What do readers think of The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark? Write your own review.

This book was a perfect way to kick off my summer reading!

Olivia Dumont is a ghostwriter who is deeply in debt due to a lawsuit stemming from another author who she spoke out about and legal fees. So when the chance to write a memoir of a famous horror author, the choice was simple. However, the author turns out to be her estranged father who has Lewy Body Dementia and about 20 legal pads on which he has scrawled his story about the murders of his two siblings 50 years ago.
The story is told from her father's writing (Vincent), his sister Poppy's diary and films, and the research that Olivia undertakes. It also served as a vehicle to reconnect with her father as his memory failed.

Throughout the book, the reader understands Olivia's complicated past with a mother who walked out on the family, being sent to a Swiss boarding school at 14, and the possibility of selling her home to pay off the author and lawyer.

I loved the way Olivia used her journalism background to delve into 1975 newspapers, and to meet with people in Ojai who knew her father's family in 1975 - including the man next door. She found 10 of Poppy's films which she had digitalized and reviewed to "get to know" her aunt and uncle.

I thought the story was well crafted, intriguing, and suspenseful The mystery was unraveled in a clever believable way. The author definitely picked up California in the mid 70's noting songs and typical 70s activities.

I flew through this book in 2 days. I received an ARC of this book from BookBrowse and I am leaving my opinions voluntarily.

When you approach a new Julie Clark mystery, you must accept that you will do little else until you finish it. You will ignore your work, put down your phone, and forget to make dinner, all in service of ripping through another well told, smart story. Clark specializes in strong women facing difficult choices and The Ghostwriter offers several such examples.

Riveting, twisty thriller that keeps you focused on "who done it." Olivia Taylor Dumont, daughter of the famous novelist, Jack Taylor, is a ghostwriter. Deep in debt and a kind of pariah in her writing world, she's commissioned to write Jack's final book as he's suffering from Lewy body dementia. However, it turns out he wants her to write a memoir about the murder of his brother, Danny, and sister, Poppy, in 1975. Clark knows how to pace the complicated story of memory as Olivia has to deal with her father's diminishing memory that conflicts with clues left by Poppy in her journal and films. Add to that the theme of a treasure hunt which the Taylor family (Vincent and his siblings and Olivia and her dad) enjoyed, you are constantly put off balance by what is real, what is remembered and who is the unreliable narrator. I will say the ending is a great surprise - but you have to read the book to find that out.

An author who is a highly experienced ghostwriter is so hard up for money that she takes a ghostwriting job with her father, a successful horror writer from whom she has been estranged for many years. For most of his life, he's carried around a mystery. Now, he says, he wants to finally come clean as he nears the end of his life.

Vincent Taylor has requested that Olivia, in particular, be his ghostwriter. He wants her to know the truth as to whether he really did kill his brother and sister when he was a teenager. But Olivia does not simply take his word for it. Plus, she finds that his own writings on this subject are unintelligible. So she really has her work cut out for her putting together all the pieces to this puzzle.

I wonder if this really is the job of a ghostwriter– –searching for the truth. I always thought a ghostwriter was at the mercy of his/her subject and looked no further for the truth of the matter.

If you think that, because this book is written by Julie Clark, it will be thrilling, please lower your expectations. This book is a mystery but not a thriller.

"everyone is an unreliable narrator."

Ooooh this one was SO GOOD. It had me hooked from the start. Olivia is in a really tough spot. She's burned some bridges recently in her ghost writing career and the industry has canceled her for it. She's in a bit of a bind, financially, and is wondering if she'll work again.

When a surprise offers is extended. After leaving her father's house years ago, she's never been back, never spoke to him again. As a famous horror author, she felt he'd neglected her and she'd rather having nothing than forgive him for his mistakes. But now he's asking her to ghostwrite a story with him - one that comes with a large advance and additional pages as they work well and turn pages in. She doesn't want to but agrees. She needs the money.

From there, this story is completely addicting. I've spent the whole day relating the whole story to the family in my house. We were all waiting on cliffhangers as the mystery unfolded and each twist turned tighter. I had no guesses and enjoyed kicking around the ideas with my husband and adult child. Can you believe it, we ran out of ideas and I just had to keep reading because I truly didn't know what was coming next. This is a heartbreaking story about 2 siblings, murdered and taken horribly from their family, their friends, and the lives they should have been allowed to lead. It hooked me from the start and was such a great thriller! I loved it!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

THE GHOSTWRITER by Julie Clark

Can ghostwriting bring you closure? That’s what Olivia Dumont, a ghostwriter is asking herself.

June, 1975, two teenage siblings are found dead in their home. Vincent, the only surviving sibling has never been able to shake the whispers and accusations. Decades later Vincent has had a great career of being a horror writer and his estranged daughter, Olivia, has reluctantly agreed to ghostwrite her father’s last book. Is Vincent ready to talk and tell the truth after fifty years of silence? Is Olivia ready to face the disfunction and trauma at the core of her family?

Another riveting read by Julie Clark. The characters are relatable and well developed in this dysfunctional family drama thriller. Poppy was my favorite character in this story, as I found her to be true to herself at such a young age. The deadly secrets from Vincent’s childhood will keep you turning the pages. I look forward to what this skilled author does next.

Thank you to BookBrowse and publisher for the ARC to read.

Olivia Dumont is pretty much broke.

When she is asked to ghostwrite a book for none other than horror author Vincent Taylor who is her father she hasn’t talked to for years, she has a difficult decision.

But….with overwhelming debt she agrees.

When she sees her father after thirty years, she finds out he is very ill and has written a memoir about his childhood.

That childhood is one that is a horror story. He was accused of killing both his brother and his sister.

Will she find out what she never knew about her father and the murders of her aunt and uncle

How will this all play out for Olivia?

Writing this book turns out to be more difficult than she thought it would be and not what she wanted to find out about her family.

Fans of Julia Clark will enjoy her newest tense, pull-you-in read that started out slowly but ends with a bang. 4/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.