Dollycas's Thoughts

Liv Spyer is an eager young photographer ready to find her place among New York's vast event and portrait picture-taking world. She has a small studio/apartment below her grandparents’ West Village brownstone where they live and run their key shop. She hopes portraits for the upcoming holiday season will keep her studio afloat. Then she meets Regina Montague, the well-known events photographer. Regina offers her a job on the spot which she quickly accepts. She will be capturing moments at the exclusive New York City Holiday Debutante Ball.

Liv knows this event could change her life so she tries to get all the shots she can and be in the right places at the right times. Then she finds herself in the entirely wrong place at the entirely wrong time. She finds her new boss Regina Montague standing over the very dead body of billionaire Charlie Archibald. With Regina prominent in the lens of Detective Thorne, Liv decides to sharpen her focus on the photos she took at the ball. Can she find clues within the pictures? Will she be able to reveal the real killer? Or will she be overexposed and find that the killer has zoomed in on her as their next victim?

I enjoyed meeting Liv Spyer, her parents, and her grandparents. They are genuine people with good hearts watching out for each other every day. She also has a 4-year-old baby sister who will steal the hearts of everyone she meets. Liv is sharp and has a keen eye for detail which makes her a great photographer and a capable amateur sleuth.  We meet several interesting characters throughout the story, like Harry who appeared to be a random man on the train and stuck around to play a key part in the story. We also meet his aunt with an interesting background and successful commercial photographer Regina Montague and her assistant Manjeet. All the characters evolved over the course of the story and gained a great amount of depth for the first book in a series.

I love that this series is set in New York City and not the usual cozy mystery small town. It was fun to travel up and down the streets, on the trains, and to many other big city hot spots. The photography theme is unique and entertaining too. It is clear it is Liv's passion.

The mystery was more complicated than I originally thought it was. It had different elements to concentrate on in addition to the several suspects. I enjoyed the way Liv approached her investigation. She closely examined the photos she had taken and didn't shy away from asking questions in an effort to follow each clue no matter how small. After several twists and turns, her focus became clearer leading up to a compelling reveal that had me giggling just a bit.

Photo Finished is an excellent start for this series. The mystery was very well-plotted and the entire story was very well-written. It is filled with engaging characters, a fair amount of humor, and just a bit of romance. A big city cozy mystery that captured my interest in a New York minute. I am excited to see where Liv Spyers' cameras take her next.

Loved this series starter. The sleuth is such a vibrant character, starting a business and a life in NYC in her early twenties, who gets drawn into a local murder mystery.

This was a fun cozy mystery that will have you guessing until the end.

I thought the main character was fun and I liked the way she went about investigating. Unlike most female mystery characters, she didn't have someone over her shoulder telling her not to get involved. It was more that she was searching for her own curiosity and to help an innocent person. Her family served as the main side characters and I enjoyed her family dynamic. Her grandparents are sweet.

With this mystery I didnt' have to concentrate on all the characters and who is who. I could pick the book back up and get the gist of what was going on. If you are looking for a lighthearted, fun read this is an excellent choice.

This is the first in the series and I will be reading the second book.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I didn't enjoy this one as much as the previous series by this author. I enjoyed the mystery but the characters not so much.

A very fun mystery. The main character was engaging but I would have liked more for the support characters.

I've been a big fan of Christin Brecher's since her debut novel, Murder's No Votive Confidence. The series that that book kicks off upends the (culinary) cozy formula in the best possible way, and is a must-read for me. I'm not actually sure if she'll be writing any more of that series tho, as her attention now seems to be on her newer Snapshots Of NYC novels, of which Photo Finished is the first. Not that I begrudge her the change of direction, as this book is a hoot from start to finish!

PF introduces Liv Spyers, the college dropout and aspiring photographer who's set up her small studio (and apartment) in the basement of her grandparents' key shop, where she also helps out from time to time. Sending her resume out to various photography agencies has gotten her exactly zero callbacks, but no one ever succeeded in New York City by giving up at the first setback. When Regina Montague -- renowned celebrity photographer and the owner of one of the highly successful studios that passed on Liv's resume -- comes into the key shop one day and mentions needing a photographer for an imminent gig, Liv immediately recommends herself. Regina is desperate enough to give her a shot, telling her when and where to show up to photograph a society debutante's ball.

Liv is excited to snag the gig, not only for the pay but for the in that a successful night will give her with Regina's agency. There's only one small problem: her really good camera is still in the possession of a cute guy she had an unfortunately literal run-in with while on the subway earlier. Second best will have to do, but in an even weirder twist of fate, the cute guy himself is one of the (adult) guests at the ball.

Bolstered by the thought of getting her best camera back soon, Liv plunges confidently into her work, but quickly discerns discord simmering beneath the fabulous facades put up by the glamorous guests. When someone is murdered, and Regina of all people becomes prime suspect, Liv is quickly convinced that she can help figure out who really dunnit, if only out of gratitude to the woman who took a chance on her.

As far as motives for sleuthing go, that isn't a bad one, especially with the very realistic descriptions of Liv's struggles to get hired and paid. It also helps that Liv has an uncanny eye for detail, and the sort of brazenness that allows her to poke her camera into interesting situations. I didn't super love the evocation of the trust trope, mild as it was was here, but it was resolved in a satisfyingly healthy manner. Kudos too for the realistic use of the reward money at the end.

I was actually sent this book ages ago but another reviewer already had dibs on it for <a href="https://www.criminalelement.com/author/dvaleris/">CriminalElement.com</a>, so it was a pleasure to be able to read this right before the sequel, which just came out too! Watch for my review of Mugshots Of Manhattan over at CE soon.

Photo Finished by Christin Brecher was published October 25 2022 by Kensington Books and is available from all good booksellers, including <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15382/9781496738813">Bookshop!</a>

"Photo Finished" by Christin Brecher is a super cute and fun cozy mystery! The story follows Liv, who runs a vintage photography shop, and she's a total boss babe! When she stumbles upon a dead body during a photoshoot, things get crazy, and Liv turns into a detective to solve the case. The book has a cool mix of mystery and vintage vibes, and the characters are all so quirky and lovable. I totally loved how Liv used her photography skills to crack the case, and the plot twists had me totally shook! If you're into cozy mysteries with a touch of nostalgia, "Photo Finished" is the perfect read! 📸🔎😊

3.75 stars!

Another fun start to a cozy mystery series! I enjoyed the atmosphere of the New York City setting. I also liked how we got to hear about the high society of New York, and the incorporation of how Liv's photography skills tied into her solving the mystery and helping her employer. Overall a good time and I'm excited to see how the series continues!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Liv Spyer is your (slightly above) average New Yorker … lives in a tiny apartment, works a relatively mindless job in her grandparents’ key shop while trying to make it as a photographer. She will also try solving a murder.

Regina Montague is the photographer to the stars in New York – coordinating a team of top-notch shutterbugs to capture the the elite, upper-class socialites at special events. She happens to be in the key shop where Liv is working, when she gets a call that one of her photographers isn’t able to make it to the Holiday Debutante Ball – the socialite event of the season. Liv quickly jumps on the opportunity, pointing out her photos hanging about the shop and offering her services (knowing that putting Regina Montague on her resume would greatly help her career).

It’s not a an easy decision for Regina, but she needs the photographers to cover the event and she decides to give Liv the chance.

The event mostly goes well, with Liv even getting the opportunity to flirt a bit with an eligible bachelor. At the end of the ball, however, billionaire Charlie Archibald is murdered and Regina is framed to be the killer.

Aside from losing the opportunity to work for the famous Montague agency with Regina in jail, Liv is convinced that Regina is not guilty and sets about to prove her innocence.

This is a cozy mystery – not typically a genre that I would seek out, but as I’ve been enjoying mysteries lately and the gimmick (there’s always a gimmick, it seems, with a mystery series) of photography appealed to me (and because it’s a first book in a series and not mid-way through), I wanted to give this a try. And while it’s not an outstanding book, it definitely has potential and worth reading.

A mystery featuring an amateur detective is generally only going to be as good as the main character (think C.J. Box’s Cassie Dewell or Joe Pickett mysteries, Craig Johnson’s Longmire, Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum, etc [although each of these would not be considered an amateur]) so it’s important that we find Liv to be likeable and relatable. Fortunately she is both. Note that I referred to her as a “typical” New Yorker earlier (relatable) and her personality is such that it gets her in with the elite photography organization and also in with the elite social class. A pushy, aggressive attitude wouldn’t accomplish this, but the determined, confident Liv does.

The character and the situation really are the driving forces here, and the mystery itself is just … ‘meh.’ Though I admit that I generally feel that way in cozy mysteries … cozies tend to lack the grit and excitement of a mystery to me.

I am definitely interested enough to read the next book in the series, hopefully building more on the photography aspect as well as the adventures in New York.

Looking for a good book? Photo Finished by Christin Brecher is a modern, cozy mystery set in New York’s upper social class, with a lower-middle-class, go-getting photographer as the protagonist.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

There is a lot to love here, including Liv, the spirited young photographer who is surrounded by her loving family and friends, a dreamy romance, details of debutante balls and lives of the rich and famous and the New York City setting.

📷I started to say Liv is like Cam Jansen all grown up but not sure if people would get the reference. She does use her photographs to help uncover details about the murder.

🎞I don't know if it's the gorgeous cover, the plot, the writing style, or the reference to the movie "To Catch a Thief" but despite references to contemporary life and culture, there is decided retro/vintage feel to this book that I adore. Although I feel like Liv and Harry would be a better fit in the movie "Charade."

I liked the people that the author created in a previous series, and when I saw that she was putting out a new one, I wanted to pick it up.
Our leading lady is a photographer who takes more portraits than any other type in order to make a living. She lives below her grandparents' key-making shop. Her grandfather seems to be more tired than usual, and she is having to ensure that the place is locked up. On one chaotic day, she loses her chance at a freelancing opportunity, loses her precious camera and finally lands a very lucrative position with a very well-known photography agency.
This is also the day she meets a man on a train who intrigues her and runs into him again during the party she managed to get a job photographing. As a people watcher, Liv starts to notice all the small things that were off at the party. This sets an odd atmosphere that comes to a head when a man is found dead. Every cozy mystery needs to have a reason for the non-police-related individual to investigate, and here it is to save face. Liv basically calls attention to certain things, which leads the police to arrest an innocent woman which has a cascading effect on any future prospects that Liv might have wished for.
I would have enjoyed this book much more if not for the romantic angle. The introduction of the characters and that entire storyline seemed a little tacked on. I actually liked the budding relationship, but without leaving any spoilers, I cannot talk of the parts I did not think added anything to this story.
I liked the authors writing and literally flew through the adventure. Liv is a good lead to get behind. She is sharp, suffers no fools and is always ready to put herself in danger whenever it is required for the greater good (or the solution of the entire case). I have more hopes for the next, given the way this ended. I will be continuing with the series and recommend it to fans of the genre.
I received this book as an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading.

This novel tells the story of a photographer trying to solve a mystery. The story is very fast-paced. However, it feels very rushed and does take the time to develop the characters. I also thought that the romance was very unnecessary in this novel and undeveloped. The romance was instantaneous. Therefore, the romance should been in the next installment to take time for it to be developed. Still, the mystery was very intriguing, and I like how all the pieces tied together. I recommend this for fans of Nancy Drew!

A cozy mystery with a female sleuth? Sign me up! I'm in! This is the first book of Christin Brecher's new mystery series "A Snapshot of NYC". Our Liv Spyer, is working part-time at her grandparents key shop when the perfect business opportunity presents it self in the form of elite-event-photographer Regina Montague. She finally has a chance to break through in the photography industry and she won't mess this up. Unfortunately her camera gets stolen in the subway and Regina is certainly not impressed by the only camera Liv has handy. Regardless of this fact, she gives Liv an opportunity of a lifetime and for that she is thankful. The event is a no cellphones allowed type of thing, you'll see the pictures when we release them and that's it.... perfect opportunity for a crime isn't it? -- That is exactly what happens. A murder in the middle of the event. The murder of a very powerful and wealthy man. And who does Liv find near the body? Non other than Regina. Liv is certain that Regina did not commit the crime so powered by the pictures she took on the event and the assistance of her undercover FBI date (of course this detail was important), she began to investigate the murder in order to help clear out the name of the woman that believed in her.

As soon as I started the book, I was hooked. The story and our heroine have wit. It is entertaining, funny when it needs to be, it activates the inner sleuth we all have inside and will make you want to continue reading until you're at the very last page. There are a lot of small details that are important and that you need to pay attention. I feel like the author made an incredible job at creating this little word for us that is full of potential when it comes to future books. I am excited to see what she has in store for us and I cannot wait to get my hands on it.

Thank you Netgalley, Kensington Books and Christin Beecher for the opportunity.

This was a very different profession for a cozy and it turned out to be a really interesting story! I loved the characters and the family aspect. Such a fun read!

If you have enjoyed this authors previous cozy mysteries then you will definitely want to read this one! Although this book is not set in a small town, the author does a great job creating a cozy circle of interesting characters within a well planned mystery and I was kept guessing until the very end. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.

This is a new to me author and I have to say I am looking forward to reading more by this author! I loved this book

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

It was a good read, I enjoyed it.

A perfect start to a new series! I loved getting to know Liv and her family, as well as Harry, Regina, and Manjeet. The mystery was well-paced and the story itself drew you in to high society in NYC. My favorite thing was how the city itself was incorporated into the story, showing that cozies can be set in big cities without losing the cozy feel. The photography angle was also interesting and I enjoyed learning more about the business and getting the perfect shot. Looking forward to the next in the series!

Loved, loved, loved this book!! This was the perfect combo of romcom and cozy mystery all rolled into one fabulous package. The main character, Liv was witty and adorable and her interactions with Harry during her investigation into the murder of a very prominent business man had me rolling at times. I am officially hooked on this series, just followed the author on Amazon and will be waiting impatiently for the next one in the series!

WARNING: Profanity, crude language, cursing.

Liv has always dreamed of being a photographer in New York. She has a very small studio/apartment, but business is slow until she overhears a phone conversation. A one-time job at a debutant ball may be within reach, paid by a well-connected business owner.

A funny thing happened on the subway, and set her on a path that led to anguish and death--just not her own. Then there is the tux-wearing man with an eye for art, a lost royal jewel, and some secrets Liv is good at rooting out. And the murder.

The story is a little too convoluted--although readers are led through the clues frequently--and I was very unhappy with the profanity and bad language. But it was an otherwise quick and pleasant read.

2.8/5 Stars

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the temporary digital preview; any review is voluntary and my own opinion.

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