Valerie S. (VolunteerVal) - reviewed on 11/9/2023 + 599 more book reviews

The Fiction Writer by Jillian Cantor features Olivia, an author who accepts a seems-too-good-to-be-true ghostwriting job as her life is in freefall.

When Olivia meets rich, handsome, and recently widowed Henry "Ash" Asherwood at his mansion on a Malibu cliff, she's intrigued by the possibility of helping him write a book that reveals his grandmother's connection to Daphne du Maurier and her novel Rebecca. But as she attempts to conduct research for the book, whether interviewing Ash or using outside sources, she hits roadblock after roadblock. Then strange things start to happen, Olivia begins to doubt herself, and she connects with an old friend to sort it all out.

I was never sure which characters I could trust and that kept me turning the pages, even thought the middle dragged a bit. I've never read Rebecca, and it and its author play a large role in this story so I likely missed some of the "insider" plot points. It was interesting to learn about the claims of plagiarism connected to the classic novel. I also enjoyed the behind-the-scenes view of an author's relationship with her agent and other aspects of her career.

If you like clear and tidy endings, this isn't the book for you; I liked that I had some unanswered questions, and I was relieved that the ending didn't include one additional twist I feared it would.

Thank you to Park Row Books and NetGalley for the egalley and to the Thoughts From a Page Patreon group for the opportunity to talk with the author in late October 2023.

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