How many twists are too many? The idea to sacrifice substance at the altar of gimmicky twists has never been a great idea. But author Alice Feeney doubles down on this trope to narrate an intricate gothic thriller about a couple, Adam and Amelia, who win a raffle for a weekend away to an isolated old chapel in Scotland. The trip might just be the antidote the couple needs and a chance to reconnect, what with their marriage going through a rough patch. Only things aren't what they seem to be, and soon enough strange events give way to sinister revelations and chilling encounters, even as a series of flashbacks threaten to unleash a perfect storm of terrors past and present. Rotating between the duelling perspectives of Adam and Amelia interleaved with a handful of unsent letters written by
his wife on their wedding anniversary through the years,
Rock Paper Scissors benefits from a lightning pace, an atmospheric backdrop and an unreliable-narrator template, not to mention some clever misdirection, that culminates in a gasp-worthy plot twist towards the end. And another one. And one more. Eventually, what starts as a relatively straightforward story of domestic suspense takes turn after turn down the twisty road, laying bare the lies, the hidden agendas, the mistrust and the manipulation that comes with the territory. An engrossing white-knuckle read.
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