What quickly started off as innocent turns into a tale of obsession and desperation. In The Photographer the protagonist Della Dawn wants to emulate the perfect life that she created in her mind. Mary Dixie Carter wrote a tale that was full of intrigue and had me second-guessing everything that I thought I knew about Della. Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this hidden gem, and now I want to read more books by Mary Dixie Carter.

I had such a hard time getting through this one. It took me over a month of picking it up for a little bit and then having to set it aside after I struggled through a few pages. I wish I could say it got better over time, but it was just boring. I felt like it had such potential in the beginning with Delta having stalker tendencies, and even possibly homicidal ones as well. Then nothing ever happened. The end was incredibly disappointing for a thriller and suspense book. She never did anything thrilling in my opinion no surprises or twists or turns.

4.5 Stars rounded up to 5 Stars!

This is both a great story....and creepily eerie how someone can manipulate themselves into your life, without you even knowing it.

The children, the parents - unknowingly trusting - such a world that could be truly believable with the turn of events.

Great writing and master story-telling! The wrap up was perfectly executed and I would highly recommend this book in the audiobook version 1000000% !!! When the author reads their own work, it's just a completely different element of stroytelling - HUGE win for me!

I want to thank NetGalley, Mary Dixie Carter and the publisher for providing me with an audiobook version of this publication. In return, I have promised to provide an unbiased review.

"WHEN PERFECT IMAGES

As a photographer, Delta Dawn observes the seemingly perfect lives of New York City’s elite: snapping photos of their children’s birthday parties, transforming images of stiff hugs and tearstained faces into visions of pure joy, and creating moments these parents long for.

ARE MADE OF BEAUTIFUL LIES

But when Delta is hired for Natalie Straub’s eleventh birthday, she finds herself wishing she wasn’t behind the lens but a part of the scene—in the Straub family’s gorgeous home and elegant life.

THE TRUTH WILL BE EXPOSED

That’s when Delta puts her plan in place, by babysitting for Natalie; befriending her mother, Amelia; finding chances to listen to her father, Fritz. Soon she’s bathing in the master bathtub, drinking their expensive wine, and eyeing the beautifully finished garden apartment in their townhouse. It seems she can never get close enough, until she discovers that photos aren’t all she can manipulate."

The creepiness of this novel did not waste any time. Very Single White Female vibes. Obsession: check. Stalker: check. Motivation: unclear. Seriously?! What is she so crazy? Inquiring minds WANT TO KNOW! I enjoyed it nonetheless.

This was a crazy read! Creepy doesn't even do this justice. This is the ultimate story of obsession. Insane read!

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.

Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillian.audio for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

While reading this book, my brain kept thinking…This is Fatal Attraction without the boiling bunnies. The Synopsis is what interested me in this book, but it didn’t seem to match the sizzle I was expecting. The story line was shallow and left me wanting so much more. I was thankful for having the audio version of this book. The narrator did a great job which is why I’m giving 3 star instead of 2.

3 stars

I will always have respect for an author that narrates her own story. Mary Dixon Carter’s the photographer is a thriller about a girl who wants to be in the fancy life of Amelia and Fritz. So much so, as she goes to great lengths to try to have her child, convincing the family that she is the ONLY right choice.

The synopsis of the photographer had me hooked from page one and wanting to know more about what made Delta snap. However, I quickly lost interest in the story and found the main characters to be very weak/shallow. I wanted more of what made these people tick and what kept them up at night. The story felt more contemporary than a thriller.

It was fun listening to Carter as she put the inflection and tone that she wanted for these characters. You could tell through listening that she put her whole heart and soul into her story. Unfortunately, this fell flat for me.

An interesting thriller narrated by the author herself.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for giving me the opportunity to listen to this.

This was such a bizarre book for me. I love the narraotor and the story is great! Sister was a nut case! I never could tell what was REAL and what was real to only her lol As a retired photographer - I loved the nuggets embedded into the story, it really brought it alive for me. I felt so sorry for nearly everyone that came across Delta's path because she is totally a user and manipulator. Then we have Mrs. Straub - yeah, she's kinda nuts too!! I never like to recap a synopsis in a review - the potential reader has already more than likely read the synopsis so what could I add to that?? This was delicious brain candy and I would recommend it to anyone that appreciates psychological thrillers ;)
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sending me an ARC of The Photographer in exchange for an honest review.

The Photographer by Mary Dixie Carter was an odd read. Twisty, but confusing. Personally in this instance I wasn’t a fan of the author narrating her own work.

While this was a really good book, the audio version of this was just not for me. I loved the story and the suspense but I think this would be a book that was better to physically read rather than listen to.

I was not really a fan of this one. It was written strangely and just seemed a little off. I see what the author was trying to do but I just wasn't a fan.

While I found this entertaining at times, it was lacking something for me that could have granted it more stars.

This was an incredible thriller and the audio was perfect. The voice draws you into the story almost like you're being hypnotized. This is my first read from this author and I will definitely be looking into more.

A quick and fairly entertaining read that lacked substance and logic. A lot of plot holes. I wouldn't recommend this book but I would read the author's next book.

I couldn't get into this story or connect to the characters. The narration was not engaging and didn't hold my interest.

Wow what a thriller!! This was riviting the lines of loneliness and obsession are deeply explored. It was insane to see the lengths one might go to bring obsession to live and to fill the void of lonileliness and longing.

I found it frightening to see hiw easily Delta was able to insert and orchestrate her desires.

I was on the edge of my seat and fascinated by the dynamics of desperation, control and despair.

I would never have guessed how it would all play out and to me that's the best kind of thriller.

This book had it all the creepy, the desperation, perception and the entire epitome of that orchestrated perfect life that so many wish to portray.

Fantastic book.

Another psycho-thriller that has disturbing plot. Even though it started a little slow, I find it easy to follow just as the story unravels making it a fast, gripping and still very disturbing read. The obsessive , stalker craziness was plotted uniquely. Overall the ending was satisfying!

**This review and rating is of the narration ONLY. The book itself was a five-star novel.**

Audiobook note: I listened to the entire book. Often, I read as well as listen, and this time I did not. I listened to the whole thing and I have to say, I did not enjoy this narrator almost at all. She has an almost somnolent voice which might have been a creative choice since Delta is as a character both engaged with the Straubs and distant from them--always assessing them as one might from behind a camera lens, never a full participant in their lives though she strives to be. So that I could accept for the most part. But the voices of the characters in dialogue was almost cartoonish at times. I think she missed Amelia and Fritz entirely. Amelia especially was read like a much older society doyenne, rather than the creative, driven, New Brooklynite she was. I caught myself thinking several times that I was enjoying the story despite the narration and not because of it. Ugh, I know that sounds harsh, but I do think some people may not listen to the whole thing because of the narration.