Trope: ‘Always the one we didn’t suspect.’ (Thrillers/Crime/Mystery)
I’ve read quite a few crime and thriller novels this year, and I absolutely hate the way of going back and forth between three or so suspects and then most last minute twists always end up with “oh it was the protagonist’s father” who was the killer. It’s always someone close to them, and who aren’t actively involved in the story until the end. Then BAM! You didn’t see that coming, did you?
Can we please start playing it more straight, having it make sense? It’s so unbelievably stupid to have these last chapter twists all the time, turning pretty decent plots into cheap shock value only. And after reading a few books you know what to look for.
I love twists, but it’s formulaic as hell most of the time even when the stories were great up until that last twist they just had to put in there.
I read Dark Matter this summer and was initially very impressed by it, by how well thought out the plot seemed mostly… And half a year later I have no idea what the main character was called or what he was like.
It was a fun read, I enjoyed it - but I can barely recall anything.
Nothing wrong with that, but it isn’t something that will stay with you.