Imagine being asked to ghostwrite a novel for your estranged, possibly murderous father—yeah, the setup had me instantly intrigued. Olivia’s secret past, the family chaos, and the steady stream of twists made this a total page-turner. The writing pulls you in fast, and the unhinged family drama keeps things tense and messy in the best way. Perfect vacation read—you won’t want to put it down!

I really enjoyed this book! Julie Clark has a knack for crafting suspenseful, emotionally layered stories, and this one did not disappoint. Having read her other books, I was excited to dive into this latest novel, and it kept me hooked from start to finish. The twists were smart, the characters compelling, and the writing as sharp as ever. Highly recommend to fans of psychological thrillers.

This was a perfect vacatiThis was the perfect vacation read—fast, absorbing, and just the right amount of dark. The story centers on a woman who agrees to ghostwrite the memoir of her estranged father, a famous horror author. He’s finally ready to talk about the night his two siblings were killed when they were kids, a story that made him famous but was never fully told.

As she interviews him, she starts to uncover not just what really happened that night, but the tangled history between the two of them. The story flips between the present-day interviews and glimpses into the lead-up to the murder, and the format makes it super readable and addictive.

The mystery kept me guessing, and the emotional layers—especially around the father/daughter relationship—really stuck with me. Totally satisfying from start to finish.

Julie Clark’s The Ghostwriter is a compelling blend of family drama, literary mystery, and slow-burn suspense that hooks you from the first page and doesn’t let go. The novel masterfully balances dual timelines—one rooted in the infamous tragedy of 1975, the other following Olivia Dumont decades later as she is pulled into the secrets of her estranged father, horror novelist Vincent Taylor. As Olivia agrees to ghostwrite his final book, she’s forced to confront both the legacy of a crime that tore her family apart and the man she never truly knew. Clark’s ability to weave tension into emotional complexity makes for an engrossing, multilayered read.

What elevates The Ghostwriter is its focus on character and truth over sensationalism. While it offers the intrigue of a true crime-style mystery, it’s ultimately a story about inherited trauma, identity, and the gray areas between guilt and innocence. Some readers might find the pacing more meditative than thrilling, but the emotional payoff—especially in the final chapters—is both haunting and satisfying. Clark delivers a rich, atmospheric novel that’s just as much about the power of storytelling as it is about the secrets we try to bury.

3.75 stars, rounded up

Dark family secrets, tangled timelines, and a slow-burning murder mystery that basically opens with slain teenager siblings & keeps you wondering until the very end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Landmark publisher for the digital ARC.

This one kept me turning pages, mostly because I had to know what the hell happened but don’t go in expecting a high-octane thriller. It’s more of a slow burn with a darker tone than Julie Clark usually brings, and it leans hard into the family dysfunction.

There are a lot of characters, and honestly none of them are particularly likeable, which makes it tough to fully connect. Well I guess Poppy was the exception there though she was dead at the opening. Having her POV in parts of the book was nice though. A good but not great read. Not a bad book by any means just didn’t hook me the way The Last Flight or The Lies I Tell did.
That said: the cover is absolutely gorgeous. Probably my favorite part.

I don't want to spoil anything with trigger warnings, but sensitive readers should look those up first.

This book was a very slow burn which made it hard to keep coming back to. The story was pretty good but i found myself not rooting for the main character Julie at all. She isn't very likable and neither is her father who she is writing a story about. I'm in the minority here and that is ok, i would be willing to read another book by this author bec i do like her writing style. I appreciate the opportunity to review this book.

This was my first Julie Clark novel, and I enjoyed the insight into Olivia's ghostwriter's job, along with the never-ending plot twists she faced! Writing her famous father's memoir slowly peels back so many secrets about the double murder of his siblings fifty years ago, and Olivia sacrifices a lot to get to the truth of the past. It's a quick read, and I look forward to reading other books by this author. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this great whodunnit.

Thank you to NetGalley, Julie Clark, and Sourcebooks Landmarj for an advance copy of The Ghostwriter in exchange for an honest review! The Last Flight by Julie Clark was one of my favorite reads a few years back so I was thrilled to read The Ghostwriter and it did not disappoint. We find ourselves first meeting Olivia who is a ghostwriter who has ghostwritten many books for individuals until she finds herself in some hot water with another ghostwriter. She gets requested to ghostwrite for a horror novel author who is actually her father. While she’s back home, her and her father begin to write his story and we find out that there was a lot going on back in the day in their small town. This one kept me guessing and had me hooked until the ending. This would be a great addition to your spooky season reads and when you pick up a copy, be sure to grab the one with the sprayed edges because they are fantastic! The Ghostwriter is out now!

I had high hopes for The Ghostwriter because I loved Julie Clark's past books but this one just didn't do it for me. The dual storyline about a ghostwriter writing her father's memoir -- and unsolved killings from the 1970s -- was fairly interesting but I had a hard time pushing myself through the book. It may be for others, but it wasn't my favorite.

Good story I liked the mystery, didn't love the females character and wanted a little more from her relationship. It wasn't very twisty or anything and I knew who the real killer was I was a little bit surprised at one part but not really. I'm kind of tired of books where the mom leaves the kid though.

Olivia is estranged from her only remaining family, her father. So estranged that she tells everyone that he's already dead. But when she finds herself in a bind and unable to book a ghostwriting job, she finds out that he has asked for her to help him finish his final work - a memoir. Because Olivia's father is a successful horror novelist who has long been suspected of killing his siblings when he was a teen, and now he's ready to tell the truth. Everything in her is telling her it is a bad idea to put herself back in his orbit, but if she doesn't do this, she's going to lose her house.

This was suspense-filled thriller where the danger is more in the past than the present. The story goes back and forth between Olivia in the present and Vincent or one of his siblings in the past, in the months leading up to their deaths. It lets you try to put the pieces together along with Olivia. I thought I knew what was going on a few times, but turns out I never had the full story in my grasp.

This was my first Julie Clark book, and I would definitely pick up another.

Julie Clark is one amazing writer. I loved the dual time periods, now and 1975. I was completely transported to that era. The multi POVs added even more to this story.

The complex relationships woven through were well done. The family dysfunction added so much depth to the story, leading to very well developed characters.

Julia Clark sucked me in with The Last Flight and have been reading her books ever since. The twists and turns just keep coming.
Really enjoyed The Ghost Writer and would recommend it to anybody who loves physiologic thrillers. A must read

This is definitely one of the best books I've read in 2025!

Julie Clark's done it again! She's woven a masterful tale across two timelines and through multiple POVs. I loved the father-daughter dynamic in the story and how the generational trauma played out. The book kept me guessing as to who the killer was back in the 1970s.

Even though Olivia made questionable choices throughout the book, I rooted for her. I had a lot of fun reading the book and would definitely recommend it to everyone!

Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the e-copy!

4.5/5

2.5 stars. I loved the last flight by the same author but unfortunately It took me so long to read this book and nothing happened until the end and I had figured out the twist.

I always love a cold case and this book managed to perfectly balance the mystery aspect with the emotional side to the story. It's more than just a mystery, it deals with family trauma and the main character's complex relationship with her parents, but it never gets boring or dragged down. I would highly recommend this book.

BOOK✶REVIEW

🅶🅷🅾🆂🆃🆆🆁🅸🆃🅴🆁
< @julieclarkauthor >

Oh how I love Clark’s thrillers. Two of my favorite books are by her and I’d say this one lived up to her same standards. And these edges, I’m OBSESSED! I don’t always have to get sprayed edges but for this book I HAD to.

There was a brutal slaying in 1975. Now almost 50 years later, the remaining family at the center of it all is about to release a memoir. The man, Vincent, who went from middle child to only child after the murders, is writing a book about what happened; his daughter, Olivia, will ghostwrite it. She’s his ghostwriter but is sworn to secrecy.

With a deadline looming and a diagnosis of Lewy body dementia, Olivia’s dad needs her help if he’s going to finish his book. He’s already begun suffering from symptoms of his disease and cannot finish the book without her. Though their relationship is contentious Olivia agrees to help him. Plus, she really needs that $500,000 payment.

The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark is a mind-bending thriller that’ll have you turning the pages ever so slowly so you can drag out the time it takes to read this book.

This book has all the classic elements we’ve come to love from Clark. You won’t be able to put this one down. Seriously. Freaking fabulous.

And oh little Poppy - she was just a fantastic kid who would have left her mark on this world if only her life hadn’t been snuffed out. And if she wasn’t fictional. Haha.

Listened to the audio but couldn’t find a perfect speed - I was between 2.5-3x. Loved the alternating narrators for the different parts of the book. Fab audio.

𝕄𝕖𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕒𝕓𝕝𝕖:
Bazooka gum
Getting sober to only end up dying (happens so often)
Penguin documentaries (MY FAV EVER)

𝕋𝕣𝕚𝕘𝕘𝕖𝕣𝕤:
Death of kids
Murder
Dementia (Lewy body)
Abortion
Complicated parent/child relationship

Thoughts: why is the narrative that if you get pregnant and have a kid it’ll ruin your life?! This propaganda has destroyed so much. Most of all children feeling loved. You don’t need kids get to #workering👏🏻

Mystery, family drama, twists and turns — The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark delivers. When ghostwriter Olivia Dumont is given an opportunity to work with famous author Vincent Taylor and resurrect her career, she is both elated and in turmoil. Vincent Taylor happens to be her father and she has meticulously hidden that fact for years. Famous for his horror novels, Vincent is also infamous for being the only surviving sibling in a horrific murder; accusations and suspicions abound around his innocence despite Vincent’s alibi and denial. Father and daughter are estranged but Olivia needs this job or faces bankruptcy. As Olivia reconnects with her father, she finds him difficult emotionally, and he is now suffering from Lewy body dementia. Working with him on his memoir about that horrific night when his brother Danny and sister Poppy were murdered, she begins noticing inconsistencies — confused memories, outbursts, and odd notes. But when Olivia discovers conflicting information, she questions her father’s innocence. Told in multiple perspectives and different timelines, this novel is a fascinating page turner keeping the reader engaged and second guessing throughout the book. Highly recommended!

The Ghostwriter was one of those books I couldn’t stop thinking about after I finished. It’s part mystery, part emotional family drama, and it completely pulled me in.

Olivia has spent her whole life trying to distance herself from her father, Vincent Taylor, a famous horror writer with a very dark past. When she’s offered the chance to ghostwrite his final book, she’s desperate enough to say yes, but what she doesn’t expect is that he finally wants to tell the truth about what really happened the night her siblings were killed in 1975.

The way the story unfolds is just so well done; layer by layer, secret by secret. I felt for Olivia every step of the way as she’s forced to confront who her father really is, and who she’s become because of it. The mix of tension, grief, and long-overdue honesty hit me hard.

Julie Clark totally nailed this one. If you like slow-burn suspense with emotional depth, The Ghostwriter is absolutely worth the read.

Thank you to Julie Clark, Sourcebooks Landmark, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was provided with a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Ghostwriter tells the story of a woman who, after trying to leave her past completely behind her, is called back to her hometown to help write her fathers memoir about the deaths of his siblings.

Clark is always great at creating atmosphere and keeping me guessing. I felt that this book had a bit of a lull in the middle where it felt more confusing than puzzling. Once the book go to the « twist » wow oh wow. I really enjoyed how they crafted a satisfying result that felt very true to the characters. The ending was sublime - not dragging on or leaving anything missing, a fitting wrap up.

All in all I really enjoyed this book and will definitely recommend it.