Propulsive and dark, this is the mystery of the summer. My heart was racing and I kept turning the pages. I thought the premise would be overdone but it was fresh and a spin on the typical tropes.

When ghostwriter Olivia Dumont is financially ruined after (rightfully!) criticizing a fellow ghostwriter publically, she reluctantly accepts a gig to pen the memoir of her estranged father—a reclusive horror novelist suspected in a decades-old family tragedy. Back home for the first time in decades, she's drawn into a haunting game of clues, childhood puzzles, and long-buried secrets.
Julie Clark delivers a tightly woven thriller that explores the complexities of father-daughter bonds, sibling trauma, and truth twisted by time. Clever, layered, and emotionally resonant, The Ghostwriter is both a gripping mystery and a moving family drama. Enthusiastic 4.5 stars!

I’ve been a fan of Julie Clark since I picked up THE LAST FLIGHT a few years ago. I was so thrilled when I received an email from @bookmarked with the eARC of her newest book!

The synopsis of this one had me immediately intrigued. An estranged daughter and father. The father is a famous horror author and has accusations of murdering his siblings back in the 70s lingering over him. A call out of the blue from the daughter’s agent with a book deal to ghostwrite her father’s memoir about what actually happened that June night in 1975 when his family was destroyed (except no one knows he’s actually her father). So many secrets from so many people.

I was hooked from the very beginning. If I didn’t have small children to take care of, I easily would have binged this in a day or two. Clark did an excellent job of weaving in Vincent’s (the father) memories, Poppy’s (the sister) diary entries, and what Olivia (the daughter) discovers over the course of her research and interviews. I changed my mind about who I thought the killer was multiple times while reading!

Thank you to @bookmarked for the #gifted eARC of THE GHOSTWRITER!

THE GHOSTWRITER is out June 3!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7588496592
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DKPfnz1R6dg/

The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Julie Clark is an auto-read author for me, and while this one was much slower paced than what I’ve grown to expect from her, I still enjoyed it.

This one started quick in the first half and slowed down towards the middle when it gave me more of a family drama vibe. The reveals were expertly placed, and while I had a pretty good idea of what happened early on, I didn’t guess it all, which is always exciting.

With multiple viewpoints and different timelines, the way the story unfolded was unique. Fans of books inside books, complicated family relationships, and long-hidden secrets will enjoy this one.

Julia Clark's The Ghostwriter is a beautifully written thriller exploring the consequences of family secrets on generations. Olivia has spent her entire adult life separating herself from her father, author Vincent Taylor, but with her own career on its last leg and the risk of losing her house after a public scandal, she agrees to ghostwrite a novel for her father--while keeping it a secret that they're related. The job is not quite what it seems and Vincent Taylor is not entirely forthcoming as Olivia embarks on a walk through her family's past to solve the murder of Danny and Poppy Taylor--Vincent's siblings. The plot is incredibly well developed and Clark plays with the unreliable narrator trope in a unique way. This is a definitely a must read!

The book is so unsettling and unpredictable. Characters have mysterious demeanour. Everything is twisted and suspenseful. The book revolves around the mysterious murder of two teenage siblings. Poppy was found dead in her room while Danny was found dead in the Hallway. The third sibling disappeared. It all happened in 1975, it’s been so many years. Decades later the third sibling becomes a horror writer/novelist. Now Olivia Dumont gets an opportunity to ghostwrite Vincent’s memoir since he has been diagnosed with a disease. So somehow Olivia agrees to ghostwrite the memoir but truth is twisted and buried since decades. As soon as the truth comes out, the past becomes more clear and changes the reality.

Author’s writing is compelling. If you like a slow burn mystery with twists and secrets, you are going to love this book. I loved the mysterious element. The mystery has been unfolded slowly and gradually. This book will keep you guessing till the end. You will find yourself completely pulled in the world author created.

Thanks to the Publisher

Olivia Taylor Dumont is the ghostwriter. She is in debt, her career has taken a downturn and she is desperate for a job. Is she desperate enough to ghostwrite the memoirs of Vincent Taylor, the notorious author who might have slaughtered his own brother and sister years ago? Yes, she is that desperate. And no, she doesn’t mention her relationship to Vincent Taylor. He’s the father she has avoided for her adult life. Now he wants to tell her what happened that long ago night.

The Ghostwriter is a beautifully written, character driven mystery. Different characters describe the same events, each offering their own interpretation. The plot unfolds like a jigsaw puzzle, with pieces slowly falling into place. There are 5 star books and then there is The Ghostwriter. It is so much more! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and Julie Clark for this ARC.

Read this one with my book club this month and it was quite the wild ride. How does a suburban PTO mom become a degenerate drug addict? This book gave me insight into a life I will thankfully never know. One in which I couldn't and don't want to even imagine. How anyone could abandon their children in favor of a high is beyond me. The hold that drugs can take on people, regardless of social class is so unbelievably disheartening.

The story will take you from affluent housewife, to broke thief, through the trenches of prison life and then onto rehabilitation. It was a fast paced read, and kept me engaged through all the stages of her journey. The worst parts to read about were how terrible our post incarceration laws treat those who are seeking a better life. the hurdles are incredibly difficult to navigate and it made me understand why so many end up failing. Fortunately Lara was able to overcome adversity and realize a better life.

It was a crazy story and worth the read... would have liked a little more background on the downward spiral, as the story pretty much starts with her arrest, but overall interesting.

I just finished The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark, and it had me hooked from the start! The story dives into the complicated relationship between Olivia and her estranged father, Vincent, with a murder mystery that kept me guessing. I loved the dual timelines and the way Clark wove past and present together so seamlessly.

That said, the pacing dragged a bit in the middle, and I wanted more depth from some of the side characters. Still, the emotional twists and the ultimate reveal were worth it. A gripping and thought-provoking read—highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: Ghostwriter Olivia Dumont is tasked with writing her estranged father’s memoir about the tragic murders of his siblings decades prior.

Thoughts: This is a fantastic slow burn of a thriller with shocking twists and well-developed characters. A brilliant blend of family drama, tragedy, and an unsolved mystery, The Ghostwriter had me on the edge of my seat despite being a slow burn. The slower pacing worked so well here because it gave the opportunity to develop layered characters and emotional depth. The building suspense culminating in a shocking conclusion makes for an amazing thriller.

Read this if you like:
📝 books about authors
📝 family drama
📝 cold cases
📝 dual timeline
📝 twisty thrillers

This was a well written book. It grabbed me from the first page and I couldn’t put it down. It’s full of heart breaking emotion. I felt so sad while reading parts of it.
It’s full of surprises that I only partially saw coming.
Definitely add this one to your list

Once again, Julie Clark does not disappoint! This was such a gripping thriller, twisting and turning throughout its entirety.

Olivia Dumont has worked for decades to separate herself from her family, specifically her father. A man who, fifty years ago, lost his teenage brother and sister in a brutal unsolved murder. A murder that the world thinks he committed.

Now, he’s hired Olivia to ghostwrite his memoir, divulging the details he’s never shared. However, as soon as Olivia agrees and sees her father for the first time in years, can she really believe the tales he’s telling?

Julie Clark is a must read author for me. I read this entire book in 24 hours. I couldnt stop reading because I really wanted to know what happened to Poppy and Danny. By the end, I figured out what was going on but overall it was still a good, fast read.

Thank you NetGalley, Sourcebook Landmark and Julie Clark for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed The Last Flight so was thrilled to read Julie Clark’s newest book.

4.25⭐️

Olivia is a ghostwriter who after speaking out against another ghostwriter is essentially black listed. When she receives an offer from her estranged father to ghostwrite his book she cannot refuse due to the financial situation she’s facing. Since leaving home at 14, she has distanced herself from him and no one in her current life knows he’s her father.

Her father’s reputation has been clouded with rumors and suspicion since his older brother and younger sister were murdered in their home 50 years ago. He never spoke much about that night and instead let the town think the worst.

Now Olivia is left piecing together the truth between the stories her father is telling her, the flashbacks he’s experiencing and the clues she’s finding.

Overall, I really enjoyed the story. The middle dragged slightly which is why it’s not getting 5⭐️ I need to go back and read her backlog.

I loved this book! It has the mystery/thriller vibe that I was expecting and have come to love from Julie Clark, but it also has an endearing family story between and father and daughter who have had quite a go throughout their relationship. I would highly recommend!

Ghostwriting any memoir would be fraught, but when it's your estranged and enigmatic father's memoir, things get very interesting very quickly! This is a wonderful thriller that will keep you racing through the pages thanks to the plot pacing, and thinking about it frequently after you finish the last page.

One of the most edge of the seat mystery novels I have read in a long time!

The description of The Ghostwriter was intriguing, and as I had read and loved The Last Flight by Julie Clark, I had high expectations for her new novel. I was not prepared to be sucked in and completely gobsmacked by this twisty novel in which a woman is hired to ghostwrite her dying father's memoir of the murder of his siblings as teens. The task is complicated by their estrangement and her father's unreliable memories due to dementia.

I loved everything about the story, but the way Vincent revealed his story to Olivia was fantastic, and I did not figure out what he was doing until just before the reveal. The multiple POV, dual timeline format of the novel helped with a slow, bit by bit piecing together of the actual events of 1975. I did not fully figure out the final resolution, though there were clues along the way. Right up to the end, there were a number of possible scenarios. Absolutely the best kind of mystery in my opinion.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the digital ARC of The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark. The opinions in this review are my own.

UPCOMING RELEASE: The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark (thriller)

{ Twisted. Traumatic. Reflective. }

🎵 Truce by twenty one pilots

The Ghostwriter is the upcoming release from the author of The Last Flight.

It's a suspenseful family drama, with a mystery that unravels through interviews, film reels, and diary entries from 1975. I was riveted from beginning to end.

📚 Read this if you liked Dark Places or The God of the Woods

My first Julie Clark read will not be my last. I thoroughly enjoyed The Ghostwriter. I never really did guess the entire event that set the book into motion. Clark masterfully let information out to string the reader along deliciously. The characters, while not always likable, were fascinating and I cared about their lives. The events of the past had so much to do with the present in ways those involved can't even clearly see.

Olivia is estranged from her father and has been for a long time. Not even her boyfriend knows her father is the famous, best-selling author Vincent Taylor. Having a different last name after a marriage not even the literary world knows that these two authors are related. When Vincent requests Olivia to ghostwrite his memoirs his publisher is a bit baffled by his choice. Not knowing of their relationship, all wonder why he'd chose a writer who's become toxic. I loved the story of how Olivia became a pariah despite a strong, best-selling career of her own ghostwriting hugely successful stories. Well, "loved" isn't the right word. As a piece of the story it was compelling but as a reflection of current society it was tragic and sad. She spoke only the truth but was seen as attacking an undeserving contemporary. While he was everything she claimed he was she still lost a legal case against Calder and owes him $500,000. She can't get anyone to hire her. She's behind on all her bills and may soon lose her beloved house. What can she do when asked to work with Vincent on his book but say yes?

As the story unfolds we find out all the reasons their relationship got to the point it's at. We also learn that some is accurate and deserved and some is misperception. As with most every relationship in real life.

Olivia has a process she uses when working on someone's memoir. She has been forced to agree in her contract not to contact those involved in Vincent's life. She also finds herself highly reluctant to talk to some, including her mother. It becomes clear though that to finish the book and for personal reasons she must research Vincent's stories. There are so many unexpected twists and turns. Olivia needs to follow them all and they're perfect for keeping the reader engaged.

This book is well-written, well plotted, loaded with fascinating characters and a great read. I highly recommend it.

This book was sooo good! You have two stories happening at once. The past is the Taylor family that had two brothers and one sister. The older brother and younger sister murdered and the younger brother, Vincent, was always suspected of being the killer. Present day, you have Olivia Durant who is a gifted ghostwriter who has recently encountered financial issues due to encounter with a fellow writer. She gets the opportunity to write for the one and only Vincent Taylor - the catch he is Olivia's father. No one knows and she has done everything to make sure no one knows that they are related. Its a touching and suspenseful story of when the past and present intersect.