Rock, Paper, Scissors 5⭐️/5

Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney

5⭐️/5

I was careful not to read too many reviews of this book, even positive ones, because I didn’t want to oversaturate my expectations with phrases like, “shocking twists” and “AMAZING READ” because I’d done that with a handful of others with mixed results.

But…in fact, there were SHOCKING TWISTS and I did find it to be AN AMAZING READ. So, there you go!

Adam and Amelia’s marriage is falling apart, but after winning a weekend away at a historic chapel in the Scottish Highlands just the two of them (and their dog, Bob, my new favorite name for a dog), it might be just the thing they need. Adam, who suffers from Prosopagnosia, or “face blindness” can’t recognize friends or family, including his wife, Amelia.

“Ten years of marriage. Ten years of secrets. And an anniversary they will never forget.”

This was my first Alice Feeney book, and what impressed me most was the methodical and meticulous care this book takes to plot each and every twist and turn. Feeney’s writing is inventive and precise, the way she integrates larger themes with small, seemingly insignificant moments reminded me of a composer conducting a reprise of a larger melody.

I enjoyed the slow build, and even the multiple timelines and multiple POV were all knitted together in a way that kept me captivated until the very end.

This book is smart, thrilling, creepy, and makes you question reality - yours and that of the characters. The plot and setting lead the way in this mysterious tale with the characters following shortly behind. Feeney’s descriptions of Blackwater Chapel made me physically cringe at times, which is a delight for a lover of the genre!

Genuine surprise is valuable currency in thrillers, and I enjoyed the number of times I found myself surprised (and wrong, I guessed about 18 endings and every one was incorrect).