I was hoping i would enjoy this book more than I did. It was okay, but it just didn't hit the spot with me.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review. 

This was a quick and creepy little read. It wasn't so much a thriller to me as it seemed like a domestic suspense. It wasn't at all believable in any sense which really threw me off of the interest wagon, but I pushed through it with difficulty and thought it was just alright. I wouldn't really recommend it.

will say it was a slow burn, but kept me interested the entire time. You can tell Delta suffers from a mental illness and her obsession takes it to a new level when she comes into The Straubs lives.
You could definitely tell Delta was more of a person of convenience to them and her "generosity" was being taken advantage of. I almost felt sorry for her, but she was overly inserting herself into their life as well.
Amelia was not likable at all! I hate how she used Delta, how blind she was to a situation that seemed so obvious, and how she treated her daughter. Fritz was kind of useless as well and I wanted to smack him upside of the head and say "grow a pair and do something"
The last few chapters had me pretty much on the edge of my seat and was overall very happy with how the story played

I have had the Photographer sitting on my bookshelf for the last year and decided that I was finally in the mood to read it and enjoy a good mystery. 

However, early in the story, I was bored and unable to find footing with the book. The story was headed in the direction that so many mysteries have tended to go, and I was not enjoying the book. I gave it another 20 pages but decided against finishing the book. 

I want to read future titles from the author, but The Photographer was not for me.

A great read by this author.  I definitely recommend checking this one out!
Thank you NetGalley for providing a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was WEIRD! Our main character, Delta Dawn, was seriously messed up! She did some weird and disturbing things after developing an unhealthy obsession with one of her clients.

The premise was so unique and this book was fast-paced and easy to read. Mysterious, dark, and entertaining! I was never bored with this one!

Odd, disturbing and obsessive. Those are the words I have chosen to describe this particular book. This psychological thriller was a slow burn, but in the best kind of way. Delta Dawn is an absolute great character and the author did an excellent job of showing us how the photographer sometimes has to edit the photos beyond the lens. Good read.

Delta is a freelance photographer who takes her craft pretty seriously. People allow her into their lives, generally only for a moment. But she longs to stay longer with some of them. Sometimes she envisions this and with her newest clients Amelia and Fitz, she will do anything to be in their orbit. Her efforts work... a little too well... and suddenly her life is shifting in a way she always dreamed.

The photographer in this one reminded me a lot of Joe Goldberg in You, she will do anything for Amelia and Fritz. There is literally no logic to the obsession but it consumes her. The lies pile up and she knows she is only ever a step ahead but she will do anything to remain in their orbit. It was definitely a compelling read that I didn't want to put down. The ending wasn't exactly a surprise but I thought it really fit. I loved how the author used her photography skills to ingratiate her and also allow her to manifest the life she wanted with the family like playing paper dolls.

Thank you to St Martin's Press for gifted access via Netgalley. Apologies for leaving it in my queue for so long! All opinions above are my own.

This was a very tragic story but very well done.  I really enjoyed the narrator.  It was hard for me to like any of the characters but I do not think I was supposed to.  This is very intense and suspenseful.  I received a copy of this audiobook from Netgalley for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

Capturing memories is a photographer’s job. Delta Dawn, named for the country song by the same name, is an expert in not only recording life’s precious moments, but creating them too. Delta is a character that frustrated, angered, and broke my heart all at the same time. Her obsession drives this fast paced twisted tale where perception and reality are not always in sync. Unsettling, disturbing and extremely entertaining describe this debut psychological thriller by Mary Dixie Carter. I look forward to reading future books by this author.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my ARC.

This book was a wild ride from start to finish and I really enjoyed it.  Looking forward to more from this author.

Originally didn’t give feedback because I DNF, but it’s hurting my feedback ratio, so I will say this just was not right for me. I was trying to read more thriller, horror, and mystery, but this isn’t to my tastes. I also never rate books I DNF but this makes me.

The Photographer is a thriller about Delta Dawn, a photographer specializing in children's parties for high-class families. Without giving too much away, there were a lot of things to love about this book--the suspense, the narrator's obsession, the writing style--but sadly there were a lot of things that fell short for me. The trust of some of these characters felt so unrealistic to me, but that could be because I personally would never invite a stranger to babysit my child after knowing her for a day. I also couldn't help but feel like Delta couldn't have been more, I don't know, stalker-y? It was almost like it was hinted multiple times that Delta was going to go full "Fatal Attraction," but it never went far enough. 

The ending of the book brought the rating up for me though -- I had a mild suspicion of the main twist, but I was still surprised about a few things in the end. Overall, it was a thriller that I would recommend to anyone who does not mind a nice slow burn. It was a nice addition to the obsession trope.

Wow! This book was one twist after another! The suspense, intrigue and unexpected events kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the book.

Delta Dawn is the in crowd's child photographer.  No birthday party is complete without Delta's photographs of it.  She has the knack of catching a child in delight and if not, she is a master at Photoshop and can create a wonderful memory that never really happened.  Delta loves rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous although she knows she is regarded as a servant not a friend.

When she is hired to shoot the eleventh birthday party of Natalie Straub, it is just another job to her.  That is, until she arrives and meets the parents, Amelia and Fritz.  Delta loves everything about the Straubs' lives.  The residence is gorgeous as the Straubs are architects and designers.  Amelia is compelling and beautiful, Fritz a handsome man.  She is also drawn immediately to Natalie.  She would love to get to know the family better.

A lucky occurrence makes this possible.  Amelia and Fritz need a babysitter short term and Delta volunteers.  Soon she is babysitting frequently and finding ways to make herself useful such as running errands.  She listens to Natalie and sympathizes with Amelia and her quest to have another child.  She does whatever it takes to get closer to the family, including starting to date a family friend.  Soon Delta manages to come up with a plan that will make her indispensable forever.  What could go wrong?

This is a debut novel for Mary Dixie Carter and she also serves as the narrator.  Her background is in journalism and her work has appeared in publications such as Time, The Economist and various newspapers.  The novel masterfully introduces suspense as the reader peels back the layers and realizes that anything Delta says is not necessarily true but a statement carefully crafted to serve an end just as she crafts images to reflect desires.  This book is recommended for thriller readers.

Language: R (17+ swears, 10+ "f"); Mature Content: R; Violence: PG
This book is creepy in an unnerving way but not a bad way. I was intrigued and developed a morbid fascination with Delta's thoughts and actions. Part of me still wants to know if Delta's plans were successful (though I don't know if I'm rooting for or against that outcome), but the sexual content made me uncomfortable too many times, and I didn't want to go through any more of that. The mature content rating is for nudity, innuendo, and sex.

DNF - Did not finish. I did not connect with the writing style or plot and will not be finishing this title. Thank you, NetGalley and Publisher for the early copy!

3.5 stars, rounding up as I had to put the book on pause for a bit which is not fault to the author.

In fact, the premise of the book and early writing style is what kept me coming back to finish , even after months had gone by.

Where this failed me is in the ending. It felt rushed and a bit anti-climatic, considering the build up to the big reveal.
I was left with so many unanswered questions, and a bit confused on what was truth versus fantasy.

ARC provided by NetGalley

Unfortunately had to DNF this book- while I loved the description, I just could not get into the characters or the storyline. Not for me. Thank you to netgalley for the digital copy.

Loved this book! Right now my go to genre is psychological thrillers and this did not disappear.

Twisty and turning, it keep me guessing till the end.

Thanks to the author and Netgally for the ARC.