Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney is a gripping and emotionally charged psychological thriller that explores themes of self-perception, guilt, and redemption. The story follows a woman named Daisy, whose life is turned upside down after a tragic event. As secrets unfold and her past collides with her present, Daisy grapples with the consequences of her actions. Feeney’s writing is sharp, with unexpected twists and a dark, introspective tone. The book is a thought-provoking exploration of how we see ourselves and the lies we tell, making it a compelling read for fans of suspenseful psychological fiction.

I love me some Alice Feeney! She’s a must read for me and her latest was so atmospheric and unique. She’s very never read a book quite like this! Creepy island and an unreliable MALE narrator really made my day! I started to notice little glues, but the details of the ending were so unexpected! The sound effects in this audio literally made me jump a couple of times! So immersive!

Alice Feeney has done it yet again! In this new novel, Grady Green (an author) is figuring out how to deal with the grief of losing his wife and continue life at the same time. Grady has been unable to write since the day his wife disappeared on a road near their home... while on the phone with him. With the help of his agent, Kitty, Grady is able to take a trip to a remote Scottish island to try to write again. Only when he arrives on the island, he thinks that he sees his wife and the people on the island become increasingly strange. Grady's one-month island writing retreat soon becomes so much more.

Alice Feeney's writing style has to be one of my favorites. She is able to wrap the reader around her finger, encouraging you to read her books in one sitting! In this book, Feeney wrote about a male main character, which is uncommon in the mystery/thriller world. While this is sometimes hard to tackle well, I enjoyed how Feeney portrayed Grady. The audiobook was very engaging, with a 10/10 reader. This was more of a mystery than a thriller in my eyes, as well as a slow burn for sure. Not my favorite Alice Feeney I have read so far, but a good one I am happy to have picked up.

Alice Feeney’s newest thriller, Beautiful Ugly, will keep you guessing until the very end! The story immediately grips you from the very first chapter.. A woman is on her way home and while on the phone with her husband, slams on the brakes because there is a body in the road…she gets out to investigate and then disappears. Her writer husband processes his grief by heading out to a small island off the coast of Scotland to try to write his next great novel and get his life on track. But from the moment he steps off the ferry, weird things begin happening. Feeney’s normal twisty storylines stay with you the whole story—I literally had no idea what was going on for a majority of the book—I just couldn’t guess where she was going next!

I enjoyed the narration of this audiobook—loved the accents and sound effects.

I did not finished this one. The narrator wasn’t for me but will try to read the physical book soon. Thank you for the opportunity. My rating might change once I fully read it.i

I enjoyed this book. It kept me wanting more. I felt it was a little predictable for a thriller. I was never shocked, but I did enjoy the book. Grady annoyed me a little especially in the end. Thank you for the advanced copy!

Just as he was hitting the New York Times bestseller list, British author Grady Green’s beloved wife, Abby, disappeared. In the year since Abby’s red coat was found near a cliffside road a mile from their house, Grady has been unable to write.

Now, out of money, he has taken refuge on a little Scottish island where his agent owns a cottage where a famed writer once lived and worked. But much is lurking behind the islanders’ smiles in this characteristically twisty tale from the formidable Alice Feeney, author of books including “Sometimes I Lie” and “Rock Paper Scissors.” I never like to give too much away about a Feeney book; suffice it to say that very little here is as it seems.

The book is enhanced by the reading from Richard Armitage, of the “Hobbit” movies. As his world disintegrates, Armitage understatedly but convincingly conveys his character’s confusion and increasing desperation.

“𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐠𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲.”

Alice Feeney is back with a dark tale of marriage and revenge.

Feeney always delivers an atmospheric domestic thrill ride. In this case, writer Grady is grappling with the disappearance of his wife Abby and severe writers’ block when his agent suggests working at a remote cabin on the isle of Amberley. This is one island I would not want to go explore - its isolation, dangerous weather, and strange inhabitants heighten the sense of unease that Grady feels. I listened to the audiobook mostly, and I found it gripping. Richard Armitage does a FANTASTIC job at portraying Grady as both sympathetic and unstable (his severe insomnia makes it uncertain if he’s being paranoid or if he’s an unreliable narrator). I loved the sound effects that amp up the sense of atmosphere. The island begins to feel smaller and smaller as things close in on Grady to the shocking conclusion. Feeney is the queen of the twists, to varying effects; the multiple reveals in this ending didn’t do it for me - I was left with many plot holes and many questions rather than satisfying answers.

Beautiful Ugly is not Feeney’s best, but it is an easy to read thriller; if you’re going to check this one out, I highly recommend listening alongside reading it! Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ARC!

3.5 out of 5 stars! Thank you Netgalley and Macmillian Audio for this audiobook of Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney.

This was a pretty quick listen for me and, don't get me wrong, it totally built me up, but I can't say that I was satisfied with the ending. I LOVE Alice Feeney's books and the plot was there, but the ending just didn't do it fo me. I would say that this book may have been better to read than listen. Narrators did a fantastic job and got me hooked from the beginning to the middle.

Overall, okay story and I'm still an Alice Feeney fan!

I am so sorry. I thought I gave my review on here when I read this book almost two months ago.

3.5 stars*** Alice Feeney knows how to write a creepy book, and this was no exception. The book was creepy and suspenseful. I did find a few parts on the middle to feel dull or a bit boring.

I also struggled with the ending. I think you had to suspend belief quite a bit to get yourself there, but the final twist was fun.

Thank you to NetGalley and McMillan audio for the opportunity to read this audiobook!

4.5⭐
What in the world? This is Feeney's darkest yet!

Grady Green gets a key to a writing cottage on a lush island off of Scotland coast. Green hasn't been able to write ever since the disappearance of his wife a year before. His agent thinks it's time for him to move on and get into writing again.

Scottish island of Amberley is so secluded, calm and eerie. A perfect setting for a thriller. Give me a small cabin, "strange" townsfolk and unsettling island tale and I won't be able to put this one down. There are so many layers to this story and Feeney did a fantastic job switching perspectives and kept me on my toes. My jaw dropped in disbelief when the reader gets the reveal. I had NO WORDS (and no spoiler) about that ending. What did you think?? omg omg. 😱😱

The audiobook was perfection. I love Richard Armitage (always Thorin❤️) and Tuppence Middleton both were fantastic narrators.

What did I just listen to? 🤯🎧📚

Twists, turns, confusion, but always holding my attention! Also the narration was 🧑‍🍳💋!

Thank you @alicewriterland and @macmillan.audio for the ALC!

5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley for the ALC. Grady is an author who just received a phone call with some good news and can’t wait to share with his wife, Abby. Abby is on her way home and while she is on the phone with Grady, she sees someone in the road and tells him that she is going to check to make sure the person is Ok. She goes to check on the person and never comes back on the phone; she has disappeared.

Fast forward a year later, and Abby still hasn’t been found and Grady is still lost without his wife and grieving. Grady’s publicist tells him that he should go to Scotland in hopes of being able to finish the book that he was working on, and he decides to go. When he arrives, he thinks he sees Abby, or is it someone that looks like her.

The story was soooo good and was enjoyable from beginning to end. This book was so much more than a thriller and discussed real life topics, and the narration was really good. If you enjoy fast-paced thrillers with multiple twists and an unexpected ending that will make you ask with the hell did I just read, this is the book for you!

I love thrillers, and a strong setting plays a crucial role in creating the perfect atmosphere. This one nailed it.

I love Alice Feeney's books, and in addition to the atmospheric setting, this one kept me intrigued and fully engaged in the story. I had my theories while reading and thought I had it all figured out, only to be surprised by the twists! If you're a fan of addictive stories with fantastic writing and immersive settings, definitely pick this one up.

This audiobook was phenomenal and the narrator did very well at bringing the story to life. I love Alice Feeney and will read all her books, however, this wasn’t my favorite. The ending was underwhelming after such a good set up.

Man I was not expecting the ending! It was a massive curve ball! I liked it, but it was also very unexpected / drastic. I also had a hard time fully understanding the ending. The narration was great, though. And overall the story was engaging. Solid read!

This book is Alice Feeney at her best! I was given an audiobook to listen to and it made the whole experience so atmospheric. I felt like I was in the story watching it unfold, fabulous narration!
I love an unreliable narrator in a story, it kept me on the edge of nerves.
Creepy island, strange townsfolk, a perfect read!
Highly recommend 5 amazing stars!!

Thank you, Alice Feeney, for another ultra suspenseful psych thriller with an unpredictable ending! It's getting harder to find these gems that are absorbing from start to finish. This book took me on a riveting ride. I could sense the tension building with each chapter. And seriously... that ending was brilliant!!!

Also, it was incredibly atmospheric and dark. The characters came alive in the audiobook. It's probably one of the best audio performances I've heard this year! Not only were there different narrators for different perspectives, but some fun sound effects as well.

Definitely a must-read, in my opinion, if you enjoy this genre. Can't wait for her next one!!

Thank you, #NetGalley, and #MacMillaAudio, for an audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
#BeautifulUgly

This book grabbed me from the beginning and kept me wanting to keep going! I really enjoyed the story and how this book flowed. I love Alice Feeney's writing and will certainly read/listen to more! Love the twists and turns and the final twist at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

Alice Feeney, the undisputed Queen of Twists, returns with Beautiful Ugly, a darkly gripping psychological thriller that peels back the layers of marriage, identity, and revenge. A masterclass in suspense, Beautiful Ugly is an intoxicating blend of mystery and mind games that will leave readers questioning everything they think they know—right up until the final, jaw-dropping page. Feeney proves once again that in her world, nothing is ever as it seems.

Feeney’s signature storytelling is on full display here—hauntingly atmospheric, laced with tension, and brimming with shocking revelations. As the narrative weaves between past and present, readers are pulled into a labyrinth of secrets, betrayals, and the ever-shifting power dynamics within a marriage. The prose is razor-sharp, the twists unpredictable, and the psychological depth chillingly immersive.