𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗖𝗞 𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗧 𝗣𝗘𝗘𝗞
Olivia has spent her life distancing herself from her father, Vincent Taylor, a renowned horror author infamous for being the prime suspect in the 1975 murders of his teen siblings. Facing financial hardship, Olivia reluctantly agrees to ghostwrite Vincent’s final book, only to discover that he intends to reveal the truth about the decades-old tragedy.

𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗢𝗣𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗢𝗡
This book gripped me. I’m usually a fast-paced thriller girlie, but I found this slow burn completely addictive. There’s so much care and intention in the way the story unfolds - it needed that slower pace to breathe.

I was honestly hooked on the characters. Olivia is layered and fascinating, and her dynamic with her dad is full of tension, pain, and that complicated kind of love. He’s not super likable, and you’re never totally sure if you can trust him, but there’s something really compelling about him.

The storytelling style is what really stood out for me. It’s told in Olivia’s POV in the present, but the past comes in through a mix of third and first person - and sometimes it’s impossibly all knowing. It’s such a cool narrative choice, and it gives the story this layered, cinematic depth.

The ending was beautiful and bittersweet and everything I wanted. I kept thinking how incredible it would be as a movie - the Super 8 reels, the shifting timelines, the atmosphere.

Quick heads-up: this one does deal with some heavy themes. It’s not particularly graphic, but just know it gets emotionally dark.

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗛 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗?
Yes, yes, yes. This is my second 5-star read of 2025. It’s beautifully written, full of heart and tension, with a great twist and characters you won’t forget.

Thanks to @Netgalley and @bookmarked for access to this advance readers copy

✨4.5 stars rounded up✨

Wow. This book. It was full of family drama, twists, and turns. I stayed up way too late finishing this book and I have zero regrets. I didn’t want to put it down. I wanted to know all of the secrets. I needed all of the answers. Highly recommend.

The Ghostwriter publishes on June 3, 2025. I was given an advanced copy of this book. All opinions expressed above are my own.

I was looking for a thriller to keep me on my toes and this was it!! Olivia is asked to ghostwrite her father’s book. He is suspected of murdering his brother and sister. Very unique storyline that kept me invested the entire time!

Julie Clark's latest release, The Ghostwriter, will have readers on the edge of their seats again (as she did with The Lies I Tell) and flying through the pages in this propulsive slow-burn thriller. Olivia Dumont is a well-known ghostwriter who went viral for all the wrong reasons. On the verge of bankruptcy and selling her beloved home, her agency contacts her with an offer: famous horror-writer Vincent Taylor is writing his memoir and asked exclusively for Olivia. Unbeknownst to her agency and the publisher, Olivia is Vince's estranged daughter and hasn't seen him in more than 20 years.

Vince grew up in the shadows of his popular brother and sister; a bit of an outsider. While most of the town is at a summer carnival, Vince's teenage brother and sister are brutally murdered at home. Vince has a solid alibi but can't escape the notoriety that follows him as many in the town believe he got away with murder. Now, 50 years later, he's ready to tell the truth about his family and what really happened that night-but only to Olivia. What follows is a dual-timeline, multiple POV novel that will have readers questioning everything we are told and every character we meet-I found myself going back and forth a few times until the final twist and secret was revealed. Pick this one up-4.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Julie Clark knows exactly how to keep readers on edge. The Last Flight was a nonstop thrill ride, and The Ghostwriter is every bit as twisty and addictive. When two siblings are murdered in 1975, suspicion immediately falls on their brother, Vincent. He has an alibi, but doubt lingers—and for decades, the truth remains buried. Now, as dementia threatens his memories, Vincent hires his estranged daughter to ghostwrite his final book. As she reluctantly steps into his world, the lines between fact and fiction blur, and chilling questions arise: was her father hiding something all along? Smart, layered, and packed with jaw-dropping twists, The Ghostwriter will grip you from the first page and won’t let go until the final, haunting reveal.

Although Ghostwriter Olivia once had a promising career, she's been 'canceled' and unable to secure a job until her father, bestselling horror author, asks for her to ghostwrite his last book.

Olivia has spent the last several decades of her life separating herself from her father's checkered past - no one knows that she is his daughter. So, when his agent reaches out to request her for this book, she is surprised but feels like she has no other option but to take the assignment.

Her father’s siblings, Poppy and Danny, were brutally murdered when they were teens in the 1970s. The crime went unsolved but suspicions have swirled around her father as the suspected perpetrator. Vincent is now ready to tell his side of the story, except he has been diagnosed with Lewey body dementia and Olivia must sift through her father’s memories to determine what is true and what is not.

I really enjoyed this thriller mystery that has a true crime feeling to it. Although there are twists and turns, there is deep exploration of the characters as we get to know them and try to figure out what happened. I was left guessing right up to the end, and unlike with many books in this genre, I wasn't left annoyed at how everything played out. It was enough mystery to keep me on the edge of my seat while still feeling like an authentic narrative (not just a bunch of cheap thrills).

Definitely recommend!

* I received a digital review copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

How Stephen King didn't write this book, I DO NOT KNOW.

Do you really need more to a review? That man loves writing about authors!

But Julie Clark has done an amazing job writing a book that had me worried. That is until I read the first line of the Foreword: "I know what your dad did."
BOOM!

What did her dad do???

Olivia Dumont is a ghostwriter. A successful ghostwriter (but unfortunately with a huge lawsuit hanging over her head where she owes half-a-million $ to a competitive writer.)

She's down to her last penny when she gets an assignment from her agent: a hugely bestselling author - very Stephen-ish - personally requests that she ghostwrite what will be his Final Book.

And who might this author be, but her estranged father, who was accused - and never convicted - of brutally murdering his older brother and younger sister when he was a teen.

Thank you Sourcebooks and NetGalley for letting me read an advanced copy of The Ghostwriter. It was a wonderful book. Twists and turns, flashbacks and just when I thought.. "no, this can't happen, not realistic," Clark uses the right literary tools to make me think otherwise.

This was a really great read. VERY original. Loved it.

This novel kept me guessing. Greatly enjoyed the intriguing characters and slowly unfolding plot. Well written and plotted.

Thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for offering the opportunity to review! Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. I tried to branch out but I just couldn't get into the concept of reading about a man murdering his siblings. Maybe he didn't do it; I didn't let myself get that far but I just couldn't pick up the threads. I'm sure others will love this title, but it just wasn't for me.

This book was 5 stars all the way! Will be back with an updated review!

On a bus tour and bus too bumpy right now to do a decent review

Ghostwriter Olivia Dumont's job opportunities dried up after she criticized a fellow author an dis in danger of losing
her home. She has spent her adult life hiding the fact that she is the daughter of horror author Vincent Taylor,
a prime suspect in his siblings' murders years ago. As Victor's memory fades due to Lewy body dementia, he
waants to tell the story of what actually happened.
Engrossing read.
#TheGhostwriter #SourcebooksLandmark #NetGalley

The Ghostwriter
Julie Clark
06/03/2025
Sourcebooks

I could revamp the blurb and tell you what happens in the story, but I took away so much more than that. When Olivia is asked to ghostwrite her estranged father, Vincent’s, final novel, she begins piecing his story together through a kaleidoscope of perspectives—neighbors, friends, teachers, parents, an old diary, forgotten Super 8 reels, and the vivid, often conflicting memories that both she and her father carry. As she immerses herself in the fragments of his life, a fuller picture begins to emerge—one that’s as much about understanding him as it is about rediscovering herself.

Olivia was born into the aftermath of a story already broken, the daughter of a man who took pain and unknown circumstances from his past and carried it with him. While he successfully wrote novel after novel, the only language of love that he was able to express was through treasure hunts and for her, it was a distraction, something to keep her busy. She never understood the importance. Olivia grew up in the shadow of her father’s brilliance, mistaking neglect for her own unworthiness. To the world, he was a tortured genius; to her, just a father who never saw her. He had buried his siblings and, with them, pieces of himself.

Julie Clark does more than tell us an amazing and suspenseful story that is steeped in a 50-year-old unsolved murder—it’s a deeply emotional journey, rich in character development that lingers long after the final page. Every twist was earned, and every character felt achingly real. It's the kind of story that stays with you. The heart of this story lies in the profound healing that unfolds between Olivia and her father—an emotional journey that transcends the pages. It’s in the raw honesty they finally share, and the way Olivia can be honest with herself and become the woman she wanted to be. The Ghostwriter is an unforgettable story that quietly shifts how you see people, grief, and the hidden battles they carry. It’s a powerful reminder that we rarely know the full story behind someone's silence. This book deserves to be recognized as one of the best of the year—because it truly is.

This was such a treat! This is my first time diving into Julie Clark’s writing and she definitely knows how to craft a gripping and intriguing story. I’ll definitely be giving more of her books a go after how much I enjoyed this!

I have mixed feelings about "The Ghostwriter". The writing is superb. It deserves a 5 star rating. My hesitation is the actual story. If it were true, I think readers would say "much ado about nothing". The plot is okay, but the premise is a bit weak.

I've read other books by Julie Clark and can say her other stories had stronger plot lines, but the writing here was so good that I can still recommend the book.

Julie Clark knows how to keep her readers reading. Not only a mystery from the past but great father-daughter conflict make this book compelling.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s a story about redemption and finding the truth. I couldn’t wait to get to the end to see how it turned out. Highly recommend!!

Wow this book was phenomenal. I was pulled by this family dynamic between a girl and her two brothers. The two story lines between 1975 and present day between the brother and his daughter really was great. The mystery was well thought out and kept me interested until the very end.

From the author of The Last Flight and The Lies I Tell.

Olivia's past is complicated. Her aunt and uncle were killed before she was born and though no one was ever charged, her father was a suspect in their deaths. Small towns have long memories and Olivia's childhood was riddled with speculation about her father's involvement.

Olivia went to college abroad and enjoyed the freedom of anonymity. When she came back to the States, she kept her ex husband's last name, made a home far enough away from where she grew up that she no longer had to acknowledge her childhood or her dysfunctional family.

For awhile that works. She has a successful career as a ghostwriter, a loving boyfriend and a gorgeous house. But after running her mouth against an adversary, she finds herself at the losing end of a civil lawsuit with troublesome financial consequences.

As if that's not enough on her shoulders, her past comes knocking when her father's declining health motivates him to finally shed light on secrets he's been holding onto for years. The catch - he'll only agree to working with Olivia as his ghostwriter. The bigger catch - part of his failing health includes a mental decline.

WHAT I LIKED
*The suspense!
*Dual timelines giving us the opportunity to go back in time through chapters from both Poppy and Vincent's POVs
*Olivia's growth. She had several challenges to work through personally and professionally and I think she handled it brilliantly
*Twists I didn't see coming
*The Ending. And the one secret that stayed buried.

WHAT I COULD HAVE DONE WITHOUT
*Off screen animal death. I can tolerate off screen as opposed to details, but I just don't like it.

Overall a great book. Recommend adding to your TBR. Pub Date: 6/3.

Engrossing story combining ghostwriting with family relationships. Will tug at your heartstrings and keep you reading long after your plan to stop.

Thank you NetGalley for a digital copy of this book. The opinions expressed are my own and freely given.
Olivia hasn't returned home in years. She is a ghostwriter that has had a big hiccup recently, ishas been sued and can't find a job. Her father Vincent is a well knownn author whose brother and sister were murdered when he was a teenager and the world thinks he is guilty of the crime, even though he was never charged. Now he is dying and would like to tell his story. He wrote the draft but needs Olivia to write it so that it is not just ramblings of sick a man. Olivia goes to great lengths to investigate the deaths of her aunt (Poppy) and uncle (Danny), without her father's knowing.
I really liked this book because you can't tell if Vincent really killed Poppy and Danny or not. But of course you find out at the end.
I do recommend this book.