📚 ARC REVIEW 🤯 GHOSTWRITER by Julie Clark
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Every family has secrets, but when your estranged, scandal-shadowed father asks you to ghostwrite his memoir and possibly his confession, you know you're about to dig up more than just skeletons in the closet.

Julie Clark, who won me over instantly with "The Last Flight," returns with a slow-burning, elegantly twisted story of fractured bloodlines and buried truths just waiting to resurface. "The Ghostwriter" opens with a double murder in 1975 in Ojai, CA—Danny and Poppy Taylor are brutally killed, and their brother Vincent is left behind, both as the sole survivor and the prime suspect.

Now a successful horror author battling Lewy Body Dementia, Vincent hires his estranged daughter to pen his story. She's not thrilled about it, but her bills are piling up.

What unfolds is a dance between past and present that’s as gripping as a horror story. The dual timeline is flawless. Clark nails the vibe of estrangement and all the complicated emotions tied up in family baggage. The father-daughter relationship is raw and layered with betrayals and silence.

Some plot twists might have you raising an eyebrow—it's not all loud and clear, but the emotion is there. The atmosphere is chilling, and the cover art is absolute perfection!

If you're into dark family dramas, unreliable memories, and stories that don’t hand you all the answers, "The Ghostwriter" is calling your name. And trust me, you’ll want to listen.

Thanks to the author and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC provided via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This new thriller by Julie Clark follows Olivia, a ghostwriter who takes on a job that has her returning to her childhood home after years apart. She's been estranged from her father (and family) for decades, but this line she's drawn between her past and present life is quickly erased when she is tasked to help write her fathers last novel. In turn, she ends up finding out a whole lot more than she's ever known about a ~50-year long mystery!

The Ghostwriter is a slow burn, but it had me captivated from start to finish. There was never a moment where I felt bored with where the story was taking me. There are multiple POV's in this book, and I really loved every time we got a Poppy chapter; she was my favorite character! She's so upbeat, fun and creative, with a passion for film. Also, her segments reallyyy had me feeling nostalgic for the 70's (even though that's something I never got to actually experience).

Even with guessing some of the twists, I still enjoyed this read right to the end... and that final chapter was a very sweet way to wrap up such a dark story 🥺

🥑 California setting
🔥 Slow burn
👪 Complicated family relationships
✍️ FMC ghostwriter
🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Multi POV
🥲 Pulls at those heartstrings

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark & Julie Clark for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Olivia Dumont is watching her whole life go up in flames. She’s the single child of a prolific horror novelist named Vincent Taylor, infamous for both his terrifying fictional tales and his alleged involvement in the brutal double homicide of his siblings, Poppy & Danny Taylor. Vincent was never able to escape public scrutiny and ignominy for his reputed sins, but her father’s career only benefited from this thrilling aura of mystique since it only fueled the public’s morbid curiosity. Unfortunately, it also created quite a horrifying situation for Olivia to grow up in; therefore, she has spent her entire adult life trying to become a ghost, her true identity hidden in plain sight from the public eye. Suitably, her chosen work as a ghostwriter has provided her with the privacy she has needed, but now she’s facing an impending financial collapse and could soon be sitting in the ashes of her own burgeoning writing career. Which brings us to Olivia’s current conundrum: ghostwrite her father’s last book and resurrect ghosts from the past or simply walk away, keeping her family’s dark history securely archived and forgotten. Either way, she will be striking a match to the pages of her own life’s story.

Ghostwriter by Julie Clark is a slow-burning, intricate murder mystery that will engross the reader inside a firestorm of secrets, family drama, devastating betrayals, and heartbreaking truths. The plot was cleverly complex and attention consuming. It was skillfully written in a past and present narrative, shifting between 1970’s and current day Ojai, California and alternating between multiple key characters at the center of the mystery. This was executed in a way that let the reader get acquainted with the characters at play and added to the building suspense without confusing the reader or congesting the flow of the story. I was totally impressed with the twists, and I was suspicious of multiple characters over most of the story, also a notable accomplishment by the author. I also appreciated that this story is more than just a terrific tale of murder, mystery, and intrigue: the author incorporates a theme of fatherhood/parenthood and illuminates the fragile equilibrium that exists between a parent and child. It all comes down to choices. Mistakes can so easily result in traumatic experiences and burning resentments, often times creating a tragic situation where the child ends up mourning the loss of what could have been but never was. I think the resolution was compelling with its explanations, and I felt incandescently angry about some of the characters’ situations. However, since we are just a captive audience to their stories, we are powerless to interfere and will inevitably be forced to watch their fated demise. I couldn’t put this book down until the mystery was solved. I highly recommend this book and will definitely be picking up more books by Julie Clark! This book was just published on June 3rd, so get yourself a copy! Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC and the opportunity to share what I think! All opinions are my own. I will be posting this review on my Goodreads and Instagram accounts.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. I was excited for this one since I really enjoyed Julie Clark’s The Last Flight. Ghostwriter did not disappoint. It started off a little slow but soon I was completely engrossed in both the current and past storylines. I had my theories but would go back and forth on what I thought happened. It definitely had me guessing and certainly turning the pages. I became invested in both Olivia’s and Poppy’s lives.

Another fantastic mystery/thriller by Ms. Clark. Add to it that it is full of family secrets that get twisted as the years fade and it’s only a matter of time before it all leaks. She definitely keeps you guessing until the very end.

Jaw is dropped, laying on the floor after finishing this book. Completely caught off guard, no hints as to what happens. I’m literally speechless finishing this.

I really enjoyed 'The Ghostwriter.' It has a captivating storyline. Olivia returns to her father's home of Ojai. Her career in tatters. This book might be what brings her back to her life, professionally and personally. All she has to do is write whether her father killed his sister and brother like many believe. The catch is he has Lewy Body Dementia, and fact and fiction are intertwined. It is told slowly with multiple POVs of Vince, Poppy, and Olivia. 5 stars.

I love this author and she didn't disappoint. When a ghostwriter revisits her home town and her past after years away, she uncovers the truth about her parents and her family's past. I loved every minute of this book - the stakes were high enough to keep me engaged, and keep the pages turning, and the twist at the end was extremely satisfying.

In 1975, tragedy shattered the Taylor family: teenage siblings Poppy and Danny were found dead—and their brother Vincent was charged with the crime. He vanished from Olivia’s life not long after. Now, decades later, Olivia is stunned when her estranged father reaches out with an unusual request: to ghostwrite his final book.

But this isn’t just another memoir. It’s his version of what happened the night everything fell apart.

As Olivia sifts through Vincent’s recollections, truth twists into something more elusive. The story changes with every conversation. Every chapter feels like a trap. And the deeper she digs, the more she begins to wonder: is she helping him share his truth—or helping him bury it?

Unraveling across two timelines, The Ghostwriter is a chilling exploration of memory, manipulation, and the lies families tell to protect themselves. Just when you think you know where it’s headed, it veers into darker, more unexpected territory.

This isn’t just a mystery—it’s an emotional gut punch of a story that lingers long after the final page. Perfect for fans of layered family dramas, psychological suspense, and twisty narratives that refuse to let you go.

One of the most haunting reads of the year.

Thank you Source Landmark for this gifted copy.

The 𝗚𝗵𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿 is another unique and brilliant winner from Julie Clark! I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down. Just ask @mamas_top_shelf . We were buddy reading this one and had so much to discuss while we read.

Please Note: This is one of those books where I can’t write too much for my review, or I’ll end up giving away something in the story.

✍️𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆?

OMG! The way this story completely unraveled with wild twists was utterly captivating and I was there for all the f-ed up family drama too.

✔️𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:

Multiple POV
Dual Timelines
Family Drama
Psychological Thriller
Murder Mystery
Suspense
Treasure Hunt

📖𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲?

This is one of those slow burn books that is intriguing from the beginning and becomes more and more intriguing as the story progressed. I just had to find out how it was all going to come together in the end!

✨𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?

Of course, I do! This is a must-read psychological thriller that will mess with your mind. READ IT!!

I received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I really wanted to enjoy this, but I finished it feeling overstimulated and underwhelmed. It’s a fantastic premise, but there was entirely too much going on at once.

Imagine growing up as the child of the famous horror author – Vincent Taylor. Vincent was also known for his family connection to an unsolved murder that has fueled the rumor mill for years. The constant chatter of the possibility that Vincent played a part in his siblings murders followed Olivia Dumont her entire life. Now Olivia finds herself at a crossroads between her past and present.

Olivia has followed in her father’s footsteps and paved her own path as a Ghostwriter. As a trailblazer in the industry, Olivia found her career in shambles and is struggling to find her way out of the perilous circumstances. Opportunity comes knocking but this isn’t your typical job offer. Vincent Taylor has decided to release a ‘tell all’ about the night his siblings were murdered and he wants Olivia to pen the novel. The only problem? No one knows that Vincent is Olivia’s father.

Fifty years have passed for Vincent but the sins of the past are still lingering for both writers. Can Olivia find the strength to face the pain, heartache and secrets from the grave? Can a dying man find a long lost connection to the daughter that has fallen by the wayside through the years? Sometimes secrets are meant to be left in the dark.

When I saw The Ghostwriter pop up for early reviews, I knew I had to get my hands on a copy. Clark has always captivated me with her writing, and the Ghostwriter delivered on that expectation. The plot was EXCEPTIONALLY unique. I found myself engrossed in Olivia’s journey. Waiting to uncover what plot twists were laying in the darkness. While I pride myself on figuring out thrillers pretty early on in a book, I did doubt myself many times while absorbing all of the secrets. Overall – this is a great change on what readers might expect from a thriller. I know I can’t wait to uncover what Clarke has waiting around the corner!

I loved The Lies I Tell so I was so excited to get an advanced copy of this one! The Ghostwriter really kept me guessing all the way to the end, even though I did have some guesses that panned out, a lot was still a surprise! Honestly, this is a 3.5 star rounded to 4 for GR, but could easily have been nudged to a 4 star but I didn’t love how quickly the end was wrapped up (I wanted more conclusion with Tom and Mr Stewart), plus one of the big plot points could be a big trigger for some.

Thanks to NetGalley and SourceBooks for an eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

TW: sexual abuse and rape

Solid 4.5⭐️ rounded to 5.

“I feel like I’m riding shotgun with a man who has lost control of the car and there isn’t anything I can do but wait for us to crash.” —> this quote sums up this whole book.

Brief synopsis: Olivia is a ghostwriter with a troubled family past. When she gets herself into hot water, no one wants to hire her, except her famous author dad who has a story to tell and secrets to spill about the night both of his siblings were murdered. The problem is, Olivia has told everyone that her father is dead and no one can know she’s writing this tell-all memoir for her (very much alive) father, or her life may unravel even more.

Review: This book was very fast paced. There were many revelations and chapters ending with the reader wanting to keep going to find out what was going to happen next, and what secrets would be revealed. I gave this one 4.5 stars because it didn’t completely have me hooked, but I loved it and I was eager to keep going. It definitely could have gotten five stars had I been able to read it all at once.

Olivia and her father’s estranged relationship was a big factor in this book. They had a lot to hash out and many negative memories to wade through.

🚩 There were lots of talk about abortion because that is one of the key events that catalyzes a lot of issues in this novel.

🔥No spice is in this novel.

Read if you enjoy:
👻 Bits of the publishing world
💪🏼 Women empowerment (our FMC & main side character are big feminists)
🔪 A murder to be solved. Clues are given throughout the book and you could definitely figure it out before the final reveal.
🎥 Mixed media. This story is told through active events, storytelling, home videos, & journal entries.

Thank you so much to NetGalley & Sourbooks Landmark for the eARC in exchange for an honest review! This one is out now.

Full of twists and it caught my attention from the start! It was a slower burn but in the best way. I enjoyed the pacing and the way it was so easy to get sucked into. I really loved the ending

4.5 stars - I enjoyed the pacing in this thriller and it kept me guessing throughout.

I also appreciated that the author wrapped multiple storylines together to showcase the impact Olivia’s father had on her entire life. The decisions she made were a direct reflection of his parenting choices and they showed up in interesting ways.

I’m also a sucker for authors writing about authors, and this was a fun glimpse at the ghost world of ghostwriters.

June 1975: Danny and Poppy Taylor are found murdered in their suburban home in Ojai, CA. The main suspect is their troubled brother Vincent. With little to no evidence, the case remains unsolved and Vincent goes on to further the mythology surrounding him by becoming a renowned horror author.

Now: Olivia Taylor has done everything she can to separate herself from her family and the tragedy that follows, even going so far as to change her name. Her job as a ghostwriter further pushes her into the shadows. Better there than having people suspect your father killed his brother and sister.

After a tumultuous year professionally, Olivia is barely getting by when she gets a call from her agent. Her father's team wants to hire Olivia to ghostwrite his next novel. However, Olivia is in for a surprise when it turns out it's not a novel she'll be working on, but her father's memoir. Specifically, all the events leading up to the murders. With Olivia still unsure how much she can trust her father, it'll take her digging through all the generational trauma to get to the truth of that day nearly 50 years ago.

This is not the first time reading a mystery/thriller that features the past informing the present. I feel like it's almost part and parcel for the genre. I mean what else makes for thrilling reads if something from the past is still haunting people however many years later? I think that Julie Clark handled the balance between past and present really well here. Setting up the various situations in the present then switching to the past perspective to fill in the blanks but then going further and creating more questions as we slowly fit all the pieces together.

I do feel like the story did start to drag a bit toward the end. There was so much feinting thinking that it had been figured out only for us to be shown that, no, we didn't quite get it yet. Once the ball got rolling on that big denouement, though, it was non-stop.

Of course something else that is part and parcel for these kinds of stories is the idea of memory and perception. This story goes so far as to add a loyalty aspect to it because if, at the end, Olivia does indeed find her father committed this crime, does she owe loyatly to the man who raised her (as best he was capable of) or to the aunt and uncle she never knew? What does she owe a father who was barely a father? With all the other people involved gone, who benefits from finding out these answers? Of course, there's a lot more to it than that, and I'm not giving anything away, but it is something that Olivia grapples with while she's trying to piece things together because it's her history too whether she wants it to be or not. She too suffered the whispers and stares when she was growing up from those with long memories.

One thing that becomes clear is that despite her father not being the best caregiver, he does love her. For all the Vincent is not a good person, you can feel the tragedy of everything he went through. I think he dealt with it the only way he knew how, for better or worse. Seeing the moments where he was really able to love Olivia were bittersweet.

So while this was did slow in pace a bit at times, I think it's a completely worth it read. One of the better true crime-style stories I've read that both keeps you interested yet really does build up to a satisfying ending.

Can I say that I love it when the meaning of the title or of the cover art suddenly becomes clear in a story? I love it; I think it adds and extra layer..

Julie Clark does a great job with this book, unfolding a story in pieces based on incredibly unreliable eye witnesses, stories told by someone losing their mind and posthumous perspective. Even though I thought I had it figured out at several points during the telling, the way the story comes together at the end surprised me and even leaves me questioning.

A really good read. Would make for an interesting book club pick.


Than you to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing the eArc in exchange for my honest opinion.

What if THE GHOSTWRITER is your estranged daughter who you want to write what really happened the night your two siblings were murdered..

I really enjoyed this story and unique plot. The beginning solidified the MC and gave way for the story to unravel. The alternating POV/ timeline made the pages keep turning. I will say near the middle, I was turning them a little slower, but it picked back up. Part of the ending I did guess but I was also surprised in other ways! Thank you NetGalley, Sourcebooks and Julie Clark for my ecopy!

Thank you to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark | Sourcebooks Landmark for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book so much that I stayed up way past my bedtime just to finish this book. I had to know what was going to happen. I loved the storyline as well as all the characters. I thought they had great growth. I would definitely recommend this book!