As a huge fan of this author’s earlier books, The Last Flight and The Lies I Tell, I had high hopes for The Ghostwriter. Those hopes, unfortunately, fell when it took me several attempts to even begin the book, unlike the author’s previous works, which grabbed me immediately,

Once I was able to actually start reading the book, I was surprised to find myself not enjoying the story as much as I had expected. First, it wasn’t a thriller, but a mystery about a double murder that had taken place 50 years prior. Not a problem, just different. Next, I simply did not like any of the characters and really didn’t care what happened to them. The main character of Olivia, especially, seemed rather dull and listless. The book also felt repetitive and long-winded. It seemed to just ramble around a bit at times. Definitely not my favorite work by this talented writer.

My copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review it.

Was thrilled when I received this galley, having enjoyed all the author’s previous books, and this did not disappoint. Tore right through it - not only Clark’s signature quick pace and twists and turns, though also enjoyed the unfolding of the MC’s complicated relationship with her father. Clark will continue to be a must-read for me.

I’m a BiG fan of Julie Clark and I’m excited to say she does not disappoint in her latest. I’m just blown away by her writing and storytelling abilities. I loved the characters, strong females (Poppy & Olivia). A complex family with long buried secrets. I loved the multiple povs and timelines. Clark took me back to 1975 and I felt like I was right there. It all comes together in a banger of an ending. This was great from start to finish. Thriller/suspense fans MUST not miss this!

When I say, I had to force myself to put this book down, I’m not exaggerating, even a little bit.

I was so engrossed in this book, I was staying up late to finish the next chapter or to see where the next twist was coming. I seriously think this is in the running for one of the best books of the year so far. The mystery was super engaging, the characters were great…… but I’m getting ahead of myself.

Olivia Taylor Dumont left home for boarding school at 14 and never looked back, leaving behind her famous, or shall we say infamous horror author father Vincent Taylor, who has been plagued by rumors since he was 16 years old that he was responsible for the murders of his siblings in 1975. He never commented on the matter which only fueled speculation. Now a ghostwriter, Olivia finds herself in financial trouble after a small scandal herself, when the call comes from her agent that Vince Taylor specifically requested Olivia to help him write his next book. But the project is not one of his famous horror stories. It is a super secret project: a memoir about his youth, finally revealing what happened all those years ago.

The set up of this book was so intriguing that I immediately knew I had to read it. And wow, the author really delivered. Not only does it give us this awkward reunion between a mysterious father and his heartbroken daughter, but there’s and added element in there that I won’t spoil for you, even though you learn it pretty early on in the book. It creates this whole mystery around Olivia’s father and how the memoir will turn out.

The story as well takes some twist and turns as Olivia does her own investigating surreptitiously while talking to her father and getting his point-of-view, as her contract states that she cannot talk about the book with anyone. So we learn from various angles what exactly happened back in 1975, and when the picture finally comes together, it’s a shocking revelation that just blew my mind.

This book was just a perfect mystery from start to finish in my mind. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great read, especially as summer gets underway.

I can’t recommend it enough.

The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark is the kind of thriller you’d want every book you read to be! This book has it all…2 murdered siblings right at the start of the story, intriguing characters, different POV, and a mystery that’s pieced together over time like a puzzle. I really enjoyed learning about the relationship of Olivia and her father as she returns to his home to help him write his book. There’s tensions there that really sell the doubt she has on her father’s innocence in the murders of his 2 siblings when they were younger. The townspeople’s doubt on his innocence,, even though he was never charged due to having an alibi, also raises our suspicions as the reader as we gather all of the information from the different POV. There wasn’t a boring or unnecessary part of this story. It’s written so incredibly well, with twists and turns that I didn’t even see coming. And the end? It’s rare to have an ending that I as the reader feel satisfied. This nook though, I wouldn’t change a thing! Can’t wait to recommend for my book club so we can discuss!

As a ghostwrite, what would you do if you were asked to write your father's memoir? Yes? What about if it's believed he murdered his two siblings? OH, he also has dementia. Mix that all together and you get a recipe for disaster, or in this case, a really good book.

I throughouly enjoyed this one. The end leaves you guessing and wondering what actually happened. Read it and tell me who you think did it!

This book is part family drama, part murder mystery, centered on a long-estranged father and daughter. The father, a famous author, is facing a recent diagnosis of Lewy body dementia. The daughter, a ghostwriter with her own career troubles, takes a job helping him write what may be his final book-even though they haven't spoken in years.
Their shared project unearths decades-old family secrets, including a shocking truth about a murder the daughter always believed her father committed. Set in a small town shaped by rumors and silence, the story explores grief, forgiveness, and the complicated love between parents and children.
Personally, having lost my own papaw to Lewy body dementia, parts of this hit deeply. That said, the portrayal of the disease didn't quite align with reality, which pulled me out at times. Not a dealbreaker, but noticeable.
Still, this was an emotional, layered read —and if you've experienced a loved one fading in and out of memory, it'll likely strike a chord.

I really enjoyed The Ghostwriter! Olivia is a ghostwriter in need of work after getting herself into a bit of a professional scandal. Lucky her, a job falls in her lap in the form of her famous author father, who’s writing a memoir based on the murders of his brother and sister back in the 70s—crimes for which he’s been under suspicion as having committed himself for over fifty years.
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Secrets and family drama and lies, oh my! As Olivia researches the past, aided by her ailing father’s memories and notes and one of the victim’s old videos and diary, we get a picture of sibling turmoil, strained relationships, and precarious family dynamics. The story builds and builds and is layered with chapters set in the past that really add to the tension.
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I thought the middle dragged the tiniest bit, but once we hit 80% I couldn’t put it down! Those final Poppy and Vincent chapters hit with a bang and I loved the ending! The last chapter was surprisingly poignant and moving. 👏
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Four enjoyable stars! Thanks a million to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the arc!

I really wanted to love The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark, but unfortunately, it just didn’t pull me in the way I had hoped. The premise was intriguing, and Clark’s writing is solid, but I found it hard to connect with the characters and the pacing felt slow in parts. There were moments of tension and insight, but overall, the story didn’t grip me or leave a lasting impact. A decent read, but not one that stood out for me.

A good, slow burn thriller. I thought I maybe had it figured out but this was an interesting ride trying to figure out what actually happened. More depth than your typical popcorn thriller.

I love when a thriller keeps me guessing on what is fact and what is fiction, and The Ghostwriter had me doing that until the end. Add in the multiple point of views you get with the flashback chapters and this was another winner from Julie Clark for me!

Olivia is a ghostwriter who is struggling with getting writing gigs and could really use the money since she got herself into a bit of trouble. When she gets the call that the famous writer Vincent Taylor wants her to ghostwrite his memoir, she isn't thrilled about it, because Vincent is her father who she has been estranged from for years. When Olivia and Vincent reunite, she learns that the book she thought she was writing is not the one Vincent wants to tell, he wants to share with the world what really happened when his brother and sister died in the same night.

I liked that Vincent was set up as an unreliable narrator as he shared his family's story with Olivia. Every time she thought she was getting a peak into the past, something happened to make her dismiss everything she learned and it kept me guessing with what really may have happened to Poppy and Danny on that fateful night in 1975. While I did start to piece some things together, the outcome of everything did take me by surprise.

The Ghostwriter was another wonderful novel by author Julie Clark. This is the second I’ve read by this author, and I was not disappointed. This book is a slow burn, family, drama, thriller of sorts that just keeps pulling you in.
The twist and turns were believable, and I found myself eagerly looking forward to picking up the book again and reading more. This is definitely a go to author for me, and I will be looking for other books by her..

#theghostwriter #netgalley

Since reading Julie Clark's previous books, The Last Flight and The Lies I Tell (my favorite), I've been a big fan of her writing. Her latest novel, The Ghostwriter, is another winning story. It's a brilliant, mysterious novel that keeps the reader intrigued and guessing until the end. Getting the perspectives from three of the characters made the story even more interesting. I didn't feel connected to (or even liked) any of the characters, which is the main issue I had with the novel. Also, it seems that so many novels these days, including this one, include as many social/political issues in their books, and they're appearing formulaic. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of the book to read and review.

Julie Clark's latest thriller kept me reading. While there are some weak plot points, the intrigue was enough to keep me turning pages. Unreliable narrators and many suspicious characters will keep readers guessing. This would make a good book club discussion book.

Famous author of horror novels Vincent Taylor is dying. He requests a ghostwriter to help him complete his final and last book, a memoir of his life. Olivia Dumont has not seen or spoken to her elusive father in years. She was sent to boarding school at 14 years old and never went home again. With a different last name, Olivia, also a writer, has slipped under the radar and no-one knows her true identity or the details of her complicated family. When Vincent was a teenage his brother and sister were murdered. The killer never found. Fingers pointed at Vincent for years which only increased sales of his mysterious novels. But now he is ready for the truth to be written and he wants Olivia be the author. But similar to her early childhood, Vincent is still playing games with her clever mind. Olivia must follow his clues to figure out who killed her Aunt Poppy and Uncle Danny. Going back to Ojai, the town she grew up in is hard enough but facing the reasons her mother left and her father’s neglect brings Olivia back into painful memories. Regardless of the outcome and obstacles personally and professionally she remains determined to solve this twisted mystery. Could not put this one down. Well written, fast paced book within a book, a perfect beach read!

𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗖𝗞 𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗧 𝗣𝗘𝗘𝗞
Olivia has spent her life distancing herself from her father, Vincent Taylor, a renowned horror author infamous for being the prime suspect in the 1975 murders of his teen siblings. Facing financial hardship, Olivia reluctantly agrees to ghostwrite Vincent’s final book, only to discover that he intends to reveal the truth about the decades-old tragedy.

𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗢𝗣𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗢𝗡
This book gripped me. I’m usually a fast-paced thriller girlie, but I found this slow burn completely addictive. There’s so much care and intention in the way the story unfolds - it needed that slower pace to breathe.

I was honestly hooked on the characters. Olivia is layered and fascinating, and her dynamic with her dad is full of tension, pain, and that complicated kind of love. He’s not super likable, and you’re never totally sure if you can trust him, but there’s something really compelling about him.

The storytelling style is what really stood out for me. It’s told in Olivia’s POV in the present, but the past comes in through a mix of third and first person - and sometimes it’s impossibly all knowing. It’s such a cool narrative choice, and it gives the story this layered, cinematic depth.

The ending was beautiful and bittersweet and everything I wanted. I kept thinking how incredible it would be as a movie - the Super 8 reels, the shifting timelines, the atmosphere.

Quick heads-up: this one does deal with some heavy themes. It’s not particularly graphic, but just know it gets emotionally dark.

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗛 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗?
Yes, yes, yes. This is my second 5-star read of 2025. It’s beautifully written, full of heart and tension, with a great twist and characters you won’t forget.

Thanks to @Netgalley and @bookmarked for access to this advance readers copy

✨4.5 stars rounded up✨

Wow. This book. It was full of family drama, twists, and turns. I stayed up way too late finishing this book and I have zero regrets. I didn’t want to put it down. I wanted to know all of the secrets. I needed all of the answers. Highly recommend.

The Ghostwriter publishes on June 3, 2025. I was given an advanced copy of this book. All opinions expressed above are my own.

I was looking for a thriller to keep me on my toes and this was it!! Olivia is asked to ghostwrite her father’s book. He is suspected of murdering his brother and sister. Very unique storyline that kept me invested the entire time!

Julie Clark's latest release, The Ghostwriter, will have readers on the edge of their seats again (as she did with The Lies I Tell) and flying through the pages in this propulsive slow-burn thriller. Olivia Dumont is a well-known ghostwriter who went viral for all the wrong reasons. On the verge of bankruptcy and selling her beloved home, her agency contacts her with an offer: famous horror-writer Vincent Taylor is writing his memoir and asked exclusively for Olivia. Unbeknownst to her agency and the publisher, Olivia is Vince's estranged daughter and hasn't seen him in more than 20 years.

Vince grew up in the shadows of his popular brother and sister; a bit of an outsider. While most of the town is at a summer carnival, Vince's teenage brother and sister are brutally murdered at home. Vince has a solid alibi but can't escape the notoriety that follows him as many in the town believe he got away with murder. Now, 50 years later, he's ready to tell the truth about his family and what really happened that night-but only to Olivia. What follows is a dual-timeline, multiple POV novel that will have readers questioning everything we are told and every character we meet-I found myself going back and forth a few times until the final twist and secret was revealed. Pick this one up-4.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Julie Clark knows exactly how to keep readers on edge. The Last Flight was a nonstop thrill ride, and The Ghostwriter is every bit as twisty and addictive. When two siblings are murdered in 1975, suspicion immediately falls on their brother, Vincent. He has an alibi, but doubt lingers—and for decades, the truth remains buried. Now, as dementia threatens his memories, Vincent hires his estranged daughter to ghostwrite his final book. As she reluctantly steps into his world, the lines between fact and fiction blur, and chilling questions arise: was her father hiding something all along? Smart, layered, and packed with jaw-dropping twists, The Ghostwriter will grip you from the first page and won’t let go until the final, haunting reveal.