Item: The Fiction Writer
Rating: 3.50
Author: quirkycat

by Jillian Cantor

From the USA Today-bestselling author of Beautiful Little Fools, Jillian Cantor's The Fiction Writer follows a writer hired by a handsome billionaire to write about his family history with Daphne du Maurier and finds herself drawn into a tangled web of obsession, marital secrets, and stolen manuscripts.

The once-rising literary star Olivia Fitzgerald is down on her luck. Her most recent novel—a retelling of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca—was a flop, her boyfriend of nine years just dumped her and she’s battling a bad case of writer’s block. So when her agent calls her with a high-paying ghostwriting opportunity, Olivia is all too willing to sign the NDA.

At first, the write-for-hire job seems too good to be true. All she has to do is interview Henry “Ash” Asherwood, a reclusive mega billionaire, twice named People’s Sexiest Man Alive, who wants her help in writing a book that reveals a shocking secret about his late grandmother and Daphne du Maurier. But when Olivia arrives at his Malibu estate, nothing is as it seems. The more Olivia digs into his grandmother’s past, the more questions she has—and before she knows it, she’s trapped in a gothic mystery of her own.

With as many twists and turns as the California coast, The Fiction Writer is a thriller that explores the boundaries of creative freedom and whose stories we have the right to tell.

Book Summary:

Olivia Fitzgerald once aspired to be a great writer. But lately, she's been struggling. Her first novel did fairly well – but her second was a total flop. So, while she should be doubling down on her third novel, Olivia instead jumps at a new opportunity.

Specifically, that opportunity is to ghostwrite a novel for a famous actor. All of the NDAs and clauses should have concerned her...but there's something far too tempting for Olivia to pass up here. If only she knew what would follow.

My Review:

The Fiction Writer is a fascinating thriller with SO many twists and turns. (It was also the perfect fit for my "ghost writer" reading prompt, hooray!). In truth, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from this one – but I did enjoy many of the reveals.

First – I LOVED this premise - an author getting pulled into a (probably scammy) ghostwriting gig? Only for her writer-senses to tingle and tell her to keep on digging? Yes, please! I also love that it is all themed around a famous literary piece (Rebecca).

That said, having a basic familiarity with Rebecca is helpful before reading this book. Honestly, you could get away with reading a quick synopsis. Even that much would help give you a better appreciation of some of the reveals.

The Fiction Writer is one of those books that constantly pulls the rug out from under your feet. It did for me! I was hooked and surprised on more than one occasion. I also didn't see that ending coming – but I did rather like how they left it.

Highlights:
Books about Books
Suspense/thriller
Ghost Writers
Layered Mystery

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The Fiction Writer

by Jillian Cantor

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on Mar 11, 2024

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