The Photographer

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.

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.