The Hunting Wives Ending Explained: 5 Major Twists, Book Differences, And The Shocking Season 2 Cliffhanger

The conclusion of The Hunting Wives, whether you've read the sensational 2021 novel by May Cobb or watched the recent, highly-discussed television series, is a masterclass in suburban obsession and shocking betrayal. As of December 18, 2025, the conversation surrounding the finale has only intensified, particularly due to the massive cliffhanger in the TV adaptation that left the fate of several key characters—and the entire town of Mapleton, East Texas—hanging in the balance. The most crucial takeaway is that the series completely rewrites the killer’s identity and subsequent events, creating a fresh, new mystery for its confirmed second season.

The core of the story revolves around the murder of a teenage girl, Abby Jackson, and the toxic secrets hidden beneath the polished veneer of an elite women's social club. Understanding the ending requires a deep dive into the motives of the main players and the stark differences between the original literary source and its televised counterpart.

Key Players: The Cast of Characters in Mapleton's Murder Mystery

The narrative of The Hunting Wives centers on a small group of wealthy, powerful women and the newcomer drawn into their dangerous orbit. To appreciate the ending's twists, it is essential to know the key profiles of the characters involved in the murder of Abby Jackson and the subsequent cover-up.

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• Sophie O'Neill: The Protagonist. Sophie is a former Chicago writer who moves to Mapleton, East Texas, with her husband, Kyle, and son. She becomes dangerously obsessed with the glamorous and exclusive world of The Hunting Wives, particularly its leader, Margo. Her need for belonging drives her to make increasingly reckless decisions, ultimately placing her at the center of the murder investigation.
• Margo Price: The Queen Bee. Margo is the charismatic, powerful, and manipulative leader of The Hunting Wives. She is the object of Sophie’s obsession and the catalyst for much of the suburban drama and bad behavior. In the series, her secrets are far darker and more lethal than initially presented.
• Jill Avedon: The Rival. A fellow member of The Hunting Wives and the mother of Brad, Abby's boyfriend. Jill is fiercely protective of her family and status, making her an immediate suspect in the murder, especially in the original novel.
• Abby Jackson: The Victim. Abby is a 17-year-old girl, Brad's girlfriend, whose body is discovered in the woods where The Hunting Wives meet. Her death is the central mystery that unravels the lives of the women in Mapleton.
• Kyle O'Neill: Sophie's Husband. Kyle is a local doctor who moves his family back to his hometown of Mapleton. His relationship with Sophie becomes strained as she falls deeper into Margo’s world, and his own secrets come to light in the finale.

The Hunting Wives Book Ending: Jill's Dark Secret and a Closed Conclusion

The original May Cobb novel, a compelling suburban thriller, delivers a definitive and shocking conclusion where the killer's identity is fully resolved. The book's ending is a significantly different narrative than the on-screen adaptation, focusing on a motive rooted in family and social preservation.

The Book’s Killer Revealed

In the novel, the true murderer of Abby Jackson is Jill Avedon.

The motive revolves around Jill's son, Brad. Jill discovers that Abby is pregnant with Brad's child and refuses to get an abortion. Jill, obsessed with maintaining her family's reputation and social standing in the elite Mapleton society, sees Abby and the pregnancy as a threat to her son's future. Fueled by contempt and a desire to erase the problem, Jill murders Abby.

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The Aftermath of the Novel

The book's plot continues with a final, desperate act of violence. After the truth about Abby's death is uncovered, Jill also murders Margo Price, the woman who had captivated Sophie and driven much of the book's tension. The novel provides a closed ending, resolving the murder mystery and the fate of the primary antagonists, leaving Sophie O'Neill to process the devastating consequences of her obsession with the group.

The Hunting Wives Series Ending: Margo's Betrayal and the Season 2 Cliffhanger

The television series, which recently gained global attention, takes a sharp turn from the source material, introducing a new killer, a different motive, and a shocking cliffhanger that directly sets up a confirmed Season 2. This twist makes the series ending a much more open and complex suburban drama.

The Series Killer: Margo Price

In the series finale, the real killer is revealed to be Margo Price. The motive is entirely different from the book: Abby discovered Margo's affair with Brad, Jill's teenage son. Abby threatened to expose the scandalous relationship, which would have ruined Margo’s life and political aspirations. Margo, driven by self-preservation and political ambition, kills Abby to silence her.

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The Fatal Confrontation and Jill's Fate

Margo successfully frames Jill for the murder, leading to a tense standoff. In a dramatic twist, Jill is shot dead by Callie, another member of the Hunting Wives, who is acting on a misguided sense of justice. This action eliminates Jill, Margo's rival, and secures Margo’s survival, cementing her role as the ultimate manipulator of the group.

The Shocking Cliffhanger Finale

The final moments of the series finale introduce a major, unexpected twist involving Sophie and her husband, Kyle. After a series of events, Sophie is seen dragging Kyle's body through the woods. She pushes his body off a cliff and into the water below, suggesting she has killed her husband. The episode ends with Kyle's body disappearing, leaving viewers to question Sophie's sanity, her ultimate fate, and the true extent of her transformation from a naive newcomer to a desperate, possibly murderous, "Hunting Wife."

Book vs. Series: A Breakdown of the 5 Major Differences

The series adaptation, in its move from Starz to Netflix, made significant creative decisions to sustain the mystery and drama across multiple seasons, resulting in key deviations from May Cobb's novel.

1. The Killer's Identity: Book: Jill Avedon. Series: Margo Price. This is the most critical difference, shifting the motive from a mother's obsession with her son's future (Jill) to a powerful woman's obsession with status and lust (Margo).
2. Jill's Fate: Book: Jill is the killer and survives the initial events before being killed by Margo. Series: Jill is framed, and then shot dead by Callie in the finale, making Margo the surviving antagonist.
3. Margo's Fate: Book: Margo is killed by Jill. Series: Margo survives, setting her up as a major threat for Season 2.
4. The Motive for Abby's Murder: Book: Abby’s pregnancy and refusal to have an abortion. Series: Abby discovering Margo’s affair with the teenage Brad.
5. The Cliffhanger: Book: The story has a closed, definitive ending. Series: The finale introduces a massive cliffhanger with Sophie disposing of Kyle's body, leaving her fate and the circumstances of Kyle's death completely open for the next season.

What the Ending Means for The Hunting Wives Season 2

The cliffhanger ending of the series is not a final resolution but a deliberate setup for the next chapter of the Mapleton saga. The show has been confirmed for a second season by Netflix, with filming reportedly underway. This renewal ensures that the questions left by the finale will be the driving force of the new plot.

The primary focus of Season 2 will almost certainly be the aftermath of Kyle's disappearance. Did Sophie truly kill her husband, or was she covering up a different crime, perhaps one orchestrated by Margo? The season will explore Sophie’s psychological state and her transformation from an outsider to a desperate woman willing to commit murder. Furthermore, Margo Price, having successfully manipulated the police and eliminated her rival, Jill, will continue to wield her power in Mapleton, likely setting her sights on Sophie as her next target or accomplice. The new season is expected to feature new characters and a new murder mystery, building on the foundation of lies and secrets established by the first season's intense suburban drama.