Beautiful Bad

De: Annie Ward

Narrado por: Xe Sands, Vivienne Leheny, Paul Fox

A devoted wife, a loving husband, and a chilling murder that no one saw coming.

Things that make me scared: When Charlie cries. Hospitals and lakes. When Ian drinks vodka in the basement. ISIS. When Ian gets angry.... That something is really, really wrong with me.

Maddie and Ian’s love story began with a chance encounter at a party overseas; he was serving in the British army, and she was a travel writer visiting her best friend, Jo. Now, almost two decades later, married with a beautiful son, Charlie, they are living the perfect suburban life in Middle America. But when a camping accident leaves Maddie badly scarred, she begins attending writing therapy, where she gradually reveals her fears about Ian’s PTSD; her concerns for the safety of their young son; and the couple’s tangled and tumultuous past with Jo.

From the Balkans to England, Iraq to Manhattan, and finally to an ordinary family home in Kansas, 16 years of love and fear, adventure and suspicion culminate in the day of the killing, when a frantic 911 call summons the police to the scene of a shocking crime.

©2019 Annie Ward (P)2019 Harlequin Enterprises, Limited

Eh

I read a lot of good reviews for this book so I really wanted to like it but I just couldn’t get into it. My biggest issue is with the dialogue/narration. Some parts were extremely whiny and childish - more like high school girls than grown women. Also the twist was predictable. I’d recommend this book to those who are just starting to read books of this genre.

Loved this book!

Such a great read for both true crime buffs (hopefully you’ll understand what I mean if you read this book) and lovers of the dark & twisty!

Nice Twist But....

This is a small complaint but it just showed up at the end of the book so it's fresh in my mind. Why are we told Charlie is 10 but he still talks like a 3 year old?
That aside, the book is pretty good despite a bit of whiny dialog from the lead character and some pretty awful romance scenes. Twist at the end makes up for the bad parts.

Amazing Listen!!!

This was a great psychological thriller. The twists and turns were great.This book kept me on my toes and invested in the story and plot lying the entire time.

Wow!!

I’m an avid audible user. Multiple books a week. Most left unfinished because let’s face it, it’s next to impossible to beat your last good book. This book from start to finish is absolutely impressive. The narration .. especially the narration, but the storyline !!! I can only hope her other books, hopefully she has others, are as good as this was for me. Enjoy the ride!!

What The!!!

First of all, I love Xe Sands!
But the main character, Maddie, what a WhackADoo!!! I don’t know that I have ever felt so awful for a character that lead up to hating her more than any character I have ever listened to!
I loved this listen!

Dark, but fantastic!

A great listen! At first I didn't like how dark it was--it hit too close to home with normal worry and anxiety provoking scenarios, but then the story unfolds and takes some crazy twists and turns. Very well written!!

FROM KC & LOVED IT!

As someone from Kansas City I loved all the references! All 3 main characters were bad people although I was rooting for Ian. I’d love a sequel to this!

Really great read!

This book has been in my library now for a couple of years and I was very hesitant to read it due to all the bad reviews. However, it now has an entirely different cover and synopsis with raving reviews. So much for not judging a book by its cover. Anyhoo, I'm glad I finally read it because it was really good. The back-and-forth timeline over the past and present relationships/friendships between Maddie, Ian, and Joanna are quite interesting especially, as the plot thickened in the last quarter of the book. Oh, and the end! The end was jaw-dropping! Great Book!

Didn't like the Ending

I really wish it ended better! I like a happy ending. I want the good guys to win, the guy to get the girl and the villain to get what they have coming to them. Good over evil. (spoiler) Don't get this book if that's what you want to read because it isn't going to happen.