The narration of this character had me on edge because I knew Delta was totally obsessed and at any moment something big was going to happen because she was consumed with being noticed, needed and wanted.. Her manipulation of the Straub family is written beautifully and this book will have your nerves on edge.

I finished this one a while ago but it took me a bit to review. Delta Dawn (yes, that is her name) is a photographer of children of the rich and famous and she is a devious psychopath who integrates herself into the lives of her clients. She takes a liking to one of her clients and starts stalking and photoshopping her way into their lives. This one had me on edge and questioning why I kept listening but I couldn't stop because I wanted to know what was going to happen next. Will I pick up another from this author? Probably...

**Received this ARC for review in audio from the publisher via NetGalley**

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for allowing me to read this!

I was instantly intrigued by the synopsis of this book. This book instantly drew me in, I got to explore through the eyes of our main character and this is always my favorite way to discover these details of the story and, it was done very well in this book. I really enjoyed this book and the plot. This author did amazing. I loved the writing style.

The Photographer is a twisted thriller that’s about a photographer who will do anything to become part of the family she’s photographed. This book was just ok for me. Somethings were a little predictable for me. What I enjoyed most was the narration. The author, Mary Dixie Carter, narrates her own book and I found the narration to be the BEST part. She added so much to this story and truly brought the characters and this story to life. I HIGHLY recommend this audiobook!

The summary of this book really caught my attention, and while it was entertaining, it wasn't quite as gripping or original as I expected. That being said, it's an engaging, quick weekend read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my copy for my honest opinion.

I listened to this as an audio book and I fully regret it. I don't know if it's the actual story or just the person reading it but I could not get into this. I found myself completely dozing off while trying to listen. The characters were just not very relatable. In fact, I found Delta very annoying. I just don't have mcuh to say about this one.

Delta Dawn is an excellent family photographer. She's so good, her clients have to be wealthy to afford her. The book starts with Natalie Straub's 11th birthday, and Delta is quickly obsessed with the family — elegant Amelia and sexy Fritz. The interloper gets close with the Straubs and finds a sense of belonging, but her intentions (and obsession) isn't as pure as it seems.

Really struggled with this one because it's a bit slow. I also didn't love the narrator on this audiobook, or the writing. The premise was good — reminded me of The Last Mrs. Parrish.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my copy of The Photographer by Mary Dixie Carter Narrated by Mary Dixie Carter in exchange for an honest review. It published May 25, 2021.
If you're looking to be unsettled by a thriller, and not be able to trust anything, then look no further. This book was definitely different from anything I've read in a long time, and I was thoroughly creeped out.
There is a lot of sexual stuff in this book that could potentially make someone very uncomfortable, and it's not easily skippable.
The writing and narration were well-done.

I received this read from NetGalley for an honest review. It is a dark story of a photographer that is obsessed with a family and finds herself a part of it. It really makes you wonder about the photos that you see on social media. If you liked the You series by Caroline Kepnes, you will like this read.

🎥 A slyly observed, suspenseful story of envy and obsession.

🎥Delta Dawn, a photographer, observed the seemingly perfect lives of New York’s elites: snapping photos at their children’s birthday parties, creating moments these parents will love forever.

🎥When Delta is hired for Natalie Straub’s eleventh birthday, she was wishing she wasn’t behind the scenes but instead part of the family.

🎥Soon Delta becomes close with the whole family, feeling as if she can’t get close enough to them...until she discovers that photos aren’t all she can manipulate.

📷 I really enjoyed this one!! It was full of thrills and twists... and there was this one moment that absolutely blew my mind.

📷Reading more and more thrillers, I’m starting to get picky with them... however I absolutely loved this one. It blew my mind!!

📷I listened to The Photographer via audiobook on NetGalley and wow was I impressed with this one. I was hooked from the beginning and couldn’t put it down.

📷I would definitely recommend this one. It was really good. Also, sorry that this review was kind of late... I meant to post earlier but my day got super busy (sorry) Therefore, this is the best I got today!!

https://www.instagram.com/p/COoosDcLxIL/?utm_medium=copy_link

I always love a good thriller with a creepy, obsessive element to it and this one delivered! I enjoyed this read and loved the smart ending.

Mysterious and sleepy delta a photographer infiltrates a family she photographed as she wants the life the mother has. She is aiming to get in bed with the father no matter what it takes

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.

I picked up this book because the cover reminded me of Anonymous Girl (which I LOVED) and I have been in the mood for a thriller/mystery. And while The Photographer wasn’t quite what Anonymous a girl was, it did not disappoint! It was a slow burn thriller that had my pining for more and thinking about it regularly. I mean, I figured out the twist and I knew almost every curve was coming, but in a great way. Like I wanted to find out how it happened. Delta was such a great character, and she was written in empathy. Even though I didn’t “get her,” I understood her thought process. The slow build created such beautiful tension. I know this wouldn’t be for everyone, but I already have friends I’ll recommend this to. But the physical book, because I did not love the narrator. She was quite monotone.

The Photographer by Mary Dixie Carter Published by Minotaur Books/Macmillan Audio May 25, 2021 Narrated by the author. I was the luckies person to receive an E Galley and audio advanced copy via Netgalley and a finished copy of this book from the generous people at Minotaur Books. These gifted copies are send in exchange for an honest review

Delta Dawn is a photographer to the elite. Having a children’s birthday party? She’s who you call. Delta is a young woman who has always wanted it all. After she photograph’s the Straub family’s birthday celebration for Natalie, Delta befriends mom Amelia in a very different way. She offers to help babysit, to be more available to them when they should need help with their daughter. She really wants their life. Delta becomes privy to all of Amelia’s dreams, and this is where things become deeper and more confusing. Be careful who you share all your private details with.

I mostly listened to the audio of this book and while the narration by the author was fine it wasn’t great. It lacked enough variables in the characters and the pacing was off. What I read in print I enjoyed more, so I’d recommend reading vs listening to this one.
The story was very interesting and I was eager to learn what Delta was up to, but none of the characters were likable so it make it difficult to invest in any one character. This is a debut novel and I believe the author has the potential to write more good books. I gave this 3.5 stars. Thank you again Minotaur Books.

2.5 ⭐️

This was a dark, disturbing and twisted tale of obsession. Delta is a photographer who desperately wants to be needed/wanted/accepted into her newest client - The Straub’s. She sets on a course of manipulation so that she can be doted upon, or sway things in her favor.

I found it to be a quick and entertaining read, but it lacked suspense and I wasn’t quite sure of Delta’s motives behind her obsession.

The little girl Natalie was the most sane character in the book. The ending just kind of wrapped up messily and felt unfinished to me.

Many thanks to Netgalley for my advance listener copy, in exchange for my honest review.

In her debut novel, Mary Dixie Carter shows the extent a woman will go to to have the perfect family:

Delta Dawn has an amazing gift when it comes to photographing children, so much so that she is called upon NY elite to capture the important family events. When Delta is hired to capture the events of the Straub's only daughter, Natalie, birthday, Delta begins to wish that she was part of their lives. This is where Delta hatches a plan, to do everything in her power to become part of the Straub's life, t be part of there picture perfect family. Detla realizes that she's just as good at manipulating photos as she is manipulating people.

I think this book had a lot of promise and I have not read a book like this in a long time, but you can tell that this is a debut novel. This book attempts to be a psychological thriller but I do not think that it made it there, it was more of a slow burning domestic suspense. It is basically a book about a woman who becomes obsessed with a family, in a pretty creepy way, but it never surpasses the creepy factor to becomes a full on thriller.

I wanted everything within this book to be more extreme, more manipulation, more Delta inserting herself into the families lives, I wanted to know more about Delta and her metal state. I mean Carter hints to her past throughout the book, but is Delta really this way as she is just looking for and wanting a better family of her own? Or is there something deeper there as to her reasons why she is willing to do what she does for this family. I mean if you have read this book Delta does sacrifice quite a bit for the family as well.

I wanted Delta to be more manipulative than she was, I think there were opportunities for the within the book but Cater did not take them. Also as this book is only told from Detla's POV, we cannot really see what the inner workings of the manipulations that Delta has started, other than she just always seems to get her way. I just wanted more, and everything more extreme. Why just stick to the photographs of some of the things she picture, why not put more of those fantasies actually into the book. I also wanted a bit more in the ending, maybe Natalie's point of view of view, how her time with Delta had shaped her. Also, it the ending seemed so abrupt and a complete 180 in attitude for Delta, like it seemed like she completely changed as a person.

This was an audio-book read for me and I was not a fan of the narrator in this book. She was good when she was doing other character's voices but for some reason I did not like her voice for Delta. I found it whiny and did not sound like it fit the character that Delta was.

This book was just okay to me, I wanted Carter to take a more extreme approach in Delta's behaviour, as i thought that there was just a gradual escalation of events and manipulation that never really hit the high point. I would try another book by Carter, I just suggest if you do read this book do not expect a thriller.

Cheers!!!

I’m sorry, I love a creepy stalky plot, but not this one. I can’t say why I didn’t connect with the story or Delta. I needed something to draw me in and want to know more about her or her past.

I can't really find the right word to describe this, kind of weird, kind of twisted.

I really disliked one of the main characters. I also wasn't as surprised by the ending as I thought I would be.

Decent read and kept me entertained, audio was done well

This was an audiobook listen for me and my star rating is very different for both the narration and the story itself.
The Photographer is a creep fest of a listen/read with the key character, Delta, being touted as a sociopath. Delta is a children's photographer that insinuates herself into the lives of those she photographs. Her lies which are basically her whole life, center around her needs and are so realistic that the reader must be on their toes to discern which is truth and which is a lie. When Delta connects with Amelia while photographing her daughter Natalie's birthday party, she imagines herself as a central part of the family. Soon she ingratiates herself into their every day life. When an opportunity comes up to become a permanent member of the family, Delta seizes it.
The Photographer explores the drive a family might experience to have another child and how that can be exploited for someone else's gain. I rate it ****
The audio portion of this book did not work for me and I seriously considered not finishing it. It is author read which I have found not to be a good idea unless it's a memoir or a comedian's book. It was so slow that I upped the reading speed to keep my attention on what was happening. Also, very monotone. I rate it **
That said, I would recommend the written version. Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Publishers for an early copy of the audio version in exchange for an honest review.