As she has released each of her six psychological suspense novels, Alice Feeney has steadily made the climb as a consistent favorite with fans of that subgenre. Now with the release of her seventh book—Beautiful Ugly—she seems poised to gather even more readers to her flock.
Like most of her oeuvre to date, Beautiful Ugly is challenging to talk about without spoilers. Alice Feeney has a knack for embedding massive twists at the fundamental heart of her books—meaning that every plotting detail, character development, and even the structure and pacing are all rooted in the existence of the twist. For most authors this is challenging to pull off successfully, but Alice Feeney makes it look easy.
Beautiful Ugly begins with Grady Green talking to his wife as she is driving back to their home. Grady is a novelist and is excited to share some news with her. Their conversation is interrupted when Abby tells him she sees something unusual in the middle of the road. Abby says she is stopping to check and when she never comes back to the phone, Grady is worried. Eventually, the authorities find Abby’s car and her phone, but no Abby. She has vanished—but was it an accident, a deliberate attack, or suicide?
Flash forward to a year later and Grady is still grieving, trying not to give up hope, but also suffering from writer’s block and a general malaise about life. His agent arranges for a simple change in scenery. Grady is offered a writing retreat on a remote Scottish island. But on the ferry boat and around the island, Grady thinks he sees his missing wife. With no one else able to confirm his visions, he begins to wonder if he is losing his mind?
Alice Feeney masterfully brings the reader along for this twisted journey. The feelings of isolation that Grady feels on The Isle of Amberly—the vast rugged nature, the lack of mainland communication, and the tightknit bonds of the quirky citizens are innately comprehended and felt by the invested reader. What seems like a dream come true could possibly be Grady’s worst nightmare.
In a nice nod to the dichotomous nature of Grady’s situation, Alice Feeney titles each chapter with a common phrase that when examined closely seem in conflict. Things like: “Good Grief,” “Same Difference,” “Old News,” “Bittersweet,” etc. Each is a delight, and the reader wonders if the author can maintain that throughout the novel without getting ridiculous (spoiler alert: she does!). Obviously, even the novel’s title follows this format and readers will enjoy seeing how the phrase Beautiful Ugly manifests in the book in various ways.
The ultimate twist will remain for those who read the book to discover. Alice Feeney fans will no doubt be satisfied and word-of-mouth buzz will bring new eyes to Beautiful Ugly. This is precisely the type of book that readers want to discuss with others immediately after they close the back cover. Which is good, as it will distract us all while we wait for the next great Alice Feeney novel to arrive.
BUY LINKS: Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney
Disclaimer: A print galley of this title was provided to BOLO Books by the publisher. No promotion was promised and the above is an unbiased review of the novel.