Book Review: The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke

What do you get if you strand six struggling authors on a remote island and ask them to compete for a game-changing book deal and two million dollars? In the case of The Ending Writes Itself, the answer is seventy-two hours of rivalry, suspicion, self-doubt and procrastination. Oh, and given this is a locked-room whodunnit, there’s a whole lot of murder too.

Invited to the private Scottish island of world-famous author Arthur Fletch, our six authors have no idea why or what’s awaiting them. They certainly don’t expect to be hit with the shocking news that the author who apparently invited them is, in fact, dead. Killed in a tragic accident, Fletch never finished his final novel, leaving the end unfinished and his publishing team scrabbling to salvage the most anticipated book in history. Which is where the authors come in. They have just three days to write a worthy ending that will not only conclude Fletch’s bestselling series but will also save their flailing careers.

Amongst the mid-list authors are thriller writers Sienna and Malcolm, a husband-and-wife team whose professional and personal partnership has reached breaking point. Then there’s sci-fi writer and gym-bro Jaxon, sharp-eyed horror writer Kenzo, and fellow thriller writer Cate, the young prodigy who’s only just signed with her agent. Rounding out the six are over-enthusiastic YA author Millie and poised, perpetually pink-wearing romance author Priscilla. They all want the prize but just how far will they go to win? As the clock counts down and the pressure to write mounts, someone is determined to be the last one standing at the end, even if they have to murder the competition to get there.

Inspired by their shared experience within the publishing industry and a love of whodunnits, V. E. Schwab and Cat Clarke – the writing duo who make up Evelyn Clarke – have crafted a twisty murder mystery that’s as entertaining and wry as it is devious and shrewd. It has all the hallmarks of a classic Agatha Cristie novel, complete with inventive, locked room murders, intricately woven red herrings, and scheming characters hiding their true motives. But there’s another layer to the story which shines a harsh spotlight on the world of publishing and, spoiler alert, it’s not pretty. Schwab and Clarke don’t sugarcoat the state of the industry, which can – like so many things these days – feel more like a popularity contest based on social media followers rather than genuine talent. Add in the themes of gaslighting, toxic masculinity, nepotism and the worrying rise of AI, and it’s easy to see why someone might crack.

What’s less easy to guess is just who the murderer is. The story craftily shifts between the authors’ perspectives in order to misdirect and sow the seeds of suspicion. Even the setting is designed to throw readers and unsettle the characters. The island should be a beautiful, imagination-fuelling backdrop. Instead, it acts as a pressure cooker and it’s not long before the writers’ insecurities, ambitions and jealousies rise to the surface. Whether you suspect who the killer is or not, half the fun of reading this book is trying to unravel the intertwining mysteries surrounding the competition and Fletch’s inconvenient demise.

Smart and suspenseful, with witty little nods to literary tropes and plot devices, The Ending Writes Itself shows the tough reality of what it’s really like to be a writer. It’s enough to make those merely dabbling in writing rethink their commitment to the craft. And for those of us doggedly committed to putting words on a page, this book might not fill you with hope for the future of publishing but it will at least make you realise that you’re not in this crazy struggle alone.

★★★★

The Ending Writes Itself was published by HQ on 9 April 2026