i hate giving one star reviews to arcs but this was such a frustrating read as a thriller fan.

predictability is truly the death of a thriller book and the writer made it so that everything was drawn out at the start so you could guess what would happen and then started adding twist after twist which were all just incredibly ridiculous and badly written and not even fully fleshed out.

i also had trouble connecting with all of the characters, none of them seemed realistic to me + their character plotlines were all so rushed and there was no real chance to properly understand them and the sudden dual pov's just seemed unnecessary.

overall it was just quite tropey and a dull read that could have been good but lacked the effort needed for that.

thank you netgalley for the arc.

This novel grabs you from the start with a tragedy that sets a suspenseful tone. The introduction of a mysterious and eccentric writer adds to the intrigue.

While the plot raises several questions that kept me curious, it occasionally jumped too quickly from one event to another, making it hard to keep track of everything.

About halfway through, a shocking twist had me wondering what was happening—this is what I love about a good story. In part two, we revisit the past, and the character’s perspective feels authentic and consistent. I wish there were more chapters focused on him.

The chapters about Zoe and Emma could have been moved earlier to build suspense, while Mia’s point of view felt unexpected, and Kathy seemed inconsistent later on. I enjoyed Mia's humor, although it felt a bit out of place given the serious context.

The author’s character descriptions were concise yet effective. Overall, the final chapters were tense and full of surprises, keeping me guessing until the end!

A quick and easy read that hooked me right in and didn't let me go until I finished a couple of hours later. I really enjoyed it and was on the edge of my seat at times

Ghostwriter Emma has moved to Jope Town after inheriting a house from her father. Her unwell mother, who Emma has a fractured relationship with, also lives with her and she has a carer Mia. We learn from the off of the murder of Emma’s sister Zoe ten years earlier. Nick is the author Emma is going to be writing for, his story he calls ‘A Diary Of Murders’ about a murderer who got away with gruesomely killing three women. Emma has invited Nick to stay in the house while they work on the book, but she begins to question the lines between reality and fiction.

This was a relatively short book (170 pages) so ideal for a quick read. It definitely pulls you in from the start however I found parts confusing and not so easy to follow. I would definitely be interested reading more from this author.