Thank you to NetGalley, Alice Feeny and MacMillian Audio for my listening copy.

I was surprised by how long it took me to get into this novel, but once I was into it I didn’t want to stop listening. I loved the accents that the narrator was able to do to make it feel like more characters than just one. There was some fantastic plot twists and the last half went by so quickly. I would say if you liked Feeny’s writing in the past, you’ll also enjoy this one.

Wow. I love an unrealizable narrator. I love twists and turns. I love string women. This audiobook delivered! This was magnificent and I am so excited to have read it. The audio version was wonderful sharing the sounds of the setting and allowed for a greater understanding of the characters, their dialect and traits. This was a great read. Grab it today!!!

"I hope you die in your sleep."

Wow! This book is a masterpiece that I simply could not put down! The plot, the writing, the characters, the storytelling and narration were all superb! The narrators were both awesome, but the male narrator was INCREDIBLE!!! The story was so palpable that I felt as if I were on this Island. I could see it, feel it. and really visualize it. I could put myself in these characters shoes and ask what I would do. At times there was a feeling of dread, hopelessness, despair, horror, fear. I felt many emotions while reading this book. At times I even sympathized but asked myself who am I sympathizing with. With each page and chapter, I was gripped. It felt claustrophobic and the atmosphere was so scary, creepy and frightening. I really loved hearing a male Pov and also getting to hear from other characters as well. I was still thinking about this book even after I finished it. This is by far one of the best books I have read this year. I loved the way the story unfolded and the clever ending. It was definitely a full circle ending. I think fans of the movie Secret Window, Identity or Hide and Seek will love this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillian audio for approving this arc for my honest reviewing.

ARC Review
4.5 Stars
Wow! If you liked Rock Paper Scissors (or even if you didn't) you will love this book. Everything is so strange and unsettling, and you'll be left thinking about it all long after you finish reading. Definitely recommend. My favorite book by AF that I've read so far!

Grady’s world is turned upside down when his wife, Abby, goes missing. They were about to celebrate his new book becoming a bestseller. After Abby is gone, Grady is experiencing some awful writer’s block. His agent sends him to a remote Scottish island to try and get him writing again. While Grady is there, he encounters a woman who looks exactly like Abby. But how can that be?

Alice Feeney does it again! This book had all of the creepy and claustrophobic vibes! The island as a setting was great for suspense building, and the inhabitants were the cherry on top. Can you say weirdos? This book had me hooked and it had some crazy twists and turns. The ending was a bit much, but I loved listening to it. I binged this in one day!

‣When Grady's agent calls to tell him his newest novel is
officially a best seller, he can't wait to share the news with his
beloved wife. But the phone call with his wife Abby ends
abruptly, she goes missing, and he finds himself unable to write.
When his agent offers him use of a cabin on a remote Scottish
island to get his juices flowing again, Grady says yes, Upon
arrival, nothing is like he expected and he wonders what he has
just agreed to. Despite the twist being more of a blindside
(which I always think is unfair to readers), I enjoyed this one. If
you're in the mood for an atmospheric thriller, this will definitely
check the box. The audio production was fantastic....dual
narrators, sound effects, music, etc, so give it a listen instead of
a read.

I highly recommend the audio!! It made the story for me however I always read and enjoy an Alice Feeney novel. Loved the eerie settings.

If it was possible to get whiplash from a book, this would be the one to do it.

Alice Feeney is a master of distraction and deception. Beautiful Ugly is no exception.

I found myself questioning so many possibilities while listening to the ARC version of this I received from NetGalley (an immense thank you). The audiobook is so well done and kept me engaged up until the very last sentence.

I genuinely think anyone that reads Alice Feeney’s books and rates them poorly is simply mad they weren’t able to peg the ending or the final twist. Her prose allows you to fall into the story and feel as if you’re one of the characters in her books.

This may be my new favorite thriller I’ve read. I can’t wait for the public release so more people can either absolutely love it, or claim they hate it because they’re salty they were bamboozled by one of the most intelligent, profound plot twists.

Grady is an author who finds himself in a tragedy when his wife disappears one day. With no trace of her whereabouts, he loses his motivation to write. Almost a year later, his publisher encourages him to write another novel and sends him to a remote island for a change of scenery. The island is eerie and Grady begins to question his sanity - especially when he sees a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife!

I really enjoyed the audiobook for this novel. The author kept me guessing throughout the entire story and I did not see the plot twist coming! The added sound effects in the audio added so much depth to the story as well. I highly recommend this thriller! It’ll keep you on your toes!

Title releases January 14, 2025.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ALC of this novel in exchange for my honest review!

Grady Green receives news he has just made it to the New York Times Best Seller List moments later his wife suddenly disappears. One year later Grady is over come with grief, unable to move forward and his life is spiraling as he’s losing everything, his home, finances and just scraping by. ?He is stuck in writers block when his Agent convinces him to take time on a private isolated island to clear his mind and finally get back to writing, From the moment he arrives Grady is forced to face all he’s left behind while being hunted by his wife’s memory. The protagonist’s internal struggle added a layer of complexity that kept me invested in his journey until the shocking end.

This was really good. I enjoyed the narrators, and the minimal sound effects like when characters were speaking through walkie talkies or the ocean was heard in the background . This one kept me guessing the entire book and I knew my overall perception was going to be heavily influenced by the ending and whatever twists may lay in store. Because of that, I ended up giving 4 stars, when it may have been more with alternative endings. It wasn't all neatly tied up with a bow, I still don't understand some characters' motivations and decisions, but the writing was top notch for the most part and extremely suspenseful.

Alice Feeney has created another wildly twisty book. Grady is an author who's wife has just recently gone missing. His publicist needs a new book and sends him to a remote island for a break and hopefully to help inspire him to write. Something about the island just isn't right. Grady quickly feels like he is in danger and needs to leave. Little does he know this island will lead him to some devastating facts about his wife and the people he has surrounded himself with. This book is filled with twists and turns that you won't see coming. I am once again impressed by Feeney's way of keeping you on your toes.

I was looking forward to reading this book based on the premise. An Author and grieving husband who's wife goes missing while they are on a call together. He goes away to work on his book when his wife is not found and keeps thinking he sees her on the Island where he is holed up in a cabin.
Then the slog begins through this book as strange things happen, way too much detail, red herrings that mean nothing and then the ending, Ugh, so bad!

The narration was great and kept the heightened suspense through out., so I kept going. The only reason I finished the book!!!

I received this advanced copy of the Audio book from NetGalley.

I've been a fan of Feeney's books in the past, especially on audio, but knowing that thrillers have been hit or miss for me recently, I went into this one with lowered expectations. The best part of this reading experience was the audio – it's a full production, with sound effects that really bring the atmosphere alive. And the atmosphere was also great, perfect for the beginning of winter. But I found it a bit of a slog, and the ending to be a head scratcher, or at least not terribly satisfying. Again, this is probably more of a me problem then the book's. I'm going to take a break from thrillers because they've become a bit too formulaic and unsatisfactory for me. If you're a fan of Rock Paper Scissors and the like, give this one a try.

The book centers around author Grady Green, who shares the details of 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 struggling with thoughts of what happened to her. He struggles to sleep. He can't write. He's having a hard time getting through day to day.

Then his agent offers him an opportunity to move to a Scottish island where she has an isolated writing cabin of another author who recently passed away. Grady thinks this could be the opportunity that he's needed - a change of pace and scenery so he can regain his focus and start writing again. Upon traveling to the island, he sees a woman that looks eerily like his disappeared wife. But that's not the only twist and unusual story on that island.

I thought that some of the twists in this story were a bit unbelievable, but overall, it definitely held my attention and it was a quick and enjoyable read. My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Beautiful Ugly by Feeney is a masterpiece of twists and turns. I never predicted any of the things that happened. The narrator was really good.

I have a hit or miss relationship with Alice Feeney. I’ve loved some, I’ve hated some. This one was getting so much buzz, I decided to give it a try.
Feeney is a master of creating tension and suspense.
Grady Green’s wife went missing a year ago. Ever since, he’s been unable to write, so his agent sends him to a cabin she’s just inherited on a small Scottish island. The island has just twenty five permanent residents. Yet, he keeps thinking he’s seeing his wife on the island. The reader is left to guess if Grady is losing his mind. Because let’s face it, grief, alcohol and lack of sleep will do that to you.
Feeney has created a great locale for this story. The title is truly apt. The place is gorgeous, but it’s also really eerie. The island lacks all communication with the mainland. And the residents all seem to be hiding something.
The story vaults between Grady’s POV and flashbacks to his wife, Abby’s. I was left not knowing whom to believe.
The strength of this book is Feeney’s ability to keep the reader off balance for the entire story. Grady is a great unreliable narrator. But then, as much as I was enjoying the story, it went off the rails at the end. It was OTT to the point of silliness. By the end, the only character I cared about was Columbo.
I listened to this and both Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton did great jobs.
My thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advance copy of this audiobook.

This was an amazing story I was hooked on from chapter one and I couldn’t put it down I hope everyone listens to this one

I love an Alice Feeney thriller. She is one of the few authors whose twists genuinely surprise me and shock me. I listened to this audiobook in a single day because I needed to know what happened next. I loved the premise of this story, with Grady looking for his missing wife. The pacing was taut, and I could feel the tension throughout. The audiobook itself was well-narrated!

3.5 ⭐️ This is a perfect reminder that there are always two sides to every story.

“Wives think their husbands will change but they don’t. Husbands think their wives won’t change but they do.”

This book is a psychological thriller with loads of mystery and suspense. Where “I hope you die in your sleep” is meant as a term of endearment. It’s set on a remote island in Scotland where a lot of bizarre things happen. Population 25. No electronic communication or reliable transportation in or out of the place.

The book proceeds at a slower pace than I prefer but that doesn’t mean it was boring. I found myself constantly trying to figure all the mysteries out (and failing) and anxiously awaiting for the big twists I knew would be coming to show themselves. The plot starts to really thicken at 50% and then straight roller coaster at about 75% with a huge record scratch jaw dropping moment.

At first I felt for the MMC but as the story went on I was conflicted and then eventually hated him. I think that maybe I might even have trust issues with book narrators from here on out. I really enjoyed hearing Abby’s POV in the end. I wish the book had more scenes with the dog in it.