2024 novel by A. J. Finn
End of Story is a novel by American author A. J. Finn and published by HarperCollins on February 20, 2024 (United States) and February 29, 2024 (United Kingdom).[1][2] Set in San Francisco, it is a thriller about a young woman writing the biography of a celebrated crime writer.[1] The novel follows Finn's 2018 debut novel The Woman in the Window.
The book failed to make the New York Times' bestseller list,[3] though debuted at number 12 on Publishers Weekly hardcover fiction list.[4]
The same publication gave the novel a starred review calling it a "tour de force" and a "spellbinder [that] surpasses the high bar set by Finn’s bestselling debut, The Woman in the Window."[1] Chris Hewitt of the Star Tribune praised the novel's plot and scene-setting, concluding that "Finn is an assured, witty writer with a gift for entertaining description and sharp instincts."[5] Writing in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Gail Pennington noted the novel's unexpected plot twists and concluded that "Finn has crafted a book that is fresh, intelligent and — best of all — delightfully witty."[6]
The Times of London praised Finn’s talent as a “skilful stylist” for whom there is “no doubt that he can write, and well", though it noted "A cynic may think that Finn’s resolution is deliberately provocative; a critic may query the slow pacing."[7] Other reviews were also less than effusive. Writing in the Washington Post, author Nora Krug said of the story that "the plot drags on,” and “the setup is complicated," concluding that readers may "quickly be hoping for end of story.”[8]
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