Compelling, Dark, Twisted..
Photographer Delta Dawn sees it all, despite blending into the background the whole time. With a keenly observed and carefully crafted cast of characters, a menacing undercurrent from the off and a compelling, dark and twisted plot this is a psychological suspense with a sharp edge. Intense and pacy.

I really struggled with the characters in this book. They all had so many issues and hardly any redeeming characteristics! Delta’s stalker tendencies excited me at first as it felt like the perfect ingredient for a thriller but in the end, she just came across as unhinged and unlikeable. Additionally, the book is written from her point of view and at times it was really difficult to negotiate as I could not establish what was the truth or what was fictional. This added a level of uncomfortable uncertainty for me and I never felt secure in her motivations. There were also lots of secondary characters who had a large proportion of space in the book, but then their storylines to be abandoned without warning.

This book had so much potential and I just felt like it was a bit flat. I continued with this book as I felt the tension was building to a huge reveal in the end and it just felt rushed and underwhelming. The plot of this book was heavily reliant on the friendships between the main characters, but It felt very rushed and the characters intertwined themselves in each other’s lives at an unrealistic speed which meant that I never truly believed any of their connections.

This story, for me, had a disproportionate amount of description, particularly surrounding the intricacies of photography. Clearly, Delta loves taking pictures and that was a solid foundation for her character and something that deserved to be developed, however, the references to light, shadows and framing were a constant feature, and I began to skip over those paragraphs in the book.

I was disappointed with this book; however, I believe this is simply down to personal preference as I prefer a fast-paced book with multiple twists and this book did not meet those expectations. This book had so so much potential for me but it just didn’t carry the punch I have come to expect from the thriller genre.

EXCERPT: The photos of the Straubs provided me with terrific comfort. I clicked through several of Natalie and her friends and several of Natalie alone. Then I landed on one of Fritz, leaning against the library wall, laughing, his intense green eyes looking straight into the camera. It was his kindness and intelligence that made him handsome. I'd sensed those qualities in him the instant we met. I felt a tug of longing in my gut - some combination of emptiness and desire.

I pulled up some shots of myself that I'd used for my website and superimposed my body, in profile, next to an image of Fritz in profile. I moved his face close to mine, so it looked as though we were confiding in each other, in a close conversation that others couldn't hear. And then, practically feeling his breath on my face, I closed the gap between the two mouths. His warm lips pressed against mine. Then his fingers in my hair. A frisson of surprised delight surged through my body.

ABOUT 'THE PHOTOGRAPHER': 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.

MY THOUGHTS: I can remember, as a teenager, babysitting for some nice people up the street with whom I shared a love of horses and reading. I wanted to belong to them, and spent every moment that I could at their house. I used to fantasize that people would think I was their daughter (unlikely as Julie was only 7 years older than me) or Julie's sister. So I can kind of relate to Delta, but then I was fourteen, not twenty-eight.

I can tend towards voyeuristic behaviour, but on a much lower level than Delta. I like people watching, I listen to their conversations and make up stories about them. I can get a bit nosy about my neighbours movements. But there I draw the line.

I really enjoyed the early part of The Photographer; it was both disturbing and entertaining. But then about halfway through it fizzled a little. I started going, 'hmmm,' and, 'really?', and my interest waned. It didn't die completely, but it definitely took a hit. I remained curious, but not frantically, which is how I felt in the early part of the book, and how I wanted to feel throughout the read.

The twists didn't surprise me, and I was disappointed with the ending. BUT, as this is the author's first novel, I am prepared to cut her some slack. And I will definitely be putting my hand up to read anything else she writes in the future.

⭐⭐⭐.4

#ThePhotographer #NetGalley

I: @marydixiecarter @hodderbooks

T: @MaryDixieCarter @HodderBooks

#contemporaryfiction #domesticdrama #psychologicalthriller

THE AUTHOR: Mary Dixie Carter's writing has appeared in TIME, The Economist, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Chicago Tribune, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The New York Sun, The New York Observer and other print and online publications. She worked at The Observer for five years, where she served as the publishing director. In addition to writing, she also has a background as a professional actor. Mary Dixie graduated from Harvard College with an honors degree in English Literature and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from The New School. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two young children. The Photographer is her first novel.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Photographer by Mary Dixie Carter for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

A gripping thriller with a truly twisted ending. I loved this voyeuristic glimpse at one family's privileged life and bonding with the main character, who photographs them, through these shared insights.

I truly expected much more from the story. Synopsis intrigued me and put high expectations on the book, but after I turned over last page I could not believe that the story is over, the ending seemed so simple to me. At the same time the book is truly fast paced mystery, what I really like. Overall I give it 3 stars.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishing house for providing me with e-copy in exchange for honest review.

Loved parasite so was looking forward to reading this book. Overall, I really enjoyed this one, it’s an engaging psychological thriller from start to finish.
This is exactly the book we all need right now! I can’t remember the last time a book made me forget I had a phone.

The Photographer is a slyly observed, suspenseful story of envy and obsession, told in the mesmerizing, irresistible voice of a character who will make you doubt that seeing is ever believing. A word of advice: don't judge this as just another thriller because this is one of the few to completely blow my mind this year. It's an astounding debut not to be missed. It's hypnotic, creepy as all hell and impossible to put down. As a much sought-after photographer, Delta Dawn of Crown Heights observes the seemingly perfect lives of New York City’s wealthy elite: snapping photos of their children’s birthday parties, transforming images, using a little photoshop magic, of stiff hugs and tearstained faces into visions of pure joy, and creating moments these parents long for. Having never felt loved by her own parents Delta pines for nothing more than the safety and love of a family of her own. But when she is hired to photograph 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; she feels something more for this family than the hundreds of others she's been hired to snap pictures of. That’s when Delta puts her plan in place, by babysitting for Natalie; befriending her mother, interior designer Amelia; finding chances to listen to her handsome father and architect, Fritz. One evening when a babysitter cancels last minute and the Straub’s need to attend a business meeting Delta uses the opportunity to show them why they should keep her around. 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 and control. And then Delta discovers the one thing Amelia Straub wants most is also the perfect way to ensure she will always stay part of the picture. As time goes on and Delta spends more and more time at the Straub’s brownstone, she discovers the family’s closely guarded secrets, which she decides are perfect to be used as leverage if and when necessary. Why create the perfect life when you can just insert yourself into someone else's? Let the manipulation begin! This is a scintillating, enthralling and deeply sinister tale of a woman fuelled by the dangerous mix of intense obsession, the green-eyed monster and a desperate desire to belong. This, unfortunately, drives her to the point where the lines between reality and fantasy become increasingly blurred and you don't exactly know if you can trust her narration. It becomes dark and terrifying and the creeping, underlying sense of dread that pervades everything keeps you rocketing through the pages feverishly. It's difficult to grasp that this is written by a newcomer to the genre as it is thoroughly outstanding and as aforementioned, the creep factor is through the roof. The story begins innocuously enough but soon veers into nail-biting suspense, devious plot twists and dizzying incidents as Delta’s obsession starts to overshadow the Straub family’s lives. The plotting is scalpel-sharp, focused and moves at a swift pace, and although Delta is pretty detestable, she's a fascinating character to follow as she well and truly unravels. A disturbing and highly entertaining psychological thriller that sets itself apart from the rest.

Delta Dawn is a successful family photographer in the NYC area. She’s hired by uber wealthy architects Amelia and Fitz Straub to record their eleven year old daughter Natalie’s birthday party. She looks around their stunning Brooklyn house with envy and admiration. Later, when their sitter cancel she offers to substitute so they can attend a business dinner. She cleverly inserts herself into their prestigious life, making herself indispensable. She narrates her story - reliably? Only time will tell.

Oh boy, where to start with Delta?! She’s absolutely awful, she has precious few boundaries, she’s a very vague relationship with the truth and she’s very manipulative in more ways that one. She has this view of the life she wants and her covetous obsession, need to belong and also to control, drives the narrative. Her actions are definitely creepy, overstep the bounds of the norm and make you shudder. She’s a sad personality in many ways as she thinks so little of herself, seeing her Floridian origins as ugly and regards the Straubs as her route out of the ‘grime’. Amelia and Natalie are well fleshed out as characters and easy to picture, some of the others are not quite so well drawn but I don’t think they necessarily need to be. Of all of them Natalie displays the greatest amount of acumen and common sense and for one so young she is very perceptive. The story is well written, it jogs along at a good pace and makes for compelling reading as you witness Delta’s world starting to unravel and the wheels come off her plans. It’s highly entertaining, somewhat implausible (put your disbelief suspenders on!) but good fun! Just gloss over the things that are unlikely to happen in these days of the suspicious need for checking people out - we wouldn’t have a story then would we?!! I like the ending - nice one, Delta!!!

Overall, I really enjoyed this one, it’s an engaging psychological thriller from start to finish.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Hodder and Stoughton for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

I did enjoy this thriller and it was a quick read but I kept holding out for it to take it to the next level of craziness. I can see it’s had comparisons to You and Parasite but for me it just didn’t take it as extreme as I was expecting and wanting it to.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

#ThePhotographer #NetGalley
Delta Dawn may have come from humble beginnings, but she has been photographing children's parties for Manhattan's elite for several years. She moves unnoticed through the luxurious homes of her clients, carefully observing their beautiful clothes, their furniture and art. The parties themselves are often far from perfect, full of spoiled, crying children, but Delta can always alter the images afterwards to make sure the parents only see the party they wanted. The realities of life can be forgotten with a little airbrushing or filter.But when she is hired to photograph Natalie Straub's 11th birthday party, Delta finds herself irresistibly attracted. This time, she imagines she is in the pictures with them - she would fit there so perfectly, wouldn't she, in their gorgeous home, their elegant life?
Characters were ok but the plot was somehow new. A good read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder Straighten for giving me an advanced copy.