The Ending Writes Itself

The Ending Writes Itself

Published

April 2026

Publishers

UK
HQ
US
HarperCollins
Brazil
Editora Record
Czech Republic
Slovart
France
Editions du Seuil
Italy
Mondadori Libri S.p.A.
Portugal
Ediciones 70
Slovakia
Slovart
Spain
Ediciones Urano
Sweden
Gondol
Taiwan
Faces
The Netherlands
Meulenhoff Boekerij
Ukraine
Vivat Publishing Ltd

‘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

'A cracking read' Val McDermid

‘Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None meets Yellowface… Great fun!’ Kate Mosse

‘A great locked-room thriller and a brilliant satire on the publishing industry’ Karin Slaughter

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…

Evelyn Clarke is the pseudonym for writing duo V.E. Schwab and Cat Clarke. 

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, author of Murdle

‘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

'Clarke has a few more surprises in store. The result is nothing short of dazzling.' Publishers Weekly