3.5 stars rounded up

Although I enjoyed this book, I found it to be repetitive, in turn became kind of boring. In addition, it was pretty easy to figure out what was going on in the background.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and honestly rate this book.

Olivia is a ghostwriter who has fallen into financial trouble and is offered to ghostwrite a book for a horror author, who just happens to be her estranged father. He is also suspected of killing his two siblings 50 years ago. While Olivia tries to get the book write, she’s also dealing with the relationship with her father and trying to figure out who killed Danny and Poppy. It’s a compelling page-turner.

Julie Clark had me guessing until the very end. With a massively unreliable narrator in Vincent, we have to assume, like Olivia does about her father, that everything he’s telling her about what he remembers is wrong. All the little clues and evidence she put throughout the book had me speculating the whole way through.

Thank you to NetGalley, the Publishers, and Julie Clark for an ARC of The Ghostwriter. I’ve been so excited to read this book - I absolutely loved The Lies I Tell and knew this one would be great also. I honestly felt so immersed in this book that it felt like it actually happened and couldn’t wait to be able to read more. I loved the character development and the way it captured you from the first page. I can say I truly had no idea how this was going to turn out. I loved the multiple perspectives and how the story was told was phenomenal. Julie has a way of telling a story that consumes you!

Olivia Dumont is a ghostwriter has spent her whole life trying to disassociate from being the only child of a famous horror author, Vincent Taylor. He is also famous for being the prime suspect in a murders of his siblings. Olivia got into some hot water is needing work asap before her life completely falls apart and one shows up at the right time. Except it’s for her father. Olivia agrees to help him and ghostwrite his last book, but doesn’t realize what’s all behind the doors of his past and must finally figure out what happened that night in 1975.

Julie Clark delivers another tense and well-paced thriller with The Ghostwriter. It is a story about family and writing and the traps of memory. The characters are complex and the mystery delivers enough red herrings and turns that it teases out what really happened until the whole picture snaps into place. Clark has a knack for keeping the plot moving while creating characters and dynamics that stay with you. There is something incredibly cinematic about this novel, from the use of old videos that help uncover the mystery to the settings and descriptions of place. The story digs into trauma as a theme while keeping a streamlined narrative that builds through multiple POVs. Julie Clark is an impressive writer and seems to just keep getting better.

The story of a young woman with a troubled past with parents re-writes her life as if she is alone. Then due to unfortunate events with work she receives a call from her agent that someone wants her to ghost write for them. Then due client ends up being her father. The story from past to present kept me changing my mind on who did what and worked well. Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! What an ending!

Thank you to netgalley and author for giving me the opportunity to read an early release of this book.

What if you were an infamous ghostwriter and your father, a famous, renowned horror writer, asked you to ghostwrite his memoir? Say you are estranged from your father, for very good reasons, and no one, not even your agent or your boyfriend knows you are his daughter. Oh, and not to mention, your father may or may not have killed his two siblings 40 years ago. Sounds like an excellent plot? Absolutely!
Did I mention said ghostwriter, Olivia, is canceled due to verbally annihilating another famous ghostwriter and was sued and owes a bunch of money to the famous ghostwriter? Olivia needs this job to pay off this debt. She doesn't want to do it for many reasons, but needs it for so many more.
Such an excellent mystery. Highly recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this soon to be published novel.

I would like to thank NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for allowing me to read an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I became a Julie Clark fan after reading The Last Flight and was so stoked to find out she has a new book coming out this year and just had to read it. And it is A ZINGER!! The Ghostwriter is highly thrilling, and I was so engulfed by the story, I literally binged it in a 24-hr period. The characters and plot got under my skin and I just had to know how it ended!!

The Ghostwriter follows Olivia Dumont (a ghostwriter), who has had some recent bad publicity and is looking for a new project. Her agent tells her she has been specifically requested for a new book being to be written for horror novelist Vince Taylor. Who just happens to be Olivia's estranged father, and also happens to have been a suspect in the murder of his siblings -- Poppy & Danny -- 50 years ago in 1975. The new book is supposed to be a memoir, but Vince's failing health make his memory of the past unreliable at best. Olivia must get to the bottom of what really happened back then with almost nothing to go on, but so much riding on her success.

The story is told in alternating past and present format; with POVs from Vince & Poppy in the past, and Olivia's struggles with Vince in the present. The hardest part of reading was keeping track of who knew what and when. Additionally, the book had me guessing and jumping between who I thought "dunnit" (based on the ever-changing info revealed). Vince? Danny? The creepy neighbor? The hitchhike driver? The twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat and wanting more. The "big reveal" at the end was SO GOOD! And there was even a bonus twist!

This book was one of my favorite reads of the year so far, and I HIGHLY recommend it!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

Olivia is a ghostwriter who has found herself on the edge of being "cancelled" when an opportunity presents itself. Unfortunately she's not in a position to say no, when she's offered a job ghostwriting for her father. Olivia has spent her adult life avoiding her father and her past.

As she digs into the past, she is determined to find out what happened so many years ago to her father's brother and sister, who were violently murdered.

It feels like there have been quite a few novels with this sort of plot - someone is pulled back to the hometown they fled years ago to try to resolve a mystery that dominated their childhood and subsequent adulthood. I honestly wasn’t expecting too much. But this novel was really well written and dealt with the central mystery from a bunch of unexpected angles, and I was captivated. This was both a multiple-timelines thriller and a contemplative look at secrets and how they can change the lives of those involved, even tangentially. Excellent!

🖤𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗚𝗛𝗢𝗦𝗧𝗪𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗘𝗥🖤
𝓂𝓎𝓈𝓉ℯ𝓇𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝓇𝒾𝓁𝓁ℯ𝓇
🗓️𝙿𝚞𝚋: 𝙹𝚞𝚗𝚎 𝟹, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟻
🤩𝕄𝕪 𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: 𝟝 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤! ★★★★★

🤏𝚃𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚢 𝚝𝚒𝚍𝚋𝚒𝚝...June 1975..two teenage siblings are killed & the one sibling who was spared everyone believes is guilty.
2025..Olivia, the daughter of that surviving sibling is going to write a memoir for her estranged father & deep dives into so much more…

🌻𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚊𝚢...That was not such a teeny tidbit but this one is hard to summarize because truly it is SO.MUCH.MORE. than just a mystery thriller!! 🙌👌I devoured it! The writing is captivating! It tackles family dynamics, guilt, grief, past traumas with so many twists you will be spinning!😵‍💫

😳A thriller that I was still thinking about for days & days?!? YES, INDEED! Read this, y’all!

Just when I thought I knew who done it, of course, I was absolutely wrong.. This book takes you back revealing dark secrets of the past that are ready to finally come to light.. This is a must add to your TBR!!!

Thank you Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the gifted copy!!!

Loved this book! I love everything Julie Clark writes, she’s an auto buy author for me. This story had me guessing till the very end. At certain points I thought I knew who had done everything and wow was I not close. The way we are taken through this story and how it flows is really well done. Captivating from beginning to end. Thank you so much Julie Clark, NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this digital arc. Cannot wait to go buy this book.

Loved this! A bit of a slow start but once Olivia’s started investigating it was game on and I flew thru the last 60%. In true Julie fashion, the strong female characters shined. I will read anything she writes.

Rating: 3.75
Mode of Reading: Netgalley Digital ARC Courtesy of Julie Clark & Sourcebooks Landmark in exchange for my honest review... RELEASES June 3 2025!!
How did I pick this up: I love myself a good ARC to find new authors especially with a thriller because I find new great books this way all the time! This book was in the "Read Now" section so I snagged it - and the Cover got me too!

Short Yet Sweet Review: Olivia is a famous Ghostwriter, not just for her ghostwriting capabilities but also because of the drama that has unfolded between her and another writer. Trying to put that all past herself, but dealing with the fallout, Olivia is forced to take one of the only jobs that is existing for her currently... Ghostwriting her famous author of a father's biography. Vincent is unfortunately losing his battle with Lewey Body Dementia and has decided he wants to finally tell his story about what happened years ago when his brother and sister were violently murdered. But Olivia has to navigate her father and decipher what is the truth vs. what is his truth. What really happened that fated night and who really killed Poppy and Danny?

Julie Clark has done a phenomenal job in telling this story between the flashbacks and the different viewpoints, she's able to truly make the story come alive. Personally, I wasn't shocked by the 'twist' and really had a feeling about it all the whole time, but I enjoyed my time and wanting to see what really happened. The story was told thoughtfully and with the different hints throughout the story, I was lead to what I thought would happen and enjoyed the mystery tidbits and hints placed throughout the story. This is the first Julie Clark book I've read but it won't be my last.
P.S. I wouldn't necessarily call this a 'thriller' but closer to a 'mystery' with slight 'thill' tendencies

My first Julie Clark novel but definitely not my last! Told in multiple timelines and alternating POVs. Awesome characters that just captivated me. Packed with secrets, lies and family ties. I had no idea who to trust until the very end. Fantastic writing and storytelling.
Thank you NetGalley, Julie Clark and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read and review this gem of a book.

4.5 - This was a really engaging read, enough clues to figure out what was going on, but enough mystery to keep you hooked! I really liked the concept of the daughter writing her father’s memoir about the day his siblings were murdered (potentially by him!) and would recommend reading!

WOW I enjoyed this so much! Julie Clark's books are always well written with interesting storylines and twists that make sense, which always results in an enjoyable reading experience!

It got a little slow in the middle, but was entertaining. I really liked the ending (won't say why - no spoilers here). would recommend if you like thrillers and especially if you liked this authors previous works.

This is my third novel by Julie Clark, and it is just as twisty and enjoyable as the previous two. Olivia is a ghostwriter who ends up writing for a famous author who is also her father. He is ready to tell the secrets of the death of his siblings when they were teenagers. It is a story within a story and both timelines are compelling. This is not really a thriller but more of a slow burn mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed it and felt as if I were solving the mystery along with Olivia.