The best books in action movie the genre features satisfying final twists, but some of them really go off the rails with their big reveals. It’s a thriller’s job to surprise readers with its ending. In a genre that aims to shock, this is not always an easy task. Some authors approach this by meticulously crafting red herrings before solving their biggest mysteries, while others go the extra mile to come up with unexpected endings.
These efforts to deliver surprising twists sometimes cause thrillers to go off the rails. These narrative shifts can sometimes benefit the stories they are a part of, but they can also be jarring. Whether such wild developments resonate with readers often depends on preference. Those who don’t mind suspending disbelief for a big twist will find books with these endings exciting. And some additions to the genre still maintain their bizarre narratives throughout most of their run, making them fun and exciting reads.
10
The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager
A supernatural twist that’s only subtly set up
Several of Riley Sager’s thriller books contain supernatural elements, including her 2024 release Middle of the night. However, House across the lake there doesn’t seem to be anything overtly supernatural going on for about 70% of the book. This makes Sager’s ending that much more shocking when it finally arrives. After all, most readers don’t expect Katherine’s disappearance to be explained by a body-snatching serial killer taking control of her body.
Sager’s surprise ending is sure to be divisive.
The house across the lake establishes the lore behind this twist during one of their previous conversations. However, it’s so subtle that even the most experienced thriller reader might miss it. Sager’s surprise ending is sure to be divisive. Some thriller readers may welcome the strange introduction of the supernatural in this 2022 thriller. Others will likely find the tone inconsistent with the rest of the book – although that’s what makes it so memorable.
9
The Maid, by Freida McFadden
An ending that inverts expectations
The maid by Freida McFadden gets a lot of hype on BookTok, and its success has even spawned several sequels. This domestic thriller starts off quite normally: a young woman named Millie starts working as a maid for a well-to-do couple and then realizes that something is deeply wrong in their home. The maid spends most of his season portraying his wife, Nina, as the villain. However, the book’s ending is a problem, revealing that Andrew Winchester is the one Millie should be worrying about.
This in itself isn’t particularly shocking, but the reasons for the Winchesters’ behavior are well known. Nina treats Millie the way she does, as a means of escaping her abusive marriage, and the elaborate planning she puts into this makes this book incomprehensible on its own. The efforts Andrew goes to to torment Millie and Nina are equally disturbing, and the fact that his mother is so flippant about his – and her – abusive behavior is also shocking. Needless to say, this book seems strange, especially because its characters are extremely terrible.
8
Hidden Images of Jason Rekulak
Jason Rekulak Hidden images is a thriller that completely changes direction in its last actthrowing in a big surprise that doesn’t feel entirely consistent with everything that’s come before. The book follows a live-in nanny as she becomes increasingly concerned about the drawings of the child she is caring for. And it’s unclear for much of the novel whether there’s anything supernatural at play, but Rekulak trades the novel’s horror tendencies for something much more twisted and difficult to predict.
The end of Hidden images reveals that Teddy, who is portrayed as a boy for most of the book, is actually a girl. Teddy”country“are not really who they claim to be and try to cover up their kidnapping by changing Teddy’s gender and identity. The fact that no one – including Mallory – notices this is pretty wild, but the twist also comes out of nowhere after so much time spent with ghosts in Potential While some readers enjoyed the ending of this 2022 release, others criticized its approach to sensitive topics like gender.
7
We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer
A one-two punch that bends reality
We used to live here It’s a mind-blowing story from start to finish, and Marcus Kliewer’s surprise ending went off the rails in the best way possible. Some books go too far with their bizarre endings, but that’s not possible for We used to live here. After all, a reality-bending story like this is bound to end in a way that feels shocking and unconventional – and Kliewer’s debut is a thriller that doesn’t disappoint. After a story in which Eva seemingly jumps from reality, she ends up suffering the same fate as Thomas’s sister, Alison.
This may inspire readers to attribute everything that happens in the book to Eve’s mental state, but We used to live here ends with two final twists that strongly support that what she is experiencing is real. These take We used to live hereThe conclusion goes from good to great, and they prove to be a completely bonkers way to end Kliewer’s story. The fact that it’s still somewhat ambiguous makes it even more fun.
6
The First Lie Wins, by Ashley Elston
A strange ending that could spawn a sequel
The first lie wins is another 2024 thriller that starts strong and gets wilder and wilder while continuing. With its off-the-rails premise, it’s no surprise it has such an incredible ending. The first lie wins follows a woman named Evie Porter as she infiltrates the life of her new boyfriend, Ryan, on orders from her boss. But Evie is also working on her own agenda throughout the book, and this culminates in a shocking but empowering ending for the character.
The first lie wins‘The conclusion could easily set up a sequel, but it’s a winner as is, and that’s largely due to Ashley Elston’s willingness to take risks throughout the novel.
Evie’s confrontation with her boss, Mr. Smith, will keep readers on edge even after its resolution – which is probably the strangest turn the book could take. It’s a wonder that Evie leaves the story where she appears, but her new role certainly exceeds expectations. The first lie wins‘The conclusion could easily set up a sequel, but it’s a winner as is, and that’s largely due to Ashley Elston’s willingness to take risks throughout the novel.
5
Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough
A thriller that surprises readers
Behind her eyes has a reputation built on its final twistwhich is often praised as one of the most unpredictable games out there. The reason this is so difficult to predict is because Sarah Pinborough throws a curveball at readers by using the concept of astral projection to do so. After what appears to be a straightforward domestic thriller narrative, the introduction of this twist completely upends everything readers think they know about this story.
Although Pinborough’s ending is now available, it is among the most unique additions to the thriller genre in the last decade.
The end of Behind her eyes it won’t be for everyoneas the twists will feel strange to those looking for a more grounded domestic thriller. Those who don’t mind big tonal shifts, however, might be impressed by this one. Although Pinborough’s ending is now available, it is among the most unique additions to the thriller genre in the last decade.
4
Everybody’s Watching by Heather Gudenkauf
A reality show story that turns into something more
Everyone is watching by Heather Gudenkauf is a reality TV thriller, following five characters as they compete on a show called One lucky winner. Naturally, there are ulterior motives behind these competitors coming together, but Gudenkaf’s Big Reveal Feels Overwrought – Even by Thriller Standards. The mastermind behind the book’s revenge story has flimsy reasons for staging it, though those willing to ignore the bizarre nature of the motives and twists will enjoy this fast-paced, entertaining story.
Things get out of control quickly for the competitors involved in the One lucky winner, and this culminates in some truly wild scenarios at the end of the book. Everything from the big twist to the events leading up to it seems to be out there. Of course, tThat’s part of what it does Everyone is watching such an exciting ride.
3
The Silent Bride by Shalini Boland
A thriller that’s been available from the start
The Silent Bride has one of the most intriguing thriller premisesand it is short enough to be read in just a sitting or two. The whole story feels off the rails as it follows a main character who walks down the aisle on her wedding day – and realizes she doesn’t recognize the man standing there. Although he appears to be her fiancé, Alice can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong. And the ending confirms that something is very wrong with the whole scenario. Of course, with such a strange setup, it’s inevitable that the explanation will be equally bizarre.
The Silent Bride It’s a must-read for anyone who likes thrillers that push the limits of what’s believable.
And Shalini Boland offers a strange explanation for Alice’s situation that ties everything together surprisingly well. The Silent Bride It’s a must-read for anyone who likes thrillers that push the limits of what’s believable. His big turnaround is on par with that of Behind her eyes in terms of weirdness and shock value.
2
Obsession with Amanda Robson
Amanda Robson Obsession is another thriller with a crazy premiseseeing a simple conversation between a husband and wife getting completely out of control. The psychological thriller begins with Carly asking her husband, Rob, who else he would be with if he had the opportunity. As the book’s title suggests, this begins a contrived narrative of obsession and jealousy – although it involves two other characters, and it’s difficult to tell who is trustworthy and who isn’t as the book continues.
Obsession has many engaging twistsand it’s hard to look away from them, even as these couples prove increasingly unpleasant. The ending is much darker than readers expect, derailing the train wreck that is these characters’ lives in spectacular fashion. Obsession It’s worth reading, as it effectively captures the book’s main theme – the one alluded to by the title.
1
The Widow of Paris, by Kimberly Belle
An off-the-rails narrative from start to finish
The widow of Paris is another book that starts out like any other domestic thriller, but quickly reveals itself to be so much more. Following a couple on their trip to France, the story begins with an explosion followed by the disappearance of the heroine’s boyfriend. Stella is determined to discover Adam’s disappearance, especially after learning that he is hiding the fact that he is a “dealer in rare and stolen antiquities.“As she sets out to find out what really happened to him, Kimberly Belle launches several surprises for readers.
And things get more and more confusing as The widow of Paris unfolds, with Stella and Adam proving to be far more outrageous characters than the book initially lets on. This is another novel that may require readers to suspend disbelief, but it’s worth doing so for the thrill. Those looking for off-the-rails narratives to dive into should continue The widow of Paris on your radar, like 2024 action movie the book fits the bill from beginning to end.