Ghostwriter by Julie Clark is a novel about a ghostwriter Olivia Dumont who has been hired to write the last memoir of Vincent Taylor, a famous horror novelist. The twist- Vincent is Olivia’s estranged father. Vincent’s family history is like a horror story. His two siblings were murdered in their home as teens, and no one was ever tried for it. Rumors swirled that Vincent was the murderer but no evidence against him was ever found. Olivia hasn’t spoken to her father in many years, but she takes the writing job because she is desperate for work. She is brought back into her father’s world and sets about researching and writing his story- the story of what really happened the night of the murders. But is his story the truth or just another story?
Ghostwriter is definitely a slow burn thriller, chapters alternating with present and past, and multiple POV’s. I liked how believable a story it was, without any outlandish,far fetched storylines to have to suspend disbelief with.
I was engaged the whole time, and was second guessing the outcome as the clues were unearthed. I REALLY liked the “unfinished ending” where morality sometimes is a grey space. And I’m happy where Olivia lands at the end.
Thanks to Net Galley and Sourcebooks Landmark for my ARC.

A mystery that keeps you guessing.
I liked the character development and the way the unreliable narrator was portrayed in order to not be extremely frustrating for the reader. The multiple POV format in the context of the story was not my favorite. Overall an intriguing read and I will definitely be reading more from the author.
Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC.
3.5/5 stars

A slow start but an engaging mystery about family secrets. Nothing revolutionary but an enjoyable read

Julie Clark does it again!!! I love everything she’s written. This book kept me in suspense until the very last moment… what a true masterpiece. The story was woven so perfectly together, I did not guess any of the twists which is the best! The character development is excellent and it’s soooo well written.

3.75 stars Publishes June 3rd and follows a Ghostwriter named Olivia who is hired to write a book for a famous horror author named Vincent Taylor. The problem is, Vincent is Olivia’s estranged father and his newest book is a tell all about a crime he was suspected of many years ago - the murder of his own brother and sister.

This book gripped me immediately. I am a sucker for a cold case or dark past being brought back up and this one did a great job of piquing my interest.

This story is told in past and present timelines, past timeline being the lead up to the murders and present timeline is Olivia doing her own research into the case.

This book unravels a story of drama, betrayal, deception, devotion, and revenge.

I will say, I had my theory at about 30% and as I read my confidence in my theory grew. Then I got thrown for a loop and started questioning everything I believed just to ultimately find my original theory was mostly correct.

Overall, this book was hard to put down and I had a great time reading it.

Another great story by Julie Clark - this one has more twists than a licorice stick! A ghostwriter with financial problems reluctantly agrees to write her estranged father's autobiography. Despite the fact that he is a bestselling author, he is an unreliable source of his own life, between his unwillingness to tell the truth about who killed his two siblings when they were all teens, and his rapidly advancing dementia. The clues were dribbled out bit by bit about his dysfunctional family, with the best source being his dead sister's videos. I thought I had it figured it out several different times, but was still surprised at the ending. I stayed up late to finish this one!

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC to read and review.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this ARC of 'The Ghostwriter" by Julie Clark- expected release date of 06/03/2025.

ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The book's premise was that of many others, down-on-her-luck daughter has to return to her childhood hometown and be reunited with an estranged parent...The rest though? Dark, emotionally charged, twisty, deep. The timeline switches between past and present and 3 main character's POV's perfectly. I was on the edge of my seat and guessing until the very end.

Clark's writing is always excellent, polished, completely coherent. I've loved every book of hers so far and look forward to more!

I gobbled this story up in a day, neglecting all responsibilities because I needed to prioritize this book. I was hooked from go and was desperate to know how it would unfold. Julie Clark expertly weaves a tragic story told through multiple POVs and different timelines seamlessly. There wasn’t one timeline or person that I felt lacking. I didn’t feel the need to rush through a certain POV because I favored someone else. Everyone was strong and everyone was a necessary part. Fine, I may have been partial to Poppy, but who wouldn’t be? I loved the strong female characters and the themes woven within seemed timely. I will have nightmares about that hamster though… If you’re looking for a fast paced book with thoughtful characters, strong dual timelines and POV with connections that will tug on your heartstrings AND an open murder investigation… look no further. I highly recommend this story and I met Julie once at a book event and she is funny and a delight, so thrilled to support her latest!

I was initially hesitant going into this one. It piqued my interest, but I felt like it was one of those that I would either love or hate. Thankfully, it turned out to be the former. This had so much going for it between the past and present timelines, a strained, bitter relationship between father and daughter, and pieces of a tragic past finding its way into the present. Everything worked in its favor, and I found myself hooked, grasping onto every hint thrown my way. While the present timeline with our protagonist Olivia held its own, the past perspectives were written so precisely that I felt myself watching every event unfold with my own eyes. The secrets revealed were unpredictable to even the most keen eye. This was an emotional one, focusing on not just the murder of two siblings but of familial relationships and love. Four stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark, for this ARC.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc of The Ghostwriter.
Olivia is on the brink of financial ruin when she is offered a deal to be a ghostwriter for her estranged father. Reluctant to do it she presses forward only to discover he doesn’t want her to write another one of his horror novels but the last word of a dying man of what really happened 50 years ago when his brother and sister were murdered.
I really don’t have anything bad to say about this book. It kept me turning page after page to see what happened. I really liked how Olivia’s father made the answers to what really happened into a treasure hunt. To find the real answers to what happened. If you were writing the truth to a secret would you really believe the answer out of a mouth of a person who had a medical condition resembling Alzheimers.
I was really skeptical about how the story was going to play out. Being that it was playing off that the father was just going to confess to him being the one that murdered his siblings. But it was so much more than that and I loved every minute of it! Last but not least I love how the author brought the more attention to a ghostwriter. A behind the scenes of what a ghostwriter is and does.

Julie Clark crafts a fantastic psychological thriller! This one in particular will have you staying up all night to finish it. Highly recommend!

Absolutely devoured this easy-to-binge-and-get-lost-in mystery thriller. This was my introduction to Julie Clark and I can't wait to check out her other work. Sometimes, multiple timelines and POVs can get a little confusing, but every character remained totally clear and concise throughout the entire journey of unveiling the tragedy, who did it, and the motives behind it all. I love high school flashbacks and this one served them up so well -- along with complicated family and moral dynamics. I have a feeling this will be one of my top thriller recommendations of the year.

This book gave me WHIPLASH trying to figure this one out! I couldn’t for the life of me figure out the direction of this story. I was gripped from the first page and simply couldn’t put it down. I loved this story and the connections and how everything came full circle. Couldn’t have asked for a better thriller!

I don’t know how I’ve never read one of Julie’s books before. This is one of those books I would have read in one day, if I could have. I was hooked from the start.

One minute, Vincent has his two siblings Poppy and Danny and the next minute they are gone. Who killed them? Could it have been Vincent? He spends his life being a horror writer. His daughter Olivia has spent her entire writing career hiding the fact that Vincent is her father. It’s been awhile since she’s been home but she decides to go home to help her father ghostwrite his book. Olivia is about to find out what happened that night in 1975.

I was stressed and shocked while reading this book. Each chapter had me on the edge of my seat. I didn’t know who to trust and each time I thought the story was going one way, it went another way. This was a really addicting thriller! I really enjoy Julie’s writing. I do wish there were trigger warnings at the beginning of the book. Definitely check those out before you read this book.

Thank you NetGalley, Julie and Sourcebooks Landmark for the eARC!

Publication Date: June 3rd 2025
Rating: ✨✨✨✨

When Olivia Dumont's father was a teenager, his brother and sister were found dead in his home. He never quite lived down the whispers accusing him of killing them, but he did go on to become a successful horror writer. Now Olivia is also a writer - she ghostwrites and has spent her entire professional life hiding the fact that she is her father's daughter.

With her finances heavily in the red, Olivia is offered the job of ghostwriting her father's last book. What she doesn't realize until signing on, though, is that this isn't another horror novel. After fifty years of silence, Olivia's father is finally ready to talk about what really happened the night his siblings died.

This story ebbs and flows with some sections I couldn't put down and others that felt a bit drawn out. Overall though, another excellent book from Julie Clark! I love the way she writes and will read everything she publishes.

Loved The Ghostwriter - the twists and turns, unreliable/differing memories, and well developed characters made this a very entertaining read. For me was a slow start, but then the book took off and I could not put it down.

4.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark and the author Julie Clark for the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for honest review.

#The Ghostwriter #JulieClark #SourcebooksLandmark #mystery

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

In this novel Olivia, a ghostwriter, revisits a home she left behind decades ago, to write her famous (estranged) father's memoir. During this process, with meticulous precision, Olivia unveils what really happened in the tragic long ago crime that marred her family's history. Although he was never tried for the crime, most people assumed Olivia's moody father, Vincent, viciously murdered his brother and his young cousin.

Olivia's growth and path to acceptance (not only of her family, but of herself and her history) is a story well told by the extremely talented author Julie Clark. This is a captivating story that I read in one long sitting. I am a devoted fan of this author, she writes books that are timeless and relevant.

A resounding 5 stars from this reviewer for this refreshing tale that shows that you can make amends at any stage in life's journey.

Twisty✔️ Tortured✔️ Mind bending✔️ Unsettling✔️ This story within the story, this book with the book is clear proof that Julie Clark is a queen of psychological thrillers and knows how to craft a story that will at times leave you breathless and scared but always has you trying to solve the mystery.

Olivia Dumont is a famous ghostwriter, an author who pens books for other authors and but does not get the credit. When her father, celebrated horror author Vincent Taylor has his agent contact her to ghostwrite his memoir, Olivia accepts the job as she is in dire straits, facing financial ruin after a competing author has ruined her reputation. But Vincent Taylor’s own life is itself a horror story, having been the prime suspect as a teenager for the murders of his brother and sister fifty years ago. As Olivia attempts to rewrite and make sense of a manuscript that Vince has written while struggling with his diagnosis of Lewy Body Dementia, she begins to uncover missing pieces and clues of that fateful night.

This story is filled with so many twists and turns that your mind will be spinning as you try to play armchair detective. The complexity of the characters will keep you fully engaged in the tension and suspense on every page.

Many thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the opportunity to be an early reader of the digital book in exchange for my honest opinion.

So good! I loved the mystery and suspense. It was slow at first then tied up in the end. I would say pace out the novel

Excellent heartfelt family drama. Olivia is a successful ghostwriter with several books under her belt, but due to some legal troubles she is in a financial bind. When she is offered the job of ghostwriting a book with a famous author who has been under suspicion for murdering his siblings, she accepts the job without disclosing the fact that the author is her father. Fast paced emotional novel that is not to be missed. My favorite book of this authors so far.