I love everything by Julie Clark!!! She is one of my favorite thriller authors. The Ghostwriter brings a refreshing and unique plot to the thriller world. I was captivated by the first page. The mystery unfolds perfectly and the ending is unexpected and satisfying. It's full of family drama and dysfunction, but also has a sentimental aspect as well. If you haven't read The Last Flight and The Lies I Tell you must add them to your TBR. I can't wait for more from Clark!

Thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark | Sourcebooks Landmark for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Ghostwriter Olivia Dumont is summoned by her estranged father, successful horror author Vince Taylor, to write his memoirs. Fifty years ago, Taylor was a suspect in the brutal murders of his teenage siblings, but the case remains unsolved. Olivia, in desperate need of the money, agrees to ghostwrite the book, but she is totally unprepared for the secrets that are revealed. The Ghostwriter has a catchy plot and all the elements of a great thriller, and author Julie Clark fully delivers the goods in this suspenseful novel. The plot unfolds in flashbacks, as Olivia tries to coax the true story out of her father as to what happened the day his siblings were killed, but his story is at odds as to what Olivia is discovering from other sources, with the flashbacks revealing the true story. This is a bit of a slow burn, but the suspense keeps the reader engaged, as does Olivia’s inner battles and conflicts, and the unique narrative is well executed. Definitely worth a read. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, this book was fantastic! I loved the characters, the setup, the family dysfunction, and the pacing.

I loved Poppy and her father Vincent. They felt like such real fleshed out characters with just enough back history for me to actually feel invested in their story. Some thrillers you have to suspend your disbelief a lot on but this one, actually made sense to where you have a daughter ghost writing her fathers past over a crime that happened several decades ago, which leads to her inevitably investigating it.

I never knew which way the book was going to go. I loved how the author was able to weave so many red herrings into the book so that I was always second guessing what I thought was going to happen at the end.

This book was fantastic, and I would highly recommend it. I now want to go back and read this authors backlog.

Celebrated ghostwriter Olivia returns home after a decades long absence to help write her father’s memoir.

The catch? Her father, Vincent, is a famous author of horror. He & Olivia have been estranged for years and no one, not even her significant other, knows Olivia’s checkered history.

Her father’s siblings, Poppy and Danny, were brutally murdered when they were teens in the 1970s. The crime went unsolved but suspicions have swirled around her father as the suspected perpetrator. When Olivia was in kindergarten her mother abandoned the family.

VIncent is now ready to tell his side of the story. Olivia is in financial trouble and accepts the job, despite reservations.

The second catch? Her father has been diagnosed with Lewey body dementia and Olivia must sift through her father’s memories to determine what is true and what is not. The stories we tell ourselves are complicated and not always rooted in truth. Memory has a way of tricking us. I loved the exploration of this phenomenon.

Long buried secrets and evidence is uncovered which makes Olivia & her father question everything they thought to be true. Olivia’s own assumptions about her past may not be based in reality.

This is not a thrill-a-minute story. It’s a thoughtful mystery told in dual timelines, and left me questioning everything.

Itt left me feeling a bit melancholy at the revelations and all the pain & misery that could have been avoided. The adage that “hurt people hurt people” is brought home with this story. I cared deeply for the characters, especially knowing how their story turned out. Getting to know Poppy as a teenager in the 70s was bittersweet. I normally dislike this age group in my reading, but not here.

Julie Clark has written a riveting, immersive, multi-layered mystery that would be excellent on film. It’s smart and intelligent and kept me on edge until the last page was turned. I hope it’s optioned for a movie.

I can’t wait to see what this author writes next!

Thank you @bookmarked #partner for the gifted copy of this book!

Julie masterfully creates and crafts a story about a woman named Olivia who is the daughter to a famous writer, Vincent who is hired to ghost writer his memoir. Normally that wouldn’t be a big deal but Olivia has spent her life distancing herself from her parents and the murder mystery surrounding her father. Vincent’s two siblings were murdered and he was the one to find them. He had an alibi but in the end everyone questioned the validity of it. Olivia digs through the history and evidence of what truly happens that fateful day.

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Oh yes! I love me a Julie Clark book and will absolutely continue to auto buy her books! This book was a sensational mystery with a shocking twist and mind blowing ending! Truly I do not think anyone would guess it…I know I most certainly wasn’t even close. This was one where the ending was so shocking I actually went back to reread it 3 times. 😂 I love the way that Julie drew me in using Olivia parsing through her father’s past. Without giving away spoilers I will say the characters in this book created big feelings which means the writing is very well done! This one publishes in June but I wanted to let you know if you love mysteries, family drama and enjoy thrillers…this one is for you!

I couldn't hit "request" fast enough when I saw a new Julie Clark pop up on NetGalley and this book did not disappoint. This premise was so interesting- Olivia Dumont is a ghostwriter who is contacted via her publisher to ghostwrite her father's memoir- when they haven't spoken in many, many years. A decades old mystery, family drama, short chapters from multiple POVs even though 80% was told in Olivia's voice- I loved this book and couldn't stop turning the pages,

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

THE GHOSTWRITER
BY: JULIE CLARK

This is the third novel I have read and reviewed by Julie Clark. This particular latest narrative written by her called, "THE GHOSTWRITER," happens to be my favorite one, and I think it will be highly appealing to other fans of hers. Julie Clark really has proved with this latest novel her writing acumen for perhaps it was easier for her to write into the first person's frame of mind doing what she does best. In writing the "GHOSTWRITER," which is an aptly chosen perfect, title for this latest book she also slips into that role herself as Ghostwriter Olivia Dumont. Who has spent her entire adult life since her teen years when her famous horror novelist father sent her away to boarding school in Switzerland she has had sparse contact with him.. Her mother Lydia had long ago abandoned both father and daughter, famous writer Vincent Taylor is much diminished when Olivia goes to his home and sees him. His health has deteriorated, and he wants Olivia to ghost write his memoir about his older brother Danny's, and younger sister Poppy who were brutally murdered fifty years ago.

A cloud of suspicion has always surrounded Vincent Taylor as the murderer and that's one of the major reason's she has kept the last name "Dumont," after q quick marriage and divorce. She has worked hard to keep her reputation anonymous, and few people know about that her connection to her father is that she has kept her distance over time to create a successful life ghostwriting many important causes she believes are important. She slandered a male author at a writing festival who she believes is a misogynist whose work she considers salacious and sensationalist. He decides to sue her and the judge awards John Calder $500,000. This puts her in an untenable position of her agent finding her the only person who will hire her is her estranged father. Most of the people in publishing don't know she's ghostwriting her father's memoir. He has claimed he was innocent, and has an alibi when both his older brother Danny, and his youngest sibling named Poppy were murdered during their teenage years. Both Olivia and him have tried to live productive lives by trying to be successful writers. Olivia still is haunted by her classmates telling her in grade school that her father was a murderer, and killed both hos siblings. That was traumatic for her at the time and a memory that has affected her adult life. She didn't even disclose to her boyfriend who she really is, but he is a background character that isn't featured much in this spellbinding dark and twisty story.

She has been given a multitude of boxes belonging to her father that she has to sift through to more or less piece together the truth along with some legal pads with rubber bands that her father has written by hand. This is where the story's strongest writing occurs as Olivia interviews Poppy's best friend, Margot who Poppy was just supposed to run home and meet her back at the carnival at the Tilt-a-whorl, but Poppy never made it back. Olivia finds cryptic notes in Poppy's diary about film clips that she took pictures of everybody with her new camera that she received from her parents for her birthday. Readers have to wait until nearly the end of the book to discover who the murderer was. It's impossible to guess who killed Poppy and Danny even for the most seasoned mystery fans. This is what elevates this to a solid four star reading experience.

You hear from Poppy's perspective later on in the novel along with Olivia's in the first person. Julie Clark has managed to make her characters three dimensional and interesting. That makes the final reveal all the more heartbreaking, It's full of layers and that makes these characters fully developed with an intriguing plot. I would recommend this to most readers who can appreciate originality and for fans of Julie Clark's previous novels. Perhaps what makes this one my favorite was not just the mystery but it stands out also for anyone interested in the publishing world and makes you appreciate all the more what the writing process is like for the authors who produce the books we all read. This was a solid portrait of writers who go through meticulous research to produce a memoir that is filled with integrity.

Publication Date: June 3, 2025

Thank you to Net Galley, Julie Clark and, SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for generously providing me with my fantastic AEC,, in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#TheGhostwriter #JulieClark #SourcebooksLandmaek #NetGalley

I wish I could give this more than five stars! So darn good. So someone killed a teenage brother and sister in their home. Years later the case is still cold and the remaining brother in the family has lived his whole life being the subject of finger pointing by the locals who believe he did it but now wants to tell his story with the help of his estranged daughter Olivia who is torn between believing him and hating him. Gets really tense towards the end when the truth is finally told.

I am blown away by this book. Clark’s writing is so beautiful and immersive. The depth that was put into these characters and this story is incredible (and rare in thrillers nowadays). Not only is there a super intriguing, twisty mystery to solve - but the plot also heavily centers on a heartbreaking story of dysfunctional family dynamics and overcoming trauma. I liked that all the main characters demonstrate some sort of growth/development throughout the novel. You are constantly left guessing due to the twists and unreliable narrators, trying to piece together the clues alongside Olivia. I enjoyed the multi POVs and time jumps as well, it definitely made me more invested in the story! It is a bit slow in the beginning, however I feel it’s necessary to help readers understand the characters. I also recommend checking trigger warnings as there are some heavier and sensitive topics discussed throughout.

There are things we tend to hide about our family. Secrets that we don't want others to know. Maybe it's because we are embarrassed, maybe ashamed, maybe even afraid of others finding out. For Ghostwriter Olivia Dumont, her family, especially her father, Vincent Taylor, not only wrote horror stories but has lived a horror story being suspected for years of heinously murdering his sister, Poppy, and his brother, Danny.

Julia, because of her father's distance and her distaste of him, had separated her life from Vincent's so when she is called upon to be his ghostwriter for what will be his last book, a semi autobiographical story of what he was, what he lived through, and what could be the reason why suspicion is strong for him being the murderer, Julia is hesitant, but she is in dire straights financially, so must take the job.

Through probing, Vincent's shadowy recollections, Poppy's diary and her films. Julia pulls together a family in crisis, bewildered, and afraid to let their secrets come forward, secrets that will eventually lead to death, hardship, and the destruction of family in the past and that is to come.

This was a haunting fantastic story woven together so well that it was hard for me to put my kindle down. Definitely a strong recommendation for this book. It's flow was flawless and the direction it took me in made me realize that secrets can ruin the life we were intended to lead.

I have read all of Julie Clark's books and was so excited to receive an advanced copy. She did not let me down. I was glued to this pageturner centering around family secrets and two murders. As with Clark's signature style, there are ample twists and turns. I highly recommend The Ghostwriter to the reader who appreciates family stories, family skeletons, well-developed storylines, and a clever plot.

I loved this crazy, suspenseful, sad, wonderfully written story!
It truly kept me guessing and on my toes as I carefully followed the clues to help the main character Olivia write about an unsolved murder many years back in her hometown. Who was the killer and why?
You will be shocked as you read along, and the details unfold slowly, so please pay attention!

Thank you to @NetGalley and to @Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC and allowing me to read and create my own review.
Well done!

I'm not without complaint, primarily because the thing no one can seem to see is happening is very obviously happening, but...that's also from way over here, you know?

I’m a big fan of Julie Clark’s previous novels, especially the last flight, so I jumped for joy when I saw this new book.

It’s a cool concept and while I found it interesting, it wasn’t my favorite. Olivia is interesting and I enjoyed her chapters and the vibe of this small(ish) town.

My biggest barrier was getting into the chapters with Poppy and Vince. There’s a big secret that the reader doesn’t know and it waited too long with little payoff.

I also struggled with Lydia. She’s a big part of the story and we are supposed to care about what happened with her but she’s so underdeveloped that I couldn't really picture or connect with her.

Thanks for the advance review copy.

The Ghostwriter is my first 5 star book of 2025.
Well known ghostwriter Olivia Dumont agrees to finish the last book of famous horror novelist Vincent Taylor.. What almost no one knows is that he is her estranged father who also is the prime suspect in the brutal murders of his teenage siblings in 1975.
As this page turning story shifts between 1975 and the present secrets are revealed. Will the murderer be identified? This really kept me guessing!
Thank you Sourcebooks and NetGalley for this enthralling ARC.

I absolutely LOVED this one! It made me want to go back and read Julie's prior works. I love a good cold case mystery and to pair that with characters in the bookish world? Yes please! I loved our main character and following her while ghost writing a book and diving into a 20 year old murder. Highly recommend! 4 stars.

Olivia is a ghostwriter, and also the daughter of a well-known horror author, Vincent. Vincent's background is that he is also the main suspect in the terrible murders of his siblings. Olivia simply does not want the world to know she is related to him. However, she is in a situation where she needs money, so agrees to ghostwrite Vincent's final book. This book is essentially a tell all about the events surrounding the death of his siblings. Through the writings of Vincent's sister, Olivia gets a different account of the situation prior to the deaths. But who is telling the truth; are the writings of the sister accurate, is Vincent telling the truth?

This was such a great book, because who doesn't enjoy an unreliable narrator? Those texts make the reader actually think, and you get that a lot with this author's writing (read her other books, they are great). I enjoyed the author's ability to balance emotional weight in this book with familial relationships, and marry that with a twisty plot. It is refreshing, when a lot within the publishing industry tends to be formulaic.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't love this as much as Clark's previous novels, but it kept my interest until the end.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Note: Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

The Last Flight was one of my top three favorite thrillers during the pandemic, and I love the fresh concept Julie Clark introduces in this novel. Unlike many authors who release books annually, she takes her time, making each new release a priority read for me. Though the first third of the book was a slow burn, it quickly gained momentum with its shifting POVs, unreliable narrators, and a deeply realistic portrayal of trauma—not just for those directly affected, but for generations that follow. The need for answers lingers, even for those who never had the chance to meet their lost loved ones.

The Ghostwriter was a slow burn in the best way. I loved the dual timeline that progressed into slowly unraveling the truth, bit by bit. The tension was palpable from beginning to end. This novel not only focuses on the mystery, but also grief and complicated family dynamics. I wish we got even more of the chapters from Poppy’s POV because that was truly the heart of the story for me. She was an extremely lovable character.