A beautifully written and compelling read that should’ve had a better ending.

Alice Feeney is such a talented wordsmith. I just adore her writing style and her exquisite use of words to provide depth to characters and situations. This book is full of beautiful sentences such as:

‘Sometimes the dust of our memories are best left unswept.’

‘Words are only of value if we remember how we feel about them’

This book follows the lives and marriage of Amelia and Adam as they travel to Scotland to try and repair their marriage. Peppered in amongst the narrative are anniversary letters from Adam’s wife giving a yearly insight into their lives and the slow breakdown of their marriage that has led them to this point. The chapters themselves are told from each characters’ perspective and this really lends itself to the narrative whilst exploring their point of view.

A central theme to the book is that Adam suffers from facial blindness. Whilst explained in some detail how this affects his day to day living I still struggled to get my head around his affliction and empathise with him as it’s something I’ve never experienced and found it hard to comprehend.

So back to the story, the plots great! The characters are interesting but I wouldn’t say I truly connected with any of them. The major twist at the end is what knocked the stars off for me though. Whilst I loved a good twist, this one (once added to the mix of an already complex character situation) is a little far fetched. The way in which it’s kind of dumped on you, moments from the end, when the plot is gathering serious momentum.... was surprising and really hard to get your head around whilst the book is wrapping up.

In short, I enjoyed the book, I loved the writing but it was all too much! More is not not always more for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

What can I say about Rock, Paper, Scissors... wow just wow... this had me hooked from the first page, I wasn’t sure what to expect as the tag line doesn’t give too much away. The story unravels at a great pace and builds up to an absolutely fantastic twist, then another, then another after that!

I didn’t have a clue where it was going, what was happening, who was in on it, who was the third main character...so much suspense - just brilliant.

Where do I find Alice Feeneys back catalogue!!!

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an advanced e-copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Not for me. Way too many holes in the story or things added in as red herrings that were then not fully explained. The plot is all over the place, as is the writing from different POV which left me confused a lot of the time!

Wow wow wow! I didn't think anything could top His & Hers but Alice Feeney has done it again. I read this in the space of a few hours. It was unputdownable. I don't want to give too much away but I love how all is not what it seems. It's got more twists than a game of snakes and ladders.

I loved Alice Feeney’s previous work and had high hopes for Rock Paper Scissors. I really enjoyed the multiple POV format, the use of wedding anniversary themes, the interspersed letters and the gothic setting. I also liked the inclusion of Adam’s inability to recognise faces - a really original idea, although I felt this could have been explored a bit more.

The twist involving Amelia and Robin, revealed through the letters, was one I didn’t see coming and was really cleverly done. It completely changed the direction of the story and it suddenly became clear none of the characters were reliable narrators...

Some elements of the story were a little far fetched and although he was central to the plot I didn’t enjoy the Henry Winter character / backstory as much. It felt a little contrived and all the characters came together a little too conveniently, but I could overlook that given the book was well written and moved at a decent pace.

An enjoyable solid read, but in my view not as compelling as Alice Feeney’s earlier novels.

Rock, Paper, Scissors by Alice Feeney is a twisty and taut novel. Just when you think you're working out the clues, Feeney takes you somewhere else.

I enjoyed the isolated location which added to the tension. The chapel is suitably ghostly and has a horror feel. I didn't like any of the characters but I feel that's the point. These are people with agendas, issues, and a need for self-preservation, sometimes at life-threatening costs.

There are some coincidences in the novel that I had to suspend my belief to embrace, but this is fiction, after all. The book is certainly more thrilling for their inclusion.

I loved the references to being an author and writing. Authors will certainly relate to the world of writing!

The sign of a good thriller for me is when I haven't figured out the ending. I didn't with this. It certainly packs a punch! I've enjoyed all Alice Feeney's novels so far. This is no exception.

Published 19th August.

Wow! This book 😍 What a story! I was absolutely hooked on this book and loved everything about it! I was so shocked at the twists that kept coming and the ending.....! It was so easy to read, absolutely brilliant premise and has the wow factor all the way through. I have always been a huge fan of Alice Feeney's books and this one is no exception.....💗

Loved this book. Great title! We've all played the game. Loved how it was woven into the plot
Characters were interesting as well. Great read.

This is the fourth novel I have read by Alice Feeney and I have found them all exciting reads written to a high standard. This was another entertaining read that had me gripped from start to finish. Well written, great characters and an interesting plot.

Adam and Amelia Wright were about to celebrate their tenth anniversary with a weekend away to Scotland. Their marriage had suffered of late and a break away from it all might be just what they need. Screenwriter Adam Wright has an unusual affliction known as face blindness which means that he is unable to recognise people including his wife.
On each anniversary his wife writes him a letter that she never lets him read. Until now. This is a make or break weekend to save their marriage or break it forever.

Lots of twists in this one making it a very entertaining read.

Adam and Amelia's marriage is struggling, as a last resort they take advantage of a free prize getaway to the Scottish Highlands.

For the first 20% of this book, I wasn't sure what this book was actually going to be about, part of me thought it might turn into a horror/haunting story. The multiple POV made it interesting to see each character's side of the story but it also made me dislike all the characters in this book. I am not sure we are supposed to but this is the first book where I have not liked anyone in it.

I enjoyed trying to work out what the hell was going on and second-guessing what was about to happen.

Without giving anything away I would say that some of the twists and turns were gasp worthy but some were just confusing. The final one particularly, that just didn' t make sense to me. Also because of how it ended it all just seemed a little too wrapped up with no consequences. But maybe there are actually people out there like that..

This is a book I liked but not sure if I would re-read 3.5 stars :)

Lastly, thank you to HQ and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of an advanced readers copy of this book.

Amelia has won a weekend to Scotland in a raffle. When she and her husband arrive at the isolated house they are shocked at the state of the place but because of the bad weather they must stay the night. Strange things start to happen and they believe that they are not alone at the property and begin to feel afraid.
This story is told by three main characters, none of the characters are likeable and I found the story to be far-fetched and unbelievable. There is however a really good twist.
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent twist!, I thought this was going to be basic he said, she said, then the book got really exciting. Enjoyed it.

OMG - This book is absolutely bloody incredible

It's the twisted story of Adam who is a screenwriter and has a neurological glitch called Prosopagnosia, which means he cannot see distinguishing features on faces, including his own and his wife Amelia who worked at Battersea Dogs Home. Their marriage of ten years has been in trouble for a long time, mainly due,according to Amelia anyway, Adam's over commitment to his work. So Amelia decided to take advantage of a weekend break in the Scottish Highlands that she had won in a raffle. No work, no distractions, just Amelia,Adam and Bob the dog, a chance to hopefully reconnect and fix their marriage. But almost from the minute that they arrived at their destination, their weekend break turns into a terrifying waking nightmare. As an atmosphere of tension and mistrust starts permeating the rooms of their accommodation, instead to bonding the couple together, they drifted further apart. Do they have a unknown enemy who has their own personal plans for how the couple's weekend is going to end?.Did Amelia have a ulterior motive for luring Adam to the isolated location? Does Adam plan to play re-enact the plot of one of the gory stories that he loves in the real world?

The short and snappy chapters alternated between the perspectives of Adam and Amelia, neither of whom.I thought was very likeable for various reasons, Amelia's only redeemable quality was her love of animals. The only character that I actually thought was likeable was Bob the dog, he was a personality in his own right and I spent the whole book feeling anxious about his safety and well being. I loved the setting for this story, the remoteness and isolation, Adam and Amelia's unique accommodation with its legend about its dark history. The alien landscape and muffled sound after a heavy snowfall and the way that any evidence of a intruder creeping around very quickly disappears under a fresh layer of snow. I loved the little drawings that were at the beginning of each new chapter and represented either a character or a object who featured in that chapter. There was also a character called Robin who played a part in the drama but who was she and how did she fit into the story?

There was chapters scattered throughout the book that were set in the past, these parts of the story were very clever and deceptive and that's all I'm saying. If you want to know why then you are just going to have to read this outstanding thriller yourself.

Wow....just wow, there aren't enough superlatives in the English language to describe how much I loved this extremely well written,intricately plotted, very clever, addictive thriller. A absolutely, fantastic, brilliant read, worth all the stars and more and very very highly recommended. This is definitely going to be one of my favourite reads of this year.

Yet again a masterpiece in fiction with an unbelievable twist that is thrown in from seemingly out of nowhere. Absolutely riveting from page one it delivers a claustrophobic, tense psychological thriller that will leave the reader stunned . I finished the book in two sittings and after the last page i had to sit back in awe at what the writer had created it was bloody brilliant. From just three points of view its a close knit plot that leads you one way when in fact you have been taken on a completely different path.

I’ve read Alice’s work before so was very excited to start reading her latest book - and it did not disappoint!
Adam and Amelia have travelled to Scotland for a weekend away, that will hopefully save their marriage. When they arrive at the converted chapel, mysterious notes and the fact that the place appears disused arouse their suspicions. And so begins a chain of creepy events surrounding their stay, interspersed with letters from the years of marriage....but is all what it seems? Who is the mysterious Robin and how does she know so much about the couple?
I loved this book - even when I thought I had the story sussed the twists and turns left me reeling...and wrong. A fantastic read and it was very interesting to find out about the condition of face blindness. Would highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in return for an honest review. I have read all of Alice Feeney’s books and have really enjoyed them all, she’s a fantastic writer.
I struggled with the first 50% of this latest offering, I liked the alternating viewpoints but did find it a little tedious at times. The second half does pick up a lot, with twists and turns along the way. Rock Paper Scissors is cleverly written and enjoyable but it didn’t blow my mind like her other books.

Rock Paper Scissors has a compelling premise. It is the story of a husband and wife, Adam and Amelia, told by each in turn. But Adam suffers from face blindness and cannot recognise his wife’s face. Their marriage is at a crossroads and, as the story begins, they are going on holiday to a remote Scottish location in a February storm.

Travelling to an inhospitable area where help will be hard to find ratchets up the suspense. There are many ingredients of a horror story as the converted chapel where they are staying seems to be not entirely empty. It is unclear who is threatening whom in this story, though it is clear that these characters are not entirely safe from each other. When a third person enters the story, her interest in and knowledge of the characters is part of the mystery and ultimately crucial to the resolution.

It is more than a horror story, though, and more than a psychological mystery too. Rock Paper Scissors is also the story of a woman, Amelia, looking back on a failed marriage and trying to understand where it went wrong. She feels at times like she has become a spectator in her own life. The threads of the story are cleverly brought together through the story structure as Amelia revisits each of their anniversaries so we can track the stages of their marriage. However, Amelia is an unreliable narrator.

The reflective element doesn’t slow the story down. Typically of Alice Feeney, the story moves at a fast pace and is psychologically plausible. The introduction of the third character sets up a cleverly constructed ending that emerges rather as a jigsaw puzzle might be completed. Fact and fiction overlap in the story as they do in life, and it is hard to say by the end whose story we have been reading. The ending is a triumph because it is drawn so beautifully from all that has gone before but remains impossible to predict. Very cleverly done.

The book is also peopled by some lovely drawings and a beautiful dog. The title echoes throughout with more than one meaning and is part of that very clever ending. Definitely worth a read.

Another utterly unputdownable book by Alice Feeney, multi-faceted characters hiding lots of secrets, brilliant plot and clever twists kept me at the edge of my seat to the very end!
Having won a weekend trip in a raffle, screenwriter Adam and his wife of ten years, Amelia, spend their anniversary in a remote converted chapel in the Scottish Highlands, both of them planning to reevaluate the state of their marriage. While they are snowed in, lots of scarily creepy things happen...Thank you Netgalley and HQ for letting me read an ARC in return for my honest opinion.

There is many twists and turns in this book but the one at the end still has me like 🤯. This was a great read from the very beginning, a brilliant thriller. Alice Feeney wins for the greatest plot twists!

An absolute firecracker of a read. Alice Feeney has done it again. Once more she pulls the rug out of your feet with that twist!!
This follows a couple who go to an isolated chapel in Scotland for a quiet weekend away. But there’s no-one there although they’re certain they hear creaks and someone is creeping around. Who? Is the holiday a trick?
Interspersed with the present narrative we have letters from the wife that she’s never sent her husband every anniversary which offers backstory of the couple’s marriage.
This was an addictive read. I. Could. Not. Put. It. Down. The twist was spectacular. I did find the last 15% a bit rushed though and had some questions. I felt that certain threads weren’t tied up well, nonetheless the ride was a good one. 4.5/5