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

I enjoyed this book but it didn't grip me in an unpputdownable way. A strange story, and a mismatched pair - the potential serial killer and the young woman obsessed by her sister's disappearance all those years ago. I liked how the relationship developed and there were parts where I wanted to yell at her not to do something, but from the start I had the feeling that Carl wasn't the killer he was made out to be. I couldn't work out if his dementia was real - he was clearly very clever much of the time. A strange book, and I'm glad I read it - it did keep you guessing as to what had happened to all the young women.

I am not sure about this book, I became frustrated with it about a third of the way through as it wasn’t really getting anywhere, and yet I continued to read it as I wanted to know what happened. It did come to a conclusion at the end, but it wasn’t a big reveal, just a slow kind of realisation of what had happened in the past to the main characters sister. Overall, I would say that the storyline was a little far fetched/unrealistic and it was slow moving. I would need to be convinced to read something else by this author.

Back in 2015 Heaberlin had one of the hits of the year with the darkly sinister Black Eyed Susans. If you enjoyed her deeply immersive story you won’t be disappointed by Paper Ghosts. In fact my only real gripe with this book is with the cover. The UK publishers have chosen to go with another take on the Black Eyed Susans artwork. I can appreciate why as it is a draw for the casual reader when they see it on a bookstore table or a supermarket shelf and it reminds them of that great book they read on the beach etc. However the original image for the US release is just so perfect and so evocative of the book that it is a crime not to use on the cover. I’ve chosen to go with the US cover and you can see the UK version on the book link below.

Carl Louis Feldman is an old man. He was once a well known photographer and had a book of his most famous pictures published. When he was tried for murder and acquitted his career gradually slid away from him. He has now been diagnosed with dementia and is living in a state care facility. His daughter has been visiting him and has convinced the care home manager that a short trip with her father would be good for him.

Except that she is not his daughter and if she gets her way Carl will never be going home. Grace was twelve when her older sister Rachel disappeared and she has spent the last decade trying to find out what happened to her sister. Convinced that Carl is the man responsible Grace sets out on a ghoulish road trip to prove her suspicions. Of course, if what she suspects is correct, Grace is putting herself in incredible danger.

Paper Ghosts is a beautifully written book. It feels like you are on the road trip with them as they traverse Texas staying in motels and quirky little off the radar towns. Heaberlin’s writing is so evocative that you can almost taste the smokey BBQ tang in the air and feel the deep sense of foreboding. As the book tumbles towards its shocking conclusion you’ll forget all your other obligations as you need to find out the truth.

Supplied by Penguin UK and Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Big fan of 'Black Eyed Susans', so I was intrigued to see where Julia Heaberlin would go next.
'Paper Ghosts' is an intriguing novel, I admit to finding it unlikely at the start that such a young girl as Grace,the main charcter,would have been able to do the things that she does but as the story grows, it seems more plausible.
Her sister, Rachel, went out to babysit one evening and never returned. An obsession with finding out what happened to her grows to the point where she is convinced that a photographer named Carl, currently in the care of a quasi-nursing home,is responsible.
She sets up a elaboarate plan wherein she takes him out of the home on a weekend away during which time she intends to prompt him with pictures and locations with the intent to get him to reveal where her sister is.
The strengths of this book are that Carl is just menacing enough to make you worried that Grace is alone with a potential serial killer whilst making him vulnerable enough that he could just be the old man with memory loss that he appears to be.
Meanwhile, is Grace on a redemptive arc to lay her ghosts to rest or is she on a path to bring justice to the girls who have haunted her from their pictures?
Interspersed with black and white pictures and diary entries from Grace as a child, this is a different direction but a very readable one that I thoroughly recommend.
Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for letting me read this in return for a honest review.

A complex story full of twists and turns, a look at dementia, and a road trip. Not really my cup of tea and it seemed to ramble along without ever getting there.

This story kept me interested until the very end and was a little different to the run of the mill story's usually found in this genre. Worth a read.

This is a beautifully written, eerie tale of the sister of a girl who disappeared and her relationship with the man she thinks killed her.

I can't say it's an enjoyable read as I found it incredibly uncomfortable and heavy with sadness throughout. It also deals with dementia and the impact it has on how a person faces their own reality. The sinister undertones are highly effective and stayed with me long after I'd finished the book. I also found the photographs at the start of each chapter both poignant and heartbreaking.

All in all, I would recommend as a slow burn, uncomfortable read, but, one that has a satisfying wrap up at the end - just hang on in there!

If I could I'd give it 3.5 stars

Many thanks to net galley, Julia Heaberlin and Penguin books for the opportunity to preview.

I liked the promise of this book and have to say it is quite creepy. A road trip with an old man and a young woman has a sinister purpose. The narrator is unnamed and the sole survivor of a serial killing. I found the book a bit boring and I am sorry I started it. Failed to deliver for me but it does have some other excellent reviews. A book you will love or hate. Thank you Net Galley for my copy. I reviewed on Goodreads, Amazon and Facebook.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
This book has such an unusual story line, I can't think of anything quite like it that I have read before.
Grace's sister is missing, presumed dead and Grace is certain that she knows the man who is responsible, Carl Feldman. The problem is Carl Feldman now has dementia and is living in a care home.
In a quest for answers, Grace poses as Carl's daughter and visits the care home proposing a "family" trip. She is, of course, plotting to jog Carl's memory and then seek revenge for her sister's death.
Does Carl remember more than he claims? Is He a really a killer?
I loved this title. Highly recommended.

This is a rare and extraordinary book, which is completely spine chilling & hair raising.
The connections that unravel at the end WOW!
Brilliant book, will definitely read the other books by this author.

Thank you netgalley, Michael Joseph and Julie Heaberlin for allowing me to read and review this book.

Having hugely enjoyed Black Eyed Susans, I was really excited to read Paper Ghosts, and though it took a little longer to get into, I found this to be an interesting and, at times, quite creepy novel.

Main character Grace has her own aims when she offers to take her 'father' on a road trip - her sister Rachel disappeared years ago and the Police's main suspect was (is?) her supposed grandfather, Carl. She wants to finally find out what's happening, and will seemingly stop at nothing to do so...

The story starts off with a lot of impact, but it is quite a slow burner. A lot of the plot centers around the dialogue and 'games' the two play with eachother, meaning if you're looknig for a 'thrilling' read, this probably isn't for you. However, the tension builds as the novel continues and I found myself really wondering who knows what, and how much is actually a lie? I liked this element of doubt that Julia throws in.

The use of photographs added to the impact and ultimately the story becomes less about who the killer is, and more about how Grace will 'deal' with Carl. Julia Heaberlin's writing is really skillful and makes you want to know more by teasing out little details via Grace, which did leave me feeling a little confused at times (but wanting to know more) with an added sense of 'chill' surrounding the whole, horrible case - at times you can almost feel Grace's desperation bouncing off the page. Paper Ghosts is a very well-written, slow-building story which I enjoyed.

Grace is haunted by the disappearance of her sister, Rachel, about 7 years ago when Grace was 12 and Rachel was 19. Grace is now 19 and has been obsessed with finding out what happened to Rachel for many years. She’s scoured the Internet, turned up at people’s houses to ask questions, got a wall of photos and news clippings stuck to the back of her wardrobe. She’s narrowed down the search to Carl who is now in a half-way house suffering from dementia having been acquitted of the murder of another young woman, Nicole. Carl was a famous photographer and Grace thinks that his published book of photos may provide links to many girls who have disappeared over the years as well as Rachel. She decides to befriend Carl and take him on a road trip of significant places in Texas which she hopes will trigger memories in Carl despite his dementia.

It’s an interesting premise but I found the execution of it quite implausible, not least as Carl, whether a murderer or not, is erratic and violent at times. A 19 year old girl with a 62 year old potential serial killer on the road for two weeks? Carl claims to remember very little of the past but is very articulate and makes many demands on the road trip. These ‘conditions’ range from requiring favourite food items, to Grace buying him expensive items and to keeping a stray dog and cat acquired on the way. Grace has been on the dark web to source fake id, credit cards and disguises so that she can switch vehicles easily and stay at places beyond her means. It all is quite far-fetched which detracted from my enjoyment of the story.

I won’t give spoilers but I didn’t really like the ending. It felt contrived and a turn that came out of the blue. There is a lot of ‘ who is deceiving who’ type mind games supposedly going on between Carl and Grace but I couldn’t stop thinking that Carl was deceiving Grace well and truly from day one. It was also quite repetitive with each day just being a slight variant on previous ones. My main problem was that there were so many scenarios where Grace put herself in potential danger that I couldn’t credit her with any intelligence no matter how many survival, martial arts, etc. courses she might have done to prepare for these situations. It’s a character driven novel so the plot is not as satisfying as I would like personally.

There are quite a lot of photos, taken, by Carl in the book which I liked the use of. The writing is also very clear and readable – it just didn’t have a realistic enough plot for my liking.

With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I struggled with the "why" of this book. The characters are well drawn, the first person narrator works well, although it is not something which I naturally prefer, however, why on earth would this road trip ever happen ??? I am at a loss. I can understand that the grief and shock of losing a much loved elder sister would drive you to crazy but kidnap the guy who was acquitted of murder and then go on a road trip to see if he confesses ? Im really not convinced.

Other than this it can be a little over drawn in terms of description however I have never read any of Julia Heaberlin's books before and it may be her style. I am sure that there will be many readers who love this book. Im not one of them but I appreciate the opportunity to read it.

Such an unusual story in some ways but most enjoyable. Grace's older sister disappeared on her way to her summer job and was never found. Grace has become obsessed with finding her sister's abductor/killer and is convinced that Carl Feldman is that person. Carl is in care in Texas and is suffering from dementia. Grace goes to see him and says she is his estranged daughter and wants to take him on a trip. So Grace and Carl go on a journey to all the places where young women have been found murdered.in the hope that it might jog Carl's memory of what had happened to Grace's sister. Quite an adventure follows and the ending isn't quite what I was expecting.

This is not your typical fast paced thriller, it is a wonderful slow burn of a book that gets under your skin and stays there. It is a wonderful exploration of the effects of significant loss (Grace's sister who disappeared and has never been found) and mental health. Whether that be the obsessive nature of Grace in her quest to discover the truth about her sister or the dementia that Carl is suffering.

Near the end of the book a sentence really jumped out at me; "There is an established lack of trust." Grace is talking about the relationship between herself and Carl, and whilst this seems true on the surface, events of the book contradict this. The characters are incredibly nuanced, and I found myself warming to Carl at certain points of the book and becoming frustrated with Grace at other points. The games that the pair play with the other either had my hair standing on end, or laughing along with the black humour that is woven throughout the relationship that grows between them on their Texas road trip.

This is a fantastic book and my thanks go to the publishers and net galley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.