The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark

 

Title: The Ghostwriter

Author: Julie Clark

Publisher: June 3, 2025

Release Date: Sourcebooks Landmark

"I know what your dad did."

I set down my sandwich. "He wrote a book."

The boy, whose name I no longer remember, had shaken his head, eyes sparkling with glee to be the one to tell me. To shatter my childhood right there in the school cafeteria. "Your dad killed his brother and sister. Murdered them in their own home."

Ghostwriter Olivia Dumont has spent her entire professional life hiding the fact that she is the only child of legendary horror author Vincent Taylor, famous not only for his novels, but for being the prime suspect in the brutal slaying of his siblings.

On the brink of financial ruin, Olivia reluctantly agrees to ghostwrite her father's last book, not realising that she will be forced to reckon with the ghosts that live at the centre of her family. Because after fifty years of silence, Vincent Taylor is finally ready to talk. But is he ready to tell the truth?

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Can ghostwriting bring you closure?

That’s the question facing Olivia Dumont, a professional ghostwriter.

Olivia is the daughter of Vincent Taylor, a renowned horror novelist who is equally infamous for his dark past. When Vincent was eighteen, he became the prime suspect in the deaths of his two siblings, Danny and Poppy—a mystery that has haunted their family for decades.

Olivia once enjoyed a successful career, but a costly mistake has left her reputation in tatters. With no new projects on the horizon, her finances are spiraling. If she doesn’t find work soon, she may be forced to sell her home to pay her legal fees and the damages owed to the man who sued her.

Then, a surprising job offer lands in her lap. At first, Olivia is thrilled—until she learns who her client is. Her father, Vincent, wants her help writing his memoir, and he’s asking for her specifically.

As they work together, the question looms: Is Vincent finally ready to reveal the truth about what really happened that night fifty years ago?

From the very beginning, this story had me hooked. The flashbacks to the 1970s were richly atmospheric, immersing me in the lives of Lydia, Danny, Poppy, and Vincent. The more I learned about them, the more desperate I became to uncover the truth of that fateful night.

I can’t wait for Julie Clark’s next book—I’m officially a fan!

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Sourcebooks Landmark via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Family Across the Street by Nicole Trope

Title:  The Family Across the Street

Author: Nicole Trope

Publisher: Bookouture

Release Date: August 6, 2021

Sometimes, the most perfect families are hiding the most terrible secrets. How well do you know the people next door…?

Everybody wants to live on Hogarth Street, the pretty, tree-lined avenue with its white houses. The new family, The Wests, are a perfect fit. Katherine and John* seem so in love and their gorgeous five-year-old twins race screeching around their beautiful emerald-green lawn.

But soon people start to notice: why don’t they join backyard barbecues? Why do they brush away offers to babysit? Why, when you knock at the door, do they shut you out, rather than inviting you in?

Every family has secrets, and on the hottest day of the year, the truth is about to come out. As a tragedy unfolds behind closed doors, the dawn chorus is split by the wail of sirens. And one by one the families who tried so hard to welcome the Wests begin to realise: Hogarth Street will never be the same again.

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This one had me on my toes!

The novel opens with three gunshots ringing out from Katherine and John West's home. The Wests are a family of four—Katherine, John, and their twin children. Has John gone mad and killed his own family?

The story then rewinds to eight hours earlier.

We’re presented with multiple points of view:

*Katherine is trapped in her home with a monster who wants to harm her and her children.

*Gladys, the curious neighbor, notices that the twins haven’t left for school. Though she may seem meddlesome, she decides to knock on their door to check on Katherine. Katherine assures her everything is fine, but Gladys spots one of the children holding a sign that says "help." She leaves, deeply worried about what’s really happening inside the house.

*Logan, a delivery driver trying to leave behind a troubled past, stops by to deliver a laptop to Katherine. When he asks her to come out and sign for it, she tells him it’s not a good time. Logan takes the package back to avoid any suspicion from his boss, but something about Katherine’s tone haunts him for the rest of the day. Should he go back to see if something’s wrong?

Meanwhile, on the TV, news breaks about a man wanted for attacking his girlfriend and leaving her in a coma.

Nicole Trope masterfully weaves these storylines together, building tension and keeping you guessing until the end. I found myself fully invested in the characters' lives, hoping for a good outcome.

My favorite character was Logan. Despite battling his own demons, he showed a genuinely good soul, making his arc particularly compelling.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

Like It Never Was by Faith Gardner

Title: Like It Never Was

Author: Faith Gardner

Publisher: Mirror House Press

Release Date: July 2, 2024

The deeper the secret, the darker the shadow.

Ten years ago, Jolene nearly killed her friend Elizabeth in a gruesome accident. And no one has any idea. Not even Elizabeth.

Jolene has been trying to outrun the guilt ever since, wandering from place to place and career to career. So she’s shocked when, after her latest move, she runs into the very person she’s been trying to avoid for ten years.

Elizabeth still lives with scars from the accident. And she’s still clueless about what happened that fateful night.

Or is she?

As the two women rekindle a friendship, Elizabeth’s increasingly disturbing behavior makes Jolene wonder if it’s her own guilt stalking her—or Elizabeth finally exacting her revenge.

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As a fan of Maxine, I couldn't pass up Like It Never Was.

The story revolves around Jolene, a high school senior who makes a fateful decision to prank her friend Elizabeth. What starts as a joke spirals into a chain of events with devastating consequences for both young women.

For ten years, Jolene has been haunted by guilt over what happened that night. She knows she’s responsible for the events that led to Elizabeth’s tragic accident. Unable to find peace, she drifts from country to country and job to job, her criminal attorney father frequently stepping in to bail her out.

Now, Jolene has decided to move back to Berkeley. She hopes to rebuild her life and find some stability. Her father helps her secure a new job, and she finds an apartment within walking distance of her workplace.

Then she sees Elizabeth again. To Jolene’s surprise, Elizabeth wants to reconnect and rekindle their friendship. But what is Jolene supposed to do? Could Elizabeth know the truth about that night—and is she seeking revenge?

The plot is intriguing, centered around an unstable protagonist. Jolene is a mental breakdown waiting to happen. Her paranoia leaves you questioning whether the danger is real or all in her mind.

My only complaint is that the book sometimes felt too YA for my taste. That said, the twist at the end made it a worthwhile read.

Cliffhanger: No

3.5/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Mirror House Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen

 

Title: House of Glass

Author: Sarah Pekkanen

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Release Date:  August 6, 2024

On the outside they were the golden family with the perfect life. On the inside they built the perfect lie.

A young nanny who plunged to her death, or was she pushed? A nine-year-old girl who collects sharp objects and refuses to speak. A lawyer whose job it is to uncover who in the family is a victim and who is a murderer. But how can you find out the truth when everyone here is lying?

Rose Barclay is a nine-year-old girl who witnessed the possible murder of her nanny - in the midst of her parent's bitter divorce - and immediately stopped speaking. Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney, appointed to serve as counsel for children in custody cases. She never accepts clients under thirteen due to her own traumatic childhood, but Stella's mentor, a revered judge, believes Stella is the only one who can help.

From the moment Stella passes through the iron security gate and steps into the gilded, historic DC home of the Barclays, she realizes the case is even more twisted, and the Barclay family far more troubled, than she feared. And there's something eerie about the house itself: It's a plastic house, with not a single bit of glass to be found.

As Stella comes closer to uncovering the secrets the Barclays are desperate to hide, danger wraps around her like a shroud, and her past and present are set on a collision course in ways she never expected. Everyone is a suspect in the nanny's murder. The mother, the father, the grandmother, the nanny's boyfriend. Even Rose. Is the person Stella's supposed to protect the one she may need protection from?

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This was a great thriller!

A nanny falls to her death at the Barclays' estate—but was it an accident, or did someone push her?

After the tragedy, the Barclays are not only facing a bitter divorce but are also fighting for custody of their nine-year-old daughter, Rose Barclay.

Stella Hudson, a best-interest attorney who represents children in custody cases, is asked by her mentor—a respected judge—to take on Rose's case. Despite her reservations about working with younger children due to her own traumatic childhood, Stella agrees. Rose hasn’t spoken a word since the nanny's death, which resonates deeply with Stella, as she also went silent after discovering her mother’s body as a child.

As Stella digs deeper into the family’s dynamics, she realizes something feels off. It seems every member of the household had a motive to kill the nanny.

I was hooked from the very first pages! Sarah Pekkanen masterfully weaves in multiple red herrings, leaving you unsure of who—or what—caused the nanny’s death until the very end. The ambiguity surrounding Rose’s character was particularly intriguing—was she a sinister force or just a terrified child?

Stella’s character was a highlight for me. Despite her personal struggles, her determination to ensure Rose ended up in the right hands was both inspiring and commendable.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by St. Martin's Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What Happened to the McCrays? by Tracey Lange

Title: What Happened to the McCrays?

Author: Tracey Lange

Publisher:  Celadon Books

Release Date: January 14, 2025

From New York Times bestselling author Tracey Lange, a poignant story about the resilience of family, the importance of community, and the magic of middle school hockey.

When Kyle McCray gets word his father has suffered a debilitating stroke, he returns to his hometown of Potsdam, New York, where he doesn’t expect a warm welcome. Kyle left suddenly two and a half years ago, abandoning people who depended on his father, his employees, his friends—not to mention Casey, his wife of sixteen years and a beloved teacher in town. He plans to lie low and help his dad recuperate until he can leave again, especially after Casey makes it clear she wants him gone.

The longer he’s home, the more Kyle understands the impact his departure has had on the people he left behind. When he’s presented with an opportunity for redemption as the coach of the floundering middle school hockey team, he begins to find compassion in unexpected places. Kyle even considers staying in Potsdam, but that’s only possible if he and Casey can come to some kind of peace with each other.

Full of love and hope, What Happened to the McCrays? takes an intimate look at both sides of a failed marriage and two people who must finally confront the awful pain of their past or risk being consumed by it.

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A five for me!

Just like the Brennans and the Connellys before them, you’ll want to meet the McCrays.

Kyle and Casey McCray seemed to have it all. High school sweethearts, happily married for sixteen years. But then, without warning, Kyle leaves—disappearing from town, his job, and the wife he still deeply loved. No one really knows why.

Now, two years later, Kyle is called back home. His father has suffered a major stroke and needs help regaining his strength, walking, and getting to physical therapy sessions. Though Kyle isn’t ready to face the past, he knows he can’t turn his back on his father.

When Kyle sees Casey again, all his feelings for her resurface, stronger than ever. He also discovers that the town doesn’t resent him as he feared; most people are understanding and forgiving. When the chance to coach the local teenage hockey team comes up, Kyle jumps at it. Hockey is his passion, and mentoring these kids becomes a path to healing—not just for them, but for himself too.

I loved every part of these characters. They felt so authentic—flawed, yes, but never malicious. Their humanity and kindness shone through on every page.

I can’t wait for the author’s next novel. I’m officially a fan!

Cliffhanger: No

5/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Celadon Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Deep Freeze by John SandfordVirgil Flowers #10

Title: Deep Freeze

Series: Virgil Flowers #10

Author: John Sandford

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons

Release Date: October 17, 2017 

Class reunions: a time for memories—good, bad, and, as Virgil Flowers is about to find out, sometimes deadly—in this "New York Times" bestselling thriller from John Sandford.

Virgil knows the town of Trippton, Minnesota a little too well. A few years back, he investigated the corrupt—and as it turned out, homicidal—local school board, and now the town’s back in his view with more alarming news: a woman has been found dead, frozen in a block of ice.

There’s a possibility that it might be connected to a high school class of twenty-five years ago. It has a mid-winter reunion coming up. So, wrapping his coat a little tighter, Virgil begins to dig into decades of traumas, feuds, and bad blood. In the process, one thing becomes increasingly clear to him. It’s true what they say - high school can be murder.

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Virgil Flowers is called in to investigate the murder of Gina Hemming. Gina was a very successful woman, which didn’t come as a surprise to anyone, especially since, as a teenager, she was named 1992’s Girl Most Likely to Succeed.

The last time anyone saw Gina was at her home, after a committee meeting for their high school’s twenty-year reunion. Her body was later found in the water, though it’s believed she may have been killed at her house.

Virgil will look into everyone who was there that night to uncover who is responsible for her death. Meanwhile, the governor has asked Virgil's boss to assist with a Mattel investigation—someone is making Barbie and Ken a little too pornographic.

As always with the Virgil Flowers series, there is great dry humor and a good mix of cases to keep this reader entertained.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

Escape Clause by John SandfordVirgil Flowers #9

 

Title: Escape Clause 

Series: Virgil Flowers

Author: John Sandford

Publisher: .P. Putnam's Sons

Release Date: October 18, 2016

Whenever you hear the sky rumble, that usually means a storm. In Virgil Flowers’ case, make that two of them. Welcome to another exceptional thriller from the writer whose books are “pure reading pleasure” (Booklist)

The first storm comes from, of all places, the Minnesota Zoo. Two large, and very rare, Amur tigers have vanished from their cage, and authorities are worried sick that they’ve been stolen to be sold for body parts. Traditional Chinese medicine prizes the parts for home remedies, and people will do extreme things to get what they need. Some of those people are a great deal more extreme than others -- as Virgil is about to find out.

Then there’s the homefront. Virgil’s relationship with his girlfriend Frankie has been getting serious, but when Frankie’s sister Sparkle moves in for the summer, the situation gets complicated. For one thing, her research into migrant workers is about to bring her up against some very violent people who emphatically do not want to be researched.

For another…she thinks Virgil’s cute. “You mess around with Sparkle,” Frankie told Virgil, “you could get yourself stabbed.” He asked: “She carries a knife?” “No, but I do.” Forget a storm – this one’s a tornado.

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One heck of a case!

Two Amur tigers have been taken from the Minnesota Zoo. By the time Virgil Flowers is asked to investigate the abduction, the tigers may already be dead.

There’s a fear that the people who took the tigers plan to kill them and sell their body parts for illegal use in traditional Chinese medicine.

Virgil believes this must have been an inside job. But with very few leads, he knows these endangered animals are running out of time.

As an animal lover, this one was hard to read—but the ending was so satisfying!

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs