What crime / thriller book has the most frustrating ending in your opinion?

Submitted by FormerFruit t3_1270dfg in books

In a crime thriller you like to find out both who did it, all the questions and loose ends to be tied up and for them to get their comeuppance, so there's nothing more frustrating when that doesn't happen.

The ending of Shari Lapena The Couple Next Door annoyed me so so much. The whole read and then that ending. But the more I read her books she does that a lot. The endings are ambiguous. I like that at least it's fairly realistic. We got to find out who took the baby yes, but then the ending someone else dies and we don't know whether or not the killer gets away with it or not. Very frustrating ending.

What crime / thriller book has the most frustrating ending to you, and why?

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Rich_Librarian_7758 t1_jecqosd wrote

The silent patient. Hated it.

Also the guest list by Lucy Foley.

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Quirky_Butterfly_114 t1_jed32xf wrote

THE SILENT PATIENT! I feel like it was so overhyped. I don’t understand how it has such a cult following

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AGirlWhoLovesToRead t1_jedjge2 wrote

The silent patient really had the potential to be a great one - so many setups.. And it came to nothing!

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Overall-Speech3137 t1_jedbv57 wrote

I think the plot was chronologically impossible? Or maybe I was too dumb to get it

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Weltall548 t1_jee5aua wrote

The Silent Patient is possibly the worst book I’ve ever read

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Commercial_One_4594 t1_jedex3l wrote

Silent patient… it’s the one where I was really making theories while reading and then… nothing happened.

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Constant-Stick2915 t1_jefwexh wrote

I loved the silent patient. Many plot holes. But I found it creepy overall and couldn’t put down. Guest list was terrible.

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VivianSherwood t1_jegss8u wrote

Oh my I was going to mention these two books exactly!!!! I hated both those endings! "The Guest List" was meh from the beginning but "The Silent Patient" was coming along nicely until that terrible, lame ending!

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Artistic-Accident-98 t1_jecmy53 wrote

Local Woman Missing. I just finished it and I was so disappointed. Either that was a botched ending or the character was poorly developed.

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Adler221 t1_jeeftcu wrote

This! Everybody raved about how amazing this book was but I struggled and was very put off with that ending!

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spencerwrichards t1_jeek7im wrote

I'm surprised no one has said The Maid by Nita Prose yet. The entire book was a frustrating experience in how dramatic irony (and reverse dramatic irony) can be grossly overused in mystery novels--the narrator's "quirk" (never diagnosed but is coded as autism) is an excuse for her to miss all of the clues so plainly in front of her--an interesting premise for a mystery perhaps-- but then at the very end its revealed in a flashback that she literally witnessed who did it but sort of just, forgot?? and didn't think to mention it to us the entire time?? I have never in my life yelled at a book like this

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AllFlowersDie t1_jeel224 wrote

Agreed, this is the only book I’ve given literally zero stars to. How is it being made into a movie?!

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madmagazines t1_jecrzsr wrote

Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson

She investigates the disappearance of her friends brother and finds that he was talking to a strange catfish. It’s really intriguing bc it makes it look like he was involved in something really horrible.

But the most bizarre reveal comes about. Apparently there was some serial killer who murdered teenagers in the 90s with his 10yo son as his accomplice. People were mad that the son didn’t get punished so he was given a new identity. WE HAVE NOT HEARD OF THIS AT ALL! Like we literally only learn the SK existed at all during the reveal in the form of a shitty news article the MC reads. There isn’t even one offhand mention.

The catfish was the sibling of one of the teens who died and is trying to message guys who could possibly be the son as an adult and kill him. The missing guy found out about that and worked out who the son was and attacked him. (not going to get into how unrealistic and theatrical the whole situation is written lol)

The son actually is the asshole racist journalist from the first book, who is now made out to be a tragic hero. Honestly he had a complete personality transplant from the guy who was spewing racism and calling the MC “babes” in book 1 to suddenly being so gracious and polite. There’s not really any point on them being the same character. He locked the missing guy in a cellar so he wouldn’t reveal his identity but is actually really nice you guys and we should feel very sorry that he died.

Where did this bullshit ending come from, Jackson?? The first book in this series was astounding, and the ending was just perfect. The joy of the first book is that you could predict the ending with the clues you had, but no one could have predicted this ending bc it literally came out of left field. So disappointing.

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Maeghuanwen t1_jeesb2s wrote

I actually hated the ending (or most of the whole book) of As Good As Dead more.

While I kind of get why it happened I somehow still think it goes agains everything we learned from the previous books. It was unsatisfactory to me and so over the top.

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madmagazines t1_jeex927 wrote

Is AGAD worth reading if I didn’t like the second one? I also thought the 2nd one was pretty unsatisfying generally- way too much focus on Max Hastings who I didn’t give a shit about. Of all the characters in the first book she could have developed further. Also I thought Pippa profiting off the events with her podcast was nasty and OOC for someone who seemed to strive so hard for morals in the first book. Why did she even put the Reynolds story on public blast when she could have just helped them out of the goodness of her heart lol.

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Maeghuanwen t1_jeflxi4 wrote

That’s a tough one… I think if you like conclusions you should read it. From a theoretical point of view the way the knowledge is put to use (I hope I’m bout spoiling anything) is brilliant and one thing that happens is nice for a certain group of people but like you said, Pippa has strong morals and a big chunk of the book goes against that.

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lilac_mascara t1_jeetx3a wrote

The third book has an even worse ending in my opinion, the series started out strong but it went downhill so fast! Fun fact the third book has another serial killer we never heard about before.

I clocked the new neighbor being the catfish almost instantly, it was too obvius (as most things in the series are not that is necessarily a bad thing) but the reporter being the son came so out of left field it felt like it was just a twist for the sake of the book having a twist.

I honestly feel bad for the cop she accused in every book, turns out he was just an asshole. The mc went from mildly infuriating to absolutely insufferable tbh.

Overall I am frustrated by how this series went I need someone to went to. I still enjoyed it, but fuck what a way to ruin a good thing

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madmagazines t1_jeezhxw wrote

Literally. The whole Brushwick (whatever his name was) reveal was a fever dream and didn’t really feel like something that would actually happen. I don’t really see how this 10yo helped lure all these victims that were like 17 and help dispose of their bodies. Would have worked better if he was closer in age to the victims like the case it was based on.

I’m not sure I’m ready for the third book now you say it aha, is the serial killer in book 3 also an awkward pastiche for a real life case?

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lilac_mascara t1_jef2p4h wrote

Actually I can see how a 10yo could lure in the victims (i don't really remember the specifics of it in the book anymore so i could be wrong with how I'm picturing it now), helping dispose of the bodies is far fetched tough I'll admit.

The serial killer in the third book has the same mo as the duct tape killer. I can't vent my frustration with that whole storyline properly without spoiling the entire book, but it gets so far fetched it made the second book look realistic

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Codewoman1125 t1_jec0zsz wrote

I stopped reading John Grisham for this reason. He spends a whole book faffing around then in the last chapter he uses the plot ending I thought of in chapter one. It’s as though he gets tired of writing and uses the most convenient wrap up. Not creative at all.

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ScarletCaptain t1_jeeib8l wrote

Grisham studios all his book and has for years. He writes an outline and has ghost writers fill it out. James Patterson does too, but he at least credits the "co-writer."

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abandonedkmart_ t1_jecnj1g wrote

I recently read Daisy Darker and I'd have to say that one because I felt like the twist was done so poorly. The fact that well...if you read it you know...., was very heavily hinted at since the start of the book makes it pretty predictable, but there were a few other very tiny things I noticed that would have directly contradicted this twist if I read it correctly.

(Also I read The Couple Next Door a few months ago and honestly barely remember the ending. Or anything else about the book.)

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BueRoseCase t1_jedswiw wrote

God that book was stupid, I worked out the 'twist' four pages in, and the culprit right after the first murder, and I never guess any endings as I actively try not to.

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TrogdorMcfuzz t1_jedbs56 wrote

In The Woods by Tana French. I hated how it ended. A massive mystery left unsolved and just a really unsatisfying outcome.

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Gusenica_koja_pushi t1_jedlmze wrote

I really wonder why her books receive so much recommendation. I read In the woods, The likeness and some other book that now I can't even recognize by the summary on the Goodreads. The reason why these books are so popular is beyond me.

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spacelastly t1_jee3xjl wrote

I will never understand. I read two of her books and thought they were absolutely ridiculous and unsatisfactory.

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friarparkfairie t1_jeejnvm wrote

That’s what’s so good about her books. In the real world the mystery of what happened to Rob’s friends and the current case would never be connected. Her books play out as realistically as possible and I appreciate them for that.

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tommy_the_bat t1_jeejant wrote

I loved the book but yea I could've done with a little more information. Regardless she's definitely one of my favorite authors

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lizifer93 t1_jegd8a3 wrote

I LOVE this book and Tana French is one of my fave authors, but I never recommend this particular one to people because the ending is sooo unsatisfying. I understand it as a choice and respect the balls it took for a debut author to do that, but I also get how deeply frustrating it is.

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gmwzio t1_jeeatw1 wrote

YES. I spent so much time thinking about how maybe the mystery was solved if you read between the lines and I was just too stupid to figure it out. I also spent a long time on google trying to figure out if the answer comes out in a later book in the series, but nope each book is a standalone. I couldn’t continue the series I was so frustrated.

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friarparkfairie t1_jeejtv1 wrote

No but that’s what’s so good about them! In real life there would never be a connection between what happened to Rob and his friends and the current case - we only expect a connection because most mystery novels have that absurd “the two cases 20 years apart have the same culprit!” that really makes little sense sometimes.

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gmwzio t1_jeffwu3 wrote

Sure! And I’m glad you like them. But I don’t read fictional mysteries to make me feel like I’m in the real world. I’ve got enough of the real world as it is.

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FieryBush t1_jeeltoo wrote

What??? I'm almost done with the second one right now with plans to read the rest, but that's mainly because I assumed the big mystery in book 1 would be solved eventually 😭

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RayneMal t1_jebwv5e wrote

Depending on who you ask, Stephen King's Colorado Kid. It's a non-ending.

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trumpskiisinjeans t1_jeda7dd wrote

There are so many but I think Riley Sager’s newest book, The House Across the Lake is the worst I’ve ever read. I cannot keep reading his books, they are just garbage at this point.

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trap_queen1234 t1_jeey2yv wrote

The House Across the Lake was by far the worst book I read last year. I’m giving him one more chance with his 2023 book, but if it sucks as bad as The House…I’m done with him as an author!

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trumpskiisinjeans t1_jef0zoi wrote

Did you read Survive the Night? That was my “I’m giving him ONE more chance book”. I think his marketing team is amazing because his books are all so hyped but I think I’m finally done falling for it.

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tinykitchentyrant t1_jedgyzw wrote

Pretty much every Jack Reacher novel. The schtick is getting old. I think I'm done with the books.

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KimBrrr1975 t1_jec6yyl wrote

Gone Girl. Hated it. Spent the whole book wondering when I'd get to the part everyone loved so much. By the time I got to the end (light spoilers), I figured they both got what they deserved for their next miserable decades together. There was no satisfaction in the book or the ending for me, I was just annoyed and glad it was over.

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abandonedkmart_ t1_jecnut3 wrote

I tried reading Gone Girl a while ago and I gave up before anything interesting happened, because I just did not care about these people's marital troubles. Maybe things do get interesting later on, but the characters were not compelling enough for me to continue reading

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Nightgasm t1_jedcq9j wrote

What you have to realize is they are both unreliable narrators. Once you realize that the book becomes much more interesting as you try to figure out where the truth is.

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KimBrrr1975 t1_jeel19o wrote

I knew she/her journal/him were unreliable narrators. It was still boring AF and I wish I hadn't wasted the hours I did thinking it would eventually get better. I spent the entirety of the book irritated. Similar to The Davinci Code which at the time everyone also loved and I hated. On the plus side, it was the book that finally set me on the path of "If I am hating a book I'm not wasting any more time on it." which has opened the door to many more books I actually enjoy.

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VivianSherwood t1_jegt978 wrote

I'm with you, I can't understand the hype around "Gone Girl", crappy book overall and such a crappy ending. I loved her other smaller book, I think it was called Little Liars (edit the book I'm thinking about is "The Grownup")

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Eeeegah t1_jec8xws wrote

I would have shoved her ass down the stairs.

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Shanstergoodheart t1_jedlahz wrote

Not sure if it fits your criteria but I once read a book where a teen foster child has surgery and then wakes up midway through and the doctors are stunned because he has mechanical parts.

After some running away from government agents and a love interest who gets killed he faces off with this particular agent. Gets the best of this agent and then cuts his own body open so the agent can see the part. He then says something like "you want to know what I am so badly, well take one last look because you will never know and it will drive you mad" Wound heals (he also healed quickly) and buggers off never to be seen again. The book then ends.

We didn't kill your girlfriend, Protagonist why did you have to do that to us.

It's a mystery chase novel. The chase was OK but chases aren't why I read a book and the mystery is never revealed.

I now realise that I can't remember the title and that's going to bug me for the rest of the day.

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Septymusmyth t1_jedoo9v wrote

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley. Too slow plot and predictable ending.
Lock Every Door by Riley Sager. Terrible.

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greenchix t1_jeefyx6 wrote

Agreed, the Paris apartment was terrible. I cant figure out why everyone is so hyped to read it. I wouldn't reccommend it.

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Skittles7015 t1_jef124r wrote

Verity by Colleen Hoover- the entire plot of the book was a dramatic build up to the moment of truth, which ultimately never came

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momreadsalot t1_jec3uqb wrote

Shutter Island was so frustrating to me!

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tangcameo t1_jecqpqi wrote

It’s especially frustrating when you can guess the twist by page 30

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chocoboat t1_jeeqgwo wrote

Maybe I'm lucky, but predictable plot twists just don't occur to me while I'm reading. I'm just there to enjoy whatever story I'm being told, and it just doesn't occur to me to try to guess what will happen next or how the author will resolve the story.

I only think The only exceptions are detective novels where the whole premise of the book is for the reader to try to figure out what happened (I'm terrible at it), and stories with fairly obvious secrets that are extremely important to the plot (gee I wonder where that 7th horcrux could be).

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tangcameo t1_jecqt0f wrote

Didn’t Smilla’s Sense Of Snow just abruptly end?

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SillyPuttyGizmo t1_jed4g83 wrote

The Third Rainbow Girl by Emma Copley Eisenberg

Last couple of chapters just blew it up, and not in a good way

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haleymae95 t1_jedm73t wrote

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

I was all about the ~vibes~ then it got....rough

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Lumpyproletarian t1_jee9nnr wrote

Edgar Wallace - The Peculiar People. I read it in a bed and breakfast in the Lake District 50 years ago. Some absolute swine had torn the last page out and I never did find out whodunnit,

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layceelee13 t1_jeejyvw wrote

Ashley Flowers' book All Good People Here really bungled the ending. It felt rushed and incomplete. I don't even know what happened to the narrator, which is either a huge plot flaw or a clunky doorway for a potential sequel. Either way, it's a pass for me.

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zosteria t1_jeesczw wrote

The crying of lot 49. The entire plot rotates around the results of the ending which doesn’t exist. I was so mad

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trap_queen1234 t1_jeexqdf wrote

We Spread by Iain Reid

I absolutely loved the book, couldn’t put it down. But when I got to the ending, I definitely felt unfulfilled. I wanted more. Maybe that’s a good ending? But I would absolutely recommend the book to anyone despite the abrupt ending

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[deleted] t1_jegf008 wrote

Name of the game is death. Such a fast paced page turner. Then it just ends. Don’t want to ruin anything. Will just have to read for yourself. It’s a quick read.

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VivianSherwood t1_jegttg5 wrote

I disliked the ending of The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair. It had an awesome beginning and for a while it was such a page turner and I was expecting a really juicy ending but then we get that mellow, romantic ending.

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