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

Julie Clark's The Ghostwriter is a gripping, twist-filled thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The complex characters, particularly the compelling and morally grey characters, add depth to an already captivating plot. Clark masterfully weaves suspense, intrigue, and emotional tension, making this book impossible to put down. With unpredictable twists and an unforgettable conclusion, The Ghostwriter is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers. Highly recommend!

I don't usually enjoy cold cases, but this one sucked me in. The movement between the past and present timelines throughout built up the suspense of figuring out what happened. While not completely new in storyline, it kept me engaged and i enjoyed it thoroughly.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I really enjoyed The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark. The story follows Olivia Dumont, a ghostwriter grappling with her identity as the daughter of famed horror author Vincent Taylor, who was infamously suspected of murdering his own siblings. Facing financial difficulties, Olivia reluctantly agrees to ghostwrite her estranged father’s final book, leading her to confront long-buried family secrets. The narrative kept me guessing throughout, and I definitely didn’t see the ending coming. Clark’s engaging writing and well-paced suspense made this book unputdownable. I’ll always be keen to read anything by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley for the early release copy in exchange for an honest review.

Olivia is the daughter of Vincent Taylor, renowned horror author. Growing up with Vincent as her father was never easy because in his youth, he’s been labeled the murderer of his brother and sister, although never charged, just convicted in the court of popular opinion. Estranged from her father for 20 years Olivia’s surprised to receive a request to ghostwrite his next novel, something she can’t refuse to do, although no one knows they’re related. He’s ready for the real story of their murders to come out.
Swept away by the first sentence this is a suspenseful ride.

The Ghostwriter is a fantastically twisty mystery! A heavy dose of dysfunctional family, long buried secrets, and a brutal murder kept me turning the pages and staying up past my bedtime to inhale this book. After falling on hard financial times, Olivia agrees to ghost write her famous father's final book, which is a tell all of what really happened the night his siblings were brutally murdered. She's not convinced her father's account of events is truthful, though, and sets out to find out what really happened 50 years ago.

Told in dual timelines through flashbacks, the book explores the fraught relationship between Olivia and her father and the long buried secrets that have plagued every moment of his life. The story is suspenseful and the emotional depth makes the characters come alive with a little something extra for a thriller. The pacing is good, although it lags slightly in the second half. The resolution is a slow burn and the path there is paved with red herrings that will have you reading just one more chapter.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me with a digital copy of this book prior to its publication in exchange for my honest review.

Ghostwriter Olivia Dumont’s lack of recent work finds her writing her estranged father’s memoir. Her father Vincent Taylor was a bestselling horror writer with a suspicious past that he is finally ready to talk about but his failing memory complicates matters.

This mystery had me guessing throughout - I was sure I had figured it out only to question myself the next chapter. There was unreliable narration, dual timelines, found footage, and multiple POV to keep this story interesting.
4.5⭐️

This was my first time reading Julia Clark and I ate this book up. It first caught my attention because of the amazing cover. So shout out to the designer because it’s awesome. Anyways I was very intrigued by the story and it absolutely held up to my expectations! Olivia is just searching for answers about what happened to her family in 1975. 50 years after, the answers are finally spilled. I speculated the twists but I’m glad I didn’t say them out loud because I would have been wrong!!!

Definitely check this book out and see if you can figure out what happened to Danny & Poppy in 1975!!!


Thank you NetGalley & Julia for the early copy of this book!

*The Ghostwriter* by Julie Clark tells the story of Olivia Dumont, a ghostwriter facing financial problems, who is asked to write her estranged father Vincent Taylor’s memoir. Vincent, a horror novelist, survived the murder of his siblings 50 years ago and is now ready to share his side of the story. Although he’s been suspected of the murders, he’s never revealed the truth. Olivia sees this as a chance to uncover what really happened, but her father’s dementia makes things difficult as he often mistakes her for her mother.

The story starts off a bit slow, but it gets more interesting as Olivia’s relationship with her father grows. The flashbacks are helpful, and the ending is satisfying. I had some guesses about the mystery, but I wasn’t fully right, which I enjoyed. There are some uncomfortable parts involving animal abuse, so be aware of that. Overall, I really enjoyed the book and couldn’t put it down by the end.

This is my first time reading from this author and it won't be the last! I enjoyed the writing style and pacing of this story. I liked the family dynamics and twists. The only reason it gets a 3 instead of 4☆ is because I was left a bit unsatisfied at the ending.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

Holy bananas did this one keep me on my toes! If you like unreliable narrators, then this one is for you!

Olivia is a ghostwriter and is tasked with helping her estranged father in writing his memoir. A book that will finally reveal the full tragedy of the murders of Vincent’s siblings. Everyone assumes Vincent is guilty even though he had an alibi…

I loved all the different ways we obtained information as Olivia started digging into the past to figure out the truth. Different POVs from the siblings in the past, diary entires, movie reel clips, Vincent’s creepy notes…BUT WHAT WAS THE TRUTH?!!

I had several theories while reading, and I kept changing my mind and second guessing myself due to the excellent writing. I was never really sure until it was being revealed to us…and the execution was flawless. My mind was reeling when I finished the book! Andrea and I were both pretty shocked at the end! I highly recommend!

3.75 stars rounded to 4

Ghostwriter Olivia Dumont has tried to hide the fact that she is the daughter of famous author Vincent Taylor. Back in 1975, Vince became the prime suspect in the violent murders of his brother and sister. Trying to raise Olivia on his own became difficult, and he shipped her off to an international boarding school, leading to their lifelong estranged relationship.

Now, her father is sick and writing his memoir. Faced with few other options, Olivia has agreed to be the ghostwriter for the book. Back in her hometown, she is trying to figure out who is actually telling the truth about what happened that fateful day.

I enjoyed this. It kept me interested and I finished it quickly. The chapters switch between Olivia's current POV and the different siblings in 1975. It's hard to tell where things will go and if her dad is actually telling the truth, which made me want to know more. I would definitely read another book by Julie Clark again.

Recommended for those who love alternating POVs/timelines, mysteries, and family drama.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Julie Clark has become a must-read author for me, and when I saw her new release, I could not wait to dive right in! The Ghostwriter is a twisty domestic thriller following ghostwriter Olivia as she works to earn back her previously famed reputation. The story skips between past and present day as Olivia is working hard to untangle the secrets from her family's past and how they affect her to this very day.

This is a slow-burn thriller, not a book that grabs you right away. Stick with it, and you will NOT be disappointed. The multi-layered storyline and character development was absolutely fantastic. Highly recommend!

This book is out June 14th, be sure to add to your TBR

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, all opinions are my own.

*review posted on Goodreads, will post review to instagram closer to pubmed!

I received a free copy of, The Ghostwriter, by Julie Clark, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Olivia Dumont is a ghost writer. Her father with many ghosts in his past, asks her to ghost write a book for him. This book was a little too dark for me. Lewy Body Dementia is a horrible disease.

"The Ghostwriter" had an intriguing premise that initially drew me in, but unfortunately, I ended up not finishing it. The writing style leaned heavily on telling rather than showing, which made it feel a bit amateur to me. Since thrillers aren’t my go-to genre, I need the writing to really hook me, and this one just didn’t. That said, I can see this being a big hit, especially as a summer read. It has all the makings of a popular beach book, and I imagine plenty of readers will be eager to pick it up. It just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to Julie Clark, Sourcebooks Landmark, and NetGalley for sending me the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was addictive from the first chapter to the end. The mystery and story unfolded so perfectly. Oliva Dumont is a ghostwriter and has just been tasked to help write a book that will change her life. She is tasked to write the memoir for a famous horror writer who happens to be her father. He is ready tell his story of what happened to his siblings when he was a teenager. The mystery and way the story unfolded kept me so engaged in the story.

Memories, they’re a funny thing. How they change over time, do we change them to protect ourselves, to make the story fit better, does our psyche change them to cover up a lie or a truth? Oliva Dumont nee Taylor is a ghostwriter, having co-authored many books. Her career is a success until she calls out a fellow author very publicly and ends up being sued for libel and damages. When she receives an offer from her agent, she immediately wants to say no but with what she owes to her lawyers and about to lose her house, she has no choice, she must write this story, she must face memories, she must face her father. Her father, Vincent Taylor, is a famous author in his own right, is finally going to reveal the truth about what happened the night, his siblings Poppy and Danny were murdered. What happened that night? Why were Poppy and Danny killed? Did they know a secret and were killed for it?

Told in alternate voices by each Taylor sibling and Olivia herself, the story of the night of the murders comes to light. The author does a masterful telling of this story, flipping between the past and presents, hearing the perspective of the past from each sibling, and revealing just enough from each voice to start building a story, seeing the truth, revealing dark secrets. Well crafted, this is an excellent mystery. Don’t miss it!

Olivia Dumont is the eponymous Ghostwriter in this new novel by Julie Clark. She has lived her whole adult life hiding the fact that Vincent Taylor, a horror novelist and survivor of the tragic double murder of his siblings, is her father. However, as Olivia finds herself on the brink of financial ruin, she receives a request to become the ghostwriter for her father's memoirs about the murder of his siblings. Vincent has never fully revealed what happened to his brother and sister, but there is a large faction of people who are convinced Vincent was the murderer, and it is this offer of finally getting the truth from her father that pulls Olivia back into his life. An unfortunate complicating factor in her quest for truth is that her father is succumbing to dementia and often mistakes Olivia for her mother.
I have previously very much enjoyed Julie Clark's other works, and this book was no exception. Once I got into the plot, I was pulled in and had a hard time putting the book down until the final page. The truth behind the murder of Olivia's aunt and uncle is slowly unraveled and well thought out. The conclusion was logical and not at all rushed, and while I had my suspicions about what exactly happened, I was not exactly correct either, which I enjoyed very much!
Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

Thank you to the publisher for providing a digital arc via netgalley!

The Ghostwriter is both a murder mystery and a family drama. Two of the three Taylor children were murdered in 1975, the case was never solved, although plenty of guilt was thrown in the direction of the remaining child, Vincent. Vincent goes on to be a renowned author but a trail of trauma is left in the event's wake.

Olivia Taylor, aka Olivia Dumont, is dealing with her own issues when she is requested to be her father's ghostwriter. With mixed feelings and doubts of her own, she navigates this murder mystery.

Julia Clark creates flawed characters that have just enough good qualities that you don't hate them. Although the plot drags in some spots, it's a twisty read that wraps up solidly in the end.

Well written story, primarily of family dynamics and the damaging long term effects of secrets. There is a lot in this story that my students will relate to , not the specifics of the murders, but abuse, substance abuse, abandonment, bullying and assumptions. The characters really came to life in this multilevel story, past and present and the voices of Poppy, before she did in 1975, Vincent her brother then and Olivia, VIncent's daughter who is trying to tell his story. I think my students will find this book interesting, easy to read and get involved in