Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur books for the Advanced Release Copy of The Photographer in exchange for my honest review.

"It seems she can never get close enough, until she discovers that photos aren’t all she can manipulate." - The Photographer
I'm honestly not sure where to start with this one. Whoa!! That is probably the most accurate word that I can use. This one was not what I expected at all. We follow the day to day life of Photographer Delta Dawn (yes, like the song). Delta uses her intelligence and cunning to weave herself into the charmed lives of her wealthy clients. When she meets the Staub family, she wants more. She manipulates them and those around them until nobody exists except her. You know that you holding your breath and waiting for the event that will derail her carefully constructed dellusion, but you cant put it down. It is obvious early-on that she is self aggrandizing and feels that she is always manipulating, but you just have to see how it ends. I definitely didn't see the ending coming until I was almost there.

This was an extremely addictive and very suspenseful look at obsession, and desire. There has obviously been some deep-seated psychological trauma. You will have you asking yourself what is real until the very last page. Do yourself a favor and put this one on your list when it comes out May 25th, 2021!

@MaryDixieCarter @MinotaurBooks
#ThePhotographer #Edelweiss #bookstagram #psychologicalthriller #booknerd #onemorechapter #bookish #readingpastmybedtime #readallofthebooks

This book is pretty predicable, but that doesn’t mean it’s not enjoyable. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down. This is a quick read, but it’s a pretty fun thriller.

Lucky me, I got an advance copy of The Photographer by Mary Dixie Carter. I've heard rumblings that it might be one of this summer's hot beach reads - and I wouldn't be surprised if that's the case. It's not one of those super twisty thrillers with a ton of WTF moments - it's a fairly slow-paced story, but that fits the overall vibe and mood so that's not necessarily a criticism. It's an interesting dark psychological thriller. I saw a blurb by Jennifer Hillier (love her) that said it was a combo of YOU and PARASITE and I thought that comparison was pretty accurate. The main character is delightfully off the rails, in the way that everything she does seems 100% justified and normal to her. That's something that creeps me out the most, when an obviously deranged person sees nothing wrong with their actions. This one hits shelves May 25th. A big thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books and St Martin's Press for the advance copy.

The Photographer by Mary Dixie Carter was such a suspenseful, quick, and engaging read! This story is told from the perspective of Delta Dawn, a children's photographer who excels at editing images to curate memories. It is a gripping domestic thriller that is kept me turning the pages. Even though I had caught on fairly early in the novel that not everything was as it seemed, I still found the story as a whole and the end result to be enjoyable and compulsively readable. I read this in almost a single sitting because I didn't want to put it down, though I almost anticipated a greater level of twisty for this one. Overall, I found this to be a very entertaining read and I would recommend it for fans of domestic thrillers full of obsession!

I received an ARC of the title from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley which did not affect the contents of my voluntary review. All opinions are honest and my own.

The Photographer is the perfect title for this book. Not only because the protagonist is a photographer, but because as reader you feel like you are looking through the lens of a camera, trying to be discreet behind the camera as you watch and observe the people and events taking place.

This story is an excellent, creepy thriller that will keep you flipping the pages and on the edge of your seat throughout your reading experience. Its a slow burning (but definitely intriguing) read that keeps building, getting more and more suspenseful little by little, and it will definitely make you want more.

It’s filled to the brim with harrowing suspense, and it’s a nail biting, deliciously satisfactory read.

This is an intense story of obsession, and if that’s your kind of thriller, then definitely pick this one up! You won’t regret it!

Highly recommend!

For Delta Dawn being a photographer to NYC’s elite is rewarding on many levels. But she has a hard time separating reality from the fantasy photos she creates, obsessing to the level of inserting herself into people’s private lives with disastrous results.

Creepy, slow-burning suspense that keeps building until you find yourself thinking what just happened!??!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars - I went into this book pretty blind. I have been a professional photographer for 14 years now, so obviously the title caught my eye! I'm glad a photographer (me) has read this book, as I've written down some corrections, some of them specifically photographer-related. I thought it might be helpful to get some feedback from a professional photographer AND an avid-reader :) Though, I will say in advance I am *nothing* like Delta, the photographer in this book though ;)

Here are the notes I wrote while reading this book:

8% - If the character is supposedly a professional photographer with a decade of experience, she wouldn't think of her camera as a "digital Canon EOS". She would just think of it as "her camera", but to give some detail to the reader, this should be replaced with Nikon D5, or the d850, but if Canon MUST be used (bleh) than it should be the Canon 5D Mark IV.

13% - So... this photographer is creepy. She has issues for sure. Hopefully we get more background info or history on why she's like this as the story moves forward. (I was very disappointed that by the end of the book we didn't get any history on her family, or her childhood, or just WHY she is the way she is.)

18% - These chapters are very long, and could easily be broken up into shorter chapters. Generally, I like 5-minute chapters, but these are like 30-minute chapters. (I did notice in the second half of the book, the chapters did get shorter, to about 10-minute chapters.). Also, a random thought: There should be a camera on the cover somewhere. And the girl on the current cover has a green eye, but in the story it says she has blue eyes. Small disconnect there.

19% - Why would the photographer bring a present to her client? That doesn't happen for regular clients, and if she's working for a friend, it should say that to explain the random client gift. Also, most professional photographers don't wear their cameras around their neck, as it causes neck strain over time.

22% - Clients would never look through the viewfinder of my camera, but I would show them images on the digital display that I had already taken. (The word "viewfinder" was used a few times mistakenly throughout the book, where it should say "digital display on the back of the camera".)

28% - It's still not exactly clear what Delta wants. A friendship with Amelia? To replace Amelia and be with Fritz? And why the obsession with this couple specifically? (By the end of the book, I assumed Delta wanted to just be part of a loving family, but it never explicitly says what her goal is, or what's driving her intentions.)

40% - Early on in the book, Delta says she never edits photos unless absolutely necessary. But then it constantly says how she's working on editing, how she spends her days editing, etc. That earlier line about "never editing" should probably be taken out. Also, photographers definitely spend more time editing than they do actually shooting!

42% - Wouldn't the first thing they do, be to call the airline to see if Amelia got on the flight? Then when they find out she didn't, go through her calendar?

65% - Okay, so why did Amelia ghost Delta for 2 weeks?? Just because she asked Lucia the name of the baby? This isn't very clear.

68% - Delta was there when Lucia came over to tell them in person! Of course she knew, why would Fritz ask if she had heard?

76% - Okay this isn't being explained. What is a "garden apartment"?? Like a basement apartment? I keep picturing it as a separate building in the backyard.

79% - Finally Ian called her on it... It was very obvious that Jasper wasn't her son from very early on. A very predictable "twist".

80% - I forgot to mention this earlier, I love that she has a cat, and how feisty Eliza is!! More cat scenes would be awesome. Especially one where Delta is trying to edit but the cat keeps walking in front of her monitor, or on her keyboard, because that happens to me ALL the time!! Delta needs to respect the cat more, and be nicer to her though :(

100% - Photographers always have backups of their photos somewhere, especially edits that they have worked hard on. Delta just deleting her images, I can't see that ever happening in real life, especially since she cherished them apparently enough to print and save copies. It should probably be mentioned somewhere that she backed them up in the cloud or on a backup device or backup server.

Overall, I feel like the story could be just SLIGHTLY darker to really push the envelope, in terms of Delta's manipulations etc. Also some history as to why she is the way she is, some info about her family, etc would have been wonderful. Overall though I really enjoyed the book - there are certainly not enough thrillers where the main character is a photographer who values photos and "freezing moments in time", and definitely not enough books where the photographer owns a cat! :D

I have to say this book was a pleasant surprise. The beginning of the book lingered into 3 star territory but towards the middle it picked up pace and made it a 4 star.

Delta Dawn is a high end photographer who takes pictures of children as her main images. She comes into the lives of Amelia, Fritz and their 11 year old daughter Natalie. You go into this book with getting a glimpse of Natalie of how she is slightly crazy but you’re not really sure where it’s going. She idolizes this new family and wants to be with them but how far is she willing to go? That’s when it picked up for me in the second half with truths and deceptions coming forward.

It was a climbing anticipation to see Delta’s character grow towards crazy town but written effortlessly as if it was all very normal for her. It was an intriguing read I would recommend.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

This book didn’t live up to the hype for me. Sounded great but ended up pretty predictable for me. As predictable as a crazy protagonist can be, I suppose.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

The Photographer is a delightful, heart-pounding thriller that I couldn't put down. I loved the summary from the moment that I first read it, and I couldn't wait to get started on reading. What I didn't expect was that I would finish the book in a day. I seriously could not put the book down.

The book is from the perspective of the titular photographer, Delta. She gets hired to help around the expensive house of a couple, Fritz and Amelia, and their tween daughter Natalie. Delta likes what she sees, and she can't stop until she gets what she wants. It was fascinating to see the lengths that's also went through to make sure that her plan was on track. Without spoiling anything, her plan to get to her happy ending is engrossing and twisty.

I had to keep reading to find out what would happen to Delta, Amelia, and Fritz, and it was non-stop twists and turns until the end. Thanks to this book, I had a wonderful Sunday afternoon spent reading. However, I will probably have nightmares though about photographers and will keep him eye out for them at any future events I attend. In conclusion, I highly recommend this book for readers of the thriller genre, including Mary Kubica and Ruth Ware. You will definitely enjoy this book!

Unfortunately I struggled to get through this book- not because it was long (quite the opposite as it’s a short novel). The storyline of this book was just a little too slowly executed for me and I really wasn’t motivated to finish it. All of a sudden in the last twenty or so pages the book picks up speed, and is then done. I didn’t love the Epilogue either.
I would definitely read another book by this author, because the writing was good and I think the story had a lot of potential.. just wasn’t successful in my opinion.
I did love the book cover, I think there’s a bit of an “Easter Egg” in there (or at least as a graphic designer I get the nod to photo manipulation/warping).

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to honestly review this ARC!

THE PHOTOGRAPHER is one of the creepiest books I've ever read. Not in the normal way; Carter does a great job of giving us an amazing protagonist. The photographer sees her life in the way she creates it, not the way it really is. By creating photographs that imitate the life the photographer wishes she has, the photographer creates an internal life, one that doesn't exist, but that she thinks she achieve if she only created the right circumstances. Fascinating read. One that I won't forget.

WOW! What a great read that I absolutely flew through. We've all read that story: person becomes obsessed with family, ingratiates themselves into said family, terrible things happen. I have read other reviews that were disappointed that more sinister events didn't materialize, but I disagree: I think the subtlety of Delta's obsession made her that much more dangerous and creepy. Maybe that's just me but I was glad there wasn't a bunny cooking in the stew moment.

There were a couple things I wish had been more fleshed out. We know of Delta's history what she tells us, but is any of it true? I would love a chapter letting us in on the truth.

The other thing, and mild spoiler: why would Ian leave it to Delta to tell the Straub family what he found out about her? He's known them for years and is like family, but he just disappears without saying anything? Maybe love makes you do silly things, but I found that a tad far-fetched.

Overall though, I really enjoyed this and can't wait to read the author's next story, whenever that may be.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and the author for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This one kept me up and I had to read it in one sitting. Clever, an easy way to pass the day. I’d recommend to anyone who wants an authentic, entertaining book to read for any occasion.

Thank you Netgally and St Martin's press for the Advanced Readers Copy of The Photographer.

I read this book very quickly as it was hard to put down. Delta Dawn is s, professional photographer. She mostly photographs family events and children. The book starts off as she is the photographer for the Straub family's daughter Natalie's birthday party. She feels an immediate connection with the family and does anything she can to get herself closer to them.

This book had a very similar creepy vibe like You or Verity so if you liked those two books, I think you would also enjoy this one.

I wish there had been some flashback scenes to give us a better sense of Delta's childhood since that was just lightly alluded to and I think more details would have been helpful. The ending was wrapped up but that could definitely be a sequel which i would grab in a minute to read.

Overall i really enjoyed this book. I recommend anyone who liked You to read this one.

First, I want to thank Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This one kept me guessing the entire time. I knew as soon as I started that it was going to be one of those books that I would fly through because of how twisted and creepy it was. I know Delta wasn’t really a likable character, but I found myself extremely interested in her throughout the whole book. There were a few points in the story where I was left feeling a little confused and wanting more clear cut answers from the author. But all in all, I really enjoyed this one.

This one kept me guessing throughout the whole book. After a few chapters, I was invested and finished quickly. Early on, I knew something was off about the main character Delta, but I could not figure out what. I kept going because I was genuinely interested in finding out her deal. I was left with some unanswered questions and there was one twist in particular that I wish the author would have expounded on. Overall, I enjoyed the book and I would read another one of hers..

I found the main characters just a bit too weird for my liking and I didn't feel like reading on. The book is about a photographer who is asked to take pictures of wealthy children at their birthday parties. The main character is intrigued by the architect parents of a girl she takes pictures of and tries to use her photos to connect with this family. Definitely disturbing and I'm sure some readers will love it.

Really enjoyed this book. Wow. So much creep factor from the beginning to the very end. I loved the unique topic and multilayered storytelling. Great look into our hopes, wishes and obsessions. Highly recommend!
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

4 stars, but if the start wasn’t so slow it would definitely be a 5 star mind blowing read! Very fast paced, after the initial slowness, with a unique premise and well developed characters! As I mentioned, it was definitely one that was a slow start and I actually almost did not finish, but I’m glad I kept with it, because it’s a very riveting and chilling read! Full of twisty turns, thrilling thrills, chilling chills, and gasp worthy shocks! I highly, highly recommend, but must warn it’ll likely take a bit to get into it because of the slower start!

Will buzz around platforms and use lower Amazon reviewer number on release date!