Reading Paper Ghosts was like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. Each chapter is a piece of the picture, which doesn't become clear until the final chapters. The main character, whose real name isn't mentioned until late in the book, is trying to figure out what happened to her sister, who disappeared years earlier. She has been investigating various leads over the years but fixates on a man suspected in an abduction case who is now suffering from dementia. She visits him and pretends to be his daughter, eventually convincing him to take a trip with her to help him remember his past. The strength of this book is that the reader doesn't know who to trust- the main character or the man she suspects took her sister. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a book that keeps the reader guessing until the end.

This is a very well-written book. Though at times I felt bogged down by the detail, I would recommend it, and I would like to read more by Ms. Heaberlin.

On the surface, Paper Ghosts is set up for a mind bending thriller. I was instantly drawn to the premise. I went into it expecting to be taken on a wild ride, filled with psychological twists. Instead, it was a grand tour of Texas as a nice clip. The pacing of the novel fell short for me, and I felt that the first half of the novel didn’t provide much depth to the multiple murders that were in question. I kept waiting, I kept reading, but the anticipated action never really came.

I appreciated how the novel ended, and I did enjoy the story. I think I went into it with one expectation and was given something different, which may be my own fault. This is one of those novels that it might serve you better to go into blindly and take it for what it is.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read Paper Ghosts. I rarely give 5 stars, but this book had me from beginning.
Julia Heaberlin takes the reader on a journey - a young woman's sister is killed when she is young. At least she thinks she was killed because her body has yet to be found. She also believes her sister was killed by a seasoned serial killer named Carl - she has done her research. She believes her sister's killer, Carl, is a man with dementia. This man, Carl, lives in a home that takes in rejects - including possible serial killers with dementia among others.
The young woman has a plan - she befriends Carl intentionally because SHE HAS A PLAN. And that plan includes a gun, and other weapons. This young woman is going to take Carl on a trip, and he may not be coming back...ever!
Suspenseful and gripping - this book will hold your attention till the end.
You won't be able to put this book down - loved it....RECOMMEND.

Rachel's sister has made it her life goal to exact revenge on her killer. After extensive training and researching, she essentially breaks a suspected serial killer (Carl Feldman) out of a home and attempts to jog his aging memory-- and ultimately, a confession.
The best thing going for this book is the unique plot line. Keeping the reader in the dark about the narrator was absolutely brilliant-- it tied into the obsession that she finds herself in. I flew through this book because I was DYING to get into the mind of Carl. I wanted to know whether or not he killed. Who he killed. When he killed. How he killed.
I do agree with others readers that the end was a little.. messy. I didn't particularly like the epilogue, but the first 3/4 of the book more than made up for that.

A young woman has obsessed over and planned for this moment since she was twelve years old, ever since her nineteen year old sister disappeared without a trace. She’s researched, planned, and trained for every possible scenario. And, now, she’s almost certain that she’s figured out who kidnapped and murdered her sister. Carl Feldman is an aging documentary photographer, suffering from the early stages of dimentia. She claims to be Carl’s long lost daughter. He claims to have no memory of murdering girls across Texas, as he traveled taking pictures. Even though he doesn’t believe her, Carl agrees to a ten day road trip, just the two of them, to follow and examine cold cases that are associated with his photographs. Is he a liar or just a broken old man? Has she put herself into a dangerous situation with her sister’s murderer?

Paper Ghosts honestly keeps y’ guessing from page one. And I definitely didn’t see the twist at the end coming. Despite this, there were areas it dragged a little, for me, and I’d consider stopping but I couldn’t bring myself to quit without finding out what happened next. This isn’t my first book by Julia Heaberlin, and to be honest, I enjoyed “Black-eyes Susans” better. But, this was still definitely worth reading.

Received this advance copy from NetGalley.

For me, this was a struggle to get through. I had a hard time caring about the characters. The first third to half of the book was repetitive. And the mystery-solving ending suddenly threw in a couple of previously unknown characters. I guess that was to keep the reader from guessing the answer, but it seemed like a cop out.

DNF @ chapter 30 / 43%

I just can't read any further. I read Black-Eyed Susans by this author a few years back and really enjoyed it but this book is SOOOO confusing. Other reviewers seem to really like this one and it makes me feel like I'm reading a completely different book. I don't get it. I don't get any of it.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was an awesome psychological thriller! The plot was interesting and drew me right in. The characters are all so fascinating as well. I definitely do not think that I would want to go on a road trip with a presumed serial killer, and that makes for a creepy yet suspenseful and riveting story with an ending that I did not see coming. Great pacing throughout the story and very scary, too! Well worth your time. I read Black-Eyes Susan from the same author and definitely will look for more from her. Thank you!!

Oh, man, what a disappointment!

I know, not an auspicious way to begin a review, but it was my most immediate take on the book when I finished it. It’s such an engaging story for the first 3/4th or so and then it kind of tangles up into random characters. The book blurb talks about twists that leave you gasping until the last page, but you can’t really call something a twist if it had nothing to do with the plot. Like, people who never once appeared on the page are all at once the key to the ending. That’s not a twist. That’s a cop-out. Of course we would never have guessed the end, because we had no idea those characters or that plot line existed!

I’m a sucker for serial killer stories, especially those in which the suspected serial killer get a slim chance at redemption. That’s what I thought this story was about, but we really get no sense of the truth. But not in a “life-is-not-black-and-white-but-gray” manner but in a “eh-I-don’t-really-know-if-he-did-something-heinous-or-not” way. It is not nearly as effective as the author thinks it is.

The urgency in the novel is well done, as are most of the characterizations, but it is not enough. The end is too disappointing for the reader. What was the point of the whole thing? There were so many wasted moments SPOILER like when they are at the cabin. That could have turned into a great scene between the two characters, but instead it introduces characters that we have only a vague memory of and that come out of nowhere.

Too bad, really, because it had the potential to be a great story.

This book gave me chills... in a good way! This could possibly be my favorite book of the year.

It took me a bit to get into this book but once it snagged me I couldn't put it down. I think it would've hooked me sooner but I was a bit read out.
The writing was marvelous and pulls you in. I love that it makes you stay guessing throughout the book and though it wraps up what you need it still keeps you wondering and stays with you. Overall I'm really happy I got to read this book through NetGalley.

Absolutely loved this story! Well written! Looking forward to reading more by this author!

I began this book because I love serial killer novels and serious crime tales. This story was nothing like other mysteries I've read lately, yet the suspense was still unrelenting. The author managed to keep the tension high, the characters interesting, and the shots coming. This is a book I'd most definitely recommend to mystery lovers looking for something suspenseful, devious, and just a bit outside the norm of those run-of-the-mill, cookie-cutter mysteries.

The beginning of this book had me on pins and needles. Grace and her tragic life story really got to me. While reading along some parts seemed way too far fetched and I kept thinking-did Grace really go through a rigorous program given by her "trainer"? She did some really stupid things throughout the book. However, that was not enough for me to want to stop reading. I really wanted to find out what happened with Carl-was he really a serial killer and the murderer of Grace's beloved older sister?

Confusing at first, but then it drags you in and keeps you there. Who is the crazy one and who is desperate. Excellent.

3.75
I can’t quite describe what it was about this book that disappointed me. I was so excited by the description but overall the book just fell a little flat for me. The main character was interesting but at the same time she felt too contrived which caused me to not care as much about her as I would have liked to. Not knowing a lot about dementia myself I can’t say how genuine Carl’s character was but he definitely added a spark. The ending itself felt rushed and honestly wasn’t all that satisfying either. I guess I just wanted more than I felt that I got from this one.

So. so. so. good. I loved it! Kept me on my toes and I wanted to know more, more, more.

5 stars--I greatly enjoyed this book.

I really loved this book, which is an anthem to Texas disguised as a suspense novel. What made it stand out for me, in a saturated genre that I read a lot of, were the descriptions of the photographs--and actual black-and-white photos included in the book as well. I also loved trying to puzzle out Carl, who was a fascinating character--is he a killer? How progressed is his dementia? Why is he going along with the narrator's plan?

Each little detail comes back around in this book, and it was well worth suspending my disbelief for. Loved it.

I received this review copy from the publisher on NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review; I appreciate it!

I had a hard time debating whether to give this 3 or 4 stars. The premise is super interesting but I felt like I just kept WAITING for something to happen. Luckily, the conclusion was very satisfying.

Thank you Netgalley for my copy of this book!