The only thing harder than writing the perfect plot twist... is surviving it.

My debut mystery novel is out now from Bantam Books!

You are cordially invited to solve this murder.

You have everything you need: the suspects, the motives, the secrets. (Do watch out for those red herrings, though.)

Every clue is right there in front of you. I've played fair—I always do.

You won't solve it, of course. Not when I'm the one writing it.

But it's oh-so-fun to watch you try. . . .

— The Writer

One dead body.

Seven mystery writers.

And they all know how to get away with murder…

In this wickedly clever whodunit, the only thing more dangerous than the setting…is the guest list—from the bestselling author of Save the Cat! Writes a Novel.

If you want to write a murder, you have to set it in the right location—like an old, converted monastery with an ominous past, hidden deep in the mountains. Then, you have to invite the right people—like a group of mystery writers attending a prestigious mystery-writing conference.

Of course, someone should show up uninvited—like the disgraced literary agent accused of stealing from his top client. Everyone in the story must be hiding something so they can all become suspects when someone ends up dead. That’s when they’ll turn on each other, digging into the past to uncover dark truths—like a book canceled on the eve of publication, two million dollars in missing royalties, and an obsessive fan with a hidden agenda.

But don’t forget to trap everyone there—a landslide should do the trick—so they can’t escape when more people turn up dead. . . .

Welcome to the perfect murder. Nothing will go wrong. Because if anyone can get away with murder, it’s a writer.

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Play The Writer's Locked Room Challenge

12 locked rooms. Each one hides a secret. The last hides the truth. And the book is your only key.

An escape-room style game you play as you read. Solve the clues to unlock:

  • Deleted scenes
  • Annotated maps
  • Suspect profiles
  • The “Master Plan” confession behind the final twist
  • And more!

All revealed as you go, so no spoilers! 

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