Book Club Discussion Questions and Guide for Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney

1. "Marriages don't fail, people do." It's hard to know who to trust in this marriage thriller, as both Adam and Amelia are unreliable narrators at times. Whose side were you on at the start of the book, Adam's or Amelia's? Did you change your mind?
2. "My husband doesn't recognize my face" is the opening line of the novel. Adam has a neurological glitch called prosopagnosia, which means he cannot see distinguishing features on faces, including his own. Had you heard of prosopagnosia (face blindness) before reading Rock Paper Scissors? How much of a part did Adam's condition play in the plot, and what about it did you find interesting?
3. Rock Paper Scissors features letters written to Adam by his wife on their anniversary each year, letters she has never let him read until now. Each one begins with a "word of the year." There's a fair bit of "hornswoggling" and the odd "biblioklept"; they aren't always "chuffed" to be with each other, and the "shenanigans" that the couple got up to in the past tells us a lot about their present. Which was your favorite word of the year and why?
4. "Maybe all marriages have secrets, and maybe the only way to stay married is to keep them." Adam's wife believes this to be true, but do you? Can we ever really know everything there is to know about another person, even someone we love?
5. Adam is highly superstitious; he salutes magpies and would never walk under a ladder. Are you superstitious about anything? Adam also carries an old paper crane and a lucky penny in his wallet at all times. Do you believe in luck? Is there something sentimental you would feel lost without?
6. Henry Winter, the elderly novelist in the book, has chosen to live in a converted chapel in a beautiful but very remote corner of the Scottish Highlands. Why do you think some people need to be alone, while others surround themselves with friends and family?
7. "We are our parents' echoes and sometimes they don't like what they hear." All of the main characters in this novel have been haunted by their parents in one way or another. Why do you think none of them were quite able to move on with their lives and put the past behind them? Would things have been different if they had?
8. What was your favorite twist in the book?
9. Let's talk about Robin. What were your first impressions of this character? Did your opinion of her change while you were reading?
10. If you were one of the characters in this book, with whom would you most relate and why?
11. All of the illustrations at the start of each chapter in this novel were bespoke. Have you ever seen drawings in a psychological thriller before? Did you like them? Did you have a favorite?
12. Have you read any of Alice Feeney's other novels? (Sometimes I Lie, I Know Who You Are, His & Hers). If so, which of her books did you enjoy best and why?
13. Rock Paper Scissors is being made into a TV series for Netflix by the producer of The Crown and Behind Her Eyes. What is it about the book that you think might make it work on-screen? Is it the setting, the characters, or the plot?
14. Were you worried about Bob the dog? (Alice Feeney says she is owned by her black Labrador!)
15. It wouldn't be right if we didn't end with a quick game of rock paper scissors! Talk about how the game plays a part in the book, then play a quick round with whomever you're with right now. Even if it's just your dog (if that's the case, you really ought to win!).

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Flatiron Books. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.