The Ending Writes Itself

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY 2 FEB 2026

A quirky cast of wordsmiths vies for a life-altering prize in this deviously plotted satire of the publishing industry from Clarke, a pseudonym for Cat Clarke (The Lost and the Found) and V.E. Schwab (The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue). Invited to the remote Scottish island of Skelbrae by bestselling thriller writer Arthur Fletch, a half-dozen commercially challenged authors—ranging from horror writer Kenzo Gray to bubbly YA novelist Millie Mitchell—assemble in his castle for one of his legendary salons. But after all the invitees sign NDAs, Fletch's agent drops a bombshell: Fletch is dead, and the group has actually been summoned to compete in a 72-hour competition to ghostwrite the final chapter of his blockbuster Petrarch series. The winner will receive $1 million and a three-book deal with a healthy marketing budget. Soon enough, the contest morphs from battle of wits to cutthroat competition darker and twistier than the secret passageways honeycombing Fletch's castle. In the home stretch, the narrative takes a turn so head-spinning it nearly undermines the careful plotting that came before, but fortunately Clarke has a few more surprises in store. The result is nothing short of dazzling.