Delete! Delete!

Can you tell I’m angry? I bought a book last night – something from an author I hadn’t read before – and I was so disgusted at the end that I immediately deleted it from my Kindle. The author broke the reader’s trust by not finishing the story. Indeed, she threw in a few lines on the last page that entirely changed the course of things and made me feel I’d been given a rude finger gesture, a big smirk, and ‘Ha Ha – you’ll have to pay more money now if you want to know what happens.’

Never again, baby. Never, ever again with you. The book was described as Book One in the series, not as a serial. I’ve no problems with serials. You know what you’re getting… something deliberately written in parts and released progressively so you can follow along at your own rate, or wait until all the parts are available to read sequentially.

So – one less-than-flattering review coming up.

I think it’s really important for authors to keep faith with their readers. If a book is billed as a romance, you need to finish with either a Happily Ever After or a Happily For Now – depending on the plot. Book descriptions shouldn’t indicate exciting thrillers when they’re cosy mysteries. Or be touted as medical dramas when they’re tepid drawing room things with maybe one character who’s a doctor.