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Rock Paper Scissors
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Mystery & Thriller (2021)Think you know the person you married? Think again…
Things have been wrong with Mr and Mrs Wright for a long time. When Adam and Amelia win a weekend away to Scotland, it might be just what their marriage needs. Self-confessed workaholic and screenwriter Adam Wright has lived with face blindness his whole life. He can’t recognize friends or family, or even his own wife.
Every anniversary the couple exchange traditional gifts – paper, cotton, pottery, tin – and each year Adam’s wife writes him a letter that she never lets him read. Until now. They both know this weekend will make or break their marriage, but they didn’t randomly win this trip. One of them is lying, and someone doesn’t want them to live happily ever after.
Ten years of marriage. Ten years of secrets. And an anniversary they will never forget.
Rock Paper Scissors is the latest exciting domestic thriller from the queen of the killer twist, New York Times bestselling author Alice Feeney.
Things have been wrong with Mr and Mrs Wright for a long time. When Adam and Amelia win a weekend away to Scotland, it might be just what their marriage needs. Self-confessed workaholic and screenwriter Adam Wright has lived with face blindness his whole life. He can’t recognize friends or family, or even his own wife.
Every anniversary the couple exchange traditional gifts – paper, cotton, pottery, tin – and each year Adam’s wife writes him a letter that she never lets him read. Until now. They both know this weekend will make or break their marriage, but they didn’t randomly win this trip. One of them is lying, and someone doesn’t want them to live happily ever after.
Ten years of marriage. Ten years of secrets. And an anniversary they will never forget.
Rock Paper Scissors is the latest exciting domestic thriller from the queen of the killer twist, New York Times bestselling author Alice Feeney.
294 pages, Hardcover
First published August 19, 2021
About the author
Alice Feeney
17 books27k followersAlice Feeney is a New York Times million-copy bestselling author of novels including His & Hers, Sometimes I Lie, Rock Paper Scissors and Daisy Darker. Her books have been translated into over thirty-five languages, and have been optioned for major screen adaptations, with His & Hers currently in production for Netflix, produced by Jessica Chastain, and starring Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal.
Alice was a BBC journalist for fifteen years. Her seventh novel, Beautiful Ugly, will be published around the world in January 2025.
You can follow Alice on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter: @alicewriterland
For the latest book and TV news, and to sign up for Alice's free newsletter, please visit her website: www.alicefeeney.com
Alice was a BBC journalist for fifteen years. Her seventh novel, Beautiful Ugly, will be published around the world in January 2025.
You can follow Alice on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter: @alicewriterland
For the latest book and TV news, and to sign up for Alice's free newsletter, please visit her website: www.alicefeeney.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57,663 reviews
January 21, 2025
Definitely another big winner for me! This book is smart, shocking, and deliciously unique!
May I proudly announce not only my favorite book by this author but also the best thriller of the year? The ovation ceremony has already started! My dear friends, cancel all your plans, say goodbye to your loved ones, and lock yourself away for half a day!
This is absolutely, definitely, completely one of the best works that makes me adore and be jealous of the extremely creative mind of the author! YOU SHOULDN’T MISS this book! I’m marking my words!
You have to devour it in a few hours because:
• The three POV narration of flawed, unreliable, cunning characters and those emotional, slightly disturbing letters containing the ugly truth of a marriage’s anatomy keep you on the edge of your seat.
• The tension, story-building, and balanced pace are well-constructed, intriguing, and engaging.
• The last chapters keep throwing explosives on your lap! You get shocked and keep asking yourself how the author pulled the rug out from under you so fast! YOU WOULD NEVER SEE IT COMING!
It’s so hard to talk about the plot without giving too much away because sometimes I tell unnecessary details and ruin the real magic of your reading experience!
So, I’ll keep things simple:
This is the story of a couple who have been married for ten years. Every anniversary, they exchange traditional gifts symbolizing that year of marriage, including a paper crane, a copper compass, a tin box, etc., and each year the wife writes her husband a sentimental and honest letter that she never lets him read: a secret record of their marriage, warts and all. But in the tenth year of their marriage, we see their relationship is in deep trouble.
Sometimes a weekend getaway can be just what a couple needs to get back on track, but things aren’t what or who they seem.
Adam Wright is a screenwriter who earned his reputation after he started adaptations of legendary thriller author Henry Winter’s books, and his wife works in a dog shelter. Their marriage struggles, and Amelia thinks winning a trip to Scotland at a secluded and isolated palace can help them reconnect, even though they later find out this place is an old chapel presumed to be haunted because of unlawful witch massacres!
But this is not the most frightening part of their weekend; a snowstorm is coming, and they are not alone in that place: somebody spies on their every move! Somebody has no intention of letting them go without playing ROCK PAPER SCISSORS!
Well, I’m shutting my mouth now! Sending my thanks to Macmillan Reading Insiders Club for providing me an early copy! I already know which book I’m voting for in the Goodreads Choice Awards for the thriller category. If you want to know too, just read and comment.
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May I proudly announce not only my favorite book by this author but also the best thriller of the year? The ovation ceremony has already started! My dear friends, cancel all your plans, say goodbye to your loved ones, and lock yourself away for half a day!
This is absolutely, definitely, completely one of the best works that makes me adore and be jealous of the extremely creative mind of the author! YOU SHOULDN’T MISS this book! I’m marking my words!
You have to devour it in a few hours because:
• The three POV narration of flawed, unreliable, cunning characters and those emotional, slightly disturbing letters containing the ugly truth of a marriage’s anatomy keep you on the edge of your seat.
• The tension, story-building, and balanced pace are well-constructed, intriguing, and engaging.
• The last chapters keep throwing explosives on your lap! You get shocked and keep asking yourself how the author pulled the rug out from under you so fast! YOU WOULD NEVER SEE IT COMING!
It’s so hard to talk about the plot without giving too much away because sometimes I tell unnecessary details and ruin the real magic of your reading experience!
So, I’ll keep things simple:
This is the story of a couple who have been married for ten years. Every anniversary, they exchange traditional gifts symbolizing that year of marriage, including a paper crane, a copper compass, a tin box, etc., and each year the wife writes her husband a sentimental and honest letter that she never lets him read: a secret record of their marriage, warts and all. But in the tenth year of their marriage, we see their relationship is in deep trouble.
Sometimes a weekend getaway can be just what a couple needs to get back on track, but things aren’t what or who they seem.
Adam Wright is a screenwriter who earned his reputation after he started adaptations of legendary thriller author Henry Winter’s books, and his wife works in a dog shelter. Their marriage struggles, and Amelia thinks winning a trip to Scotland at a secluded and isolated palace can help them reconnect, even though they later find out this place is an old chapel presumed to be haunted because of unlawful witch massacres!
But this is not the most frightening part of their weekend; a snowstorm is coming, and they are not alone in that place: somebody spies on their every move! Somebody has no intention of letting them go without playing ROCK PAPER SCISSORS!
Well, I’m shutting my mouth now! Sending my thanks to Macmillan Reading Insiders Club for providing me an early copy! I already know which book I’m voting for in the Goodreads Choice Awards for the thriller category. If you want to know too, just read and comment.
medium.com
September 11, 2024
Before I start, let me include a disclaimer. You should probably disregard my review here. I am like the only person I know who did not enjoy this, and the only plausible explanation I have is that somehow I read a different book altogether. So my thoughts are of the book I did read, which may or may not be the same one everyone else did.
Ok, back to the program. Amelia and Adam are going through a rough patch in their marriage, so they thought a trip to a secluded location would be just what they need to mend their relationship. But when they arrive at the derelict church where they'll be staying, it's not what they expect. Soon enough, things start to go wrong and of course, they have no way to leave.
Oooh sounds chilling, right? So I'm all ready for the twists, and I'm flipping the page, flipping the page, and then I reach the very end. I think my problem is that I've read a lot of domestic thrillers, and they all follow the exact same pattern, including most of the twists in this book. As for the one remaining twist that didn't follow that pattern, not only had I seen it done elsewhere before, but having read Alice Feeney's other books, she has a tendency to a certain style, and it led me to realize this was where it was going pretty early on. So no surprises for me, but that isn't necessarily a deal breaker.
A bigger issue is that a lot of the things in here don't add up or make sense. Like Adam's face blindness is used to explain his inability to recognize people at all, not just their faces, even though people with this condition can still recognize others based on their clothes, voice, mannerism, and context. It's called face blindness, not people blindness... yeesh! Also, tons of clues are dropped that add to the atmosphere, but are then either ignored as coincidences or in direct opposition to the explanations provided.
But probably my biggest problem (you're saying to yourself, there's more?) is the writing style. For some reason, it's stuffed full of fortune cookie wisdom, like so:
There are so many of these, like at least one per page, sometimes several in one paragraph. So just as I'm getting into the story, I'm yanked out again by ever more silly and superficial sayings. Why it is written this way, I'm honestly baffled.
Everyone else loved this book for its atmospheric setting, crazy twists, and fast pacing. But the book I read had no surprises, lots of things that didn't make sense, and odd one-sentence wisdoms dispensed like there's no tomorrow.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
✧ Connect with me ✧ Instagram ✧
Ok, back to the program. Amelia and Adam are going through a rough patch in their marriage, so they thought a trip to a secluded location would be just what they need to mend their relationship. But when they arrive at the derelict church where they'll be staying, it's not what they expect. Soon enough, things start to go wrong and of course, they have no way to leave.
Oooh sounds chilling, right? So I'm all ready for the twists, and I'm flipping the page, flipping the page, and then I reach the very end. I think my problem is that I've read a lot of domestic thrillers, and they all follow the exact same pattern, including most of the twists in this book. As for the one remaining twist that didn't follow that pattern, not only had I seen it done elsewhere before, but having read Alice Feeney's other books, she has a tendency to a certain style, and it led me to realize this was where it was going pretty early on. So no surprises for me, but that isn't necessarily a deal breaker.
A bigger issue is that a lot of the things in here don't add up or make sense. Like Adam's face blindness is used to explain his inability to recognize people at all, not just their faces, even though people with this condition can still recognize others based on their clothes, voice, mannerism, and context. It's called face blindness, not people blindness... yeesh! Also, tons of clues are dropped that add to the atmosphere, but are then either ignored as coincidences or in direct opposition to the explanations provided.
But probably my biggest problem (you're saying to yourself, there's more?) is the writing style. For some reason, it's stuffed full of fortune cookie wisdom, like so:
Promises lose their value when broken or chipped, like dusty, forgotten antiques.
Secrets are only secrets for the people who don't know them yet.
That's the problem with following in someone else's footsteps; if you leave a bigger mark than they did they tend to get upset.
Sometimes the early bird eats too many worms and dies.
There are so many of these, like at least one per page, sometimes several in one paragraph. So just as I'm getting into the story, I'm yanked out again by ever more silly and superficial sayings. Why it is written this way, I'm honestly baffled.
Everyone else loved this book for its atmospheric setting, crazy twists, and fast pacing. But the book I read had no surprises, lots of things that didn't make sense, and odd one-sentence wisdoms dispensed like there's no tomorrow.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
✧ Connect with me ✧ Instagram ✧
September 4, 2021
OH MY GOODNESS WHAT it’s 1am and I just finished this book and my brain is still spinning. I can’t BELIEVE the amount of twists at the end of this book! 🤯 I’m so impressed. I LOVED the atmosphere in this book, it was so spooky and creepy. This couple goes to this chapel and it’s supposed to be a romantic getaway, but there’s a snow storm and creepy noises and unexplainable things happening while they are there. In alternate chapters we get to read letters that the wife has written to him over their ten years of marriage, and they are taking this trip to try and attempt to save their marriage, and things just keep going wrong.
This book was absolutely WILD. I also personally love books that follow writers, so I especially loved that aspect of this book. It was just so well-written, and so smart and this is definitely my new favorite Alice Feeney!!!! 😍
This book was absolutely WILD. I also personally love books that follow writers, so I especially loved that aspect of this book. It was just so well-written, and so smart and this is definitely my new favorite Alice Feeney!!!! 😍
September 10, 2021
I feel like this sentence was a dare: “The woman wore her bitterness like a badge; the kind of person who writes one-star book reviews.”
Challenge accepted!
Challenge accepted!
October 11, 2022
4.5 stars! Epic reveal, so smart.
January 31, 2025
In Rock Paper Scissors, beloved author, Alice Feeney examines the age-old question, how well do you know the one you love?
After Amelia wins a mystery weekend away at a historic chapel in the Scottish Highlands, she thinks it may be just what she and her husband, Adam, need to rekindle their relationship. She's hoping the time and distance from his work may help them to reconnect.
Surprisingly, Adam agrees and the two set off. The weather isn't great and rapid snowfall makes their travel difficult.
By the time they, and their sweet dog, Bob, have made the very long journey, everyone is going stir crazy in the car. Arriving at the chapel, they're taken aback by how isolated it is. There's literally nothing around as far as the eye can see.
It's at this point, the couple begin to recognize just how peculiar this entire holiday is. Who did she win this trip from again?
The lodgings are strange, eerie and ominous. With the weather getting worse, tension among the couple continues to rise. This is definitely not going as they expected. The power source is questionable and at the rate the snow continues to fall, they may not be able to get out.
Told between alternating perspectives, as well as through annual anniversary letters, the truth of their frightening holiday in the Highlands, as well as the true state of their marriage, comes to light.
Y'all, Feeney dropped the mic on writing a suspenseful Thriller with this one!
I enjoyed this so much. From the very first chapter I was hooked. Feeney's clever plotting and magnificent twists kept me glued to the pages. I had to know the truth; who was lying and why?
There was a dark tone glistening just along the surface. I knew it went deeper than what I was getting. The reveals were perfectly paced; what a treat!
This did have quite a few tropes I tend to enjoy, but they came as surprises to me. I don't even think I read the synopsis prior to picking this up. I saw, Alice Feeney, printed on the cover and that was enough.
If you are fan of things such as isolated locations, creepy houses, hidden secrets, marital strife, jaw-dropping plot twists, characters who are authors and people being stranded places, you should absolutely check this one out!!!
Also, I was impressed with the character work. All of the main characters were just so interesting and besides some lightly-sprinkled craziness, were all quite unique.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Flatiron Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I have already bought a finished copy for my shelves.
One of the best Thrillers of the year!!!
After Amelia wins a mystery weekend away at a historic chapel in the Scottish Highlands, she thinks it may be just what she and her husband, Adam, need to rekindle their relationship. She's hoping the time and distance from his work may help them to reconnect.
Surprisingly, Adam agrees and the two set off. The weather isn't great and rapid snowfall makes their travel difficult.
By the time they, and their sweet dog, Bob, have made the very long journey, everyone is going stir crazy in the car. Arriving at the chapel, they're taken aback by how isolated it is. There's literally nothing around as far as the eye can see.
It's at this point, the couple begin to recognize just how peculiar this entire holiday is. Who did she win this trip from again?
The lodgings are strange, eerie and ominous. With the weather getting worse, tension among the couple continues to rise. This is definitely not going as they expected. The power source is questionable and at the rate the snow continues to fall, they may not be able to get out.
Told between alternating perspectives, as well as through annual anniversary letters, the truth of their frightening holiday in the Highlands, as well as the true state of their marriage, comes to light.
Y'all, Feeney dropped the mic on writing a suspenseful Thriller with this one!
I enjoyed this so much. From the very first chapter I was hooked. Feeney's clever plotting and magnificent twists kept me glued to the pages. I had to know the truth; who was lying and why?
There was a dark tone glistening just along the surface. I knew it went deeper than what I was getting. The reveals were perfectly paced; what a treat!
This did have quite a few tropes I tend to enjoy, but they came as surprises to me. I don't even think I read the synopsis prior to picking this up. I saw, Alice Feeney, printed on the cover and that was enough.
If you are fan of things such as isolated locations, creepy houses, hidden secrets, marital strife, jaw-dropping plot twists, characters who are authors and people being stranded places, you should absolutely check this one out!!!
Also, I was impressed with the character work. All of the main characters were just so interesting and besides some lightly-sprinkled craziness, were all quite unique.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Flatiron Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I have already bought a finished copy for my shelves.
One of the best Thrillers of the year!!!
January 25, 2025
I laughed at this sentence when I first read it amidst all the crazy things going on there in the first half of the book.
"The woman bore her bitterness like a badge; the kind of person who writes one-star book reviews."
Hello Netflix😑
Hello BBC😐
Hello Hollywood 😣 Are you all listening?
Drop all the average series and movie adaptations. Get this book. Get the script and give us the damn adaptation already!
I am impressed and I had to rate this book 5 🌟.
Because I liked the twist after all that crazy mindfk.
It turned out better than any of the recent thrillers. Rock paper scissors? Bet which one you got ❎
Trigger warnings for a lot of stuffs (domestic abuse, bullying, animal cruelty.... I am uncomfortable to list the rest here)
I have no regrets picking up this book as I realised soon enough after a few chapters why the author is much loved and hyped about.
This is the first book I chose to read and I am not disappointed at all.
First, the ability of the author to put in a little detail in each and every chapter makes the reading more thrilling than the actual plot. Talent is what talent does. You will soon see it and it just cannot be hidden.
The plot is as it is in the blurb.
A marriage on eggshells. A desperate last try turning out to be more fatal instead. And another character out of nowhere playing with their lives.
You won't regret reading this book. Forget the page number. You will finish reading the book in one sitting like I just did!
Good plot. Amazing writing. That sinking feeling that someone's going to die soon from page one until the last page. Disturbing characters.
What more do you ask of a psychological thriller?
Grab the book today!
"The woman bore her bitterness like a badge; the kind of person who writes one-star book reviews."
Hello Netflix😑
Hello BBC😐
Hello Hollywood 😣 Are you all listening?
Drop all the average series and movie adaptations. Get this book. Get the script and give us the damn adaptation already!
I am impressed and I had to rate this book 5 🌟.
Because I liked the twist after all that crazy mindfk.
It turned out better than any of the recent thrillers. Rock paper scissors? Bet which one you got ❎
Trigger warnings for a lot of stuffs (domestic abuse, bullying, animal cruelty.... I am uncomfortable to list the rest here)
I have no regrets picking up this book as I realised soon enough after a few chapters why the author is much loved and hyped about.
This is the first book I chose to read and I am not disappointed at all.
First, the ability of the author to put in a little detail in each and every chapter makes the reading more thrilling than the actual plot. Talent is what talent does. You will soon see it and it just cannot be hidden.
The plot is as it is in the blurb.
A marriage on eggshells. A desperate last try turning out to be more fatal instead. And another character out of nowhere playing with their lives.
You won't regret reading this book. Forget the page number. You will finish reading the book in one sitting like I just did!
Good plot. Amazing writing. That sinking feeling that someone's going to die soon from page one until the last page. Disturbing characters.
What more do you ask of a psychological thriller?
Grab the book today!
August 29, 2021
When reading a psychological thriller, is it more important for the writing, characters, and plot to have quality, or for an author to be able to pull off one (or more) really massive twist(s)?
This is the age old question, right? I ask this because my thoughts feel up in the air based off of both of these sides, and I know the answer will be different for many people. Sometimes, if a twist is wholly unexpected, it's enough for a reader to give the book high marks simply for blowing their mind. I've definitely done this before, but as I've read more psychological suspense and my tastes have been affected due to this, I've begun to find myself needing more of category one than the big twist.
This book is a fine example of "the twist". The writing felt a bit clunky compared to her previous work, the pacing was slow from about 25-75%, and the characters were stale. But the twist! There were a few I called early on, but there is one twist that likely will be hard for most readers to catch, and I'll admit I didn't catch it either. I'm settling at 3 stars, because it's a nice balance to the long winded thought process I shared above. I'll definitely enjoy discussing this one with others who have read it.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
This is the age old question, right? I ask this because my thoughts feel up in the air based off of both of these sides, and I know the answer will be different for many people. Sometimes, if a twist is wholly unexpected, it's enough for a reader to give the book high marks simply for blowing their mind. I've definitely done this before, but as I've read more psychological suspense and my tastes have been affected due to this, I've begun to find myself needing more of category one than the big twist.
This book is a fine example of "the twist". The writing felt a bit clunky compared to her previous work, the pacing was slow from about 25-75%, and the characters were stale. But the twist! There were a few I called early on, but there is one twist that likely will be hard for most readers to catch, and I'll admit I didn't catch it either. I'm settling at 3 stars, because it's a nice balance to the long winded thought process I shared above. I'll definitely enjoy discussing this one with others who have read it.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
August 20, 2023
Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney
Adam and Amelia, a married couple whose marriage is on the rocks, travel to a converted chapel at Blackwater Loch in the Scottish Highlands. Amelia won a free stay there from a contest at work, they are heading into a snow storm, and they know nothing about the chapel or the area. What could go wrong in an Alice Feeney novel with this scenario?
Interspersed with chapters from Adam's perspective and Amelia's perspective are anniversary letters that Adam's wife writes to him. These letters are her true feelings about each past year of marriage, detailing how she really feels about their marriage and the way Adam treats her in comparison to how he seems to feel about anything related to his career as a screenwriter. She knows that his job comes first, it's everything to him, but she's still there, year after year.
Nothing is as it seems and with Adam and Amelia at such odds before they even get to the chapel, it doesn't help that so much doesn't seem to go right once they are there. Strange things start happening, the electricity goes off, there are weird sounds, a face in a window, the phones don't work, things are not right. Is it really one of them or is it someone or something else? I'd think I might have an inkling to what was going on but really I was mostly confused, suspicious, and was totally clueless to the main twist. The way the chapters were presented worked to keep me from figuring things out and I liked that about this story.
Publication September 7, 2021
Thank you to Macmillan Publishers/Flatiron Books and NetGalley for this ARC.
Adam and Amelia, a married couple whose marriage is on the rocks, travel to a converted chapel at Blackwater Loch in the Scottish Highlands. Amelia won a free stay there from a contest at work, they are heading into a snow storm, and they know nothing about the chapel or the area. What could go wrong in an Alice Feeney novel with this scenario?
Interspersed with chapters from Adam's perspective and Amelia's perspective are anniversary letters that Adam's wife writes to him. These letters are her true feelings about each past year of marriage, detailing how she really feels about their marriage and the way Adam treats her in comparison to how he seems to feel about anything related to his career as a screenwriter. She knows that his job comes first, it's everything to him, but she's still there, year after year.
Nothing is as it seems and with Adam and Amelia at such odds before they even get to the chapel, it doesn't help that so much doesn't seem to go right once they are there. Strange things start happening, the electricity goes off, there are weird sounds, a face in a window, the phones don't work, things are not right. Is it really one of them or is it someone or something else? I'd think I might have an inkling to what was going on but really I was mostly confused, suspicious, and was totally clueless to the main twist. The way the chapters were presented worked to keep me from figuring things out and I liked that about this story.
Publication September 7, 2021
Thank you to Macmillan Publishers/Flatiron Books and NetGalley for this ARC.
April 4, 2022
This book was... unmemorable.
I'm not a big fan of convenient reasons to make the story unreliable. Wether it's the make the main female character an alcoholic or in this case, give the husband "face blindness".
Ask me in a month what this book was about and I won't be able to tell you.
I'm not a big fan of convenient reasons to make the story unreliable. Wether it's the make the main female character an alcoholic or in this case, give the husband "face blindness".
Ask me in a month what this book was about and I won't be able to tell you.
October 2, 2021
Take the scissors, turn the book into paper,hide it under a rock
January 27, 2024
Oof. The character I was most interested in was the dog.
February 11, 2022
2.5 stars
This book started well for me. I liked the spooky setting, I was interested to see where the plot would go and I really liked the writing. If I hadn't listened to the audiobook, which was really good, I'm sure I would have highlighted a lot in this one.
Those were the only positives for me, though. For the most part the story dragged for me. There were twists I didn't see coming, but they still failed to wow me. I can't say that I'm happy with the ending. When I look back at the story as a whole, I need everything to make sense and everything needs to fall into place in the end, without leaving me with unanswered questions. This book didn't give me that.
This book started well for me. I liked the spooky setting, I was interested to see where the plot would go and I really liked the writing. If I hadn't listened to the audiobook, which was really good, I'm sure I would have highlighted a lot in this one.
Those were the only positives for me, though. For the most part the story dragged for me. There were twists I didn't see coming, but they still failed to wow me. I can't say that I'm happy with the ending. When I look back at the story as a whole, I need everything to make sense and everything needs to fall into place in the end, without leaving me with unanswered questions. This book didn't give me that.
April 6, 2022
***HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY***
Talk about unreliable narrators, what about Adam here. He is a workaholic, narcissistic, self centered man. Add to this his condition, “Prosopagnosia” “which is a neurological glitch which means that he cannot see distinguishing features on faces, including his own”. Adam is a screenwriter and a pretty successful one. His marriage is in shambles. Why anyone would want to be married to him is a mystery but apparently he is handsome and can be charming when he wants.
Amelia, his wife, has had about enough of his disinterest in her. He doesn't talk to her about her job or any friends that she may have. They have tried counseling and it’s suggested that a weekend away might be just the ticket. When Amelia wins a raffle for a free trip to a remote spot in the Scottish Highlands, she thinks this might work. A howling, raging snowstorm which continues to get worse, doesn’t prevent them from going.
What they find is nothing like what they expected. Through the snowstorm they eventually come upon an old chapel which is not heated. At some point it had been modified into living spaces. Most of the rooms are locked except for their “bedroom” which is strangely decorated exactly like their bedroom at home. They do find a fully stocked freezer with meals and a well stocked wine cellar. Maybe they can make this work, or can they??? The only heat is from the fireplace and the old chapel is cold in more ways than one!!
The novel is narrated by both Adam and Amelia as well as a third person “Robin”. Her identity isn’t revealed until the end of the book, although I had a pretty good idea of who she might be. But I never guessed her “family ties”, let’s just leave it at that.
Most of the book is spent in the minds of these three narrators with the exception of the descriptions of the snowstorm, the chapel, a graveyard and a tiny cottage.
With a psychological thriller there isn’t too much to say without ruining the next reader’s enjoyment of the suspense.
This novel is a bit of a slow starter but gets going once they reach their destination. The characters were well described but I really couldn’t relate to, nor like any of them. But it's not necessary to like the characters to appreciate a good thriller. Then there is Bob, the dog, who is probably my most favorite character, and I'm happy to say no harm comes to him!
Alice Feeney fans and lovers of psychological thrillers will enjoy this one!
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss.
Talk about unreliable narrators, what about Adam here. He is a workaholic, narcissistic, self centered man. Add to this his condition, “Prosopagnosia” “which is a neurological glitch which means that he cannot see distinguishing features on faces, including his own”. Adam is a screenwriter and a pretty successful one. His marriage is in shambles. Why anyone would want to be married to him is a mystery but apparently he is handsome and can be charming when he wants.
Amelia, his wife, has had about enough of his disinterest in her. He doesn't talk to her about her job or any friends that she may have. They have tried counseling and it’s suggested that a weekend away might be just the ticket. When Amelia wins a raffle for a free trip to a remote spot in the Scottish Highlands, she thinks this might work. A howling, raging snowstorm which continues to get worse, doesn’t prevent them from going.
What they find is nothing like what they expected. Through the snowstorm they eventually come upon an old chapel which is not heated. At some point it had been modified into living spaces. Most of the rooms are locked except for their “bedroom” which is strangely decorated exactly like their bedroom at home. They do find a fully stocked freezer with meals and a well stocked wine cellar. Maybe they can make this work, or can they??? The only heat is from the fireplace and the old chapel is cold in more ways than one!!
The novel is narrated by both Adam and Amelia as well as a third person “Robin”. Her identity isn’t revealed until the end of the book, although I had a pretty good idea of who she might be. But I never guessed her “family ties”, let’s just leave it at that.
Most of the book is spent in the minds of these three narrators with the exception of the descriptions of the snowstorm, the chapel, a graveyard and a tiny cottage.
With a psychological thriller there isn’t too much to say without ruining the next reader’s enjoyment of the suspense.
This novel is a bit of a slow starter but gets going once they reach their destination. The characters were well described but I really couldn’t relate to, nor like any of them. But it's not necessary to like the characters to appreciate a good thriller. Then there is Bob, the dog, who is probably my most favorite character, and I'm happy to say no harm comes to him!
Alice Feeney fans and lovers of psychological thrillers will enjoy this one!
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss.
February 1, 2025
TEN PLOT TWIST WHAAAAT
January 24, 2025
★ 2 stars
i won’t deny that Rock Paper Scissors delivered unpredictable and surprising plot twists — that’s what i want while reading a thriller, so kudos to that. but you know what else this book delivered? a lot of plot holes, inconsistencies, unanswered questions, and a story that in general didn’t feel satisfying. so having unpredictable plot twists doesn’t even make a big impact in the grand scheme of things.
wasted potential, i’d say. this book really could’ve been great given the fact that the premise is super interesting — but sadly, i don’t think the author knew how to execute it perfectly. when i finished it, all i could think was “what did i just read?” and in a very negative way (in case that wasn’t clear). at the end, the whole thing just seemed... dumb. i’m mad i wasted my time on it.
i won’t even bother to write a full detailed review because this book already took enough of my time. just know that i’m left feeling disappointed, drained, and extremely frustrated. such a miss.
i won’t deny that Rock Paper Scissors delivered unpredictable and surprising plot twists — that’s what i want while reading a thriller, so kudos to that. but you know what else this book delivered? a lot of plot holes, inconsistencies, unanswered questions, and a story that in general didn’t feel satisfying. so having unpredictable plot twists doesn’t even make a big impact in the grand scheme of things.
wasted potential, i’d say. this book really could’ve been great given the fact that the premise is super interesting — but sadly, i don’t think the author knew how to execute it perfectly. when i finished it, all i could think was “what did i just read?” and in a very negative way (in case that wasn’t clear). at the end, the whole thing just seemed... dumb. i’m mad i wasted my time on it.
i won’t even bother to write a full detailed review because this book already took enough of my time. just know that i’m left feeling disappointed, drained, and extremely frustrated. such a miss.
November 9, 2022
4.5 stars! Super fast read especially because there's so many secrets and mini cliff hangers that made me fly through it. Such a surprising ending too. I never guessed the ending!
November 29, 2021
Loved the Twist!
3.75 stars
“Can a weekend away save a marriage?”
A husband and wife take a weekend trip to a remote location in Scotland to repair their marriage. Things don’t go as planned, to say the least. The couple soon discovers that an outsider is working on destroying not only their trip but also their marriage.
The chapters are divided between Amelia, the wife, Adam, the husband, and Robin, a woman in Scotland who takes an interest in the couple. The reader is also privy to letters written every year on the anniversary of the couple’s marriage.
This was an entertaining, fast-paced, and atmospheric read. I did not like any of the characters, except for Bob, the dog. He was the true hero of this story. I found Amelia and Adam insipid, but I was curious enough to see how their weekend trip would play out to keep reading.
I loved the remote setting in Scotland. The events are fueled by a brutal winter storm, which worked to add a layer of creepiness on top of the weirdness that already existed in Amelia and Adam's relationship.
This novel is constructed around twists, which is something that I usually do not enjoy. However, in this instance, I loved the main twist; I didn’t see it coming! With that being said, the twists that occur after the main reveal get a little ridiculous. The ending was stupid, but it made me laugh.
Overall, I enjoyed this one for the entertainment value.
3.75 stars
“Can a weekend away save a marriage?”
A husband and wife take a weekend trip to a remote location in Scotland to repair their marriage. Things don’t go as planned, to say the least. The couple soon discovers that an outsider is working on destroying not only their trip but also their marriage.
The chapters are divided between Amelia, the wife, Adam, the husband, and Robin, a woman in Scotland who takes an interest in the couple. The reader is also privy to letters written every year on the anniversary of the couple’s marriage.
This was an entertaining, fast-paced, and atmospheric read. I did not like any of the characters, except for Bob, the dog. He was the true hero of this story. I found Amelia and Adam insipid, but I was curious enough to see how their weekend trip would play out to keep reading.
I loved the remote setting in Scotland. The events are fueled by a brutal winter storm, which worked to add a layer of creepiness on top of the weirdness that already existed in Amelia and Adam's relationship.
This novel is constructed around twists, which is something that I usually do not enjoy. However, in this instance, I loved the main twist; I didn’t see it coming! With that being said, the twists that occur after the main reveal get a little ridiculous. The ending was stupid, but it made me laugh.
Overall, I enjoyed this one for the entertainment value.
September 7, 2021
HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY!
Rock Paper Scissors is more than just a childhood game. Just ask Mr. and Mrs. Wright.
Amelia and her husband, Adam, travel from London to Scotland with their dog, Bob, during a snowstorm. Their destination? A converted and mostly isolated chapel. Amelia won the weekend trip from a work raffle, and she thinks it’s the perfect opportunity to try and fix their marriage.
Adam is a workaholic screenwriter. He also happens to have Prosopagnosia, aka facial blindness. Going on this trip is the last thing he wants to do, and he makes it very clear.
Things are off to a rocky start before they arrive at the chapel, and quickly go from bad to worse. The chapel is cold and damp. Then, the power goes out, strange noises are heard in the darkness of night, and it soon becomes clear that Amelia winning this trip wasn’t as random as it seemed.
Told from a few POVs, and from the letters that Adam’s wife writes to him every year for their anniversary - but doesn’t let him read, you will be immersed in this story as lies and secrets come to light. Just like in a game of Rock Paper Scissors, not everyone can be a winner.
This is an enthralling read that kept me on my toes with some amazing twists! I only guessed a couple minor ones, but was completely blown away by the main one. I don’t know how Alice Feeney always manages to surprise me so well, but she certainly has a knack for it.🙌 The book is oozing with atmosphere, particularly in the beginning. There’s a sense of unease and dread that doesn’t let up as the story progresses..and what a story it is!
This clever and compulsively readable novel is my favorite of the author’s, and I already can’t wait to see what she blows me away with next.
Thank you to Macmillan, who sent me a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected publication date: 9/7/21.
Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com
Rock Paper Scissors is more than just a childhood game. Just ask Mr. and Mrs. Wright.
Amelia and her husband, Adam, travel from London to Scotland with their dog, Bob, during a snowstorm. Their destination? A converted and mostly isolated chapel. Amelia won the weekend trip from a work raffle, and she thinks it’s the perfect opportunity to try and fix their marriage.
Adam is a workaholic screenwriter. He also happens to have Prosopagnosia, aka facial blindness. Going on this trip is the last thing he wants to do, and he makes it very clear.
Things are off to a rocky start before they arrive at the chapel, and quickly go from bad to worse. The chapel is cold and damp. Then, the power goes out, strange noises are heard in the darkness of night, and it soon becomes clear that Amelia winning this trip wasn’t as random as it seemed.
Told from a few POVs, and from the letters that Adam’s wife writes to him every year for their anniversary - but doesn’t let him read, you will be immersed in this story as lies and secrets come to light. Just like in a game of Rock Paper Scissors, not everyone can be a winner.
This is an enthralling read that kept me on my toes with some amazing twists! I only guessed a couple minor ones, but was completely blown away by the main one. I don’t know how Alice Feeney always manages to surprise me so well, but she certainly has a knack for it.🙌 The book is oozing with atmosphere, particularly in the beginning. There’s a sense of unease and dread that doesn’t let up as the story progresses..and what a story it is!
This clever and compulsively readable novel is my favorite of the author’s, and I already can’t wait to see what she blows me away with next.
Thank you to Macmillan, who sent me a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected publication date: 9/7/21.
Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com
November 1, 2021
well, this sure is one wild ride of marital life. no one said marriage is easy and they were right. especially for mr and mrs wright.
i really enjoyed the way this story is told. i loved the back and forth between the present day situation of them isolated in the scottish highlands and the letters written by a wife to her husband every year on their anniversary. the different perspectives, as well seeing who these characters have been over the past 10 years, makes them super interesting. i found myself very invested in their lives, their work, and their marriage.
the way the information is presented, and subsequently revealed, is clever. you know something is going on, but just cant quite put your finger on it. adams face blindness adds a really cool element to it, as well. and then when the bigger picture can finally be seen, its a fun sort of shock. it totally got me.
readers and fans of lowkey domestic mystery/thrillers will really enjoy this one.
↠ 4.5 stars
i really enjoyed the way this story is told. i loved the back and forth between the present day situation of them isolated in the scottish highlands and the letters written by a wife to her husband every year on their anniversary. the different perspectives, as well seeing who these characters have been over the past 10 years, makes them super interesting. i found myself very invested in their lives, their work, and their marriage.
the way the information is presented, and subsequently revealed, is clever. you know something is going on, but just cant quite put your finger on it. adams face blindness adds a really cool element to it, as well. and then when the bigger picture can finally be seen, its a fun sort of shock. it totally got me.
readers and fans of lowkey domestic mystery/thrillers will really enjoy this one.
↠ 4.5 stars
July 6, 2022
Stunning. Crafty. Compelling. Shocking. STELLAR.
When you double the C and triple the S, you’ll always have success-and Alice Feeney has found it yet again!
Adam and Amelia have hit a wall in their relationship. Years of marriage have worn on them both, in differing ways. Adam battles prosopagnosia, a condition that makes it so he cannot recognize faces but this is the least of his problems. His wife Amelia is bitter that his career, turning page-turning novels into film adaptations, is all-consuming and leaves his mind swimming in the fantasy world rather than here in ours. Adam has plenty of frustrations of his own, the tiny tics that niggle at him over time and the fact that he never gets to have his own voice wears on him. Amelia has been documenting all of her frustrations for years on the couple’s anniversary, through carefully pennedindictments letters where she reflects on the gifts given each anniversary year and their significance. And of course, even the BIGGEST decision can easily be made with a quick game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. 😉
The couple think they’ve struck proverbial gold when they win a weekend getaway at a chapel that has been converted into an AirBnB, in the lovely and mysterious Scottish Highlands. Nothing like a change of scenery without the interference of digital distractions, the pesky pressures of work, and a chance to rediscover the love that brought these two together in the first place. As the snow swirls around them, however, it is clear that someone has more up their sleeve than hopes of reconciliation. But after ten long years of marriage, can they truly keep secrets from one another? Was this night a happy and lucky accident…or the culmination of plotting, planning, and simmering hostility, bubbling under the surface that will leave one member of this duo trapped in this remote locale--which just so happens to have a graveyard on the property--for good? And WHO was that mysterious stranger lurking in the window?
Alice Feeney…is there ANYTHING she can’t do?!
After reading Rock Paper Scissors, the answer is a resounding NO!
From my first foray into Alice’s Wonderland (haha) with Sometimes I Lie, I’ve always been enraptured, enchanted, and completely engrossed by her writing. As most talented writers do, however, she has truly outdone herself with Rock Paper Scissors in SO many ways. The first stark contrast between this book and her previous books? ATMOSPHERE. This book absolutely has it in spades. I’ve never doubted her ability to create worlds that pull me from reality, but where her previous novels were so laser-focused on character development and twists and turns, this book spent a great deal of time building the terrifying and isolating locale of the tiny converted chapel. This added a layer to her already multifaceted narrative, as the chapel and its surroundings became a character in and of itself, full of bumps in the night, creaks, and even a CRYPT! She honestly thought of everything, and this alone raised the stakes and pushed this book into spooky October reading territory, a place I don’t feel she’s truly visited before….but what a wonderful time to do it!
Alice is also the queen of the one-liner: she knows how to pepper her narrative with observations about the good and bad in all of us, how we love, what secrets can do to us, and other mini-philosophizing moments that get stuck in my head long after I put her books down. Some of them didn’t quite fit in this novel as well as in previous books and felt like she looked for a place to plug them in, but others left me pondering hours later. She is one of the few thriller writers I’ve ever encountered who raises the bar in this regard, and as an introspective sort of reader, it just clicks for me. She is the sort of writer who really OBSERVES the world around her and encourages you to do the same, even amidst the pulse-pounding action of her narratives, and nobody does it quite like her!
Unlike her first 3 books, this one has a bit of a different bent. The chapters are not quite as leading as previous books, where the end of every chapter was seemingly a mini-cliffhanger of sorts, and the first almost 50% of the novel moves at a bit of a slower pace, bouncing back and forth between the carefully penned letters that provide backstory and the here-and-now of the chapel. This required a great deal of patience on my part, as I was waiting for that patented Feeney twist (or 3). I honestly was starting to get a bit discouraged by the time I had reached 75% or so that this might be the first book of hers where I was left wanting more.
ENTER THE FIRST TWIST…and everything changed.
Every theory I had? Wrong. Everything you think you’ve figured out? Most likely wrong. Every misgiving or hesitation I had pretty much went out the window at this point…and I LOVED every minute of it!
Feeney’s whip-smart, perfect plotting strikes again…and this went from being a decent and interesting novel to easily one of my favorite thrillers of the year…and possibly even my favorite book of Feeney’s. Having to put this book down from this point on, even for 5 minutes, felt like absolute torture. I COULD NOT wait to reach the end, and this book left me with that warm, buzzy and adrenaline-fueled feeling that only your favorite author can give you. I actually had that after-the-movie moment where you feel disoriented walking outside and looking into the sunlight because you have been so lost and gone in reading that you need to once again orient yourself to the outside world. I also felt that day-after-Christmas letdown sadness, because once again I know I’ll need to wait (im)patiently for Alice’s next book.
Word of the year: master (adjective): having or showing very great skill or proficiency.
Or if you’re looking in MY dictionary, there is simply a picture of Alice Feeney.
5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
*This was a wonderful buddy read with my dear friend Melissa which had us tossing back theories left and right! Be sure to check out her fabulous and insightful review!*
This fantastic book is now available in paperback!!
When you double the C and triple the S, you’ll always have success-and Alice Feeney has found it yet again!
Adam and Amelia have hit a wall in their relationship. Years of marriage have worn on them both, in differing ways. Adam battles prosopagnosia, a condition that makes it so he cannot recognize faces but this is the least of his problems. His wife Amelia is bitter that his career, turning page-turning novels into film adaptations, is all-consuming and leaves his mind swimming in the fantasy world rather than here in ours. Adam has plenty of frustrations of his own, the tiny tics that niggle at him over time and the fact that he never gets to have his own voice wears on him. Amelia has been documenting all of her frustrations for years on the couple’s anniversary, through carefully penned
The couple think they’ve struck proverbial gold when they win a weekend getaway at a chapel that has been converted into an AirBnB, in the lovely and mysterious Scottish Highlands. Nothing like a change of scenery without the interference of digital distractions, the pesky pressures of work, and a chance to rediscover the love that brought these two together in the first place. As the snow swirls around them, however, it is clear that someone has more up their sleeve than hopes of reconciliation. But after ten long years of marriage, can they truly keep secrets from one another? Was this night a happy and lucky accident…or the culmination of plotting, planning, and simmering hostility, bubbling under the surface that will leave one member of this duo trapped in this remote locale--which just so happens to have a graveyard on the property--for good? And WHO was that mysterious stranger lurking in the window?
Alice Feeney…is there ANYTHING she can’t do?!
After reading Rock Paper Scissors, the answer is a resounding NO!
From my first foray into Alice’s Wonderland (haha) with Sometimes I Lie, I’ve always been enraptured, enchanted, and completely engrossed by her writing. As most talented writers do, however, she has truly outdone herself with Rock Paper Scissors in SO many ways. The first stark contrast between this book and her previous books? ATMOSPHERE. This book absolutely has it in spades. I’ve never doubted her ability to create worlds that pull me from reality, but where her previous novels were so laser-focused on character development and twists and turns, this book spent a great deal of time building the terrifying and isolating locale of the tiny converted chapel. This added a layer to her already multifaceted narrative, as the chapel and its surroundings became a character in and of itself, full of bumps in the night, creaks, and even a CRYPT! She honestly thought of everything, and this alone raised the stakes and pushed this book into spooky October reading territory, a place I don’t feel she’s truly visited before….but what a wonderful time to do it!
Alice is also the queen of the one-liner: she knows how to pepper her narrative with observations about the good and bad in all of us, how we love, what secrets can do to us, and other mini-philosophizing moments that get stuck in my head long after I put her books down. Some of them didn’t quite fit in this novel as well as in previous books and felt like she looked for a place to plug them in, but others left me pondering hours later. She is one of the few thriller writers I’ve ever encountered who raises the bar in this regard, and as an introspective sort of reader, it just clicks for me. She is the sort of writer who really OBSERVES the world around her and encourages you to do the same, even amidst the pulse-pounding action of her narratives, and nobody does it quite like her!
Unlike her first 3 books, this one has a bit of a different bent. The chapters are not quite as leading as previous books, where the end of every chapter was seemingly a mini-cliffhanger of sorts, and the first almost 50% of the novel moves at a bit of a slower pace, bouncing back and forth between the carefully penned letters that provide backstory and the here-and-now of the chapel. This required a great deal of patience on my part, as I was waiting for that patented Feeney twist (or 3). I honestly was starting to get a bit discouraged by the time I had reached 75% or so that this might be the first book of hers where I was left wanting more.
ENTER THE FIRST TWIST…and everything changed.
Every theory I had? Wrong. Everything you think you’ve figured out? Most likely wrong. Every misgiving or hesitation I had pretty much went out the window at this point…and I LOVED every minute of it!
Feeney’s whip-smart, perfect plotting strikes again…and this went from being a decent and interesting novel to easily one of my favorite thrillers of the year…and possibly even my favorite book of Feeney’s. Having to put this book down from this point on, even for 5 minutes, felt like absolute torture. I COULD NOT wait to reach the end, and this book left me with that warm, buzzy and adrenaline-fueled feeling that only your favorite author can give you. I actually had that after-the-movie moment where you feel disoriented walking outside and looking into the sunlight because you have been so lost and gone in reading that you need to once again orient yourself to the outside world. I also felt that day-after-Christmas letdown sadness, because once again I know I’ll need to wait (im)patiently for Alice’s next book.
Word of the year: master (adjective): having or showing very great skill or proficiency.
Or if you’re looking in MY dictionary, there is simply a picture of Alice Feeney.
5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
*This was a wonderful buddy read with my dear friend Melissa which had us tossing back theories left and right! Be sure to check out her fabulous and insightful review!*
This fantastic book is now available in paperback!!
October 14, 2021
I think I gotta give all the stars for this!
It has everything I look for in a thriller 🪤 Sure it's totally cuckoo and unfeasible but it's Feeney so that was to be expected.
I just love the way she writes!
So mysterious and atmospheric, while always feeding little hints so that each chapter had me even more devoted than the last 🖤🪨🗒✂️
It has everything I look for in a thriller 🪤 Sure it's totally cuckoo and unfeasible but it's Feeney so that was to be expected.
I just love the way she writes!
So mysterious and atmospheric, while always feeding little hints so that each chapter had me even more devoted than the last 🖤🪨🗒✂️
October 1, 2021
I’m writing a fresh review, because the previous one, which I’d written simultaneously while reading this damned book, wouldn’t even barely come close to the anger I now feel after having FINALLY completed the book.
To put in simple words, I’M FUMING. The author seriously was wasted when she wrote this, I think. It was horrible. Poorly executed story, I mean, can it get any more lame? The beginning was a big unnecessary-information dump. Tedious work to read through those.
This is the tale of three psychotic people, who take turns “rock-paper-scissor”ing their lives away. I’m not kidding, who plays a game of rock, papers and scissors and decide if they are gonna stick together or go their separate ways. Twice.
The time they spend together stuck in the chapel. You see, she “almost let him fall” and he didn’t even know how but suddenly they’re on the road by some unanimous decision and they hit a woman in a red kimono, then he’s waking up in the bed and it all turns out to be a dream.
…I don’t know what to say.
And oh, after your husband cheats on you (with an excuse that he thought it was his wife, mind you! Faceblindness or not, he would have known!), you lure them into somewhere, plan to kick his current wife out and move back in to how things were before. Because that’s exactly how revenge turns out.
Meanwhile, Mr. Wright had some very conflicted events going on.
Adam at 5%: I love my wife.
Adam at 32%: any love I had left for her is spent.
Adam at 92%: It was never really love with Amelia.
Yeah, this idiot finally “realises” that he was coerced into the marriage, while it never really felt like “love” to him. They actually got me there, trying to convince me that he didn’t have a brain or will of his own, and was simply a puppet to Amelia’s show. Even when the sick bastard was the one responsible for everything that went down.
Dis-fucking-appointed.
Especially with the last two chapters. Look, I know the author was trying for a climactic and grand AF close to the novel, but that one? That was a sorry excuse for one. And Sam who-the-who’s chapter? Who even asked, I didn’t sign up for that? I didn’t care at all! Why not include Bob’s chapters while they were at it? That was the only thing missing from this shithole.
I thought I knew what I was getting myself into when I saw the reviews, but hell knows I didn’t expect it to be this bad. I feel like I shouldn’t even bother with one star.
I guess I should feel bad for bitching about this book and the way the author wrote it, but I don’t. Feeling irritated by that last sentence? Because who cares? That’s exactly how I felt when Adam spewed shit like that. Hell, I don’t think I’ll ever hate a character like I did Adam.
To put in simple words, I’M FUMING. The author seriously was wasted when she wrote this, I think. It was horrible. Poorly executed story, I mean, can it get any more lame? The beginning was a big unnecessary-information dump. Tedious work to read through those.
This is the tale of three psychotic people, who take turns “rock-paper-scissor”ing their lives away. I’m not kidding, who plays a game of rock, papers and scissors and decide if they are gonna stick together or go their separate ways. Twice.
The time they spend together stuck in the chapel. You see, she “almost let him fall” and he didn’t even know how but suddenly they’re on the road by some unanimous decision and they hit a woman in a red kimono, then he’s waking up in the bed and it all turns out to be a dream.
…I don’t know what to say.
And oh, after your husband cheats on you (with an excuse that he thought it was his wife, mind you! Faceblindness or not, he would have known!), you lure them into somewhere, plan to kick his current wife out and move back in to how things were before. Because that’s exactly how revenge turns out.
Meanwhile, Mr. Wright had some very conflicted events going on.
Adam at 5%: I love my wife.
Adam at 32%: any love I had left for her is spent.
Adam at 92%: It was never really love with Amelia.
Yeah, this idiot finally “realises” that he was coerced into the marriage, while it never really felt like “love” to him. They actually got me there, trying to convince me that he didn’t have a brain or will of his own, and was simply a puppet to Amelia’s show. Even when the sick bastard was the one responsible for everything that went down.
Dis-fucking-appointed.
Especially with the last two chapters. Look, I know the author was trying for a climactic and grand AF close to the novel, but that one? That was a sorry excuse for one. And Sam who-the-who’s chapter? Who even asked, I didn’t sign up for that? I didn’t care at all! Why not include Bob’s chapters while they were at it? That was the only thing missing from this shithole.
I thought I knew what I was getting myself into when I saw the reviews, but hell knows I didn’t expect it to be this bad. I feel like I shouldn’t even bother with one star.
I guess I should feel bad for bitching about this book and the way the author wrote it, but I don’t. Feeling irritated by that last sentence? Because who cares? That’s exactly how I felt when Adam spewed shit like that. Hell, I don’t think I’ll ever hate a character like I did Adam.
October 6, 2021
I have this very vivid image of Alice Feeney attending a writing workshop with peers like Paula Hawkins, Shari Lapena, and Lisa Jewell. They line up for the latest exercise, which is to pull thought-starting prompts from a bag at random. Whatever they choose must be the basis of their next thriller. Alice reaches in, pulls out a slip of paper, reads the single word “prosopagnosia,” and smiles wickedly knowing she’s drawn a surefire winner.
Prosopagnosia, better known as face blindness, was in fact the spark that inspired the entire story of her latest (and greatest), Rock Paper Scissors. What makes for a more unreliable narrator than a man who cannot recognize faces, even the one of his wife?
So here we’ve got Adam Wright, a cranky ass-bite of a face blind husband who’s agreed to go along with his wife on a weekend retreat at a converted chapel in remote Scotland (during a snowstorm, natch), to try to save their marriage. It’s pretty spooky up there, and you start to wonder if Feeney has dipped her toe into supernatural waters. Things are going bump in the night, and it’s not Mr. and Mrs. Wright if you know what I’m sayin.
Does the plot really matter to you though? If you’re still with me, you just want to know if there are any twists, and if they’re good ones, right? Well yes indeedy my friends, there are twists aplenty. Good ones, too.
Rock Paper Scissors is an atmospheric, quick read that’ll keep you guessing until the end. Then you’ll forget pretty much everything about it as you move on to your next thriller, but that’s okay. I have a feeling that thought-starter grab bag has infinite ideas for Feeney and her psychological suspense-spewing cohort.
Blog: https://www.confettibookshelf.com/
Prosopagnosia, better known as face blindness, was in fact the spark that inspired the entire story of her latest (and greatest), Rock Paper Scissors. What makes for a more unreliable narrator than a man who cannot recognize faces, even the one of his wife?
So here we’ve got Adam Wright, a cranky ass-bite of a face blind husband who’s agreed to go along with his wife on a weekend retreat at a converted chapel in remote Scotland (during a snowstorm, natch), to try to save their marriage. It’s pretty spooky up there, and you start to wonder if Feeney has dipped her toe into supernatural waters. Things are going bump in the night, and it’s not Mr. and Mrs. Wright if you know what I’m sayin.
Does the plot really matter to you though? If you’re still with me, you just want to know if there are any twists, and if they’re good ones, right? Well yes indeedy my friends, there are twists aplenty. Good ones, too.
Rock Paper Scissors is an atmospheric, quick read that’ll keep you guessing until the end. Then you’ll forget pretty much everything about it as you move on to your next thriller, but that’s okay. I have a feeling that thought-starter grab bag has infinite ideas for Feeney and her psychological suspense-spewing cohort.
Blog: https://www.confettibookshelf.com/
September 25, 2021
Be sure to visit Bantering Books to read all my latest reviews.
Well played, Ms. Feeney. Well played.
Not once, but twice, Alice Feeney has outsmarted me. The first time being earlier this year when I read her twisty novel, His & Hers. Now she’s gone and done it for the second time with Rock Paper Scissors, her latest husband-and-wife thriller tale set in an eerie, snow-buried Scottish chapel.
There was a time, not very long ago, when I thought myself clever. Oh, how I miss those cocksure days.
In all seriousness, I love being outsmarted by Feeney. It’s great fun. Trickery is her game, and I have such admiration for her deviously creative mind.
I was convinced I had Rock Paper Scissors figured out, just as I believed I did His & Hers. Halfway through, I’d concocted this crazy, far-fetched theory for the end reveal, and I was so wrong. Embarrassingly wrong, I should say, especially since I’d opened my big mouth and boasted of my brilliance to my Goodreads buddy-reading pal, Catherine Woodward.
Crow is delicious. Eating it is an enlightening experience.
And the humiliation of it is a small price to pay for the thriller excellence that is Rock Paper Scissors. It’s addictive. Suspenseful. A real page-turner.
I look forward to your next challenge, Ms. Feeney. Game on.
(Hey, Catherine . . . my ending would’ve totally worked, right?)
This was a fun buddy read with my dear friend, Catherine Woodward. You should check out her rave review here on Goodreads, too.
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Well played, Ms. Feeney. Well played.
Not once, but twice, Alice Feeney has outsmarted me. The first time being earlier this year when I read her twisty novel, His & Hers. Now she’s gone and done it for the second time with Rock Paper Scissors, her latest husband-and-wife thriller tale set in an eerie, snow-buried Scottish chapel.
There was a time, not very long ago, when I thought myself clever. Oh, how I miss those cocksure days.
In all seriousness, I love being outsmarted by Feeney. It’s great fun. Trickery is her game, and I have such admiration for her deviously creative mind.
I was convinced I had Rock Paper Scissors figured out, just as I believed I did His & Hers. Halfway through, I’d concocted this crazy, far-fetched theory for the end reveal, and I was so wrong. Embarrassingly wrong, I should say, especially since I’d opened my big mouth and boasted of my brilliance to my Goodreads buddy-reading pal, Catherine Woodward.
Crow is delicious. Eating it is an enlightening experience.
And the humiliation of it is a small price to pay for the thriller excellence that is Rock Paper Scissors. It’s addictive. Suspenseful. A real page-turner.
I look forward to your next challenge, Ms. Feeney. Game on.
(Hey, Catherine . . . my ending would’ve totally worked, right?)
This was a fun buddy read with my dear friend, Catherine Woodward. You should check out her rave review here on Goodreads, too.
Bantering Books
June 9, 2022
We’ve tried date nights, and marriage counseling, but spending more time together isn’t always the same as spending less time apart. You can’t get this close to a cliff edge without seeing the rocks at the bottom, and even if my husband doesn’t know the full story, he knows that this weekend is a last attempt to mend what got broken.Nothing like having a positive attitude when you’re trying to salvage a troubled marriage.
What he doesn’t know, is that if things don’t go according to plan, only one of us will be going home.
Alice Feeney - image from BBC
I reached a significant benchmark in my marriage while reading this book, a twentieth (china) wedding anniversary. It was the second time, for me. (I am nothing if not tenacious.) So, I appreciate the marital issues that arise in this wonderful thriller. (Sorry, no thriller material in either of my marriages, well, none that I will admit to in court. And no, my wife and I have no weekends planned for some remote snowy locale.) Adam and Amelia are trying to save theirs. (marriage, not thriller). A winter weekend away to a remote part of Scotland. Do or die. He is a successful screenwriter. She works at the Battersea Dogs Home. (Does that make Adam a rescue?)
We’re both pretty good at keeping up appearances and I find people see what they want to see. But behind closed doors, things have been wrong with Mr. and Mrs. Wright for a long time.All right, this is getting way too close for comfort. (see first marriage noted above) The mutual discomfort in their marriage is clear, to the reader, anyway, but there are mitigating circumstances.
Adam has a neurological glitch called prosopagnosia, which means he cannot see distinguishing features on faces, including his own.Face blindness makes it tough to deal in a very social world, if one cannot differentiate friend from foe, or lover from casual acquaintance. But, as is the case for many people with unusual qualities, he has learned to compensate. The sound of a voice, a personal scent, individual physical movements. Enough so that he found someone willing, eager even, to marry him.
Adam’s great personal screenplay is Rock Paper Scissors. It won him early acclaim (at 21) but never got made, despite repeated attempts. Now, he adapts novels by other writers, and is good at it, makes a nice living. The Rock Paper Scissors motif repeats from time to time. The notion of the story is incorporated into the structure of the novel. The game is played, sometimes with very serious stakes.
Blackwater Chapel is remote, in the Scottish Highlands (zero bars), quite beautiful landscape thereabouts, on Blackwater Loch. It is indeed a renovated place of worship. The power is not the most reliable, particularly in dire weather. Amelia had won the weekend away in a contest at work. It may not be the best of all possible times for such a visit, an eight-hour drive from London, Amelia doing ALL the driving in her Morris Minor. A tin-can antique on four wheels, is what Adam calls it. While they are there, a huge winter storm seals them in. Travel would be far too risky in the old car. They are quite effectively isolated.
Isolated, yes, but, well, maybe not entirely alone. A supposed housekeeper leaves a few notes for them. Maybe she is the person living in the only other structure within miles, a thatched cottage. There is a flock of local sheep to offer some light scares and barriers. And, of course there is Bob, their giant black lab. (Asked in an interview which of her characters she would choose if she was about to be stranded on a deserted island, Feeney did not hesitate. Bob, she said. Maybe that is because Bob, the author’s creation, so much resembles her real-life black lab, down to their mutual fear of feathers.) But is that it? There have been rumors of odd doings at the chapel, with unseen things calling the name of the more corporeal sorts who show up on the premises. And doors have an odd way of becoming locked or unlocked. There is plenty more of this sort. Mysterious sounds. Evocative scratches on walls. It is definitely a spooky joint. Enjoy!
Feeney offers us plenty of atmospherics.
Adam was right, there are no ghosts or gargoyles, but the place definitely feels spooky. Everything is made of ancient-looking stone—the walls, the ceiling, the floor—and it’s so cold down here that I can see my breath. I count three rusted metal rings embedded in the wall, and do my best not to think about what they were used for.A basement crypt, reached via trapdoor, has been converted to a wine cellar. Is vino the only spirit down there?
The light from the old-fashioned candlestick holder he is carrying casts ghostly shadows around the bedroom, so that now I feel like I’m in a Charles Dickens novel.Much of the inspiration for the book derived from a visit Feeney made in 2018, to a creepy renovated chapel in Scotland, a visit that featured a “Beast from the East” snowstorm, and a mysterious face in a window. Some other personal items made it into the book. Feeney does her writing in a garden shed, a characteristic she bestowed on Adam. There was a discomfiting wardrobe in Feeney’s real-world chapel. She imagined secret stairs from there, which became the basement wine-cellar/crypt, accessible only via a trap door.
The book is told from alternating POVs, Adam’s and Amelia’s. It is from these that we know their marriage is in trouble. But wait, there’s more! A third character (fourth if you count Bob) is introduced about a quarter the way in, Robin, residing near the chapel. She is up to something. It seems that there is certainly madness there, but is there a method to match? Finally, there are wifely letters written on the annual wedding anniversary, but never given to Adam. These let us follow the history of his marriage through his wife’s eyes. They are introduced by a “word of the year” that sets the tone for the chapters to come. They also note the category of gift that is considered traditional for each year. (A partial list is in EXTRA STUFF) In each of these entries the gift, at least the sort of gift, is significant in the ensuing narrative.
There is a layer-by-layer unveiling of secrets, from both of them, which gives us a better look at who they truly are. (More of a He-Lied-She-Lied than the more traditional His-v-Hers perspectives.) Well, from all three, if we add Robin. Lots of excellent, very hairpin turn stuff. (Keep both hands on the wheel at all times) Maybe not as dangerous as riding the Do-Dodonpa, but wearing a neck-brace might not be a bad idea while reading towards the end. You may hear yourself utter more than a few “wait, what?s” There are some twists at the finale that seem inter-dimensional in their impact.
So, who is out to get whom? Is anyone, really? Are they both there to salvage their marriage or torpedo it? And what is making all the strangeness at the chapel happen? Is it really haunted? Will they both make it out alive? Will anyone? Will Adam’s screenplay ever get produced?
I do not really have any gripes with the book. It maybe asks us to suspend a bit too much disbelief, no biggie. But I take serious issue with the marketing, which I believe to be dishonest. I will not say what it is about this that is not true, or is unfairly misleading, but after you read the book, I urge you to take a close look at this. You will see for yourself. Having an unreliable narrator is one thing, but this seems a step too far to me. The ff is from Macmillan’s page for the book.
Things have been wrong with Mr and Mrs Wright for a long time. When Adam and Amelia win a weekend away to Scotland, it might be just what their marriage needs. Self-confessed workaholic and screenwriter Adam Wright has lived with face blindness his whole life. He can’t recognize friends or family, or even his own wife.Rock Paper Scissors is a delight of a read. Feeney does an excellent job of inserting hooks at chapter ends to make sure it is a challenge for you to either get up and do things that need doing, or turn off the light and go to sleep.
Every anniversary the couple exchange traditional gifts--paper, cotton, pottery, tin--and each year Adam’s wife writes him a letter that she never lets him read. Until now. They both know this weekend will make or break their marriage, but they didn’t randomly win this trip. One of them is lying, and someone doesn’t want them to live happily ever after.
Ten years of marriage. Ten years of secrets. And an anniversary they will never forget.
It seems like it would be a good idea to dress warmly when you read this. The cold of the Feeney’s fictional world might give you a chill. A hot toddy might be an appropriate accompanying refreshment, or maybe some Scotch whiskey. And make sure that neck brace is firmly in place when you are entering your final chunk of reading time. You will need it.
The first match I strike goes out almost instantly—it’s an old box.
I use the second to try and get my bearings, but I still can’t see the steps, and I’m struggling to get enough air into my lungs.
The third match I strike briefly illuminates part of the wall, and I notice all the scratch marks on the surface. It looks like someone, or something, once tried to claw their way out of here.
I try to stay calm, remember to breathe, but then the flame burns the tips of my fingers and I drop the final match on the floor.
Everything is black.
And then I hear it again. My name being whispered. Right behind me.
Amelia. Amelia. Amelia.
My breaths are too shallow, but I can’t control them and I think I’m going to faint. No matter what direction I look in, all I can see is darkness. Then I hear the sound of scratching.
Review posted – September 3, 2021
Publication dates
----------Hardcover - September 7, 2021
----------Trade paperback - June 7, 2022
I received a free ARC of Rock Paper Scissors from Macmillan in an exchange for an honest review, and the keys to my country retreat for a few days.
This review has been cross-posted on my website, Coot’s Reviews. Stop in and say Hi!
=============================EXTRA STUFF
Links to the author’s personal, FB, Instagram, and Twitter pages
Feeney was a journalist with the BBC for fifteen years, where she worked as a reporter, news editor, arts and entertainment producer, stealing time where she could to get in some original writing. Rock Paper Scissors is her fourth novel. She has been wildly successful.
As per Variety, the producer of The Crown will be transforming Rock Paper Scissors into a Netflix mini-series.
Interviews
-----Washington Independent - Author Q&A - An Interview with Alice Feeney by Adriana Delgado – from 2018 – on her planning and unreliable narrators
-----Bookbrowse - An interview with Alice Feeney by Elyse Dinh-McCrillis – from 2017 – short but has some nice backgr0und and personal elements
I work in my garden shed now with my cowriter, a giant black Labrador who is scared of feathers.-----Mystery and Thriller Mavens – 8/30/2021 - Bestselling Author Alice Feeney Hosted by Sara DiVello – Video – 41:06
Unrelated aside
A scene in an old tower made me think of Hitchcock’s Vertigo
Anniversary Gifts - list from Hallmark
• 1st Anniversary: Paper
• 2nd Anniversary: Cotton
• 3rd Anniversary: Leather
• 4th Anniversary: Fruit or Flowers
• 5th Anniversary: Wood
• 6th Anniversary: Candy or Iron
• 7th Anniversary: Wool or Copper
• 8th Anniversary: Pottery or Bronze
• 9th Anniversary: Willow or Pottery
• 10th Anniversary: Tin or Aluminum
• 11th Anniversary: Steel
• 12th Anniversary: Silk or Linen
• 13th Anniversary: Lace
• 14th Anniversary: Gold Jewelry
• 15th Anniversary: Crystal
• 16th Anniversary: Coffee or Tea
• 17th Anniversary: Wine or Spirits
• 18th Anniversary: Appliances
• 19th Anniversary: Jade
• 20th Anniversary: China
October 25, 2021
Fast paced thriller with an excellent twist. And just so readers know in advance: Bob the dog comes out fine in the end.
After a string of thrillers that were just okay, I was excited to dive into Alice Feeney's latest. Her previous book, His & Hers, was one of my favorites from last year. I'm happy to say that the "meh" streak has been broken and Feeney has delivered a clever, gripping novel.
It's best to go into this book without knowing too much about it--just know that married couple Adam and Amelia Wright travel to remote Scotland because Amelia has won a trip in a raffle. Adam suffers from prosopagnosia, or face blindness. He's a screenwriter who adapts the work of others and longs to write something of his own. Once they arrive in Scotland, mysterious things begin to happen and secrets that both are hiding threaten to come to the surface.
Like I mentioned, this book has a few great twists. I didn't really like any of the characters, but overall this didn't actually matter. I loved how the book was laid out and how the various secrets were revealed--the characters to each other and then to the reader. Rock, Paper, Scissors comes into play in more ways than one in this creepy, atmospheric, and surprising tale. I learned a great deal about face blindness and did some research into this intriguing phenomenon. The way it is used in this book is clever and does add to the suspense. If you're looking for a good psychological thriller, Rock Paper Scissors is an excellent choice.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
September 7, 2021
Mr. Wright is a self confessed workaholic and screenwriter, who has lived with face blindness his entire life. Success has been elusive despite the fact that he sold the rights to his first screenplay, Rock, Paper, Scissors at age 21-sadly it never made it out of the development stages.
Disappointment can take a toll on any marriage.
Mrs. Wright has been his biggest supporter. It’s clear from the letters she writes on each of their anniversaries (an idea she got from his screenplay) that they began their marriage very much in love. Each would try to outdo the other, by finding the most creative ways to exchange the traditional anniversary gifts-paper, cotton-pottery-tin etc.
When disagreements arose, or big decisions needed to made, they would play the childhood game of Rock, Paper, Scissors to decide the outcome-always knowing who would win.
So, what went wrong with Mr. and Mrs. Wright?
Now, Adam, Amelia and their Labrador Bob, are on their way to Scotland, for a weekend away to SAVE their marriage, despite a blinding snowstorm.
Each knows it could be their LAST as a couple.
Conveniently, Amelia won the trip through a raffle at her place of employment, the BatterSea animal rescue.
But, they didn’t randomly win this getaway…
WHO lured WHO, to the secluded, converted Blackwater Chapel, and WHY?
I love this author’s prose…passages like “words don���t come with receipts-you cannot take them back” really resonate with me.
I couldn’t figure out if either Adam or Amelia were reliable and the very atmospheric Chapel with its SUPERNATURAL history, was seeping in atmosphere-CREAKY STEPS, LOCKED DOORS, NARROW STAIRCASES, COBWEBS, and WHISPERS which taunt you by saying your name THREE times…
The first TWIST was a good one-though I questioned if a certain character could so dramatically transform themself, more than once.
The final REVEAL, shown through the eyes of a minor character, was also a nice touch, which I enjoyed.
WHO has learned to play ROCK PAPER SCISSORS best?
There are some tense moments with Bob, but he isn’t harmed. However not ALL of the pets mentioned in this book were as LUCKY.
Overall-a CAPTIVATING read, making me already wonder how long I will have to wait for another book from this talented author!
NOW AVAILABLE!!
I received a free ARC of Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney from Macmillan in exchange for an honest review …
Disappointment can take a toll on any marriage.
Mrs. Wright has been his biggest supporter. It’s clear from the letters she writes on each of their anniversaries (an idea she got from his screenplay) that they began their marriage very much in love. Each would try to outdo the other, by finding the most creative ways to exchange the traditional anniversary gifts-paper, cotton-pottery-tin etc.
When disagreements arose, or big decisions needed to made, they would play the childhood game of Rock, Paper, Scissors to decide the outcome-always knowing who would win.
So, what went wrong with Mr. and Mrs. Wright?
Now, Adam, Amelia and their Labrador Bob, are on their way to Scotland, for a weekend away to SAVE their marriage, despite a blinding snowstorm.
Each knows it could be their LAST as a couple.
Conveniently, Amelia won the trip through a raffle at her place of employment, the BatterSea animal rescue.
But, they didn’t randomly win this getaway…
WHO lured WHO, to the secluded, converted Blackwater Chapel, and WHY?
I love this author’s prose…passages like “words don���t come with receipts-you cannot take them back” really resonate with me.
I couldn’t figure out if either Adam or Amelia were reliable and the very atmospheric Chapel with its SUPERNATURAL history, was seeping in atmosphere-CREAKY STEPS, LOCKED DOORS, NARROW STAIRCASES, COBWEBS, and WHISPERS which taunt you by saying your name THREE times…
The first TWIST was a good one-though I questioned if a certain character could so dramatically transform themself, more than once.
The final REVEAL, shown through the eyes of a minor character, was also a nice touch, which I enjoyed.
WHO has learned to play ROCK PAPER SCISSORS best?
There are some tense moments with Bob, but he isn’t harmed. However not ALL of the pets mentioned in this book were as LUCKY.
Overall-a CAPTIVATING read, making me already wonder how long I will have to wait for another book from this talented author!
NOW AVAILABLE!!
I received a free ARC of Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney from Macmillan in exchange for an honest review …
December 6, 2021
4+ stars! Compulsively readable!
A quick, addictive and super twisty treat!
Amelia wins a weekend getaway for her and her husband at an isolated remodeled chapel in the Scottish countryside. Their marriage is troubled and they hope this time away together will help repair what is broken. Soon after arrival, mysterious and peculiar things begin to happen.
This was such a fun and entertaining book! The perfect mindless escape read to simply sit back and get lost within. The short chapters were easy to fly through. There was a strong sense of foreboding tension that slowly built as the story progressed. I loved the palpable wintery atmosphere - the snowy isolated countryside had me reaching for a blanket every time I picked this up.
There are implausible elements to this storyline which is usually a turn off for me, but the writing was so smooth, consuming and addictive that I was hooked - I couldn’t put this down! I was fully invested from start to the shocking finish!
The characters were not likeable, yet I was rooting for them to figure out what was happening. Bob, the dog, was my favourite - I loved what he added to the storyline. That twisty ending still has me in shock! Twist after twist after twist - loved it!
This had a One By One by Ruth Ware vibe to it but with a much smaller cast of characters. I enjoyed the locked room mystery feel.
Overall, this was a quick, entertaining, suspenseful and twisty domestic thriller that kept me on my toes and had me flipping the pages as fast as possible. I highly recommend!
A quick, addictive and super twisty treat!
Amelia wins a weekend getaway for her and her husband at an isolated remodeled chapel in the Scottish countryside. Their marriage is troubled and they hope this time away together will help repair what is broken. Soon after arrival, mysterious and peculiar things begin to happen.
This was such a fun and entertaining book! The perfect mindless escape read to simply sit back and get lost within. The short chapters were easy to fly through. There was a strong sense of foreboding tension that slowly built as the story progressed. I loved the palpable wintery atmosphere - the snowy isolated countryside had me reaching for a blanket every time I picked this up.
There are implausible elements to this storyline which is usually a turn off for me, but the writing was so smooth, consuming and addictive that I was hooked - I couldn’t put this down! I was fully invested from start to the shocking finish!
The characters were not likeable, yet I was rooting for them to figure out what was happening. Bob, the dog, was my favourite - I loved what he added to the storyline. That twisty ending still has me in shock! Twist after twist after twist - loved it!
This had a One By One by Ruth Ware vibe to it but with a much smaller cast of characters. I enjoyed the locked room mystery feel.
Overall, this was a quick, entertaining, suspenseful and twisty domestic thriller that kept me on my toes and had me flipping the pages as fast as possible. I highly recommend!
September 21, 2021
5 stars — If you have read my previous reviews, you know I don’t hand out many 5 star reviews. There is an exception to that rule and that is when I read any book by my absolute favorite author, Alice Feeney. Again and again Feeney writes her thrillers with more twists and turns than anyone out there. Now “Rock Paper Scissors” is not quite as good as my favorite book in the last 5 years or so, “His and Hers”but it is still a wonderfully unpredictable book. There are not many writers who can pull the rug out from under you over and over again and still make her books realistic and entertaining but Feeney does it consistently . “Rock” is no exception as everything you think you know about the two main characters, Adam and Amelia Wright, is ripped to shreds 3/4 of the way through the novel. When you realize what the author has done only one word comes to mind: brilliant. When the Wrights go to an isolated church converted into a guest cottage to celebrate their anniversary in a middle of a snowstorm things immediately begin to get creepy. How this book plays out fooled me many times all of the way to the end. I also believe the fact that I have read all of Feeney’s previous works and know it is nothing for her to kill off a main character at any time. This had me on the edge of my seat the entire time I read this book. Do yourself a favor and read this one and all of Feeney’s previous works, she truly is the queen of the thriller genre.
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