Odd, disturbing and obsessive. Those are the words I have chosen to describe this particular book. This psychological thriller was a slow burn, but in the best kind of way. Delta Dawn is an absolute great character and the author did an excellent job of showing us how the photographer sometimes has to edit the photos beyond the lens. Good read.

Delta is a freelance photographer who takes her craft pretty seriously. People allow her into their lives, generally only for a moment. But she longs to stay longer with some of them. Sometimes she envisions this and with her newest clients Amelia and Fitz, she will do anything to be in their orbit. Her efforts work... a little too well... and suddenly her life is shifting in a way she always dreamed.

The photographer in this one reminded me a lot of Joe Goldberg in You, she will do anything for Amelia and Fritz. There is literally no logic to the obsession but it consumes her. The lies pile up and she knows she is only ever a step ahead but she will do anything to remain in their orbit. It was definitely a compelling read that I didn't want to put down. The ending wasn't exactly a surprise but I thought it really fit. I loved how the author used her photography skills to ingratiate her and also allow her to manifest the life she wanted with the family like playing paper dolls.

Thank you to St Martin's Press for gifted access via Netgalley. Apologies for leaving it in my queue for so long! All opinions above are my own.

This was a very tragic story but very well done. I really enjoyed the narrator. It was hard for me to like any of the characters but I do not think I was supposed to. This is very intense and suspenseful. I received a copy of this audiobook from Netgalley for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

Capturing memories is a photographer’s job. Delta Dawn, named for the country song by the same name, is an expert in not only recording life’s precious moments, but creating them too. Delta is a character that frustrated, angered, and broke my heart all at the same time. Her obsession drives this fast paced twisted tale where perception and reality are not always in sync. Unsettling, disturbing and extremely entertaining describe this debut psychological thriller by Mary Dixie Carter. I look forward to reading future books by this author.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my ARC.

This book was a wild ride from start to finish and I really enjoyed it. Looking forward to more from this author.

Originally didn’t give feedback because I DNF, but it’s hurting my feedback ratio, so I will say this just was not right for me. I was trying to read more thriller, horror, and mystery, but this isn’t to my tastes. I also never rate books I DNF but this makes me.

The Photographer is a thriller about Delta Dawn, a photographer specializing in children's parties for high-class families. Without giving too much away, there were a lot of things to love about this book--the suspense, the narrator's obsession, the writing style--but sadly there were a lot of things that fell short for me. The trust of some of these characters felt so unrealistic to me, but that could be because I personally would never invite a stranger to babysit my child after knowing her for a day. I also couldn't help but feel like Delta couldn't have been more, I don't know, stalker-y? It was almost like it was hinted multiple times that Delta was going to go full "Fatal Attraction," but it never went far enough.

The ending of the book brought the rating up for me though -- I had a mild suspicion of the main twist, but I was still surprised about a few things in the end. Overall, it was a thriller that I would recommend to anyone who does not mind a nice slow burn. It was a nice addition to the obsession trope.

Wow! This book was one twist after another! The suspense, intrigue and unexpected events kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the book.

Delta Dawn is the in crowd's child photographer. No birthday party is complete without Delta's photographs of it. She has the knack of catching a child in delight and if not, she is a master at Photoshop and can create a wonderful memory that never really happened. Delta loves rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous although she knows she is regarded as a servant not a friend.

When she is hired to shoot the eleventh birthday party of Natalie Straub, it is just another job to her. That is, until she arrives and meets the parents, Amelia and Fritz. Delta loves everything about the Straubs' lives. The residence is gorgeous as the Straubs are architects and designers. Amelia is compelling and beautiful, Fritz a handsome man. She is also drawn immediately to Natalie. She would love to get to know the family better.

A lucky occurrence makes this possible. Amelia and Fritz need a babysitter short term and Delta volunteers. Soon she is babysitting frequently and finding ways to make herself useful such as running errands. She listens to Natalie and sympathizes with Amelia and her quest to have another child. She does whatever it takes to get closer to the family, including starting to date a family friend. Soon Delta manages to come up with a plan that will make her indispensable forever. What could go wrong?

This is a debut novel for Mary Dixie Carter and she also serves as the narrator. Her background is in journalism and her work has appeared in publications such as Time, The Economist and various newspapers. The novel masterfully introduces suspense as the reader peels back the layers and realizes that anything Delta says is not necessarily true but a statement carefully crafted to serve an end just as she crafts images to reflect desires. This book is recommended for thriller readers.

Language: R (17+ swears, 10+ "f"); Mature Content: R; Violence: PG
This book is creepy in an unnerving way but not a bad way. I was intrigued and developed a morbid fascination with Delta's thoughts and actions. Part of me still wants to know if Delta's plans were successful (though I don't know if I'm rooting for or against that outcome), but the sexual content made me uncomfortable too many times, and I didn't want to go through any more of that. The mature content rating is for nudity, innuendo, and sex.

DNF - Did not finish. I did not connect with the writing style or plot and will not be finishing this title. Thank you, NetGalley and Publisher for the early copy!

3.5 stars, rounding up as I had to put the book on pause for a bit which is not fault to the author.

In fact, the premise of the book and early writing style is what kept me coming back to finish , even after months had gone by.

Where this failed me is in the ending. It felt rushed and a bit anti-climatic, considering the build up to the big reveal.
I was left with so many unanswered questions, and a bit confused on what was truth versus fantasy.

ARC provided by NetGalley

Unfortunately had to DNF this book- while I loved the description, I just could not get into the characters or the storyline. Not for me. Thank you to netgalley for the digital copy.

Loved this book! Right now my go to genre is psychological thrillers and this did not disappear.

Twisty and turning, it keep me guessing till the end.

Thanks to the author and Netgally for the ARC.

Does the truth really get exposed??
Great story!

Description
Mary Dixie Carter's 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 breathless psychological thriller about epic mind games."—PEOPLE
A Publishers Weekly Best Mystery/Thriller of 2021!

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

Quick easy read with a great premise, but fell flat for me due to illogical choices and cliched characters. Hard to connect with the main character, Delta Dawn (that name, meh) and she lacked any character development. Overall this book felt trope-y and lacked any oomph to push it to the next level.

One thing I like about thrillers specifically is the different types of characters that authors introduce us to.

Delta, our main character in THE PHOTOGRAPHER, is a confounding character. A photographer by trade, Delta has perfected perfection, editing pictures to give to her clients, the social elite that she wants to be a part of. She is hired to photograph the birthday party of Natalie Straub. Delta feels a connection to this family and plots to make herself a part of it.

The twists and turns make this book a quick and engaging reading. This is a discussion on obsession and manipulation (in various ways). It was a delightful debut that did well with introducing such a fascinating character but could have gone more in-depth with Delta and the others. Amelia, the matriarch of the Straub family, was frustrating and fabulously interesting. Natalie’s part of the story was incredibly interesting — that pre-teen time of friendship and fitting in was barely touched on but could have added some to her part.

Overall, a captivating debut that will keep you on your toes. (I listened to part of it as the author narrated it and really enjoyed how she told the story.)

THE PHOTOGRAPHER by Mary Dixie Carter kept me reading and anticipating the next chapter and then it ended and I felt let down. I didn’t feel like I understood anyone’s behavior. The main characters in this novel all appeared to be normal people living an elite lifestyle but they were all very disturbing individuals. I would have liked to understand what made them so disturbed; more character development.
Delta Dawn takes photographs of children at birthday parties for wealthy families; often becoming obsessed with the families she photographs. When she is hired to photograph Natalie Straub’s birthday party she immediately wants to be a part of this family and will go to extreme lengths to accomplish her goal.

The author drops hints about past obsessions and strange behavior but does not explain or delve deep enough into it to give a glimpse into what makes Delta tick.

Because of the lack of information about the character’s past and why they are disturbing individuals the novel lacked some components of a psychological thriller. That said, I kept reading and often couldn’t put the book down. It wasn’t til the end I said, is that all there is?

Delta Dawn makes her living as a photographer of the well-heeled elite. She knows just how to manipulate and photoshop the pictures to make everything look perfect
She meets people and learns intimate details about their life stories, then she adopts these details as if they’re from her own past! We don’t know who she is, the only thing we know is her parents are dead and she was raised in Disneyland because of her parents’ occupations as janitors.
Delta takes photos of families, editing them according to their demands, best interests, making them believe they are happy families! But she also edits those photos for herself, inserting her own pictures to fill the emptiness of her life.

After her last gig where she is hired to take picture of 11-year-old Natalie, she truly gets connected with Straub family. A power couple and their young daughter. Delta uses her skills to intertwine their lives together. She wants it all.

It was quick, fast pacing, gripping read with the right amount of menacing suspense.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Photographer is an excellent suspense novel that seems particularly relevant to today's culture. Too often, people open their lives to strangers on social media, without truly knowing who they are inviting inside. The realistic themes Carter covers in this book make this one spectacularly unsettling, making for one unputdownable read.