4.25 stars rounded to 4

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!! I have never read Julie Clark before and now I am rethinking all my previous life choices of not doing so. I originally wanted to read this because in a way it reminded me of The Amityville Horror story... a tragic murder of siblings in the home of the Taylors with a surviving sibling living his life with accusations abound. When Vincent decides to become a horror author this only skyrockets the accusations more. Vincent's daughter, Olivia, becomes a ghostwriting for womens memoirs and is trying desperately to not being associated with her father to the point she changes her name. When Olivia's agent tells her she is needed to help on her father's last book, Vincent is finally ready to tell his story of what happened on that night in 1975.

This book was PEAK mystery for me. It was almost like a very creepy treasure hunt I couldn't look away from!

I will be reading every book Julie Clark has written!

Thank you NetGalley for finding a new auto-buy author for me!

Julie Clark's latest thriller jumps right into it and I love that about her! This was so deliciously dark. It pulled me in and wouldn't let me go.

I am a big fan of Julie Clark and thoroughly enjoyed The Lies I Tell and The Last Flight. I was thrilled she was publishing a new novel this summer, and it was released this week.

While both The Lies I Tell and The Last Flight were more suspense than thriller for me, so far The Ghostwriter has much more of a thriller vibe.

Olivia is a Ghostwriter who has spent her entire adult life distancing herself from her father, a famous horror writer who was implicated in the murder of his own brother and sister but never proven. Now, facing Lewy Body Dementia he is ready to write a tell all memoir revealing all that happened on the day in June of 1975 when his siblings were murdered, and he wants his daughter to be his ghostwriter.

Olivia has a lot of reasons to say no, but a recent scandal has disrupted her own writing career to the point where she needs the money, not to mention the closure for herself. Is her father really a murderer? And can she discern what is fact and what is delusional from his jumbled accounts?

This one hooked me right away and would not let go!

Olivia Dumont has tried most of her adult life to hide the fact that her father is the famous (or infamous) and best-selling author Vincent Taylor. She kept her ex-husband's name to further the distance. And, even though she is a writer as well, she remains behind the scenes through the anonymity of being a ghost writer. One day, her agent calls with the news that Vincent Taylor has specifically requested Olivia to ghost write what will be his final book. Should she take it? Does she want to re-open this door she has so desperately tried to bolt shut? Or will this finally provide answers to the mystery surrounding her family for decades?

I loved this book! Family drama. Mystery. All of the things that make you keep turning pages and guessing until the very end. Highly recommend!

Not personally for me I just couldn’t get into the storyline I think i was just in a big book slump though

I had few expectations when I started reading The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark, but the book really delivered for me. The premise of the novel is excellent (a woman who had been totally estranged from her parents is now tasked with ghostwriting her famous father's memoir) and Clark does a nice job of flipping between the story in the present and several points of view on the past. I liked the balance of relational issues with the heart of the thriller, and the twists, though not extraordinary, definitely delivered. I'll recommend this to readers who like a family-based thriller and it may well be a pick for our bookstore's thriller book club. Oh, and the edges of the first edition are definitely pretty!

“Very rarely do people like what they find when they go digging into the past.”

I LOVED this book. Seriously I cannot say enough about it. Julie Clark has the amazing ability to craft a thriller where information is revealed at just the right time with the perfect pacing.

The three POVs and the dual timelines worked impeccably well. I really don’t know how she kept all the details straight in her writing process. In fact, the 1975 portions made me feel like I was back in the 1970s with the vivid detail and music choices.

I also appreciated the strife in Olivia’s personal life with her parents and other relationships because of her family trauma. It all played into the story extremely well. Loved ones can live in our hearts and memories in a variety of ways. Some is real and some is myth. And, pain and trauma can manifest itself through years and generations. This story shows us all of that!

While I thought I had one part figured out, I wasn’t sure and needed to keep reading to piece together the story. It’s always hard to review thrillers without giving too much away, so read this book! You will not be disappointed. It is worth all the stars!

Thank you @netgalley and @sourcebooks for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark. I’ve read other books by Ms. Clark and they were definite home runs. This one was good, but perhaps not quite as good as the others. It’s 1975, and two teenage siblings are found murdered in their home. The surviving brother spends years being the suspected murderer. Vincent goes on to become a famous horror author (probably fueling those rumors). Present day, his estranged daughter Olivia is hired to ghostwrite his memoir. After 50 years, Vincent Taylor is ready to tell the world what happened that night. Olivia is not just going to listen to her dad’s version though. She starts to research, and many more secrets come to light. I loved the dual timeline. The 1970s vibe was terrific. This is a good one for the beach bag! It’s finally going to be beach weather here in NYC this weekend! #bookstagram #whatiread #whatsinyourbeachbag #bookgram #reading #bookworm #julieclark #books #goodreads #netgalley #advancedreadercopy

Well, hello, favorite thriller of the year so far! Readers, if you're looking for a hot new thriller that is perfect for binging this summer, I can't recommend The Ghostwriter enough! Was I on the hunt for a fast-paced suspense that would keep me glued to the page? Yes. Did I realize just how addicted I'd become, that I would lose track of time and have to quickly order takeout because I missed my window to make dinner? No, I did not. 😂 The Ghostwriter obviously hooked me hard, and I also loved that it featured an unreliable narrator at its core, which had me guessing until the end. This one definitely lived up to the hype for me!

I loved this!! It took me forever to finish because I was so busy but if I wasn’t I think I could’ve read this in a couple of days. This definitely got me out of my reading slump. I also loved all of the characters.

Thank you NetGalley and sourcebooks landmark for the ARC!

I did not care for this one at all.

The pacing is far too slow.

The FMC is annoying.

Her father was equally annoying. Why not just speak the truth instead of speaking in riddles all the time?

Disappointing ending.

2 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for my complimentary copy.

THE GHOSTWRITER is a deeply moving, dysfunctional family drama that still lingers in my thoughts days after reading it. In several ways, it's a tragedy - the heartbreaking story of young lives cut short while others are ripped apart by a series of traumatic events that altered their futures forever. Author Julie Clark brilliantly captures the essence of each character, bringing their individual as well as collective stories to life while drawing readers into the fold. The result is a haunting, thought-provoking, mysterious drama that I read from cover to cover in one sitting.

Olivia Taylor aka Ghostwriter Olivia Dumont cut family ties years ago, leaving her last name and devastating family history buried in the small town where she grew up, along with the unwanted notoriety of being the only child of legendary horror author, Vincent Taylor, -- who’s even more famous as the prime suspect in the 1975 brutal, unsolved stabbing deaths of his siblings, Danny and Poppy. No one, including her agent and Tom, a man she hopes to build a life with, knows her real identity. Deep in debt and in danger of losing her home, Olivia has no choice but to accept when a request from Vincent asking her to collaborate with him as a ghostwriter on his final book arrives through her agent. Reluctantly, Olivia heads home only to discover her father is losing his memory and life to Lewy Body Dementia. It's soon clear through his raving hallucinations, faded memories, and short periods of lucidness that Vincent has a different story in mind for his daughter to write - he's ready to tell his story, his memoir, his version of the events that occurred that fateful night in 1975. In doing so, will Vincent reveal himself as a murderer . . . or identify someone else as the villain? Is her father manipulating her into one final treasure hunt through his cryptic notes like the games they played when she was a small child? Olivia knows it’s too late to turn back now, but in proceeding with her investigation, she’s forced to face a few hard truths of her own and decide if she, too, is ready to move out of the shadows, acknowledge her roots, and move forward with her life.

Like the expert she is, Author Julie Clark delivers a mesmerizing, gut wrenching mystery that resonates with regret, guilt, betrayal, and what "might have been". Seamlessly alternating past/present chapters evolve through multiple points of view from highly unreliable narrators. In the past, readers get a firsthand accounting of the chilling events as they occur through Vincent and Poppy's voice, old, grainy, silent film footage and Poppy’s diary. The present is told through Olivia's interviews with her father, his haphazard, puzzling notes and chaotic manuscript as well as her investigation and interviews with other people. An insane pace accentuates a dire tone of malice that increases page by page with every new twisted revelation until the shocking truth is revealed. Multilayered characterizations are expertly crafted, each packing a punch as the story unfolds through tautly interwoven plot and timelines. The strained father/daughter relationship dynamics are brilliantly explored with so many lost moments and missed opportunities lending an air of regret while increasing the tension. Clark's research on Lewy Body Dementia is obvious, and I appreciate her managing the topic with grace and compassion. My thoughts on who the murderer was shifted back and forth throughout this story and while I guessed part of the truth by the climax, the author still surprised me in the end.

THE GHOSTWRITER is a deeply immersive, hauntingly beautiful, not soon to be forgotten family drama. Author Julie Clark has firmly established herself as a must-read author in the mystery and suspense genre. The depth of emotion she evokes in characters and readers is nothing short of amazing. I can't wait to read what she writes next. Highly recommended to fans of twisted mysteries, family dramas, and suspense.

LOVE this book! It was so complicated and compelling, it made for a fantastic read! The characters were so well written and I didn’t want to put this down. I was so excited to finish it that I took the day off of work! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my free ARC is exchange for my honest feedback. I loved it!

My Rating- 4/5

The past few months or so, I've been finding that the thrillers I've been picking up have been a bit lackluster. Normally one of my favorite genres, each time I seem to pick up a thriller I end up walking away disappointed, and feeling that the story was rather tired. Thankfully Julie Clark decided to come along and write The Ghostwriter, a book that is a lot of fun and not at all tired! I'm hoping that after this lovely little thrill ride, I'm back on the thriller hype train!

Shall we get into it?

Premise- This story follows Olivia Dumont, the estranged daughter of successful horror writer (and suspected murderer) Vincent Taylor. As Vincent's health declines, he decides to hire his daughter to ghostwrite his final novel, a tell-all memoir about the murder of his two siblings, and the part he played in them. Now, speaking with full honesty here, the whole "my dad is suspected of murdering members of our family" premise isn't exactly new. Off the top of my head, I could name at least a handful of other books that have a similar basis, and yet, Julie Clark does a good job of keeping her story fresh. Personally I feel that the ghostwriting aspect is what keeps this premise afloat. By having the main character be a ghostwriter, she is able to get right into the thick of the mystery in a way that is both believable and, thankfully, not overdone. At this point, the thriller genre is flooded with stories featuring reporters and, more recently, podcasters, to the point that these narratives have been done to death. Olivia as her father's ghostwriter feels believable, and while being in the same vain as a reporter, is not yet overdone. 4/5

Mystery- As I said before, the main mystery here isn't anything earth shattering. 'Murder in the family' seems to be all the rage these days, but despite having read many similar stories myself, I still was drawn into this one. Julie Clark did an excellent job of doling out each twist and turn at just the right time, and I was hooked beginning to end. 4/5

Characters- Olivia served as a fine main character. I felt that she was interesting enough, and her personally connections to the unfolding mystery made for some good emotional beats in the story. I think the shining star in the character department are the interactions between Olivia and her father, Vincent. Clark does a great job building up their strained relationship, and I found that their moments together were some of my favorite in the book. I felt that Clark did a great job keeping Vincent true to his character while also having him face remorse for his past actions in the face of his declining health. It was easy to understand and empathize with Olivia as to why she had cut contact with her father, and yet you also feel for empathy for him by the end of the story. My only wish in the character department was that we were able to see a little more of Olivia and her boyfriend. Due to him being absent for the entirety of the story, its a little difficult to feel the full effect of their tension, but that's mostly a nitpick, all of their interactions were handled very well, I just would have enjoyed a little more. 4.5/5

Ending- Without diving into full spoilers, I felt that the ending was satisfying without being too convoluted (not the easiest feat when it comes to thrillers). While not the most groundbreaking of conclusions, it did keep me on my toes and hit a nice emotional punch. 3.5/5

In conclusion, I found The Ghostwriter to be a solid story and I'd recommend it to any thriller lovers out there who are in need of a pick-me-up. Julie Clark did a very nice job here, and I'm sure that this story will be well received.

******NOW AVAILABLE********

So very thankful I was given an ARC of this book!!!

Olivia is in a situation that she must go back to her childhood home to aid her father with a memoir type book, his health/memory aid even more challenges to the task. Their past is troubling and she has done her best to leave that all behind her. She discovers the truth about the murder of her teenage aunt and uncle during the 1970’s. The discovery is painful and shocking at times but written perfectly!! Love the scenes that are displayed on the old movie reels Olivia discovers along her journey.

Read this book!! You won’t be sorry!!

Thank you to netgalley and Sourcebooks for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.

I've come to the realization that I am definitely a Julie Clark fan. Although somewhat of a slow burn, this twisted family mystery will have you questioning everything about the Taylor Family, from their tragic past all the way to the present. I love how the author dropped subtle clues along the way that you were able to extrapolate and understand during the reveal and in hindsight. I love the unreliable narrators and how they manage to draw you in and make you believe their "version" of the tragic story the family endured. This one was SO good!

I really like Julie Clark’s books and this one was no exception! I loved the split timeline and Ojai setting. The twists were great and thought-provoking.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I was excited for this because of all the positive reviews I had seen. But it really lacked suspense and thrill for me. I was mostly annoyed with the main character for not even attempting to find answers sooner in her life. Your father is accused of murder by the whole town and you never sat down and asked anyone questions? Since they are uncovering this so many years removed from the actual incident, it felt less immediate and therefore not exciting. I think there were lots of things that could have been amped up more (the treasure hunts, the best friends relationship, the mom's disappearance) to make this better, but none really felt fully developed. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the free ARC.

Just wrapped up The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark, and wow, what a ride! You've got family drama, suspense, and plot twists galore. A ghostwriter reconnecting with her dad who's tangled in his own dark past is such a captivating setup. I couldn't put it down! If you love thrillers that keep you guessing late into the night like I do, this one's for you. So tell me, if you could be a ghostwriter for anyone, who would it be?

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 4⭐️
𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞: Unsolved crimes, strong female leads, dual timelines, and family secrets.

In my opinion, Julie Clark is a master of suspense and this book is no exception!!! ‘The Ghostwriter’ is about a woman, Olivia, who has been haunted by her family past all of her life. She is a ghostwriter and her father, the center of a past tragedy, is ready to talk about his life. Without a choice, she must go on this journey,.sifting through family secrets, painful memories, and shreds of hope – looking for a semblance of what might have happened back then…

This is such a crazy, suspenseful ride, and I loved every single second of it!! I cannot tell you how good this is! Definitely one of my favorite suspense books this year!!