Yes, it's formulaic and easily predictable, but it's also well paced, fun, and easy to get immersed in

This was an enjoyable fast paced thriller. Nothing is ever as it appears. Even when I thought everything was done, there was an extra surprise at the end.
Thank you NetGalley for letting me listen to this Audio ARC 4 Stars

I love thrillers like this. Just when you think you have it all figured out, the author throws one last shocking reveal in at the end to completely twist everything you thought you knew right around. The suspense just kept building throughout this and I loved when everything finally came to a head. This was thoughtfully crafted and I was left very satisfied when all was said and done. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first book by this author, and I will definitely be looking forward to more!

This was a fast paced thriller, with well developed characters. I was hooked from the beginning with the storyline, and couldn't stop listening to get to the end. I enjoyed the addition of the 15 year old girl who is trying to understand her tragedy in her own way, it felt very real to our day and age.

If you're in the mood for a fast paced read, this is a great thriller! I did not guess the ending, and I was very impressed by this story overall.

I also enjoyed the audiobook narration!

Thank you to Bookouture Audio, AJ McDine, and NetGalley for an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Boy, did this book make me tense. Lara's character was so down to earthy that her situations felt real and came across enough to filter some anxiety through to me. Especially during one part when she was phographing a wedding but got distracted by her niece.
<i>The Photo</i> was a delightful surprise. This is how pyschological thrillers are supposed to be. Ten years after the brutal murder of Lara's sister and two nephews, the husband and also prime suspect may be back in town. As new characters are introduced and we learn who they are now and how they were involved 10 years ago, it becomes hard to trust anyone. There are short chapters with twists that make this a book that is hard to put down. In my case, an audiobook that is hard to stop listening to. The narrator had just the right voice to make this feel like a story coming to live.

This was a really thrilling listen. There are plenty of twists in it and I love the ending!! Consoles you will have to listen to find out. But it is worth it.
The story itself is an instant hook. The characters are well written and the narrator is wonderful. Highly recommend if you like crime, family drama or suspense.

Ten years have passed since Lara’s sister, Isabelle, was murdered, leaving behind her five-year-old daughter, Lily. But then Lara sees a face in a photo she took recently that turns her blood to ice. It can’t be him, but Lara knows in her gut it is. The man her sister married. The man who killed her. The man she thought was dead…

This was a fast-paced popcorn thriller that lived up to my expectation. It hooked me immediately from the start, kept its pace throughout (no lull), and ended really well. I managed to read it in a day, which to me is a sign of a great read.

Overall, the plot managed to keep me guessing. There were a few plot twists that I thought I had figured out, but actually didn’t. I kept going back and forth between Jason’s innocence and guilt. I liked Lara’s protective instinct towards Lily, even though Lily, being a teenager, did things that annoyed me.

I’d recommend listening to the audiobook, as it was performed really well. The narrator had a great, easy-listening voice, which was partly why I went through it really quickly.

I was taken aback by how good this novel turned out to be. Despite my initial dislike for the story when it began, it grew increasingly intriguing as I read on.

The part about the murders made me uncomfortable, and the slow pace was offset by the gripping twists and turns. It became clear that the real antagonist in the novel was not the one everyone had suspected for years. Although the ending was predictable, the author's vivid description elevated it to a true masterpiece.

Despite the slow pace, the story remained captivating, and the characters were both lively and endearing. Overall, it's an outstanding summer read. I'd like to extend my thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary advanced copy of the novel.

A great audiobook, thanks to Netgalley for an ARC which made me want to keep finding jobs round the house which I could do while listening to it. The premise is that Lara, whose sister and nephews were murdered 10 years previously spots what she believes to be her former brother in law in the town where the murders took place. At the same time her 15-year-old niece, beginning to recall elements of the night of the murder, makes an ill-conceived decision to start vlogging about her experiences. Cue threats to Lara and an attempt to murder Lara's mother. Lara her self wasn't someone I found easy to relate to or particularly emphathise with but I enjoyed the story itself and thought it was read well. I have to admit I didn't guess who the murderer was until the last minute.

The way the main characters actively participated in unraveling the mystery added a dynamic layer to the plot, keeping me on the edge of my seat. The climax was particularly surprising, taking me on an unexpected journey. McDine skillfully dropped hints throughout, allowing the suspense to build and leading readers on a wild chase of theories about past and present events. This book is a must-read for anyone who loves a good mystery filled with suspense and well-crafted characters.

First I would like to thank Bookouture Audio for providing me a copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This is the story of Lara, former photo journalist, who years after her sister and nephews were murdered she believes she took a photo of her brother-in-law and the man who everyone suspects was the killer. At the same time her niece and lone survivor of the attack, Lily, starts to remember aspects of that night and decides to start sharing her experience online. As the investigation to find the killer ramps up more truths are revealed but will the killer be ultimately identified.

What I Liked:
- Audiobook quality, it was a addicting story that was very well produced and easy to increase speed without losing quality
- Lily, strong young person who I was rooting for the entire book
- Twist, I was not expecting the twist at the end and I really enjoyed it
- Side characters, there are a good amount of side characters and I like how they all added a bit to the story and overall twist at the end

If you are looking for a fast paced mystery that will keep you guessing until the end with a great family dynamic I would absolutely recommend this book. The audiobook is a great way to enjoy the story and I was constantly finding reasons to get in my car or go on longer walks to listen.

Lara is a former photo journalist who gave up her career to become a wedding photographer. She has a complicated past with trauma from when her sister Isabelle, and her two twin nephews were killed. All evidence pointed to a murder-suicide by Isabelle’s husband, Jason, who remains missing.

The lone survivor was the couple’s five-year-old daughter, Lily, who is now fifteen, and aspires to be an “influencer”, posting on Tik Tok and garnering unwanted attention as she discusses her past.

But life moves on, until Lara sees a man in the background of one of her photos, a man who she identifies as her brother- in-law, Jason.

It’s been 10 years but Lara wonders if he here to finish the job?

What follows is a fun twisty entertaining ride with plenty of surprises. The characters were engaging and kept me interested. This was my first book by this author and won't be my last.

• I received digital copies of both the audio and the e-book via NetGalley. All opinions are my own

To start, I absolutely love the audio narrator’s voice. Oh my lanta, Tamsin Kennard did a phenomenal job! Her voice can only be described as butter.

The book follows a photographer who manages to get a picture of her Brother-in-law who is thought to have murdered his family and jumped off a cliff years prior.

I would never hire the FMC. For someone who was first at her university she doesn’t scream professionalism. In one instance she only got shots with the eyes closed and responds “it’s not my fault they closed their eyes.” She accidentally deleted a whole weddings photos. Who doesn’t make back ups? Especially if this is your job. Then she went to go to another shoot and had to be reminded to grab her camera that she claims she takes everywhere with her.

The book was well written, and I was attached hook line & sinker until the very end. But when I (metaphorically) closed the book, I had so many unanswered questions.

What happened the night of the crime?

We never find out. Lily was starting to get her memories back, but got like two memories and we never heard anything else. Josie never explains what she did. One chapter ends with Josie running back into the house to commit the crime. The next chapter starts with “afterwards…” The book ends never knowing the events inside the house night of the crime.

Josie allegedly saw the whole fight through the Isabelle’s apparent giant kitchen window? Then once Jason left to confront the cop, Josie had time to run to her car a street over, put shoe protectors and gloves on that she happens to keep in her car. Then she murders 2.75 kids and stabs their mother repeatedly. And THEN runs back to her car that she thoughtfully parked a street over in time to see a car pull up. The neighbor also sees this car with the frog pop up headlights pull in. But does NOT see the girl with a bloody knife wearing gloves and shoe protectors running to her car or watching the fight through the window.

I’m never a huge fan of the thriller cliche, “random person seldom mentioned ends up being the killer.” For that reason, Josie, the brother-in-laws friend’s little sister from childhood that only becomes relevant in the final few chapters was a turn off for me. But that is what makes reading such a fascinating hobby. Things that do not appeal to me, may contribute to a “jaw-dropper” for another reader.

Here is what I would have done differently.

Jason was described as a family man who wore his heart on his sleeve. He was never going to be the killer.

However, from a psychological standpoint Josie does not fit the profile of someone who would stab two children, even if attempting to look like a frenzied lover. Her psychological profile in general is quite inconsistent. Her obsessive lover personality does not fit with the murder of the lover’s children as “collateral”. I feel crimes killing children limit the psychopathy of the killer.

So remove the twins from the picture entirely. The killer is someone who wants their story heard. Growing up, this killer always wanted to be the center of attention. A daddy’s girl. One day she see’s her mother cheating on her father; the apple of her eye. I would have made Lily the killer. She would have to be a bit older and then Jason walks in a sees her in the act. He wouldn’t turn in his own daughter so he runs. That is why Lily is so distraught and craves that relationship with him when he is spotted. In my head this ending would be much more logical.

I have never read anything by A J McDine before so didn't know what to expect but I wasn't disappointed ... The Photo had me riveted from the very start.

Lara's sister and twin nephews were brutally stabbed ten years ago and her niece seriously injured. The main suspect, her brother-in-law, is missing and presumed dead that is, until he turns up in the background of one of her photos. Convinced it's him, she reports it to the police and so begins a chain of events that put everyone's life in danger.

The plot is gripping, the pace is perfect, the characters are excellent and the twists and turns had me continuously questioning myself as clues emerged but I never guessed the ending - I love it when that happens!

The narrator is excellent; her voice draws you into the story and really brings it to life.

I would definitely recommend this audiobook to lovers of thrillers and thanks must go to the author, Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of this excellent audiobook and I will definitely be looking out for more of her work in the future.

WOW! This book had me on the edge of my seat and honestly the ending had my jaw drop!! I didn't see it coming!
If you like a good thriller/mystery this book is for you.
Picture this...a sweet family living in a gorgeous home! Mom, Dad, a daughter, and twin boys.
That is until one night Mom and the twins are found dead in the home and the daughter is badly injured...and Dad....he's no where to be found.
Years go by and the daughter who is now a teenager and living with her grandmother wonders about her Dad and what happened that night. Memories have started to return to her and she turns to tik tok to share her story.
While the daughter is sharing her story her aunt (mom's sister) who is a photographer catches an image of her sisters husband in a photo she recently took. She goes to the police for help and that's when things get pretty interesting!
I highly recommend this book! I listened to it and loved the narrator!
5 Stars from me!
Thank you Netgally for the chance to read and review this book!

Check out my IG @katie.is.booked for more reviews!

🎧Audiobook Review 🎧

The Photo @ajmcdineauthor

I really enjoy this author's books. Having enjoyed receiving an advanced copy of the Baby earlier in the year I knew I would be checking out more of her work. And so I was delighted when I was approved for a copy of the Photo.

The narrator of this book is the same that narrated the Baby and her voice is so calming but she also conveys the story well. It was a joy to listen too.

I love how this author takes subjects and turns them into real page turners. The twists and turns makes it a real rollercoaster for the listener/reader.

One photo can destroy everything and that is exactly what happens to Lara when she sees her sisters husband staring back at her. The man that killed her sister. Everyone thought he was dead so how can he be in this picture? Is her mind playing tricks or is it really him?

Convinced it's him and wanting to protect her sisters daughter Lily and cannot settle. Is he back and what does he want? She's going to protect her family.

The premise of the book was unique and so intriguing that I was dropped and just couldn't get the answers fast enough. She's a really fab author and her thrillers definately deliver.

If you have Kindle Unlimited you can grab this as part of your subscription. It won't disappoint. Fab book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

Who is the man in the background of her photograph? It can't be him.
Ten years ago, Lara's sister and her family were brutally murdered. The only survivor of the attack is her niece Lily. Jason, her brother-in-law is accused of the murders but has disappeared until now. Lily has begun remembering lost pieces from the night she was attacked. She has decided her career as a social media star will start by live streaming her new revelations about the night in an attempt to solve the case. This one decision unleashes a world of destruction on the tattered family as the murderer attempts to silence Lily forever.

This thriller had my attention from the beginning, with a few plot leaps, it was satisfying. The POV is covered from both Lara and Lily which added a nice dynamic to the storyline. Lara is out to protect her family after loosing so much and Lily being more naïve looks to reconcile her tragic past and the father she loved more than anything. The wrap up at the end still left a few unanswered questions and was a little over the top. Overall this was an enjoyable domestic thriller and I would be interested to read more of McDine's work.

Tamsin Kennard was the narrator and she did an excellent job. She is enjoyable to listen to with a good pace and character development. It might have helped to have had a second narrator for the story but that is not to take away from Kennard's performance. I highly recommend listening to her readings.

A J McDine does it again!! After reading an ARC of The Baby, I was beyond excited to receive an ARC of The Photo through NetGalley. I had high expectations and let me tell you, it did NOT disappoint. I gobbled it up one sitting. I did predict certain outcomes which is why it wasn’t that 5 star rating but it kept me engaged the whole time. I thoroughly enjoy the story, the characters, etc. AJ McDine manages to balance everything perfectly (scene building, character relationships, mystery, suspense). With two back-to-back book releases that I thoroughly enjoyed, this author is now on my “instant buy” author list.

Thank you to NetGalley and A J McDine for this ARC Audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Lara is a wedding photographer and while scanning through her latest photos, she sees a man who should be dead. He killed her sister and two of their three children ten years ago, then took his own life. Or so everyone was made to think.
What really happen all those years ago and why has Jason resurfaced after all this time? An enjoyable read, gripping plot and highly recommend.

I really liked this - the plot felt believable and realistic and I liked the characters. The ending was good - especially that final twist. An excellent read