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The Ending Writes Itself

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The Ending Writes Itself

By: Evelyn Clarke
Narrated by: Fiona Hardingham
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Summary
The instant Sunday Times bestseller!

'My favourite book I've read this year' FIVE star reader review

'It’s great fun! A new spin on a classic mystery with plenty of humour' FIVE star reader review

'An absolute cracker of a book' FIVE star reader review

'This book had me squealing so much! I honestly could not put it down' FIVE star reader review

'I kept fighting the urge to speed through because I was having so much fun!' FIVE star reader review

* * * *

Seventy-two hours. Six suspects. One story worth killing for …

Six writers have been summoned to the remote Scottish home of iconic author Arthur Fletch to compete for the chance of a lifetime. Their challenge? Write the perfect ending to Fletch’s final unfinished manuscript and claim a fortune in cash and the chance to resurrect their careers. But this is a house built on lies, and every guest has something to hide.

When one of the writers is found dead, the line between fiction and murder vanishes completely. As the clock ticks down and suspicion spreads, the remaining guests are forced into a deadly game of cat and mouse. Every corridor contains a secret. Every clue points in a different direction. And every writer knows exactly how to play the game.

Because they all have a motive.

They all know how a murder mystery works.

And this killer knows every trick in the book …

Perfect if you love:

Murder/locked-room mysteries

Killer DEADlines

Amateur Sleuths

Deadly Competitions

Forced Proximity

Plot to Die For

* * * *

Praise for THE ENDING WRITES ITSELF:

‘In the running for the best mystery of 2026’ STEPHEN KING

‘A cracking read' VAL MCDERMID

‘Smart, original and completely addictive’ KARIN SLAUGHTER

‘There were so many things I loved about this intelligent crime novel’ RED MAGAZINE

‘Slick, sharp and wickedly fun’ LUCY CLARKE

©2026 Cat Clarke and Victoria Schwab (P)2026 HarperCollins Publishers
Crime Thrillers Literature & Fiction Psychological Satire Thriller & Suspense Scandinavia Highlander
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Critic reviews

'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
‘A hugely entertaining and thrilling locked-room thriller’ 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
‘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
'A wonderfully twisty mystery that plays with all the tropes we know so well. An absolute delight to read!' Phoenicia Rogerson
All stars
Most relevant
I listened to the end but was not satisfied. The book felt like the author wasn't sure what she wanted to say and kept changing he mind.

Convaluted and not satisfactory

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Good plot and characters ok, narration ok but didn’t really flow… that’s all I have to say - not great.

So-so

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somewhat slow for first quarter of exposition but gathers speed. complex and full of surprising turns. very much enjoyed this. could have done without last sentence.

enjoyable suprises

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I feel like this novel has gotten some pretty mixed reviews, but as a mystery lover and someone who also writes, I think this novel was pretty fantastic!

A Novel for Writers

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I liked the concept and the start was strong but it just didn’t stick the landing. The second half just didn’t hit and the final reveal was mid plus I don’t get the epilogue, it just made it more of a bad ending.

Good but didn’t stick the landing

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