Beautiful Ugly, Alice Feeney

An immensely enjoyable read. A remote Scottish island with a healthy side order of murder is always going to be a hit for me.

I found Grady's character to be mesmerising – his relationship with Columbo the Dog is touching, but I also like reading about self-loathing and existential doubt (there will be a reason for that, I'm sure, haha). I particularly enjoyed the commentary about how perspective plays tricks on us in terms of relationships, especially when remembering certain events and conversations.

There were subtleties which made sense when the final blow came down: personality traits which felt incongruous before suddenly made sense etc.

The twist was very complex, which I liked. It had to be: the island had a near-supernatural feel, so when the curtain lifted, it was inevitably going to be with an elaborate swooosh!