The Ending Writes Itself

‘In the running for the best mystery of 2026’ Stephen King

Evelyn Clarke is the pseudonym for Number One Sunday Times bestselling author V.E. Schwab, and screenwriter and YA author Cat Clarke.

SELECTED FOR 2026 ONES TO WATCH:

Daily Express, Daily Mirror, Radio Times, BBC News Online, Stylist, Scotland on Sunday, The Herald Scotland, My Weekly, The Scotsman, Muddy Stilettos Berkshire

‘A cracking read' Val McDermid

‘Smart, original and completely addictive’ Karin Slaughter

‘And Then There Were None meets Yellowface’ Kate Mosse

* * * *

It’s the perfect plot. All it needs is a killer ending.

Six authors.

One private island.

Seventy-two hours to write the ending.

* * * *

World-famous author Arthur Fletch is dead. His final novel, the most anticipated book in history, remains unfinished. But the ending won’t write itself.

When six struggling authors are invited to Fletch's private Scottish island and presented with the opportunity of a lifetime, the plot thickens: whoever writes a worthy ending will receive a game-changing book deal and two million dollars.

Why have they been chosen to attend? Who is behind the invitation? And just how far would they go to secure a place on the bestseller list?

They have just seventy-two hours, a typewriter and a blank page. All they have to do is write…

Starting is often the hardest part. But getting to the end could be murder.

* * * *

‘Hugely entertaining and thrilling'' B A Paris

‘Full of twists and turns … A must-read for any mystery fan!’ G.T. Karber

‘Fiendishly clever and compulsively readable… An absolute must read’ Ellery Lloyd

‘Funny, razor sharp and scarily relatable’ Sarah Crossan

‘A wonderfully twisty mystery that plays with all the tropes we know so well. An absolute delight to read!’ Phoenicia Rogerson


Genre: Mystery

"I was absolutely hooked from the beginning and then practically inhaled the rest of the novel. It's funny, razor sharp and scarily relatable! I laughed and I winced. I hated and adored seeing my friends in publishing portrayed so cleverly/accurately/sardonically. The twists and turns are gorgeously unexpected and the characters brilliantly drawn. I just know readers will LOVE it as much as I did." - Sarah Crossan

"In the running for the best mystery of 2026. With a trove of tropes that mystery lovers will love, it will remind you, in the best way, of Agatha Christie." - Stephen King

"Fiendishly clever and compulsively readable, The Ending Writes Itself is both a page turning locked room mystery and a gimlet-eyed look at the business of writing books. An absolute must read." - Ellery Lloyd

"A cracking read." - Val McDermid

"Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None meets Yellowface, this is a quirky murder mystery full of quirky characters and satisfying twists. Great fun!" - Kate Mosse

"A hugely entertaining and thrilling locked-room thriller." - B A Paris

"A wonderfully twisty mystery that plays with all the tropes we know so well. An absolute delight to read!" - Phoenicia Rogerson

"Smart, original and completely addictive. . . . The Ending Writes Itself is both a great locked-room thriller and a brilliant satire on the publishing industry. An absolute must-read." - Karin Slaughter