From the very first pages, The Ghostwriter completely captured my attention. Julie Clark has crafted a chilling, emotionally layered thriller that kept me turning the pages late into the night. The premise alone is fascinating—what would it be like to be a descendant of a serial killer, or someone accused of horrific crimes? Clark dives deep into that question, unraveling the psychological and emotional weight such a legacy carries.

The main character felt especially personal to me. As someone who also has a strained relationship with my father, I found her journey and the way she navigates that complex dynamic to be deeply resonant. Her vulnerability, strength, and need for truth made her incredibly real, and I appreciated how her past informed her choices without defining her entirely.

One element I struggled with, however, was the inclusion of strong political overtones. While everyone is entitled to their views, I’ve always believed that fiction—especially thrillers—can serve as a bridge between different perspectives. When a story leans heavily into one political side, it risks alienating readers who might otherwise connect deeply with the characters and plot. As an author, wouldn’t we want everyone, regardless of belief, to find something meaningful in our work?

That said, the tension, pacing, and emotional depth of The Ghostwriter made it a standout read for me. Julie Clark continues to impress with her ability to blend suspense with soul, and this book is no exception. I’ll be recommending it to friends who love twisty thrillers with a strong emotional core.

The Ghostwriter is a haunting story of legacy, trauma, and the ghosts we can't outrun. A story perfect mystery lovers - atmospheric, emotionally rich, and packed with family drama.

Ghostwriter Olivia Dumont has spent her career hiding her infamous lineage. She's the daughter of Vincent Taylor, a legendary horror author and the main suspect in his siblings' brutal murders. Desperate & broke, Olivia agrees to ghostwrite his final book, only to find herself entangled in the twisted roots of her family's past.

I loved this book and devoured it in two sittings. The story alternates timelines between present-day and 50 years ago, painting a suspenseful picture that keeps you guessing until the end.

Huge thank you to @bookmarked for the advanced copy for the @thrillersbythebookclub.mke May pick!

3.5 - 3.75 stars for this one. The author created a unique plot for her latest book. A woman who works as a ghost writer is commissioned to write her father's (who is a horror fiction author) account of what happened when his older brother and younger sister were murdered in their childhood home. Public sentiment has ruled the father guilty of the crime, and he wants to set the record straight before he dies of Lewy Body Dementia.

Olivia and her father, Vincent, have had a strained relationship and have been estranged for years, to the extent that she no longer uses her surname. People in the industry (and in personal relationships with Olivia) are unaware of their connection.

There were numerous compelling angles that added interest and excitement to reading the book. At every turn, I, as a reader, was sure I'd figured out the mystery, but then another secret would be revealed.

I'll admit the story was a bit clunky in places but overall this was a very good, memorable read.

✍🏼The Ghostwriter✍🏼
📆Pub Date: 6/3/25

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Olivia is a ghostwriter who has been keeping a secret. She is the daughter of a famous author who is also a suspect in his sibling’s murder.

When Olivia is offered a job to write his memoir she decides to take it as she needs the money. This is a slow burn that goes back and forth in time to reveal many family secrets.
I was absolutely hooked from the beginning and loved how this kept me guessing. While I figured some things out, other twists definitely shocked me.
Such a great book! I loved The Last Flight by Julie. Now I need to read her other books. This is definitely my favorite of hers so far!

Thank you @bookmarked @sourcebooks and @netgalley for the advanced copies for our @thrillersbythebookclub.mke

This book felt a little more disjointed than the other books I have read by this author, but I really enjoyed it. I found it difficult to connect with the main character, but was able to understand and empathize with her point of view.

A slow turn of a thriller when a daughter is hired to be the ghostwriter of her father's childhood memoir. He had a beautiful interesting upnringing. .Intriguing.cleverly written.

This was my first venture into Julie Clark’s work and it did not disappoint! Full of twists and turns, THE GHOSTWRITER kept me intrigued and engrossed throughout the whole book. I loved reading the flashbacks and loved the main characters and seeing their relationship throughout the story. I love this author’s writing style and will be going back and reading her other books!

Thank you so much to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the early digital copy!

Great weekend/summer read! A well-paced, page turner that is great for readers of gothic stories. Recommend!

Everyone who had received a copy of "The Ghostwriter" were raving about it. Reading it, I can see why! What a book it was. Julie Clark has done it again.

3.5 stars

This grabbed my attention from the beginning and I was drawn into this story and family. Multiple POVs and time jumps pieced together the mystery until the big reveal. I found some parts to be a bit slow at times and I just wanted answers!

I didn’t figure out the entire ending either which I always like in a thriller!

4.5 stars. The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark is a gripping and emotionally charged thriller that masterfully blends suspense with character depth. Clark’s writing is sharp and immersive, pulling readers into a tense narrative of secrets, betrayal, and redemption. With well-drawn characters and a plot full of unexpected twists, the novel keeps you hooked from the first page to the last. A compelling and satisfying read for fans of psychological thrillers. You'll never quite figure out what actually happened in 1975.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this digital e-arc.*

I enjoyed this one! After reading a lot of contemporary romances lately, I kind of “forced” myself to mix it up. This book, like a lot of thrillers, took a little bit more patience to get into as the story needs to set up, but once all the pieces were laid out, I flew through it! It was very satisfying to finish and replay the ending, reminding myself how the pieces came together.

My one qualm was that while the main character is a ghostwriter, and yes she sets out to ghostwriter her novelist father’s book, it’s not really about her being a ghostwriter.

The Ghostwriter is a layered character-driven mystery that is gripping and compelling. I enjoyed how the story was told from different perspectives and timelines. Julie Clark masterfully brings the characters to life with intensity and emotion. I was immediately drawn to Olivia and her desire for the truth. “Memories have faded. Innuendo and suspicion
have calcified into something concrete. Everyone has a theory, but no one has answers.” Olivia’s relationship with her father is realistic and at times heartbreaking. The mystery is intriguing with elements of seventies nostalgia. “People's recollections are tinted with their own biases. Their beliefs, layered over the top, sometimes rendering a completely different meaning.” Memories and perception play a crucial role as secrets are revealed and the past and present collide. I highly recommend this original, intricate, suspenseful mystery. Thank you, NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for my copy.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Watch the book trailer: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/n6jiexb70x6at4lxuy4td/The-Ghostwriter-Book-Trailer.mp4?rlkey=xcn2ysjqhouh4xjpm1di2r63c&st=zfhz4hp9&dl=0 #Ghostwriter @Bookmarked

I really enjoyed The Lies I Tell by Clark, so I was very excited to read this, and it did not disappoint. I loved this twisty page-turner!

The story grabbed my attention from the start and did not let go. Told from multiple POVs with flashbacks, the story has a unique and intriguing premise with an eerie vibe. The characters are compelling and layered. This story combines elements of mystery, thriller, family drama, and horror and is cleverly executed. A slow-burn puzzle, this had a few curve balls I did not see coming! I was all over the place with my theories, especially as dark secrets began to tumble out.

Additionally, the book contains poignant and emotionally charged moments that explore family dynamics, serious health conditions, trauma, women's issues, and more. I wasn't expecting the level of emotion in this, but I enjoyed it, and for me, it makes the book stand out. One character has Lewy Body Dementia, and as someone who is dealing with my mother's Alzheimer's, I appreciated how dementia was portrayed with sensitivity and care.

Reading this felt like watching a film, and it would make fantastic beach or poolside reading!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and Netgalley for the eARC

Having thoroughly enjoyed Julie Clark's "The Last Flight" and "The Lies I Tell," I was excited for her new book. Unfortunately, this novel didn't resonate with me as her earlier books did.

The premise introduces Olivia, a ghostwriter facing financial distress, who reluctantly agrees to pen her estranged, alleged-murderer father's next book about a family tragedy. I found the shifting perspectives, including flashbacks to 1975 and their connection to Olivia's film research, to be a compelling structural choice.

Despite this, the story struggled to maintain my interest. Unlike Clark's prior captivating leads, Olivia and Vincent lacked appeal, and the intriguing character of Poppy was underutilized. The suspense often felt manufactured through character evasion rather than organic plot development, leading to a VERY slow burn. Additionally, Olivia's strained family history and current relationship issues, rather than adding depth, largely detracted from the narrative's emotional core. Ultimately, while the book's intent was clear, its execution fell short for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an eARC

Happy Publication Day! Thank you Sourcebook Landmarks and NetGallery for an ARC in exchange for my honest reviews.

The Ghostwriter is about an estranged father and daughter brought back together by the retelling of the murder of the father’s siblings. Vincent Taylor requests blacklisted author Olivia Dumont to help ghostwrite his new book to finally tell the truth about what happened all those years ago. No one on Olivia & Vincent’s teams understands why she was chosen, the two don’t know each other and Olivia has been blacklisted from the literary world ever since that disastrous conference. Olivia has not told anyone she is the daughter of the famous author since she severed ties with him years ago.

Olivia moves back home reluctantly to tell Vincent’s story, but it may be harder than she thinks. He has Lewy Body & breaks into violent outbursts when he remembers something he doesn’t want to. Will the truth come out and will they be able to make amends?

At this point Julie Clark is a no questions author for me. I love her stories! This one was twisty and captured my attention throughout the entire story. As a reader, who doesn’t love a story featuring books? I highly recommend grabbing this one up asap!

Daughter who has distanced herself from her infamous father comes back to her California childhood home to ghostwrite her father’s story about the brutal murder of his siblings. Slow burn atmospheric tale that keeps turning. Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an advanced copy for an honest review.

Well done, well done. I am standing and applauding this book because it consumed me. Seriously, when you're ready to dive in, clear your calendar. You'll want to read this one uninterrupted!

Olivia Dumont is a successful Ghostwriter who now finds herself facing tough times. Desperate, she's willing to accept any assignment and her next assignment may be her toughest yet: to uncover the true story of the tragedy that befell her family in the summer of 1975. Buckle up for a suspenseful and riveting ride. From estranged family members to secrets to murder, this book has it all. If it's not clear, I LOVED The Ghostwriter, now I need to go read all of Julie Clark's backlist.

What a really good thriller. It was well-paced, the characters had dimension and the twists were great. I thought the time transition between the 1970s and current day were well-written. A definite page turner and a very enjoyable read.

The Taylor family shatters in a single night when two teenage siblings are found dead in their own home. The only surviving sibling, Vincent, never shakes the whispers and accusations that he was the one who killed them. Decades later, the legend only grows as his career as a horror writer skyrockets.

Olivia is a complex character. I liked her some of the time, but not all of the time. And don’t get me started on her dad. He is definitely someone that is self righteous and selfish. But, he redeems himself in the end.

I enjoyed the dual timelines in this novel. It creates a unique guessing game!

This is a tale which captivates you with clues. It takes you on a scavenger hunt for the truth. And trust me, you do not want to miss it.

When I started reading this book it was a solid 4 star read. But that changed when it hit the end. The ending of this book twists and turns around itself and moved right into the 5 star range for me. Yes, I did figure out part of the story but not all!

Need a unique family mystery that will keep you guessing…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.