Let's Discuss: Thriller Endings

I was reading a thriller last week, it was actually Hidden Pieces by Paula Stokes and it had a pretty good ending and then it got me thinking about the different kinds of endings I've read. There's the clear cut ending, there's the ending with some unanswered questions, and then there's usually ones that leave you wondering what just happened!

Thriller Endings

With the first ending you know the whodunit, you know their motives, you know the fates of all the remaining characters and whatnot. It's basically the perfect kind of ending. It may or may not be happy, but there are answers.

Then there's the ending where you just have a few questions left. Mainly like what happened with this character? The ones that lived but don't always get mentioned in the wrap-up. Or you didn't really get the full motivation behind the whodunit; beyond the "they're crazy" reasoning that is.

Or you get the ending where there's very little answers. Maybe the killer wasn't revealed or they got away or there was someone else involved that was only revealed in those last few pages. Ones that just kind of leave you feeling like you almost don't know what just happened or perhaps the fates of some characters were never revealed. I feel like these are rarer kinds of endings or ones you might see in a series or duology, which totally works...as long as we know there's going to be a sequel...which they don't always tell us that right away!

When it comes to which ending I'd prefer, I nearly always want the first one! I want to know the whodunit and their motives and knowing the fates of the main characters. But I do also really enjoy the third kind of ending! Those are really twisted and kind of fun! But as I said, I can only really handle those if I know there's a sequel coming! Off the top of my head, I know that I've read two of those already this year! Though so far, only one sequel has been confirmed. I guess I almost like that there's still some mystery left, even if the main pieces were solved. 

For instance, say it's a thriller with a murderer on the loose and you were pretty sure he was dead...I mean, he fell off a cliff that ended in a ravine. But then at the end, the main character gets a note or clue that makes you wonder...did said murderer survive the fall?! Those twisted kind of endings that make you wonder what if at the end of things. Ones where there's clearly more things to be told. For me, it's preferred that there will be a sequel or it's just sort of a note left behind I can do without, though a sequel would still be awesome! Those are fun kinds of reads for me.

Though the two that I am thinking of that shall remain nameless had endings that left me screaming and shouting some things...those endings were ones that had me needing more!! I am hoping that both will get sequels, as I said, one has one coming...the other hasn't been said but that one realllllly needs to get one!!! LOL.

What about you thriller readers? What kinds of endings do you prefer?