Paper Ghosts cover art

Paper Ghosts

The unputdownable chilling thriller from The Sunday Times bestselling author of Black Eyed Susans

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Paper Ghosts

By: Julia Heaberlin
Narrated by: Antonia Campbell-Hughes
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About this listen

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Paper Ghosts by Julia Heaberlin, read by Antonia Campbell-Hughes.

Carl Louis Feldman is an old man who was once a celebrated photographer.

That was before he was tried for the murder of a young woman and acquitted.

Before his admission to a care home for dementia.

Now his daughter has come to see him, to take him on a trip.

Only she's not his daughter and, if she has her way, he's not coming back . . .

Because Carl's past has finally caught up with him. The young woman driving the car is convinced her passenger is guilty, and that he's killed other young women. Including her sister Rachel.

Now they're following the trail of his photographs, his clues, his alleged crimes. To see if he remembers any of it. Confesses to any of it. To discover what really happened to Rachel.

Has Carl truly forgotten what he did or is he just pretending? Perhaps he's guilty of nothing and she's the liar.

Either way in driving him into the Texan wilderness she's taking a terrible risk.

For if Carl really is a serial killer, she's alone in the most dangerous place of all . . .

 Crime Crime Thrillers Detective Fiction International Mystery & Crime Mystery Private Investigators Suspense Thriller Thriller & Suspense Women's Fiction

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Critic reviews

Heaberlin's latest thriller is at once a zany, dialogue-propelled two-hander, a murder mystery, a road trip, a pair of psychological case studies and a meditation on photography
Every journey reaches its end, and the one in Paper Ghosts comes on fast and furious. Signposts along the way warn of angst, secrets and deadly plot twists, but you'll never see what's coming . . .
A tale of murderous obsession . . . Heaberlin, author of the impressive Black-Eyed Susans, plays her cards close to her chest, careful to give away little about the motivations of either of her characters, as her heroine edges closer to the truth' (A THRILLER OF THE MONTH)
Wonderful . . . creepy . . . it elevates the often tawdry genre of the serial killer novel to a work of art
Heaberlin's works beautifully evoke the texture and landscape of the state of Texas . . . Their road trip across Texas results in profound revelations, strange occurrences, and a surprisingly heartwarming ending (Molly Odintz)
Gripping . . . dementia suits crime fiction. Is the suspect lying or has a medical reason for his amnesia?
Beautifully written and wonderfully chilling (Sarah Pinborough)
Readers cannot tell fact from fiction. The timing is perfect, the layers of the story both peel away and deepen as the search into the mind of a killer takes turns no one is expecting
The tension crackles . . . it had me changing my mind so often, my head was spinning. A work of art.
A dialogue propelled two-hander, a murder mystery, a road novel, a pair of psychological case studies. It would make a fine indie movie, although screen adaption would entail sacrificing Heaberlin's evocative prose (THRILLER OF THE MONTH)
All stars
Most relevant
Really did like this book it was entertaining though not scary at all. Wont buy the next book based on reviews.....

An Enjoyable Book

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I’m a fan of this author and have read three other books which have all been great. This one was different and not quite up to the standard. And the narrator was not my cup of tea, but that’s quite personal.

Not her best

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Loved every minute, the story, the narrator the relationship between the characters. Definitely worth a read .

Brilliant

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Two people, one full of passion for the truth tinged with the possibilities of vengeance, the other slowly emptying of all that defines him. Are the fragments slowly leaking out of Carl through the holes of dementia the memories of an evil serial killer or simply the essence of creativity from a photographic artist? It's a great setup.

I enjoyed the narration, the strong Southern accent and exuberance felt like it fitted Grace the young lead very well. That local flavour helped me get into her mind which was an interesting place to be as the story developed. It wasn't perfect though because while Antonia Campbell-Hughes uses some good changes of pace her default setting was a little more rapid than the norm. You might wish to check the audio sample prior to purchase on this one to be sure you are okay with the accent and the pace of the narration.

After the rather excellent setup I found the story and the two main characters very engaging. The concept of paper ghosts is particularly appropriate and sums the book up vividly. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who likes a slow-burning mystery with a bit of action and suspense thrown in to the mix.

Paper Ghosts That Enfold You With Their Story

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Black Eyed Susans was a standout listen for me a few years ago so anticipation and expectations were high for Julia Heaberlin's next offering. And there was absolutely room for disappointment as I sped through Paper Ghosts. The central characters - one man abandoned in a decrepit retirement home and a young woman hell-bent on avenging her sister's presumed murder - present us with an interesting initial set-up and are also completely unique protagonists (a rare thing for a commercial thriller). I loved the turns this audiobook took, the fierce independence of young Grace and the deep American South setting.

Heaberlin does it again

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