Jean Hanff Korelitz's mystery thriller, "The Plot" (2021) delivers another surprising twist. In addition, there's the trials and tribulations inherent to writers. Jacob "Finch" Bonner is an aspiring writer; a one hit wonder who wonders if he'll ever achieve his dreams of becoming a celebrity author, garnering Oprah's stamp of approval while filling auditoriums full of fans of his fiction. Jacob attains the glory he aspires to but his ability to revel in the accolades of fame are shrouded in guilt and shame. Sliding down the ladder of success, Jacob lands a teaching job at a subpar University. It's here Jacob meets Evan Peters, an arrogant student who claims he has a sure thing in the story he's writing. Evan's haughtiness is not unfounded. Evan reluctantly reveals the plot to Jacob who concedes the story is too fascinating to fail. "The Plot" progresses three years finding Jacob teaching at an even more remote program scraping to earn a living and failing to deliver a literary winner. A new, brassy student causes Evan to wonders whatever become of Evan and his promising book. Going on the internet Jacob discovers Evan died shortly after the semester he was his student. Furthermore, there are no indications of Evan's fledgling book having been published. There's no mystery whether Jason intends to steal the plot. Jacob is convinced he can turn Evan's idea into a best-seller with his own stellar writing. Jacob surpasses his own expectations with the favorable outcome from this book reaching massive sales and a deal turning the book into a movie directed by Spielberg. On a promo tour for the book, Evan meets broadcast producer Anna. Jacob invites Anna to visit him in NYC which quickly leads to their moving in together and becoming tethered. Anna realizes Jacob is stressed or maybe depressed and asks her husband to be forthcoming with her. Jacob unburdens his worries. He's been receiving messages from a "Talented Tom" accusing him of plagiarism and threatening to expose him. Anna also receives a message from "Talented Tom" and Jacob admits to her the truth, he "appropriated" the idea. Jacob's publishers provide him legal counsel but Jacob does admit the idea for the plot was not his own. Instead, Jacob plans to find whose threatening him and confront the person despite Anna's pleas not to pursue this dangerous strategy. Korelitz wrote the best-seller book, "The Undoing" which was made into a gripping HBO series starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant. "The Plot" is being made into a mini-series which is sure to please. The novel moves quickly between events in Jacob's life, excerpts from his book and Jacob's own detective work. "The Plot" succeeds as a writer character study, beguiling mystery and clever duplicity; a story within a story.
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