Daniel Whiteley, wife Kelly, and twelve year old daughter Milly appear to be the perfect family and it’s not the case. Daniel is a successful marriage counsellor and bestselling author, his own marriage is at a crisis point, he discovers his daughter is failing school and they're worried about her self-harming. The deadline for his second book has come and gone, he keeps fobbing off his publisher, he hasn't written a single word and he just goes blank when he opens his browser.

After his grandfather’s funeral Daniel inherits his old Olympus camera, he notices an inscription on the bottom: "No matter what you think you might see, the camera never lies." Daniel starts using the camera, but every time he has the photo’s developed by Simon, the images threaten to reveal secrets that could end his marriage, career and he would have to hand back the money he’s been paid in advance for his second book. Daniel is at a crossroads of his life, should he come clean admit what he’s done wrong, or keep the secrets that are destroying his self esteem and family.

I received a digital copy of The Camera Never Lies by David Rawlings from Thomas Nelson-Fiction and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. A story about an old camera and it has the power to show people their future in pictures, how they react to it and will it make them change their ways. The price of honesty, telling the truth, there is always more to life than what we see in front of us, don’t tell lies and keep secrets. A somewhat quirky way of delivering message and meaning in a different style of narrative and three stars from me.

The Camera Never Lies is story filled with a bit of magic/supernatural elements.
Entertaining and well written, this book highlights how keeping secrets doesn’t just affect the one keeping them, but everyone around them. Things are not always as we see them. Thought provoking tale.
I received an advanced copy through NetGalley and this is my own honest opinion.

The first time I read this book I didn’t like it. I put off writing a review for too long and had to read it again. This time I was able to separate what I didn’t like from the rest. I do like the story, it held my interest and has a well written and strong message about honesty. I do recommend this read, although I’m not a fan of fantasy, so the magic of the camera kind of killed it for me.

2.5stars.
It was an interesting blurb and premise. But i just did not like the characters all that much and that affected my experience and stars.

An original, captivating read. A well crafted novel. Intriguing. Cleverly captured plot. Authentic. Five stars.

#TheCameraNeverLies #NetGalley


The book got off to a slow start but once I got into the story, I was hooked. Daniel and Kelly seem to have a great life, with a 12 year old daughter, and good jobs..
But Kelly has moral issues with hers and Daniel's well his personal life is not as put together as it seems to be.

His grandfather dies and leaves him an old Olympus camera. I thought the camera was a character itself.

The story is unique and I loved how the camera showed the pictures, even if Daniel and his wife weren't thrilled with what they saw.

A really good read which gave me lots to think about.

Thanks for the complimentary e book in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley.

The underlying message in this book should have been amazing. But the author just does not execute the story well. This book just didn’t draw me in and left me wishing for more. I’m not a Hallmark-movie type fan. And this book was too similar to the perfect wrapped up tightly ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Publishers for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

What if the photos that you took showed what has happening within your heart? You know the secrets you are trying to hide. What would you do with those photos? The Camera Never Lies by David Rawlings is a book that explores that very topic.

We all have things that we are trying to hide. We are hiding them from ourselves and from other people. That is exactly what Daniel is doing in The Camera Never Lies. Life is falling apart but he is not ready to admit it. He inherits a camera from his grandfather. Someone is taking photos and when Daniel sees the photos there are things in there that reveal the truth. Will he admit the truth or continue to hide it?

One interesting thought in the book is that each time Daniel went to develop the photos the price went up. Why? Because it gets more and more expensive to hide the truth.

I loved the book and it did give me a bit to ponder. What would be added to my photos if they were taken with the “camera that never lies?” It also gives a word picture to talk through with people as we talk about what is really in our hearts and how we work to hide it.

One disappointment in the book was there is no reference to the Bible. Oh, there was the phrase “the truth will set you free” but it was not as a quote from the Bible but just a saying. The Bible speaks so much about truth that missing this in the book is a big disappointment. Without the foundation of the Bible it is just a book about trying hard to be honest with those around us. We need to understand truth from the Bible.

Daniel is a marriage counselor and his own marriage is struggling. He doesn’t want to go to another counseling centre and his wife doesn’t want to go to someone within his own centre. What if they went to their church? What if the counselor from church pointed them to the truth in God’s Word?

As a photographer and a fan of mysterious stories, I was instantly intrigued. This is a quick and easy read that centers around Daniel inheriting his grandfather’s prized camera which is inscribed with “... the camera never lies” on the bottom. Daniel doesn’t think much of this at first, but he quickly realizes that things aren’t as they appear in the photographs. It only gets weirder when he stumbles on a film development shop that refuses to provide any insight, only speaking in vague riddles. Will Daniel turn his attention inward and save his family before it’s too late, or will he ignore the exposures right in front of him? Read for yourself and see what develops.

Daniel Whitely is a successful marriage counselor and thanks to his best-selling book business at his once failing practice is booming. However he has been unsuccessful at keeping his own marriage afloat. Teetering on dangerous footing, Daniel and Kelly have danced around their problems for months and with the passing of Daniel's grandfather tensions have never been higher. At his funeral, Daniel's mother hands him a briefcase and a letter left to him by his grandfather, his last gift. Inside the briefcase is his grandfather's most prized possession, an old camera with the inscription "No matter what you think you might see, the camera never lies.” on the bottom. Daniel develops the film left behind in the camera only to be left with more questions when the only photo lab left in town returns a series of upsetting pictures of his family that he didn't remember being taken. Why would he have taken these? When Daniel returns to the lab with his own roll of film confusion only grows when the photos he receives back have been altered revealing secrets he thought he buried. Who was doing this? Daniel must find out what is going on before his carefully crafted exterior comes crumbling down. When I started out reading "The Camera Never Lies" I didn't expect it to take the turn it did. Don't get me wrong the concept and messaging were good but the overall package just wasn't a big hit for me. The book fell squarely in the middle of the road, wasn't bad but wasn't one I would read again, nor probably highly recommend you add to your TBR lists. This is a hard one to review - it's an easy read, the story flows well and maybe for the right person "The Camera Never Lies" might be just what you are looking for. Thank you to NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK

Im not sure what I was expecting from this book but it is different than what I thought. And in a good way! Counselor Daniel Whiteley seems to be able to fix everyone’s marriage except his own! It is when he inherits an old case with his grandfather’s camera in it that he begins to see just what the camera picks up about people.

This is a book I really enjoyed. David Rawlings kept me in just enough mystery to make me keep reading until I finished the book. The characters were awesome, and their development throughout the story was strong. Even though this is fiction, I learned a lot from Daniel. His counseling tips can be used by anyone. And I loved the wisdom and guidance of his grandfather through the old camera and the photos. Some of the recent photos taken were a little disturbing, but you need to read the book to find out about this, knowing this info will ruin the read for you. This is a pretty fast read, and I’m finding that Mr. Rawlings is an author I want to hear more from. I cant wait for his next book! This is just an all around great read that I highly recommend.

A copy of this book was given to me by the author or publisher. I am not required to write a positive review. The opinions here in this review are totally mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

This is a thought provoking book. Daniel received his grandfather's camera when he passed away. But it's not just any camera, when the film is developed it shows the truth. Things that people don't show or tell you. It makes you wonder how well do you know the people around you and are there things that they're afraid to reveal. A wonderful book!

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This one is a tough one to review. The idea of it was cool and the underlying message was good but the execution in my opinion was poor.

I felt like I was reading the same thing over and over again. Not much happened and yet it managed to drag on for so long.

Daniel was a horrible character and so self absorbed I was really just hoping Kelly would leave him the whole time.

I honestly feel like I will have forgotten about this book in a week which is sad because like I said the underlying message was good and important but it wasnt done in a memorable way.

Thanks to netgalley for arc in exchange for honest review

I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, it felt like an episode of The Twilight Zone and was definitely unbelievable. On the other hand, I did keep reading to see what happened. I still would not recommend this book and will probably not read this author again.

When Daniel is left an old Olympus camera engraved with the words:The camera never lies,"after his grandfather's death, he imagines that its mysterious photos will lead him to reexamine his life. He realizes quickly that for too long he has been dodging his wife's jealous questions and has purposely telling himself that his adolescent daughter's changes are normal. The camera shows him the truth, but the biggest truth that he must face is about himself, his career, and his fears. I wanted to like this book more than I did. I liked Daniel and Kelly and their daughter, but felt they needed a bit more development. Plus, I am just not into books that show spiritual or life truths through "magical" or mysterious happenings. places, or gadgets. So while I totally believe the lesson of the consequences of truth, the importance of being honest within a family, and the danger of secrets, I cannot give this book above a 3.5. Readers who like their stories laced with a bit of other worldliness, then David Rawlings' title may be just what you want. I received a copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are mine.

Australian author David Rawlings has just won a 2019 Christy Award for his debut novel, The Baggage Handler, so I wanted to find out how his second novel fared in comparison.

Personally, I think it’s even better.

Now, not everyone will agree with me. One of the strengths of The Baggage Handler was that so many readers could find themselves in one of the three characters: the ambitious businessman, the harried housewife, the teen trying to find his own definition of success. The Camera Never Lies has a narrower set of characters, but I found them just as relateable. And they’re still asking a universal question:

What would you do if your secrets were revealed to those around you? The Camera Never Lies is the story of a successful marriage counsellor who refuses to face up to the issues in his own marriage, despite his “No Secrets” tagline. Daniel Whiteley inherits his grandfather’s camera, an old-fashioned film model, the kind where the pictures are true and can’t be manipulated with filters or PhotoShop.

As Simon in the photo shop says, the camera never lies. Or so he thinks. Because when Daniel looks at the photographs, he’s sure they’re not the photos he took. So what are these photos? This is where the slight speculative element comes in, as we discover the camera is a little magical. It captures truth, but not the truth we see …

The Camera Never Lies isn’t overt Christian fiction. It never mentions God or Jesus or church or prayer. But it is definitely a story built on Christian principles—honesty, integrity, and the importance of internal character over the external trappings of success. As such, it’s both a great story, and a great gift … especially for people who would never pick up a Christian novel.

Recommended.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

Everyone has secrets. And sometimes the person we lie to the most is ourselves. This is exactly what Daniel discovers when he inherits a camera from his grandfather. But it’s not just any old camera. This one is special. The photographs it produces capture moments that are unknown at the time, glimpses of truth that are too difficult to face. As Daniel gradually discovers the power of this mysterious camera and its photos, he realizes that his own falsehoods are possibly the biggest lies of all.

This was a fun book to read, quick and magical and thought-provoking. And it made me wonder, what would my photographs show?

LOVED this book! Very intriguing! Had me on the edge of my seat from the start! This is a must read!

THE CAMERA NEVER LIES.
BY DAVID RAWLINGS

If you are looking for a change of reading content, this is the book.
The story is one of a family in extreme conflict and threat of destruction.
“Gramps” wills his camera to David, his grandson and a marriage counselor.
The camera has magical abilities to exposes hidden truths, and David has many
as do his wife and daughter.
This is, in my opinion, a fantasy story that explores how lies can destroy and when seen by the guilty, can inspire them to turn their lives around.
The book is well written and keeps the readers attention. The main characters are well developed and easy to relate to.
I enjoyed this book, and recommend it to anyone who wants to be throughly entertained.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy from Netgalley in return for a fair opinion.

This book made me cringe, and I would like to think that was exactly the author's intention. This is not a light read, nor an easy read, but it is a necessary read. Truth is in short supply these days. This story is about a family's work and school life. With this special camera, images reveal what is really happening behind the scenes. Faces appeared bored. Glances are wandering. Reality is revealed. This book made me stop and ponder what I am trying to hid from those around me. In this novel, some of the reality is shown from the beginning. Some details are told later on which help to explain why certain characters acted a certain way. Not everything at the end of the book is happy, but there is definitely resolution. This is a completely unique plot and viewpoint. I would read more by this author. Thanks to#netgalley and #ThomasNelson for allowing me a copy to review. All opinions are my own!