The Girl in the Photo was an interesting read. It was a little slow going in places but I still became hooked quite quickly. It had satisfying twists and turns and an unexpected ending. All in all a great read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for my ARC.

★★★★ 3.5 stars (rounded up)

You think you know who she is…You’re wrong…

I really don't know where to start. This is essentially such a sad sad story. It is heartbreaking in more ways than one. It is about the loss of a child, mental illnes, IVF sand yet so much more. There is not a lot I can say without giving anything away so I will just keep it brief.

Erica is lonely married woman struggling to conceive and in her marriage. She journals on Instagram sharing her struggles where she is an inspiration to many. Whilst at home, her marriage crumbles. She has rehearsed over and over what to say to her husband Jamie to end their marriage and yet she can't bring herself to say the words. And every evening he returns home from his work as a forensic psychologist working with prisoners as grumpy as ever. It's clear things are taking a toll on their marriage.

Every Friday, Mercy Hamilton goes to the same supermarket. But she doesn't buy groceries. Instead she shows a fading photograph of a little girl to anyone will look begging for help to find her daughter. She has become a nuisance to staff and shoppers alike but one Friday Erica is there and is aghast that no one will take her seriously. Touched by Mercy's story, Erica agrees to do all she can to help. But not all is at it seems.

The police are aware of Mercy. But there's never been a record of a missing child matching the description of the girl in the photo. In fact, there's no record of the child at all. Everyone believes Mercy to be suffering from some kind of delusional disorder. So what exactly can Erica do? The closer the two women get, the closer Erica comes to uncovering the disturbing truth.

The story was an incredibly slow burn and took some time to build. A little too slow for my liking but I stuck it out and was rewarded. There is so much to this story that I can't even begin to reiterate without inadvertently letting something slip. I really didn't see the twist coming but when it did I was like wow...but saddened at the same time.

Overall, an enjoyable psychological thriller that was a little too slow to start but came together nicely. A compelling tale.

I would like to thank #SamCarrington, #Netgalley and #AvonBooks for an ARC of #TheGirlInThePhoto in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

I honestly wasn’t expecting to be so invested in this book. I don’t know what it was about it but it grabbed me and didn’t let go.

It amazes me, to this day, how authors, like Sam can keep you hooked until the last page.
4.5 stars

Twisted, clever and another knock out of the park- this was full of twist and turns and I loved it! I have loved all of the books I have read by Sam.

I found this book slow going, and although it had a sad storyline, I didn't feel any connections with the main characters. I also found that the ending was predictable.
However, I have read books by this author before which I have enjoyed and I would still read any future books. This book just wasn't for me.
Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for this read.

This was an interesting read from Sam Carrington.. I felt it dealt with mental health issues in a relatable and sensitive way, and also at the same time had an fast paced story line. It was slightly predictable towards the end but overall a good read

The latest offering from @samcarringtonauthor doesn’t fail to deliver.

Every Friday, the lady in the supermarket turns up showing a photo of her missing daughter. No-one wants to help her.

This story has so many twists and turns sending the reader in different directions. I couldn’t put this one down, and was sucked into every red herring the author laid out.

I won’t say too much more, just go read it for yourself!

Thank you to @avonbooksuk @netgalley and @samcarringtonauthor for the ARC

I enjoyed reading this book.
Had me hooked from page 1, and I never saw the ending coming. It blew me away.
The story was different not what I expected and well written

Thanks to #NetGalley and #AvonBooksUK for the ARC of #TheGirlInThePhoto by #SamCarrington. This book is amazing. I loved the touch on mental illness, it’s no joke. The characters and the way they interact was on cue. Definitely recommend!!!!

A well written thriller of a book that whilst covering a difficult subject matter, it proved to be a gripping thriller with some great twists and turns that I couldn’t put down. Highly recommended. Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books UK and the author for the chance to review.

This is the first book I’ve read from this author and I definitely will be looking for more. The writing felt like you were part of the experience. What a brilliant read. Totally unputdownable! I really enjoyed the story and would completely recommend. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me access to an early copy of this novel.

What in the world did I just read? Holy twists and turns. Mercy goes to the same supermarket each Friday to ask about her missing daughter who was kidnapped from there. Erica happens to be there and sees Mercy and the desperation in her eyes to find her child. Erica can’t help but want to go to Mercy and find her little girl. But, why is there no record for this missing child, why do others not seem willing to help Mercy. What is actually going on here? Well, buckle up friends because this is one heck of a ride.
Thank you to Sam Carrington, Avon Books UK, and Netgalley for the chance to read this ARC.

#TheGirlInThePhoto #NetGalley
Good one.
Every Friday Mercy Hamilton goes to the same supermarket. She doesn’t go to buy groceries, instead, she shows a fading photo of a little girl to anyone who’ll look – begging for help to find her daughter.
One Friday, Erica Fielding comes across Mercy, and touched by her story, Erica agrees to help. As Erica is drawn deeper and deeper into Mercy’s life, she discovers there is no record of Mercy’s daughter. In fact, there’s no record of a child at all.
But who is the girl in the photo if not Mercy’s missing daughter? And what danger will Erica find herself in by pursuing the truth?
Loved it very much.
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for giving me an advance copy.

This was a wild ride that I finished in one sitting. It centers on Erica, who is struggling with infertility and not happy in her marriage. She meets Mercy at a grocery store and agrees to help her try to find her child who had been kidnapped from there; strangely, no one else is taking her seriously. Immediately things about Mercy don’t seem quite right but Erica can’t put her finger on what is causing her to have this feeling.

This book was so twisty! It was clear that Erica’s relationship with Mercy, her husband, and even her neighbor across the street were not as they seemed but I had no idea what was coming when the twist was revealed and it made it all make sense. I thought Erica was being hysterical and really unrealistic with some of the accusations she made, but the truth brought it all together brilliantly. The ending was well done and there were no loose ends left.

Overall, great book with a twist I didn’t figure out in advance (a rarity!). Would definitely recommend for those who like psychological thrillers. I’ve liked the other books I’ve read from this author too and am going to see if there are more I’ve missed. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a fantastic read.
This is the first book I’ve read from this author and it won’t be the last.
I really enjoyed the story, it gripped me from the start and kept me guessing throughout.
Recommended to any psychological thriller fans.

Erica Fielding is shopping at her local supermarket when she is approached at the checkout by a woman clutching a photo of a little girl, she begs Erica to help her find her missing daughter, because nobody else will. Erica is drawn to this woman, she thinks she recognises the child and decides to try and help. Mercy Hamilton is a woman lost in her grief, she is desperate to know what happened to her little girl and makes the same journey every Friday to the supermarket where she last saw her, but her story doesn't make sense, there's no record of a missing girl matching Tia's description and the supermarket staff are ignoring her pleas. Despite being warned, this makes Erica more determined to help Mercy but, with Erica trying to deal with her own troubles, is this just going to cause more pain and heartache for her?

The Girl in the Photo is the latest thriller by Carrington, which is told across two timelines and from the perspectives of various characters. The author covers many delicate topics in this cleverly written tale; loss of a child, grief, mental health issues and IVF and she does this with both compassion and integrity. Her characters were authentic and believable and this emotional account of two desperate women reeled me in from the first page. There were many twists and turns throughout and I had no clue where it was heading, so was totally shocked when the truth was finally revealed. This is another compelling read by Carrington which I highly recommend.

I'd like to thank Avon Books and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

I stare at the little girl in the photo, her big eyes looking straight at me. "Please," the woman pleads holding the photo up. "You have to help me. No one else will."

Every Friday Mercy Hamilton goes to the same supermarket. But she doesn't but groceries. Instead, she shows a fading photo of a little girl to anyone who'll look, begging for help to find her daughter. One Friday Erica Fielding comes across Mercy. Touched by her story, Erica agrees to do all she can to help. But all is not as it seems. The police know of Mercy. And there's never been a record of a missing girl matching the description Mercy gives, In fact, there's no record of a child at all. They think Mercy might be suffering from delusional disorder and there's nothing Erica can do.

What a cleverly written thriller. When Mercy asks Erica if she has seen the little girl in the photo at a supermarket one day, they form some kind of weird friendship. Nobody else wanted to help Mercy find her daughter. But when Erica starts to help Mercy, she discovers somethings that make her question everything she thought she knew. It's not long before things start to spiral out of control. With plenty of twists and turns I was never sure what direction this story would take us on. The book cover - mental health issues, love, loss and grief. The ending was a surprise, but it was also quite sad.

I woujld like to thank #NetGalley #AvonBooksUK and the author #SamCarrington for my ARC of #TheGirlInThePhoto in exchange for an honest review.

The Girl in the Photo by Sam Carrington is a gripping psychological thriller that takes readers on a pulse-pounding journey. Mercy Hamilton, a desperate mother searching for her missing child, seeks help from anyone who will listen. When Erica Fielding becomes involved in Mercy's story, she uncovers a disturbing truth—there is no record of Mercy's daughter ever existing.

As Erica delves deeper into the mystery, the tension builds, and shocking secrets come to light. Carrington's creative plotline, well-executed twists, and skillful character development bring the story to life, tackling themes such as a missing child, family relationships, and mental health resulting from trauma. While the book starts off slowly and some answers may be unclear, the captivating writing style, empathetic exploration of difficult topics, and intense climax make The Girl in the Photo a compelling read for fans of psychological thrillers.

Overall, The Girl in the Photo by Sam Carrington is an atmospheric and creepy thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The book's strength lies in its ability to create suspense and deliver unexpected twists. While there are minor drawbacks, such as a slow start and occasional lack of clarity, the emotional impact of the story and the author's skillful handling of sensitive issues make it a worthwhile read.

THIS THIS THIS!!! This is EXACTLY what a Thriller book is about! This book had me on the edge of my seat and turning page after page!!! Thank you Sam Carrington for hitting this nail on the head! I recommend this book 100%!!!

I usually love Sam Carringtons books and have read many of her other books in the past, however for some reason I just couldn’t get into the girl into the photo and I found it very hard to read, so sadly I gave up with it.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy of this book which sadly just wasn’t for me however this doesn’t mean others won’t enjoy it as Sam Carrington is a very good author.