When a couple on the edge wins a weekend in a remote Scottish chapel, it should be a chance to reconnect. Instead? It’s a twisted game of memory, face blindness, and secrets buried under six feet of snow. Rock Paper Scissors book delivers chilly vibes, unreliable narrators, and just enough shock value to keep you turning pages – even if you’re not sure who to trust (or like).
📖 Quick Overview
Rock Paper Scissors – Alice Feeney
Ten years of marriage.
Ten years of secrets.
An anniversary they’ll never forget.
Adam and Amelia are spending the weekend in the Scottish Highlands. The remote location is perfect for what they have planned.
But when their romantic trip takes a dark turn, they both start to wonder – can they trust the one they’re with?
Because every couple tells little white lies. Only for Adam and Amelia, the truth is far more dangerous.
📌 TL;DR
A couple in crisis heads to a remote chapel in snowy Scotland for a marriage-saving getaway… but what they find waiting for them is far more chilling than the weather. Rock Paper Scissors book is a twisty psychological thriller that plays games with memory, identity, and trust – but its flat characters and rapid-fire twists might leave you more puzzled than hooked.
💥 Hook
“Sometimes it’s hard to tell whether love is holding you together or holding you back.”
💬 The Big Idea
How well can you really know someone – especially when you literally can’t recognize their face? This novel explores the emotional fractures in a marriage built on secrets, using memory and perception as both theme and weapon. But when every character is hiding something, can anyone be trusted – including the narrator?
🧠 What’s it About?
Adam and Amelia Wright win a weekend trip to a converted chapel in the Scottish Highlands – a last-ditch attempt to salvage their failing marriage. But the snow isn’t the only thing that traps them. With no way to leave and no idea who sent them there, they’re forced to confront years of lies, loss, and betrayal.
🔍 Why It’s More Than Just the Blurb
The book tries to dig into the idea of what it means to see someone – literally and figuratively – especially when history, trauma, and secrets cloud every interaction. Adam suffers from prosopagnosia (face blindness), and this condition becomes a metaphor for emotional blindness in a relationship frayed beyond repair.
🔍 Deep Dive
On the surface, this is a classic locked-room thriller. But dig a little deeper and it’s a story about grief, infertility, failed expectations, and the burden of knowing someone too well – or not at all. The chapel, once a prison for witches, becomes a metaphorical trap for the characters, filled with echoes of the past. The story asks: can love survive if it’s built on a foundation of lies? And do people stay because of love – or fear of what’s outside it?
📚 What’s Inside? (Spoiler-Free Breakdown)
The story unfolds through multiple perspectives: Adam, Amelia, and a series of letters written each anniversary – letters that Adam’s wife has never let him read. These perspectives slowly reveal fractures in their relationship and hints that the trip to the chapel might not be as random as it seems.
The book is full of atmosphere: swirling snow, locked doors, strange artifacts, and a missing dog who represents everything the couple is desperate to get back. The use of Adam’s face blindness is intriguing at first, but ultimately feels more like a convenient explanation for plot twists than a deeply integrated character trait.
And speaking of twists – there are a lot. Some work better than others. While the first major twist caught me off guard (in a good way), the rest began to feel like a chain reaction, each one trying to outdo the last. By the end, it wasn’t shock I felt – it was fatigue.
What held the book back for me was the characterisation. Everyone felt a little too cold, too distant. Whether intentional or not, it made it hard to connect emotionally with any of them – and that blunted the impact of what should have been a devastating final act.
Full Review By Emma
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
🧊 Cold in More Ways Than One
Rock Paper Scissors is a twisty psychological thriller set in a snowbound Scottish chapel, where a married couple attempts to salvage their failing relationship. It has all the ingredients of a solid thriller – a chilling setting, mysterious letters, unreliable narrators, and a hefty dose of secrets. But while the plot does deliver surprises, the characters left me feeling a bit cold.
🧠 Clever or Convoluted?
There’s no denying that Feeney can write a slick, readable thriller. The prose flows well and the alternating POVs keep the pace snappy. I didn’t see the twist coming – and that’s always a plus in this genre – but somehow, it didn’t land with much impact for me. Maybe because I didn’t like anyone?
It’s hard to root for characters when they all feel unlikeable, or a little underdeveloped. That might have been intentional — a cast of morally grey characters can work — but here, it made it difficult to care who was lying, who was right, or even who survived.
✂️ A Few Rough Edges
- The rock-paper-scissors motif felt forced. Some references worked, but others felt like a stretch. (Would anyone really play it to decide if they should get married?)
- Adam’s face blindness seemed less like meaningful representation and more like a convenient plot tool – used to excuse why he couldn’t identify key people or events.
- After the main twist, the book just keeps twisting. To the point where it felt like the reveals were tumbling over themselves – less “mind blown” and more “mildly confused”.
✉️ Final Thoughts
This was… fine. A solid enough thriller with a strong atmosphere and a well-structured plot, but one that didn’t quite stick the landing emotionally. I didn’t hate it — but I also didn’t love it. If you enjoy unreliable narrators and gothic settings, this might be worth a read. Just don’t expect to get too attached to anyone.
🎭 Mood & Matchmaker
Dark, snowy, suspicious. For fans of chilly marriages, missing dogs (okay, no one likes a missing dog!), and cabins full of secrets.
🌈 Vibes Check
What kind of vibe are you in for? Let’s break it down:
🧊 Atmosphere: Snowed-in, remote, and quietly menacing
🧠 Narrative Style: Unreliable, twist-heavy, layered
🐾 Emotional Core: Strained relationships, grief, secrecy
🎭 Character Likability: Low – morally grey at best
🪞 Psychological Depth: Surface-level introspection with some effective symbolism
🔄 Mood Matches
If you liked…
- Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough
- The Couple at No. 9 by Claire Douglas
- The Girl Before by JP Delaney
…you might enjoy the twists and emotional claustrophobia of Rock Paper Scissors.
For more chilling domestic thrillers, check out our Thrillers collection.
🧃 Emotional Map
🌨️ Sense of isolation — 8/10
🫥 Emotional detachment — 7/10
😯 Plot twist whiplash — 9/10
🐶 Pet anxiety (Bob watch) — 6/10
😔 Tragic backstories — 5/10
🫣 General unease — 7/10
🎯 For the Right Reader
If you’re in the mood for a cold, claustrophobic thriller with multiple narrators, a literal and emotional storm, and a marriage on the brink – this might be your next page-turner. Just don’t expect to find anyone to root for.
📦 Who Will Love This?
Fans of psychological thrillers with multiple POVs
Readers who enjoy unreliable narrators and twisty timelines
Anyone who likes a snowed-in mystery with a Gothic edge
🧭 Where I Found It
Picked this one up after browsing kindle unlimited – and I can see why it gets attention, even if it didn’t fully work for me.
💡 Extra Curiosities – People Also Ask About Rock Paper Scissors Book
Thinking of picking up Rock Paper Scissors but not quite sure what you’re in for? Here are some of the most-Googled questions about Alice Feeney’s twisty thriller – answered in true LTT fashion.
🧠 What is Rock Paper Scissors the book about?
It’s a psychological thriller set in a remote Scottish chapel, where a married couple tries to save their relationship – only to find themselves snowed in, surrounded by secrets, and unsure who to trust. The story flips between their perspectives and a series of letters written over the years, slowly revealing the cracks in their marriage… and something darker beneath.
🔥 Is Rock Paper Scissors spicy?
Nope. This one’s more ice than fire. There’s emotional tension, sure – and a whole lot of psychological drama – but it’s not steamy or explicit in any way. Expect chilly vibes and creeping dread, not romance or spice.
📖 Is Rock Paper Scissors a good read?
That depends on what you’re after. It’s fast-paced, atmospheric, and full of surprises – perfect for fans of twisty domestic thrillers. But if you need emotionally rich characters or big gut-punch moments, it might leave you a little cold. A solid page-turner, but not everyone’s five-star read.
👁 What is the disease in the book Rock Paper Scissors?
Adam, one of the main characters, has prosopagnosia – also known as face blindness. He literally can’t recognise faces, not even his wife’s. It’s used as a key plot device and metaphor for emotional disconnection, though how well it works might depend on the reader.
🏆 What is Alice Feeney’s best book?
That’s a tough call – and honestly, it depends who you ask. Rock Paper Scissors is definitely a fan favourite, but Sometimes I Lie, His & Hers, and Daisy Darker all have strong contenders for the crown. If you love unreliable narrators and juicy twists, you’re probably in the right place no matter which one you start with.
👋 Final Thoughts
Whether you’re in it for the snowed-in suspense, the twisty plot reveals, or the emotional untangling of a marriage on the rocks, Rock Paper Scissors definitely gives you plenty to chew on. It might not be everyone’s favourite Feeney, but it’s a chilly little thriller that knows how to keep you guessing – even if you’re not quite sure who you’re rooting for.
Still deciding if it’s your vibe? Stick around – we’ve got more spoiler-free breakdowns, moody mood matches, and emotional maps to help you find your next unforgettable read.
See you between the pages 💫