Beautiful Bad: A Novel

Ever since her near-fatal accident as a child, Maddie hasn’t done things the ordinary way. She’s a thrill seeker, devoting her life to travel writing in some of the world’s most inhospitable places. Based in Bulgaria, she makes regular visits to her equally adventurous best friend, Jo, in Macedonia. Through Jo, Maddie meets handsome, mysterious Ian. The attraction is mutual, but Ian keeps Maddie at arm’s length. His work in the private security sector is dangerous, risky, and violent, and he’s involved with an unstable girlfriend. Maddie can’t shake the feeling that they’re destined to be together, but when she leaves Bulgaria, she does her best to leave Ian behind. Ian, however, has other plans.

Beautiful Bad begins with a murder, and the slow reveal of who died, how, and by whose hand, is what keeps the wheels of this novel turning. Across almost two decades, Maddie and Ian wind their way together and apart and together again, from the unpredictable Balkans to a bland, safe life in Kansas. Jo and Maddie have a falling out; there’s a mystery there, too. Ward isn’t shy about dropping hints that all is not as it seems, and with this twisty thriller, it’s best to just lean back and go along for the ride. Unusual settings and relentless shocks make this an ideal summer read.