DNF. I started this book really excited to learn about carl and what he did in his life. But by chapter 9, there was just not enough to keep me interested. I wanted to know what happened to Rachel. But not enough to continue this book.

Paper Ghosts literally had me hooked from the start. I love how strong Grace is! I love her even more because she chose strength, there’s a hope released for others when someone chooses strength over giving in to fear and despair. She didn’t roll over and let the darkness have her, she used her pain and grief to propel her into finding some resolution. I think that’s what everyone wants in moments of unanticipated loss: information and if possible peace.

Dementia is such an awful disease. It’s a thief and as the author writes at the end a “serial killer” that leaves behind broken hearts and minds. I greatly appreciated the honest way Paper Ghosts deals with dementia. In some ways my heart broke for Carl and then I would have to remind myself that he’s probably a murderer. Although, I believe there is a message left for us here:
“Bad people are to be found everywhere, but even among the worst there may be something good.”

All that to say, I really enjoyed the tension of this book. The tension between Grace and Carl, the tension in my emotions with regards to Carl and what he may or may not have done, and the tension of the mystery unraveling. It was a very good journey.

Have you ever read one of those books where you’re screaming at the protagonist the entire time to stop what she’s doing, think for a minute and get the hell out of the situation she has gotten herself into? I screamed at Grace, an outrageously bold and obsessed young lady, throughout this entire book.
Grace lost her sister Rachel years earlier. She has made it her lifetime ambition to find Rachel’s killer and deal with him. Her clues lead her to a retired photographer, Carl Louis Feldman, who now has dementia and is living in a care home. Carl was tried for another kidnapping and murder but was not found guilty. Grace convinces the staff at the home that Carl is her father and she needs to know if he has it in his blood to be a killer so she may be more aware of warning signs with herself or her future children.
Grace takes Carl on a well-planned trip down memory lane complete with false IDs, disguises, plenty of cash and an agenda. The minute by minute process of their trip will put you on the edge. Is he stable? Is he truly capable of murder and is he going to snap any minute now? Is Grace stable? Does she have a death wish? Along the way, events happen that shape a new opinion of each character. In particular, they find an abused dog and dedicate time and love to his healing. Aptly named Barfly, the dog becomes a companion in Grace’s quest to avenge her sister’s murder. But is compassion for a pet the same as compassion for other humans? Are those brief glimpses of clarity and compassion we see in Carl signs of his innocence, or is he truly a cold and calculating killer, manipulating Grace at his whim?
Proceed with a warning: this is a very un-put-down-able book.
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group- Ballentine and NetGalley for making it available.)

I was a nervous wreck reading this book. Was the sister left behind really going on a road trip with the possible murderer? Could the left behind sister become a murderer to avenge her dead sister? Did her traveling companion, a formerly famous photographer, really murder anyone or no one? Behind all this was the spectre of dementia, slowly creeping into the story and a character all it’s own. I will be honest, I almost cried at times. Yes, the ending was both extremely sad and satisfying. Just read it already!

Intriguing story with a fresh take on the serial killer plot. Our female protagonist has dedicated her entire life to figuring out who killed her sister when they were just kids. She's convinced Carl Feldman, a renowned photographer, is the guilty party, his having taken pictures of one too many potential homicide victims for it to be mere coincidence. Only, Carl is now in a halfway house for suspected killers and is suffering from dementia. The book is a historical journey through Texas and photography, with plenty of fascinating twists and an ending that had no foreshadowing throughout the tale. Well worth a read.

I didn't hate the book but I didn't love it either. I read it in a little over a day but I can't say I enjoyed it. I found it to be erratic and scattered. What saved it for me was the ending, but what it took to get there, a little much. I wish I had better things to say about it as I hate to give a bad review .

The premise of this book hooked me from the beginning. Loved the introduction of Barfly, it made our narrator develop deeper feelings for everything (and everyone) around her. The pictures throughout the book are lovely and eerie at the same time. I absolutely loved the way it ended and was pieced together of what and who she became in life because of all of this.

Thank you to Random House publishing -Ballantine books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book had all the right elements-a killer premise, beautiful cover, interesting characters (that includes Barfly!). I had the added bonus of reading it while traveling in Texas just like our characters, so I really got to savor the author's descriptions of the state (You're right, everyone in Texas DOES drive a white truck.)

For having dementia, Carl didn't seem to be terribly out of it for much of the story (other than talking to people who weren't there). But I'm not familiar with how dementia presents. Maybe he would be this sharp and clever on a daily basis. It certainly did ramp up the creepy factor. However those creepy moments were few and far between, for me. Carl more often came across as mystically wise instead of ominously sinister. This led me to feel like sometimes Grace's actions and plans were overkill. Grace was a great character though, and this book gave her story a solid ending.

Carl Feldman is an elderly photographer acquitted of murder. He suffers from dementia, and lives in a halfway house with his ghosts. Our protagonist is a young woman whose older sister, Rachel, disappeared years before; her life from that point forward was spent trying to find her sister, at any and all costs. She believes that Carl might be responsible for Rachel's death, and takes him on a road trip through Texas in hopes of jarring his memories.

Is he a serial killer, or just a man at the last stages of his life? Carl is a fascinating character, intelligent and fragmented, with a list of road trip demands and a deep compassion for animals. Equally fascinating is our protagonist, who has pushed herself to the limits of fear so she can take this road trip with possibly the most dangerous man she's ever met.

The sense of place here is pitch perfect. I've never been to Texas, but it seemed like a dark, eerie backdrop for our characters' journey.

*Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Netgalley for an ARC*

Couldn't get through the second chapter. The subject matter was a little too tough for me to read

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing (Ballantine) for an advanced copy in exchange for this review.

The book is told through a young woman's point of view. We are not given her name. Her sister was kidnapped over a decade ago and is presumed dead. This woman is obsessed with finding out who killed her.

Carl Feldman is a documentary photographer. He was on trial for another young woman's murder and was acquitted. He has dementia and lives in a halfway house. The young woman believes that this man killed her sister. She poses as his long lost daughter to get him to go on a road trip to try to get him to confess.

There is a lot to the story. There is the young woman's history and how she got to the present moment of being in a vehicle with Carl. There's Carl and who he is and might be. At times, the story is sloppy but that adds to the unknown of where each page is going to lead. I personally enjoyed watching the relationship between Carl and the young woman unfold. I thought too much time was spent on the cold cases when their relationship and who Carl really is, is the real story. 3 1/2 stars

I got hooked on this author with the Susan's book and I'm so glad I did.

This book is GREAT!! I absolutely LOVED it. I can't wait for the next one. Carl was one of my absolute favorite characters and I was holding my breath through the whole book waiting to see what happened. I also loved Grace and hope to see her again in a future book.

"Bad people are to be found everywhere, but even among the worst there may be something good."

Serial Killer or man afflicted with dementia???? That is the question

Carl Feldman is a documentary photographer is living in a half way house and has been diagnosed with dementia. One day a young woman arrives and claims to be his daughter. She wants to take him on a road trip to see if the trip can jar his memory. She believes he has killed various women who have gone missing or have been killed. He does not believe that she is his daughter, has no memory of killing anyone but agrees to her road trip if she will meet his conditions.

She agrees to meet his conditions because she has been waiting/preparing/training for this day. Her older sister, Rachel, went missing when she was 12 years old. Most of her life has been spent obsessing over what happened to her sister. She believes Carl killed her sister as she believes he has killed various young women in the locations where his photographs have been taken.

I read this book in one day. It's not your classic page turner but it does weave quite the story. Is this man a serial killer, is he innocent, does he really have dementia, is he a victim, are her assumptions correct are some of the questions that went through my mind as I read this book. I really loved how the story builds - it is not fast but it is not slow either. This book is like watching a "sleeper" hit movie. It came out of nowhere with hidden truths, revelations, and hidden agendas. This book is a quite but effective thriller. It never tries to hard or rushes through anything. I found the pacing to be spot on. I never really knew where this book was going. It was also strangely compelling to see two people on a road trip with their newly acquainted dog, Barfly, who did not trust each other. Both were wary of the other. Carl did come off as a creepy guy but then there was that nagging question - was he creepy because he was creepy or because he was ill and could not help himself?

This book turned out to be a little gem. A wonderfully written psychological thriller. It starts a little slowly but as the story builds, you get to be part of a creepy road trip to find the truth no matter what the cost.

I look forward to reading more books by this Author.

Thank you to Random House publishing -Ballantine books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Carl Louis Feldman is a documentary photographer suspected of stalking young women and stealing them...their bodies were never discovered. After being acquitted, he disappeared for years, until thirteen months ago when a Waco police officer finds him wandering on the highway unable to remember his own name. He was diagnosed with early onset dementia and sent to a halfway house for old felons.
She tells him she is his daughter...he doesn't believe her.
She tells him she wants to take him on a trip...he has conditions, a list of items she must provide. She is sure his dementia is an act...she might be right.
She has been preparing for this...she is sure she is ready.
She plans a dangerous road trip discover what happened to her sister with the one person she is certain who knows...the man who killed her.

WOW! I was hooked from page 1 and I could not put it down. You will literally be on the edge of your seat. I loved that the author included content including: ghostly photographs of two little girls and unnerving excerpts of the history of Carl's photography. I absolutely loved this novel and cannot recommend it highly enough.

3.5 stars
This one started so strong, but the middle was simply wandering around inside the protagonist's head. It was a little confusing to be honest, and for someone who had trained for every scenario, she really wasn't very prepared. I loved Barfly and how he moved the narrator closer to being human for the reader. And, like I've said before, I love a good epilogue so the book gets points for that.

I did not like this book and chose not to finish it.

Documentary photographer Carl Feldman suffers from dementia. One day, he meets a young woman who claims to be his long lost daughter and pleads with Carl's guardian to take him on a road trip to get acquainted. During their travels, Carl discovers that she is not his daughter and accuses him of killing her sister as well as numerous other women across the state of Texas. Carl has no memory of murdering anyone. Is he a pathological liar and serial killer or an ailing old man? Julia Heaberlin has woven her mesmerizing words alongside eerie photos taking the reader on a terrifying journey side by side these two broken, sad, and hopeless individuals. If you enjoyed Black-eyed Susans, then this tale will certainly keep you on the edge of your seat until the thrilling finale.

I don’t know why Heaberlin isn’t a bigger name in publishing. She consistently delivers intelligent, high-octane thriller that surprise the hell out of me, and I think this book may be her best yet. Once a photographer known for his creepy photos, Carl Louis Feldman is now just an old man. A man who claims to remember little of his past. Then one day a woman claiming to be his daughter shows up, she also claims to know all about the girls he killed in the same locations he shot his photographs. He tells her he has no memory of killing anyone, nor does he remember her. But she gets him out of the halfway house where he lives and the two embark on a journey to all the places he took his photos, all the places she insists he killed people. Readers will know early on who the “bad guy” really is, but his in no way slows the action – nor will is slow the rapid pounding of your heart as you read. Highly recommended