Beautiful Ugly

I usually read literary fiction or fiction with characters that interest me; so, choosing Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney was a little bit of an experiment on my part. But I do like a good mystery from time to time, but generally I'm looking for some depth in the writing, and the characters, not just some twists. I was drawn to the idea that the disappearance was not the only thing at stake in the story, but marriage and memory as well: how two people can view the same life in very different ways. The first chapter really appealed to me. The setup is when a man receives great news about his job, but his wife disappears during the call. I wanted to read on as it didn't feel like a typical thriller opening, but more psychological and reflective.

The writing style is easy to read, yet effective. Feeney avoids the use of complex language, but she does know how to set a mood, particularly. The relocation to the remote Scottish island is very effective and the story has an atmosphere of isolation which corresponds to the mental state of the main character. The absence of people, the cold sea, the small community, etc., made the book feel somewhat unreal and in a good way, like the narrator was stuck in his own mind. One other thing I really enjoyed about the novel was the recurring theme of marriage being composed of both good and bad times, and that people have different recollections of these. That theme added meat to the thriller than I would have thought it would have in a thriller.

Grief and uncertainty are the main themes of this book, and I was engaged with them for much of the book. While not always likable, Grady is convincing as an exhausted, confused and stuck-in-the-past character. I liked that the book didn't rush to explain all the mystery of Abby's disappearance, and you're wondering what is real and what isn't. The scenes that I liked best are the ones where the tension is slowly worked up and not the ones that are shocking, there are several scenes like this, particularly early on. It appears that the book would like to be one about obsession and guilt, as well as a puzzle to solve.

However, by the time the story gets to the end, it begins to get into the sort of thriller plot I normally have trouble with. The twists get larger, the more they occur; sometimes they don't add depth and make the story less believable. I wanted the book to be truer to its themes than it was to continually surprise the reader. Some of the characters were not believable and some of the revelations were not so much as conclusions as tricks. If it's necessary to use a twist, then it should clarify rather than confuse the previous material in the story.

I can't say that I didn't like the book, however. It held my interest and I wanted to read it fast, which wasn't always the case when I venture out of my genre. Feeney has a knack for creating suspense and atmosphere, and at times it seems like this story could have been more than just a typical thriller. The issue is that it's never quite a thoughtful examination of a damaged relationship, nor is it always a high-concept twist-driven mystery; and sometimes one side tips the scales over the other.

Beautiful Ugly was a fun diversion for me. More reflective than many thrillers, and the writing has enough style to prevent it from being shallow, but the fact that it's so dependent on shocking turns means that it doesn't have the emotional heft that it suggests at the start. It will likely be a lot of fun for readers who like twisty psychological stories and interesting for readers who typically like literary fiction, but not quite as satisfying. I would say it is a 3-star book.