Beautiful Bad

by Annie Ward

Overview

“Filled with unexpected twists, Beautiful Bad is a riveting read.” —Sarah Pekkanen, #1 New York Times bestselling author of An Anonymous Girl

“The ending will leave you staggered.” —Liv Constantine, bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish


In the tradition of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train comes a riveting psychological thriller about a devoted wife, a loving husband, and a chilling crime that will stun even the cleverest readers.

It seemed like such a beautiful marriage…

Maddie and Ian’s love story began at a party overseas, while she was visiting her best friend, Jo. Now, almost two decades later, they are married with a beautiful son and living the perfect American life. But when a camping accident leaves Maddie badly scarred, she begins attending writing therapy, where she gradually reveals her fears about Ian, her concerns for her safety, and the couple’s tangled and tumultuous past with Jo.

From the electric streets of the Balkans to a quiet suburb in Kansas, sixteen 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. Twisty and utterly original, Beautiful Bad shows that appearances are deceptive and even the most seemingly perfect couples have something to hide.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780778369103
Publisher:	Park Row Books
Publication date:	03/05/2019
Edition description:	Original
Pages:	368
Sales rank:	1,151,519
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

ANNIE WARD has a BA in English Literature from UCLA and a MFA in Screenwriting from the American Film Institute. Her first short screenplay, Strange Habit, starring Adam Scott was an official selection of the Sundance Film Festival and the Grand Jury Award winner at the Aspen Film Festival. She has received a Fulbright Scholarship and An Escape to Create Artists residency. She lives in Kansas with her family.

Editorial Reviews

★ 01/07/2019

This harrowing psychological thriller from Ward (The Making of June) begins with an aborted 911 call originating from the home that Ian and Maddie Wilson share with their three-year-old son, Charlie. Meadowlark, Kans., police officer Diane Varga responds to find the house silent, the phone smashed, and the kitchen bloody. Scenes detailing Varga’s search of the residence and the ensuing investigation alternate with flashbacks from Maddie and Ian’s perspectives. The couple chronicles the last 12 weeks, during which Ian was working private security in Nigeria and Maddie was in therapy for anxiety. They also reflect on key moments from their tumultuous courtship, starting with the couple’s first meeting in the war-torn Balkans, where Maddie was a Fulbright scholar and Ian served in the British military. Ward takes her time revealing what tragedy transpired in the present, heightening suspense and maximizing her devastating conclusion’s emotional impact. Evocative descriptions and strong senses of time and place complement the intricate, intelligent plot, which shocks and chills while thoughtfully examining trauma’s toll on people and their relationships. Agent: Madeleine Milburn, Madeleine Milburn Literary (U.K.). (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Harrowing…. Evocative descriptions and strong senses of time and place complement the intricate, intelligent plot, which shocks and chills.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Sometimes, a book completely takes you on a ride, and there’s nothing you can do but hold on and keep turning the pages….You’ll be so intrigued to find out who the killer is, you won’t stop until you do." —Real Simple

“Readers need to be off-the-charts clever to figure out who’s going to kill whom in this disturbing novel.” —Toronto Star

"Ward writes with the same compelling energy as you get in a blockbuster Netflix series. The original storyline and the expertly drawn minor characters will leave you suspecting everyone – and trusting no one." —Daily Mail

"Beautiful Bad is beautifully written, beautifully twisty – and beautifully twisted. A dark thriller with real psychological depth." -JP Delaney, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Before

"As imaginatively constructed as it is compelling. Filled with unexpected twists, Beautiful Bad is a riveting read." –Sarah Pekkanen, #1 New York Times bestselling author of An Anonymous Girl

"You won't be able to tear yourself away from the page. With fascinating characters that chill and horrify, the ending will leave you staggered." –Liv Constantine, author of the national bestseller The Last Mrs. Parrish

"Annie Ward explores a battle-scarred marriage on the brink of disaster in this deft debut. As touching and thought-provoking as it is terrifying, BEAUTIFUL BAD will leave readers spellbound. A buzzworthy read!" —Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Girl and When the Lights Go Out

“A well-constructed thriller… brilliantly conceived… would do Patricia Highsmith proud.” —Booklist

“Recommended for fans of Paula Hawkins, Ruth Ware, and Liane Moriarty.” —Library Journal

“Utterly gripping and thrillingly original – I loved the unique settings. Cannot recommend this book highly enough.” —Karen Hamilton, #1 bestselling author of The Perfect Girlfriend

From the Publisher