Beautiful Ugly

Dark, gripping, thought provoking, and shocking! Beautiful Ugly keep me on my toes and managed to shock me with one of the reveals in the book. I listened to the audiobook and highly recommend it as the narrator did a great job bringing this clever and well thought out book to life. I didn’t want to put this one down. I have to say some of the aspects of this book reminded me fold horror books which I enjoy reading. Beautiful Ugly is another addictive book by Alice Feeney.

Grady Green is an author who experienced the best and worst day in this life all at once. He is on the phone with his investigative journalist wife, Abby, to share with her some news he is very excited about but instead he is horrified when she stops her car and gets out….

A year after his wife went missing and her car was found near a cliff, Grady is wallowing in grief and cannot write, sleep or function. His agent sends him to Amberley, an island off the coast of Scotland to get away from things and to write. He will be staying at the home of a best-selling reclusive author who has passed away. There he will have some time to himself and hopefully get his life and writing back on track.

The islanders are welcoming yet odd. They are polite yet aloof. He chalks it up to them living on an island that relies on the ferry to bring them news and items from the outside world. It is there that he sees a woman wearing a red coat who looks exactly like his wife!

I loved the vivid descriptions of the island. The towering redwoods, the lush forests, the home on the edge of the cliff. It sounds like a lovely and relaxing place to visit and stay for a while, doesn’t it?

I had no idea what I was getting into when I began this book. I loved the eerie feel of the island, the islanders, and the tension and unease that began to seep from the pages. What began as a relaxing get away in order to focus and write becomes something completely different for Grady. As he began to experience odd things, I began to wonder to myself what was happening.

What a brilliant psychological thriller! I was completely invested in the plot and Grady’s plight. I became more anxious for him as the book progressed. I love trying to figure books out but sat back and enjoyed this wild ride of a book. I ate up the eerie feel and uneasy vibe of this book. Plus, there were quite a few shocking twists and a jaw dropping reveal which I did not see coming at all! I love it when that happens.

Dark, shocking, well thought out, and addictive!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.