4.5 stars rounded up. This is Feeney's best work to-date!

The novel begins with Grady Green, who was a struggling writer until his wife connected him with her literary agent friend. On what was supposed to be the best night of his life, in which he finds out his new book made the US bestseller list, he’s on the phone with his wife when she suddenly disappears. Driving home from work, she states that she sees a woman lying in the road, so she pulls over to investigate. Unfortunately, his wife vanishes and is presumed dead.

Grady’s life falls apart after his wife's disappearance. He can't write and can't afford his mounting bills. Thinking he needs a place to clear his head, his literary agent offers him use of a home she inherited on a small Scottish island. Grady hasn't been sleeping well from the stress, so he agrees to the change of scenery. On the island ferry, he thinks he sees his missing wife, but convinces himself it's just his insomnia catching up with him. Grady increasingly becomes an unreliable narrator once he arrives on the island and must confront his memories of his wife, coupled with all of the unanswered questions he has about her disappearance.

If you're a fan of psychological and domestic thrillers like The Silent Patient, then I can't recommend this one enough. The audiobook in particular is worth a listen, as they incorporated real ocean sounds and musical interludes between chapters. Overall, Feeney hit one out of the park with this novel. It's moody, atmospheric, and keeps you on your toes until the end of the very last sentence!

Many thanks to the author, NetGalley, and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I have been a huge fan of Alice Feeney ever since I read Sometimes I Lie. I think at this point I will literally read anything she writes. I was super excited to read her latest novel Beautiful Ugly, and once again she nailed it. I absolutely loved Beautiful Ugly. This book is a dark, riveting, terrifying psychological thriller. It had me in a complete chokehold, and on the edge of my seat from the beginning until the very end. I listen to the audiobook while reading my physical copy of the book, which made it even better. The narrators were outstanding. A huge thank you to Macmillan Audio, and the author for the advanced audio copy of the book via Netgalley.

Author Grady Green is going through it. He’s having one of the best, yet terrible days of his life. When Grady rings his wife Abby to share his wonderful news he hears his wife quickly slamming on her brakes, and getting out of her car, then total silence. When he finally locates her car it’s sitting by the edge of a cliff still running with the door open. Abby’s phone is there, but she is nowhere to be found…disappeared without a trace.

A year later Grady is distraught, grieving and desperate to know what happened to his wife. He is stuck he can’t sleep, and definitely can’t write. He decides to take his agent’s advice, and go to this small Scottish island to focus, to get his life back together, and try to start writing again. But hold up once he arrives on the island he thinks he sees a woman that looks like his missing wife. On this crazy island nothing is what it seems to be. Strange and bizarre things are occurring. Can Grady actually believe what he is seeing? Is that Abby his wife who disappeared?

This book, this book had me screaming out loud, and asking myself what did I just read! The twist in the storyline just kept coming, coming and coming. All the characters on this island are extremely shady, contemptible, and I loved every page of it. Beautiful Ugly is an enthralling, mind-blowing, unputdownable thriller. This incredible book should be at the top of everyone’s 2025 reading list. Bravo…Applause Alice Feeney!

Beautiful Ugly brings us the story of struggling writer Grady and his account of his wife's disappearance, on what should have been the best day of Grady's life: after calling Abby to tell her his news of being a NYT Bestseller, Grady hears Abby stop the car, get out to help a woman lying on the road, and never be heard from again.

A year has gone by and Grady has been unable to produce another novel (and sleep), much to the chagrin of his agent (who also happens to be his wife's godmother). When she offers him a chance to spend a holiday at the home of one of her former clients on a remote Scottish island, Grady hops at the chance, hoping to rescue his career.

While this was an interesting enough premise, the eeriness and suspense of the novel ends once Grady settles in on the island. The island's inhabitants aren't fleshed out enough to care about, and the more information gathered about Grady and Abby, the less I liked either of them. Grady's unreliable narration feels redundant and repetitive, and the plot twist was both unsurprising and unbelievable. The story of the island itself felt messy and hard to follow, especially considering how unlikeable all of the characters were.

That being said, I did love the dual narration!

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This audiobook was so good! It's dual POV with dual narration, along with music and some sound effects! What?! Yes! This definitely helped with the creepiness in some parts and I loved it! The narrators' voices were perfect for this and I enjoyed every minute of it!

This book has the perfect amount of mystery and suspense with just a touch of creepy in all the right places. This one will definitely have you stressing and trying to figure out what's happening and who to trust the entire time. The ending drove me crazy in the best and worst of ways... so many twists that I did not see coming and they did not stop until the end, in true Feeney fashion, of course. I will be reading everything this woman writes, even though I always end her books feeling completely betrayed 😂

Thank you so much to NetGalley & @macmillan.audio for allowing me to review the audio for Beautiful Ugly by @alicewriterland
#BeautifulUgly #NetGalley

I don’t know why I keep doing this to myself. I am not a fan of unreliable narrators and this one was really something. Can’t wait to discuss with book club later this month.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Alice Feeney for the advance listening copy of Beautiful Ugly. All opinions are my own!

I was so excited to receive an audio ARC of Alice Feeney’s after loving Daisy Darker a few years ago. I’ve found Alice Feeney to be hit or miss for me, and, unfortunately, this one was a miss. This story just felt very slow to me. I could tell a twist was coming, but it took almost 80% of the book to really get to anything that captured my attention. I also wasn’t convinced of the characters’ motivations. It just didn’t make sense to me. Our narrator was unreliable, but I didn’t feel like it added anything to the story. I’m so sad I didn’t enjoy this one, but I’ll probably still give some of her other books a go.

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney just published yesterday, January 14th. It was my first go with Feeney and I rather enjoyed it. It’s a psychological thriller about marriage and revenge. A wee bit predictable but still lots of fun. The audio was excellent- dual narration and cool sound effects go a long way with me for my audio-reads.

Highly recommend this dark domestic thriller. Kept me guessing until the final chapter. Nunced narration with cleverly placed sound effects make for an entertaining listen.

Alice Feeney is the queen of writing unreliable narrators and I will never skip a book by her. I received Beautiful Ugly and an audioARC and listening to the story was like trying to piece together a puzzle without the box and a few extra pieces. Could organize like pieces, even put a few pieces together, but never quite able to see how everything fits into the big picture until the grand reveal, which had my head SPINNING.

Alice Feeney has become a favorite thriller author of mine and Beautiful Ugly sounded right up my alley. I try and go into thrillers knowing as little as possible, because I feel like I enjoy them more that way. This story had me hooked from the first chapter and I couldn't put it down. Our main character Grady's wife goes missing and his seems to fall apart. He needs to write a new book to continue his career as an author, but just can't seem to get any words down. That's all I knew going into this, and that's all you should know.

Once Grady goes to an island to see if he can get the words flowing, things get dark and mysterious. We meet some interesting characters and I even started wondering if my mind was playing tricks on me. There are some twists and events that keep you going. I'll also say there's no way I ever would've guessed how this book would end. It may not be completely realistic, but this is fiction right? It doesn't always need to be!

The audiobook really added to my reading experience. The narrators really bring the characters to life and the little sound effects here and there just make it even more amazing. If you're going to read this one, I highly recommend the audiobook of reading along with the audiobook. Alice Feeney definitely proved to me again why she's one of my autobuy/read authors.

Beautiful Ugly


This was my first Alice Feeney read, and it did not disappoint! I truly had no idea what was going to happen, and the twists at the end really got me!

Grady Green is an author whose wife disappeared a year prior. He has since been unable to write, and to try and get his writing back on track, his publisher sends him to work on his next book on a remote (and creepy) Scottish island. Grady is an unreliable narrator and the other people in the island are very secretive so it’s hard to tell what the truth really is.

I listened to this book on audio and thought the narrators did a good job, and kept me entertained. While it was a dual POV the MMCs was the majority of the story. I will definitely be adding Alice Feeneys other books to my TBR after this one!

Read if you like:
- an unreliable narrator
- dual POV
- plot twists
- isolated location


Thank you @macmillanaudio & @ NetGalley for the ALC!

I was left reeling after I finished this book. I love an unreliable narrator and I got just that. I didn't know what was real, what was happening, and really anything. I found myself talking out loud to the book and I had no idea which direction this was going to take but I can tell you it wasn't the one it ended up taking. This is a great thriller. So many characters, so many things going on, never knowing who you could trust. There was just one thing I still can't figure out how it happened, and I just can't wrap my brain around how it went down, but other than that, this was executed really well.
The narrators did a fantastic job with this book. I was engaged and on the edge of my seat the whole time.
Thank you to Macmillian, Netgalley and Alice Feeney for an ALC.

Fantastic book! Thank you so much to NetGalley for the advanced readers copy! I love a good mystery novel where I think I am so smart and no exactly what’s going to happen and then, BAM! Completely blindsided by the reality of the novel!

Alice Feeney has done it again! This book was completely engrossing, keeping me hooked from start to finish. The twists and turns, combined with the intriguing stories of the island and its inhabitants, made it impossible to put down. It struck the perfect balance between mystery and suspense, with just the right touch of spookiness.

The audiobook was equally impressive. Both narrators were phenomenal, bringing the story to life with their perfect pacing, tone, and delivery. Their performances truly elevated the experience and made it even more enjoyable.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Alice Feeny for the ALC!

Thanks to NetGalley for the free audiobook of Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney in exchange for an honest review. The book and audiobook were released this week, so it’s available now.

Author Grady Green is having the worst and best day of his life. He gets some wonderful news from his publisher - the best news an author can receive - but soon after he calls to tell his wife, Abby, she disappears. A year later, grieving and unable to write, Grady’s agent Kitty, who is also Abby’s godmother, suggests he spend some time in a cabin on a remote Scottish island to come to grips with the fact that Abby is gone for good, and to write his next novel. Grady takes her advice and, with his dog Columbo, takes the ferry and arrives on the island of Amberly. But things on the island, populated by just 25 residents, are not what they seem. Is Grady safe? And what really happened to Abby?

Although this novel is a bit disjointed with some loose ends and plot holes, it kept me hooked from the start. Feeney sets a spooky scene and drops just enough bread crumbs to take us down path after path in search of the truth. The audiobook narrated by Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton is captivating and creepy.

Four stars for this latest outing by Alice Feeney.

WOW! Another can’t put down book by Alice Feeney!

•••A grieving author whose wife has gone missing finds himself being offered the perfect opportunity for a fresh start. But the beautiful island of Amberly may not be what it seems. Things quickly begin to unravel and the truth may not be what it seems.•••

This thrilling novel had me coming up with all kinds of theories as to what exactly was happening. I loved the supernatural aspects as well and it kept me guessing until the very end. I listened and the narrators, Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton did an amazing job. Wonderful audio experience. I also really enjoyed how this novel and sound affects almost like a graphic audio.

Do not hesitate on adding this to your TBR it’s a must!

Wow! This was a wild read and I did not see some of those twists coming! Alice Feeney knocks it out of the park again. I am adding her to my always-read list and adding all of her books to my TBR.

If you're going to enjoy this novel please listen to the audiobook it elevates the experience

This story tells of an unrealiable narrator, a missing wife, grieving writer husband, and a small island with secrets.


The ending felt rushed to me and I wish the backstory of the MMC was fully developed to truly understand his actions.

An okay read.

I really, REALLY enjoyed this! I thought the voice acting was phenomenal and the plot twist really got me. Was it believable or realistic? No, but I didn’t need it to be. It had me hooked from the beginning. If you like a fast paced, self-deprecating plot, this is for you! And honestly, I definitely was rooting against the MMC the entire book!!!!

This audiobook was absolute perfection! The narrators brought the dual POV story to life, and the unique transition music and sound effects? Such a vibe. They added an extra layer of immersion that made the story even more gripping.

The story begins with Grady, an author anxiously awaiting news about his latest book’s success while his wife Abby is out grabbing their celebratory meal. But… things don’t go as Grady planned—or do they?

I loved the pacing, the unforgettable characters, and the way we experience the small-town setting through Grady’s unreliable eyes. The twists and turns were expertly done—nothing felt forced, and I didn’t see them coming.