Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

January 5, 2025

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

Grady Green is at the top of his writing career, with his latest book climbing The New York Times bestseller list. The his wife Abby, an investigative journalist, goes missing while driving home, and his life goes to hell. He has no idea what happened to her: no goodbye letter, no suicide note, no ransom note, no body. After a year of drifting and not writing a word, his agent offers him the use of a cottage in the Hebrides off the coast of Scotland. He and his dog Colombo make the long drive north from London, and once he arrives, he begins to see Abby everywhere.

The good news: Colombo the black Lab is safe all the way through the book. I have enough people who call me while reading a book, asking if the dog is okay at the end, because otherwise they won't be finishing the book, that I know to include this right away. Feeney's trademark suspense featuring the ever-popular unreliable narrator. It's a slow plot for almost 2/3 of the book. The twist and the island's backstory start at this point. The real twist is at the 90% mark. This is the third Alice Feeney book I've read and I always figure out at least part of the "twist" well before we get there - with Daisy Darker, I think I figured it out by page 20. The only reason I keep reading is to see if I'm right or to fill in the gaps. Maybe I read too much. I think I'm done with Feeney. Readers who enjoy Freida McFadden will enjoy Alice Feeney's style as well.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Outer Hebrides village

Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney

November 14, 2022

Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney

Children's author Beatrice Darker is celebrating her 80th birthday on Halloween, and her family is gathering at her house on an isolated island off the coast of Cornwall. Once it's high tide in the early evening, the house will be cut off from land. Her son Frank, his ex-wife Nancy (who Beatrice is actually closer to than her son), their three daughters Rose, Lily and Daisy, and Lily's daughter Trixie are largely estranged from each other, so this will be the first time that the whole family is together in a long time. It will be an uncomfortable gathering at best. But in the middle of the night, one family member is found dead and it appears someone plans to pick off another one every hour.

A review in one sentence: And Then There Were None meets The Sixth Sense. Even the book cover is a rip-off from Agatha Christie. It kept me reading right up until the disappointing ending. At least the dog is okay at the end.

The Cornwall coast

Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney

March 4, 2022

Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney

Adam Wright is a producer of a successful string of suspense dramas. He suffers from a condition called face blindness, where he is unable to recognize anyone's face, not even his own wife. They have been married for ten years. Every year on their anniversary, they give each other traditional gifts associated with the year of marriage: paper for the first year, cotton for the second year, leather for the third year, etc. Every year on their anniversary, Adam's wife writes him a letter that she refuses to let him see.

After ten years of marriage, things aren't so hot anymore. When they win a getaway weekend to a remote cabin in Scotland (which neither of them remember entering), the Wrights jump at the opportunity to put some life back in their marriage. But one of them has other plans and arranged for them to "win" the getaway, and not just to spend a romantic weekend with their partner. Plus there is a snowstorm heading their way, and there is someone else on the property spying on them. Sounds perfect, doesn't it?

Ah, the weekend getaway to an isolated location - when will people every learn? Add in three unreliable narrators, ten years of marriage, and ten years of secrets. There is a good twist in the middle that I didn't see coming. Fans of psychological fiction will enjoy.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC.