Beautiful Ugly

by Alice Feeney

Richard Armitage (Narrator) and Tuppence Middleton (Narrator)

Read by Richard Armitage (The Hobbit, Missing You) and Tuppence Middleton (Sense8, Downton Abbey).

'I was consumed by this book, it's her best ever, a work of genius' – Lisa Jewell, author of None of This is True

‘Her best book yet’ – Harlan Coben, author of Fool Me Once

The million-copy bestselling author of His and Hers, Alice Feeney, returns with a gripping and deliciously dark thriller about marriage . . . and revenge.

* * *

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

Grady calls his wife as she’s driving home to share some exciting news. He hears Abby slam on the brakes, get out of the car, then nothing. When he eventually finds her car by a 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.

* * *

Readers are gripped by Beautiful Ugly:

'Alice Feeney's best book to date'

'A deliciously dark tale of love, marriage and revenge'

'A beautifully written tale of an ugly situation'

* * *

More love for Beautiful Ugly . . .

'Characters that jump off the page and twists to give you whiplash. I loved every word' – Claire Douglas, author of The Wrong Sister

‘Magnetic and jaw-dropping’ – Mary Kubica, bestselling author of Local Woman Missing

‘Unforgettable’ – Chris Whitaker, bestselling author of We Begin at the End

'A masterpiece, a riveting read, immaculately written' – Janice Hallett, author of The Twyford Code


_{Beautiful Ugly was a Sunday Times Bestseller w/c 27/01/2025}

• ISBN10: 1035053888
• ISBN13: 9781035053889
• Publish Date: 30 January 2025 (first published 14 January 2025)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Mantle
• Format: Audiobook (WAV)
• Duration: 9 hours and 24 minutes
• Language: English

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

Book Summary:

Grady Green is an author. Or at least, he was. He hasn’t been able to write a thing since the day his wife went missing. That was a year ago, and his life has been steadily falling apart ever since.

Fortunately, Grady has been offered one last chance to write a book and get his life back on track. To do so, he must go to an isolated island off Scotland. Here, he may just have the peace and quiet needed to get it done. Or not.

My Review:

So, I just finished Beautiful Ugly, and if there's one thing I can say about this book, it's this: nothing about this book went as I expected. Alice Feeney sure has a way of making unexpected twists come out of nowhere.

Before I dive too far into my review, let me say this: there is a dog in this book. He is fine. While there may be a tense moment or two, the dog is fine. I repeat - the dog is fine.

At first, Grady's story feels unbearably tragic. But as the story progresses, his side changes and shifts, creating a more comprehensive look at a complicated character. The secondary perspective flips everything on its head, only for things to flip back again. It was a weird reading journey, but it's what I expect/hope for with Feeney's work.

I enjoyed the twists, but while reading Beautiful Ugly, I felt like something was missing. Despite the compelling core, there wasn't enough substance. While I didn't enjoy Beautiful Ugly as much as Daisy Darker, this is still a strong addition to her catalog.

P.S. - There are instructions left in the final chapter of Beautiful Ugly; follow them. It's small, but it's such a nice touch.

Highlights:
Mystery/Thriller
Books about authors
Secrets Galore
Isolated Island

Trigger Warnings:
Missing Person
Sexual Abuse
The dog is fine

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