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Darina is in denial. Even after all she’s been through, the Beautiful Dead can’t be real. They must be a figment of her grief-stricken imagination. But visions of Phoenix and Hunter prove otherwise and soon she’s drawn back to Foxton, to the barn, to Phoenix - where they have, what may just be, their final reunion.

It’s the moment they’ve been dreading - time to solve Phoenix’s mystery. Everything has been building to this but Darina knows that revealing the true circumstances of Phoenix’s death will lead to their final parting. With this impossible mixture of emotions, Darina begins to unscramble the facts, but she’s up against mounting obstacles: the distraction of Hunter’s personal mystery, Phoenix’s returning father, threats of gang violence and conspiracies to blur and block the truth.

With time pressure mounting and the risk of Phoenix being sent back into unending limbo, Darina puts herself in danger, and so the mystery of the Beautiful Dead builds into a heart-breaking climax ...

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

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About the author

Eden Maguire

17 books330 followers
Eden Maguire graduated from Birmingham University with a PhD in English Lit and now lives in the Yorkshire Dales with her two daughters, her horse, Merlin, plus a dog and a cat.

She spends part of each year at a ranch in Colorado, where she rides alone in the mountains – her idea of perfect happiness.

Whenever she can, she loves to indulge her passion for travel and take in the world's major cities, from New York to Nairobi – where she can be found in the churches and temples, the galleries and sculpture parks, and occasionally in the designer boutiques of Fifth Avenue and the Champs Elysees.

Back at home, Eden's interests include cinema and theatre, plus art history and painting.

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5 stars
650 (32%)
4 stars
542 (27%)
3 stars
543 (27%)
2 stars
186 (9%)
1 star
67 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 139 reviews
Profile Image for Sonette.
78 reviews8 followers
January 3, 2011
******SPOILER ALERT******

At last we get to read about how Darina's beloved Phoenix died. I have already expressed my dislike for the denial which Darina finds herself in at the beginning of each book in my review of Summer, and of course this book was predictably no different. However this time Darina's denial (and presumably her fear) causes her to refuse to face and/or solve Phoenix's mystery.

She ultimately finds the courage to look for Phoenix's killer. In this process she steps on some drug gangs' toes and almost gets herself killed (once again). I find the fact that she is miraculously saved from every life threatening situation a bit unrealistic and it left me feeling a bit ambivalent toward this book.

At the end of the day she solves Hunter's mystery first and unwittingly uncovers that she is in fact a distant relative of Hunter. He then heads of to the Afterlife and leaves her to pick up the pieces of Phoenix's mystery. In the end she travels back in time again with the new Overlord and Phoenix and discovers that Phoenix's brother, Brandon, was in fact the one who killed Phoenix in the mix up of the fight between the different gangs and drug barons during which Phoenix died. This is a devastating discovery for both herself and Phoenix.

Phoenix moves on to the Afterlife and leaves Darina grieving for him once again. Ultimately she finds the strenght to move on with her life after a seemingly dramatic realisation that Phoenix will always be with her in her heart.

I once again gave this book three stars. Being a hopeless romantic I expected the author to find some way around Phoenix's death in order for Phoenix and Darina to be together, but I suppose it is more realistic this way. I did find the last book ended very abrupty though and at the end of it felt wholely unsatisfied. I still give it a thumbs up though as I ultimately enjoyed the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Evelin.
348 reviews11 followers
February 6, 2013
Musím priznať, že si posledná časť série o Krásnych mŕtvych udržala svoju stálu úroveň. Štýl písania autorky je mi sympatický. Autorka sa však snažila možno až príliš často dať čitateľovi podozrivých. Keď sa konečne autorka rozhodla, kto to bude, koniec bol naozaj skvelý.
4-krát opakovať ten istý úvod a takisto cestovanie časom na vyriešenie vraždy mi neučarovalo. Autorka predsa len mohla byť trochu kreatívnejšia. Ak prehliadnem pár nepriaznivých detailov, kniha sa mi veľmi páčila.
Som rada, že sme sa toľko dozvedeli o Phoenixovej rodine a takisto Darina sa mi zdala síce na pokraji síl, ale ochotná pustiť svojho milovaného ďalej a pomôcť mu vyriešiť jeho vraždu. Presvedčili ma, že sa naozaj lúbia.
Čo by som ešte autorke vytkla je to, že podľa mňa nechápe celkom definíciu slova spravodlivosť. Podľa nej má vrah umrieť a vtedy nájde obeť pokoj. Niekedy má fráza "Oko za oko, zub za zub" správnosť a je na mieste, ale učiť svojich čitateľov, že previnilec musí za svoje hriechy bezpodmienečne zomrieť, to čo je za názor? Predsa mladšie decká, ktoré sú plné hnevu a vzdoru si majú z príbehu zobrať názor, že ak im niekto niečo urobí, tak správna spravodlivosť pre nich je smrť? Voľakedy a niekedy aj teraz sa stotožňujem s názorom spomenutej frázy, ale zobrať život človeku nie je vždy nutné. O čo sme potom lepší ako vrahovia? S týmto nemusíte so mnou súhlasiť, ide len o to, že ja proste nesúhlasím v tomto s autorkou. Knihe by asi viac prospelo, keby niekto išiel v skutočnosti aj do väzenia.
Napriek tomu sa mi táto séria zapáčila a veľmi pekne a ľahko sa číta. Knihy sú tenké, nenáročné a majú dobrý námet. Ja sa prikláňam k fanúšikom tejto série 8)
Profile Image for Heather.
328 reviews62 followers
September 6, 2011
*FUMES ANGRILLY

Spoilers***** I WILL use capitals ALOT!

It. Just. Ended.

There was no twist of, OHMYGOD, WOW! It, just, finished.

I thought Phoenix might find a way to be with her, or she dies and stays with him in heavn, but no!

I can't even write a review right now im SO mad:(
Profile Image for Terena.
11 reviews
Read
March 30, 2010
goin 2 cry readin this 1 but Can'y wait
Profile Image for SeaBook.
232 reviews9 followers
June 12, 2016
Slzy na krajíčku, nervy v kýblu :'(
Bože můj, proč?!
Profile Image for Abi Holligan.
169 reviews7 followers
March 6, 2011
Beautiful Dead: Phoenix follows Darina to the end of her journey working for the Beautiful Dead, the final book concentrates on Darina trying to find the answer to who killed Phoenix before his time runs out...

I enjoyed the final book and had massive expectations for Phoenix's book, I thought it would be emotional, sad and mysterious but still have to laughter. I was a little disappointed by this book, to me Darina seemed a little off, remembering what she was like through the other books she seemed desperate to find out the answer for them and did anything even putting herself in danger for people she barely knew.
Then get to Phoenix, her boyfriend of a year or so and the time they have spent together going through the Beautiful Dead, you would think she would be even more desperate to helped the person she loves but it seemed like she wasn't that bothered. It started with only 7 days to go and she was putting off going down to Foxton Ridge which I can understand but then it gets down to about 2 days left, she still doesn't have that much of an idea and is too busy running around after Phoenix's younger brother Zak.
And it seemed like she didn't so much as go looking for the clues more like they just came upon her.
Don't get me wrong I still enjoyed the storyline and the mystery behind Phoenix's death and the danger but I found it lacking a little.
I also don't get the endings of these books. It seems the whole book is about Darina trying to find out how this certain person died so that they can go to Heaven ( or wherever) but when the book gets to the end and she isn't sure or hasn't found out, Hunter or Dean just turn around and say, "Oh well, let's just time-travel and find out what happened."
If they could do this, what is the point of Darina doing anything!? I think this option should have been left out and the books just end with Darina figuring it out.
I expected the end, for some reason I knew there would be a twist and everything would not be as it seems.
Profile Image for Samantha.
544 reviews43 followers
May 26, 2012
I honestly do not know why I was so determined to stick with this series until the end. The initial concept was very interesting and I was intrigued, but the writing is less than fantastic. This book ended predictably and I wasn't at all surprised, but what can you expect when the whole damn series has been leading up to this inevitable conclusion? For some reason, Phoenix bothered me even more than the previous three novels in the series. Darina is a pitiful heroine, with a backbone that only presents itself when entirely inappropriate. If I'm being truthful, her "love" for Phoenix is disgusting, nothing more than a teenage infatuation that seems to be turning into a disturbing obsession. The only reason I'm glad I read this book all the way through is because I demonstrated incredible will power. If you don't agree, I'm sorry, but that is simply my opinion.
Profile Image for Emma.
601 reviews42 followers
April 28, 2018
I am so heartbroken right now!
From the first book, I have had an idé of who killed Phoenix. And through all the books I have become more sure that I had the right person. It turned out that I was right, even tough I wished I was wrong. Why could it not be another person?

This book was amazing, and sad. The only reason this gets a four stars insted of full, is because the ending was a bit rushed. Darina and Phoenix did not get the full closure they deserved.
Profile Image for Esmeralda Verdú.
Author 1 book3,092 followers
April 10, 2014
Final de una saga que ha pasado sin pena ni gloria entre las muchas que he leído. Parte de una idea que puede considerarse algo original: mueren cuatro adolescentes en el pueblo de la protagonista (entre ellos se encuentra su propio novio), se encuentra con sus almas en un granero abandonado y les ayuda a resolver sus muertes porque no las recuerdan y puedan descansar en paz. En cada libro se resuelve una de las muertes, por lo que la estructura de todos los que componen la saga es prácticamente las misma y bastante predecible: sabemos que la protagonista va resolver el caso sí o sí aunque se lamente muchas veces de que no le va a dar tiempo a hacerlo. Los personajes son bastante planos y el romance no es nada del otro mundo teniendo en cuenta que uno de ellos está muerto... Si leéis mis reseñas de los libros anteriores veréis que no tienen una valoración nada mala, pero eso es lo que me parecieron cuando no había leído ni la mitad de libros de esta temática paranormal romántica juvenil. Si los volviera a leer ahora, no sería tan buena. Así que no es que este último libro me haya decepcionado, sino que ha estado igual que los anteriores y me lo esperaba tal y como ha sido. Si he seguido con la saga es porque éste era el libro que más estaba esperando leer de todos desde que leí el primero, pues es en el que se resuelve el caso del novio de la protagonista. Ha sido bastante predecible. Son libros que se leen muy rápido porque al menos se hacen entretenidos, pero si tuviera que recomendarlos, no lo haría especialmente.
Profile Image for Chelsea.
234 reviews43 followers
October 14, 2010
Love lingers long after death, doesn't it? That is the question Darina has been trying to answer since the death of her boyfriend Phoenix almost a year ago. Four teenagers from her town died during the course of a single year and turned into the Beautiful Dead. Darina was enlisted to help each of them solve the mystery surrounding their deaths, to help them cross over permanently and not remain as tortured beings. At last it is Phoenix's turn, only Darina is torn between wanting to help Phoenix and wanting to keep him close by her side.

I picked this one up almost immediately after finishing Summer's story. I needed some closure with Phoenix!I haven't enjoyed a series this much since reading Helen Dunmore's Ingo books. Eden Maguire wraps things up beautifully. No questions go unanswered, no character is left hanging unsatisfied (even Hunter!). Honestly, I thought it would be a lot more difficult for Darina to say goodbye to Phoenix, but when I look back at all she's been through, it was incredible to see her grow to be so strong. It showed a lot of talent on Maguire's part to tie all four stories in together in some way, much like how small towns are so closely knit. Wish I could say more, but don't want to give away any spoilers. Her next series is called Dark Angel and it sounds equally enticing. Thanks for the great reads, Eden!
Profile Image for Connie.
1,586 reviews21 followers
July 2, 2015
Source: I own this book.
Cost: Free Gift

Title: Phoenix
Series: The Beautiful Dead #4
Author: Eden Maguire
Overall Rating: 3 stars

Here we are. The end. The last of the beautiful dead is here and much to Darina's despair, it's Phoenix. Her one true love. All heart broken and stuff, she begins to investigate her boyfriend's death with the help of his brothers, his long lost father and his mother.

There isn't a lot to say about this installment, expect for it was an okay end to an okay series. It didn't leave any lasting impact to me. I liked Michael, Phoenix's dad, and my heart really broke for him. He never got to see his son grow up, never got to see his traits or his personality and Phoenix died resenting him. How sad is that?

Also Phoenix. If you've read my previous reviews of this series, you know that I have issues with him and boy was this book no exception to that. Phoenix, you're dead. You keep claiming that you want Darina to move on, you want her to be happy but is she? No because you're being a butt.

(INCONSISTENCY ALERT: Robert Hunter? Who's that? His name was Hunter Lee in Summer?)

Death Toll: 10+
Profile Image for Elena.
282 reviews18 followers
June 4, 2016
The end of Phoenix's mystery was ok, but I wonder what happened to Iceman. There is no mention of his body being found, but he leaves at the same time as Phoenix. It is either an amazing coincidence or he was somehow allowed to stay longer. It is never explained.

This is not the only weird thing in this book. Hunter's name is different. Hunter was the man's last name in book three, where Darina learned his first name. In this book, however, Hunter is his first name.

Another thing that is not revealed is how Hunter could stay in the world of the living for more than a year. Also, are we supposed to understand that there are no more dead people in need of answers about their deaths? The first book gave the impression that Hunter had been doing that job for a long time. However, in this book, the place ends up empty with everybody having departed for the afterlife. Everything would have made much more sense if, for example, there had been some mention of the other ghosts relocating in order to avoid unwanted attention, now that Darina had helped all of her class mates.


Longer review soon.
Profile Image for After-Dahlia.
18 reviews
February 15, 2019
This was the best book of the entire series, and honestly, I don't know if I think so because of the fact that it's over now. Maybe that was the reason as to why I gave it four stars hmm. Look, you can obviously tell that the author is improving with her writing and I like that because you can see an improvement within each book in the series. I also believe that this one was a bit different, they faced better hardships and it was just a better reading experience. If you're planning on reading Beautiful Dead, might as well just read this book instead of the entire thing. Sure, there's gonna be some things you might not understand but honestly, its better than wasting your time. Finally, since Darina could literally spend all her time on Phoenix and not be in a hurry to help anyone else, their relationship didn't bother me here. Basically, an overall improvement from the past three books. Worth the read if you've finished the three books before this and don't know whether or not you want to finish it, or if you want to start this series but the low reviews make you scared of it.


thanks for coming to my ted talk.
Profile Image for Chinelo.
445 reviews
December 12, 2012
well for those of you who haven't read this book prepare to have a tissue box beside you when you get to book four.
General plot: four kids die in Ellerton and the heroines(Darina) boyfriend phoenix was among them . she is enlisted to help them(the beautiful dead) to find justice so that they can move on in peace while in turn she gets to spend time with phoenix. well she meets other people and discovers that people aren't always what they seem to be.and discovers secrets and helps patch thing up for the beautiful dead in the present.
OK this book had my emotions flying all over the place.....i mean i knew i had a hunch bout hunter being related to Darina but who would have expected it to be this great.
this book is awesome. and no i haven't read twilight series because i don't want to and yes this book is a roller-coaster of emotion from anger to joy to shouting get a freaking grip Darina. this book has it all.
Profile Image for Kris.
409 reviews36 followers
January 22, 2015
Nebudu hodnotit každou knihu zvlášť, ale ohodnotím celou sérii jako celek. Námět je zajímavý, je to opravdu trochu něco jiného v tom moři upírů což na mě působí jako závan čerstvého vzduchu. Kniha je napsána celkem dospěle. Není přeslazená a všeho je tam tak akorát. Detektivní linka je zajímavá a udržuje čtenáře napnutého. Knihy jsem přečetla v podstatě za pár dní... mé nadšení bylo způsobeno hlavně tím, že jsem chtěla vědět jak to dopadne s Phoenixem a Darinou. Konec byl takový... není to klasický happy end, ale asi to tak mělo být. Knihy jsou napsány velmi čtivě, občas je děj malinko předvídatelný, ale autorka dokáže i překvapit. Tohle rozhodně není četba na zlepšení nálady. Totálně to z vás vycucá emoce... snad u každé knihy jsem brečela jak želva a poslední byla pro mě nejsmutnější a nejdepresivnější. Autorka skvěle zachytila to, když vám odejde někdo blízký. Nepůsobí to strojeně a nechce se vám bouchat hlavou o zeď. Snad jedna z mála knih, kdy sympatizuji s hlavní hrdinkou.
Profile Image for Linnéa Söderberg.
39 reviews44 followers
March 28, 2015
Really easy reading. Everything just went too fast and the epilogue sucked. Well, it's a book for young teens, but okay. The reason I read this book (the last in the series) is because I started the first book when I was twelve and I just had to finish the rest of the books since I already read the first one.

Good book if you like supernatural things and a book that you want to read in a day.
Profile Image for Sharon Mariampillai.
2,231 reviews92 followers
October 6, 2015
This was a fast read. It is now down to find out who killed Phoenix. I feel bad for Darina because she has to find out who killed her true love. I thought the characters were good and the storyline was good as well. I was surprised to find out that . Overall, an okay read to a good series.
Profile Image for Molly.
60 reviews6 followers
November 1, 2010
I cried my eyes out! Possibly one of the most depressing novels ever, even though you new it was coming. I had worked out Phoenix's murder by the time Arizona was out though, so the twist was no surprise (did'nt make it any less upsetting though!)
Profile Image for Magdalen Dobson.
221 reviews9 followers
July 3, 2011
The buildup was fairly good, but the ending was just silly. STUPID end to an okay series.
Profile Image for Marti.
70 reviews2 followers
January 19, 2014
Nejsmutnější ze všech čtyř dílů. Jsou tam věci, které se mi nelíbí a za to šly dvě hvězdy dolů, ale celkově velice pěkně ukázáno, jak člověk po smrti někoho blízkého bojuje nejvíc sám se sebou.
Profile Image for Veronika.
154 reviews17 followers
February 15, 2015
3,5 - 4 stars

Good storyline, although I knew what will happen, it was very sad.. The ending was heartbreaking because I really started to like the characters..It was a nice serie.
Profile Image for Dom.
10 reviews1 follower
July 21, 2015
Plenty of supernatural features, very exciting with plenty of mystery but the romance is a little sappy.
Profile Image for Lena Blazejova.
279 reviews1 follower
January 23, 2022
📚Nejsou živí... Nejsou mrtví... Něco mezi tím...📚

🕸️Darina jiz pomohla objasnit tajemstvi smrti Jonase, Arizony a Summer. Nyní ji čeká to nejtěžší... Odhalit okolnosti záhadné smrti Phoenixe.🕸️

Posledni dil je za mnou...💜💔💜

Jsme na konci...a tak nejak nevim jestli mam byt rada, ze se vsechno uzavrelo a nebo chtit proste jeste vic... A aby ten pribeh proste trval dal a neskoncil...

Phoenix je konecne na rade a ted jeho i Darinu ceka nelehky ukol - odhalit, kdo muze za jeho smrt nez mu vyprsi cas...
Darina bojuje se ztratou Phoenixe kazdy den znovu a znovu, snazi se mu, co nejvíc pomoci, i kdyz ví, ze ho diky tomu znovu ztrati a ted uz navzdy...
Odhalujeme zde dalsi a dalsi kousky skládanky, ktera nas vede po ceste k tomu, kdo zasadil tu osudnou ranu a tim zbavil Phoenixe zivota...stava se z toho boj na zivot a na smrt s partou magoru, kteri se niceho neboji...nekdy zjistit pravdu neni to, co potrebujeme nejen pro sebe, ale i pro sve okoli... Ale vedet ji je potreba...

Ve chvili, kdy dojdeme na konec chceme, aby to bylo vse jinak, abychom mohli vratit cas a vse zmenit a nejak to vse zachránit...Bohužel minulost zmenit nejde...
Profile Image for NotAnotherEmptySkull.
243 reviews2 followers
March 19, 2021
☆2.5 Stars☆

NOTES & THOUGHTS
• The more the series developed, the more "the same" it became. It had pretty much the same storyline to the other books.
• I quite liked reading the "cause" of Phoenix's death - it was more unexpected than the endings of all the other books.
• The book was original to other books, just not to the series.

I LOVED
• That this book gave a bit more detail about the side characters and their stories.
• That Darina was a little less annoying for the most part in this book - it meant I could connect with her and the storyline more.

I DIDN'T LOVE
• That there was no real ending. One minute the story was developing, the next it had ended with no real wind-down. It was abrupt, even with the epilogue.
• That the storyline was pretty much the same as the rest of the series, like I'd just re-read the previous books.
• It didn't seem to be as much detail in this book - it wasn't written with as much care, and it seemed a little rushed (not just the ending).
Profile Image for Emma.
20 reviews
January 4, 2024
It was the series end we had all been waiting for. Finally it’s Phoenix’s turn to move on and Darina has to solve his murder.
One thing I don’t why though is why we they have to wait til the very end of the book in order to time travel and find out who actually was responsible. Like if they did it earlier then it would prevent so many people from being hurt, especially in this book.
However I did like how we found out that Darina and Hunter were related, it made his passing so much more meaningful after we discovered the connection between the two characters.
Another thing that annoyed me was how Darina is so absolutely obsessed with Phoenix. Yes I know it’s meant to be true love and whatever but girl he’s still gonna be there, everyone else is kinda going into the after life and they’re not going to be satisfied, stop obsessing over Phoenix for like a second, his time will come eventually.
Anyways, in conclusion it wasn’t the best book I’ve ever read but I liked the twists and turns (even if some were kind of predictable)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Sohxpie .
249 reviews
September 10, 2023
It turns out I didn't need to re-read the series to find out how it all ended as I had guessed from the start. There was literally nothing unpredictable about this series. I saw this ending coming a mile off. I am also frustrated that the ending of the third book was not addressed at all, there was no explanation, no continuation, nothing. It was like the author had forgotten all about it. There was also a massive unexplained time jump in this book. One minute we have ten days left and then all of a sudden it's only four? It would seem continuity and logic don't belong in this fictional world. The ending was a bit flat as well, the book just stopped, it almost felt like the author didn't know how to properly end it so kind of just stopped writing. I feel like the reader deserves more in the way of closure.
I want to say I am glad that I re-read and finished this series but I'm not, I'm actually regretting it. It was all a big disappointment in the end.
Profile Image for Nury (Nurbooks7).
130 reviews
December 9, 2020
Al fin! La última parte de está saga y fue una decepción total, si bien debo decir que el inicio y un poquito más de la mitad del libro si me gusto ya que la trama estaba yendo bien, había argumentos bien planteados, con ideas que trataban de prender en ti algún tipo de sentimientos pero... Se quedó ahí no más! Porque después de esa parte fue terrible, se gastaron más de 150 páginas indagando para que al final hagan lo mismo que en los anteriores libros, en serio? Porque no fue nada sorprendente el final ni la forma en que averiguaron el caso.

Si le doy 3 estrellas es más que todo por esa parte que si me gusto y que fue algo diferente de escritua que leí en los anteriores libros.
Profile Image for Helene.
308 reviews4 followers
September 12, 2024
Oh man I would love to say that I loved it, since I wanted... 10 years to read the last book. The other books made me cry like a baby so I waited with this one for so long. In that time I've read a ton of books and that apparently developed my taste in books and can see quality. This just wasn't it. The writing is pretty bad and immature. I still love the concept and I did cry in the end. But not as much as I expected...
Profile Image for Jireh.
68 reviews
June 17, 2020
Hay cosas que no entiendo en esta vida y una de ellas es este libro. No es malo es sencillo de leer y entretiene, pero por otro lado me parecio inecesario todo el esfuerzo de la protagonista si se podia hacer lo que se hizo al final .
Es triste en parte me parece triste que el personaje se aleje tanto de la realidad, dando todo por un algo sin futuro aparente , fue en parte doloroso de leer.
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