Twisty, turny and topsy-turvy

It's been a long time since I've read a book that had an ending that surprised me as much as this one did - and I was expecting to be surprised.

Adam and Amelia Wright head to the Scottish Highlands for a free weekend away they've won as a raffle prize. They are hoping it'll be just the thing to perk up their marriage. But the dark, gloomy converted chapel isn't really what they were expecting for their romantic getaway and the blizzard and loss of power doesn't help the mood either. Then strange happenings begin and the couple starts to wonder if they'll be able to leave.

I liked that Adam had prosopagnosia, a neurological disorder that causes face blindness. It was interesting to read about. It would be difficult to navigate the world with such a condition.

I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller, its storyline and its characters. That's not to say I LIKED its characters as such because none of them were too likeable but they were well drawn by the author.

I highly recommend this mystery thriller especially if you like tales that keep you guessing.

I received this book from Flatiron Books through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

Feeney does it again!!! This book was absolutely fabulous! “Rock defeats Scissors, Paper defeats Rock, and Scissors defeats Paper.”

What defeats lies, deceit, secrets? A weekend away should help everyone forget right? Wrong….This weekend was supposed to be a make or break for Adam and his wife. Weird things happen all weekend…will their marriage survive it?

Feeney unfolds this one in a way that you will never see coming. It will hit you like a Mack Truck. If you can make it to chapter 54…good luck because you will not be able to put the book down from there.

The book is told from several points of view and it’s not until the end that the twist just hits you! Loved it!

I love a book that keeps you grabbing at straws to try to figure out what is really going on. Told from 3 POVs and also anniversary letters from Mrs Wright to Mr Wright. They had 10 anniversaries together and they played Rock Paper Scissors on any decision they needed to decide upon. He would always let her win. Doesn’t that sound super cute? So they are going to a chapel turned house to try to save their marriage. This is one twisted book not to miss.

I love a book that keeps you grabbing at straws to try to figure out what is really going on. Told from 3 POVs and also anniversary letters from Mrs Wright to Mr Wright. They had 10 anniversaries together and they played Rock Paper Scissors on any decision they needed to decide upon. He would always let her win. Doesn’t that sound super cute? So they are going to a chapel turned house to try to save their marriage. This is one twisted book not to miss.

This book provided nonstop suspense. The eerie setting , the constant suspense , and the many twists added up to an intense day of reading. I loved this book and will now search out all of Alice Feeney’s work.

"Rock Paper Scissors has so many twists and turns it’s going to give you whiplash!"

Review to come on FreshFiction.com on Saturday, September 18th as part of the book tour. I will update with the link.

It’s official- my streak of reading all of Alice Feeney’s books remains unbroken. From favorite to least Sometimes I Lie, His & Hers, Rock Paper Scissors, then I Know Who You Are.

Where to begin? I was very excited for this new release and for the first 80%- I was disappointed. It felt repetitive and the author used so. many. metaphors. It was distracting! I did love the set up: Mr and Mrs Wright are going THROUGH it, but agree to take a vacation they’ve won to a remote Scottish town to help repair their marriage. They quickly find out this place is much more remote and run down than they expected, and they begin to wonder how they got themselves in this situation. We get these little letters Mrs Wright writes to Mr Write on their anniversary- it helps the reader get us get to know their personalities and see the ups and downs of their marriage.

Finally at 80%, there’s a break in the story and I got hooked. Things start to make sense and I was happy with the twists and resolution. It still wasn’t my favorite thriller by a long shot, but I’m not mad that I read it. It’s got nice short chapters and its setting lends itself very well to winter reading. I liked that the husband was a writer and you get a little behind the scenes of the author life.

Rock Paper Scissors is one of those thrillers that you literally can't put down. The twists and turns were incredible. The atmospheric writing is excellent . The characters and alternating chapters were so fantastic.
I cannot say enough good things about this book. It was INCREDIBLE and shocking and twisty
and majestic!

What a compelling, convoluted, and completely engrossing story! I read this one in a day and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.

Having read Alice Feeney’s work twice before, I knew going in that I was in for some plot twists, but the sheer volume of them in this novel was staggering. The best part was that although there were indeed many twists, none of them seemed superfluous to requirements. They all flowed really well – each ratcheting up the tension…

The remote, wintry setting added greatly to the overall feel and ambiance of the novel.

This is a story of damaged and tortured individuals. A story of deception, secrecy, and loss of trust. A novel of infidelity and starting over. And, more importantly, if you are a lover of the thriller genre, this is a novel you shouldn’t miss.

Highly recommended!

{3.5 stars}

Rock Paper Scissors is domestic thriller meets horror. We all know that the most important part of a horror story is location and Alice Feeney gets it right with this one! The bulk of the story is set in a converted old chapel in the Scottish Highlands where a couple are celebrating their anniversary. The husband is a career-obsessed screenwriter with face blindness and the wife is, well annoyed, with her husband.

The atmosphere in this one was such a hit for me; creepy, isolated, old chapel in a snowstorm. The tension built with every noisy and creak. Chapters alternate between the wife and husband with letters written by the wife each anniversary. We see the current state of their lives and slowly the details of the past are filled in for us. I'll stop there because anything more would be major spoilery.

The twist did surprise me but not wow me. I think I'm harder on thrillers than other types of novels but Alice Feeney's last novel was really amazing and this one I thought was just good. The ending was a little like, ok we need to wrap it up so here you go. This one is perfect for an evening binge read or beach read because the pages definitely kept turning.

Thanks to Netgalley for access to this novel. All opinions above are my own.

We’ve all played the game but few of us have used as high stakes as are utilized in Alice Feeney’s new domestic thriller Rock Paper Scissors. Told in alternating points of view, this locked room mystery will keep you guessing to the very end.

Amelia and Adam Wright are all wrong for each other. They can barely stand to hold hands and their counselor has recommended a holiday to rekindle the spark. “Can a weekend away really save a marriage?” they asked her. She seems to think so and as a result, Amelia and her screenwriter husband Adam head to the secluded, luxurious Blackwater Chapel in the Scottish Highlands for their romantic rendezvous.

Their arrival sets the ominous tone for the story. Adam and Amelia reach their retreat during a dreadful storm. The doors are locked and there is no key, but when they return from their search for a possible rear entrance, a journey which had seen them pummeled by the wind and ice, the doors are mysteriously wide open. The interior is rustic, and has a dusty, unused feel to it. Even though both speak of relaxing and making the best of it, they snipe at each other during every conversation. They dread spending several days alone together in these conditions – then a face appears in the window, causing Amelia to spill the wine she had just reached for and making them realize that perhaps alone together is safer than the alternative.

From the start it is made clear that both Amelia and Adam have underlying motives for agreeing to the vacation and that it is very possible one – or both of them – won’t make it back to London at the end of the book.

Like most thrillers today, Rock Paper Scissors is a chilling, atmospheric novel which features intriguing, flawed characters. Feeney does a fantastic job of capturing that sense in marriage of never really knowing the other person, and the ability even a spouse of many years has to surprise us. In the case of Adam and Amelia, there are many secrets beneath the surface of their union since a lot of lies paved their way to the altar, and this getaway will be the time everything comes out in the open.

Naturally, I can’t tell you much about that. It’s hard to write a review without details but in this case, it is also absolutely necessary. The plot is like a staircase, and you won’t know what’s waiting for you at the end until you arrive at it. Here are some of my general impressions, though, and hopefully they will be enough to encourage you to rush out and pick up this novel.

Our narrative, as per the current vogue, includes unreliable narrators who are keeping big, dark secrets. Adam, who has face blindness, feels he has compensated fairly well for this issue by being an astute judge of character. He has flourished in his career, in part due to being a workaholic, but he is far less aware of the world around him than he thinks he is and has no idea that the secret to his success is actually due more to his wife than the time and effort he devotes to his occupation.

Amelia has been told she loves animals more than people and she doesn’t doubt it. She finds people selfish and difficult to understand and Adam is no exception. She wants their marriage to work, but in Amelia’s mind, Adam’s sacrificed their love to his ambition – and she has no intention of continuing on in that vein.

Robin is our third narrator and just what role she plays in the story and how she is connected to Adam and Amelia isn’t apparent until the last few pages of the book. There were many times throughout the story that she felt superfluous or needlessly ambiguous, but I was quite satisfied with how the ending wrapped things up regarding her.

I’ve spoken often of the conclusion, and that’s because a full understanding of what is going on hinges on the denouement. The great news is, the book is riveting enough that you will be compelled to keep reading to the very last page, even though those final revelations will leave you wondering if justice is truly served at the end.

Something that I really appreciated is that none of the ambiguity is due to substance abuse or mental illness. The impetus for the plot comes strictly from things the characters are hiding and their desire to have them remain hidden. I liked also that no surprise villains showed up at the end -this is a mind game and the characters we are introduced to from the start have all the answers we need.

The entire time I was reading, and while I was writing this review, I kept thinking of Billy Joel’s song The Stranger. Specifically, the following lyrics.

Well, we all fall in love

But we disregard the danger

Though we share so many secrets

There are some we never tell

Why were you so surprised

That you never saw the stranger

Did you ever let your lover see

The stranger in yourself?

Rock Paper Scissors is those lyrics fictionalized and personified in book form. If they intrigue you at all, this book will be perfect for you.

After Amelia Wright wins a weekend trip to Blackwater Chapel, a renovated lodging in the Scottish Highlands, she and her husband, Adam, agree to the trip despite the off-season February booking. Though neither says it aloud, they both know their marriage is on shaky ground, and the getaway is their last chance to course correct before one or the other makes any irrevocable choices, though they both have secrets and plans up their sleeves.

Chapters written from the characters ‘ perspectives are intercut with letters from Adam’s wife written on every anniversary but kept hidden until this trip that provide insight into the history of the relationship.

While a housekeeper has left a welcome note to Adam and Amelia, the space feels abandoned, and as the weather deteriorates and condition worsens, the creep factor multiplies. The husband and wife may not be the only ones who have hidden agendas!

Once I started reading, I only put the book down when I absolutely had to. I needed to find out what happened—and I was not able to predict any of what unfolded. As much as I liked Alice Feeney ‘s last book, 𝘏𝘪𝘴& 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘴, I think this was even better! Thriller lovers, this is a book I recommend adding to your TBR!

When the characters are named Mr. and Mrs. Wright, you know it's going to be a good domestic thriller. This was a great example of a good thriller with unreliable narrators. You couldn't trust anyone in this book, and it was honestly really well done because of that. Most books tend to fall apart or become too far fetched with unreliable narrators. This was not one of those. The twist and final reveal was jaw-dropping for me. This was Alice's best one yet!

We’ve all played the game but few of us have used as high stakes as are utilized in Alice Feeney’s new domestic thriller Rock Paper Scissors. Told in alternating points of view, this locked room mystery will keep you guessing to the very end.

Amelia and Adam Wright are all wrong for each other. They can barely stand to hold hands and their counselor has recommended a holiday to rekindle the spark. “Can a weekend away really save a marriage?” they asked her. She seems to think so and as a result, Amelia and her screen-writer husband Adam head to the secluded, luxurious Blackwater Chapel in the Scottish Highlands for their romantic rendezvous.

Their arrival sets the ominous tone for the story. Adam and Amelia reach their retreat during a dreadful storm. The doors are locked and there is no key, but when they return from their search for a possible rear entrance, a journey which had seen them pummeled by the wind and ice, the doors are mysteriously wide open. The interior is rustic, and has a dusty, unused feel to it. Even though both speak of relaxing and making the best of it, they snipe at each other during every conversation. They dread spending several days alone together in these conditions - then a face appears in the window, causing Amelia to spill the wine she had just reached for and making them realize that perhaps alone together is safer than the alternative.

From the start it is made clear that both Amelia and Adam have underlying motives for agreeing to the vacation and that it is very possible one – or both of them – won’t make it back to London at the end of the book.

Like most thrillers today, Rock Paper Scissors is a chilling, atmospheric novel which features intriguing, flawed characters.  Feeney does a fantastic job of capturing that sense in marriage of never really knowing the other person, and the ability even a spouse of many years has to surprise us. In the case of Adam and Amelia, there are many secrets beneath the surface of their union since a lot of lies paved their way to the altar, and this getaway will be the time everything comes out in the open.

Naturally, I can’t tell you much about that. It’s hard to write a review without details but in this case, it is also absolutely necessary.  The plot is like a staircase, and you won’t know what’s waiting for you at the end until you arrive at it. Here are some of my general impressions, though, and hopefully they will be enough to encourage you to rush out and pick up this novel.

Our narrative, as per the current vogue, includes unreliable narrators who are keeping big, dark secrets. Adam, who has face blindness, feels he has compensated fairly well for this issue by being an astute judge of character. He has flourished in his career, in part due to being a workaholic, but he is far less aware of the world around him than he thinks he is and has no idea that the secret to his success is actually due more to his wife than the time and effort he devotes to his occupation.

Amelia has been told she loves animals more than people and she doesn’t doubt it. She finds people selfish and difficult to understand and Adam is no exception.  She wants their marriage to work, but in Amelia’s mind, Adam’s sacrificed their love to his ambition – and she has no intention of continuing on in that vein.

Robin is our third narrator and just what role she plays in the story and how she is connected to Adam and Amelia isn’t apparent until the last few pages of the book.  There were many times throughout the story that she felt superfluous or needlessly ambiguous, but I was quite satisfied with how the ending wrapped things up regarding her.

I’ve spoken often of the conclusion, and that’s because a full understanding of what is going on hinges on the denouement. The great news is, the book is riveting enough that you will be compelled to keep reading to the very last page, even though those final revelations will leave you wondering if justice is truly served at the end.

Something that I really appreciated is that none of the ambiguity is due to substance abuse or mental illness. The impetus for the plot comes strictly from things the characters are hiding and their desire to have them remain hidden. I liked also that no surprise villains showed up at the end -this is a mind game and the characters we are introduced to from the start have all the answers we need.

The entire time I was reading, and while I was writing this review, I kept thinking of Billy Joel’s song The Stranger. Specifically, the following lyrics.

Well, we all fall in love

But we disregard the danger

Though we share so many secrets

There are some we never tell

Why were you so surprised

That you never saw the stranger

Did you ever let your lover see

The stranger in yourself?

Rock Paper Scissors is those lyrics fictionalized and personified in book form.  If they intrigue you at all, this book will be perfect for you.

Buy it at: Amazon, Audible, or your local independent retailer
Visit our Amazon Storefront

Rock Paper Scissors would be the perfect read for a cold, snowy Maine day, but it’s Alice Feeney @alicewriterland and there was absolutely no way I could wait that long. Thanks to the magic of photo editing, ta-da, it’s a snowy day ❄️❄️❄️

Alice Feeney is on my list of must have and must binge authors, because she’s truly the master of the twist. Just when I’m convinced I know what’s happening, there’s an epic curveball and I’m questioning everything I thought I knew. Then not only am I frantically flipping forward, desperate to know what happens, but I’m also flipping backwards, only now noticing all the carefully-placed clues I missed.

Because I’m keeping it spoiler free, that’s all I’m going to say, other than get your hands on a copy of this (and all) Alice Feeney books. Rock Paper Scissors is every bit as fantastic as I hoped it would be.

Thanks to @flatiron_books and @alicewriterland for indulging my Alice Feeney obsession and letting me read this one early ❤️ Following is the link to my Instagram post:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CTkdVnYLen-/

This deliciously creepy thriller is another stunning work of fiction from the queen of the unreliable narrator, Alice Feeney. Amelia and Adam are having troubles in their marriage so when they win a weekend away in Scotland, and their anniversary is coming up, it seems perfect. Amelia has been wanting to get Adam, a workaholic, away to spend some quality time so she jumps at the chance to plan this trip. However, we quickly realize not only how far things have unraveled between them but also that things are not as they appear with their vacation. Adding to the intrigue is Adam’s prosopagnosia which means he can’t recognize people’s faces. This story is seamlessly interweaved with letters Adam’s wife writes every year on their anniversary that she doesn’t intend for him to read.

There is so much to sink your teeth into with this beautiful but insidious story. Not only is the format of this story brilliant because of the letters that are perfectly placed throughout but Feeney also balances telling the complete story of their marriage along with the spine-chilling situation in Scotland. Despite all the moving parts of this story it still manages to be perfectly paced. I was gripped from the first chapter with the atmospheric setting. I do think a few bits of this book were a little overwritten but overall I was blown away by the gorgeous and mesmerizing writing. Feeney might also be the queen of a great red herring because this book takes you on a whirlwind ride where you aren’t quite sure what is happening.

I’m sure by now it is no surprise that this is one of my favorite books of all time. If you love thrillers then this is one that you cannot pass up. Even if you aren’t the biggest fan of thrillers then I still highly recommend this one. Regardless of genre this is easily one of the best books to come out this year and you don’t want to sleep on it. Feeney is a true master of her craft and her talent only seems to improve with each book.

4.5 stars

I’ve been a fan of Alice Feeney’s work since I read her debut Sometimes I Lie, a suspense thriller I still remember to this day, even though I read it 4 years ago. That book absolutely blew me out of the water with its plot twist so well-done, that I still ponder over it even now. I read both of Feeney’s follow up novels (her sophomore novel I Know Who You Are as well as her third novel His & Hers), and while I liked both well enough, neither was able to live up to the magnificence of her debut (in my opinion at least). Going into Feeney’s fourth book Rock Paper Scissors (which publishes this month), I wasn’t really sure what to expect — would this one be closer to the “blow me out of the water” experience of her debut or the “good but not too memorable” experience of her two subsequent works? (Hint: definitely the former!). In fact, I actually feel that Rock Paper Scissors is Feeney’s best work to date (and that’s saying something considering how much I loved her debut).

As is the case whenever I review thrillers, I try to be as vague as possible so as not to give anything away (which is why this review will be short and sweet without saying much). With this book especially though, you definitely want to go in knowing next to nothing and let the story take you along for the (wild) ride. Feeney is known for her shocking plot twists that absolutely no one sees coming — of course this book is no exception (it’s actually more “twisty” than Sometimes I Lie, which I didn’t think was possible, yet all the twists are done in a way that feels natural rather than forced). I’ve read so many thriller and suspense novels over the years that very few of them are able to surprise or shock me (and even fewer have plots that I’m not able to figure out by the time I get the end of the story) — well, count this book as one of those “few” (it shocked me and took me completely by surprise).

Fans of Alice Feeney absolutely need to read this one, but even if you’re not a fan, I still recommend picking this one up, especially if you love thrillers. (and if you haven’t read Sometimes I Lie, definitely read that one next). I do suggest blocking out enough time to read this one all in one shot though, as most likely you are not going to want to put it down once you start it. Similar to my reaction after reading Feeney’s debut several years ago, I now absolutely cannot wait for her next book to come out — please let it be sooner rather than later!

Received ARC from Flatiron Books via NetGalley.

A raging snowstorm. An ancient chapel in the Scottish Highlands. A menacing face in a window. Amelia and Adam have different reasons for spending their anniversary in such a bleak setting. Neither are happy. It’s Rock Paper Scissors to determine who will achieve their ultimate holiday goal.

This book has a deliciously creepy setup. A screenwriter husband who cannot recognize faces and finds more happiness with his work than his home life. A lonely wife who is unhappy with her workaholic husband. An anniversary alone in an isolated decrepit residence with no cell service amid a snowstorm. What could go wrong?

The less you know about this book before reading it, the more fun you will have. The plot devices keep the story interesting and different from most domestic suspense thrillers. The tale is told from the first-person perspectives of both the husband and wife. The wife also includes her annual unsent letters to her husband about their marriage. Hint: It is going severely downhill after ten years. There are also third person reports from nosy chapel neighbor, Robin.

I had great fun reading Rock Paper Scissors. Trying to see where the plot is going is almost impossible due its many twists and turns. 5 stars!

Thanks to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Whew! What a twisty ride this one was. Not only was the setting sinister—an abandoned mansion in the middle of nowhere, during a nasty snowstorm—but then the unexplained happenings in the house had me on edge from the get-go.

All through the book, you know that things aren't right—with the place and with the people—but you won't be able to wrap your head around what it is. Until you do. Once that twist is revealed, then you are taken on a whole new ride.

Rock Paper Scissors is a one-of-a-kind thriller that takes the reader down a road they have not gone down before. I loved that uniqueness and highly recommend this one.

I've read all of Alice Feeney's previous books, but I think her latest - Rock Paper Scissors - is my favourite. If you're looking for a book you can't put down 'til the last page is turned, you're going to want to pick this one up. I finished it in a day on the back deck.
Why is it so good you ask? Feeney deliciously and deviously hoodwinked me, turning all my assumptions upside down in the last pages. I well and truly appreciate not being able to predict what direction a plot is going to take.

Mr. and Mrs. Wright's marriage hasn't been right for a long time. When Mrs. Wright wins a weekend getaway, it sounds like the perfect opportunity to rekindle things.

The getaway happens to be in a remote part of Scotland in a very old, renovated church. Cue the creepy vibe. The only other person in the area lives in a run down cottage down the road. (Check) Oh, and did I mention that Mr. Wright has face blindness? He literally cannot recognize faces, including his own. (Check) And both Mr. and Mrs. know there's much more than a happy marriage on the line this weekend.

As readers we are privy to both character's thoughts in alternating chapters. Mrs. also writes a yearly anniversary letter to her husband, but never gives it to him. It does give us more information though. And I quite like the yearly word and it's definition included in the letter as well. They're unusual words that tie right into the plot.

And the plotting is superb. That twist at the end had me rethinking what I'd read. It was there in front of me, but I didn't catch it. The atmosphere is perfect, isolated with a sense of eeriness that can't be defined. The characters are perfectly drawn. And there's a dog. :0)

Clever, clever, clever! I loved this one to bits.