, it was interesting to go from country to country as the story progressed.

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. I loved this book, I enjoy domestic thrillers in general, but found this one to be the best that I've read in awhile. Ward writes well and creates real sympathy for the protagonists, making the ultimate revalations quite chilling and shocking. An utterly gripping book which I devoured. I'd like to read more from Annie Ward. .

Maddie is a travel writer who meets Ian whilst she is visiting her friend Jo, then follows a long and complex relationship between Maddie and Ian, however the book starts with the Police being called to Maddie and Ian’s house as there has been a murder! ( and Jo is staying, Jo who loved Ian too!!)
Its quite a chaotic book and the story goes back and forth from present to various times in the past and various places in the world where they happened to be working etc
The characters are complex, Ian as ex services and bodyguard in Iraq and Rwanda has PTSD and a temper and also a ‘survivalist’ obsession, Maddie is fairly aloof and indecisive and hard to get to really know and Jo is, well Jo is a pain!!
The story is fractured at times with all the tooing and frooing and goes off on tangents and indulgences that dont always seem relevant
The build up to the end is subtle but once ‘out the bag’ quite shocking and you wonder if you have been on the side of the baddie instead of the goodie all the time, in that way the book cleverly succeeds and the ending is another shock, in 2 parts!!!
Kinda felt a bit like a Netflix series where you wish it had been 6 episodes rather than 8 but overall you were glad you had seen it and was worth it
7/10 3.5 Stars ( rounded to 4 )

I loved this, another book that I stayed up late reading to finish!
I found Maddie's story intriguing, and and thought I could see where it was all going, but I genuinely didn't see the twist of the ending coming.
I enjoy stories told across different time frames, and this was no different. Easy to follow and cleverly done, it enabled the story to unfold slowly with just the right amount of detail to keep you interested and guessing.

I recieved a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

OMG! I just.... I... Honestly don't know what to think.... That was majorly fudged up... I really didn't like Joanna at all not even the beginning, Maddie was always a pushover... I'm aware she played her role really well... But I really wanted a different ending.

Ian went through so much and had no one who really understood. I think he did a remarkable job, and kept it together quite well. I liked seeing his pov, I would have liked more, but I understand why we didn't. But his motivations made sense to me and I felt so sorry for him.

Maddy... I'm aware she in insane and a psychopath, but I just... I don't get it... I mean she made sense and I understand that she was worried about her future but she was a cold woman for the majority of the book. The underlying thoughts she had were quite strange.

I didn't quite see the twist, I thought it was Joanna but that was blown out of the water... I really wanted her to be found out at the end...
I didn't enjoy the time jumps, I would rather have had it written in one normal sequence, but I enjoyed the writing but not many characters.

It's been such a long time since I read a thriller like this, and it felt so good to be so gripped by a story again. However, beyond the initial gripping, Beautiful Bad fell a bit short for me.

The book starts on 'The Day of the Killing' with a frantic 911 call. It grips the reader right away. Then, it goes back and forth between the past and the present, counting down to 'The Day of the Killing'.

I enjoyed the character developments and the mix of present day and flashbacks, but I found that I was reading because I just wanted to get to the end, not because I wanted to know what happened throughout the entire story.

This was a good read. But it's not one of the thrillers that's going to stick with me for awhile. So I can really only just say it's an average 3 stars for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me an ARC in exchange for a review.

This story flicks back and forth from the past to the present, told from multiple points of view. I found it gripping, particularly the sections set in Eastern Europe. I wasn't sure who was telling the truth or who was lying until the end. A tense and thrilling read.

Brilliant, thrilling, twisty, psychological drama. I highly recommend reading Annie Ward's new book the beautiful bad. Maddie a frustrated housewife left at home looking after her 3 year old son is worried about her husband Ian, who's work takes him to war torn countries as security for dignitaries. She thinks his drinking and PTSD are going to come to a head and someone is going to get hurt. Maddie is very anxious so seeks help from a psychotherapist who tries to help her anxiety through writing.
These stories and some flashbacks help us learn about Maddie's past as a journalist and how she met Ian many years ago through her best friend Jo. A beautifully written story of war torn Macedonia and the friendship the two women have is captivating, then how Ian and Maddie's relationship begins, the struggles they go through to be together and the success they have built. All this is written around the day of the killing. A phone call is made to police, women in danger, a child is heard crying, the phone call is cut dead. Artfully interlaced with the history of the couple we learn about what happens on that fateful day when someone dies, but who is it and who was the killer, suspenseful till the end.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, excellent characters, all strong and believable, the settings were great, even though some were grim and a fabulous plot. Looking forward to Annie's next release!
Big thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for the ARC.