I’m a big fan of Julie Clark’s previous novels, especially the last flight, so I jumped for joy when I saw this new book.

It’s a cool concept and while I found it interesting, it wasn’t my favorite. Olivia is interesting and I enjoyed her chapters and the vibe of this small(ish) town.

My biggest barrier was getting into the chapters with Poppy and Vince. There’s a big secret that the reader doesn’t know and it waited too long with little payoff.

I also struggled with Lydia. She’s a big part of the story and we are supposed to care about what happened with her but she’s so underdeveloped that I couldn't really picture or connect with her.

Thanks for the advance review copy.

The Ghostwriter is my first 5 star book of 2025.
Well known ghostwriter Olivia Dumont agrees to finish the last book of famous horror novelist Vincent Taylor.. What almost no one knows is that he is her estranged father who also is the prime suspect in the brutal murders of his teenage siblings in 1975.
As this page turning story shifts between 1975 and the present secrets are revealed. Will the murderer be identified? This really kept me guessing!
Thank you Sourcebooks and NetGalley for this enthralling ARC.

I absolutely LOVED this one! It made me want to go back and read Julie's prior works. I love a good cold case mystery and to pair that with characters in the bookish world? Yes please! I loved our main character and following her while ghost writing a book and diving into a 20 year old murder. Highly recommend! 4 stars.

Olivia is a ghostwriter, and also the daughter of a well-known horror author, Vincent. Vincent's background is that he is also the main suspect in the terrible murders of his siblings. Olivia simply does not want the world to know she is related to him. However, she is in a situation where she needs money, so agrees to ghostwrite Vincent's final book. This book is essentially a tell all about the events surrounding the death of his siblings. Through the writings of Vincent's sister, Olivia gets a different account of the situation prior to the deaths. But who is telling the truth; are the writings of the sister accurate, is Vincent telling the truth?

This was such a great book, because who doesn't enjoy an unreliable narrator? Those texts make the reader actually think, and you get that a lot with this author's writing (read her other books, they are great). I enjoyed the author's ability to balance emotional weight in this book with familial relationships, and marry that with a twisty plot. It is refreshing, when a lot within the publishing industry tends to be formulaic.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't love this as much as Clark's previous novels, but it kept my interest until the end.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Note: Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

The Last Flight was one of my top three favorite thrillers during the pandemic, and I love the fresh concept Julie Clark introduces in this novel. Unlike many authors who release books annually, she takes her time, making each new release a priority read for me. Though the first third of the book was a slow burn, it quickly gained momentum with its shifting POVs, unreliable narrators, and a deeply realistic portrayal of trauma—not just for those directly affected, but for generations that follow. The need for answers lingers, even for those who never had the chance to meet their lost loved ones.

The Ghostwriter was a slow burn in the best way. I loved the dual timeline that progressed into slowly unraveling the truth, bit by bit. The tension was palpable from beginning to end. This novel not only focuses on the mystery, but also grief and complicated family dynamics. I wish we got even more of the chapters from Poppy’s POV because that was truly the heart of the story for me. She was an extremely lovable character.

I love anything by Julie Clark! This book was excellent. Olivia Dumont is a ghostwriter who is tasked with writing a memoir about her father’s past, who was accused of murdering his siblings in 1975. This story was such a wild ride, and I loved the differing viewpoints of present time with the 70s. 4/5 stars, I’d definitely recommend this book!

The Ghostwriter
By Julie Clark
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Release Date: June 3, 2025

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the advanced reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

What if everything you thought you knew was a lie?

And the person who might have the answers is suffering from an illness that eats away the memories?

The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark is a psychological thriller that will have you guessing from page 1.

There are no clear villains and not one clear path to the truth.

The beginning sets the scene and introduces the characters in such a tragic way… the middle of full of discoveries that leave you breathless… and the ending is SHOCKING.

Every time I wanted to set it down to digest what I thought was happening, something new would come to light and I wouldn’t be able to stop reading.

Add this to your summer TBR.
Thank me later.

I tried, really tried to get sucked into this novel, but I couldn't. I don't know whether it was the fact that I didn't connect with the main character, or the fact that I really didn't care to find out what happened in reference to her father being a murderer or not. If you want to know what it is like to be a ghostwriter, then maybe this book is for you. Sadly, I just quickly lost interest. I did like the hop between the timelines of 1975 and the present. This book just wasn't for me.

Ghostwriter by Julie Clark—I have read several books by this author and have enjoyed them. This one had a good premise-- Two children are murdered in a house and the third child is suspected of the murders.
Olivia Dumont is a ghostwriter and is the daughter of the third child.
She is asked to help write the memoirs – there is history and family drama. But as the story unfolds – we get to learn what really happened ---
I did enjoy the story—the twist and turns – The end was interesting.

I had an absolute blast reading the book! So many twists and turns, and I couldn’t put it down until I found out what happened. I loved it.

Poppy and Danny were murdered in their teens and everyone in the community thinks their brother, Vincent, is the murderer. I spent most of the book trying to figure out who the culprit actually was. About three-fourths of the way through the book I thought I knew, but I didn’t know the complete truth. I better not say more because I don’t want to give spoilers. Suffice it to say, I couldn’t put the book down. I’ll definitely be looking forward to reading Julie Clark’s next book!

I received an advanced readers copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

And another great thriller to keep an eye out for. The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark will have you wanting more.

ulie Clark’s latest novel, The Ghostwriter, attempts to weave a tale of family secrets and suspense but ultimately falls short in delivering a compelling narrative. The story centers on Olivia Dumont, a ghostwriter coerced into penning her estranged father’s memoir—a father notorious for the alleged murder of his siblings decades prior.

One of the primary issues with the novel is its predictability. The plot unfolds in a manner that leaves little room for surprise, making the so-called twists feel more like gentle turns.

Character development is another area where the book falters. Olivia, as the protagonist, comes across as one-dimensional, making it challenging for readers to form a genuine connection or invest in her journey. Her interactions with other characters feel superficial, lacking the depth needed to drive the emotional core of the story.

Furthermore, the narrative structure, with its alternating timelines between the present and the events of 1975, is executed in a disjointed manner. This approach disrupts the story’s flow for me.

In conclusion, while The Ghostwriter had the potential to be a gripping thriller, it is marred by its predictability, shallow character portrayals, and a fragmented narrative structure. Readers seeking a suspenseful and emotionally resonant story may find themselves disappointed.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

Loved this one and was teetering on giving it 5 stars but will stick with 4.5. Imagine growing up with a Stephen King like horror writer for a father. Lots of pressure, right? Especially as a writer yourself. Now, imagine that the same father has always had the shadow of doubt about his innocence in the slaying of his two siblings when he was a teen lingering over his head.

Did he? Didn’t he? Is that why he’s so good at his craft?

And now you’re invited home. To a place you were forced out of by this same father who grew cold, neglectful, cut off from you as you aged - to write his memoir describing what really happened that fateful night. He’s chosen you because his memories are fading due to dementia and you’re the only one he can trust.

Are you a good girl who just does what your father says and rewrites the stream of consciousness drivel on the page, trying to decipher what’s real and not real almost 50 years later? Or are you your father’s daughter? Digging where you shouldn’t and finding bodies in your wake?

This was absolutely sensational and will easily be one of my favourite novels this year.

June 1975. The Taylor family are shattered by the loss of two teenage siblings, found dead in their home. The only surviving sibling, Vincent, never shakes the rumours that he was the one that killed them but he has been cleared, having an alibi.
50 years later, ghostwriter, Olivia Dumont, has spent her entire life hiding the fact she is the child of Vincent Taylor. But on the brink of financial ruin, she is offered a job to work with him, to finish his last novel.
I don't even know where to begin with this one, there was just so much I loved about it. A fifty year old murder, not seeing her father for many years and being back in her hometown of Ojai, all created the perfect atmosphere for this novel. The different POV's and timelines were woven seamlessly through this novel and the author made it easy reading, though I must admit I was racing to get through this as I needed to know what happened. I loved the mystery around the murders, the old notebooks and clues and the secrets that were unfolded throughout, though I never guessed where they were all leading.

This one has got it all- unreliable characters, a writer trying to rebuild her career, family drama, secrets galore, and decades-old unsolved murders. As Olivia tries to untangle her father’s jumbled memories, she’s plunged into the mystery of the fateful night her uncle and aunt were killed when then were teens. Author Julie Clark does a fantastic job peeling back the layers of this complex plot. The narrative features multiple POVs and Clark seamlessly combines the past and the present to give readers a story filled with plenty of twists and turns. The main characters are complex. Vincent was the brooding middle child. His older brother was popular and liked by everyone. His younger sister was spirited and artistic. Just about everyone suspected Vincent of murdering his siblings. Olivia reluctantly reunites with her father out of desperation. She had a rocky relationship with him growing up. Her father became consumed with his career, drowned his emotions in a bottle, and usually neglected her. When Olivia talks to her aunt’s and uncle’s friends from that time period she realizes their memories differ from the picture her father has painted. Is his dementia distorting his memories or is he hiding something?

This is a taut and gripping mystery that pulled me in from start to finish.

This book moves SLOW. Took about 35% before I actually felt invested in the story, and even then, it was a fairly unlikable (and untrustworthy) group of characters. Definitely not my favorite of this author and I found the ending to be a bit unsatisfying given the mystery conclusion. Felt there was a lot more that could’ve been explored.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Julie Clark is a must read author for me! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. I love the way this author writes. Sucks you in right away and takes you on a ride. I loved the past and present timelines and all the twists and turns. Highly recommend!