Sunday Books and Culture - Fiction
Stephen King recommends a thriller? Yeah, read it.
THE ENDING WRITES ITSELF
by Evelyn Clarke
Published by Harper (April 7, 2026)
Paperback $18.30
Audiobook $14.99
Reviewed by Penny A Parrish
When Stephen King recommends a good mystery, as he does this one, it’s a book you should read. This story has what they call a “locked-room” plot: people are brought together in a remote place and can’t get out. They die there one after another until the culprit is the last one standing.
Several authors, none of them making much money in the publishing business, are invited for a weekend to a remote Scottish Island owned by the famous author Arthur Fletch. Fletch is a world-renowned novelist, known for his tricky plots and interesting characters. His library at the estate is filled with hundreds of books – only HIS books – translated into dozens of languages. The man has an ego.
The man is also dead, as the guests find out early on. They have been brought there to finish his final book. Each writer is assigned a room with a typewriter and a specific color of paper. Phones, laptops and iPads have been locked in a safe, so there is no communication with the outside world. The prize is a huge amount of money and a three-book deal with a major publisher.
Who are the competitors? Penn Stoneley is actually a husband-and-wife team who write thrillers. “Team” is a rather loose term as Sienna and Malcolm are facing marriage and writing problems. Millie writes for young adults. Jaxon writes science fiction. Priscilla writes romance. Kenzo writes horror and Cate, at age 22, has written a yet unpublished murder mystery. Who will write the ending? The real question is who will be alive to write the ending!
This book is great fun, with clever writing and plot twists that reminded me of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. The actual “author” is really two authors – V. E. Schwab (who wrote The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, which I thoroughly enjoyed) and Cat Clarke, a screenwriter and author of coming-of-age books. They write seamlessly together, giving readers a thriller AND a deep dive into the brutal reality of the publishing world. If you need a page-turner for this summer, I highly recommend this book. Keep guessing who the killer is (I got it wrong over and over!).
Penny A Parrish is a local writer and photographer. See her pictures.
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