The Ghostwriter is the second book I’ve read by Julie Clark, and I can officially say I’m a fan!
I love books that play with multiple POVs and different timelines — they make the story feel like a puzzle I get to piece together. The shifting perspectives in The Ghostwriter kept me hooked, making each reveal feel earned and layered.

I’m also a sucker for an unreliable narrator. In this story, it’s less about Olivia herself and more about her father, which added an extra unsettling vibe that I absolutely ate up.

One thing I really appreciated is that this book isn’t just about uncovering what happened to Olivia’s late aunt and uncle all those years ago — it’s also about Olivia discovering who she is. That thread of self-discovery added so much emotional depth and made her character feel real and relatable. Watching her grapple with her family’s secrets and what they mean for her own identity was so satisfying.

The final reveal completely blindsided me — in the best way possible. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, Julie Clark pulled the rug out from under me. And yet, when it all clicked into place, it made perfect sense. That mix of shock and payoff is something she pulls off so well, and it’s exactly what I crave in a thriller.

If you enjoy twisty mysteries with complex characters, unreliable narrators, and a plot that keeps you turning pages late into the night, I highly recommend The Ghostwriter. I can’t wait to read more of Julie Clark’s books!

Thank you NetGalley, and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark, for providing an eARC of The Ghostwriter.
This review is being left voluntarily, and all opinions are my own.

This book was fantastic, a thriller unfolding in real time but about the past.

I loved the hints and clues to what was going on provided by Poppy’s films and journal, there were so many pieces that came together through several different sources, that it really felt like you were solving the mystery along with the protagonist.

I flip flopped so many times on what I thought happened and who was involved based on more details being revealed, but still felt that “ah ha” moment at the end when everything came into focus at once and you realized what was really going on.

It was a realistic ending which I appreciate, no crazy twist just for the sake of their being a twist, just all of the details coming to light and finally making sense.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks landmark for providing me with a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Olivia Dumont has been asked to help her estranged father write his final book, a memoir about his siblings’ murders. Out of options, Olivia takes on this task determined to uncover the truth.
This was a slow burn mystery and I absolutely loved it! The book has a nonlinear timeline that slowly unravels the truth about what happened the night of the murders. I really liked Olivia’s character. She is clever and determined as she navigates the past and tries to make sense of what happened that night. The plot was perfect. Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for this wonderful arc!

What first caught my eye was the book title. Then I wondered if ghostwriter was one word or two words, ghost writer. One word is the correct answer. A while later, I started thinking I had read something by Julie Clark before. I had and it was a book I really loved called "The Lies I Tell". You can read that review by clicking on the title.

FIRST LINE: "I know what your Dad did."

THE STORY: What would you do if your brother and sister were killed in your own home? It's June 1975 and surviving brother Vincent, always suspected of the crime, has become a famous author writing best-selling horror stories.

On the other hand, Olivia Dumont has spent her life hiding the fact that she is the only child of the infamous Vincent Taylor. When she is suddenly offered the chance to ghost write her father's last book, she reluctantly accepts, needing the money. But it's not a horror novel he wants her to write. After 50 years of silence, Vincent Taylor is ready to talk about what really happened that night in 1975.

WHAT I THOUGHT: "The Ghostwriter" was just the psychological puzzle with aspects of genealogy and family history that make me a happy reader. The story is told from Olivia's point of view in present day while interspersed with historical chapters from Vincent and his sister, Poppy. I occasionally found it confusing trying to keep the parents and the children separate, but the writing is smooth and the plotting good enough to keep a reader up past their bedtime. Even though there's violence in this family that's a bit unsettling, I'll still be watching for New York Times bestselling author Julie Clark's next book.

BOTTOM LINE: RECOMMENDED for mystery/thriller readers. Also available on Audible, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: A copy of "The Ghostwriter" was provided to me by SOURCEBOOKS Landmark/NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for giving me access to this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was a full on masterpiece story. When Olivia who is a ghost writer gets a call from her agent that she has a job for her, Olivia is happy and excited. Until she hears that it’s for her own father’s memoir. Vince Taylor is a world renowned author who wants to tell the story of what happened to his siblings back in 1975. No one knows Olivia is his daughter.

Olivia agrees and opens up a very tragic and sad story of what really happened to her teenage aunt and uncle all those years ago before she was born. Vince has kept silence till now even though many people think he is the one who killed them.

When I started this book, I immediately knew this would be a 5 star read for me. I settled into it so quickly and wanted to savor it yet finish to find out what happened. Julie Clark did an amazing job of blending the present and past into a seamless well woven tale. I loved Olivia she was tough and tenacious. Throwing in her back story of her legal woes was intriguing as well.
This novel had everything; family secrets, estranged family, sadness, betrayals, lies, grudges, a mystery that needed to be solved, suspense and also a sense of love.

Great ending with everything coming to light.

Loved it. I binged this in one weekend - it’s the perfect blend of mystery, family drama, and small-town secrets. Twisty, emotional, and impossible to put down.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Absolutely brilliant.
I loved this book from start to finish.
Best thing I've read so far this year.

Mystery, family disfunction, Dark Twists and an end you won't see coming. This book has it all

Olivia is a Ghostwriter, she is also the daughter of a famous author who is the main suspect of his siblings Poppy and Danny.

Her father Vincent now wants to tell his story and he wants her to ghostwrite it. Because she is in a financial mess she accepts the offer, but is not fully prepared for what she is about to find out.

This book caught me right away and demanded my attention from beginning to end.


Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest reviews.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #SourcebooksLandmark for the book #TheGhostwriter by #JulieClark. This book is incredible. One of the best I have read in a while. In 1975, Vincent Taylor’s brother and sister, Danny and Poppy, were brutally murdered in their home. Everyone always assumed Vincent killed them. Present day, Olivia, Vincent’s estranged daughter, has been hired to be a ghostwriter for her father. She only agrees because she is about to lose her house. But, as Olivia and Vincent work together to put the pieces together from that night, they just might figure out what happened. It’s been 50 years and Vincent wants to set the record straight.

Ghostwriter is my first read by Julie Clark. Loved her writing style, so I will be reading the rest of her books.

Our ghostwriter is Olivia Dumont, who takes on a job writing the memoir of her estranged father, who happens to be a horror writer - and perhaps a man who got away with murdering his two siblings years ago.

I enjoyed the multiple points of view and flashbacks into her father's past. I was on the edge of my seat as I raced through this story full of twists and unreliable narrators. The characterization of Olivia and her father Vincent were fleshed out in a realistic way. The pacing was even, and the ending was fitting.

I will recommend this to readers who like thrillers involving families and secrets.

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

Julie Clark does it again! I devoured The Ghostwriter in one day! I couldn’t put it down until I learned what happed to Poppy and Danny. Loved this book!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the Kindle ARC. It is a shame I work full-time because The Ghostwriter was one book I just couldn't put down. Plenty of twists and turns but one of the best things was the way the narrative was set up with the characters, leaving the reader wondering what really happened. Olivia Dumont is a ghostwriter for famous people. She's about to lose her house due to an injustice legal case against her. She is estranged from both her father and mother and tries to hide her past by using the last name Dumont, rather than Taylor. Her family's past in the year 1975 is still very much discussed in the present because the truth is still hidden from most. When her father, Vincent, asks her to write his story of what really happened on a fateful night in 1975, she is reluctant but needs the book deal due to financial woes. One of the best parts of the book for a reader of a certain age is the stunningly realistic description of the 1970's. I highly recommend this book and will read some of Julie Clark's other work.

After The Last Flight and The Lies I Tell both made my end of year favorites lists, Julie Clark basically became an auto read author for me.

Olivia has been a ghostwriter for several big names, but now she is being asked to write for her estranged father, who happens to also be a successful novelist that no one knows she is related to. But because his story is also her story she is determined to write about what really happened in 1975.

Is slow burn mystery a genre? Because that is literally the best way I can think to describe The Ghostwriter. There is lots of family drama, a cold case murder, and family secrets to uncover.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks for this eARC copy of The Ghostwriter to read and review, it is out now.

Julie Clark came on my radar when I got an arc of The Last Flight which if you haven’t read, you need to because it’s phenomenal! So I was so excited to dig into The Ghostwriter, which I absolutely binged after not reading for about 2 months! I became addicted and immersed in the novel almost as soon as it began. The multiple pov with a peak into the past added to the fast pacing of the story. The trauma of the characters and how healing the prices of writing events became. Clark has an absolutely incredible way with writing that just grabs you from the start right to the end when BAM she hits you with what actually happened and all the scenarios I concocted in my brain while reading was not at all how it occurred. Love, love, love and highly recommend this fast paced bingeable family mystery drama.

The Ghostwriter was another solid thriller by Julie Clark, who has become a strong author in this crowded field. Our ghostwriter is Olivia Dumont, who takes on a job writing the memoir of her estranged father, who happens to be a horror writer - and perhaps a man who got away with murdering his two siblings years ago.

I enjoyed the multiple points of view and flashbacks into her father's past. I was on the edge of my seat as I raced through this atmospheric story full of twists and unreliable narrators. The characterization of Olivia and her father Vincent were fleshed out in a realistic way. The pacing was even, and the ending was fitting.

I will recommend this to readers who like thrillers involving families and secrets.

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

Things I love in a book

Female Characters
Dual timelines
Family History
Unsolved Mysteries

This book was a page turner. I loved the main character and the backstory from the 70’s.

Lots of twist and turns in this mystery.

I inhaled this book. It’s absolutely unputdownable—and set in Ojai? Say less! Ghostwriter Olivia Dumont reluctantly returns home to take on the one project she swore she’d never touch: her estranged father’s tell-all memoir. Vincent Taylor, a bestselling horror author in the Stephen King mold, is battling Lewy body dementia—and the ghosts of his past. As they begin unraveling the brutal, long-buried murders of his brother and sister, things get chilling fast. The tension builds scene by scene. The Ghostwriter is one of the most gripping thrillers I’ve read this year. Dark, disturbing, and dangerously addictive.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one! The plot had me hooked and I was excited to keep reading to discover the reveals, and overall it was an easy read. I think I would have needed more character development of all key players to feel more emotionally connected, but a solid 4 stars for me.

I have listened to the last 2 books by Julie Clark which I loved, but read this book for review. I am not sure whether listening made it more exciting, because but I had a hard time at the beginning of the book getting into it. To me, this book was different from her first 2 books as the action wasn’t there nor the thrill. This was a good story about a woman who is going to ghostwrite her estranged father’s last book. He is dying and needs her to do it, yet there are secrets from his childhood she wants to uncover, and he acts like he doesn’t want those to be uncovered. The story reads very well, and I did enjoy it; it just didn’t have the thriller aspect of the first 2. This was a story of 2 murders and it evolved throughout the book very organically. I’m sure this will be another bestseller.

I love Julie Clark and I love books that are written like they are true crime (but they aren't). Add those together and you get The Ghostwriter. Olivia Dumont is the secret child of Vincent Taylor, the only survivor of a murder 25 years ago. When he is ready to tell his story, she is offered the opportunity to ghost write his book. What happens next is a twisty wild ride.

A true suspense thriller with an emotional twist. A horror writer who has lived with his own horror for 50 years and a daughter that has tried to distance herself from her family. The ghostwriter is hired to write the family story, but is it the truth or one more lie? Very engaging.