Can a Bad Ending Ruin a Good Book?

Can a disappointing ending ruin an otherwise good book?

In my opinion? Yes, because endings matter so much in crime fiction and psychological thrillers. When you read a thriller, you’re not just reading for atmosphere, character, and tension — although all of those are important. You’re also trusting the author to deliver the promises made to the reader in the previous chapters. The ending of a novel should make you think, ‘Of course! I should have seen that coming, except I didn’t.’ That’s a tough trick to pull off. The ending has to feel surprising, but not ridiculous. Satisfying, but not too neat.

Critics often accuse Stephen King of being brilliant at premises, characters, and dread, but less reliable with his endings. While I enjoy his books, I have to agree. Sometimes his last chapters are weak and fall flat. I don’t think this means the story has no value — far from it. Sometimes the plot and the tension are so strong that I can forgive a wobbly last act, even if it’s a little unsatisfying.

What I dislike, however, is the feeling that the book has avoided its responsibilities. I’m referring to the idea that the author guides the reader in the opening chapters on what to expect. A crime novel that opens with a dead body, a grieving family, and some strange circumstances? The reader wants the killer caught and those weird clues explained because that follows the well-established and expected story arc. Having the murderer evade justice, the police investigation scaled down, and the crime remain unsolved wouldn’t be a satisfying read.

Exceptions exist, of course — Patricia Highsmith’s Tom Ripley character in ‘The Talented Mr Ripley’, or Jeff Lindsay’s Dexter novels. In these novels, the murderous protagonist doesn’t get his comeuppance, but there’s a crucial difference. With Tom and Dexter, their exploits form the foundation for the story, so the expectations set by the author are different.

As for books in a series, I mentioned in a recent post how much I disliked the fantasy novel I read for my book group. One reason was that by the end, I felt the author was so busy setting things up for the sequel that she rushed the ending and left many questions unanswered. Yes, it’s possible they’ll get addressed in the next book, but the author didn’t even refer to them, so how would I know? A series can leave doors open, but I still think each book should deliver its own emotional and narrative payoff. Otherwise, it feels less like an ending and more like a trailer for the next instalment.

What about you? Can you forgive a disappointing ending if you enjoyed the rest of the book — or does an unsatisfying finale ruin the whole thing?