This book was EXCELLENT! It had me invested immediately. I did not want to put this book down. It’s been a while since I have willingly lost sleep over a book. So kudos to Julie Clark! Thank you for writing such a propulsive, edge of your seat book. While this was still sort of a “slow-burn”, the writing/story didn’t feel slow, if that makes sense. Just a testament to how great of a writer Julie is.

I loved the multiple POVs & different timelines—this just always creates a more interesting reading experience, in my opinion. I think the chapters told from Poppy’s perspective were my favorite. I loved that the book focused a ton on the relationship between Olivia and her father, who she was ghostwriting a book for. I was very satisfied with the ending as well! 100% recommend this book—now I really want a physical copy! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced digital copy.

4.25 stars

"Ghostwriter Olivia Dumont has spent her entire professional life hiding the fact that she is the only child of legendary horror author Vincent Taylor, famous not only for his novels but for being the prime suspect in the brutal slaying of his siblings. On the brink of financial ruin, Olivia reluctantly agrees to ghostwrite her father's last book, not realising she will be forced to reckon with the ghosts that live at the centre of her family."

What an engrossing and brilliant twisty ride! Julie Clark's masterful use of point of view, dual timeline, and unreliable narrators made me question the possibilities and keep turning the pages throughout. Family dynamics, health issues, trauma, women's rights, abandonment, and more are explored throughout, making the characters richly layered and come to life on the page. It did slow down in the middle a bit or would have gotten five stars from me. That said, it's one of the best thrillers I've read this year and I highly recommend adding it to your summer TBR!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and Julie Clark for an advance reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

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Thank you Netgalley & Sourcebooks Landmark for an eARC ♥️♥️♥️

Every family has its shadows—secrets buried like bones, too ugly to face in the light. For Julia, the darkest shadow is her own father: Vincent Taylor, a man whose life reads like one of his own horror novels. For years, whispers have followed him, accusing him of the unthinkable—the brutal murders of his sister, Poppy, and brother, Danny. Julia has spent her life running from his name, his legacy, his guilt. But now, broke and desperate, she has no choice but to return to the nightmare she fled.
Hired as his ghostwriter for what may be his final book—a twisted confession, a memoir, or a lie?—Julia digs into Vincent’s fractured memories, Poppy’s haunting diary entries, and eerie home films that flicker with half-truths. The deeper she goes, the clearer the horror becomes: her family wasn’t just broken. It was cursed by secrets—ones that festered, ones that killed, ones that aren’t done claiming lives.
This book swallowed me whole. A gorgeously written, spine-chilling tapestry of suspense, where every revelation lands like a hammer blow. By the end, I was left breathless, questioning how well any of us truly know the people we call family. A masterpiece of psychological tension—unmissable.🤩

As soon as I saw Julie Clark had a new book out, I dropped everything to read Ghostwriter! I’ve really enjoyed her previous books—The Lies I Tell and The Last Flight—and if you haven’t read those yet, definitely add them to your list.

This time around, the story centers on Vincent Taylor, a bestselling author who's nearing the end of his life. He wants to finally tell the story of a horrific crime from his past: the murder of his brother and sister. Though the case was never solved, most people believe Vincent was the killer. To help him write this final book, he brings in his estranged daughter Olivia, a down on her luck ghostwriter with a big name of her own. As Olivia digs into the project, she starts uncovering long-buried secrets—ones that could change everything she thought she knew about her family. The story unfolds through Olivia’s perspective in the present and her aunt’s diary entries from the past. It’s a slow build with a big payoff at the end. While the pacing felt a bit slower than Clark’s usual style, I still thought it was a compelling read and totally worth checking out!

Thank you for the ARC, @julieclarkauthor @bookmarked (Sourcebooks Landmark) and @Netgalley

Wow! This is my kind of book and I found myself having to finish the last 100 pages quickly. I tried to guess who did it, but didn't I like books where someone is either doing a podcast or writing a book and this was exactly that. Thank you for the advanced copy, will recommend to all my book groups etc.

I absolutely loved this book. Julie Clark did an amazing job of weaving different pov's and different timelines. I cared so much for Poppy that I actually almost cried at the end, and I don't cry reading. just a fantastic book.

Julie Clark's work, "The Ghostwriter," releasing on June 3, 2025, explores the complexities of family secrets and the haunting shadows of the past. Known for her previous bestsellers like "The Last Flight" and "The Lies I Tell," Clark once again delivers her faithful fans a gripping thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The story centers around Olivia Dumont, a professional ghostwriter facing financial hardship, who reluctantly agrees to ghostwrite her estranged father Vincent Taylor's final book. Vincent, a renowned horror novelist, has been under the cloud of suspicion for the unsolved 1975 murders of his siblings. As Olivia delves into the project, she uncovers layers of family trauma and long-buried truths that challenge her perceptions and force her to confront her own past. This is a MUST read for thriller fans this summer. I LOVED it!

The Ghostwriter” was a 5-star gem for me. It’s a mystery for sure, but it leans into contemporary fiction territory, and I was all in for it. Told through multiple POVs and dual timelines (present day and 1975), the story was deeply immersive. I truly felt like I was living in both timelines. At its core, it’s a story about family, trauma, and the secrets we carry. How they can shape us in ways both beautiful and heartbreaking. I was especially attached to the 1975 siblings, who felt like real people. It’s not a fast-paced thriller, but that worked perfectly here. The emotional weight snuck up on me, and yep… I cried at the end.

This was my first Julie Clark book but definitely not my last 🙌🏻

Thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and Julie Clark for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5⭐️ this hooked me right away!!!!! I did not want to put this down. I loved the dual timeline and povs between the 70s and present day. Such a solid mystery/thriller and the truth about what happened had me gasping (I’m talking full hand over mouth and sitting up). This was my first julia clark book and I’ll definitely be reading more from them!!

4.5⭐️
This was a really great twisty thriller! We follow Olivia as she is hired to ghostwrite her father's memoir. The problem is that her father was a suspect in the brutal murders of his brother and sister when they were teenagers. This dual time line slowly reveals information as the story progresses. The more we learn the more my theories changed. I really enjoyed these twists. This is one of those stories that as you learn everyone's secrets you see that every choice led to this perfect storm of events, and it was quite sad.
I really enjoyed this and definitely recommend!
This book publishes on June 3, 2025
Thank you Sourcebooks and NetGalley for this e-Arc!

I really enjoyed this story. I was glued in for an entire day. Definitely an excellent summer thriller to pick up!

Thank you to Netgalley & SOURCEBOOKS Landmark | Sourcebooks Landmark for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Another great book by the author. I have yet to be disappointed. This is a dysfunctional family drama with a 50 year old unsolved mystery. I love the characters, even the bad ones and I love the writing.
I read this in 24 hours.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for a honest opinion.
4⭐️

3.7 Stars
One Liner: Interesting!

Ghostwriter Olivia Dumont hid the truth about her father. He was the famous horror author Vincent Taylor, who also happened to be a suspect in his sibling’s brutal death. When Olivia reluctantly agrees to ghostwrite her father’s last book, she doesn’t realize she will have to face her past and the darkness that comes with it.
The story comes in the first-person POVs of Olivia (more %), Poppy, and Vincent.

My Thoughts:
Firstly, that cover deserves a special mention. I admit to grabbing the book more for the cover than the premise. Of course, I previously enjoyed one of the author’s books, so that was a factor too.
The pacing is great in the first-half. There’s a short note about the setting, which should help readers familiar with the region to understand the changes the author made.
The story starts with a bang. Nothing like murder and secrets to keep people of all ages gossiping for decades!
Emotions like resentment, frustration, anger, helplessness, caution, worry, etc., freely flow on the pages. It’s easy to feel for the FMC and root for her success.
The second half has more reveals about the past (naturally), so the pacing dips a little. Also, there are times when the plot seems to go nowhere. I think this is deliberate as the narration is in the first-person and shows how the FMC struggles with the events.
Some of the side characters are surprisingly good. Jack and Poppy, especially! There isn’t much character development, but that’s not what this genre is about. We get the thrills, though you can guess a few reveals.
Still, I like that the FMC doesn’t drink herself into oblivion from start to finish. She’s got a brain and does her best to use it. She actually listens to good advice, so that’s even better! Someone else seems to have taken that role, though it is thankfully off-page.
Another reason I enjoyed the book was the ending. Unlike the current trend of ‘twisty’ last chapters that add carter-sized plot holes to the story, this one has a more balanced ending. It could be a bit tame for thriller fans, but I approve of it.
This isn’t your edge-of-the-seat thriller or a high-tension suspense novel. It’s got a mystery, some thrills, a bit of drama, many lies and secrets, and a conclusion that manages to bring everything together. Predictable, but no big deal.

To summarize, The Ghostwriter is an interesting book with a bit of everything to keep your entertained for a while. The writing style is easy and keeps the dark elements contained despite the triggers.
Thank you, NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Thank you so much for this opportunity to review this book! This is my first book by Julie Clark. I really enjoyed the story and the writing style. The flashbacks and all the drama around Poppy's death kept me very interested. While the mystery unspools slowly, it really was a fast moving book and I was almost unable to put it down. I did not know who to trust at all until the very end.

Julie Clark continues to prove why she’s one of my favorite thriller authors with her latest, ‘The Ghostwriter’. While it wasn’t my favorite of her novels, I still found it to be a compelling and enjoyable read. It’s paced well - quick and easy to get through - making it a solid choice for a quick thriller binge.

What stood out most to me was the well-written father-daughter dynamic. Clark does a great job portraying the complicated layers of that relationship between Olivia and Vincent, weaving in themes of estrangement, childhood trauma, and unspoken pain.

That said, I did feel that Olivia’s relationships and history outside of her father could have been little better developed. One connection in particular felt a bit one-dimensional, and I think expanding it could have added more nuance and complexity to her character.

Overall, The Ghostwriter is a strong, character-driven thriller with emotional weight and solid writing. I definitely recommend this and the rest of Clark’s backlist for thriller readers!

When Olivia is given the opportunity to resurrect her writing career ghostwriting a best seller's new book, she can't help but think her financial woes are over. Until she hears who the author is - her father. Instead of a novel, he has chosen to pen a memoir, detailing what really happened during his childhood, despite him being suspected of killing his siblings.

The synopsis immediately drew me into this book and boy, did it deliver! With family secrets aplenty, multiple points of view and dual timelines, I devoured this one, reading as fast as I could. So cleverly written as per her other books, this is another win for Julie Clark.

Olivia has an estranged relationship with her family dad, a prolific horror writer. He wants to write a memoir and hires her. Olivia accepts the job because of her financial situation.

I really enjoyed seeing the reunion of Olivia with her father and how this dug up the past of what happened with her now deceased uncle and aunt. The story started a bit slow for me but I was curious about what happened.

Clark did a good job with the dual timeline and how the story was revealed. The story addressed so many complex relationships between parent and child, and competition between sibiljgs. I really enjoyed seeing Olivia's growth journey through the story.

Thank you @bookmarked for a copy of this.

Olivia Dumont cut ties with her family after college and made it on her own as a ghostwriter, focusing mainly on empowering memoirs. After a spot of legal and financial trouble, Olivia is forced to accept a job writing for horror author, Vincent Taylor. Besides his prolific writing career, Vincent is infamous for his tragic childhood. In June of 1975, his brother and sister were murdered and rumor was that Vincent was responsible. Now, Vincent is diagnosed with a dementia-like disease and wants to tell his version of events before he loses all of his memories. Olivia is not thrilled about this gig for many reasons but mainly because Vincent is her estranged father. Can she sift through his fragmented memories and piece together the truth of what happened that night or will the truth prove to be too much for her to handle? This twisty family drama/thriller was eerie and atmospheric. Told from multiple viewpoints, timelines, and “found footage” it kept me guessing up until the end. Thanks for the ARC NetGalley!

✨ Rounded up from 3.5 ⭐️’s ✨

Writing was good, plot was so-so. The set-up for the story is really intriguing and the structure of the plot kept me turning the pages. Sadly, I was a bit underwhelmed.

📚 Character development 4/5 ⭐️’s
📚 Plot 3/5 ⭐️’s
📚 Writing style & pacing 4/5 ⭐️’s
📚 Twists & suspense 3/5 ⭐️’s

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

This was quite a clever read. I love Julie Clarks writing, so I was excited to hear she had a new book coming out. This is a slow burn mystery about a resurfacing cold case murder.

Olivia Dumont is a Ghostwriter and has been estranged from her father Vincent. She has hidden the fact that she's the only daughter of Vincent who is a successful thriller author that has been suspected of killing his two siblings in the 70’s. Although he had a solid alibi, that suspicion has followed him throughout life. Now dealing with dementia, he contacts Olivia and wants her to write his last book, about what happened all those years ago. She accepts the offer. Olivia begins to unravel family secrets and the truth about that fateful day.

Going back in time and reading about Vincent's family gripped me and I couldn't wait to get back to it each time I picked it up. I had to know what happened. As I read, I had my theories, but just was too sure if I was right. I thought the reveal was so worth the read. I really loved this book

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.