This one was a bit slow for me and didn’t grab me as much as other Alice Feeney books do. Great narrator and great audiobook experience, just didn’t love the storyline or plot.

This was my first book by this author, believe it or not, and it was quite a roller coaster! I don't read nearly as many thrillers as I used to, so I'm usually still very bad at predicting twists and this was the case with this one! It had me on the edge of my seat the whole time, even at the end!

The setting for this book is important because it's a bit remote and that adds to the creepy factor. It's also hard to know who to trust so there's that added layer to the story too. I was pretty impressed overall with how it all wrapped up despite being also super creeped out. I also felt that the main character's career path as an author was important to the story due to how he met his wife and the writers block he was feeling. It was decently well crafted for me even though I really had no idea where any of the story was headed.

The audio narration was excellent so I definitely recommend that.

This did not live up to my expectations at all. I’ve heard good things about this author and I feel like this one just fell flat for me.

I felt like I couldn’t connect with the characters. Like they were two dimensional and needed expanding a bit. I found myself listening because I wanted to get the story over with, not because I wanted to find out what happened next.

The only character I found myself invested in was Columbo, and I was very pleased to see he got a happy ending.

The audiobook narrators did a great job tho.

Thank you to NetGalley for this audiobook arc!

Grady is waiting for the most important phone call of his life. He’s waiting for his wife who promised to be by his side. He’s waiting calls her, she’s on her way, but she stops to help someone hurt I. The road. On the phone, Grady begs her not to stop. But she does and he doesn’t. She disappears.hardy can’t go on. He thinks he sees her everywhere. Perhaps a change of scenery will help.

Many twists and turns. Jaw dropping ending. A must read.

Oh Alice, I love the stories your mind comes up with. I did not see the twists in this one coming and I love when that happens! Especially when they aren't extremely far-fetched. I had an inkling into one, but I was only correct in the slightest bit.

I felt like this story was just the right length, without the extra fluff that has become common in novels. It didn't lose my attention, and even sitting here afterwards, I can't think of parts I would take out or question being there.

I will say that I didn't ever feel attached or care about what happened with any of the characters, but I also don't think that was very necessary in this story. It's almost as if the story itself was what I became invested in, instead of the outcome of the characters (which is what I normally veer towards).

I wasn't dumbfounded at the end like I have been with some of her novels, but I definitely recommend it if you have been a fan of her writing in the past.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Loved the latest from this forever reliable thriller author. She delivered on this one! Remote Scottish island with so much intrigue and atmospheric suspense. I could feel the cold air and shivers run down my spine as I read through each page.

Alice Feeney's books aren't consistently good, in my opinion. I absolutely loved Rock, Paper, Scissors, which was the book that started my journey into her works. I was terribly disappointed by I Know Who You Are, but gave her another shot with Daisy Darker and was once again impressed.

This book will no doubt be loved by Freida McFadden fans: the plot was loose, the characters were underdeveloped, and the burn was slow up to an ending that in many ways defied logic. The premise is interesting and, honestly, the first half kept me engaged enough to want to find out the ending. But, as the book went on, I cared less and less about the ending, and even less about the main characters. Once the twist was revealed, I was underwhelmed. This may, finally, be my last Alice Feeney book.

Did I just read my favorite book of 2025?

**All signs point to yes**

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!

This book had an interesting premise, and the eerie atmosphere and sinister setting gave me the impression that I was really going to like this story. And for the first half, I was really invested. It reminded me of "Yellowface" and "The Plot", and I thought the story might go in that direction with the discovered manuscript. But that narrative seemed to die off, and instead left us with a far-fetched "twist" and bizarre island backstory by the end of the book. A few things annoyed me, like repeatedly commenting on how "strange" the people on the island were, (We get it! It doesn't have to be mentioned every-other page!) and the unreliable narrator who drinks too much and hasn't slept in months that's overused and unoriginal. The audiobook was excellent, however, with dual narrators and sound effects. Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook ARC!

4.5⭐️

Based on these ratings, this book is way underrated. It kept me hooked from the first page, and felt like a roller coaster, the twists kept coming. It did leave me with some questions at the end, which will bring for a great discussion, but was the only reason that I knocked down a half star, not feeling a full resolution, but totally happy with the way it ended.

The audio was SO GOOD with the background sounds and acoustics especially. It created such a good vibe to go with the story.

Amazing narration! This story blew me away and had me in the edge of my seat! I loved the twisty parts and Feeney’s writing is amazing! This storyline was absolutely enthralling! A must read!!

I struggled a lot to get through this book. Grady’s struggles between hallucination and reality did not do it for me. The novel set in the eerie island of solitude just felt like a long, slow journey of fog. Yes, there’s a twist at the end, but I simply did not enjoy!

Alice Feeney always delivers, especially in audio format, as expertly read by the fantastic Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton. Beautiful Ugly is another page turning mystery pitting spouse against spouse that kept me questioning and guessing until the end. Would absolutely recommend to readers and fans of Feeny's previous work. Five stars!!!

What a weird story! Weird and good at the same time. I liked it. I liked how everything slowly unraveled to be as original as it can get.
It gave me "The Secret Window" movie vibe where we have a Depp as a lost writer. Here our main character in never ending self-pity tries to write something after his wife mysteriously disappears (that on it's own could have been some inspiration). Yet, he decides to move on to small island where his publicist tells him the biggest inspiration lies.
I liked the audiobook, it kept me entertained during long commute to work. With that being said, I still feel there could have been more and as much as surprising the ending is, it left me yearning for something more.
Audiobook production was as always perfect and I enjoyed it very much.

Now this one is a wild ride! Just when you think you know exactly what happened in this mystery, another curve ball comes your way! So well done, as always.

This is the first Alice Feeney book I have listened to/read. I did not love the narration - only because it reminded me of The Fury and I did not enjoy that book. That is truly a personal opinion but in case anyone else felt the same - it is worth mentioning.

Other than that, wow - I have been getting into more thrillers as a palate cleanser for my romance books. This was so good and the setting I just loved. The twists and turns were so unpredictable and I enjoyed the plot twists. I know she has a strong fan base and this one will no doubt land at the top of readers list.

We all know an Eeyore like Grady Green, the forever victim. Everything happens to poor Grady, and he is always surprised at his bad luck or lack of respect from others. When his beloved wife disappears in a desperately tragic way, he shuts down, drinks away his only remaining money, and doesn't see how he'll ever find the strength to be a great writer again.

Grady's agent exasperatedly offers him a chance to get away, to a remote island in northern Scotland, where he can clear his head and maybe, just maybe, get his profession and life back on track. If you think you know where this is going, you will be dead wrong, but you will also find the discovery of what does happen deliciously "right".

I have read every one of Alice Feeney's books, and each one delighted my twisty mystery senses. While Beautiful Ugly was a much slower burn than I usually enjoy, it paid off in ways I couldn't have imagined. My book club simply HAS TO read this one, because I need lots of wine and to gather all my girls to discuss this one in unflinching detail.

"Beautiful Ugly", the new thriller by Alice Feeney, has gotten more hype than it's worth. With fewer expectations, I might have enjoyed it more. It's a decent book. It just is not a fantastic one.

This is a thriller set in modern days in London, England, and then on the small island of Amberly in Scotland. Grady Green loses his wife, Abby. He doesn't know if she died or what happened to her. A year later, he ends up on the island to write his next book. On the island, there is no internet and no phone service and no outgoing ferry and only 25 residents. It's a form of a locked room mystery.

The story has some chapters from Abby's point of view with mostly chapters from Grady. This, "He said, She said," helps you realize you have an unreliable narrator.

The audiobook is narrated exceptionally well by deep voiced Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton.

The feeling of the book is creepy, confusing, and suspenseful. There are several twists in this book.

I also feel I should mention that I fell asleep repeatedly while listening to the second half of the book. I'm not sure how much of that was me vs. the writing. I did go back and relistened to everything I missed. The end didn't make sense to me.

Characters - 4/5
Writing - 5/5
Plot - 4/5
Pacing - 3/5
Unputdownability - 4/5
Enjoyment - 3/5
Narration - 4/5
Cover - 3/5
Overall - 30/8 = 3 6/8 rounded up to 4 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, MacMillanAudio, and Alice Feeney for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced audiobook copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I equally loved and didn't so much love this one. The narrators absolutely brought the story to life, but I felt like it took forever to get to the point. I enjoyed parts of the suspense, then there were times I felt the book was moving a little too slow.

Hight points for this included: A lot of atmospheric and beautiful writing, fantastic audiobook production with effects and sounds- seriously so good!, as well as alternating points of view in the novel that do keep the plot building even if it is a little slowly.

Last but not least, I can't forget to mention Feeney's signature twist. It did catch me off guard, well-done.

Other thriller lovers and fans of Alice Feeney will likely find this to be enjoyable, especially on audio.

Wow! My head is spinning from all the twists and turns I just experienced while listening to Beautiful Ugly. How many times can an author shock me? Apparently, a lot. Alice Feeney's newest novel is dark, atmospheric, rich in intrigue and expertly crafted. Her characters are unique and well done. The audio version of the book was excellent, I loved the accents of the characters, the sound of the sea and it really kept me in the setting of the island. I'm not sure if I would have like it as much reading it as I did listening to it.
Grady is an author who's wife has gone missing, while he was on the phone with her. He's also experiencing the dreaded writer's block. He gets the opportunity to write on a remote island and get his life back together. Along the way he thinks he sees his missing wife. Everything is not as it seems on the Isle of Amberly. This was a wild and fun ride, quick read and very suspenseful. I recommend to all thriller lovers and Feeney fans. Thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for the audiobook. 4 stars.