Cozy Mystery Review: Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

- October 03, 2026

Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons,

Beautiful Ugly is written by Alice Feeney; and is published by Flatiron Books. In it, we meet author Grady Green. His life is turned upside down when his journalist wife disappears one night on the way home. A year later, Grady is broke, living in a fleabag motel with his dog, and unable to write. His agent decides he needs a change. She sends him away to the remote Isle of Amberly. He will write in the cabin of a deceased famous author away from the stress he currently holds.

It is a dream move with fresh air, quiet, and beautiful countryside. But Amberly has ghosts. Grady begins seeing his wife everywhere, and slowly descends into a dark place. Then the citizens begin lying to him. Someone is slipping articles his wife wrote under the cabin door. And a choice he has made has set off a string of impossible results. On Amberly Isle, it's the ghosts that may write the final word.

Beautiful Ugly was filled with atmosphere as I investigated Amberly (thanks to a map in the book), and realized that I was being led by unreliable narrators. Suspicious people were around every corner as the Isle's residents were introduced. Page after page I was swept up in this remote community. A creeping dread on Amberly began to arise; it made me rethink much of what I believed was truly happening. When it all closed in, what Feeney revealed at the finale had me stunned. I reread parts wondering how I missed the clues.

The audiobook was immersive with sound effects. It is expertly read by Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton. Their presentation was fantastic. They managed to capture desperation, madness, and the uneasiness of a marriage that had begun showing wear.

Four stars later, Beautiful Ugly was a day read for me. It was a cozy mystery set on a remote isle. A perfect read for chilly autumn months. And spooky enough to add to your October TBR.

Let me know what you are reading in the comments below.

Because there is always time to read,

Xepherus3

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