A slow-burning, atmospheric thriller that rewards your patience with a stellar payoff. The layered story of Vincent Taylor, a horror writer haunted by the murder of his siblings, unfolds through the eyes of his daughter Olivia, whose ghostwriting gig turns into a dangerous quest for the truth. Though the pacing meanders early on, the final revelations pack a real punch. Stick with this one — it’s worth it.

This book was really good. It is about a woman who writes as a ghostwriter, or someone who takes the information from another and writes their story for them, who gets offered a job just when she needs it most. Unfortunately for her, it's her estranged father who is requesting her to do the job of writing what really happened. What really happened? That's right. When he was a teen, he was suspected of killing his sister and brother in a bloody brutal way. Even though he had an alibi, the town still always suspected him. Now he wants his story told. Unfortunately, again, he's sick and forgetting things.
This book was great. It has different perspectives to really tell the story. Even if you sort of figure out the ending before you get to it it's still 100% worth the read. It's well written and keeps you glued to the page. Definitely recommend.

3.5 Rounded up. I did mostly enjoy this lates by Julie Clark but it wan't my favorite that she has written. It was a little drawn out and perhaps slower than I was craving. Entertaining enough!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for the eArc of this book!

What. A. Book.
This intricate masterpiece will blow you out of the water. It is not what I expected at all and I'm still reeling. Julie is a fantastic writer, her book flowed perfectly and I was devastated when it ended. I was so invested in the story and the characters and I HAD to know what happened to Danny & Poppy.....desperately. I'm being honest when I say that I did get a bit of an inkling of where we were headed but I continuously persuaded myself that NOPE we weren't going there. This book read like a winding road, with each little breadcrumb you think you're a bit closer to the truth but that's not where you're going at all. I loved every second of it. You will definitely root for certain characters and your emotions will be all over the place but to me that is the tell of a darn good book!

Disgraced ghostwriter, Olivia, is finally given a book assignment. The catch? It is to write the story of Vince Taylor who is a famous novelist who as a teen was suspected of murdering his siblings, Danny and Poppy. Oh and that Vince is Olivia's dad who she has been estranged from for over 20 years.

The story alternates from the present day of Olivia sorting through her dads manuscript, fading memories thanks to his dementia, and boxes from his childhood with chapters from the past focused on Poppy and Vince's POVs in the weeks leading up to the murders.

I loved this book. I love a dual timeline and alternating POVs and this was done perfectly. It is not common for me to find a thriller that I enjoy the overall story of, not just the unfolding of the mystery. While I though some parts were predictable, it did not take away from the overall story. I was dying to see how everything would unfold and how reliable Vince and his memories were. I thought the growth of Olivia and her dad's relationship was lovely.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was GOOOOOOD!!!
I was invested from the first page. This kept me turning the pages because I needed to know how it would end.
I was wasn’t expecting that ending!

An intriguing mystery that kept me guessing until the end! Olivia is a ghostwriter, but made an almost career ending mistake and is struggling. She’s offered a contract for a book with a famous thriller author…who it turns out is her estranged father. Fifty years ago, his brother and sister were murdered. He is now dying and wants to tell his story with her writing it.

As Olivia investigates the events of 50 years ago, she also works toward understanding her father’s actions with her and whether or not he is the killer.

I typically do not like stories that skip between past and present, but doing so in this story really adds to the characters of the past and helps develop the mystery.

This was my first book by this author, but I look forward to reading more by her. Thanks to the publisher for a review copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark is an intriguing mystery about long ago secrets finally revealed.

Before The Ghostwriter, I hadn’t read a thriller in ages. So I found it quite refreshing to revisit this genre. And Julie Clark is so good at creating a suspenseful story but also an interesting character study. I found this one to be especially vivid with the two timelines: one in present day Ojai, California, and the other in the 1975.

Sometimes with mysteries, I try to solve it as well. But I kind of just went along for the ride with this one, and I truly was mystified at how it would all be resolved. I liked reading the little breadcrumbs left that help connect the dots to the larger picture.

But then, when it ended—I wanted immediately to discuss it with someone!

The Ghostwriter is an entertaining summer mystery. This would be a great airplane or pool side read. There are extremely heavy topics discussed but I found Julie handled the subject matter with care.

While I wanted a bit more resolution on certain areas, I overall thought this was a solid read.

*Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

What is it with 2025 and dementia books??? Like seriously... I made it 5% in and immediately facepalmed.

Did I enjoy the book? Sorta. But their usage of dementia as a plot device just kinda gave me the ick.

I enjoyed this family drama/mystery from Julie Clark. The Ghostwriter is about Olivia Dumont who has been hired to ghost write a memoir about a popular horror author who is now suffering from a dementia like illness. The author has a mysterious past and is rumored to have murdered his siblings. Also, the author happens to be her estranged father. Olivia must decipher her father's ramblings, figure out what is true and what really happened all those years ago.

The mystery of what happened and who dun it is a big part of this story. But so are the relationships between these characters and family members. I appreciated the family drama elements in this one. It's not a fast paced thriller. I needed to be patient and wait for the secrets of the story to slowly be revealed. But I still found it to be written in an engaging way that kept me turning pages. I have enjoyed several of Julie Clark's previous books and this one will also be added to my "recommended" list.

Another winner from Julie Clark! Olivia is working as a non-fiction ghostwriter, lifting up marginalized voices, when she’s swept back in to her father’s home to assist him in writing his memoir. Olivia’s father is a highly successful horror author who has fallen ill with dementia. Their story twists and turns as Olivia dives deep into long held secrets regarding a family murder for which her father was the presumed perpetrator while her father battles memory loss and personality changes that makes Olivia question everything she’s uncovered.

Clark does it again!! Her characters are so engaging and intentional, her main female character bold, making you want to really work with them to unravel this big family secret. Her plotting and storytelling make you feel like you’re walking with her characters, building the suspense until you realize it’s 2am and you feel physical pain in closing your eyes. The switch between 1975 and present day come at just the right time and every flashback and flash forward offer answers while raising more questions. The conclusion was creative and thoughtful without feeling forced or contrived, solidifying Clark as one of my auto-buy authors. In a world where everyone writes the expected answer, Clark continues to bring creativity to the thriller genre.

This book is twisty and suspenseful. I enjoyed the characters and the overall pacing kept me 100% engaged..

Fantastic book! Julie Clark has quickly moved to the top of my favorite authors list. This book was a great thriller. Almost creepy at some points. It definitely messes with your mind, taking you on a twisty, suspenseful ride. Highly recommend to anyone who wants to read a book that will leave you shook and staring at a wall contemplating all your life choices for a few hours. Lol
You can NEVER go wrong with a Julie Clark story!

This is the first book that I’ve read by this author, and I really enjoyed the story. It was mysterious and intriguing. After reading this book, I went and added the author’s backlist to my TBR. I also purchased the pretty sprayed edges edition of the book because I want to eventually reread the finished copy.

The story follows ghostwriter, Olivia Dumont, who returns to her childhood home when her estranged father requests for her to ghostwrite his latest book. Her father is a renowned horror author, but he’s also known for his dark past. When he was a teen, his older brother and younger sister were murdered, and he became the prime suspect, although, he was never charged.

The story is set in the past and present timelines. In the present, Olivia delves into her father, Vincent’s, tragic and mysterious past. In the past, we get Vincent’s perspective from 1975, the year his siblings were murdered. We also get Vincent’s sister, Poppy’s, perspective leading up to her murder.

I thought both the past and present timelines were equally intriguing. I loved the mystery in the present day. I liked following along with Olivia as she tried to figure everything out. I also liked reading from Vincent and Poppy’s perspectives in the past.

I thought the ending was really good and surprising. I definitely didn’t predict the ending.

I definitely recommend this book to mystery/thriller fans!

*There are some difficult topics in this book, so I’d recommend looking up trigger warnings before reading.

4.5⭐️

This book was amazing, engaging and suspenseful. Cannot wait to see what Julie Clark does next! This had a different feel to it than her previous work but amazing in its own right

I absolutely devoured this book. It was my first encounter with the author Julie Clark and it did not disappoint! It’s very well written and had believable characters. I enjoyed the development of the relationship between the FMC and her father. It was a great coming to terms plot line with an incredible mystery aspect. I enjoyed the way the author handled the flashbacks that tied into the current day action. Overall, this book was great! I will definitely look to read more of Julie Clark’s books. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I am a HUGE Julie Clark fan her other two books were 4.5 and 5 star books for me. I enjoyed this one and am giving it a solid 4 star review. While it was slower building/slower burn in the reveals, some of the twists did in fact shock me, which is one of the main things I look for in thrillers. I loved this storyline and plot- unique! Full review coming on my IG soon.

Olivia is a ghostwriter who has fallen on hard times due to an unfortunate act of candor that led to legal and financial repercussions. She can’t afford to turn down a job offer to ghostwrite a new book by a famous horror author, even though the author is her estranged father Vincent. Fifty years ago, Vincent was suspected of having murdered his two teenaged siblings. Olivia changed her name to distance herself from the scandal, and continues to blame her parents for their neglectful ways.

I found this family drama pretty slow going, but I really did want to get to the big reveal about what actually happened to the victims. The writing was OK, and I wasn’t disappointed by the reveal. Unfortunately, I did not get a satisfactory explanation for why Vincent couldn’t just tell Olivia what happened, instead of sprinkling clues. However, I do understand that there would then be no reason for this book. Although I thought Olivia was a little whiny, this book did hold my interest. I would be willing to read more by this author.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

This book was SO SLOW. Nothing really happens and it is such a drag to get through it. The pacing was just awful. I enjoyed “The Last Flight” but Julie Clark, but her last one was flat for me, so sadly, this one is not any better.

The main character lies to her partner (which I hate), and the story alternates between present and the past, with bland development.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I came to “The Ghostwriter” familiar with Julie Clark’s previous books and had fairly high expectations. While this one did not it disappoint it was a much slower, frustrating burn. It might have been the involved, confusing and manipulative backstory or maybe the Protagonist’s flame-out and the strictures placed upon her as she tries to win back her authority and place in her field. The story is solid as it twists and turns back on itself and its characters. Julie Clark has made a puzzle, undone it and reframed it as we listen to other people’s stories, which are spun into a narrative while trying to untie what has been concealed. This is what a ghostwriter tries to accomplish before the story is lost with time.

Clark has finely nuanced the characters while hiding much and revealing the clues bit by bit. But I kept wondering what was to be believed with the primary source being so flawed and if that was really true or only partially true or only sometimes true. Clark has formulated a very tricky structure that ultimately works better than it should. Pushing past my dislike of the characters I realized the brilliance of the casting. Her research, timing and attention to detail is absurdly detailed and her nod to “what trauma does to a family” is astute and emotionally intelligent.

Many thanks to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for a copy