Ghostwriter is a brilliant, layered novel that seamlessly blends a twisty murder mystery with raw family drama, all wrapped in the emotional complexity of memory, grief, and legacy. If you’re a fan of books that linger long after the final page and make you question everything you thought you knew about the characters—this one is for you!
Summary (spoiler free!)
In June 1975, tragedy shattered the Taylor family. Two teenage siblings, golden boy Danny and spirited creative Poppy, were found murdered in their own home. The only survivor? Middle child Vincent—awkward, quiet, and perpetually in his siblings’ shadows.
Though he had an alibi, suspicion clung to him like a shadow that never lifted, especially as he built a career as a bestselling thriller writer.
Fast forward to the present: Vincent’s estranged daughter, Olivia Dumont, is a ghostwriter barely hanging on after a professional scandal derails her career. She’s avoided her father—and the secrets of that night—for decades. But when he reaches out to hire her to write his final book before dementia steals his memory for good, she’s forced to confront the past, and maybe finally uncover the truth.
As Olivia dives into his chaotic journals, she begins to wonder: what if the story everyone accepted wasn’t the whole truth? What if her father knew more than he ever let on?
My Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4 Stars | So Smart,Twisty & Gutting
Julie Clark has once again proven why she’s an auto-buy author for so many readers! She writes with equal parts intelligence and heart, giving us stories that feel both deeply personal and universally resonant. With Ghostwriter, she’s crafted a story that is as much about a haunting crime as it is about the things left unsaid between fathers and daughters.
What I loved most was the structure—told through shifting timelines and unreliable perspectives, the mystery unfolds slowly but deliberately, building suspense without sacrificing emotional weight.
Olivia and Vincent’s relationship is at the center of this book, and their fractured bond is painted with such nuance it hurt in the best possible way. It’s complicated, messy, and achingly real.
The murder mystery? Deliciously twisty. You’ll think you know what happened—and maybe you’ll even be right—but it won’t matter, because Clark is more interested in why it happened. And in the impact those events still have, decades later.
One thing that struck me: while the book is undeniably dark and introspective, it is never without reason. Every revelation feels earned, and every emotion, from shame to hope, rings true.
Would I recommend? Absolutely. Especially if you like your thrillers emotionally intelligent, your characters messy and real, and your endings worth every turn of the page!
This book is perfect for fans of layered, character-driven mysteries like The Paper Palace or The Last Thing He Told Me. It’s also ideal for book clubs—so many moral gray areas and emotional beats to unpack here. You’ll want to talk about it as soon as you finish!
If you’re anything like me, Ghostwriter had you hooked from page one and left you with a thousand thoughts swirling by the end. Between the jaw-dropping family secrets, the layered emotional unraveling, and that haunting blend of mystery and memory, this book is basically made for discussion!
The Ghostwriter Book Club Questions:
- How does Olivia's role as a ghostwriter reflect the central themes of identity, secrecy, and reinvention?
- Do you think Vincent genuinely wanted the truth revealed—or was this one last attempt at controlling the narrative?
- How did Vincent’s past shape Olivia’s choices? Do you believe people can break cycles like these?
- Did your opinion of Vincent change over the course of the book? Why or why not?
- Whose perspective did you trust most in the story—and were you right to do so?
- Do you think Olivia made the right decision in pursuing the truth about what happened in 1975?
- Which element stood out more to you—the thriller aspect or the family drama?
- Were you satisfied with how the truth was revealed and how Olivia’s arc concluded?
- How does the theme of memory—both its power and its fragility—shape the story?
- If you could ask Julie Clark one question about this book, what would it be?
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