It has been revealed that the 2026 mystery novel The Ending Writes Itself, published earlier this year under the pseudonym Evelyn Clarke, was in fact a secret collaboration between the acclaimed fantasy and thriller writers V.E. Schwab and Cat Clarke. The disclosure matters because the book had already become one of the year's biggest mystery releases and reached The New York Times bestseller list before readers knew the identities behind it.

The novel follows six struggling writers who are invited to a secluded private Scottish island by Arthur Fletch, a reclusive bestselling author famed for his ruthless plot twists and iconic literary creations. On arrival, they find that Fletch is dead and his final novel is unfinished, setting up a race against time to complete the manuscript. The self-referential premise, described by the article as feeling like a mystery crafted by someone steeped in the genre, has helped fuel the book's success and the intrigue around its authorship.