I absolutely loved Julia Heaberlin's novel, "Black Eyed Susans", so reading this new release was a no-brainer for me. The premise of "Paper Ghosts" is an original and imaginative one, it grabbed me from the synopsis and continued to captivate me throughout the book. I particularly enjoyed the tagline - "My sister disappeared. I know who took her. Now I've taken him". Oh, and the beautiful cover! You can't underestimate the advantages that come from it being an eyecatching one.

Carl Feldman, a dementia sufferer, made a name for himself as a photographer. That was until he was tried and acquitted of murder. Grace is certain that Carl is her sister's killer and hatches a plan to visit him in care to take him on holiday, whilst pretending that she is his daughter. Her plan? To take him back to the places he is suspected to have killed women - in the hope that it will jog his memory and lead to him confessing that he did, in fact, kill her sister. So, did he actually do it or is he nothing but an old man with dementia?

I found Heaberlin's writing mesmeric, there are twists aplenty and the story is both haunting and compelling in equal measure. I appreciated the way the subject of dementia was addressed, and was exploited to maximum effect creating an endlessly riveting, unique thriller. There is also a sprinkle of sharp as a tack, black humour which was a great contrast to the evocative prose. There were also sinister and creepy undertones right from the beginning - I do delight in those type of titles.

Overall, this is an authentic and chilling read that uses deeper topics as substantial parts of the main hook. I look forward to Heaberlin's future releases and would definitely add them to my to-be-read heap.

I would like to thank Julia Heaberlin, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have pondered how to describe my view of this book and as I read it almost straight through I would have to say I found it both enjoyable and thought provoking. The story develops very fast and the intriguing relationship between a suspected serial killer, never convicted of murder, who is now suffering from dementia and the young woman who believes he murdered her sister, is fascinating. The author has tried, successfully, in my opinion to demonstrate how dementia can take many strange and troubling forms, making it difficult to know what is true and what is not. The young woman is obsessed with finding her sister's killer and goes to extremes to break through the dementia to find an answer. There is a period about two thirds of the way through the book where I felt the story stalls a little but I was satisfied with the ending. Paper Ghosts is not always a comfortable or easy read as it grapples with memories that might not truly exist and it pushes the bounds of credibility in places. The book made me think, and continue to think.

This book is different from the thrillers I am used to. I found the plot unbelievable, but the book is very well-written, original, and intriguing and the characters are engaging and likable..

Claustrophobic, unsettling and an absolute nail biter is how I would describe Paper Ghosts. The premise is an intriguing one from the get go. The narrator (who, in a simple yet devastatingly effective move by the author, remains nameless for the majority of the book) believes Carl Feldman murdered her sister, Rachel. She also believes that her sister was not the only victim and Feldman is a serial killer who has escaped justice. With Feldman now suffering from dementia and ensconced in a nursing home, she hatches an audacious plan to squirrel him out and take him on a road trip across Texas in the hopes that it’ll spark a confession.

So the games begin. Both narrator and reader are distrustful of Carl from the start. There’s a huge question mark over how far his dementia has progressed and there’s a real air of menace hanging over him. He goes through our narrator’s suitcase, he turns the charm off and on at will with waitresses and gives out little tantalising bits of information before clamming up and leaving us with only breadcrumbs to follow. I loved the background work the narrator has done to prepare for this road trip. She’s hired the sort of personal trainer you can only find on the dark web, one who put her through a series of challenges best described as torture so that she’d be ready for any eventuality. Despite this preparation the reader gets the sense that Carl is still toying with her and could turn things to his advantage if he so pleases. I can’t remember the last time I came across a character with such a quiet menace and I absolutely love it!

This a smart, original book that takes the murdered loved one sub genre and flips on its head. There’s an air of tension running through this book and it takes a very skilful writer to keep that momentum going for the full length of a novel. It’s a thrilling read and one that I’m not going to forget in a hurry.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair review.

This is a totally original thriller. The writing is unique and very talented. It’s unlike anything I’ve read this year and very enjoyable.

I was hooked by its beautiful flowery cover and I enjoyed its solid beginning. There after, the story fell flat for me.

The main girl character believes that famous photographer, Carl is the one killed her sister, Rachael. Carl was declared not guilty as a serial killer of women and he can’t remember what he has done because of his dementia. Now he was taken to road trip by the girl to remember his sinful deed.

This is a slow paced story. The story mainly goes the girl and Carl in a car. It still interest me but I kept waiting something big happens and that made me feel the story is a bit too long.

The story slowly reveals about characters. It was thrilling that keep guessing like how crucial Carl is if he is really a serial killer? How much does Curl remember? Or even does he really have a dementia? What the girl really is? This book keep me guessing what’s going on next.

I was guessing how this story end and its ending is shocking.
The characters full of riddles are making story creepy, tense and thrilling.

It took me a while to get into its story. This was a quite unique read.

I marked this book as 3.5 stars out of 5.0

Having read Black Eyed Susans Julie Heaberlin I couldnt wait to read Paper Ghosts. The books description was intriguing as was the story. Allthough at times I found parts of the book repetitive it didnt put me off. The journey across Texas between the excellent characters Carl and the woman is well written and makes you wonder who is the liar in all of this and will we get to the answer at the end?
I would recommend this book and live the beautiful cover.

I found this book very strange and nearly gave up on it on several occasions. The story is about Grace and her search for answers regarding the disappearance of her sister. She is obsessed with finding out what happened and her search leads her to a photographer who she is convinced is responsible for murdering her sister.

Carl was tried and acquitted of another murder and is now living in a care home suffering from dementia. Grace believes by revisiting the sites of the disappearance with him, he will admit his past and give her closure about her sister,

I found the book really bizarre – picking up stray animals, the constant costume changes and disguises and it was a real anticlimax at the end. Quite a disappointing read for me

Paper Ghosts tells the story of a young woman searching for answers. Years after her sister’s death, she has tracked down the man she believes is responsible, an aging photographer named Carl. He suffers from dementia, and in an effort to coax the memories from him, she takes him on an epic road trip across a Texas, tracking down murder sites and places Carl once took famous photographs.

With no clear evidence of Carl’s involvement, she is driven by a mysterious photograph she found as a child and her own conviction that this complicated and often frustrating man is her sister’s killer.

It’s an engaging read and I really liked the use of photographs throughout to create atmosphere. I found the main character a little difficult to follow at times, and the ending felt a little rushed, but overall I enjoyed it.

Review: This book intrigued me, you only have to read the blurb and you interested straight away.  However, I think it was over written and has a plot that is a little to busy. It has good story telling in the fact that the story is told from different view points which I like in this kind of book. Overall, however I was not satisfied.

Grace takes Carl on a road trip. Carl has dementia and used to take photographs. Grace thinks that he murdered her sister. He has also been a suspect in other missing girls cases. The road trip throws up many questions and answers some as well. I was drawn to this book as I thought the concept was fascinating. This story is really well put together and had me on the edge of my seat for most of it. I would definitely recommend reading it.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I loved Paper Ghosts by the author of Black Eyed Susan’s. I was hooked from the first few pages and could not put it down.
How far would you go to find out what happened to a loved one? Grace is determined to find out what happened to her sister who disappeared a few years ago. Some years later she finds the person who she thinks is responsible, Carl was tried for murder and later acquitted.
A great story.

A disturbing but strangely compelling story.

I kept not wanting to read further, but yet I did, because I could not stop myself.

The narrator is seriously flawed/damaged from the disappearance of her older sister and her journey with the man she believed killed her sister is such a strange thing to do. she is truly paranoid - but who does she think is following her?

Yes, we do find out the truth - but which truth? And as for Carl, well he has a lot of truths doesn't he?

Hugely sinister and dark, this novel really had me gripped! Searching for the truth behind her sister's disappearance, the narrator embarks on a twisted road trip with the man she suspects is a serial killer. Stylish and a real page-turner. Highly recommended.

Gripping thriller unlike any other I've read recently , the author definitely knows how to write a novel that gets under your skin. If you like a novel with twists and turns then please read this and see for yourself if Grace has found her sisters missing killer !!

Paper Ghosts is one of those books that you will either love or hate. Thankfully I loved it. It had just the right mix of suspense and grit that had me gripped right to the very end. At very different stages I was holding my breath with complete suspense and fear of what would happen next and that to me screams that this is an amazing read.

Grace is only twelve years old when her sister vanishes and is presumed dead. What follows is years of compulsion to find the murderer and bring them to justice and if this is not going to be done by legal means then Grace is completely willing to take the law into her own hands. Her years of researching possible murderers in the area and other murder cases Grace comes to the assumption that photographer and alleged murdered Carl Feldman is responsible for her sister's demise. Grace feels that the only way to gain a confession from Feldman is to take on the role of being his 'daughter' and getting him to revisit spots of interest either that have a photography link or have been linked to other murders. What makes it all the more difficult however is that Feldman is elderly and has Alzheimer's disease. Saying that though that does not mean that Feldman is completely unaware of what is going on. He places a number of demands upon Grace, who he knows is not his daughter and brings along a number of uninvited (imaginary) guests.

Is Grace willing to put herself in danger just go get a confession out of Carl? Is Carl even able to remember such details?

I raced through Paper Ghosts to find these answers and I was not disappointed by the ending. At times it probably was a little unrealistic but I was hooked.

Definitely a book that I would recommend.

I previously read the brilliant Black Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin and was delighted to be offered Paper Ghosts by NetGalley and Penguin Random House for review. This extremely talented author has once again produced an imaginative and chilling book with wonderfully descriptive detail on every page. A sister desperately wants answers as to how her sibling died many years before. Her suspected serial killer is now in a care home, suffering from dementia. After befriending him amid lies and secrets they embark on a journey to discover the truth. The apparent stupidity of her mission is overcome by her obsession to get answers before it ‘s too late. A clever journey of fear, humour, mistrust and acceptance unwinds to its final satisfying conclusion.

Paper Ghosts was a compelling read but I have to question, why? Certainly the writing style gets to you but the plot….a wild goose chase across Texas with a guy who seems more aware of things than Rachel’s sister. Carl, apparently suffering from dementia pulls off some clever stunts. Rachel’s sister (our unnamed narrator) should question her sanity in taking Carl on a ten day jolly trying to jog his memory, a man she suspects of murdering her sister and a number of other women. The twist in the plot which comes at the end made me think the author was more wrapped up in the journey than the ending. To conclude…I enjoyed reading it but felt like a five day old party balloon at the end.

I'm new to Heaberlin's writing but I was very intrigued by the premise of this novel and loved the idea of a road trip through Texas. When her sister Rachel disappeared, the driver of the car has spent her life looking for her killer/kidnapper. Now she thinks she's found him and she's determined to take him on a journey to get him to confess.- but what is the truth really?

This novel was meandering and took it's time to reveal its nuggets of gold, but I really enjoyed this read. Beautiful, poetic, lyrical prose, fantastic descriptions of the Texan landscape, society and culture. With a slightly disjointed narrative, flashbacks to her childhood and almost stream of consciousness at times, this book was disorienting, unsettling, creepy and right up my street - with a very unexpected and heartrending ending. I surprised myself with how much I enjoyed this novel. From a slow and inauspicious start, I was rooting for Carl - a fantastic anti-hero and the novel's narrator by the end.

An interesting and unusual crime novel. Packed with intrigue and tension between the main characters. A slow burner but still a good read