I really wanted to give this a 4 or 5 star review but the big twist/ending was predictable for anyone who reads books like these. I loved the cover and the characterization of Delta Dawn (yes, that is the main character's name). There were some very suspenseful and twisty moments in this book, but the predictability factor was too high in this book and it was irritating in this book. Still recommended but this falls somewhere in the middle for me, not the worst book but not a favorite.

Thanks to Netgalley, Mary Dixie Carter and St Martin's Press Minotaur Books division for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 5/25/21

It is so eery how Delta becomes obsessed with the Straub family. On her first day there, she has, by her own sleuthing, determined family intimacies such as failed pregnancies by the mother and the father’s disappointment (discovered by analyzing his handwriting). And so it begins. Her fascination, her obsession with a family, and her desire to become part of it. Through babysitting their daughter, she begins to see herself as part of their lives, as a peer or friend, not as a staff performing duties. It soon becomes clear she will do almost anything to form that bond, a bond so strong that the Straub’s can’t function without her.

It has the unreliable narrator feeling captured by and experienced in other successful novels such as A.J.Finn’s “The Woman in the Window.” The plot twist was totally unexpected. Honestly, “The Photographer” is a brilliant page-turner that I couldn’t put down. It was a one-day read!!

The Photographer by Mary Dixie Carter deep dives into just how far obsessions can push us to try turn them into our reality- even if it means by any means necessary.

The story follows Delta Dawn who works as family photographer living in New York City. Delta specializes working with kids and is known for her ability to capture that once in a lifetime moment of birthdays and other special occasions and so is often referred to new clients by her existing ones.

When Delta is hired to photograph at the Straub home for their daughter birthday, she beings to put her plan into motion. If she can capture the perfect family, in their perfect home and living their perfect lives, why can’t she photoshop her way into it as well?

ThePhotographer was an addictive read and gave an insightful and suspenseful look at obsession, and how far it can push us. Although Delta made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, I found myself rooting for her- even if she was unreliable and unstable. ThePhotographer will leave questioning what’s real and what’s fiction until the very end.

The Photographer will be available for retail May 2021!

A special thanks to everyone at NetGalley , macmillanusa and minotaur_books for this arc.

Wow! This one really packs a punch. I haven’t read an unreliable narrator this crazy since The Perfect Girlfriend by Karen Hamilton (and that’s saying a lot).

Delta is a photographer, but more than that, she lives in the make-believe world of her photos. A master at Photoshop, she is able to truly see herself in all the family’s lives that she photographs. And it gets psycho!

I loved the way it was written because we were able to see how Delta thinks and feels about every little thing that happens along the way.

I probably could have read this all in one sitting - it’s that addictive!

But... I have questions. 😭😭

This is a wildly mesmerizing novel as we meet Delta, a talented photographer who becomes enamored with Amelia, Fritz, and daughter Natalie. As she insinuates herself in their lives, we realize her obsession with them borders on sociopathic as she photoshops pictures she takes of them, inserting herself instead. As her fascination grows, it becomes darker as her narration points to the very creepy plan she has in mind, all in the vein of "helping them." But of course, it's all to help herself but she's sly, conniving, and very adept at what she does. This is one of those thrillers that keeps you on your toes until the shocking conclusion. I adored it!

The Photographer by Mary Dixie Carter

This was a whirlwind of a book! I really enjoyed the perspective of Delta, a photographer who gets hired for photographing children for New York City’s elite. When Delta is hired by the Straub family, she immediately becomes engrossed in their life. I think it was very interesting to see how her life revolved around this family and how she was thinking about them all the time. I found it was a slow burn psychological thriller and very well written. I was obsessed with Delta’s obsession! I think it will be a hit when released, also this would be an amazing Netflix one season type of show!

Thank you for the opportunity to read in advance!

@sarahsbookcase

A very creepy book, with a very unreliable narrator. Delta Dawn is a children's photographer making a living taking family photos for wealthy New Yorkers. She envies their lives and sometimes photoshops herself into the pictures she takes. Things get weirder when she meets the Straubs. She infiltrates their lives quickly, and things come to a head in a particularly unpleasant way. You may never hire a photographer again, but a riveting read.

This was a quick read. It wasn't exactly what I was expecting. Many plot points are common with other books in this genre. There were a few unique twists, but parts were a bit predictable. Things fell a bit flat for me overall, and I never really connected with the characters as much as I would've liked. It was okay for a first novel.

Delta Dawn, the main character of The Photographer would be in the Urban Dictionary as the personification of the term 'thirsty.' She's not just thirsty, she is absolutely obsessed with the Straub family who hires her to photograph their daughter's 11th birthday party. Delta is a brilliant photographer, but more than that she is a brilliant Photoshopper. No family wants to see boring pictures of their child's birthday, much less see a sullen child. So Delta handles it. She can transform any photo in such a way that everyone looks good and, more importantly, happy.

Unfortunately, Delta doesn't stop at enhancing photos; she actually manipulates photos to add herself into the picture. In some cases, it's as simple as making her look like the best friend, but more creepily, she can also Photoshop herself naked with the family's husband. She does all that and more with Amelia and Fritz Straub. From the day they meet, Delta spends all of her time insinuating herself into the Straub family. It starts with babysitting their daughter Natalie and progresses to picking up their dry cleaning, watering their plants, running errands, etc. etc. She even starts dating one of their good friends. Whatever it takes to ingratiate herself, Delta is up to the task.

What I liked about The Photographer was the creepiness of the story and the fast pace. This is the debut of novelist Mary Dixie Carter, and it's one helluva start to her career. I'm definitely looking forward to more. What I didn't like was that I never understood the underlying cause of Delta Dawn's psychosis. She describes herself as beautiful, and she is highly skilled and highly esteemed in her profession. So why doesn't she have any friends? What in her background caused her extreme neediness? Those questions are never really answered. I also thought the ending was a bit of a letdown.

Overall, The Photographer is a fun read and a strong debut novel. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me an advance read in exchange for an honest review.

Delta Dawn is a highly sought-after, very talented photographer. Her work frequently takes her into the homes of New York City’s elite families, as her specialty is photographing children. When Delta books a job with the Straubs, popular and successful architects, she finds herself drawn to both Amelia and Fritz Straub, as well as their daughter, Natalie. Really drawn to them. Like, creepily drawn to them. As Delta goes on to weave her way into the Straubs’ life, the reader sees just how incredibly off the rails this character really is.

Initially, this book gave me The Last Mrs. Parrish vibes. But as it continued, I found it difficult to understand exactly what Delta’s ultimate goal was. Ultimately, it was a sense of belonging, but what that meant to her seemed a little scattered. I can’t really go into this too much without spoilers, but there was a really confusing line between whether she wanted to be a daughter, a lover, a mom, all of it to the same people? I really wasn’t sure. I also couldn’t really connect to the characters. Amelia Straub was the most dynamic character, but her motivations also became confusing for me toward the end. It’s not a spoiler to say she wants another child, but why? I never really understood. She has an incredibly successful career, for which she has sacrificed her relationship with her husband and her daughter. She seems totally okay with that, but is desperate for a new baby she has no time for? I’m not saying this can’t all be true in actual person - it just didn’t fit with this fictional personality as portrayed by the author, if that makes sense. As far as Delta, Natalie, Fritz, Ian - meh. Just nothing there. At a minimum, I need a villain I love to hate.

Ultimately, though, this book was a good quick read. Although it didn’t quite unfold in a way that works for me, I like the storyline itself. Great way to pass time in a waiting room, picking up kids from school, unwinding before bed. For a first novel, this isn’t bad and I’m looking forward to some fun thrillers from Mary Dixie Carter in the future.

Thanks to Mary Dixie Carter, Minotaur Books, and @netgalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

Holy whoa! This book was absolutely twisted and macabre, and I loved every second! The characters seemed incredibly real to me and I could thoroughly see this as a movie in the vein of “gone girl!” His twisted tale blew my mind in all of the right ways and made me not able to put this incredible book down. I loved every moment of the crazy ride that the author gave, I will definitely be looking for more from this fantastic writer! Thank you to the publishers in NetGalley for providing me with a free advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion. this story it was really something!

The photographer in the title refers to Delta, the protagonist of this story who makes a living photographing (and manipulating) images for families who want to capture memories (sometimes less than accurate ones) of their children’s special events.
It’s clear from the start that she has her own issues but over the course of the book we realize she’s willing to manipulate more than photos to get what she wants.

This was a quick read. It had familiar elements I’ve come to expect in so many domestic thrillers: unreliable narrator, obsession, fraught family dynamics. Yet the author managed to introduce a unique spin on some of those elements. She certainly took the “what you see isn’t always what you get” idea on its side.

Unfortunately there were just too many moments I had to suspend disbelief when it came to characters’ behavior. Ultimately it fell a bit flat for me and I never really found myself invested in the characters. I would certainly give this author another read given that this was her first novel, but this isn’t one that will stick with me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This book took me longer to read than I originally thought it would. It was a good story overall and had some suspenseful/mysterious moments, but I would definitely not classify it as a thriller. It was more of a slower-paced mystery to me. Halfway through, I figured out the secret(s) of the photographer so that wasn’t much of a surprise. The only thing that kept me reading it was wanting to see how the story played out and if she was able to maintain her friendship with Amelia.

In my opinion, the story overall was good. The part I found odd was how fast Delta was able to insert herself into the Straub’s lives and their home and how comfortable she seemed to be with it. That almost seemed unreal that someone would think and feel that way, but who knows...there are some crazy-thinking people out there!

I didn’t enjoy this book enough to want to recommend it to others, but if it’s already on your TBR list just make sure you are prepared for a slower-paced book.

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

Family photographer Delta Dawn [her mother’s tribute to Tanya Tucker] knows her way around cameras and lighting and angles and documenting and photography as a work of art . . . and photoshopping. There is no doubt that she’s more than a little obsessed with appearances and has fine-tuned the art of ingratiation. She knows how to make her customers’ photographs tell the story she believes they want them to tell.

Clearly, Delta is a talented photographer, but one who likes to create the moments for her pictures, to serve as the director of the shoot. And now, she’s set her sights on the Straub family, the exquisite Greek revival brownstone in Boerum Hill that they call home, and on what Delta perceives as the privileged life they lead.

And she will do whatever it takes to entrench herself in the middle of their family . . . forever.

Delta Dawn is the narrator of this creepy story that pulls the reader in from the outset and never lets up. Early on, readers are sure to recognize exactly what Delta is all about, how she sees nothing wrong with manipulating her photographs, using them as a way to play up to her customers. Clearly, she’s good at what she does, commanding a top-notch salary and delivering a quality [even if photoshopped] product.

At times, “The Photographer” seems almost more of a character study . . . Delta definitely exists in her own twisted fantasyland . . . yet there’s the mystery of why she’s decided to weave herself into the Straub family and exactly what she’s going to do to put herself where she’s decided she belongs. The multilayered story doesn’t offer readers too many startling surprises [save one] . . . Delta clearly lays out her plans and clues the reader into everything she’s doing to bring her master plan to fruition.

The unique plot seems straightforward enough; the characters are well-drawn and believable. But there remains a troubling question about exactly where Ian ends up and there’s that staggering, pulse-pounding twist near the end that most readers won’t see coming.

Delta is definitely unlikable, but she’s also a mesmerizing character who knows how to hold the reader’s interest. She’s scheming, conniving, obsessive, and clearly unstable, but somehow she always manages to find the right move to catapult her out of danger, allowing her to manipulate herself into her next situation.

The continually-building suspense keeps readers on the edge of their seats; sadly, however, there’s nary a clue as to what made Delta Dawn the way she is today. Delta herself makes a few comments along the way, but perceptive readers realize there’s no way to know if her comments are true or just part of her fictionalized pseudo-world. In any event, readers are sure to find this lack of a definitive background conspectus quite disappointing.

Disturbing and dark, riveting and cringe-worthy, there’s much to appreciate in this eerie tale of twisted desire and deception. Don’t miss it.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books and NetGalley
#ThePhotographer #NetGalley

I highly recommend this book. I literally could not read fast enough. Everything this Genre should be and more!!
Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me the thrill of reading early.

A fantastic novel in the vein of Patricia Highsmith. Delta Dawn is our heroine....Or is she? A talented young photographer running her own birthday party portrait business, Delta slowly reveals more about herself as we follow her day to day work interactions with parents of young wealthy children. Early on, Delta meets a family that she feels she must know more about and her drive to become an actual part of the family powers the majority of the book. I recommend this book highly! Unlike many novels written in first person, this book draws you in and you truly feel a part of Delta's psyche. I always wonder if people mean it when they say "They read a book in one sitting" but I did complete this book in 24 hours! I had to know what would happen next. This book has believable twists and turns while keeping you guessing.

Thanks to the Publisher and Net Gallery for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was a fun psychological thriller read- sort of a “Talented Mr Ripley” meets “Single White Female” .
The author skillfully pulls backs the layers, the facade each of us creates for the world, which is very different from reality. Amelia- beautiful on the outside, literally constructing a picture perfect life, but constantly grasping for something just out of reach , Fritz her husband, living his life as second fiddle to his wife’s obsessions, and ther daughter Natalie who sees all too clearly that she can never be enough. Our narrator- Delta Dawn ( yes, thats really her name) the photographer who sees everything and isnt above a little photoshop to insert herself into their life.
While I found the characters in the story fully dimensional, the plot itself was fairly predictable as Delta the narrator tells us exactly what she is doing the whole time. For me this took all of the excitement out of the story.

This was an interesting domestic suspense read- one of those stories where you feel a sense of foreboding even when nothing bad is actually happening. It centers on Delta, who is a photographer in NYC, mostly catering to well-to-do families as their kids' birthday parties. When she takes pictures for Natalie's 11th birthday, she develops an unhealthy obsession with her family and will do anything to become a part of their inner circle.

Delta is clearly a little nutty, and it was interesting to see how she showed up to others versus what was going through her head. One thing I never really understood, though, is why she fixated on this one family or what her end goal actually was. Either way, the book itself was fast-paced and left me with a constant sense of anxiety (in a good way) about what would happen next. I woudl have liked to learn more about Amelia and Fritz and what their history was before Delta came into their lives.

Overall, fun read that I finished in less than a day. Though there were some missing pieces for me around Delta's motiviations, I enjoyed the book and thought it was delicoiusly dark. I'd give a solid 3.5 stars and recommend it to those who like domestic suspense books. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my gosh this book was completely consuming for me! The Photographer was creepy, addictive, and a page-turner! Delta will have your skin crawling and wondering who you know and how well you really know them. Loved
this book!

I was lucky enough to win an electronic ARC of THE PHOTOGRAPHER by Mary Dixie Carter in a Shelf Awareness giveaway. Thank you for the early look, and stay safe!