Rock Paper Scissors

I received a digital advance copy of Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney via NetGalley. Rock Paper Scissors is scheduled for release on September 7, 2021.

Rock Paper Scissors follows Adam and Amelia, a couple who have won a weekend away to Scotland. The trip seems to be just what the couple needs, as their relationship is foundering. Once they arrive at the very remote location, it becomes clear that neither the prize or the relationship is at all what it seems.

As often happens in a thriller, Feeney has buried secrets throughout the novel. In this particular story, most of the secrets revolve around the characters- who they are, what they want, what they have done. As Feeney keeps these secrets, saving them for strategic moments to reveal, it was difficult to get a sense of who these characters are. To me, they were outlines and shadows, lacking in specificity and detail until their secrets came to light. Since I didn’t get to know them until the end of the story, I found it difficult to invest in the difficulties they face within the novel.

I also struggled a bit with the overall plot. While there was an interesting premise underlying the story, some of the turns seemed rather convenient and directed by the author, rather than a direct consequence of the choices made by characters. Honestly, this may have been due to the overall lack of clarity in the characters. Especially in the climax and resolution of the story, it felt like a series of events rather than one cohesive tale.

In terms of setting, Feeney drops us into an old, abandoned chapel in very rural Scotland during a winter storm. While Feeney gives us many elements that I would expect, I would have loved for her to lean even harder on the gothic elements.

Overall, Rock Paper Scissors is a thriller with intriguing elements that just don’t quite click together to form a thriller that delivers.