This book takes the complexity of plots to a new level.

The start is intriguing and the main character is interesting and appealing. I found that as the book progressed my attitude changed from being sympathetic, curious and supportive to her..

The book complexity meant that as the book progressed I found it harder to relate to any of the characters.

The ending was clever and surprising but too, too sad! I guess this accurately reflects life!

Well done Sam Carrington for the book’s creativity!

This is one of those books where you think you know who did it (though it isn’t really a who done it) and you almost do, but then there is a catch.
Erica is out shopping one day when she comes across a mother who has lost her child. No one seems that concerned and Erica sets it her mission to help her. But the mother isn’t all that she seems and something just doesn’t add up.
I really enjoyed this story and trying to guess what the mystery to it all was. A bit of suspense with drama to add. It has all the right notes to make you take a step back and hug your children extra tight and want to give them an extra cuddle.

Thank you for the advanced copy! The Title and the cover are so beautiful so I was really looking forward to it!

Problem is - I stopped interfering in things that do not involve me ( in my teenager years obviously not ) but now for my own mental state I just stopped. So Erica was really really really hard to follow. I would have helped Mercy go to the counter and that's it. So having Erica involve herself in this awful situation didn't click with me. ( Yes, yes now we know more :D but still - that was my thought starting this book)

I must say I still really enjoyed the story and the twists!

This is an author who knows how to create a masterpiece. The Girl in the Photo is gripping, addictive and quite possibly Carrington’s best yet.

We are introduced to Erica and Mercy following a “chance” meeting at the supermarket. This develops what is an unlikely friendship between the pair. Whilst Jamie is mentioned, we don’t really find out too much about him until later in the book.

As this has unfolded, I’ve been completely shocked. Carrington has included strong themes of mental health as a result of trauma. This has been expertly and sensitively presented to us as a reader.

This is a book that has taken me on an emotional journey. It’s completely unpredictable, sometimes shocking, sometimes heart wrenching.

This is a book that has completely pulled me in and kept me awake far too late. I devoured this book in just one sitting. I’ve read many books by this author- this is a favourite.

The Girl in the Photo is raw, emotional and completely unputdownable. There is nothing negative I can say about this one. It’s a book worthy of all the stars.

Wow! What an amazing book! I was gripped and I raced to the end. I loved the complexity of the disorder and how it twisted. I’ll be honest- I guessed the first twist before it came- but it didn’t distract me from reading on. It’s a hauntingly clever book!

Yes! Sam Carrington Yes! I read this book in a few hours, I could not put it down! Just when I thought I had it figured out...I was wrong! Wow! How have I never read anything by this Author? I will now be busy reading every one of her books! The Girl in the Photo by Sam Carrington is my favorite book so far this year! #NetGalley

While struggling with IVF and her failing marriage, instagram influencer Erica LASTNAME crosses paths with a woman whose child was abducted. For some reason Erica feels compelled to help Mercy, not to mention like the only one who does want to help the distraught woman. But when Mercy starts to contradict herself and produce any proof of her child’s abduction, Erica starts to wonder if she made a mistake. Is what Mercy says true-that it’s all a conspiracy to protect a human trafficking ring? Or is Erica being used for a more sinister purpose?
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This book completely exceeded expectations. It dragged a bit for the first few chapters but things quickly picked up and from there I was hooked. Carrington did a great job of messing with my head by how paranoid she wrote Erica to be. There were a lot of “ohmygod” moments and the reveal was nicely executed, but my god was this whole situation so tragic. I really felt for Mercy and desperately wanted Erica to get the answers she so badly needed. She had so much going on with the abduction mystery, the constant fight between conspiracy and delusion, and the “Single White Female” vibes Mercy kept giving off. But way to mess me all the way up again with the ending!! Not complaining - I loved the twisty, feverish writing and plot reveals and those bombshell closing scenes. Certainly worth a read and checking out the rest of Carrington’s works. Most definitely recommend!

While shopping one Friday Erica is approached by Mercy a desperate mum looking for her lost daughter. Of course Erica tries to help but it seems like she is the only one. Why will no one else help Mercy, why is there no info online about her missing daughter Tia? An intriguing and cleverly written thriller.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "The Girl in the Photo" and all opinions expressed are my own. This was a slow start and kinda slow throughout for me. I could not get into the story, it seems all over the place. Hard to follow at times. Overall okay.

This is another impossible to review book without giving away some of the intricate twists of the plot. Suffice to say Mercy comes across as half mad with grief, searching for her child and unheard in her pleas for help and Erica is desperate for some meaning in her life and gets sucked in to the "search" for the child.
The characters are well formed with enough backstory to step off he pages without getting bogged down in lengthy explorations of their pasts.
The plot twists and turns with plenty of surprises and the book in un-put-downable!

My thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for a copy of “ The Girl In The Photo “ for an honest review.

I was hooked by this book from the very start, and I found it very readable.It was a perfect psychological thriller that kept me guessing right to the end..
Another book by Sam Carrington that I will be recommending.

I don’t even know where to start. The story is sad… Erica is a lonely married woman who is struggling in her marriage due to difficulties getting pregnant. It has caused a lot of strain between her and her husband, Jamie.
One day while doing her weekly grocery shopping a woman, Mercy, approaches her with a picture of a little girl asking for help finding her. This helps Erica channel her energy into something other than her failing marriage. Erica dives into helping Mercy…

The story was a little slow for me. I also had a good feeling the book would end the way it did. While it was interesting, I wish I was pulled in more. How? I don’t know.

One thing that was disappointing to me was not having the closed loop on why the security guard played a part in this story… in the chapters that are told from his POV I was on track to believe he had something to do with the disappearance of the young girl. And while he did, innocently, his POV was never answered for me.

This is a haunting book, a story of a woman chronicling her IVF journey online who meets a distraught woman in a supermarket who tells her that her daughter has been taken and she is desperately looking for someone to help her.

Told by Erica we see her at the start in a tricky relationship with her husband as she tries to cope with not having a baby and the thought that she is falling out of love with her husband. When she meets Mercy who needs someone to believe her child has been taken Erica finds she must help. Meeting weekly the relationship seems an odd one but seems to help them both.

Interspersed is some narrative from online chat room’s regarding the child being missing due to neglect and alternative narrative by a councillor, whose identity we discover at the end.

Well written and dealing with love,loss, mental health issues and grief.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

"The Girl in the Photo" is an intense and fast-paced thriller that keeps readers guessing until the final pages. Carrington skillfully employs red herrings and twists, deftly manipulating the reader's perceptions and expectations. The plot is intricately woven, and the author expertly balances moments of suspense with well-timed revelations, creating a sense of urgency and keeping readers on the edge of their seats.

Fans of psychological thrillers will appreciate Carrington's writing style, which combines atmospheric descriptions with taut dialogue, heightening the tension and immersing readers in the story.

Erica Fielding is in the supermarket when a frantic woman, Mercy approaches her, asking if she has seen her missing daughter. The staff remove Mercy as they see her as a nuisance, in every week asking customers the same thing. They remember the day Mercy accused her daughter from being taken, but no CCTV or witnesses caught any evidence of the girl.
Erica, although wary, becomes engrossed in helping Mercy much to her husbands resistance. She even seeks the help of her neighbour across the road. But Erica becomes suspicious of Mercy having an affair with her husband and events start to spiral out of control.
A refreshing read, with twist upon twist towards the end. Erica is a likeable character and can understand her emotional rollercoaster ride.

I'll be the odd one out here and say I wasn't crazy about this. To me, it was pretty predictable. While that in itself didn't throw me off completely, the story as a whole in it's delivery was. It was a little hard to really get into this, I felt somewhat detached while reading. All in all, I'll give this Three Stars because the writing and story was still good, I just didn't like it personally.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC.

Erica Fielding goes shopping and is approached by a woman with a photo of a little girl. Asking for help to find her daughter.
Erica befriends the girl's Mother, Mercy, and does all she can to help find Tia. There is no record of Tia's birth, nor her disappearance.

Erica suspects her husband of having an affair, and comes to the conclusion that Mercy is the other woman.
Is Erica losing her mind? Or is Mercy delusional?

I got so frustrated reading this book! Erica knew there was something amiss, and did not ask Mercy the questions that were in her mind! How did Mercy know her name? If Mercy did not have access to internet or even own a phone, how did she know what Erica posted on Instagram? Why was Tia's bedroom a carbon copy of the bedroom Erica decorated for her future child? So many questions!
I definitely did not guess the ending, and the absolute ending had my mouth open in amazement. Like "What DID I JUST READ?" What a jaw dropping twist!

I do recommend this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

A great book, these type of books are my favourite, it had me entertained from the first chapter and had everything

Well this was a fantastic read I hadn’t read anything from this author before I have now got all of her books as this was so good. Excellent psychological thriller which will have you gripped from start to finish.


Erica Is shopping on her usual day Friday when she meets Mercy. Mercy approaches Erica as she is paying for her shopping putting a photo in her hand and asking her has she seen her child. Everybody in the shop says Mercy is always annoying people that there is no missing child. Erica feels a connection to Mercy and wants to help so she goes back the following Friday. Mercy tells Erica that she is the only one that can help find her missing child and with Erica’s own marriage not working and her struggle to have a baby she feels the distraction will help her. What happened to Mercy child? When Erica digs deeper things are shared that can not be undone.

A fantastic psychological thriller which had me guessing until the very end and what an ending it was. This was a book full of suspense. Highly recommend this to anyone who loves a psychological thriller with lots of twists and turns.

This is a fantastic read. There are so many twists I didn't know if I was on my head or my heels for most of the story. As well as keeping the tension ramped up throughout the story really tugs on your heartstrings. Whether you think Mercy is telling the truth and no-one believes her or that there never was a child to begin with and she needs psychiatric help you would not be human if you didn't have sympathy for her. I read the book in one sitting and thought the ending was really clever.. Sam Carrington can always be relied on for a good psychological thriller and this is one of her best.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book