4.5/5 ⭐️
Wow. Just wow, I loved everything about this story! The whole thing had my attention and I couldn’t wait to get to the reveal. Also my theory was wrong and that made the ending more emotional and surprising. The last 10 pages had me crying but it am glad it didn’t end any other way.

I love Julie Clark's writing, and was excited to get reading on this one. It is a bit darker to me than her other books I've liked, due to the family estrangement/sick parent plot point.

The mystery that brings Olivia and Victor back together is fascinating, and I changed my prediction on who did it quite regularly. I am sad to say that one point revealed at the end was not a surprise, due to a few little breadcrumbs that were supposed to (I think?) be a red herring but to me screamed the truth. Like it was a red herring in one way, but obvious in another. However, the plot has so many revelations and clues uncovered, and Olivia did an amazing job with finding so many family treasures and/or secrets that I was not disappointed at all. The writing is fantastic and well=paced, and I was invested in figuring out what really did happen in 1975.

Suspenseful. This book was not what I expected, but I was drawn in and it is definitely a book to read.

“This isn’t just a memoir. It’s a treasure hunt—our last one—and every story is a clue.“

Blurb: After a messy social media battle, Olivia Dumont’s Ghostwriting career is left in shambles. An offer comes that could revive her career, the only catch- it’s a tell all memoir about her estranged father, Vincent Taylor. Vincent Taylor, the top selling horror novelist who is chased by the constant whispers regarding the deaths of his siblings, Danny and Poppy. Vincent is finally ready to talk about that fateful night in 1975 but he insists on his daughter telling his story once and for all. Once Olivia accepts the offer and begins to interview her father, she realizes memory is a fickle and unreliable narrator. The deeper she digs, the more questions she uncovers. But one question drives her forward - who really killed Danny and Poppy?

Ghostwriter embodies the ideal thriller-full of twists, turns, and surprises that captivate the reader. The author integrated each element seamlessly, gradually unraveling a compelling narrative. The diary and film excerpts offering glimpses into Poppy's character were particularly effective. It was tragically beautiful the way she haunted the narrative and helped Olivia tell her story. Olivia wasn’t the only one on a treasure hunt for the truth, we as the audience were too.

3.5 stars rounded down!

Overall, this was a good, fast-paced thriller! I like how the story wrapped up and some elements surprised me, however, I think when it comes to books that are more plot driven, I need to be really shocked or caught off guard by the ending for it to wow me.

I really liked Poppy's character and was glad we got some chapters from her perspective!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced digital copy!*

I really enjoyed this one. The storyline with the main character and her father and how it had shaped her life choices was really good. It all wrapped around a 40 year old mystery that the daughter ultimately solved. Highly recommend.

I enjoyed this book! The writing was really good and I liked the ending. There were multiple twists/reveals and I didn’t see them coming. They also were totally outlandish which I appreciate. I don’t think this is a book that will necessarily stick with me for a long time but I enjoyed it while I read it.

I ABSOLUTELY DEVOURED THIS BOOK! I cannot wait to read more by Julie Clark.

This just isn’t your normal thriller, it’s a dual timeline and multi point of view story that really focuses on solving a mystery and discovering history. The storyline alternates between the 70’s and current time. One of the narrator’s isn’t the most reliable because they have been diagnosed with Lou Body Dementia. The second narrator is very credible and helps the reader decipher what is and isn’t true.

Vincent Taylor, a famous author was once accused of killing his brother and sister. In turn, labeled a monster. He married and had a child. He made the decision to send her to boarding school at a young age and she decided never to return to her hometown or her father’s home again. Vincent has finally made the brave decision to share the full and accurate story about the death of his siblings but has decided to hire a ghostwriter to do so. But, not any ghostwriter will do. He is dead set on having Olivia Dumont write the story. Olivia has been out of work for a while and eagerly wants to take the job until she finds out that her father is the author that would like to hire her. She is reluctant but takes the job. She and her dad start working together to create his next masterpiece and best seller.

This was such a great book. A slow burn unraveling of a decades old double murder filled with secrets, family drama, and super 8 film. You won’t want to miss this one!

Olivia Dumont is trying to put the pieces of her ghostwriting career back together when she is commissioned by the very well known and controversial novelist Vincent Taylor. Not only is Olivia not a novelist, but Taylor is her own estranged father. He wants her to help him complete his memoir which will be a final tell all of the horrific night in 1975 when his brother and sister were murdered when they were all teenagers. Will Olivia find out the truth or is her father too far gone in his dementia?

I liked this one but didn't quite loooooove it like I did with other Julie Clark books. I sat with my thoughts after reading the last page and wondered why some plot points never wrapped up, if I had gotten the details straight, or if the author even wanted me to. The plot was fantastic, her writing is phenomenal, characters were just...ok. I didn't really LIKE or connect with any of them (except for Poppy) which definitely made it easy to put down. I honestly feel like I need to re-read it to ensure that I didn't miss any key details and because certain things seemed to not make sense. For one....why didn't Olivia have a relationship with her mom? It didn't seem to fit why that might have happened. And, on that same token, what happened with Vince and Lydia that made her run off after they had a child? Maybe the problem here was me and I missed some explanations! I do still love this author and she will be an automatic buy for me no matter what. This one just didn't knock it out of the park for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read in exchange for my honest review!

Olivia severed all ties with her father, a bestselling thriller/horror author, years ago. Now he wants her to return home to ghostwrite his memoir. He claims he’s finally ready to reveal what really happened the night his teenage brother and sister were murdered back in the '70s. But is he playing her like a pawn? And can she uncover the truth when his memories can’t be trusted?

I was gripped by the storylines, told primarily through Olivia’s narration, with flashbacks of the months leading up to the murders from the teenage perspectives of her father and his sister. I did want my jaw to drop a little more at the ending. As an avid Julie Clark fan, I usually have no idea where the breadcrumbs she sprinkles are leading. In this book, the breadcrumbs felt slightly laid out like an arrow.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a very interesting book with an unique storyline that grabbed my attention and held it from start to finish.

I recommend it to fans of suspense. It is another great book by Julie Clark.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, "The Ghostwriter" and had difficulties putting it down. The way the story was told in past and future tense was a fantastic way to piece the story together. I kept changing my mind on who it was the entire time. I really enjoyed this mystery book and will look into more books by Julie Clark.

Mysteries aren't my go-to jam. I don't try to figure things out as I read preferring the story to unfold in front of me. This was kind of a slow burn.

Olivia is a ghostwriter and she is good at it but due to some comments she made about another ghostwriter her career is not going well and she owes $700K and she may lose everything. When she finally gets an offer to write a memoir it is her father, Vincent Taylor, a horror writer as popular as Stephen King, but he is suffering from Lewy body dementia and only wants Olivia to write his story.

Olivia's mother, Lydia, left her with her father when Olivia was young and he raised her alone but he was more interested in his career. In June of 1975 Vincent's siblings, Poppy and Danny, are found dead in the home and Vincent was always a suspect. Now Olivia is trying to find out the truth before it's too late. Poppy was a budding photographer and filmed people. Did she find out things she shouldn't?

The characters were complex and I had no problem understanding Olivia's motivation. The ending wasn't a nail biter but it wasn't neat either. It just ended like it was supposed to.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me with a digital copy.

I didn’t have many expectations about Ghostwriter when I started to read. Ghost Writer was told in two periods of time - past and future. The main character was blacklisted as a ghostwriter after standing up for herself. She was on the verge of losing everything until she was offered a job. The main character had to return home, lie to everyone about what she was doing, and write her estranged father story. She has to uncover the truth to really find out what happened to her family.

This is perfect. I couldn’t stop reading. Ghost writer has you hooked from the beginning.

I’ve enjoyed Julie Clark’s previous books and this is another solid thriller.

The book is about Olivia, a ghostwriter, who agrees to help her famous but difficult estranged father ghostwrite a book about his siblings and their murders.

I enjoyed the writing and flow of the book. Clark is a masterful thriller novelist and I didn’t anticipate all the twists and turns. The characters were compelling and I enjoyed the multiple POVs.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Ghostwriter follows Olivia Dumont, a once-successful ghostwriter whose career crumbles after a public clash with a misogynistic author. Facing financial ruin, she reluctantly agrees to ghostwrite her estranged father fiinal memoir. As a bestselling horror novelist, he has lived under the shadow of accusations that he murdered his teenage siblings in 1975. As Olivia begins her work, she uncovers chilling truths that force her to confront her family’s dark past—and her own carefully constructed lies.

Clark’s storytelling shines through with multiple perspectives, primarily following Olivia in the present while unraveling the events of 1975 through the eyes of young Poppy and Vincent. This structure builds suspense, allowing readers to piece together the mystery alongside Olivia. The inclusion of Poppy’s diary entries and home movie transcripts adds an authentic documentary feel, making the investigation feel like you are right in the thick of it.

For me, the novel’s greatest triumph lies in its exploration of generational trauma. Olivia’s struggles with relationships, compulsive lying, and fear of abandonment stem from the toxic legacy of her family’s unresolved past. Clark masterfully portrays how children of notorious figures must navigate a world where their identity is forever tainted by association.

The Ghostwriter is a haunting, thought-provoking thriller that blends psychological depth with a gripping mystery. Clark’s ability to craft complex characters and weave suspenseful narratives makes this a must-read for fans of psychological drama and family dynamics. If you enjoy books that explore the corrosive power of secrets, this one will stay with you long after the final page.

Thank you Sourcebooks for my gifted ARC!

The Ghostwriter hurt my soul. I knew it would be good, because it’s Julie Clark. But what I did not expect was it to rip my heart out and stomp on it, and to mourn for these characters so profoundly. These kids. These poor kids. Talk about being failed by the adults in their lives.

There was such a tense build to this story. This was a story about secrets and memory. Grasping firmly to a story you have believed for fifty years, only to find out everything you’ve ever known was a lie. Can you imagine the heartbreak and the betrayal of your own mind, your own memory? Especially while your mind was already betraying you by way of Lewy Body Dementia. It’s tragic as hell.

Despite the shattering of my soul, I loved this book. It was atmospheric and raw, and I cannot recommend it enough.

Enjoyed this unique take on a mystery! I also appreciated that the mystery remained the main focus and plot line of the book, instead of also trying to weave in (and fail) multiple other directions. The different timelines and POVs kept the story moving along and the pacing was great throughout.

The Ghostwriter is a clever mystery and thriller novel. The story is told in multi POV, with one main character weaving together pieces of a mystery bound to her father’s past.

I loved how this story unraveled. It kept me guessing throughout the story, trying to connect the dots, and discover the true events. The ending was so satisfying, and unexpected.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this advanced reader’s copy.