TOP 5 SUNDAY TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER • For fans of Laura Lippman and Gillian Flynn comes an electrifying novel of stunning psychological suspense.I am the star of screaming headlines and campfire ghost stories. I am one of the four Black-Eyed Susans. The lucky one. As a sixteen-year-old, Tessa Cartwright was found in a Texas field, barely alive amid a scattering of bones, with only … field, barely alive amid a scattering of bones, with only fragments of memory as to how she got there. Ever since, the press has pursued her as the lone surviving “Black-Eyed Susan,” the nickname given to the murder victims because of the yellow carpet of wildflowers that flourished above their shared grave. Tessa’s testimony about those tragic hours put a man on death row.
Now, almost two decades later, Tessa is an artist and single mother. In the desolate cold of February, she is shocked to discover a freshly planted patch of black-eyed susans—a summertime bloom—just outside her bedroom window. Terrified at the implications—that she sent the wrong man to prison and the real killer remains at large—Tessa turns to the lawyers working to exonerate the man awaiting execution. But the flowers alone are not proof enough, and the forensic investigation of the still-unidentified bones is progressing too slowly. An innocent life hangs in the balance. The legal team appeals to Tessa to undergo hypnosis to retrieve lost memories—and to share the drawings she produced as part of an experimental therapy shortly after her rescue.
What they don’t know is that Tessa and the scared, fragile girl she was have built a fortress of secrets. As the clock ticks toward the execution, Tessa fears for her sanity, but even more for the safety of her teenaged daughter. Is a serial killer still roaming free, taunting Tessa with a trail of clues? She has no choice but to confront old ghosts and lingering nightmares to finally discover what really happened that night.
Shocking, intense, and utterly original, Black-Eyed Susans is a dazzling psychological thriller, seamlessly weaving past and present in a searing tale of a young woman whose harrowing memories remain in a field of flowers—as a killer makes a chilling return to his garden.
This ebook edition contains a special preview of Julia Heaberlin’s Paper Ghosts.
Praise for Black-Eyed Susans
“A masterful thriller that shouldn’t be missed . . . brilliantly conceived, beautifully executed . . . [Julia] Heaberlin’s work calls to mind that of Gillian Flynn. Both writers published impressive early novels that were largely overlooked, and then one that couldn’t be: Flynn’s Gone Girl and now Heaberlin’s Black-Eyed Susans. Don’t miss it.”—The Washington Post
“[A] gem of a novel . . . richly textured, beautifully written . . . Tension builds, and the plot twists feel earned as well as genuinely surprising.”—The Boston Globe
“A tense, slow-burning, beautifully written novel of survival and hope. Highly recommended.”—William Landay, New York Times bestselling author of Defending Jacob
“My book of the year so far . . . breathtakingly, heart-stoppingly brilliant.”—Sophie Hannah, New York Times bestselling author of The Monogram Murders
“Deliciously twisty and eerie, Heaberlin’s third psychological suspense novel is intricately layered and instantly compelling.”—Library Journal (starred review)
“Brilliant . . . a breakout book.”—Fort Worth Star-Telegram
more
Unlike many “unreliable narrator” stories, here the protagonist’s unreliability felt reasonable rather than gimmicky, and she was a sympathetic character. I also appreciated that the forensics and death penalty aspects of the book seemed well-researched.
This was an amazing and gripping book. I loved how it switched between the past and the present. But I wanted to know the killers mind and what he actually did to the black eyes Susan’s.
The ending was also a let down as I wanted something big and dramatic and sadly it wasn’t.
But I did enjoy the writing style and the book itself. It was a easy read as it flowed nicely. It was a good book to snuggle up and read when ever I had the chance.’
Black-Eyed Susans: A Novel of Suspense, my first read from author Julia Heaberlin. I enjoyed the outstanding Hitchcockian suspense story-line with its intricately woven twists and turns. Julia Heaberlin is on my radar of great authors! I was given an Audible copy of this book and am voluntarily reading & reviewing it. Narrators Whitney Dykhouse, Eric G. Dove, Karen Peakes narration adds to the book’s enjoyment. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 – July 24, 2018).
Loved, loved, loved this book. Evocatively written, suspenseful, and keep-you-up-at-night absorbing. Haeberlin, who is a journalist, is a terrific writer; her thorough and detailed research make this book so compelling and vivid. A page-turning unputdownable thriller.
Wow, an incredible mystery that kept you wondering. Loved the format of going back and forth between the present and the time of the abduction and trial and getting inside her head.
Wonderful book!! I am late in reading this and so glad Kimberley Belle’s love for it reminded me it was on my TBR list. I listened to it on Audible and the narration was excellent. The author gave her main character somewhat of a dark sense of humor that made me smile or chuckle several times. I didn’t see that ending coming! Highly recommend to those who like psychological thrillers.
Leaves you wondering at the end…
The story of the only survivor buried in a mass grave by a serial killer kept me reading past my bedtime!
I don’t often find a book as well written and compelling as this one. It was original in form and the characters are fascinating. My only warning is if you don’t like skipping back and forth in time, this book is not for you.
We visit the young woman immediately after her near murder and then when she is a damaged, but competent adult seeking to save herself and her daughter. Back and forth, comparing details and situations multiple times. So twisted! I love it. I will read more of the works of Julia Heaberlin, most certainly.
I enjoyed the story. Well written. Interesting and at moments page turning.
This book was a page-turning, suspenseful thriller that kept me up far past my bedtime. I had to know what happened next, and just when I thought I knew who the killer was I was thrown for another loop. If you like taunt psychological thrillers you will love this book.
Started out like a good story. Got more strange the more i read. The ending was just plain weird.
Really enjoyed this book. Keeps you engaged and guessing till the end.
I spent my entire Sunday reading this & kept hoping that it would pick up pace but sadly, for me, it just didn’t deliver. The characters are so flat & lack any real personality whilst I found the narrative quite repetitive. The story is an intriguing one but so much more could have been done with it.
It is a book I did not finish reading, and it was hard for me to get into the plot. I read a lot and usually end reading until the last page, even when the book is not that interesting. This book just took away my time and the struggle to continue reading it was a weast of my energy.
This is a dark, twisted work. It keeps you guessing until near the end. I like it when an author can pull that level of suspense and climax off. It is well written. I wasn’t a big fan of the two time periods alternating between chapters at first. It was distracting and annoying to my linear mind, but I think it helped the story build and kept me as a reader on my toes.
Hard to put down. Strong heroine.
Audiobook
In Black-Eyed Susans, you follow Tessie an adult who is still traumatized by what happened to her when she was sixteen. This story goes back and forth between the past and the present. You never fully know what exactlyy happened to her besides her kidnapping and ending up in a field of black-eyed susans. I really liked that because Tessie did not remember what happened or how she got in that field. So the frustration and confusion she felt I too felt as the reader/listener. She talks about how her experience has led her to be the mom she is and we also get insight into the man that is now sitting on death row for the crime. Is he guilty? or innocent? The huge twist at the end was shocking. The way the story was going I honestly felt it was leading to another character. Read this! You will not be disappointed.
I enjoyed it but I had a little trouble following it at times. An unexpected twist at the end!
Slow reading, oftentimes hard to follow, but good entertainment.
Not to great