Beautiful Ugly: The Addictive Instant Sunday Times Bestselling Thriller – 'Her Best Book Yet!' (Harlan Coben)

Beautiful Ugly Review: Is This Thriller Worth the Sunday Times Hype?

Right off the bat, Beautiful Ugly grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go. The opening chapter drops you straight into a scenario that feels both familiar and unsettling — the kind of domestic setup that makes you think you know where things are heading, before pulling the rug out completely.

The writing style is crisp and punchy. Short sentences that hit hard, followed by longer passages that let you breathe just enough before the next twist arrives. It's the kind of pacing that makes you think 'just one more chapter' at 11pm, then suddenly it's 2am and you're questioning your life choices.

The plot that keeps you guessing

Without spoiling anything, Beautiful Ugly centres around characters whose moral lines aren't just blurred — they're practically invisible. The protagonist makes choices that had us physically wincing, yet somehow you're still rooting for them. It's that rare thriller that doesn't rely on pure shock value but builds tension through character development and genuinely clever plotting.

The author has a knack for making ordinary situations feel threatening. A conversation in a coffee shop becomes loaded with menace. A text message becomes a weapon. It's psychological thriller writing at its most effective — the kind that stays with you long after you've closed the book.

What actually makes it addictive

The 'addictive' claim on the cover isn't just marketing hyperbole. The chapters are structured like perfectly timed cliffhangers, each one ending at precisely the moment you need to know what happens next. We found ourselves reading during lunch breaks, on the commute, basically any spare moment we could grab.

The dialogue feels authentic without being overly stylised. These characters speak like real people, which makes their increasingly unreal situations feel grounded and believable. When someone makes a terrible decision, you understand exactly why they've made it, even if you're screaming at them not to.

The one thing that niggled us

If we're being completely honest, there's a subplot about halfway through that feels slightly underdeveloped. It introduces characters who seem important, then doesn't quite follow through on their potential. It's not enough to derail the main story, but it left us wanting more resolution than we got.

Also, whilst the ending is satisfying, it might be a bit too neat for some readers. After all that moral ambiguity, the final chapters tie things up in a way that feels almost too tidy. Some will love the closure; others might prefer their thrillers a bit more jagged around the edges.

Who's this actually for?

Beautiful Ugly is perfect for readers who enjoyed Gone Girl but want something with a bit more heart. If you're the type who devours psychological thrillers but gets frustrated when authors prioritise shock over substance, this will hit the sweet spot. It's also ideal for anyone looking for a proper page-turner that doesn't insult your intelligence — the kind of book that works equally well as a beach read or a book club pick.