What an incredibly good book from the very first few words to the very last few. A book I couldn’t stop and needed to know more. The intense start to the drawdropping finish. I couldn’t get enough! Hands down a 5 star read. Who is this author? I must have more!

OMG that ending!! 😱 Absolutely no one saw that coming. Thank You Netgalley, Bookouture Audio, and A.J. McDine for the digital and audio copy narrated by Tamsin Kennard. My favorite way to read a book is with audio and the book. It's like someone is reading to you but looking at the words makes it 10 times better. Tamsin has a slight accent, but it was quite lovely. The more I think of that ending the more the stars lean to 5 stars. It's just hard to rate a thriller 5 stars as usually that means I will re-read and when you know the ending, it's hard to think you'll ever re-read unless it becomes a series. Which it could possibly. The concept and story line were great and although I wasn't necessarily scared, this was no doubt a thriller. Lots of fun, an ending no one would ever guess, and can't wait to read more from A.J. McDine.

If you are looking for a fast paced, quick read with a decent twist, then look no further! The Photo is the right book for you. I thought I had guessed it all, but in the end I was wrong!

Lara is a wedding photographer who is raising her niece, Lily, who is the sole survivor of her families tragic massacre. Lily's father, in a fit of rage, murdered her mother and her twin brothers and then fled the scene leaving Lily for dead. They believed he killed himself after running away. However, when Lara is editing her photos from a wedding she shot, she notices someone in the background who she believed to be dead and her stomach sinks. Staring back at her is her terrifying brother-in-law. This can only mean one thing; he's back and ready to finish what he started.

In true Gen-Z fashion, Lily takes to TiK-Tok when she starts having flashbacks to the night she lost her family. As her followers start climbing, so does her bad luck when weird and scary things begin to happen. As her aunt is trying to protect her from the knowledge her father has returned she continues to put herself and what family she has left in danger.

Will Lara be able to uncover the truth before it's too late?

Pub. date: July 11, 2024
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for my early copy!

I was fortunate to receive an advance copy of "The Photo" by AJ McDine, and I must say, it was an exceptional read. I highly recommend it for its engaging storyline and clever plot twists. Lilly, a survivor of a harrowing event that occurred a decade ago, quickly became one of my favorite characters. Her resilience and depth added significantly to the narrative.

The author's meticulous attention to detail was evident throughout the book, culminating in a satisfying conclusion that neatly tied up the story. 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.

Great narration paired with a highly suspenseful book full of twisty twists that will get you in your feels for the narrator and her niece. Loved it!

I didn’t expect to like this book so much! I was quickly hooked and entertained throughout.

This was my second A.J. McDine novel and it did not disappoint. Fast-paced, intriguing and full of twists. The final reveal is absolutely shocking! A great binge read! Definitely recommend if you’re a fan of the genre and looking for a summer thriller.

Excited to read more from this author!

𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥. 𝘜𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘐 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘦....

Ten years ago, Lara's sister and two nephews were murdered in their home, her five year old niece Lily survived the horrific attack. Lara's brother-in-law Jason has always been the main suspect as he has been missing and pressumed dead since the attack on his family.
Now, while editing some scenic photos she took at a local harbour, her blood runs cold when she sees Jason in the background of her photo.
Lily has also just started her own true crime vlog about what she remembers the night her family was attacked. Fearing Jason has come back to silence Lily, she must try keep her remaining family safe while trying to track down her brother-in-law.
A brilliant mystery thriller that will keep you guessing till the last page. Tamsin Kennard does an excellent job with narrating this twisty thriller.
Thanks to netgalley,bookouture and A.J McDine for this audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This psychological thriller will keep you guessing & will leave you completely shocked at the conclusion. It’s a delightfully twisted mess that kept me hooked until the last page. The story revolves around the death of the FMC’s sister and twins. The husband has been suspected of the brutal crime for years, but he was never found. The FMC is a photographer & noticed her missing brother-in-law in a photo after she returns home & is going through her photos. The police start investigating & searching for him again. Meanwhile, the surviving child of the brutal murders is now a teenager & starts a video crime blog. These two things set in motion a flurry of events to keep evidence buried & the people talking quiet. I highly recommend this fast paced thriller!

A quick palate cleanser.

3.5 stars.

Almost ten years ago, Laura‘s family suffered a horrible tragedy when her sister Isabelle and Isabelle‘s two young sons were brutally murdered, and Isabelle‘s five-year-old daughter Lily barely survived the attack. The prime suspect: Isabelle‘s husband James, who has not been seen since and is presumed dead.

That is, until Laura, a photojournalist turned wedding photographer, notices a man who looks exactly like her brother-in-law in the background of one of her recent photos. Could James still be alive? And if he is, has he come back to finish what he started?

This book drew me in with its unusual premise and its strong, gripping start, but then lost a lot of steam in the middle (among other things, Laura‘s wedding photography drama took up far too much room for my liking, and the story didn‘t move along much). While the pace picked up again towards the end, I found the actual confrontation to be a bit of a let-down, both because it was entirely predictable and because Laura doesn’t actually figure anything out herself, she just stumbles into something and is then told what happened. Also, Laura made some seriously stupid decisions in that house (why on earth was she the only one climbing through that window?! Why not take [***spoiler***] with her - and the knife, for that matter?). It irks me when supposed heroines do not use their brains.

The final twist, however, was more „breathtaking“, as the promotional blurb puts it, so I added half a star for that.

All in all, while this was not quite the page-turner I was hoping for, it was still a decent thriller and, as such, a perfect, quick palate cleanser.

I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator did a great job with the material.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

„The Photo“ is slated to be released on July 11, 2024.

A wedding photographer is reviewing the memory card from a recent job and sees a familiar face in one of the images: her long-missing brother-in-law who disappeared at the same time his wife and twin sons were murdered and their 5 year-old daughter left for dead. The daughter, now a saucy 15 year-old, tells her followers on social media that she is starting to remember events from that fateful day. What follows is a twisted path to find him and to bring the killer to justice. 4.5 rounded up for pure entertainment value and its unexpected (for me) ending. Good writing and well-narrated audiobook.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and #NetGalley for providing an advance copy of the audiobook for review purposes.

On THE PHOTO we follow a professional wedding photographer named Laura, whose sister and 2 nephews were bruttaly murdered at their own house 10 years ago. Laura's niece, Lilly, was the sole survivor of that tragic night, and Laura's brother-in-law has been considered guilty of the murders and for 10 years he has been missing. During one of Laura's weddding events she is taking photos of the guests and realises that one man, who looks exactly like her brother-in-law, is captured by one of her photos. She now goes on a mission to figure out who that man really is and if her brother-in-law is alive and back, she fears that she and Lilly might be in danger.

This book is really fast-paced. A true thriller. And let's be honest...we, thriller readers, know that a lof of books are marketed as 'thrillers' but most of them are anything but that. Not the case here. Not this book. THE PHOTO is a true thriller. And this audiobook is 8 hours long and it goes very fast and easy to listen to.
In my opinion, Laura is an easy character to empathise with and care for. So is Lily.
The mystery around the man in the photo and his true identity is engaging and intriguing, and there is also other mysterious things happening to Laura concerning her job that adds another layer to the complexity of this case.
As for the conclusion, personally, I didn't predict that ending. But I also didn't find it very surprising, either. However, it is twisty. I'm sure there will be readers who will be thrilled about it.

This was my first time reading (or listening to) a book by this author and I'll definitely keep my eye on them in the future.
I do recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers. Period. Because as I said before, this is a true thriller.

I wanna thank NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for allowing me to listen to a free advanced audiobook copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! I did NOT see that ending coming! I am in awe of who the actual murderer was. This was a crazy book! The plot was very interesting and I really enjoyed all of the twists and turns in this book. This was a great and thrilling read!

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
This book was phenomenal! The author is new to me, but I will definitely be reading more of her work.
People are saying the beginning was slow, but I don't feel that way. AJ set the scene for the story, and after that, it took off and never stopped.

AJ's prose is beautifully descriptive, bringing the characters and the background scenes to life. I love it when I can envision myself inside a novel.

There is a lot to unpack in this thriller, such as a young girl living with survivors - guilt, abandonment, and grief, and I feel AJ wrote it with sensitivity.

The story is jam-packed with intrigue, intensity, and a mystery to solve with some great twists.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by @tamsinkennard, who did an outstanding with her multitude of voices.

If you're looking for a fast-paced thriller that hooks you from the first page, this is the book for you.

Thank you to netgalley, Bookature Audio, and the author for my copy. My review was voluntary.

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This was such a fun listen. I was instantly hooked, and wanted to know what was going to happen. I was able to figure some of the twists out, but not all of them. I would recommend this audiobook if you’re looking for fast paced thriller, with many twists and turns.

The Photo was such an amazing read (audio)! I love how there are continuous and different problems & perspectives between Lilly’s and Laura’s throughout. This book was written phenomenally and had me saying and doing “just one more chapter”! I am looking forward to reading and listening to more books by this author!

Thanks you to A.J. McDine & NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this Audio.

The Photo by A J McDine is a fast-paced and entertaining thriller. I thought it was very well-written and it is not predictable. I did not guess what the twist was. I enjoyed the audio narration. This thriller made me want to read more books by this author. A very solid thriller and I highly recommend it!

I consumed The Photo by A.J. McDine through the audiobook version. I will preface this by saying I do not always do well with audiobooks. My mind tends to wander and I cannot pay attention especially if the author is scatterbrained but with The Photo I was able to focus 100%. I never had to rewind to feel as if I needed to "flip back" to earlier in the book. I'm sure this was contributed to a combination of the narrator and the structured writing of McDine. As for the story...I really really enjoyed it. It was the right amount of suspense and a perfect twist at the end. This was my first book by this author and I'm certain I will be picking up other books by her too. If you're looking for an easy to follow entertaining suspense novel, then this book is for you!

An intriguing and involving plotline makes this a great story, that can be as easily listened to in one binge-sitting as it can in bite-sized chunks.

This is a fast paced mystery. I binged it in one sitting lol. Literally could not stop listening.

You know how most mysteries are somewhat predictable? Not this one.... there were so many twists and turns. Every time I thought I knew what was going happen next I was wrong. There were twists all the way up to the last chapter.

Imagine one photo leading you into a crazy rollercoaster on its path to find your sister and nephews murderer.

Thanks you A.J. McDine, NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for my audio copy of this book.

I listened to this as an audiobook and it was mesmerizing. I like how it shocks you in the beginning and hooks you so you can't wait to see what happens next. The length made it perfect to binge in an afternoon and I couldn't get enough of the fun accent by the narrator.

Lily is the sole survivor of a brutal murder and she always claimed she didn't remember anything about that night. Now, fragments are coming back to her and she wants to find the truth. The ten year anniversary of the event is coming up and she decides to break her silence and talk about that night.

Laura wants to protect her family. She is working with a friend to put the pieces together. This kept you guessing until the end which I enjoy as I thought I knew who did it but I was wrong.

If you like a fast pace, who done it mystery/thriller then you should check this one out. This was a new author for me and loved it!