Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Haunting and immersive, The Ghostwriter by Julia Clark unspools like an old film reel-grainy with grief, heavy with secrets, and quietly devastating. This slow-burn mystery drips with betrayal, buried truths, and the ache of memory. Through unreliable narrators, lost diary, and haunting footage, the past unravels until the final, heartbreaking reveal. It's not the twisty thriller one might expect from Clark-but something deeper, quieter, more introspective. And it lingers.

Ghostwriter Olivia Dumont has built a life in the shadows-crafting voices for others while carefully burying her own truth: she is the only daughter of Vincent Taylor, the infamous horror novelist whose legacy is stained by blood and suspicion. Once hailed as a literary legend, Vincent is now remembered as the prime suspect in the brutal murder of his own siblings.

Teetering on the edge of financial ruin, Olivia reluctantly agrees to pen her father's final book. But returning to his crumbling estate means confronting not only the man she's spent years avoiding, but the ghosts that have haunted her family for decades. As fiction blurs with memory and buried truths rise from the dark, Olivia must face the story she was never meant to tell-one written in arief. auilt. and silence.

The depiction of Lewy body dementia struck a chord with me. Having lost my mother to dementia just last year, those moments felt tender, honest, and achingly real. It was fresh and painful, but also beautifully done. This story may be a departure for the author, but it's a powerful one-emotional, raw, and profoundly human. A luminous four stars and I highly recommend it!!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A dark, twisted tale as only Julie Clark can write. There was a murder of two teen siblings, Poppy and Danny, in 1975. Their middle brother, Vince, survives and is assumed the murderer. Vince becomes a famous author. He has a daughter, Olivia, who is also an author—a ghostwriter. She has nothing to do with her father for 30 years. Until now! The fiftieth anniversary of the deaths of her aunt and uncle looms. There is a story to tell. It’s both hers and her father’s to pen. This story has twists and turns that I enjoyed. What is the truth of that fateful night? With many various players, the story will keep you guessing. The protagonist is not nearly as alluring as Clark’s others in previous books. I still could not put this down though.

I was so happy to receive an advanced copy of The Ghostwriter! Julie Clark has quickly become a new favorite author for me.

Ghostwriter Olivia Dumont cut ties with her father, famed author, Vincent Taylor, years ago. When he was a teen, his brother and sister were killed and Vincent was a suspect, but never arrested. Years later the case remains unsolved. Now, Vincent wants to tell his side of the story in his next book. He hires Olivia to ghostwrite the book for him, and although they haven’t spoken in years, she accepts the job because she needs the money.

While she might finally get answers to this family tragedy, it won't be easy to be back in her old home with a father who is suffering from Lewy body dementia, leaving gaps in his memory and mood swings.

The story goes back and forth from the present to the past where the reader receives clues from various POV and interviews Olivia does in regard to what really happened in the days leading up to the murders. I had several ideas of what I thought happened, but you really don’t know how everything comes together until the very end.

Julie Clark has written another gripping thriller. Olivia is a ghostwriter and also the daughter of a famous horror author Vincent Taylor, though she has kept that relationship a secret for most of her adult life. After the murders of Vincent’s siblings, he lived with the suspicion that he had killed them. Olivia is hired to ghostwrite her father’s final novel and help him tell the story of what really happened.

This novel started a little slow, but after the initial chapters, it was engrossing and kept me questioning. There were many clues revealed as the story progressed, but I wasn’t able to see all the twists. The story is told between alternating viewpoints of Olivia, Vincent, and Poppy (Olivia’s aunt who was murdered). I really appreciated the way the story built and in couldn’t put it down until I finished.

Julie Clark will continue to be a must-read author for me! Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for allowing me to read and review this ARC.

4.5 stars. I couldn’t put this one down. The Ghostwriter hooked me from the first page with its twisty plot and emotional tension. The story follows the daughter of a famous horror writer who returns to Ojai (a setting I loved—I've been there many times and could totally picture every scene) to ghostwrite her estranged father’s final story based on the murder of his siblings. The strained father/daughter relationship added so much emotional depth and tension to the already suspenseful atmosphere.

This book had the perfect mix of psychological twists and layered family drama. I kept thinking I knew where it was going… and I was wrong every time. A gripping, eerie read that stayed with me long after the last page.

I have loved all of Julie Clark’s books and this one was no exception! I could not put it down and I won’t be able to stop thinking about it. It was a brilliantly woven tale. Everyone should read it!

Olivia Dumont is a ghostwriter. She is the only child of famous horror author Vincent Taylor. Taylor is known not only for his novels, but also for being a prime suspect in the brutal murders of his siblings when he was just a teenager. Olivia once had a promising career but is now on the brink of financial ruin. So, when her father asks Olivia to ghostwrite his tell-all about what really happened the night his siblings died, Olivia has no choice but to accept.

This is my second book by Julie Clark, and I really enjoyed it. I was just as invested as Olivia in finding out what really happened that night in 1975. I enjoyed the flashbacks to 1975. I felt it added to the story. It was a slow burn, but I truly enjoyed the atmospheric vibes from the 70s as well as Olivia’s research in the present. I highly recommend it to fans of Clark and fans of slow-burn thrillers. I give it 4/5 stars.

Another hit by Julie Clark. An estranged daughter writes a memoir for her father who is long believed to have killed his two siblings. While he promises to 'tell all', she endeavors to solve the case. Excellent character development, plot line.

Having enjoyed two of Julie Clark’s previous novels, I was excited to receive an advanced reader’s copy of her latest novel, The Ghostwriter. Once again, Clark has created a mystery that kept me turning pages and completely surprised me by the end! Olivia Dumont is a successful ghostwriter who is asked to take on the challenge of ghost writing her own father’s memoir and finally uncovering the secrets about her own family that have been hidden for years. Really enjoyed this book! Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the arc.

Such a fun suspenseful novel. It started off slow but the way the middle picked up, I couldn’t put it down. I liked the 3 timelines in the story but one did throw me off a tad. Overall great book!

So many twists and turns! Absolutely a taunt and engaging story! I love a story that has me saying, I didn't see that coming! Julie Clark is a master storyteller!

Loved it!! Kept me on the edge of my seat, couldn't believe the ending. Would have loved to see a tad more character development

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Can we talk about how I flew through this book? Wow, I will be picking up the author's blacklist because this was great!

This story is about the main character, Olivia Dumont, who is a ghost writer for many authors and daughter to Vincent Dumont, a prolific horror writer and not so great father. Olivia is struggling financially and takes on a job from her father to write a memoir about his life and the truth of what happened in the deaths of his brother and sister.

This book was excellent from start to finish. We have an unreliable narrator, family drama, dual timelines, suspense, and mystery. The characters were all developed well, and it was heart-wrenching to learn about the history of the family members and the relationship between Olivia and her father.

This book comes out 6/3/25, and I recommend running, not walking to grab this off the shelf!

I raced through The Ghostwriter—I simply *had* to know what happened in this story of a disgraced ghostwriter hired to write the memoir of her estranged father-slash-horror-writer-slash-suspected murderer.

Clark has crushed it with this book, filling it with an intricately woven plot, plenty of misdirection, and a deliciously unreliable memoir subject. Well-paced and beautifully written, The Ghostwriter caps things off with a satisfying ending that will have people talking.

I’d been anxiously anticipating this book since it was first announced, and it did not disappoint. Highly recommend!

This book was an absolute delight to read! It had everything I look for — engaging writing, memorable characters, and a story that stayed with me long after I turned the last page. The author’s voice is distinct and compelling, making it easy to get lost in the world they created, no matter the genre.

I'm incredibly grateful to the publisher for the early copy. It was such a joy to read this in advance, and I can’t wait for more readers to experience it. Highly recommend!

This was a really fun twist on your standard mystery/thriller! Ghostwriter Olivia Dumont is hired to write her estranged father's memoir. He's a notable horror writer who was the prime suspect in his siblings' murder as children. This was a fun slow burn!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for sending me this book!

A Greek tragedy at its best. June 1975 and two siblings are found murdered in their home. Vincent, the surviving brother, has lived with this tragedy for fifty years. What led up to that fateful day? Enter Olivia Dumont, hired to ghostwrite for Vincent, who is also her father. Little by little the story emerges of what happened that fateful day. Intricate and compelling read.
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC, enjoyed giving feedback.

This is a story within a story. A ghostwriter seeks the truth behind 50 years old murders where her father was a suspect. She is also ghost writing his memoir and dealing with challenges in her own life. Interesting plot and characters vv

A family struck by tragedy on a warm summer evening will live with the pain for 50 years. Vincent Taylor, the only remaining Vincent child has remained silent for years. He left the pain behind and went on to be a great author. Now he has invited ghostwriter, Olivia Dumont to tell the story. Olivia is in desperate need of the money, this could make or break her career. Olivia isn't sure if she's ready to see her father again. That's right, Olivia is Vincent's daughter and it's time for a family reunion.

Julie Clark keeps you reading with the captivating story told through dual timelines and several POV's. Reminisce on the summer of 1975 while trying to get to the bottom and the truth. I flew through this book. I love Olivia and enjoyed her own twisted relationship with her father. Clark does dive into some heavy topics so be warned, abortion, sexual grooming, and murder are discussed. Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book.

I adore Julie Clark and this latest work did not disappoint.
Olivia grew up in the shadow of her famous and now estranged father, who is known for his best-selling horror novels. His wife left him and he spirals into alcoholism sending Oliva away to boarding school. The space and the instability of her childhood strains her relationship with her father to the point of denial. When her own career falters and she fears that she is professionally on the brink her father's publisher reaches out. He is making her an offer to become her father's ghostwriter to tell his most defining and likely his last story, his own lived horror tale, the murder of his brother and sister when he was a teenager.
It's a page turner, dark and twisty--just the way I like my novels! I highly recommend it!