P:aper Ghosts will wreck your mind and thoughts while you try to figure out the who dunnit... if you ever can! I was intrigued to read this novel based on two things: it was based in Texas, where I'm from and it's a mystery/thriller. I can say I was not let down. I enjoyed trying to figure out what would come next, though I was rarely correct.

By all accounts, Paper Ghosts should be a good novel. With its cat-and-mouse tale between potential serial killer and potential victim/victim's sister, you would think this would be a novel that gets your heart pounding and your pulse racing. This should be a book you read in one sitting. And yet, it is anything but that.

Instead, it is a novel that is so introspective that it is boring. It is a novel you question why you are reading it because nothing happens for the first half of the book. You spend so much time in the narrator's head, and she spends most of the time rehashing the steps she took to prepare her for this journey, that you wonder whether there is any point to the story. You question where the suspense is and contemplate quitting the story multiple times.

It mildly improves once you reach the halfway point, and if you make it that far you continue only because you want closure. Yet the closure you receive is inadequate, open-ended and leaving room for a potential sequel you have no interest in reading. It leaves you disappointed that there is not more there to capture your interest and to create tension. You regret the decision to keep reading it because the fizzle at the end is not what you hoped would happen.

Having not read Ms. Heaberlin's first novel but having read many a gushing review of it, I had high hopes about Paper Ghosts. Perhaps that is the issue, but I suspect not. The story is not set up to be a psychological thriller given the interplay between the two characters, yet that is exactly what Ms. Heaberlin ended up writing. We are in the narrator's head too much, which cancels out the little action that occurs and creates an unending series of disappointments as the story never takes off the way it should. I do plan to go back and read that first novel of hers one day, if only to compare the two novels. However, Paper Ghosts left such a poor impression that I am unfortunately hesitant to read anything else she might write in the future.

This one started off strong and intriguing. It lost its way in the middle and dragged. I did enjoy the relationship between Grace and Carl.

I watched an episode of Criminal Minds that was similar to the synopsis of this book, which is what really made me request this. Paper Ghosts follows the main character (who doesn't have a name for most of the book) as she road-trips across Texas with a man who may or may not have killed her sister. Carl is a famous photographer/possible serial killer who has dementia and the MC is trying her best to unlock his mind and answer the mysteries of 3 deaths.

This book was SO COMPELLING. There were so many twists and turns that I loved. The MC was very intriguing and I loved how dedicated she was to finding out the truth, while also basically convinced that Carl killed these girls. She's strong, she's prepared, but she's also human and little glimpses of that really make you feel for her. There are her journal entries from when she was younger, memories of her sister, along with photographs that help really humanize this book and make it real. Carl is also super interesting. Although he's losing his memories, you can tell he is dangerously smart and you never know what he's going to do next or if you can trust him. And the two of them have this tension that I adore, which kept the novel going.

There were some slow parts that really made this book drag, especially towards the middle. The distance between "dots" or the murder spots is a lot and I felt like we could have skipped some of it or at least sped through it. There was also a lot about talking about how dangerous Carl was, but then everything would be fine the next morning and it was a bit annoying. There were also times when I was like "is this a fun, quirky road trip novel or a murder mystery?"

That being said, I truly did not see the ending coming. The twists in this were really well-done and I didn't see any of them coming. There were some that I was a bit annoyed by because I wanted answers and less red herrings, but ultimately I was satisfied with the ending. I also really enjoyed the relationship that ended up happening between the MC and Carl. It left me with some warm fuzzies. And the open-ended conclusion was actually satisfying, although it left me with some more questions.

Overall, I would recommend Paper Ghosts and think that it's a very compelling novel. Just be prepared for some parts that drag.

Julia Heaberlin twists the typical mystery into a haunting tale of pursuit with "Paper Ghosts." A young woman named Grace befriends a suspected serial killer with dementia in hopes of finding out more about her missing sister. The way Grace interacts with the suspect is where "Paper Ghosts" takes a new turn. She takes the old man, once a famous photographer. on a road trip in hopes of stirring his fast-fading memories. Ghostly images on fading photographs. Hallucinations with multiple-dimensional visions. Anger, despair - and hope. What Grace finds is more about herself than she ever expected.

4.5 *s. Paper Ghosts is a fast paced, unique crime thriller. Grace is convinced that Carl who suffers from dementia murdered her sister Rachel when she was a child. Grace pretends to be Carl's daughter and takes him from the assisted living facility where he live. She takes him on a trip stopping at spots where various girls went missing to hopefully jog his memory. Carl is definitely a creepy man. I loved this unique premise.

Would you willingly invite a serial killer to accompany you on a road trip? Me neither. What about if the serial killer is a senior citizen with dementia? Still no. What if you think your teenage sister was one of his victims? No way -- are you kidding?! The unnamed 24-year-old narrator of Julia Heaberlin's new thriller Paper Ghosts (Ballantine, digital galley) firmly believes that 61-year-old documentary photographer Carl Louis Feldman is behind the disappearance of her sister Rachel a dozen years ago. Armed with a map of Texas and some old photos, she pretends she's Feldman's daughter so she can check him out of the halfway house where he's been living. Feldman, who claims no memory of killing Rachel or any other girls, doesn't believe the narrator is his daughter but goes along for the ride, so to speak. You should, too, as improbable as it all sounds. Come on, don't you want to know if Feldman really doesn't  remember his career as photographer and killer? And what of the obsessive, unreliable narrator? Yes, you'll keep reading. I did, with only a couple of pit stops to relieve the tension.

from On a Clear Day I Can Read Forever

This book has such an interesting concept; is Carl a serial killer or just some old photographer with dementia? Grace wants to know what happened to her sister and Carl is the likely suspect in her mind. His photographs are eerie and have hints of girls who have gone missing, never to be found again. She plans a road trip hoping to find her answers but it is hard to tell what is real in his mind or not.

I took care of my mom, who suffered from Lewy Body Dementia, for four years. Ms. Hearberlin wrote perfectly of the struggles of someone who has it. My mom had people that talked to her. One was very evil and wanted to kill her. She was terrified. One was a sweet nurse who did not want any harm to come to her. Carl’s friends reminded me so much of what my mom dealt with. She also remembered a lot about her past and then in other moments, not at all. The way Grace dealt with him was a lot of how I felt (well except I didn’t think she was a killer!). You are patient and then you are not. You don’t know what’s real or not. But then again,, I think Grace had a thin rope that she was hanging onto anyway. She is definitely one of the most complex characters I have read it a while.

You will be completely wrapped up in Grace’s search and her slow and painful realizations. Such a good read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine for this wonderful read.

4 Stars.

One woman believes that former photographer Carl Louis Feldman is guilty. Of murder, including the murder of her sister Rachel. He was acquitted of murdering other young women he was accused of and now, he lives in a care home for dementia patients. Yet none of that matters to this young woman, as she knows that Carl is responsible and she is dead set on proving it so that she can finally find out what happened to her sister, twelve years later. How, you ask? It’s quite simple really. She is planning on taking him for a ride. A car ride, that is. All across the State of Texas, visiting sites of his alleged crimes, using the photos he took to hopefully jog his “memory.” This gal poses as his daughter to get him out of his care home and lo’ and behold, it works! Can you say “Yee haw?!” Sounds sketchy to me, and well, to be frank a little dangerous. I, sure as heck wouldn’t voluntarily get into a car with an alleged murderer, but that’s just me. And here you thought I laughed in the face of danger..

What starts out as something of a nightmare, slowly becomes something else altogether. Is Carl’s mind really riddled with dementia? Or could he perhaps be playing his new “friend” like a fiddle? Questions, questions. My mind was racing a mile a minute. Is Carl Louis Feldman really who he seems? No matter how you slice it, Carl is one intriguing man. From all of the conditions he sets, to the things he sees and hears – his thoughts often put a smile on my face and had me laughing out loud. As for the woman? She is interesting, quirky and very determined. She wants someone to pay and she thinks that someone is Carl. She has planned for every contingency and has taken the necessary precautions. Is it enough?

“Paper Ghosts” by Julia Heaberlin is a novel that made my heart beat wildly and my breath catch in my throat. It was a crazy, interesting, wild ride and I enjoyed every second.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine and Julia Heaberlin for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published on NetGalley, Goodreads, Twitter and Amazon on 5.31.18.

Original and clever. In the twelve years since her sister disappeared, she has been obsessed with finding her body and what happened to her. She has now targeted on a 61 year old, photographer, Carl, a man who took pictures of women she is certain have been his victims. Aquited of the murder of one of the women ,Carl now has dementia and is living in a halfway house. Pretending she is his daughter she decides to take him on a journey to different sites in his photograph, hoping this will spark something in his memory.

Neither of our lead characters are reliable narrators since one has to question if they are always sane. Traveling the state of Texas, many times I wondered if Carl really had dementia, at times he seemed extremely lucid. There is plenty of suspense, had no idea if Carl was guilty or not, though the evidence seemed to suggest his guilt. There was also humor, with the situation itself, with the demands Carl makes, and the ghosts that seem to accompany him. We are even taken to the site of the Davidisns and the markings of the dead. Such a unique albeit strange setup, and one that I thought well done.

I liked this authors previous book, but actually think I liked this one even better. It is hard with so many thrillers and suspense novels being written, to come up with a unique plot as well as unique characters. Haberlin managed to do just that.

ARC from Netgalley.

A daring psychological thriller merging the impossible with the possible

The main character is not named until the end of the book. When she was twelve years old, her sister a few years older went missing presumed dead. The grief she feels throughout the book is tangible. Our character made a vow to herself at her young age to find the body of her sister and her killer. She obsessively prepares herself for years to do exactly this. But will she achieve her goal?

Through her own investigations over many years, she targets Carl Louis Feldman as her suspect. He is out of prison for another murder living in a halfway house because it appears he has lost his memory or has dementia. The grieving sister poses as his daughter and manages to ‘officially’ take him out of the home for a road trip in Texas. Her daring motive is to get him to recall his deadly deed (or deeds) while taking him to places that will hopefully trigger memories.

She is crazy and daring to do this because it is potentially very dangerous for her. Carl Louis is also crazy but not so crazy that he can’t be very calculating and manipulative. Carl can be charming which is hard to sit with as he is supposed to be a serial killer.
Theirs is a comical, emotional and hair-raising adventurous journey. The author cleverly uses the fact that Carl Louis is a documentary photographer and potentially a serial killer to build a brilliant plot. She cleverly plays on words like ‘shot’ for photography or serial killing.

The moment I found the book difficult to read was when Heaberlin creates a misty feeling of impossible fantasy and reality. But that goes with the two strange characters that end up assisting each other to a quite astonishing conclusion.

BonnieK

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

I DNFd this book, was in the middle of writing my GR review when I decided to read the last few parts for the sake of closure. The epilogue convinced me to keep reading and though I managed to finish Paper Ghosts, it still fell below my expectations.

I read Julia’s previous book, Black Eyed Susans, and absolutely loved it and so it’s without hesitation that I picked up this book hoping that I’ll get the same experience if not a better one than the last time I read her work.

Let me explain some of my dissatisfaction. Going on a road trip with a person whom you assume is a serial killer, albeit one whose supposedly suffering from dementia, is something thrill seeking bookworms like me will definitely be drawn to. Carl is a creepy & complex character, he came alive in the pages but the narrator failed to “manipulate” my emotions in a way that she convinced me that Carl is indeed guilty.

What I got is a sense of a pointless road trip. Dangerous but not in the sense that “I’m driving with a serial killer in my car,” but more of “I will get in trouble by putting this sick old man in danger because my shit’s not together”. What would’ve helped? Maybe getting into the morbid details of each crime Carl supposedly committed to juxtapose Carl’s frailty; or making Carl mor sinister than impish; or how about more circumstantial evidence besides the photos?

PAPER GHOSTS lacked in layers to support its claim that it’s a suspense thriller. I’m even a little pissed that by the end, the narrator went unpunished for her mistake. The only redeeming factor this book has as far as I’m concerned is it flows and reads easy.

This inventive and creepy cat and mouse game had me wavering about who was the cat and who was the mouse. Was it Carl, the serial killer with dementia or Grace, still mourning the loss of her sister who disappeared years ago and who believes Carl to be her abductor.

Grace pretends to be Carl’s daughter and takes him on a 10-day road trip hoping to get answers. Does Carl really have dementia or is he faking it. Has Grace just put her own life in jeopardy? Who would even take that chance!?! As this unlikely duo’s road trip progresses, I am fascinated by the nature of these dark characters. Who is conning who and who’s more psychologically disturbed?

Sure, I had to suspend belief numerous times during their travels, but so what? The underlying tensions, thoughts and behaviors of these damaged characters, the scattered-in photos (taken by Carl presumably of his victims) and journaling made for a compulsive read!

A unique cat-and-mouse thriller

This is an unusual book, one that I w ikaffled between liking and not liking. I never hated it but there were definitely times I thought about not finishing it.

Grace is 24 years old and is obsessed with the disappearance of her older sister when Grace was 12 years old. She's been looking ever since.

She decides, after endless research, that Carl Louis Feldman, famous photographer, is responsible for a number of unsolved disappearances of young women around the state of Texas. She wants answers but Feldman has been diagnosed with dementia. She's not really sure whether he actually has dementia or is a really good actor.

So she checks him out of the care facility he's in and they take off on a meandering car trip through Texas, which she hopes will jog his memory.

As I wrote earlier, this is a unique book. Grace is a strange protagonist and I actually found myself liking Carl, who is funny and sly and manipulative. I also liked the dog in the story - Barfly pronounced Barf-Lee.

The story had an Epilogue to tie up loose ends, which I always appreciate.

I received this book from Random House through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

Another creepy thriller from Heaberlin! This one puts a unique spin on the hunt for a serial killer by having the prime suspect suffer from dementia. She does a good job of teasing the reader with hints from a lunatic; you never know if he’s rambling nonsense or if he’s admitting guilt. The narrator serves as the informal investigator, but she isn’t any more trustworthy than the suspect. Her desperation to prove this guy is her sister’s killer makes her seem unstable. The truth is unexpected, and the ending just a little bit abrupt. She tied up all the loose ends but it seemed some things were a little bit unrealistic. It builds up the whole time with the suspect not giving any definitive answers and then suddenly the whole thing is revealed and the book is over. I would have liked to see her work through the dementia thing a little more. It might have been more believable if it wasn’t wrapped up so perfectly. However, I still thought this was a good solid psychological thriller from an author I have come to trust when choosing my next read.

Posted at Criminal Element: http://www.criminalelement.com/review-paper-ghosts-by-julia-heaberlin/

Julia Heaberlin has a reputation for creepy suspense, but she takes it up a notch (and then some) in the eminently quotable Paper Ghosts. Our unnamed—well, she’s eventually named, but I have to keep some things a secret—heroine (anti-heroine?) is only 24, but the disappearance of her older sister Rachel 12 years ago has shaped her in a profound way. So much so that she’s been obsessed with finding Rachel’s (possible) killer—or at least finding out why she disappeared, since no body was ever found.

She finds a photo taped to the underside of the basement stairs in her family home, which kicks off her interest in famous photographer Carl Louis Feldman. She becomes convinced that Carl had something to do with her sister’s disappearance, as the photographer was linked to a number of other murders. He’s her prime suspect, and she’s finally tracked him down to a halfway house. Carl claims to have dementia, but she’s not so sure.

I wonder what Carl is thinking. Maybe about how he’d like to kill me. I’m twenty-four, in the age range. White. Slender. People say I look like my sister. The difference is, she was lit from the inside. Dramatic. Gutzy. A performer. People drifted to her. Loved her. Carl drifted to her, and snatched her life.

Maybe he thinks I am my sister come back to haunt him.

I am the understudy, Carl. A shell of her, loaded with dynamite, set on revenge. The nervous one in the wings about to jump onstage. You and I, we will be co-stars.

I am also a perfect stranger every time I come here, or he’s lying. Each time, he claims to forget my name. He won’t answer when I ask why, in June, he is wearing a Christmas tie leering with Grinch faces, or tell me where he bought his leaden, ancient boots, or the prettiest place he remembers they last took him. Boots always remind me of vistas. Of standing firm and steady on a dangerous precipice while beauty unfolds for miles before your eyes.

Our narrator is paying close attention to Carl’s every move, and she’s convinced he’s faking much of his condition. But that’s ok because she’s trained for this. Literally. I’ll get to that later, but this lady is prepared. Or she thinks she is. Eventually, even though Carl doesn’t believe for a second that she’s his long-lost daughter, he agrees to a road trip.

Carl calmly tugs a square of yellow paper out of his pocket and begins to unfold it. “I want to hear you say it.”

“I need to know if you’re a killer. As your daughter, I need to know what kind of blood runs in my veins. You owe it to me.” The first and last line, at least, are true.

“That wasn’t so hard, was it? So we’re clear this trip isn’t about bonding or breathing fresh air. If you were really my daughter, you would have told me that from the start. You would have talked about how you don’t want your babies to be killers. You would have cried big tears. And you would have gotten out of here just as fast as you could. That’s what normal girls do.”

But she’s anything but normal, and Carl agrees to the trip, with caveats. Also, he’ll do just about anything to get out of the halfway house. She’s got everything planned down to the tiniest detail, and it’s taken her a long time. But she really didn’t plan on Carl. He’s definitely … something. What follows is a surreal Texas road trip, hitting most of the places where Carl’s supposed victims were taken or died, designed to tease info out of Carl and hopefully pigeonhole him into admitting he killed Rachel. Cat and mouse indeed. But who is the cat, and who is the mouse?

Here’s the thing: Carl is charming. At one point, he startles the crap out of his chaperone when he rushes off into the brush to rescue a small dog, and boy does he keep her on her toes. It’s hard for her to reconcile this possible serial killer with this odd dog lover who, even if he may be faking some physical symptoms, actually appears to see “ghosts.” Two of them, in fact, and he even talks to them. But she’s very, very devoted to her cause, and their search leads them to a cabin in the piney woods where a few answers await. But they’re not what she expected, and neither is Carl.

Like I said, she trained for this. Intensely. She actually found someone on the Dark Web that would put her in dangerous situations and teach her how to get out of them. She takes dedication to a whole different level. She also takes obsession to frightening levels. Half her life has been devoted to finding out what happened to her sister, and it’s taken a toll, emotionally and physically. Her grief is all consuming. Even a romance with an FBI agent that worked her sisters case (don’t worry, it didn’t start until she was about 19), one that she would have liked to have continued, was smothered by her need for answers.

Paper Ghosts, a title referring in large part to the images in Carl’s haunting photos, works on multiple levels. It’s an effective thriller, but it’s also a deep look at obsession and the destructive nature of grief—as well as a creepy-as-hell tour of some of the oddest places in Texas. Heaberlin’s prose, at times, approaches a kind of gritty poetry as she takes readers on a very unusual murder mystery tour with a very unusual narrator.

If you think you know where this one is going, you’ll need to check those expectations at the door. Set aside some time for this one because you won’t want to put it down.

This is an unusual book. I can't say I could identify with Grace. I'm not brave (or stupid) enough to undertake a road trip with a probable serial killer; but I could feel her determination as she tried to unlock the secrets from Carl's fast deteriorating mind. The writing is excellent with plenty of tension and action.

The ending is unexpected but satisfying in its own way. I enjoyed the book a lot.

Carl Feldman was a famous photographer whose photos were well-known and whose books sold around the country. Then, he was tried--and acquitted--for the murder of a young mother. Now he lives in a home for wayward folks and criminals with dementia. Supposedly his mind is going, and there's much he doesn't remember about his past. There are tremors in his arm and gaps in his past. But each week a young woman visits, claiming to be his daughter. Eventually, she shows up to take Carl on a trip. But this isn't a father/daughter bonding ritual. She's convinced Carl knows what happened to her sister, Rachel, who disappeared when she was twelve and Rachel nineteen. She's spent years accumulating clues and evidence that point squarely to Carl's guilt--including his own photographs. How much does Carl really remember about those years? And how much is she at risk driving into Texas with a potential killer?

This was really different and odd book--not necessarily in a bad way, but it takes some getting used to and it's hard to explain, especially without spoiling anything. Our characters are few, with a focus on our female protagonist (who isn't named until the end of the book, so I won't name her here) and Carl. Both come alive through Heaberlin's well-written words, but neither are easy to like at times. Our main character is on a quest--one she's been on from the moment Rachel disappeared: to figure out what happened to her beloved sister. Her drive and desperation seep through the pages, and she's a fascinating and dynamic character, if not always a sympathetic or reliable one.

Yet she's completely lovable next to Carl, a potential serial killer who could be whispering to ghosts or plotting to kill her--it's so hard for us to know. What's so intriguing about this book is the bond to the two form as they drive across Texas, whose landscape becomes almost a third character in the novel. While at times I felt the plot dip and drag a bit, wondering where things were going, other times I was struck by the amazing dynamic Heaberlin created between the two. So much of the book is just Carl and our main character, alone in a vehicle in Texas, and it's very interesting, honestly, how she kept that interesting!

The book is creepy and tense at times, with Carl's behavior coming across as spooky and a layer of distrust covering the whole book. Who can we trust or believe? How much does Carl really remember? What is our main character really trying to achieve with this journey with Carl; is she telling us everything? I was left jumping and mistrustful, always wondering what would happen next.

The mixed media aspect of the book helps too, with not only commentary from our main character, but also excerpts from her childhood journal, pictures of Carl's, and snippets from one of his photography books. As such, things unfold slowly and ominously, overlaying the tense atmosphere of the novel. A lot happens and it can get a little perplexing at times, but it's also intriguing and compelling. A few twists and turns made me go "whoa." There's even a few moments between Carl and his "daughter" that are humorous. By the end, you're a little dazed and worn out, and the ending seems shocking. It definitely wasn't what I was expecting, that's for sure. The whole book felt the way, even though I enjoyed it.

Overall, this is slow-burning thriller that takes some time to warm to, but once you get into the rhythm, is interesting and compelling. The main characters are well-faceted, different, and unreliable. It's a creepy and tense read.

This story is sly, has some unexpected dark humor, great quotes, and creeps along ever so slowly with some chills on the way. For some readers, it'll be too slow. I was fascinated the whole time. The two main characters are incredibly unique and interesting. The back and forth never ends. You'd assume the serial killer would be the cat and the young woman the mouse, but there were moments I wasn't quite sure. They keep you guessing. The games they play with each other are constant, and you never know who will end up on top.

Carl Feldman was a celebrated photographer before accusations of murder and dementia took everything from him. Under the guise of being his daughter, Grace visits him in his care home. She's spent months picking at his brain. He insists he has no memory of much of his past. He doesn't even know if he's a murderer or not. He certainly wouldn't know if he killed Rachel, Grace's sister. She's become convinced that Carl is not only responsible for the murder he was put on trial for, but quite a few others... including her sister. Determined to find the answer to the mystery that's been haunting her since childhood, Grace concocts a crazy plan to help Carl remember: a road trip to places that should stir something in his head. And if he still has a taste for blood... well, she's ready for him. She thinks.

The strangest road trip I've ever read about, and an immensely absorbing tale. Certainly one of the most unique books I've read lately. I've definitely added the author to my "must read" list, as I'm quite enamored with her lovely writing style. 4.5 from me, rounded up to a 5. The wistful, slightly blurred, beautiful photos interspersed throughout the book definitely added something special to it as well.

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley and Ballantine Books, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.

I enjoyed this novel. One of the things that sets this book apart from others in its genre is the descriptions and inclusions of actual black and white photographs. What an excellent touch to the storyline! I was intrigued by Carl - is he or isn't he a killer? Why does he follow the protagonist's plans? Does he actually have dementia? Is he a series killer?

*I would like to thank the author/publisher/Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review*