From the very first page, I was completely hooked. The writing is sharp, the pacing flawless, and the twists kept me guessing until the final chapter. Clark’s ability to craft complex, emotionally rich characters shines through—each one feels real, flawed, and deeply compelling.

The protagonist’s journey is both suspenseful and deeply human, blending themes of identity, truth, and redemption with edge-of-your-seat storytelling. I especially loved the layered narrative and how seamlessly Clark wove past and present. It’s the kind of book you stay up late reading and think about long after it ends.

If you love smart thrillers with emotional depth and unexpected turns, The Ghost Writer is an absolute must-read. Julie Clark just keeps getting better!

Julie Clark is a reliable author who has delivered another solid mystery thriller—this one about a woman ghostwriting for her estranged famous-author father.

Like a lot of books in this genre, it started off strong, lagged a bit in the middle, and ended strong. (Or is it just me?) I was entertained the whole time, and I’d recommend it to fans of the author or if you like reading about authors and books combined with scandal and trauma!

Thanks to Sourcebooks for the free ebook.

Julie Clark has written many books, but The Ghostwriter is the first I’ve read—and it definitely won’t be the last. Her writing is smooth, seamless, and incredibly engaging.

In The Ghostwriter, the story shifts between 1975 and the present day, following the intertwined lives of siblings Danny, Poppy, and Vince in a small town filled with secrets. In the present, Olivia Dumont is determined to uncover the truth behind the 50-year-old unsolved murders of her aunt and uncle.

This gripping mystery kept me hooked from the very first page. Every twist had me on edge, and I couldn’t put it down. A true nail-biter! Five stars—and a strong recommendation from your Librarian!

The concept alone hooked me right away and this book kept the twists coming until the very end. There were some slower parts but overall the pace kept up through most of the book. I didn't love a few of the pieces but I can acknowledge how it was written into the story was really well done. Overall I'd recommend this as your next thriller!


Thank you NetGalley and Julia Clark for an ARC of The Ghostwriter.

"I love the anonymity of ghostwriting, the ability to slip into someone else's skin and inhabit their life just long enough to tell a good story. No one can see who I am or remember who my father is. I'm an invisible hand on the page instead of the name on the cover."

Ghostwriter Olivia Dumont has spent her entire professional life hiding the fact that her father is Vincent Taylor.. Although it was never proven, everyone has always thought that he was the one who killed his brother and sister when they were teens. When she's offered a job to ghostwrite her estranged father's last book, she thinks it will be another horror story - but instead, after fifty years of silence, Vincent Taylor is finally ready to talk about what really happened that night in 1975.

I normally love this author's books, but this one was not my favorite. It wasn't bad, but it was a slow burn for the entire book. The story alternates between past and present, so you are seeing both played out, but you don't find out who actually killed the two siblings until the very end of the book. Also, neither Olivia or her father were especially likeable, and that is usually a dealbreaker for me. Overall, this was a solid 4 out of 5.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions below are my own.

Olivia's career has hit a major derailment after a clash with a popular writer that has cost her reputation and a ton of money. To get her life back on track she takes on an offer that is against her every instinct. She is ghostwriting her father's memoir about the killing of his brother and sister when he was a teen. A story that has haunted them all their whole lives, unsolved and yet rumors have always swirled around her father. She hopes to figure it all out but quickly learns her father's memories may not be helpful or accurate.

This one played out more of a slowly paced mystery than a twisty thriller. Even though Olivia and her father are in pursuit of the truth there is a lot more about their relationship and who each of the family members were. Definitely more of a character study than a plot driven jaw dropper. From the start it is not clear whether you are getting a reliable narrator or not for any of the characters. But in the end I was able to piece together some of what happened before Olivia does but in a, 'there were good clues way' rather than a predictable way.

Olivia Dumont, a ghostwriter by trade, has avoided her father for decades. A father who became a best-selling horror author despite being suspected of killing his siblings when they were all teens. But after a public incident and subsequent lawsuit has left her in need of work and money, Olivia is offered the one job she doesn't want but desperately needs - to ghost write her father's last book. And she'll soon discover how deep family secrets can go.
Admittedly, I was mainly attracted to this book because of the whole ghostwriting a novel for a horror author premise, which, as it turned out, had nothing to do with horror. But this novel turned out to be an absolute page-turner thriller with a very carefully orchestrated plot. Though there were some of the finely layered secrets that I figured out early, there were still plenty to be found right to the end. 4.5 of 5*

Oh did I love the story telling in this book! I loved there was an unreliable narrator. The twists and back and forth POV were perfect. This book kept me reading and I finished it rather quickly. I would highly recommend.

Atmospheric, deeply moving, suspenseful, this book got everything right: the setting (Ojai, California in 1975 and now), the characters (the Taylor family, past and present), the mystery (which begins tentatively but flourishes into something gripping and profoundly sad).

My mind was mired in what if?

What if Poppy hadn't found out, Lydia had told the truth, Vincent didn't rush home, Danny ... well, the what ifs? begin with Danny, who was both victim and perpetrator.

I once read that when stars die, they throw off their outer layers, creating clouds that birth new stars. That's how I felt about 14-year-old Poppy. Her energy radiated so far and so wide, it couldn't be contained.

And in all the ways that matter, this is Poppy's story: a story about a passionate young woman who knew too much, a story steeped in secrets and lies, a story about murder ... and a tragedy that echoes for decades.

Olivia, Poppy's niece, digs for the truth 50 years later, but she doesn't have much to go on: a father slowly sinking into dementia, a mother who disappeared decades ago, notes scribbled in margins, memories erased by time, Poppy's cryptic diary entries, reels of silent film.

It's not quite enough to heal a lifetime of hurts but just enough for light to peek through.

So far, I've read one other book by Julie Clark, The Last Flight, and was blown away by her writing prowess. I'm stingy with my ratings, but The Ghostwriter joins The Last Flight on my All Stars shelf.

After The Last Flight and The Lies I Tell, I couldn't wait to read this one by the author. Beginning as a slow burn but lifting the veil to this wonderful mystery will keep you moving forward. It is well-plotted and tantalizing when some exquisite twists ramp up the story.
When I first started, I thought this was a slow burn, but there are so many reasons this will be a top mystery book this year.
Olivia has been a ghostwriter through the years with the last not being her best feature. Vincent Taylor, a horror author, is also Olivia's father, but his fatherly bond becomes more distant after her mother leaves them in the wake of the chaos. Vincent wants to hire an author to write for him as a ghostwriter, so he summons Olivia to help without anyone knowing he is her father. Her father has a shady past because 50 years ago his siblings Danny and Poppy were found murdered and he was the prime suspect. His alibi: his girlfriend.
When Olivia agrees to write a memoir for her father, revealing what happened, she could not pass it up due to her financial crisis, but no one can know he is her father.
Diving into the mystery, even with Poppy dead she left films and diary to help Olivia to find the answers.
within the chaotic notes, comes some dark revelations. The dark revelations become emotional and heartfelt. Well-done, Julie! Keep it up!
Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this incredible ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Olivia Dumont is a ghostwriter who had an unfortunate encounter with a fellow author that left her blacklisted. But one day she gets a call that famed horror writer Vincent Taylor wants her to ghostwrite his latest book due to his declining health. The catch? Olivia is actually Vincent’s estranged daughter and the book he’s wanting to write is not another horror, but rather a tell-all of the night in June of 1975 that his older brother and younger sister were brutally murdered…and the fact that he’s remained the prime suspect in that case ever since.

This one was so fun! I love a thriller that keeps you guessing the entire time, and causes you to question every twist along the way. And this does just that. While some of the plot was predictable, there were plenty parts that weren’t. The format of this is written in a way that allows the reader to uncover things along with (and in some instances even before) Olivia which only adds to the tension and suspense. And despite the fact that Vincent is somewhat of an unreliable narrator as he’s recounting the series of events with Olivia, it doesn’t distract or deter from the overall story and makes the payoff that much more rewarding at the end. Definitely recommend everyone check this one out!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the advanced copy!

Julie. Clark. Knows. How. To. Deliver.

This was so incredibly good! I loved every page - this kept me engaged, interested and hooked from start to finish.

In true Julie Clark fashion, this book had me guessing (incorrectly) to the end!
It’s 2025 and we meet Olivia who has a strained, if not non-existent relationship with her father. In fact, she tells everyone he died of a heart attack.
In the years since she last spoke with her father, she has become a renowned ghostwriter who has been unemployable thanks to social media.
Enter Monarch publishing. Olivia is specifically requested to ghostwriter memoir for work renowned author Vincent Taylor (her father). Separate and out of work, Olivia reluctantly agrees but still keeping her relationship a secret.
As Olivia revisits her childhood home, secrets come to light that have been kept for nearly 50 years!

This one was just so *sad.* I can’t remember feeling so much sympathy for a character in this genre the way I did for Poppy. My level of emotional investment was much higher than normal. I so wanted a different ending for her and the feeling only grew.
The mystery itself was also solid. There’s a logical conclusion I was satisfied with- and
plenty of room for other theories along the way.
A well-crafted and haunting read.

This was such a great read! I really liked the dual timelines and multiple perspectives. As each new detail of information was given I was constantly changing my theory. While this was more of a slow burn, and I am not typically a fan of slow-burns, I did find this book hard to put down as I was engrossed in it the entire time.

4.5 / 5 stars

Ghostwriter Olivia Dumont has spent her entire career hiding the truth: her father is Vincent Taylor, the infamous horror writer haunted by the 1975 murder of his teenage siblings – a crime that was never solved and which many suspect he committed. When Olivia receives an offer to ghostwrite her estranged father’s final book, she reluctantly agrees. She’s on the brink of financial ruin – and perhaps ready to reconcile with her father before his passing.

But this isn’t just another ghostwriting gig. Vincent doesn’t want a horror novel. He wants to tell the truth about what really happened that summer in Ojai.

As Olivia begins to piece together her father’s fragmented memories, she must navigate a labyrinth of half-truths, family secrets, and the possibility that Vincent still isn’t telling her everything. Told in a dual timeline – split between Olivia’s present-day investigation and sun-soaked flashbacks from 1975 – The Ghostwriter is a compelling mystery about legacy, loyalty, and what it costs to finally uncover the truth.

I’d been seeing a ton of buzz about The Ghostwriter, so I went in with high expectations and polished off the whole thing in under 48 hours. For me, this was a solid 4.5-star read. It’s incredibly absorbing, with a strong sense of momentum and emotional stakes, even if it was missing that final “something” that would have pushed it to a full 5.

The dual timeline structure worked really well. I loved the way the story unfolded through Vince’s often ambiguous memories, Olivia’s on-the-ground investigations, and the 1975 timeline – told through first-person flashbacks and Poppy’s diaries and home movies. Vince’s mental decline adds a layer of unreliability, but I didn’t find it frustrating. If he is guilty, his evasiveness makes sense – and if he isn’t, his confusion is deeply human. I think Julie Clark handled the unreliable narrator trope with care here, leaning into emotional realism over shock value.

Olivia’s arc didn’t quite land for me – but that might be more about my current reading speed than the book itself. Still, her drive for the truth grounds the story and gives it emotional weight. Poppy was the standout character for me: a teenager on the cusp of adulthood, full of light and sharp edges, whose fate we already know but still hope to outrun. Knowing her end only made her presence feel more electric.

Even though I guessed part of the resolution, I still found it satisfying, particularly the way Vince’s old treasure hunts with his daughters became a subtle metaphor for the breadcrumb trail Olivia follows in her investigation. There’s something elegant about that throughline, and it added a nice emotional touch.

The Ghostwriter is a twisty, emotionally resonant mystery that I’d recommend to fans of dual-timeline fiction, character-driven thrillers, and stories about amateur sleuths unearthing long-buried truths. Just note: it’s very much a murder mystery at its core – readers looking for a more introspective family drama might want to recalibrate expectations.

LOVEDDDD this!
I was really craving a good mystery thriller with all the twist and turns and this DELIVERED!
A gripping story from page one and characters that will totally engross you!

Olivia has changed her name and cut off all ties with her famous novelist (but terrible) father, Vincent Taylor. She has made a name for herself ghostwriting memoirs for people until she made some comments about another author and now, she can't get a job and has to pay him restitution. A surprising ghostwriting job comes in and the author is specifically asking for her- but it's for her father, writing the true, untold story of what happened when his brother and sister were murdered as teens in 1975. He has lived under suspicion of the murders all these years as he wrote his own crime novels.

Olivia can't turn down the job, so she goes to her hometown of Ojai to live with her estranged father who has Lewy Body Dementia and try to get the story of what happened to his siblings to ghostwrite his last book. But between reliving her childhood memories with him and being abandoned by her mom and her father trying to recall the events of 1975 as his dementia gets worse, Olivia has her work cut out for her.

I really liked the premise and writing of this book. Clark somehow made what could have been a boring book much faster paced, between Vincent's memories and the stress Olivia is under to get the book written. I liked some of the perspectives more than others, but I really liked Olivia and could really feel the pressure on her of wanting to do a good job and earn back her reputation and also finally find out what really happened to her murdered aunt and uncle. There are some well written characters to hate, some to get behind, and a propulsive story. What more can you ask for?

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

This is an enthralling story that slowly unravels piece by piece. It has some unexpected twists and turns, and refreshingly doesn't always develop as you think it will. However, it is hard to reconcile the dichotomy of some of the characters. Like the character of Danny, Vincent's murdered sibling, ultimately, you don't know whether to hate him or feel sympathy for him. While normally this would be a good thing because it would show that the character has shades of dark and light, thus rendering him more realistic, in this case, the two sides are too extreme, so you don't know how to feel, and that is true of other characters as well.

The ending of the story is also less than satisfying. A major part of the resolution is not actually played out in the story, even in flashback; it is just meant to be inferred from what the characters say. This makes the reader feel cheated because no one wants to read a book where some of the important action takes place off the page. Show, don't tell, isn't that one of the golden rules of writing?

However, overall, the plot is still exciting, and the characters are interesting. Therefore, it is still possible to enjoy this intriguing book even though it is disappointing in some ways.

Movies: Dahlia and the Red Book

Thank you @Netgalley for my gifted copy! I was so excited to receive this, as I have loved Clark’s previous novels! This was a slow burn mystery where everything isn’t what it seems. We have an “unreliable narrator”, past and present timelines and diary entries for the deceased. It really helped to keep me guessing and wanting to know the truth.

I also loved the fact that this took place in CA (Ojai to be exact) and I just happened to be near there two weeks ago. What are the odds lol The throwback to the 70s nostalgia was fun and Clark does a really good job of bringing the characters to life!