Great book. Highly recommend and will most defiantly read more by this author and suggest to others!

What a suspenseful dark story about how an unhealthy obsession can lead you to masterfully create situations to insert yourself in. This story told in first person perspective will have you uncomfortably on edge throughout and I loved it.

I really enjoyed this one, it’s an engaging psychological thriller from start to finish. 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 ingratiates her way into the lives of one of her rich clients by agreeing to babysit their 11-year-old daughter and then take on more and more jobs for them.

In one word: chilling. I think when I first started this book, I assumed it would be yet another highly entertaining but not particularly deep 'oh-my-god-this-heffa-crazy' book. And I was right. Except for the "not particularly deep" part. I blame the cover for that. I think it sensationalizes and trivializes what is a much more layered and nuanced portrayal of a psychopath than you usually get in popular fiction.

This is psychological suspense done as it should be done, in my opinion. The narrator and protagonist (?) ... let's just call her the main character instead ... is an event photographer. She mainly does family events like kids' birthday parties and the like; the ones where she is invited into homes and semi-intimate gatherings, and given access that no other type of "help" would be given, since she is tasked with capturing the most poignant moments on film.

We meet her (her name is Delta) at the Straubs' home while she's taking photos at 11-year-old Natalie's party. Through her lens, Delta observes things about the Straubs and their family dynamic that would not be apparent to the casual observer. She also becomes almost immediately obsessed with the family, a feeling that deepens when Amelia and Fritz Straub ask her to fill in for a babysitter who hasn't shown up to watch Natalie. Slowly, gradually, Delta ingratiates herself with each member of the Straub household, and subtly manipulates each of them with a goal of becoming an indispensable part of their family. That plot line has been done, I think we can all agree.

But what's different here is that while Delta executes her plan, each tiny interference is so entirely believable, each revelation about why and how she came to be the person she is is so nuanced, that you find yourself wondering about people you may know who are similarly obsequious ... what are they really thinking? what do they want? and what might they do to get it. There were also several very astute and thoughtful observations about the nature of parenting among the privileged, and the fraught yet symbiotic relationship between those being served and the 'servants'.

While Delta's plan unfolds, she drops little nuggets for the reader (the book is written in first person) that offer clues to how she came to be the person she is. References to past jobs, homes, lovers and even families that she may have invaded in ways similar to her invasion of the Straubs are casually mentioned, so we sense that Delta has been here before, and that she has done some very, very questionable things in her mysterious past.

Finally, I thought the writing was incredibly intelligent. It wasn't your run-of-the-mill sensationalist fare. Delta, while delusional, was also introspective, and even intriguing; a deeply flawed person who on some level is aware of her own pathological nature and has surrendered to them. If you like smart, upmarket psychological suspense, this book more than delivers.

Audiobook note: I listened to the entire book. Often, I read as well as listen, and this time I did not. I listened to the whole thing and I have to say, I did not enjoy this narrator almost at all. She has an almost somnolent voice which might have been a creative choice since Delta is as a character both engaged with the Straubs and distant from them--always assessing them as one might from behind a camera lens, never a full participant in their lives though she strives to be. So that I could accept for the most part. But the voices of the characters in dialogue was almost cartoonish at times. I think she missed Amelia and Fritz entirely. Amelia especially was read like a much older society doyenne, rather than the creative, driven, New Brooklynite she was. I caught myself thinking several times that I was enjoying the story despite the narration and not because of it. Ugh, I know that sounds harsh, but I do think some people may not listen to the whole thing because of the narration.

I loved this book! Incredibly engaging read! Obsessive photographer inserting herself into a family is the basis for this twisted thriller!

Ms. Carter has a wonderful writing style and has a great ability to create a gripping story. The characters were wonderful and I enjoyed the plot of the story.

I enjoyed this one, but it definitely took me awhile to get into. If you’re planning to pick this up, you have to commit to giving it a chance. A slow-burn for sure!

Delta is a professional photographer who assimilates quickly to her surroundings, especially when she decides she wants to be part of the group. She meets Natalie at her eleventh birthday party and meets her parents also. Delta decides she wants to befriend them. Little by little, she inserts herself into their lives, to the point of moving in. The problem with Delta is that she’s delusional and no one knows how far she’s going to go to belong. This mystery is tamer than I was expecting but still enough to be disturbingly creepy, 3 stars!

Delta Dawn is a photographer that makes her subject's lives appear extraordinary and is much sought after by her elite clients. After a series of events that begin with Delta photographing one such clients' daughter, Natalie's childhood birthday party. She befriends Natalie's mother, Amelia, and makes herself available to help out when the opportunity arises. She imagines herself living Amelia's life and that is where the story takes a turn for the freaky! This novel is a suspenseful crazy ride!

This book definitely succeeds in its creepiness factor! It was one of those stories that always had the aspect of schadenfreude to it, making me cringe for Delta Dawn and her obsessions and unawareness of boundaries. I didn't see the ending coming until it happened!

This was such a fantastic book that pulled me right in and I just couldn't stop reading! It's a fast paced thriller that's dark, a little creepy and very addicting! I liked the unreliable narrator and I was sucked in and needed to know what happened! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

If Delta Dawn, an elite New York society photographer, doesn’t see beauty she creates it as well as her own version of reality. A whiz with photo editing tools, she can create the scenes she wants to convey. A scowling child. No problem, she can turn that into an adoring smile. A cold and aloof family. There are ways to manipulate the bodies in the pictures she takes to bring them closer together, soften their stiffness, and turn them into a lovely and loving family to be envied.
But that envy overtakes Dawn in The Photographer, Mary Dixie Carter’s mystery-thriller when she is hired to do a photo shoot of successful architects Amelia and Fritz Straub and their 11-year-old daughter, Natalie. A catty observer, Dawn quickly sums up situations—and others—quickly. Amelia, she quickly notes when they first meet, despite being striking with a magnetic personality isn’t as pretty as she is. Her breasts aren’t as large, nor is her waist as small, and she’s at least ten years older. Dawn immediately prices Amelia’s Montcler coat as costing more than $2000. Then there’s Amelia’s handsome husband with his amazing green eyes. And let’s not forget their wonderful house.
Seduced by what she sees, Dawn immediately sets about immersing herself into their life, volunteering to babysit. She soon has access to the house—drinking their wine, bathing in their tub, becoming good friends with Amelia and sending out seductive vibes to Fritz.
“Several years back, I hired a photographer to take pictures of my two children,” Carter wrote in answer to questions I emailed to her. “The pictures came back, and they were beautiful, but my children’s eyes in the photos were cobalt blue, not their actual color. ‘I want my children’s eyes to be their real color,’ I said. She responded: ‘There is no real color.’ That sentence stuck with me. I started to think about the psychology behind that idea: There’s no real color, there’s no real anything. Delta Dawn doesn’t feel restricted to the reality of the situation. She alters an image to make it what she needs it to be.”
This is the first book for Carter, who graduated from Harvard with honors and previously worked as an actress. Though she says she’s not a good photographer, she took classes in both photography and photo editing while writing the book.
“I learned enough so that I understand some of the basic concepts,” she says. “I did a good deal of research on photo editing and the various ways in which one can alter pictures of people.”
When it came to her characters, Carter let them evolve as she wrote including Dawn.
“I didn’t want her to edit herself,” she says. I wanted her to go as far as possible.”

A photographer makes herself invaluable to a family whose lives she covets. This was a compelling read but in the end didn't really make a whole lot of sense to me.

Oo y’all… creepy and crazy !! Both at the same time. I honestly wasn’t expecting the ending but it turned out so good! Definitely read this one if you like the creepy ones!

This is one haunting, addictive thriller! I found myself absorbed in the narrative as soon as I started and I couldn't wait to find out what the ending was. The setup and payoff are very satisfying in this book.

My poor husband. What an earworm he had to endure the entire time I was reading this. Poor guy. At least I do the cooking while I’m annoying the poop out of him with my incessant song stylings!

I literally read the words “Delta Dawn” while taking a gander at the blurb for this book and needed to look no further before requesting a copy. Yep I’m that easy of a sale. In fact I was so smitten with this main character’s name that it even counteracted my hatred of the face cover.

Another selection for the shelf entitled "white people crazy." The Photographer would be a great way to wind down these final pool days before summer comes to a close. The story here is about - you guessed it - Delta Dawn, a photographer by trade who gets hired to commemorate the Straub’s daughter’s 11th birthday party and finds herself a little too smitten with the family. I love a good crazy and Delta Dawn delivered.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

This is one instance when the cover sells a book. It's gorgeous!

So what's the story about?

Delta is a gifted photographer. She loves to look at life through the lens of her camera. She works as a photographer for children's parties. Her fees are high and she is sought for her talent.

Her next job brings her to the Straubs. She is to take pictures of Natalie's 11th birthday party at the Straub's home. The Straubs are renowned architects and their home is gorgeous. Delta is fascinated by them and she does everything possible to enwrap herself into their life from babysitting Natalie to picking up their dry cleaning. Soon, she wants more...

The premise was a good one. A younger beautiful woman immersing herself in the nook of the family she envies. She wants what this family portrays. A home, a beautiful child, a handsome husband, an elegant wife. Delta can already imagine herself as part of their family. She just needs an opportunity.

The Photographer is a quick and fast-paced story that you can read in just a few hours. Some parts of the book felt flat to me maybe because of a lack of character development or the unbelievable aspects of some of it (Who leaves their child with a stranger on the day they meet?).

Despite the ending being a little rushed, overall I was entertained and found myself turning the pages one after the other one.

Cliffhanger: No

3/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Minotaur via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Photographer is the story of Delta Dawn, a sought after photographer in NYC, and her obsession with a client family. Delta becomes obsessed with the Straub family and will do whatever it takes to ingratiate herself with the family. The Photographer definitely kept my interest, but I thought it was lacking in explaining how Delta came to be the manipulative, calculating person that she is.

The Photographer by Mary Dixie Carter is perhaps the suspense thriller of the summer. When an amazing wealthy family hires a well known photographer for their daughters 11th birthday party little fo they know that they have invited a psychopath into their home. As Delta Dawn continues to manipulate events and imbed herself closer into their family, they are sucked in even further - but what is Delta’s plan? I loved this page turner and highly recommend it. I received an ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

I am sorry., this book was not for me.
I DNF’d it at 34 pages and couldn’t get any further. It doesn’t mean that someone else won’t love it
Than you