GOOD LORD. OH MY. THIS WAS... EPIC.

Plot
Delta is a photographer and she observes the seemingly perfect lives of New York city's elite. She snaps photos of children at their birthday parties and transforms these images into something she finds better. When Delta is hired to take pictures at Natalie Straub's she becomes obsessed with the family. She tries to make everything broken whole and change this family for the better. But what if what she thinks is better is actually worse?
And that's how Delta starts babysitting Natalie, as a way to get closer to the Straubs. And she succeeds in making herself the center of the family, to close that bridge between the family members without removing herself from the connection she has to pose a surrogate having already had a child. Amelia cannot have a baby, so Delta agrees to be a surrogate for her and her family. Although Amelia has just met Delta, they feel close and have an intimate connection. But little does Amelia know how messed up Delta really is.


I don't read a lot of Phycological thrillers but this has my stamp of approval (whatever that's worth)


Delta
The First-person perspective drove me crazy. I kept searching the author up to see if she was mentally OK because honestly the first-person perspective was done so perfectly well that I'm freaked out. But at the end of the audiobook, there was an author interview that I was so thankful for because honestly, I was a bit worried. Delta was a... what's the word for it, a CRAZY character. She is so...WOW. I mean she gets pregnant for a person she barely knows for the reason that she wants to be cared for and loved and fussed over like a pregnant woman. I guess that doesn't sound like much but the connection she yearns for with the people she doesn't even know that much is so intense and scary. AND HER ACTING? I am convinced that she is a psychopath. The way she manipulates and uses people was just...WOW. But other than that, I loved seeing her perspective of the world especially since she's a phenomenal photographer and addresses everything in the environment.


Amelia, Natalie, Fritz
Nonononononononononoooono! That's me throughout the whole book. I feel so bad for this family and the way it's being manipulated. Amelia is a horrible mom to Natalie. Delta takes up that mom role even though she's crazy (this is where the acting comes in) and kind of ruins Natalie forever. But anyways Fritz and Amelia and horrible parents that neglect their child, but you know what, they still didn't deserve what happened to them in the end.

Overall
Overall this was a fun, crazy book that has thought me not to trust anyone. No matter how kind and friendly they are.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers, and Macmillan audio for sending an Acr my way in exchange for an honest review.

~Till Next Time!
📚 Ꮢҽαԃ σ⨍⨍ ɾҽαԃҽɾട! 📚

I wanted to love this one, but it is way too slow and the narrator is too dry and monotone. I wasn't loving it, so I gave up after trying to force myself through it over several weeks.

This one was a bit disappointing for me. I was hoping there was going to be some big reason for Delta's behavior but I was disappointed when there wasn't a resolution. The whole concept for me was just a bit weird after not having some huge reveal that I hadn't already figured out. Might be an okay read for someone who doesn't read thrillers a lot.

Although others have described this as a slow burn, I wouldn't necessarily characterize it that way because I felt like this moved pretty fast and really captured my interest. I love a narrator that you cant quite trust because they're going to lead you down a psychological maze and this was definitely one of those narrators for me. I can only describe the main character as deeply disturbed, obsessive, and manipulative. She really didn't have many redeeming qualities but she was a villain I was excited to watch work her magic. I do wish we had got more of her backstory and why she was as disturbed as she was overall I liked her story. The ending was both surprising and unsurprising to me in different ways but I was satisfied for the most part. Parts of this are definitely unbelievable but I don't read fiction for believability so I enjoyed it. Thank you to Minotaur and Mary Dixie Carter for my gifted copy, provided through NetGalley.

The author did a really good job with the writing of this debut. Unfortunately it fell short for me because of the plot. I think that specific plot is overused. The ending was predictable while the actions leading up to it weren’t believable. Overall, it was a quick read that was just okay but I will check out this author’s next books!

Thank you to the tagged publisher and @netgalley for providing a free advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

The Photographer is an unsettling Psychological thriller. Delta is a lonely, delusional stalker. She becomes obsessed with Amelia and her family. She wants to BE their family. She doesn’t only manipulate the photographs she takes of them but she insets herself in their everyday life. Going as far as becoming a surrogate for Amelia and her husband.

While their were parts that intrigued me and many that shocked me (Delta was BOLD), nothing really surprising happened; it ended exactly how I expected it to; no big surprise or twist in my opinion.

Narration was ok; the parts of Amelia sounded really overdone (overly dramatic).

The Photographer is Mary Dixie Carter's debut thriller. I listened to this as an audiobook and thought it was cool that Mary was the narrator. She did an excellent job narrating and bringing the characters to life.

I found the concept to be interesting and creepy. I wish that I had understood more of the psyche behind why Delta was so obsessed with the Straub's. I do think that it was more stalkery and obsessive than I had anticipated.

CW: miscarriage, parental neglect, stalking

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review

The narrator can make or break an audiobook. I have listened to some excellent author-narrator audiobooks, and this is not one of them. When listening to normal speed, the narrator was slow and plundering. I had to boost the playback speed to 1.75x to approximate normal speaking rhythms (still a little fast, but much better). It compromised the quality of the audio, but at least I finished the book as I would not have lasted that long with the normal playback speed.

As to the book, I am glad to see that so many people enjoyed this creepy, psychological thriller. I, however, am not one of them. I thought the concept of the novel and the development of the characters were interesting, but the plot didn't grab me. I pretty certain I feel asleep listening to it and missed a chuck of the story, but didn't care enough to go back and fill in the story.

Delta Dawn is a young photographer who gets an up close and personal look into the lives of NYC’s elite. During one particular children’s birthday party celebration, Delta decides she has to infiltrate this family’s seemingly perfect life.

She befriends the mom, offers to babysit, and quickly makes herself indispensable to the Straub family. How far will she go to secure her own picture perfect life?

This book has ALL the creepy vibes. If you’re someone who questions motives and intentions at every turn, this will get your spidey senses firing on overdrive. It’s a psychological suspense novel that’s a pretty slow burn, but is intriguing enough to keep you wondering what’s going to happen next.

The audiobook was narrated beautifully by the author. I typically only love author-narrated audio in memoirs, but I think Carter really pulls it off. Thanks to MacMillan Audio and Minotaur Books for an ALC for this title!

If you suspend belief, this book is quite the entertaining read. Delta Dawn is a gifted photographer. When she meets the Straubs at Natalie’s eleventh birthday party, she no longer wants to be behind the camera, but a part of their lives. She quickly becomes obsessed and finds any way she can to be a part of their lives by making herself indispensable. The more she becomes entrenched in their lives, the more she craves. A slightly creepy stalkerish tale, with an ending that probably won’t surprise many. As I listened to this one, I didn’t care for the narrators voice. It lacked the emotion needed to carry the story. Fortunately, I had it in book form as well and ended up reading it instead.

This story is about obsession and wow is it crazy how someone could just weasel their way in to a family like this! I was expecting a bit more craziness to happen. But it was pretty crazy. I’m not entirely sure what really motivated Delta. It felt like her objectives changed. I feel like it was a solid read and it was well written but i did want a little more from it. I think Delta was definitely deranged but then so was Amelia. Her obsession with having a child perhaps made her so blinded. I liked this story but i think it could have been elevated a little more. The audio was fine but it was a little flat to me.

From my blog: Always With a Book:

I was lucky to be part of the cover reveal for this book back in November and have been excited about this book ever since. And then when the book landed, it came with such a fun marketing package – not only the book, but a viewfinder as well! How fun is that? And what a great clue as to what we were in store for once we started reading this book!

I am such a fan of obsession tales and this one is definitely one crazy tale! It reminds me a little of Joe from Caroline Kepnes’ You series, though Delta Dawn isn’t quite as psycho as Joe. A photographer that not only uses the photo editor programs a little too much, she also has this weird ability to learn way too much about the families she works for. She clearly has no boundaries when it comes to other people’s lives and can be quite manipulative when she needs to be.

It was interesting that we are given just enough about Delta’s character that she still remains a bit of a mystery throughout the book. I would have liked a deeper dive into her psyche. What was it that made her the way she is because her behaviors are border on creepy and are definitely out of control at times.

This book is not a super twisty book, but it did keep me engaged as I was so eager to find out just how far Delta was willing to go. It had some little surprises that I was not expecting and the ending was satisfying. This is definitely an addicting, entertaining read for sure. I will certainly be keeping an eye out for what comes next from this author!



Audio thoughts:

I had the opportunity to listen to this one and it translates really well on audio. The author herself narrates it and she does a good job with it. She really brought the crazy to Delta, which considering she wrote the character, she knew just how to bring out all the right nuances for the character.

"It's amazing what you can do with visualization. All you need to do is create memories...Memories are images we create in our minds...Who's to say that the memory I create is any less "true" than the original one?"

Delta Dawn (yes just like the song) believes every word of the above quote in the very disturbing The Photographer by debut author Mary Dixie Carter.

Delta is a talented photographer making her living taking pictures of wealthy NYC families. She can make the brattiest kid look angelic during their birthday party.

When Delta infiltrates herself into the lives of the Straub family we start to realize she can manipulate more than just pictures. She subtlety makes herself indispensable to them as she takes over their lives. At least that is the image in her mind.

This story emphasizes the psychology in psychological thriller. There aren't huge WTF moments or twisty turns but there is creepiness in Delta's obsessions.

I also listened to the Audiobook which is superbly narrated by the author. She is an actress so reading this first person account of her own words was a tour de force in acting. She brought a whole new level to Delta's delusions that gave me chills. There is also a great discussion between the author and writer Jennifer Hillier included in the audio.

We learn that Delta's parents were janitors at Disneyland. All I could think was there is not a better education in illusions then growing up in Disneyland. I thought this was brilliant background to Delta's upbringing.

This writer has created a character that is compelling, mesmerizing, creepy and the definition of manipulation.

I received a free copy of this book and audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley
for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

I really liked this audio-book. I can't say I loved it, but it kept my interest. Delta Dawn is a photographer, weddings, birthdays, children's parties. She finds herself taking photos for a family that she would like to be a part of so she figures out a way to do just that.
The author is also the narrator. I'm not sure that was the best choice. Her voice used for the mother was very irritating. Maybe that was intentional. anyway it is an interesting story and it kept me guessing what Delta would do next to achieve her goals. round up to 3.5 Thanks to #netgalley and #MacMilllan audio for the ARC

I fought a few battles with this book. First of all, it was a slow start for me. In addition, I found most of the characters in this book completely unlikable. All of this combined to make it difficult for me to invest in the book the way I would have liked to. However, it was an original idea with a strong creep factor. The main character, Delta was flat out crazy. I would have liked more of her back story. It would have helped to understand why she was that way. I feel like we were given snippets of her past but never knew what was real and what was her twisted perception of reality.

Overall, this was a good debut with a creative storyline.

Regarding the audiobook, I think the narration fits the storyline quite well. It's done by the author and she captures Delta's inner voice perfectly. I believe that is an advantage to having the author narrate the story -- they know exactly how the character's emotions should be expressed.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review this audiobook and the opinions contained within are my own.

addictive psychological thriller and let me tell you it is a crazy, twisted, page turner of a read filled with lies,  secrets and manipulation.

We follow Delta, a photographer  that captures New York City's elite.  Her life begins to change when she is hired to photograph a birthday for  Amelia and Fritz Straub's daughter. Delta begins to emerse herself in the Straub's when she begins babysitting  for their 11 year old daughter Natalie and becoming friends with her mother. While babysitting Delta goes a little too far, snooping into the Straub's life and struggles of having another baby. Delta becomes obsessed with the Straub's and determined to be part of their lives and family. Delta knows she must become a suggoragate for the Straub's, but how far will Delta go to get what she wants?

For a debut novel, this book was okay. It's a mystery/thriller with a story that has been done before, and unfortunately, it doesn't bring anything new or exciting to the genre to make it really stand out.

It's a fast-paced read that I finished in a day, and I did feel unsettled by Delta's obsession with the Straub's family. I would have liked some more unexpected twists in the story.

This is a great book though if you're looking for something quick to read that's entertaining, but nothing special.
2.5 Stars

#NetGalley #thephotographer #AudioARC

Mary Dixie Carter narrates her debut novel in a steady, consistently edgy story of obsession, drama, and suspense. In the audiobook version of The Photographer, Carter becomes the voice of the very disturbed character she created, Delta Dawn. A photographer in New York City, Delta captures memories of children's birthday parties in photos of their festive events.
There is nothing to celebrate though, when Delta immediately becomes obsessed with her clients Fritz, Amelia and their daughter. Delta visualizes images of her clients in her mind, leading her to edit her photos to match these troubling scenes. The imagery became real when Delta strategically immerses herself totally in the lives of this family. This audiobook is a chilling listen for a stormy Saturday night, but it will also add a dark intensity to a sunny Summer day. Carter delivers a novel that lovers of twisted, family suspense will devour, and then wait anxiously for her next book.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Minotaur Books for an Advanced Reader's Copy of The Photographer in audiobook format.
#NetGalley #ThePhotographer

Reading Between the Wines book review #58/115 for 2021:
Rating: 4 🍷 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book 🎧: The Photographer
Author: Mary Dixie Carter
Genre: General Fiction (Adult)
RELEASES on May 25, 2021!!! GRAB YOUR COPY TODAY!!
Recommended to readers who would like the marriage of Single White Female meets You.

Sipping thoughts: Delta Dawn (cool name, I know right) is definitely the female version of Joe Goldberg from the book You but a little less intense and crazy. Carter writes this book in a way that you feel sorry for Delta rather than enraged or upset. This book takes you on a journey of obsession, love, heartache, and loss with the psychological thrills added.

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley, @marydixiecarter and @MacmillanAudio for an advanced copy of @ThePhotographer

#MaryDixieCarter #ThePhotographer #MacmillanAudio #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #generaladultfiction

The Photographer is not the most polished thriller I've ever read. It's not the most watertight plot I've ever encountered. But The Photographer doubles down on creepiness, and it ends up being the winning bet.

From the beginning, the protagonist appears to be quite a unique and singular individual. As we begin to explore beneath the surface, it only gets worse (or better?).

I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll stop there. But I would definitely recommend The Photographer to anyone who enjoys psychological horror or thrillers.