Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

In this novel Olivia, a ghostwriter, revisits a home she left behind decades ago, to write her famous (estranged) father's memoir. During this process, with meticulous precision, Olivia unveils what really happened in the tragic long ago crime that marred her family's history. Although he was never tried for the crime, most people assumed Olivia's moody father, Vincent, viciously murdered his brother and his young cousin.

Olivia's growth and path to acceptance (not only of her family, but of herself and her history) is a story well told by the extremely talented author Julie Clark. This is a captivating story that I read in one long sitting. I am a devoted fan of this author, she writes books that are timeless and relevant.

A resounding 5 stars from this reviewer for this refreshing tale that shows that you can make amends at any stage in life's journey.

Twisty✔️ Tortured✔️ Mind bending✔️ Unsettling✔️ This story within the story, this book with the book is clear proof that Julie Clark is a queen of psychological thrillers and knows how to craft a story that will at times leave you breathless and scared but always has you trying to solve the mystery.

Olivia Dumont is a famous ghostwriter, an author who pens books for other authors and but does not get the credit. When her father, celebrated horror author Vincent Taylor has his agent contact her to ghostwrite his memoir, Olivia accepts the job as she is in dire straits, facing financial ruin after a competing author has ruined her reputation. But Vincent Taylor’s own life is itself a horror story, having been the prime suspect as a teenager for the murders of his brother and sister fifty years ago. As Olivia attempts to rewrite and make sense of a manuscript that Vince has written while struggling with his diagnosis of Lewy Body Dementia, she begins to uncover missing pieces and clues of that fateful night.

This story is filled with so many twists and turns that your mind will be spinning as you try to play armchair detective. The complexity of the characters will keep you fully engaged in the tension and suspense on every page.

Many thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the opportunity to be an early reader of the digital book in exchange for my honest opinion.

So good! I loved the mystery and suspense. It was slow at first then tied up in the end. I would say pace out the novel

Excellent heartfelt family drama. Olivia is a successful ghostwriter with several books under her belt, but due to some legal troubles she is in a financial bind. When she is offered the job of ghostwriting a book with a famous author who has been under suspicion for murdering his siblings, she accepts the job without disclosing the fact that the author is her father. Fast paced emotional novel that is not to be missed. My favorite book of this authors so far.

This was full of twists and turns that left me wondering and guessing along with the main character. I will say that there are trigger warnings for animal abuse, molestation, sexual abuse, and elders with dementia. I was sucked into this world and could not wait fo the reveal. It was well done.

This started off well. I was initially very engaged but my interest began to wane a bit for a few reasons: the book was longer than it needed to be; the tendency to weave in red herrings and dangle a carrot before the reader, only to yank it away, became a bit tedious. Overall, the author is able to craft a story well when not overreaching. I think trying to invoke 70's normalcy to a teacher who drove kids to a concert out of town, took a student for an abortion, had student parties with kids drinking alcohol, doing drugs, and smoking was just too much. Having grown up in that time frame I know that life was not that loosey-goosey. Some intrigue is woven throughout although I did reach a point where I just wanted to be done with it all. I think trimming the story down would be beneficial. The author did demonstrate some writing skill and has a talent for storytelling but the edges really did get pushed. I would recommend the book. I did some skimming in the 25% even when the story ended, it didn't actually end.

Olivia has wondered about what happened to her Aunt and Uncle back in 1975. She has been hiding from the past and now will have to face it head on and hope that it doesn’t destroy everything she worked so hard to run from. Being a Ghostwriter for her famous book author father, Vincent Taylor. Olivia will finally be able to get some answers to her past. But will she be able to keep that secrets her father has been hiding for fifty years?

Loved this book! You will be step by step thinking the same as Olivia. I went back and forth on if Vincent, Danny, or the unknown person did it. In the end you will be shocked!

I highly recommend!!!! And will be adding Julie Clark to my list of favorite authors.

Thank you NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark and Julie Clark for this advance reader.

Family secrets, uncomfortable family dynamics, and a cold case? Yes please! Julie Clark's books are always a hit with me and her newest, The Ghostwriter, was no different. I loved the changing perspectives & the ending was satisfying. I'm already looking forward to see what Julie comes up with next!

I have read and loved two of Julie Clark's previous books, so I was thrilled when my request for an ARC of her upcoming novel The Ghostwriter was approved. And while it was a bit slower paced than her earlier works, it was never boring, and had the same great writing and characterization I've come to expect from Clark.

Olivia Dumont is a ghostwriter who has fallen from grace in the publishing world and is set to lose her home if she can't find work, and soon. She is stunned when her estranged father, the horror novelist Vincent Taylor, has his people reach out to her agent and offer her the chance to come live on his estate and write his tell all memoir. He is ready to reveal all the secrets of his past, mainly regarding the murders of his siblings when they were teens - an unsolved crime that has always haunted him as most people believe HE was the murderer and he has never spoken of it to set the record straight. Vincent is in poor health and is unable to write the book himself, and he's insistent that only Olivia can do this job of ghostwriting for him, though no one knows she is his daughter. Olivia reluctantly agrees, as she is desperate for money and for the answers she hopes he will give her at last.

As with her earlier books, Clark has some chapters set in the past, from the perspective of teenage Vincent and his little sister, Poppy (my favorite character), and this worked perfectly to move the story along. Everything was revealed bit by bit, and the pacing was spot on to keep me turning the pages. I thought I had things figured out early on, but was pleased to discover that I was mostly wrong. It took all the way to the end of the book to truly learn everything and see it all resolve, and I found the ending very satisfying. 4 stars for a great read, and this cements Julie Clark's spot on my go-to author list. A huge thank to you to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Olivia Dumont is a ghost writer. She has reinvented herself to try and escape her family name and her fathers past. Now, Vincent Taylor famous horror writer and her father has asked her to be his ghost writer. Everyone thought he had murdered his siblings and got away with it.

Now, she wants to go back and discover what really happened that night. She follows many clues and unravels the mystery of what happened that night. She has to come to terms with the truth and how she will move forward with it.

A slow burn with so many secrets and filled with family drama.

this was really interesting. it starts off slow, but around 25% in i was hooked. there are alternating timelines in this story, as it follows olivia's journey attempting to ghost write her estranged father's memoir. this is the first time her father has ever spoken publicly about the deaths of his siblings, for which he remains a widely speculated suspect. while the story is primarily told from olivia's pov, we do get a few chapters that take place in 1975 told from the perspectives of numerous characters relating to the murders. these chapters were the most interesting to me - they felt very tense and the atmosphere was perfectly crafted. the premise of the flashbacks was enough to hold it's own as a thriller. the current day chapters complicate things because there is no longer any risk. it's interesting getting to know olivia as a narrator and see how her family's trauma and her relationship with her father has formed the person she became, but it also serves as a constant reminder to the reader that the suspense is decades overdue. while olivia's father is certainly unreliable and potentially dangerous, it never feels as though olivia is in any danger. this takes away from the urgency and desperation that makes reading a thriller so addictive. this reads more as a who-dunnit with meditations on generational trauma, so it might not resonate with the standard thriller audience. overall, i did enjoy it although i wish olivia's life was either delved into deeper or left out of the plot all together. 4⭐️

i received an ARC in exchange for an honest review

This was a great historical mystery, combined with a tough love family. I did guess the twist , but it didn't matter over the character growth. It is a slow burn book, so don't give up!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

“This book was absolutely riveting —I couldn’t put it down and devoured it in one sitting! The story is packed with secrets, each one unraveling at just the right moment. The author masterfully keeps readers in suspense, slowly pulling us toward the truth while keeping us guessing until the very end

My rating 4.5 💫

The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark was a spirited “whodunit” full of interesting characters and spotty memories. Olivia has been hired to ghostwrite her estranged father’s memoir that will encompass the murders of his siblings fifty years ago in the summer of 1975. What unfolds is a fraught family drama, a tale of teenage angst, and the story of a predator. The pacing was fine; however, the chapters detailing Olivia’s thoughts and experiences in the present are by far the weakest parts of this book. Overall, it was compelling and kept me interested throughout. I would recommend this one to those who enjoy thrillers. My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance copy in return for my unbiased review.

The Ghostwriter had me absolutely hooked from start to finish.

The suspense was twisty, the family drama juicy, and the chaotic notes (you’ll see when you read) Perfectly eerie. I’m a sucker for a dual timeline, and this one delivered in the best way and kept me on my toes.

But this book wasn’t just about the mystery. It went deeper, exploring the boundaries between truth and fiction, family secrets, and the cost of uncovering the past. I loved that this story didn’t just keep me guessing it kept me thinking about the full picture long after the last page was read.

I highly recommend this book if you’re into stories that keep you guessing but also have a heart that stays with you!

This book releases June 3rd and you are going to want to grab a copy!

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for this ARC. Who doesn't love some good old fashioned dark family history woven into a suspense novel? I've enjoyed other Julie Clark novels so I was happy to receive this. As usual, Clark does not fail to provide a good thriller. With the excellent use of flashbacks and multiple POV's the story moved along at a fast pace. You will think you have it figured out, and then voila, you don't! I highly recommend adding The Ghostwriter to your reading list.

This was my first novel written by Julie Clark. I have to say it won't be my last. I absolutely loved it and was so engrossed I couldn't put it down.

Julie Clark has yet to disappoint, and I especially loved her newest thriller The Ghostwriter.
Olivia Dumont, formerly Olivia Taylor, has been given an offer she can’t refuse to ghostwrite her father’s memoir, who is an accomplished novelist himself. The catch—- Olivia has had no contact with her father in ages and has no desire to do so. Even better? He is rumored to have violently murdered his siblings almost 50 years ago, and so the family name has been forever tainted.
I thoroughly enjoyed the complexities of the family dynamics and sibling relationships in this murder mystery thriller. Already looking forward to Clark’s next novel!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of The Ghostwriter.

Olivia is a ghostwriter who has been shunned by her publisher and the entire writing community. She receives an unexpected offer from her estranged father to ghostwrite his story. He’s a famous author himself, and also notoriously known for being the prime suspect in his brother and sister’s unsolved murders. Olivia hopes to uncover what really happened that day.

I have read Julie Clark’s other novels and enjoyed them all, but this is my new favorite. It was dark, and twisted, and filled with unreliable characters and memories that couldn’t always be trusted. I enjoyed the multiple perspectives and alternating past and present timelines. It really added depth to the story. I thought I’d uncovered the truth only to be proven wrong in the end. It really wraps up with a powerful ending and a surprise that you won’t see coming.

Thank you to Julie Clark and Sourcebooks Landmark for the arc and chance to be an early reader and reviewer.

The Ghostwriter is the third book I’ve read from Julie Clark and it has solidified her as an autobuy author for me. We follow Olivia Dumont, a ghostwriter in financial trouble who takes on the job of ghostwriting her estranged father’s final book — a memoir focused on the murder of her father’s siblings and the suspicion that has haunted their family for 50 years.

The story is told in multiple POVs, with the present focusing on Olivia learning about the events that lead up to the murders and navigating what is fact and what is clouded by faulty memories. The other POVs are from Vincent and his sister, Poppy, in the time frame leading up to the murders in 1975. I really enjoyed the way Clark weaved in past POVs with the present by using diary entries and home movies. It added a layer of nostalgia and made it even more heartbreaking because we knew what would end up happening to Poppy.

The only thing that took me out of the story was the side quest with the boyfriend drama. We never even meet Tom on the page, so dedicating pages upon pages to Olivia stressing about how she was lying to him was kind of small potatoes, in my opinion.

3.75 stars rounded up!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review <3