This locked-room mystery by Evelyn Clarke (V.E. Schwab and Cat Clarke) is a great read. It has all the elements—a remote castle on an island, no phones, mysterious deaths, a ticking clock, a storm brewing, and a group of writers competing to complete the unfinished manuscript of a famous author. We’ve seen it all before, right? 

Not like this. Any resemblance to Christie and And Then There Were None stops there. This is a very clever plot with some very witty writing. But it’s not just the plot—there were many times when I read a line and wished I’d written it first—or Mac (a character from my book) had said it first. The novel is loaded with references that will give readers who are writers an extra chuckle—or at least a smile—especially the comments about the writers of different genres. 

The characters and atmosphere are Christie-esque, as are a couple of unexpected twists at the end. Could the reader solve the mystery? I didn’t, but I was happy to be taken along on the fast-paced ride with the authors. Let me know if you worked it out.

This is definitely a book worth packing—or reading tucked up on a rainy day.