Lots of groans and moans about a cliffhanger at the end. God, I love it!
Many of the great authors of the 19th Century specialized in cliffhangers. Dickens and Dumas come to mind. In those days it was common for an author to be initially published not in books, but in newspapers and periodicals. Every few days, or maybe every issue, a chapter would be published. The publishers loved this, since a good story would guarantee that readers would come back and purchase the next issue, to get to the next chapter. Cliffhangers abounded, and when a story had multiple plot lines they often switched, leaving a cliffhanger to be resolved several chapters – and issues – down the pike. Only when the story was done would the book actually be published as a book.
No, I do not consider myself anywhere near the level of those writers. I do enjoy their writing, though, and enjoy their technique.