The Ghostwriter is my favorite Julie Clark book yet! This story is so unlike her previous books that I have read (The Last Flight and The Lies I Tell), with a multi-perspective and at times non-linear unraveling of a family secret decades old. 

Olivia Dumont is a middle aged ghostwriter who has unfairly hit hard times after calling out the bad behavior of a dominant male in her field. When she is offered a job to write her father's last book, she is in no financial position to turn it down- even if they've been estranged for years. 

While the reveals are slow in the beginning, I was hooked from the first chapter. Clark does an excellent job creating a relatable character in Olivia and an inscrutable father who made his money writing horror books after his two siblings were murdered in 1975. 

My favorite part of this is the ambiguity, especially towards the end. I know this is no everyone's cup of tea, so I mention it for you to discern if this may be your taste. I also loved Clark's explanation of why she chose this approach in her writing style for this novel. It brings so much to the atmosphere but also reflects the very significant issues brought up in the plot. 

I think this book sits solidly in the mystery genre with thriller elements, especially in the final quarter. I highly recommend!

The River is Waiting is the kind of book that tears you apart yet cannot be put down. I flew through this chunky drama, my first but not last by Wally Lamb, as I couldn't wait to know what would become of Corby. Corby is a devastatingly flawed yet still somehow endearing and lovable main character. I must say that the first chapter of this book ends with one of the hardest scenes I've ever read, and please check content warnings before you begin this literary journey. 

Corby Ledbetter has had a rough year. He's a new father to twins and without a job, he's become their primary caregiver. When a series of mistakes lead to the worst of family tragedies, Corby heads to prison. The majority of the novel takes place as Corby serves his time, and he is determined to improve himself and prove to his wife that he is worth not giving up on. 

I really cannot say enough about how much this book and Lamb's characters gripped my heart. Corby is an incredibly dynamic character and he will frustrate you as he makes decisions good and bad throughout the story. And the rest of the characters are richly developed and realistic as well, you'll root for them and hate them, relate to them and hurt for them. 

But I'd be remiss not to mention the ending. I won't spoil it, but this ending was very hard for me. I love what Lamb captures in this book and that it is based on his professional and volunteer experiences. This one will be on my mind for a long time to come. 

Party of Liars is a fantastic choice if you are looking for a full cast audiobook with a strong production quality and a twisty story in a suburban setting. 

To me, this story was very reminiscent of other one night party trope books, however it does do a lot of delving into the past so it does not read all on the timeline of the party. If you like suburban mom drama, this will appeal to you. It is also packed with twists at the end, similar in some ways to Alice Feeney's style. 

If you've never read a book in this little sub-genre, give this audiobook a try. On the other hand, if you have read a few of this particular mystery trope you may feel confident to skip this one. 

Left of Forever is a spicy second chance romance that focuses on a divorced couple, Wren and Ellis Byrd. Wren and Ellis are in their 30s now and moving their son into college, but it feels like not so long ago that they were very young, pregnant, and stumbling into early parenthood. 

With the forced proximity of this road trip, Wren and Ellis both quickly begin feeling attraction and conflicting emotions. This story unpacks some tough topics including secondary infertility. Wren and Ellis are both well developed characters who have worked hard to become better people as they've aged. 

I enjoyed the realistic depth of this romance and it was mid level spicy, lots of intimate scenes that were generally vanilla. I thought some of the challenges between the couple resolved a little too quickly, but overall this was engaging, sweet, and a good read. 

A Family Matter is an emotional, tightly written drama told in the present day and the early 1980s. In 1982, Dawn is a young mother who is deeply in love with her little girl but feels lost in her marriage. In 2022, Heron is an older man receiving a troubling diagnosis and keeping it secret. But it is not Heron's only secret, and it's perhaps not his biggest. 

This novel builds rich, dynamic characters and a moving story in a quick 224 pages. I loved Lynch's writing style, especially what she leaves unsaid for the reader to infer. This story takes a seemingly ordinary family of a little girl who grew up with her father and shows just how devastating a culture's selective beliefs around who can parent can be. 

I recommend this for readers of family drama. It may be a great fit if you enjoyed The Vanishing Half, My Government Means to Kill Me, or This is How it Always Is.