Who is the author Evelyn Clarke?

Evelyn Clarke is a pseudonym for the collaborative writing duo of V.E. Schwab and Cat Clarke, who joined forces to write this novel despite both having previously sworn off co-writing projects.

Does this book contain fantasy elements?

This novel is a departure from the fantasy genre often associated with V.E. Schwab, as it is a grounded mystery and satire focused on the publishing industry.

The Ending Writes Itself

Reader reviews of The Ending Writes Itself

Sienna Cowen · 2026-08-13T06:27:52.000000Z

⭐⭐⭐.5 ✦ TLDR ✦ If you liked a locked room mystery with vibes of <i>Yellowface</i> and <i>Knives Out</i> you will probably enjoy this. I wasn't bored at any point in the story, but I also wasn't gripped. The characters were well written, but the twist at the end fell a little short for me. Overall I would still recommend it, just keep your expectations in check, especially if you are already a fan of V.E. Schwab. ✦ Writing ✦ This book had a lot of commentary on the publishing industry that I found super interesting. The authors really pulled back the curtain and gave us a taste what it is like being an author. I feel however the writing was good, but not what I would expect from V.E. Schwab, who's other work I have thoroughly enjoyed. I haven't read anything from Cat Clarke before, but I just feel like I wasn't sucked into the story. ✦ Pacing ✦ The pacing was strange for me, I feel like nothing happened for the first 50% of the book and then BAM it all went down. It was a little unsettling (in a good way) to be reading that first half, knowing very well that this is a locked room mystery and something is about to happen. I would have preferred if at least a little more happened in the first half, I feel like that would solve my issue about the story not being as gripping as I hoped. ✦ Characters ✦ The characters were done very well, I found quite a few of them intriguing. Also, bonus points for having a character named Sienna (I never see my name in a book, how exciting!). I liked that each character almost lived up to their genre, their thoughts very reminiscent of a typical character in the genre. I would like to thank NetGalley and the crew at Harlequin Australia for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Crime Mystery

Pages: 340
Published: 2026
Language: English

Synopsis

Six struggling authors are invited to a reclusive genius novelist's private island, only to discover he's dead and his last book is unfinished. They have 72 hours to write a worthy ending for a huge prize. This mystery promises a killer plot where everyone is a suspect and the stakes are incredibly high.

4 reviews

How it reads

Tense Atmospheric

Locked Room Betrayal Rivals Mystery Box

Prose complexity 7/10

Genres

Characters

Arthur FletchSupporting

Priscilla Renee FoxSupporting

Jaxon KnightSupporting

KenzoSupporting

Rufus BeaumontSupporting

All characters in The Ending Writes Itself

Subjects

Cozy Crime & Mystery Genre Fiction International Crime & Mystery International Mystery & Crime Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Thrillers & Suspense Writing, Research & Publishing Guides

Places

Scottish island

About the author

Evelyn ClarkeCrime · Mystery

Frequently asked questions

Who is the author Evelyn Clarke?
Evelyn Clarke is a pseudonym for the collaborative writing duo of V.E. Schwab and Cat Clarke, who joined forces to write this novel despite both having previously sworn off co-writing projects.
Does this book contain fantasy elements?
This novel is a departure from the fantasy genre often associated with V.E. Schwab, as it is a grounded mystery and satire focused on the publishing industry.