u/Kammeaa

What was that ending?

A five year old pushing her sister? There were no cameras covering the area where she supposedly fell? And after all those pages, the big reveal is that a child was sneaking into the attic and plotting against the nanny?

The whole story felt underwhelming. It easily could've been 200 pages shorter. There was so much unnecessary buildup, and the so called suspense just didn't feel convincing or logical to me.

I kept waiting for a twist that would make everything click, but instead I was left thinking, "That's it?"

Am I the only one who felt this way, or did anyone else find the ending disappointing?

Lately I've been reading a lot of thrillers, and I'm starting to get bored of the same pattern, someone disappears, everyone has secrets, and then there's a shocking twist in the last few chapters.

I'm looking for something different. It can still have suspense, but I'd love recommendations that focus on crime, theft, investigations, cat and mouse games, psychological elements, or anything that breaks away from the usual thriller pattern.

For me, it will always be My husband’s wife by Alice Feeney , Verity by Colleen Hoover & Confessions by Kanae Minato.

Verity is probably one of the worst thriller i have read. A mother writing her own life’s manuscript incorrectly just for the sake of getting into the mind of a villain! Yeah, that didn’t work well for me.

My husband’s wife felt like even the author got confused about how to end the story. There were so many loose ends that never got properly wrapped up.

And Confessions, i know it gets a lot of praise, but it disappointed me. The story became more and more exaggerated as it went on. The character felt unrealistic and a lot of their decisions felt forced, just to push the plot forward. And the ending didn’t fit the story, almost like it was added at the last minute just to wrap everything up.

I’d rate it 3/5.

The part I liked most was how the two stories were running at the same time and eventually connected. I was convinced the girl from Lola’s story was Mary from the second storyline, so the reveal that it was actually someone else caught me by surprise. Up until that point, I was really enjoying the book.

After that, it lost me a bit. The whole Wayne Booze angle and finding out he had done similar things before felt repetitive, and Drew’s over the top birthday celebration for Lola didn’t really fit for me. 
I struggled with his POV throughout the book, it was the least interesting part and felt like it dragged the pacing down.

What should I read next if I want a thriller that's actually gripping and to the point?
My current TBR has:
Misery by Stephen King
Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier
Final Girls by Riley Sager

Finally, a book that scored above 4.5/5 for me. What a read! It’s not a typical thriller, but it keeps you hooked from start to finish.
The storyline is engaging, every chapter ends on a cliffhanger, and you just keep turning the pages.

The way the book blends mystery, suspense, and a touch of the supernatural is done really well. The illustrations add so much to the story, making you feel like you're uncovering the mystery alongside Mallory.
At some point, I was convinced Mallory was actually going crazy and that Anya was Annie Barrett. But the twists kept proving me wrong, and that's what made the book so much fun to read.

And the best part? The ending was well thought out, felt justified, and tied up the loose ends without leaving frustrating plot holes.

A gripping and clever read!

Did anyone guess the twist before the ending or were you completely surprised like me?

What a letdown.
Every chapter felt like it was building toward something disturbing or shocking, and then nothing. The whole innocence child perspective theme and the “secret reveal” did not justify the slow buildup at all. The storyline felt weak and underwhelming instead of tense or thrilling.

At this point I’m convinced I keep picking overhyped thrillers because I was disappointed by
Verity
Incident around the house
And then there were none
My husband’s wife

Please recommend ACTUAL fast paced thrillers that are gripping from the start, hard to put down, and genuinely suspenseful.

What was that writing style? Not engaging at all. I somehow dragged myself till the end hoping the climax would justify the hype and leave me shocked or excited, but it was honestly disappointing.

How did Vera agree to kill herself that easily?
How did nobody notice Justice Wargrave sneaking back into Lombard’s room to return the revolver after everyone thought he was dead?
Armstrong was unbelievably dumb to trust him and help with that whole plan.
And the policemen sitting and discussing theories for pages after everything ended felt completely unnecessary.

I genuinely don’t understand why this book is treated like the greatest mystery novel ever written.
What’s your take on it? And did I miss something important that makes people love it this much?