I have been a fan of Julie Clark from her very first novel, The Last Flight. I like how she weaves a good thriller with twists and turns into a story with some heart. this one did take me a hot minutes to get into, unlike her other books, but once I was immersed in the story, I had to keep reading to find out if her father was a murder that wasn't charged or if he was falsely accused. The ending felt a bit rushed after all the lead up but I still enjoyed the book and look forward to more novels from julie clark.

First time reading a book by Julie Clark, and I enjoyed it. The beginning was interesting, however after a while I started to lose interest although that is due to Vance’s illness, confusing me here and there. Though, at the ending it explained the reason of his behavior.

Olivia was the first character that I’ve read that wasn’t a young adult so the transition was challenging. She is 44 years old and a ghostwriter, a writer hired to confidentially write about another person without being credited for it. In this case, her father whom was absent most of her life and wants to find out what really happened with her aunt and uncle… and other secrets as well.

The book is written in first POV with some POVs of the siblings in the 1970s! It felt as though I was the detective. Every single time I was trying to piece it together, but it is really at the end when it all comes together and makes sense.

Also, this books talks about women’s and equal rights. However, I felt that this was too much for a character because it was almost all she talked about and really had no connection at the end.

Now… the TWIST. I did not see that coming. Althing it now explains why this character tried to do certain things. With that being said, Clark did an amazing job writing different POVs and connecting them at the end.

* the ending 😭

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I went in with no expectations as I have not read any of the authors other works.

The dual time lines were easy to follow and I became totally invested in discovering the truth about Vincent's past and the death of his siblings.

It was a thrilling ride!

Highly recommend.

Great read! I really enjoyed this. It kept me guessing the entire way through. Great character development and life lessons to learn.

Having thoroughly enjoyed two of Ms Clarks books, The Lies I Tell and The Last Flight, I was pretty stoked to read this latest book of hers. I was not disappointed.

Olivia Dumont is tasked with being the ghostwriter for famous author Vincent Taylor's memoir. What no one knows is, he is also her father, from whom she's been estranged for many years. Her long-standing anger with her father (and the mother who left her when she was five) is somehow enmeshed with the murder of his older brother and younger sister, when they were all teenagers. Olivia is trying desperately to untie all the knots before her father's Lewy Body dementia diagnosis takes him and his recollections of the murders away from her forever.

It's a wild ride, with pretty much non-stop revelations and conflicting tales, not only from her father's own manuscript but his sister's old dairy entries, and Olivia's interviews with the few who remember the horrific event from 51 years ago. My only quibble is that about two thirds of the way through, I felt like I had whip lash. The sole focus was on older brother Danny (who was killed) and Olivia's father (Danny's younger brother Vincent). Danny did it! Vincent did It! No, Danny did it! No, Vincent did it! Wait, Danny... But Vincent... Red herrings were in abundance, but all conclusions come back to Danny. No, no, Vincent! And on and on. However, all's well that ends well and this novel ends extremely well. Highly recommend this page turner for when you have a free afternoon or two to wile away.

First off, I want to express my gratitude to Julie Clark and the publishers for giving me the privilege to read an advanced copy of The Ghostwriter. This story is captivating from the very first page, drawing you in with its fascinating plot, compelling characters, and unexpected twists. Just when I thought I had figured out the unsolved mystery, new information kept emerging, keeping me on the edge of my seat. The Ghostwriter is undeniably a page-turner, with each twist and revelation making it impossible to put down. Highly recommend!

Julie Clark writes multi-layered puzzles that are enjoyable and interesting. The Ghostwriter is no exception. This book weaves together a family tragedy with the fallout from it.

In June 1975, the Taylor family faces tragedy when siblings Danny (18) and Poppy (14) are murdered. Vincent, the middle sibling, discovers their bodies. Though suspected, Vincent had an alibi—he was with his girlfriend Lydia and a teacher from the high school they attend.

Though he never outruns the suspicion, he becomes a successful author. In life, he’s not so successful. His wife walked out on him and their daughter, Olivia. She is the main character – struggling financially after an expensive lawsuit and estranged from her father since college.

Now, Olivia works as a ghostwriter and no one knows that she is Vincent Taylor’s daughter. Out of the blue, her agent reveals that Vincent, suffering from a form of dementia, wants her to finish his final book – which turns out to be him finally revealing the truth about the murders.

As Olivia investigates his notes, she questions whether her father was involved, and becomes determined to uncover the truth. The book’s POV goes from Olivia in the present day, then back to 1975 as told from Poppy and Vincent’s perspective. The transitions are very good and Clark holds her cards close to the vest. I liked that! It’s a slow burn, but it held my interest as the twists were revealed.

I always enjoy her books and this one is no exception!

3.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

The Ghostwriter is a story within a story. Olivia Dumont is the ghostwriter in question. She has had success writing memoirs for many well-known figures. After some personal and professional setbacks, she is hired to write the memoir of famed author, Vincent Taylor -- her estranged father.

What follows is both the current relationship between Olivia and Vincent in the present day, while they are putting the memoir together. It also touches on her childhood and what led to their estrangement. Additionally at the heart of the book is unraveling what truly happened 50 years ago, when Vincent's brother and sister were murdered in their home, which was never solved. In the present day, Vincent wants to put the truth out there while he still can, after being diagnosed with Lewy body dementia.

It was a well-told tale of familial trauma and family secrets, not exactly a mystery or thriller, but a family drama. Personally, I would have liked a little more depth to the portions of the book that took place in the past leading to the murders, but it does lead to the theme of how one can never really know what is going on in another's heart and minds.

I finished this book yesterday. I'm eager to read her first novel. The way the true crime from years ago unwraps as her cognitively impaired estranged dad is trying to tell his and his siblings role in the murder before it's too late. It kept me guessing!

Another incredible read by Julie Clark, whose books I have always gobbled up and enjoyed. GHOSTWRITER was no exception. It offers a tightly woven plotline rich with mystery and intrigue. A touching conclusion wrapped up the loose threads. I can't wait for another spectacular read from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read and review THE GHOSTWRITER.

Excellent book! I loved The Lies I Tell by this author but might like this one even more. I usually do not like dual timelines and vastly prefer one over the other but this was balanced perfectly and the flashbacks/alternate timeline perfectly complimented the present story. It was extremely atmospheric, but not in a gothic way? The setting and place was perfection and I usually do not care much about that either. I could picture everything and it was so well described, I do not even have comparisons of books that have done such an amazing job with the background details of the place. The mystery left me guessing until the end, I liked the secondary storylines. If I was reaching for a critique I might say the MC love interest fell a little flat. He was a minor charcter but I just did not really care about him. But other than that the characters in both timelines were extremely well developed, I loved and felt for the main character, it foreshadowed nicely but not too obviously. The ending was great and I liked that there was not a tidy bow on the ending. 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the chance to read an advanced copy of this interesting and complex mystery.
The story centers on Olivia, who is a ghostwriter struggling to regain her career after a legal issue. Her only option to save her home and career is to ghostwrite a memoir of her estranged and dying father, who is a famous fiction writer and the suspect of the double-murder of his siblings as a teenager. She returns to her hometown and must investigate her own family's disturbing history.
The premise is great and intriguing. I really enjoyed learning more about ghostwriting. It seems like a great blend of creative writing and journalism.
The first half of the book felt slow to me. I struggled to connect with Olivia. I wish I had seen another chapter or so of her, particularly with her romantic partner since that is an aspect of the plot.
The book alternates with Olivia in the present, and her father and aunt's perspectives in 1975, around the time the murders happen. The chapters in the past were my favorite part of the book. You see the complex sides of the siblings. These chapters also felt like the only time there was danger. I wish there had been more in the present. It felt like the only thing at risk in the present was Olivia's career and money for her and her father.
It was a creative and interesting book. It was fun getting the glimpses in the past to help solve the mystery. Thanks again to the publishers for the chance to read it.

Olivia Dumont is the titular ghostwriter in this tale of familial secrets. Olivia has had great success in her career, but has recently been “cancelled” due to her outspoken opinions on another author, who has successfully sued her and ruined her financially. When an offer comes from her agent, Olivia feels the desperate need to accept, even though it will upend everything she thinks she knows about her traumatic past.

This is a slow-burn mystery about trauma and how the lies of the past can haunt us unless we strive to find the truth. Told in different POVs and timelines, it is well-written but ultimately was not for me due to the style. It started out as a 5-star due to its compelling plot (of which I am being very vague to avoiding spoiling) and shocking crimes, and unfortunately the middle was very, very slow. All the voices are told in first-person present tense, which I don’t enjoy, but I know many others don't mind, and they sounded similar.

I did not guess the ending at all and unlike other mysteries, this one made sense, and even though it was quite dramatic, I could imagine it actually happening. I appreciated the 1970s ambience that the author portrayed – having been a child myself in southern California at the same time, it felt authentic. I think it would make a great miniseries - very cinematic and emotional.

Even though the writing style isn’t my personal favorite, this felt unique in its social commentary and focus on trauma and families and I would definitely recommend it to others. With the right narrators, it would make a great audiobook due to the writing style and I suspect I would have enjoyed it much more that way.

I received an ARC of this book from Sourcebooks Landmark via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback. As other reviewers have mentioned, it is a bit of a slow burn. There are a lot of descriptions and a lot of character development, not necessarily a lot of actual action. Olivia annoyed me with her decisions sometimes; it wasn't unbelievable, just frustrating. I enjoyed the vivid descriptions of Ojai, CA and the meetings between Olivia & people from the past. I did not guess the villain, though Ms. Clark very clearly wants you to suspect multiple people - she succeeded!

I enjoyed the book. Julie Clark knows how to write a good mystery. This is my third book from this author. The storyline was interesting and kept me guessing. The characters were well-developed. The story slowed down in a few spots but in the end a very entertaining read.

I loved The Last Flight and was excited to read her new book. Very different from that one, but I enjoyed it. A story about a complicated family and two teen murders that impacted the family for decades. Definitely kept me guessing and worth a read

This is a solid thriller! I hate giving too much away but here is the general focus: teenagers mysteriously murdered in the 70s, twisty family secrets, and a career author/ghostwriter.

I was a little hesitant about a decades-old crime being told in both the present and past, by multiple characters. But it worked for me here, and the book would not be as effective told in another format. Even though it was close to 400 pages, I remained engaged the entire time.

If you really need to be in the middle of the action, this might not be a thriller for you, but I truly enjoyed the short snippets of the past combined with uncovering clues in the present.

In the end, I’d thought of all of the final pieces—but they were among other ideas, and I had no idea what it would end up being. The entire book keeps you guessing and questioning—but the ending is satisfying. If you like domestic thrillers, I recommend this one.

‼️ CONTENT WARNINGS (skip if these are spoilers to you):

Explicit - Murder/death, death of a child,  death of a parent (and degenerative cognitive disease), blood
Moderate - Adult/minor sexual abuse, animal abuse 
Minor - Pregnancy, abortion, abandonment, alcohol abuse 

⚠️ SPECIFIC PLOT DISCUSSION, SPOILERS AHEAD

I leave disappointed by both of the main character’s parents. I’m glad she was able to reconcile with her father, but I don’t blame her at all for being no-contact for years.

I was most underwhelmed by the one scene we got to see Lydia in the present. It was so focused on the crime and not truly what had happened between them as mother and daughter. I wanted more answers for Olivia. But in the end, I think Lydia told us her reasons before we knew exactly what happened.

This might be a personal wish, but I didn’t love that Olivia’s boyfriend was only off-page. I love a little romance thrown into my thrillers, and I unfortunately did not care enough about their relationship for it to count as conflict to me. We also missed any resolution with her best friend—I kept expecting to see him one more time. In the end, I’m not sure either of them earned their place in the story.

All in all, though, this was solid and I truly enjoyed reading it. I would definitely pick up more books from this author.

While I enjoy psychological thrillers, Julie Clark’s The Ghostwriter is a reminder of why I love a really well done mystery that keeps me guessing whodunnit until the very end. She nails it with her latest mystery, which is centered around a ghostwriter whose circumstances put her in a situation where she can’t turn down her father’s request to write his memoir. A memoir of the murders of his older brother and younger sister that most of the community thinks he committed but have no evidence to convict him. Even potential murderer withstanding, Olivia has a complicated relationship with her relationship with her father, who she discovers is suffering from Lewy Body syndrome that is affecting his memories. She wanted to stay as far away from family and her hometown as possible, but now that she’s there, she has an opportunity to find out what really happened to her family so many years ago. As she uncovers details it becomes increasingly obvious that there were a lot of complicated dynamics in her family and a lot of things hidden away that led to devastating consequences. Not only was it fascinating to see the story of really happened in 1975 evolve and change as more information was revealed, but also to see how Olivia’s relationship with her father changes in the current timeline as she learns what happened in the past. I didn’t expect things to play out the way they did (which I always love), and yet it all comes together in a way that makes sense, and helps explain why no one could uncover the truth so many years ago. Well done, Julie Clark, well done. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC.

I was in a bit of a thriller slump before picking up this book and it brought me right out of it. It is my first Julie Clark book and certainly won't be my last.

I absolutely loved the unique nature of this of an estranged daughter ghostwriting her fathers book.

This book kept me guessing the whole time, it was a small cast of characters so everyone was a suspect. However there were so many more twists than just who killed Poppy and Danny.

I loved the dual timelines and the unique way this led to details being revealed. This was a really unique take on an unreliable narrator too.

My only complaint is some characters I just don't feel like we're fully fleshed out like Tom, Jack, and a few others I wish we had known a little more.

Highly recommend this to thriller lovers! 4.5/5.0

The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark is a beautiful and grisly, dual timeline and multiple POV thriller that had me on the edge of the couch the entire time. Olivia is a ghostwriter, who is estranged from her father, but there is an air of mystery to their family as her father was accused of murder. This clearly cast a dark shadow over her childhood and created barriers to their relationship. Julie Clark does a phenomenal job of breaking down those barriers, chapter by chapter. She captivates the reader with the story of siblings murdered in 1975 and as the story unfolds in the present, we gather more and more answers to the questions that have plagued Olivia and her father, their whole lives.

The journey that we follow is compelling and emotional, as Olivia discovers what happened to her aunt and uncle all those years ago and as she battles with the relationship with her father as he is struggling with a degenerative disease. I do have to say I predicted a few of the twists in this one and I love that I was right! Julie Clark did a great job of keeping the readers attention and creating a beautiful, twisted story. The character development unfolded nicely with the premise of the story and it was well written and I didn’t want to put it down!

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark and Julie Clark for the eARC of The Ghostwriter in exchange for an honest review. Publication date for The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark is set for 03 Jun 2025. If you were a fan of The Last Flight…grab this one!