Within the first 10 pages of this book, I was hooked. I loved that the book included both past (leading up to the murder) and present (researching the murder) timelines. This book was ultimately a book of revenge in the best way. I made so many assumptions during the book as to how it would play out and end and each time I was absolutely shocked. I enjoyed reading this book so much and I would recommend it to anyone who needs a good, quick thriller!

Thank you to sourcebooks and NetGalley for this ARC!!

Olivia Dumont has spent her entire adult life running away from her past. Her mother abandoned her at a young age, and her author father has always lived with the stigma of murdering his two siblings back in 1975 when they were all teenagers. Coming upon the 50th anniversary of the murders, Olivia is offered the job of ghostwriting her father’s final book where he is ready to talk about what really happened on that fateful night back in 1975. While he is not the most reliable character, as he has recently been diagnosed with dementia, Olivia finds herself putting pieces together from various sources. The book was very well executed and pacing was just enough to keep me wanting more. I didn’t see the ending coming. Julie Clark does not disappoint.

Thank you to NetGalley & Sourcebooks Landmark for an advanced eARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

This book was just ok. I just don’t feel her books have been as good as her first one. Olivia has dropped her father because he’s an alcoholic and rumored to have killed his brother and sister. She gets hired to ghostwrite for him so returns to her home town. As she digs into the past, she finds answers to things she maybe never wanted to know. This book had a shocking ending but I skimmed a lot of jt.

Julie Clark’s The Ghostwriter introduces us to Olivia, a once-successful ghostwriter whose career has been derailed by a public scandal. When she’s unexpectedly offered a job writing a memoir for her estranged father, the renowned author Vincent Taylor, she reluctantly accepts. But this isn’t just any memoir—Vincent wants to revisit his traumatic past, specifically the unsolved murders of his younger siblings in 1975. As Olivia delves into his history, she finds herself unraveling dark family secrets and confronting long-buried truths.

This novel is not a fast-paced thriller but a carefully crafted, slow-burn mystery that reflects the nature of real-life cold cases. The story is told through multiple perspectives, alternating between modern-day investigations and firsthand accounts from 1975. While these shifts add depth, they can also be disorienting at times, as it’s not always clear whether we’re reading a diary entry or a memory. That said, Clark does an excellent job of exploring the lingering effects of trauma and the complexities of uncovering the past.

Overall, The Ghostwriter is a compelling murder mystery full of twists and turns, particularly for readers who enjoy methodical investigations and whodunnit narratives.

My most sincere thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my non-biased review.

This was an excellent thriller that I absolutely did not figure out until the very end.

Olivia Dumont, a ghostwriter is tasked with writing her father's memoir. He is a horror author suspected of murdering his own siblings. This is not something Olivia wants to write but due to mounting debts she agrees to take it on. She has been estranged from her father since she was a teenager and most people do not even know they are related. Olivia now must uncover what is really true and find out if her own father is a murderer.

What really shines here is the intricate dance between Olivia and her father. After decades of silence, Vincent is finally ready to tell his story, and Olivia finds herself caught in a web of half-truths, buried secrets, and the gnawing question of her father's guilt or innocence.

The tension throughout the book keeps simmering. There are tantalizing clues and red herrings that will keep you guessing until the very end. While reading my mind went through so many different scenarios of what could have happened. This is a gripping thriller that explores the dark side of family secrets. This is a great read for anyone who likes thrillers or a great mystery!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you for the opportunity to preview The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark. I was so fortunate to be part of this review process.
Julie Clark is an amazing author and her upcoming novel The Ghostwriter is a stunner.
A young woman who works in the publishing world, Olivia, was very successful. That’s until she upset her career by making remarks that cost her the reputation she tried to build.
In debt with no work insight she receives an offer to ghost write a book by a famous writer. Problem? Yes, the writer is her father who she is estranged.
But Olivia is stuck between a rock and a hard place. She must accept the reality that she will lose her home and all she has if she doesn’t take this assignment.
Olivia does not go by her childhood name so no one knows the assignment is for her father. This includes her current boyfriend.
Olivia’s family is notorious because her father’s brother and sister were murdered in 1975 and her dad was and is a suspect. Although never charged with murder, he has carried the guilt of surviving this murder., as well as, the belief he killed them
Olivia soon discovers her father is ill but he wants to write his memoir and needs her help.
It is up to Olivia to make sense of his ramblings and whatever else remains of this murder mystery information.
The chapters take the reader back to 1975 and the present time while Olivia navigates what little information there is at the time of the murders.
This book is engrossing and at times disturbing but truly a remarkable book.
I could not put it down. 5 stars !

I really enjoyed this book just as much as the rest of Julie Clark’s books. A shadow was always hanging over Vincent’s life and Olivia’s as well. One of things I really loved about this book was the fact that our memories are not always true and real.
Circumstances may color them in ways we cannot see. I also loved how Vincent added clues to his notes, knowing that Olivia would follow them like she had in so many treasure hunts growing up. Beautifully written and very engaging story.

4.5 stars

This is a gripping exploration of how the stories we tell ourselves shape our world and who we are in it. Of how fickle memory can be. Of how you never really know the truth of someone unless they're willing to be vulnerable and share it.

Every part of this story works. The characters are interesting and complicated and real. I was able to connect with them as much as you can with this kind of story. The snippets of 1975 are woven in beautifully and to great effect. It's tragic and scary and infuriating and heartbreaking.

My favorite part is how well plotted this story is. Until you get to the reveal, you never really know what happened or how it's going to play out. But hindsight shows you the clues that were there. My subconscious registered a number of them -- like the ping of a metal detector -- but the narrative is compelling enough to keep you from straying and guessing anything too soon.

I definitely recommend this book!

<i>Many thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.</i>

I enjoyed this one even though it was very slow from the start. I found it a little different than her previous books which wasn't expected. It should not be marketed as a thriller because it was more of a mystery if anything.

This book was a bit more of a slow burn than a fast paced thriller. At times it was hard to pick up. It had potential and I was invested in finding out what happened to Danny and Poppy but it was a bit of a let down for me. Thank you for the ARC.

More of a slow burn mystery than a suspenseful thriller, but a really great story! I wish the pacing was quicker because I do think the mystery of Danny and Poppy had potential to be a really suspenseful unfolding, but the slow aspect was really distracting. I didn't find myself wanting to read the book. I do think the story kept me interested and I was surprised by the ending, but I think the author missed the potential here.

I was incredibly excited when I saw Julie Clark had another book coming out, The Lies I Tell was one of my favorite reads of 2022 and she did not disappoint with The Ghostwriter. Olivia, returns home to Ojai after many years, having been hired to ghostwrite for her estranged father. Olivia and Vincent have not spoken since Olivia graduated college, but now her father, a famous author, is sick and needs help finishing his final novel. Olivia is an outspoken feminist and she’s currently in hot water for addressing misogyny in the literary world and one author in particular, but this is part of why I love Julie’s writing. I find her FMCs to be strong, intelligent, proudly feminist women. Vincent was a complicated character, he’s an unreliable narrator, due to his failing health he sometimes can’t differentiate between the past and present, and because he’s clearly hiding something in his past; I found myself feeling sympathy for him while also understanding Olivia’s choice to not speak to her father for so long. Jack, Olivia’s childhood best friend, and his husband Matt are delightful side characters and I adored the relationship she described between them. The story is written in the present, with chapters flashing back to the major incident of 1975- the unsolved murder of Olivia’s aunt and uncle. Julie has a way of writing where she lays out what’s going on in a way where it seems obvious, but leaves you questioning what has been presented to you- unreliable narrators, appearances not being what they seem, character’s emotions clouding judgement and the passage of time all contribute to leaving you questioning the true facts of what happened, until the very end.

A perfectly crafted mystery !

And when I say perfect, I really do mean perfect: true life characters, an expertly and intricately woven plot, a steady pace and a "chef's kiss" ending. I always try to stay away from the "edge of your seat thriller with unexpected twists", but this book is the real deal. It is suspenseful, it has twists and turns and a surprising ending but here it is done in such a masterful way that both story and characters will stay lingering for a long time.

I won't go into much plot details as I think it is best to go in blind to truly appreciate the clever puzzle we - the reader - are meant to unravel. But I can say that Poppy, Danny and Vincent seem to be my own childhood next door kids with whom I would go on bikerides during the long summerdays of youth. That's how unbelievably good the author has them described on paper. And then of course there is Olivia, complex and hurt and yet fiercely independent and strong ; who discovers the ties and lies that bind her family even after decades of estrangement.

Oh, this was so good ! I know for sure that previous books of Julie Clark are going to my TBR pronto.

A truly heartfelt thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark and the author for allowing me to be an early reader and to discover this gem. All opinions are my own.

What a creepy and fascinating idea for a book - being raised by a father who everyone suspected murdered his own siblings when they were teens. That premise and the stunning cover had my attention from the start.

Unfortunately the story struggled to keep my attention… it started off so slowly and stayed that way for a good portion of the book. I found myself getting a little bored, wanting to get on with it already, enough with the minuscule breadcrumbs. The last third of the book finally picked up the pace and I do love the ending - the way it all came together with reveals that I expected along with a few surprises.

It’s a good story with a satisfying ending. I do feel it could’ve benefitted from better pacing and if I had felt more of an emotional connection with the narrator, Olivia. She didn’t come off as very likable to me for a portion of the book so it was hard to invest myself in the story of her family.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the opportunity to read an early copy.

I have always been a fan of Julie Clark books. This one was unique compared to her past books. A fairly slow paced murder mystery who-dun-it story, and less faster paced “thriller”. It was told through multiple different POVs and timelines and I liked getting snippets of the past from different perspectives and trying to put clues together as I read. Personally I liked her other books better and for me, the pacing plays a huge role in that. Compared to her other books I’ve read, I found this one much easier to put the book down and walk away for a while. However, even though slower, it was twisty. I did find it a little predictable and nothing in this one really shocked me. Nonetheless, it was still engaging and I thought it was good storytelling. Would definitely recommend!

I have loved all three of the books I've read by Julie Clark, and the Ghostwriter just may be my new favorite! Olivia Dumont is a ghostwriter who is facing financial and professional problems after posting some inflammatory comments on social media. She needs a writing job before she loses her house, and she is shocked when she is asked to ghost-write her estranged father's memoir. Olivia's father, Vincent Taylor, is a famous horror-author who has never escaped the shadows of his infamous childhood. In 1975, Vincent's brother and sister were murdered in their home, and although the case was never solved, everyone suspected that Vince was involved in his siblings' deaths. Now, decades later, a terminally ill Vincent wants to write one final book to set the record straight about what really happened that night. The book slowly reveals the mystery with multiple POVs and flashbacks to the 1970s that bring the time period to life. Highly recommended for fans of slow-burn mysteries that will keep you guessing until the ending! Thanks to Netgalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and author Julie Clark for the librarian preview copy.

💭 ⓂⓎ ⓉⒽⓄⓊⒼⒽⓉⓈ
This book was so addicting, and I was hooked from the very first page. I could tell right away that this thriller was going to be a winner. It had everything including murder mystery, family drama, flawed characters, and the nostalgia of those old camcorders we used to bring stories to life. Nothing was quite what it seemed, and I flew through the pages, eager to see how it all came together. I loved piecing together the clues alongside Olivia as she uncovered her family’s long history buried secrets to write her estranged father’s memoir. The multiple POVs and Poppy’s flashbacks made the story even more compelling. If you are looking for a gripping and unputdownable read, mark your calendar for June 3 and pick this one up!

📚 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
🔪Psychological thriller
🧐Murder Mystery
🎭Family drama
🤐Secrets and lies
🔀Twists and turns
📖Books about books
🏠Small town setting
🗣️Multiple POV

⚠️ 𝙏𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨: murder of kids.

✍️𝕄𝕐 ℝ𝔸𝕋𝕀ℕ𝔾✍️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

💕Q U O T E: “𝐼'𝓂 𝒷𝑒𝑔𝒾𝓃𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝑜 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓁𝒾𝓏𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝑜𝓃𝒸𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓁𝒾𝑒 𝒶𝒷𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓅𝒶𝓈𝓉, 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓌𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇𝓈𝑒𝓁𝒻 𝑜𝒻𝒻 𝒻𝓇𝑜𝓂 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓅𝓇𝑒𝓈𝑒𝓃𝓉. 𝐹𝓇𝑜𝓂 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓅𝑒𝑜𝓅𝓁𝑒 𝓌𝒽𝑜 𝒸𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝒶𝒷𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊.”

🙏 Thank you NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and Julie Clark for this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts. 💕

Julie Clark knows how to write a great mystery. I enjoyed piecing together the clues on who killed Poppy and Danny. When it all came together in the end, I was blown away.
This was a fun, twisty story.

The Ghostwriter has your mind turning from the first few pages and it doesn’t stop until the end! Julie Clark has become a go to for mystery books.

Olivia's next ghostwriting project is to finish the latest book of horror author VIncent Taylor. Here's the thing - She's keeping a secret. He's actually her dad. As a child, her father's two siblings were murdered. The tragedy was never solved, but there was speculation that her father was responsible. Now, in his latest book, he's ready to talk about what really happened. What I really liked about this thriller was the way the story was told. In the present day, Olivia is trying to put the story together. Then, there are also flashbacks with bits of the story from people who were there. I knew there was a twist, but I loved how I couldn't quite figure it out on my own, so had to keep reading. It was masterful suspense-building storytelling. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the look at this June 2025 read.