The third reader dropped their copy of The Last Track in the mail Thursday night, so we can review their feedback early next week via phone. I don’t know exactly what they thought–how marked up the manuscript might be–though here’s a extract from an email they sent informing me they finished:

“I’m glad that you picked a ( #redacted by Sam# ) because I thought it was a mistake to leave it open ended. And I’m glad you went with ( #redacted by Sam# ) we knew pretty well and didn’t suspect, because that made the surprise better. All in all I think it’s really good.”

In a few brief sentences, they not only affirmed the new ending works, which for a thriller is the entire point, but that the ending is credible, and an improvement over a previous iteration. For those keeping score, The Last Track had seven different endings since 2004, including three no one read. Or will read, for that matter.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, endings are everything to me. I enjoy nothing more than leading an audience down a road, engaging them with a rapid fire plot, all the while dropping subtle breadcrumbs that precipitate an unexpected conclusion–forging a crescendo that is feasible and shocking at once. That’s my goal, anyway.

Which is why M. Night Shyamalan’s Sixth Sense and Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris are my gold standard for suspense and twist endings. Their work marks the caliber and height of rungs I’m reaching for. To surprise above all else, to surprise I must…