I will read anything that Alice Feeney writes but this is a top favorite of mine.

Grady is an author who is waiting for his wife to come home to celebrate his latest book deal. She’s late as usual and she finds a woman in the road on her way home. She stops and ends up going missing.

This book had the most perfect twists and I couldn’t stop listening to the audio. I finished the book in less than 3 days.

I loved all the background noises and how I thought I had figured out what was going to happen in the end but I was pretty shocked.

Thanks netgalley and publisher for the chance to read this book for free in return for my honest opinion.

Dual POV/timeline; psychological and domestic thriller; a slow burn; unreliable narrator; unlikeable characters; eerie and atmospheric; isolated setting; Shutter Island and Yellowjackets vibes; so many twists that kept me on my toes but also a little predictable; great audio narration with some sound effects incorporated that truly made it immersive. Highly recommended this audio version!

Special thank you to Macmillan Audio, Alice Feeny, and Netgalley for an ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I liked all the little efforts they put into this audiobook (crackling of the walkie talkie!) and the narrators were very good at pulling you into the story. Overall, I liked the story! I figured out some parts but the ending got me a little bit. Some surprises here and there but some storylines I picked up on fairly quickly. Still a great novel. If you like Alice Feeney’s other work, you’ll probably like this one.

Another book that was just so-so. Maybe I had too high of hopes, I don’t know. I liked the premise and was pretty interested but the climax/twist/end was just kind of confusing and felt far fetched. Like almost as if the book didn’t go through as much editing and revision as it should have.

Ugh, just no. I did not like this one! I will say this author’s thrillers have been hit and miss for me in the past (the hits have been His & Hers and Daisy Darker), but this was definitely a miss.

The audiobook narration and production was fantastic. Probably the only thing that kept me going with this audio ALC. I loved all the sound effects added and the voices narrated. The actual story, plot, and characters was a miss. It started off interesting enough, but quickly unraveled into a hot mess. Sure there are twists but even those weren’t interesting or handled well, most of the “reveals” are sooo far fetched and felt more fantasy.

Basically we follow the main character, on the night he finds out he became a NY bestselling author his wife goes missing while he’s on the phone with her. We then cut to a year later, his wife is still missing and his literary agent offers him a cabin to write at on a pretty much secret isle and weird things start happening. It goes from there.

I received an audio ALC from the publisher, all thoughts in this review are my own.

3 stars

I enjoy Alice Feeney's books, but this is not my favorite in her collection.

Grady and Abby have what appears to be a pretty solid marriage, but as these things go, who but the parties involved (and sometimes even then) can really know the inner truths of a relationship? When Abby goes missing, some believe she has left Grady. Grady, on the other hand, simply cannot come to terms with that outcome. He quickly falls apart until he's given an opportunity to pull a geographic and turn things around. With several loose threads, it is (well it should be) difficult to predict what will happen in the end.

Transparently, the beginning of this read absolutely hooked me. I really enjoyed the suspense and the uncertainty present in the initial scene. However, when the events move to a new location, I began losing interest. There are some good twists that come along with these challenges, but too many of these twists are overly predictable.

This is a fun enough listen, and the narrators of the audiobook really bring the characters to life. Of course, I'll be coming back for more from Feeney.

4.75 ⭐️

** I listened to the audiobook. **

I went into this book BLIND.

Grady Green is an author, a bestselling author with his new book, and he just receives the good news. His wife Abby is supposed to be celebrating this special moment with him, but she is still on her drive home. Grady is speaking on the phone with her, when suddenly, she stops her vehicle after spotting a woman lying in the middle of the dark cliffside road. Grady begs her not to get out of the car, but she does, and a year later, Grady's wife is still missing.

Grady is depressed. He isn't sleeping. He is grieving. He cannot write with the deep sadness and loss that he is feeling. His agent invites him to stay at her inherited cabin on an isolated Scottish island. Grady accepts the invitation and hopes the peace and quiet will help fuel his passion for writing again...

My opinions (stop reading if you don't want spoilers):

This book exceeded my expectations. When it started, the night Abby goes missing intrigued me, but it did slow down after that. It took a bit for me to get into the storyline. I wasn't sure if I would lose interest. In hindsight, what was discussed was important and came back around at the end, so you do need to pay attention. The book had a very eerie feeling and the townsfolk spooked me. Pretty much throughout the entire book, I wasn't sure if Grady had lost his mind or if people were messing with him. I had a feeling that the island was all women around the 60% mark. When Abby started explaining that men were not allowed on the island, I was put off anticipating a very dramatic anti-men ending (was too feminist at that moment for me). THEN finding out what happened to Abby the night she disappeared, I thought, "Byyyyye Grady!" The ending was chilling! I got goosebumps.

I feel like I want to re-read it knowing everything that I know now.

The audiobook was well done and I appreciated having both narrators to make listening easier with the two POVS.

This was my first book by Feeney. I will be reading more by her!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for access to the ARC of this book! I truly appreciate the opportunity!

Wow, I feel like I don't even know where to start with this book. My first thought is that it was just whackadoodle! I was sent the audiobook version as an ALC thank you to NetGalley and Macmillion Audio! I love Alice Feeny's writing. I've read the majority of her books and have enjoyed each one. This was so different and the "twists" and plot/ background information we learn toward the end of the book just has me scratching my head. Grady and Abby have been married many years. He is a writer while she is an investigative journalist. He thinks they have an amazing marriage while she is planning on leaving him. Things go awry when suddenly Abby, while on the phone with her husband, stops when she sees a woman laying in the road. After she gets out to help the women she disappears without a trace. I will say the plot is very unique and different! I would recommend it, and am curious what others think of the twists! 3.75 stars rounded up.

I received this audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. First off, the audio version was fantastic. I love dual narrators and these two were great. There were also sound effects that I felt added to the overall ambiance.
On to the story. This was twisty and suspenseful in the best ways. You assume one thing is happening only to discover something else entirely- I don’t want to give anything away. I would definitely recommend.

That ending though …

I’ve read and enjoyed enough Alice Feeney books to know what to expect: a complex plot that slowly meanders ultimately delivering a final twist that seemingly comes out of nowhere. BEAUTIFUL UGLY gave me exactly that, including an ending that took my breath away.

Grady Green is a bestselling author whose wife disappeared under mysterious circumstances one year ago. Along with losing Abby, he seems to have lost his ability write and deliver his next novel. His agent suggests he spend time on a remote Scottish island as a way to overcome his writer’s block. Solid plan until he sees a mysterious woman who looks like is missing wife. Everything after that is pure Alice Feeney brilliance.

The audiobook narrated by Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton is enhanced by atmospheric music and sound effects, and it is superb. Nowhere in the recording is the narration more powerful than in the final line. It’s haunting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

I really wanted to enjoy this book more than I did because I've seen Bookstagramers raving about this audiobook and novel. While I felt the audiobook was extremely well done with multiple narrators that brought the tension/suspense to life, I found the plot of this novel extremely predictable and the characters very flat and unlikable. Even with the best narrators it's hard to bring a book to life if the writing is this bad 🤦‍♀️

The novel begins with Grady learning the news that his novel has become a New York best seller. He calls his wife, Abby, to share the good news as she is driving home when he hears her exit the car to check on a passenger. Fast forward 12 months and Abby is still missing and Grady is still reeling from her disappearance, unable to write. His agent suggests he tries relocating to a remote island in Scotland to draw inspiration for his next novel.

What could go wrong?

The foreshadowing was extremely obviously, I disliked how selfish and entitled Grady was as a character and I thought the pace of this thriller was very slow as well (this is almost a 10 hour audiobook and it could have been 7 hours instead).

Unfortunately I wouldn't recommend this book this anyone and that is so disappointing because I was really excited to listen to this audiobook.

Oh my goodness! Alice Feeney is a brilliant author whose storytelling skills never cease to amaze me! I recently had the privilege of listening to the audiobook of her latest novel, "Beautiful Ugly," an extraordinary mystery thriller that had me on the edge of my seat from the very first page. Having devoured and adored all of Alice's previous works, I had high expectations, and she certainly did not disappoint.

One of the standout features of Alice’s writing is her uncanny ability to keep readers guessing. Throughout "Beautiful Ugly," I found myself concocting elaborate conspiracy theories, eagerly trying to decipher the plot's twists and turns. Spoiler alert: I completely missed the mark! The way she weaves intricately layered narratives is a rare talent, and it left my jaw hanging open.

This novel provided a perfect escape, transporting me far away from the mundane reality of everyday life. With each chapter, I felt more deeply engrossed in the story, losing track of time altogether. The narrator did a fantastic job and I loved the sound effects! "Beautiful Ugly" is undeniably a 5+++ star book that is sure to entertain. I wholeheartedly recommend this must-read to any avid reader, especially for book clubs — it’s packed with themes and discussions that will spark engaging conversations. There’s so much depth to explore!

One year after his wife disappeared without a trace, an author is sent to a secluded cabin by his agent to help cure his writers block. What happens next may seem like standard mystery/thriller fare at first but then things go absolutely bonkers in a way that I kinda loved. I had so much fun reading this and did not see the outcome coming at all. When Alice Feeney is good, she’s GOOD.

I love Alice Feeney and was so excited to get this audio of her latest book. When Grady’s wife disappears one night, he is desperate to know what happens to her. He travels to a remote island to get his life back on track..

This one fell short for me. The way it was told I felt led me in one direction and then when the twist came I was left feeling a bit unsatisfied! Will continue to read her work as she’s typically such a good author for me!

Five Happy Dance Stars!!! 💃💃💃💃💃⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Author Grady Green is having the worst best day of his life.

Grady calls his wife to share some exciting news as she is driving home. He hears Abby slam on the brakes, get out of the car, then nothing. When he eventually finds her car by the cliff edge the headlights are on, the driver door is open, her phone is still there. . . but his wife has disappeared.

A year later, Grady is still overcome with grief and desperate to know what happened to Abby. He can’t sleep, and he can’t write, so he travels to a tiny Scottish island to try to get his life back on track. Then he sees the impossible – a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife.

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

I just love this book. It blew my mind. On the island nothing is what it seems to be. Odd and bizarre things happen on this island. There are so many crazy characters on the island too they are all unlikable.

I listened to the audiobook and The twists kept on coming. It was loaded with twists. I kept rewinding it, listening to the twist again and I would say, Say what? You got to be kidding me. The twists made my jaw drop to the floor. There were a lot of jaw dropping moments. I kept on asking myself, What did I just read??

When I got approved for this audiobook I screamed with excitement! Because I just love this author. The audiobook was so awesome. I loved the narrators they did a great job. You also hear sound effects of the sea and walkie talkies along with the phone ringing tone.

I am jumping up and down with excitement because I fell in love with this audiobook. It was my everything! It had everything that I love in a thriller! I can't wait for my next Alice Feeney book!

This was a buddy read with Jayme, DeAnn and Marilyn. Make sure you check out their reviews!

I want to thank Netgalley, Macmillan Audio for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Alice Feeney is an amazing author. She did not play with Beautiful Ugly. The ending had my jaw on the floor!! This book kept me on the edge of my seat. It has every aspect of a good thriller. Multiple povs, unreliable characters, red herring, and an amazing twist at the end. I will be recommending this book in all my Facebook thriller books, and to all my family and friends!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

HOLY GUACAMOLE!

This book is one of my all time favorites! I truly loved the mystery and the craziness of this book! Every 5 minutes i was gasping or my jaw dropped! AND THE ENDING?! COME ON 😩😩 it was too good.

“I HOPE YOU DIE IN YOUR SLEEP” i don’t think ill ever be able to get over that….what a wild ride!

10/10 recommend to anyone and everyone!!

I received a free audiobook copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Author Grady Green's wife has disappeared without a trace and one year later he's still grieving and suffering from intense writers block. His literary agent, who is also his wife's godmother, sends him to a secluded cabin on a tiny Scottish island in order to help him overcome his writer's block. But something is amiss on the island- the residents are few and secretive, and there is also someone who looks startlingly like Grady's missing wife...

OK I have mixed emotions about this book. On one hand, it was interesting, kept me invested, and both Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton can read the phone book to me and I'd give it an A+. On the other hand, the resolution let me down. I knew Grady was an unreliable narrator, but the finale was just... weird. But you should give it a try if you like Alice Feeney's other books. It was pretty good until the last chapter or so!

This audiobook was so great !! The two narrators did such a great job. I could not stop listening to this book. I love all of Alice Feeney's books and this newest one did not disappoint. The setting of the book taking place on a secluded Scottish island was perfect to set the mood and atmosphere. This book kept me guessing on how things would play out until the very end. There were plenty of well written twist and turns throughout the book. I highly recommend giving this audiobook a listen, you will not be disappointed.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

This was the first book from this author that I had the privilege to listen to. I wouldn't give this book anymore then 3 stars. The audiobook itself was nice to listen to the narrators spoke clearly and having the added accent did help emerge the reader into the book. I do wish the book read out the chapter numbers and the title of the chapter because there were times when I could not tell if a chapter was beginning or ending. As for the book itself this was the most confusing thriller/mystery book I have read. For most of the book I just felt lost and then the last 20% of the book felt like the author was just trying to throw all the solutions at the reader and still did not quiet make sense. not my favorite read but I do want to give more books from this author a try.