Ghost Writer [Paperback]

Rene Gutteridge (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2000

Fast-paced Suspense From the World of Book Publishing

Every so often a novelist’s first book makes readers sit up and take notice. Ghost Writer, a compelling and uniquely crafted story, is Rene Gutteridge’s first book, but with its breathless pacing and edge-of-your seat suspense, it serves notice that she is an author to watch.

A thought-provoking whodunit that keeps readers guessing to the final chapter, Ghost Writer offers a fascinating glimpse into the world of book publishing. Jonathan Harper, a world-weary editor of a New York publishing house, finds his world turned on edge when he receives an anonymous manuscript that details his life—both past and present—with alarming accuracy. Can Jonathan discover the identity of the mysterious "ghost writer" before his life, marriage, and career crumbled before his eyes?

A strong spiritual message compliments and energizes its suspense-story trappings and by managing to weave two "manuscripts" into the story, Gutteridge actually tells three stories in one. Dramatic, mysterious, and redemptive, Ghost Writer is an auspicious beginning for a new writer readers will come to look on as one of their favorites.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...excellent first book... will keep you on the edge of your seat... will encourage, intrigue, and inspire the reader." -- Lori Ham - Suite101

"I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. This is a must read for all. Great job, Ms. Gutteridge." -- Rendezvous January 2001

Don't start reading GHOST WRITER after dinner unless you can afford to miss most of a night's sleep. -- -Kathy Tyers, author of the FIREBIRD trilogy and two best-selling ABA science fiction novels.

This outstanding novel is a must-read. First-time novelist Rene Gutteridge can only be classified as a rising star herself! -- Bev Huston, Romantic Times Magazine, Sept. 2000

From the Inside Flap

Someone has discovered things about his past he had thought were long forgotten...

For years the "golden boy" of his publishing house, Senior Editor Jonathan Harper finds his life at a crossroads. His 20-year marriage appears to be faltering, fuelling a growing restlessness. At work, his recent projects have been financially disappointing, and his most successful author has gone into retirement. The pressure is on. Jonathan needs to deliver--he needs to prove he's still got the touch.

When a manila envelope arrives on his desk, no different than the dozens already stacked high, Jonathan thinks little of it. But as he begins to read the opening pages of the manuscript, he discovers it bears an eerie similarity to his own childhood--too similar to pass off as mere fiction. He embarks on a search for the anonymous author, but his true quest is something much deeper....

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (October 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764223437
• ISBN-13: 978-0764223433
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,263,471 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Rene Gutteridge is the author of several novels, including The Boo Series, The Storm Series, and My Life as a Doormat, a Women of Faith selecton for 2006. She has a degree in screenwriting and ten years of experience writing, directing and publishing church comedy sketches. She writes in both comedy and suspense genres, and enjoys meeting other writers and teaching at writers conferences. She is married to Sean, a musician, and lives in Oklahoma City, where she raises her children and works as a full-time novelist.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Mystery I've Read in Years!!!, August 19, 2005

By 

Katie "book worm" (PA , USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ghost Writer (Paperback)

Although I tend to read mostly non-fiction, I've always liked a good mystery - and this was definately one of the best I've ever read!

I have to start out by saying that this book ultimately deals with religion - christianity to be exact. As a result, this particular mystery may not be right for everyone.

Ghostwriter is about an editor who starts receiving pieces of a manuscript that detail his life - both past & present. It includes things that no one he knows would have any knowledge of, and because it includes some things that he's not very proud of, it begins to scare the daylights out of him. Who's writing this & why? Do they intend to kill him &/or his family?

This book has more twists & turns than you could ever imagine. I was riveted to my seat from beginning to end. In fact, I read all of the nearly 400 pages of this book in a little over a day - I just could not put it down!!!

I would highly recommend Ghostwriter to anyone who enjoys a good mystery. It has a great plot, and the writer has done an excellent job with character development. Plus, the twists and turns throughout will keep you turning pages all night!!!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A solid first novel, November 15, 2004

By 

Bill Garrison (Oklahoma City, OK USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Ghost Writer (Paperback)

Ghostwriter is Gutteridge's first novel, an effort combining three stories into one. The conflict in this novel revolves around the struggling marriage of Jonathan and Kathy Harper. This type of conflict is rarely dealt with in novels (especially secular thrillers). Conflict in a marriage and possible affairs are a great subject matter because everybody can relate to marriage in one way or another.

Jonathan Harper is a fiction editor at a publishing house who devotes all his time to his work and is slowly drifting away from his family. The main cause of the drift is Sydney Kasdan, a beautiful co-worker. Jonathan is entranced by her and their are many times where if she offered, he would have had an affair instantly. One critic on Amazon complained that Jonathan's lust wasn't a sin since he never had an affair, but I disagree. Jonathan was at a point in his marriage where he was deliberately distant from Kathy and wanted to sleep with Sydney. (Perhaps, if they had shared a kiss in the course of their flirtation, the "sin" would have been more real).

Anyway, about that time, Jonathan begins receiving a story that is eerily similar to his own life, and it contains details no one else could possibly know. The story causes Jonathan to confront details in his life. The story covers his childhood all the way to his current marriage problems. At the same time Jonathan is reading another story about a serial killer written by his best friend and father figure Clyde.

The strongest part of the book was Jonathan's temptation to stray from his wife and sleep with Sydney and once that was resolved, the book seemed to go slow at times. Still, the book was interesting as Jonathan tries to find out who was sending him the story of his life and he tries to find out the meaning of Clyde's serial killer story.

The spiritual aspects of this novel are front and center, the full gospel is on display. I've read too few Christian novels to know the norm on this.

This was a good book touching on the subject of faith and family and how delicate a marriage can be.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Never Forget. Motivation is everything!, September 23, 2004

By 

Wolfe Moffat (Franklinville, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ghost Writer (Paperback)

This was witty, sharp, and hard hitting all in one setting! And it was the first book I'd taken in by Rene Gutteridge. Very impressive!

We join Jonathan Harper, a senior fiction editor. He receives an anonymous manuscript. But this is no ordinary piece of writing. It is about his life. And it is pretty accurate as well! On the other side of the table, he gets a draft from Clyde Baxter, his biggest author, who comes out of retirement, and takes a challenge by veering away from his westerns, to writing a thriller.

But Jonathan's life isn't all it seems to be. He has it all, but his life is a mess, and his own wife and kids have become a secondary importance to him. But what about God? Where does He fit into all this?

A great read with a chilling ending! I will definitely read more by Rene Gutteridge in the future! Great work!