While Rock Paper Scissors starts as a tense and atmospheric domestic thriller that grabbed my attention and kept me entertained, it quickly fell off the rails as more and more far-fetched twists and turns were piled on. The whole thing just didn’t add up for me; I couldn’t suspend my disbelief enough to buy into several of the twists and plot devices in the story.

I am sure we all have an author or two that no matter what they write, we will grab it up and simply devour it! For me, Alice Feeney is one of those authors.

The premise of 'Rock Paper Scissors ' had my attention immediately. I was also drawn to the cover, super simple but also beautiful while hinting at isolation. I knew I was in for quite the treat with this one!

"Think you know who you married? Think again..."

Good lord, if we can't trust our spouses, then can we trust anyone? Things between the Wrights have been anything but right for quite some time now. A marriage of ten years built on secrets. The couple "wins" a weekend away in Scotland for their anniversary. They go knowing this trip will either make or break their marriage, but the stakes are so much higher than that!

As usual, Feeney gives us twists galore, a great plot, and some interesting characters. If you are looking for a book worthy of your next weekend away, then look no further. This is the perfect escape read!! It will have you on edge and questioning everyone. Grab a copy today. I promise you won't regret it!

As always thanks to the publisher and netgalley for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review

I do enjoy Alice Feeney's books and this one was not exception! I felt that this thriller was well plotted and there were twists and turns I didn't see coming. I felt that the author was continually keeping me off kilter so that when I thought I knew what was going to happen another twist and I'm not sure. To me, that's the sign of a great thriller writer when you just don't know how something will turn out.
The ending wrapped up a little easily for me, but still it was a solid enjoyable read.

Alice Feeney is one of those authors I either love her books or they don't work for me at all. Unfortunately, Rock Paper Scissors was on the later end this time.

Thank you to Flatiron for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Alice Feeney is one of my favorite thriller authors and she delivers another great one with Rock Paper Scissors. While it gets a bit confusing along the way, the ending ties up any loose ends with some surprising twists!

My book club picked this book and I only finished because I wanted to discuss the entire book.

Amelia and Adam are married, but not quite happily. They decide to take a mini vacation as Amelia won a stay in a chapel in Scotland. Only when they get to this chapel, it's abandoned and creepy. Like, get back in your car and find a Days Inn creepy.

But for the sake of a story, the pair stays in the haunted chapel with no power and no heat. Because that makes sense. Both are clearly hiding something from each other, but it's also hidden from the reader so you have to keep going to find out the twists.

One is fairly predictable but the others are just eh. Perhaps it was because I was so unimpressed with the characters and the story. I've read much better thrillers.

3.5 rounding up. This is a slow burn thriller. Though not always my preference, Alice Feeney did not disappoint. Her writing gets you intrigued in all the small plot points that the twist catches you off guard. Overall, a good read

A British couple hopes a weekend away gets their fractured marriage back on track in Alice Feeney’s latest domestic thriller, ROCK PAPER SCISSORS.

Adam and Amelia Wright’s marriage isn’t what it used to be. Adam is a workaholic screenwriter obsessed with adapting crime novels from his favorite author, Henry Winter. He’s slowly pulled away from his wife, who he can’t recognize due to his face blindness (Prosopagnosia). Meanwhile, Amelia longs for connection with her husband, who easily sacrifices their relationship to get ahead in his craft.

When Amelia wins a weekend away in the Scottish Highlands, it’s the perfect opportunity to set things right—be it rekindling their lost magic or ending things once and for all. Immediately, however, luck is not on their side as they trudge through a snowstorm with their dog, Bob. Their destination—a converted chapel—is freezing with faulty electricity. Amelia swears she sees someone spying. Then she’s sure she hears someone at night. Then their dog Bob goes missing.

The novel alternates between his & her chapters, as well as annual letters written to Adam on their anniversary. As with Feeney’s other novels, the pacing gradually builds as she draws you in with her unpredictable characters. Suspicion marinates as tension ratchets between the couple, who hide many a secret from each other.

Feeney creates a sinister, cinematic atmosphere, threading through clues you only see in hindsight. True to her name — queen of the twist — she strikes again with a gasp-inducing shocker, delivering a fantastic gothic thriller.

Clever, tightly plotted and brimming with deliciously dark secrets, this is one you shouldn’t miss.

So intriguing and twisty. I love when I don't see them coming! It kept me guessing and It's still with me today.

Blog: The Life & Times of a Book Addict.

Hoping this weekend can help restore what is wrong/missing in their marriage, Amelia and Adam spend a cozy weekend at a remote cabin. It turns out to be not so cozy when a snowstorm traps them in, and suspicious things begin happening at every turn. Just from this part alone, I was excited to read this. The further I read, the more intrigued I was.

Adam, Amelia, and their mysterious neighbor at their weekend getaway all seem to have something to hide, as well as their own interesting backstory. The book is told through anniversary letters from the past as well as their individual POV’s in the present. Though none of them were very likable, I still enjoyed discovering more about each character. I also enjoyed getting different perspectives in the story. It made things more interesting and fun. The twist in the story was a little surprising, but I wasn’t too impressed with the ending. I thought it was just okay.

However, Rock Paper Scissors was an atmospheric and entertaining story to read. The marriage drama is plenty, everyone is an unreliable narrator, and nothing is as it seems. Although not my favorite of Alice Feeney’s, this was a good story and well written. She knows how to create characters and plots to pull the reader in and have them guessing and second guessing all the way to the end.



**Though I received this book on behalf of the Publisher, the thoughts and opinions expressed are solely my own.**


RATING: 3 OUT OF 5.

Started this one and it just wasn't for me - interesting premise but I wasn't super invested or caring about the characters.. Thanks for the opportunity to review.

Alice Feeney does it again! She has the reader on edge, wondering what is the truth. Cleverly written with interspersed narrators of Amelia, Robin and Adam—the reader is thinking that the plot goes in one direction and then it twists and twists again. All fastened together with that childhood game of Rock, Paper, Scissors; anniversary gifts and letters; horror stories; and Bob the dog. I was captured and have sought out her other books and eagerly await her coming book Daisy Darker! You may look at your spouse a little closer to see if there are hidden secrets after reading this stellar novel. Delicious and delightful.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher, Flatiron Books, for an advanced copy of this book.

I missed download date but I bought a copy and I wasn't sure if this was going to work for me despite the mainly positive rave reviews. And tho at times it was slow and not in a good way, I really loved the setting. The multiple povs we're good and didn't all blend work the same voice and tone. And I'm a big fan of unreliable narrators.

Thrillers are not my usual genre -- I find many of them to be hit-or-miss or a bit contrived, especially with the use of the "unreliable female protagonist" plot device that so many thrillers have been incorporating. So enter ROCK PAPER SCISSORS -an interesting new thriller with multiple layers.

I like diving into books blind, so I did not read the synopsis before going in. I love how the story unfolded. I also enjoyed how the author use letters to add a layer of mystery into the story. From the get-go, we are introduced to the main couple who have many secrets to hide from each other, Add to that is a wintry, desolate atmosphere which creates even more tension. Sh*t goes down as the couple breaks down...

The first Alice Feeney novel I read was "Mr. and Mrs." which was to me, a misleading title. I think that title would've fit perfectly for this novel in more ways than one.

This book is a study on relationships. Spousal relationships and relationships with our family members and how this shapes and influences us with our actions. The characters definitely have faults and will infuriate you. Overall, I like how the author put this together. The concepts are not new but the layering and presentation of the story is entertaining.

I read this book via audio and I recommend the amazing audiobook production with Richard Armitage.

Thank you, NetGalley for the E-ARC!

I wish I had saved this book for when it was cold out (but alas, I read it at the end of summer!) because this would the *the* perfect book to snuggle up with and binge in the winter. The book is so atmospheric and I loved the setting. This book was fast paced and had an excellent twist that I certainly didn't see coming. I love a good unreliable narrator and this book definitely delivered! This book was so gripping and I was constantly trying to figure out how all the pieces fit together as the author was striving me along! I was always questioning if it was Adam or Amelia who set everything into motion and I feel like I changed my mind with every chapter!! I loved how the book slowly revealed secrets to the characters and then to the reader - it felt really unique. Already looking forward to her next book!

A deliciously twisty thriller! If you like spooky settings and marriage drama, this one is for you! Set in a remote house in Scotland, Rock Paper Scissors follows a couple in crisis after ten years of marriage. It alternates perspectives between the couple, their only neighbor in remote Scotland, and flashbacks in the form of letters written from Amelia to Adam on their anniversary, but never sent. The book is solid throughout, but the ending was particularly perfect in my opinion.

Thank you to Flatiron Books and Netgalley for the review copy! All opinions are my own.

Adam and Amelia Wright have been having problems for a while. Adam is a busy screenwriter who has face-blindness. Amelia is lonely and misses the husband she married. When Amelia wins a free weekend getaway in Scotland, she thinks it could be a chance for them to reset their marriage. Adam is annoyed, as he needs to work, but he goes, knowing that their marriage may not survive this weekend. The converted chapel where they are staying is isolated and empty when they arrive. At first, it is a relief, but then weird things start to happen almost immediately. The Wrights think that they made a horrible mistake in traveling to such a desolate place. Will they be able to make it back to London? Will they or their marriage survive this weekend?

Alice Feeney - oh my goodness. Rock Paper Scissors is a fast-paced thriller with totally unreliable narrators. There is a bit of a jumpy timeline as Mrs. Wright tells us about each of their wedding anniversaries. It is easy to see where the cracks in their marriage were happening. Neither were perfect and communication did not seem to be their strong suit. In fact, with so many of these domestic thrillers, all would be better if they just talked to each other. When Robin was introduced, I couldn't put it together. I even thought she may be a ghost. I was wrong. CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS


Bottom Line - It is clear to me that Alice Feeney is one of the best in the business. Rock Paper Scissors is so smartly written that it left me speechless.


Details:
Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney
On Instagram
Pages: 304
Publication Date: 9/7/2021
Buy it Here!
Thank you to NetGalley for the book in exchange for an honest review.

This book kept me guessing until the end. She has a way of pulling you in and not knowing where it’s going. I loved every second of it.

Heralded as the “queen of the killer twist,” Alice Feeney reigns supreme with ROCK PAPER SCISSORS, a twisted, shocking thriller about what’s wrong with the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Wright, and a pointed reminder that a haunted marriage is just as terrifying as a haunted house.

Amelia and Adam Wright have celebrated several anniversaries together, always adhering to the traditional gifts as decided by Emily Post back in 1922. But lately their marriage has grown stale. Adam, who is diagnosed with prosopagnosia (also known as face blindness) has never been able to recognize his wife’s face, but it wasn’t until recently that she really felt unseen and ignored by him. A workaholic screenwriter, he catapulted to fame when he adapted a book by his favorite author, Henry Winter, a notorious recluse. But in recent years, Adam has struggled to find the same acclaim, and with his own screenplay, Rock Paper Scissors, collecting dust in his desk, he has grown cranky and short-tempered. Desperate to save their marriage, Amelia enrolls them in couples’ therapy and whisks Adam away to Scotland when she wins a vacation package at an office holiday party.

After a tumultuous eight-hour drive through a harsh storm, Amelia, Adam and their dog, Bob, arrive at Blackwater, a converted chapel tucked away in a wintery village. But the idyllic retreat they had in mind quickly falls away when they discover a few things: Blackwater is abandoned and decidedly creepy, the chapel doors are locked, making their welcoming quite cold and surprising, and they start to feel certain that one of them will not be coming home from this trip. After completing a walk around the building to look for an open door, Amelia and Adam return to find the chapel doors wide open. They agree to blame it on the wind, but already Feeney is setting the stage for something sinister.

Despite their surname, it is immediately apparent that something is very wrong in the Wrights’ marriage. Adam is mean and impatient with Amelia, who is caught in more than a few lies. But as the chapel gets creepier and creepier, complete with white faces in the windows, whispered names in the cellar and smiley faces traced into dusty surfaces, Adam and Amelia realize that they’re up against far more than their failed marriage. When Bob goes missing in the middle of the night and they recognize how utterly alone they are in Blackwater, their minds start to play tricks on them, even as they continue to lie, gaslight and snap at one another.

As Feeney reveals, their lies are interesting, but far more intriguing are the reasons they lie. Is their marriage just suffering from a low point, or have they changed fundamentally from the people they were when they first got together? And if they have changed, can they continue to love one another and keep the promises they made when they exchanged vows?

In alternating chapters, Amelia writes letters to Adam on each of their anniversaries, mulling over the year they’ve shared, the importance of the traditional gifts they’ve exchanged, and providing an unfiltered sort of state of the union on her happiness in their marriage. Here we see the highs and lows of Adam’s career, his strange interactions with Henry Winter, and the ways that their previously love-filled marriage has started to crumble.

In still other chapters, we watch the couple unravel through the eyes of Robin, an older woman living in a dilapidated cottage near the chapel. Though she has few interactions with them, she seems able to guess their every move, and at times it appears that she alone can really see what Adam and Amelia are plotting, even when they are hiding their thoughts from one another. Through Robin’s eyes, we are reminded that no matter how long you have known, loved or been married to someone, you can never really know a person inside and out --- and however good someone appears to be, we each have the capacity to become a villain at the drop of a hat. Feeney plays her reveals close to the vest here, but she never once lets up on the tension or chill factor, with the book reading both like a horror novel full of ghosts and witches and a thriller set between two unreliable narrators and their shaky hold on one another.

ROCK PAPER SCISSORS is, without a doubt, the most chilling novel I have read this year...if not ever. Never before have I had to read a domestic thriller with my flashlight at the ready, but Feeney writes with such precision and perfect pacing that her already shocking explorations into the human psyche become exponentially more horrifying. This is very much a writer’s thriller, and her mastery of her craft is on full display at every twist. As Robin explains, “Life is like a game where pawns can become queens, but not everyone knows how to play. Some people stay pawns their whole lives because they never learned to make the right moves.” If writing thrillers is anything like chess, this author has clearly never met a pawn she wasn’t willing to sacrifice, and her novels are all the better for it.

With her expert control over plotting, characterization and the shock of a dramatic reveal, Alice Feeney has proven once again why she is the master of domestic suspense with ROCK PAPER SCISSORS. If you’re a character in one of her books, watch out: “The scariest haunted houses are always the ones in which you are the ghost.”

A husband and wife win a weekend getaway. Adam and Amelia are hoping this weekend will help improve their marriage, but things do not go as planned.

Rock Paper Scissors is told from alternating points of view. Having viewpoints from both Adam and Amelia adds more to the story, plus letters written by Amelia on each of their anniversaries adds insight to their relationship. The novel starts slow, but it eventually picks up.

Rock Paper Scissors is an atmospheric and twisty domestic thriller. Fans of Alice Feeney’s other books are sure to enjoy this one too.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.