Annie Ward’s debut psychological thriller, Beautiful Bad (Hachette / Quercus) is celebrating its UK publication today.
The novel, which was released in the US earlier this month by HarperCollins / Park Row received a huge amount of attention in the lead up to its publication. To date, it has sold into 14 foreign territories, with film rights snapped up by Warner Bros. and adapted by acclaimed screenwriter of Castle Rock and Feud, Gina Welsh.
Things that make me scared: When Charlie cries. When Ian won’t wake up. When someone shoots kids in a school.
Exploring writing therapy after a horrific camping accident, Madeline Wilson lists her worries. She gradually reveals her fear of British husband Ian, a bodyguard struggling with PTSD; her concern for the safety of their young son Charlie; and her tumultuous friendship with aid worker Jo.
Drowning, especially little Syrian kids that wash up dead on the shore. When Charlie hides from me. ISIS.
From the Balkans to England, Iraq to Manhattan, and finally to an ordinary family home in Kansas, sixteen years of love, adventure and suspicion culminate in The Day of the Killing, when a terrified 911 call summons the police to a blood-splattered house.
That something is really, really wrong with me.
What in this beautiful home has gone bad?
The novel has received brilliant publicity from both the UK and US:
“Ward writes with the same compelling energy as you get in a blockbuster Netflix series” Daily Mail
“Readers need to be off-the-charts clever to figure out who’s going to kill whom in this disturbing first novel by the American writer Annie Ward.” Toronto Star
“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
“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
“Utterly gripping and thrillingly original – I loved the unique settings. Cannot recommend this book highly enough” Karen Hamilton, author of The Perfect Girlfriend
“As imaginatively constructed as it is compelling. Filled with unexpected twists, Beautiful Bad is a riveting read.” Sarah Pekkanen, New York Times bestselling author of The Wife Between Us
Annie Ward has a BA in English Lit from UCLA and a MFA in Screenwriting from the American Film Institute. Her first short screenplay, Strange Habit, starred Adam Scott and won awards at Aspen and Sundance Film Festivals. Ward lives in Kansas with her two sons and husband, who she met in the Balkans. She was featured in a Publishers Weekly titled “Who Can You Trust in Annie Ward’s New Novel?”. You can read it here.
