This one took me a bit to get through but once I did, the ending paid off! The concept pulled me in from the start. I felt the characters and plot lines expertly worked together beautifully and tied up nicely.

THE GHOSTWRITER by Julie Clark

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC ebook.

Can ghostwriting bring you closure? That’s what Olivia Dumont, a ghostwriter is asking herself.

June, 1975, two teenage siblings are found dead in their home. Vincent, the only surviving sibling has never been able to shake the whispers and accusations. Decades later Vincent has a great career of being a horror writer and his estranged daughter, Olivia, has reluctantly agreed to ghostwrite her father’s last book. Is Vincent ready to talk and tell the truth after fifty years of silence? Is Olivia ready to face the disfunction and trauma at the core of her family?

Another riveting read by Julie Clark. The characters are relatable and well developed in this dysfunctional family drama thriller. Poppy was my favorite character in this story, as I found her to be true to herself at such a young age. The deadly secrets from Vincent’s childhood will keep you turning the pages. I look forward to what this skilled author does next.

This was not a memorable thriller for me. I guessed some of the twists. Another seemed to be shoehorned in and just didn't gel for me. That said, as far as the world of the book, that was very well done. Description seems to be easy when you read it, but truly it's difficult to do. Some of the characters seemed a little wooden to me, but I loved the character of the feminist just finding her footing in life. Olivia was not a particularly compelling protagonist. I think it would have added a lot if she really said something inflammatory about the rival ghostwriter. To have made her both right and regretful. There's downtrodden and then there's unnecessary victimhood.

4.5 stars for another thriller by Julie Clark! This one opens with a dark family secret immediately pulling you into the story. Two children are brutally murdered, and the middle child survives. The murders were never solved with thoughts that perhaps the middle child, Vincent, did it. Now coming up on the 50th anniversary of the unsolved murders, Vincent is now a horror author and decides he wants his memoir written. By his estranged daughter, a ghost writer.

The reader is pulled into this mystery by multiple different POV's all coalescing to a great conclusion. What actually happened the night of the carnival? Who was there?

Another excellent read by Julie Clark. Thank you to NetGalley, Julie Clark and Sourcebook Landmark for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have really enjoyed Julie Clarke’s first two novels because 1) I love me a good thriller and 2) she has included some great themes, particularly when it comes to being a women.

Her upcoming novel is about a women who is tasked with ghostwriting the memoir of her father, Vincent Taylor, a famous author. However, before his rise to fame, he was in the news as a teenager after both his siblings were murdered leaving people to question him, the middle child, and wonder what happened that fateful night. Now, after finding herself involved in her own issues (including a lawsuit), Olivia begrudgingly returns home to write the memoir only to reveal many family secrets from 50 years ago.

This story was told in alternating timelines and POVs. The present was all Olivia as she writes and digs, trying to figure out what is fact vs fiction. Then there is the timeline from 50 years ago in the months, days, and hours leading up to the murder of Vincent’s siblings, Danny and Poppy. Those past perspectives shifted between Vincent himself as well as the younger Poppy and both give interesting insight to the family dynamics and what was going on in everyone’s lives then.

The beginning of this felt a bit like slow burn, however I did enjoy how I was constantly left wondering whether Vincent truly was guilty to the murders or not. I also did enjoy reading about how Olivia too was also torn between wanting to get to the truth and understanding her father more and the type of man he was. As things eventually began to reveal themselves, you begin to see the complexity and layers to the story and realize that things weren’t as simple as you may imagine.

There did seem to be a lot of tension in this book which made for a satisfying ending once it was revealed what truly transpired on the night of the murders. Thought the themes could come off as quite dark, I think the execution was nicely done to make a big impact at the end of the story.

Overall, I was pleased with this story and think that fans of Julie Clark or slower burn/ suspenseful thrillers will enjoy!

Olivia Dumont is in a bad spot. A once-successful ghostwriter, she is desperate to resuscitate the career she inadvertently sabotaged. Her opportunity comes in the form of an offer to ghostwrite a memoir with Vincent Taylor, the infamous author of horror novels and main suspect in the unsolved murders of his brother and sister 50 years earlier.

There’s something else to know about Vincent. He’s Olivia’s estranged father and the last person she wants to see. But with no other options and mounting debt, she accepts the job and sets about deciphering his convoluted handwritten notes. But she soon discovers a trail of clues that lead to the complicated truth about the murders.

In The Ghostwriter, Julie Clark delivers a intriguing, fast-paced mystery about family dysfunction, unhealed trauma, the unreliable nature of memory, and the devastating impact of secrets kept.

Most of the story is told in Olivia’s present-day POV, with some chapters written from the perspectives of Vincent and his sister, Poppy, in the days leading up the murders. The narrative also draws on old diaries, family photos, and home movies. The story stalls a bit when it focuses on Olivia’s conflicts with another writer, the book publisher, and her boyfriend (Tom, who exists almost entirely off the page). At the same time, some significant storylines resolve a bit too quickly.

I recommend The Ghostwriter to any reader who enjoys a suspenseful, atmospheric, inventive family drama that keeps you guessing right up to the conclusion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read and review The Ghostwriter.

Thank you net galley and publisher for this ARC. This is the 4th book I've read by Julie Clark. This book interested me, but was hard to get into. I enjoyed the twists at the end that I didn't see coming.

This is my third Julie Clark book and she continues to be an automatic read for me. Her books draw me in quickly and keep me engaged and hard to put down. There are some hard topics in the book which some I can't give away without spoiling but overall a great thriller. I highly recommend this one.

Book review 📖

📜The Ghostwriter
✍️Julie Clark
📠Sourcebooks Landmark
📚Mystery/Thriller Fiction
🗓️Pub date: June 3, 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

✨Thank you @NetGalley and @bookmarked for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

✨Famed horror writer Vincent Taylor is known not only for his terrifying stories, but his real life horror of being the only survivor of a stabbing that killed both his teenage siblings in 1975. Speculation has swirled that he killed them, and Vincent has never shirked these rumors.

✨Ghostwriter Olivia Dumont has spent her entire adult life and career hiding the fact that she is Vincent Taylor’s only child. But when she receives a request to be the ghostwriter of her father’s next book, she has several reservations. However, when she learns that it’s not his typical horror book, but a memoir of what happened all those years ago in the murders that ended his family, Olivia is torn.

✨Grappling with a truth she’s not sure she’s ready for and a large cash advance she so desperately needs, Olivia is at a crossroads—one that could make her thrive, or one that could destroy her.

✨This is the third book I’ve read by Julie Clark, and each one is better than the last. Always unique and engaging plots, she’s quickly become a favorite of mine.
This book did not disappoint, even though there were some parts that got a little confusing with character overload. However, I loved every harrowing minute of this.

#netgalley #theghostwriter #julieclark #sourcebookslandmark #advancedreadercopy #arc #bookreview #bookstagrammer #springreleases #thrillerfiction

I was sucked in by this well written, emotional novel. Some secrets can never be fully hidden, while others are difficult to reveal. Yet the past has a way of haunting the future despite the secrets kept and the pain attempted to be avoided. However, once something is discovered and made known, you cannot pretend or deny the existence of those facts. This book wraps up with an unexpected twist & leaves you pondering some of those secrets that are held to the grave never to be exposed.

This is my unbiased, honest review. Thank you to NetGalley & Sourcebooks Landmark for an ARC.

One of the best books I've read recently! The ghostwriter writing a book that requires her to delve into her family's history was riveting. This book keeps you guessing and doesn't fully answer all your questions to wrap up cleanly. Normally, that does not appeal to me, but in this instance, it worked. It is a gripping story that keeps you enthralled!

We often question the memory of our aging loved ones, especially those in the throes of dementia. But what about our own memories? Can we trust them? Or have we subtly and unconsciously rewritten them, as our own ghostwriters, to portray ourselves in a better light?Julie Clark's "The Ghostwriter" is a masterful exploration of memory, family secrets, and the stories we tell ourselves to survive.

The novel weaves a complex narrative that spans two timelines: the traumatic summer of 1975 when the Taylor family was torn apart by a devastating tragedy, and the present day, where Vincent Taylor's daughter Olivia reluctantly agrees to ghostwrite what she believes will be her father's final horror novel. Clark skillfully alternates between perspectives, creating a multi-layered narrative that keeps readers constantly reassessing what they thought they knew.

What makes this book compelling is its nuanced examination of memory and narrative. Clark brilliantly demonstrates how time can distort our recollections, and how we unconsciously reshape our memories to cast ourselves in a more favorable light. The characters are deeply drawn, particularly Olivia and Vincent, whose complicated relationship forms the emotional core of the novel. The multiple plot twists are genuinely surprising—just when I thought I had unraveled the mystery, the story would take another unexpected turn, challenging my assumptions.

The book was a little slow to start with, but once it gets going it blooms into a richly layered narrative that is part family drama, part psychological thriller. The book poses profound questions about truth and the stories we construct to make sense of our lives. Clark has crafted a thought-provoking novel that lingers long after the final page, inviting readers to consider the malleability of memory and the sometimes devastating consequences of long-held secrets.

A big thank you to Landmark and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Julie Clark knows how to draw readers into her stories. Ghostwriter follows Olivia, the only daughter of Vincent, as she agrees to help her estranged father write his last horror novel. She soon realizes that it's not a horror novel, but his memoir of his teenaged years when his siblings were murdered and he's always been the suspect. He is ready to set the world straight and admit what happened that fateful night so many years ago. Olivia must decide if she is ready to hear the truth about her father and make amends or continue her estrangement.

Clark weaves the past with the present and I was quickly turning pages to see how the story played out. Such a great job of keeping the reader guessing. Definitely add to your list when this title is released in June.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read and review THE GHOSTWRITER.

I enjoyed Julie Clark’s The Lies I Tell and The Last Flight, but her latest is by far my favorite. Main character Olivia Dumont is a ghostwriter who has spent her life hiding from the spotlight as the daughter of a notorious horror writer suspected by many to be the prime suspect in the unsolved murder of his brother and sister in 1975. After decades of estrangement, Olivia’s father wants her to ghostwrite his last book - a memoir of what really happened that night fifty years ago. This was the most page turning, unputdownable book I have read in recent memory. Absolutely loved it!

I absolutely loved Ghostwriter! The premise pulled me in right away, and the story kept me hooked the whole time. The mix of family secrets, mystery, and the behind-the-scenes look at ghostwriting made for such an interesting read. Olivia’s struggle to uncover the truth while dealing with her complicated relationship with her father added so much depth. The twists were great, and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. I’d definitely recommend this one to anyone who loves a good, suspenseful story!
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I was confused for a lot of this book. That isn’t bad, that is how twisty this was!
To say this was a dysfunctional family would be an understatement.

The murder of Olivia’s paternal aunt and uncle, as children, has hung over her head since childhood, when a nasty little boy in her class informed her that everyone knew her daddy had killed them. Harsh.

Her father is a famous horror writer, and it seems as if he doesn’t mind if people think he is a killer. It’s good for his reputation and book sales.

Olivia is a mess and hasn’t spoken to her father in a lifetime, when her agent calls with a ghostwriting job. Writing her father’s next book. Of course, no one knows she is his daughter in her current life and she likes that.

Since Olivia is in a real financial mess, due to not being able to control her mouth. Now she owes half a million to the someone she blasted. So, she takes the job and things get weird from there.

The twists and turns were sharp and left me hurriedly turning the pages!

Well Done!


NetGalley/ June 03, 2025 Sourcebooks Landmark

The Ghostwriter is the first book I have read by Julie Clark. I really enjoyed it. It started out slowly, but still managed to keep my attention to the end. The second half of the book is paced much better than the first. I did not see the twist coming until a few pages before it was revealed. Overall it was a very enjoyable read. I give it 4 out of 5 stars due to the slow start. However, I would read another book by this author and recommend it.

3.5 stars

Having rated Julie Clark’s previous two books 5 stars, I was hopeful for another fantastic read. However, this one didn’t pack as much of a punch as her others. While the mystery surrounding the murders at the heart of the story is intriguing, it’s not particularly thrilling or suspenseful. I enjoyed the dual timeline and multiple POV but wish several characters had been fleshed out more.

Well done murder mystery and family history investigation into it. The first part of the book is a little slow going but it sets things up well, then the second half takes off really well.

I liked how the story unfolded, having you second guess who did what and put the clues together little by little. It felt very puzzle-esq and I enjoyed picking up the little bits of information and making conclusions from them.

It was also a good look at how grey people are - not a simple black and white, good or bad all the time, but so much of who we are is made up of other circumstances out of our control and how we respond to them, as well as the things we allow to stay hidden that can eat us up. It was a sad book for sure, but a great mystery.

Overall, well done and I enjoyed it. Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.

4.5 rounded up!!

i was immediately hooked on this book, the story itself and the writing just had me in a chokehold from the start. this was one of the first thrillers were the multi POV was done so well, each character that got their own POV had their own unique voice and characterization which i find to be lacking a lot of the time when i read thrillers with more than one pov.

this book was so frustrating to read but in the best way because of the unreliable narration, i found myself getting so annoyed with how i would think one thing occurred when it was something totally different and in my head was just screaming “enough, tell me what happened!!!”

the only issue i had when reading this book was feeling like the end was a bit rushed. there was such a beautiful build up to what really happened the night danny and poppy died and while the ending was good, it felt rushed.

this is one of those books that i would really love to see get some kind of screen adaptation because it truly has you sitting on the edge of your seat the entire time. im very much looking forward to giving julie’s other works a read after loving this one so much!!