A.J. Finn
publication date: Tuesday, December 14, 2021 (part of Winter 2022)
category: 
Literature
clue: Writers are fantasists by nature, but the window that this writer provided into his life wasn't what it seemed. Nor was his 2018 debut novel, which reached #1 on the NY Times best seller list, despite being a copy of another book and/or a copy of a Sigourney Weaver movie.
explanation: Finn's debut novel The Woman in the Window was an immediate #1 best seller in 2018, but it was accused of plagiarizing Sarah A. Denzil's 2016 book Saving April and the 1995 film Copycat. Finn's traumatic life story, widely reported in the press, also turned out to be mostly fabricated after a New Yorker investigation in 2019. more…
intended difficulty: hard
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Richard Slominsky, Denise Sawicki, Erik Bates, and Jesse King
Similar Goos
Karen Abbott
This best selling author has made a name for herself writing about Liars, Sinners, and a Gypsy. Go »
Clement Clarke Moore
"'Twas the Night Before Christmas," as commonly known, was this New York professor's masterpiece of tone. Although another family claimed to hear it first, this Biblical scholar's name's attached to each verse. The neighborhood called Chelsea was built on his land, and he put Greek and Hebrew within students' hands. Go »
Amanda Gorman
This award-winning writer and activist will climb a hill to change the world. She plans to run for President in 2036. Go »
Elena Ferrante
This Italian novelist has written popular books about lost daughters and brilliant friends, but she's more forthcoming about her characters than herself. Go »
Anne Rice
It only takes a minute to cook a vampire. Go »
