I am not a huge fan of the paranormal genre so this title held less interest for me than it will for others. The story is fairly interesting but not enough to hold me in thrall the way an excellent mystery does. I think I would dub it more mediocre than I prefer. The narrators do a very good job of bringing the characters to life and I think they really enhanced the listening experience for me. While there is nothing inherently wrong with this novel, there is nothing that distinguishes it from so many others.

Book: The Photo Thief
Author: J. L. Delozier
Narrators: Rachel Jacobs and Jeffrey Kafer:
Publisher: CamCon Books Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Audiobooks
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: October 18, 2023
My Rating: 3 Stars
Pages: 304


I am a big thriller fan and also enjoy paranormal – I am not a huge fan of police procedure but the reviews on this are all great. So I when into this with high expectations.

Story starts when Detective Dan Brennan has just returned to work following the death of his 5 year old daughter and is assigned to investigate the fatal fall of a wealthy woman.
Her teenage daughter, Cassie, claims her mother was murdered and has proof. It seems old photos hanging in her grandfather’s house sent her a message.

Although there was a lot to like in the story – I didn’t love it
I liked Cassie and wanted to like Dan Brennan I wasn’t a fan of his nasty language
(I know that makes me a not so ‘cool person’) - I do know people use nasty language and if the story is good enough my tolerance it much higher.
In this case I am not positive my reason for finding Brennan unlikeable might also have been the narrator’s performance of him.
As I mentioned the reviews are great so I know there are many readers who love it.

About the Author
This is my first Jen Delozer novel and I was curious to know more about her ~
She is a retired Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at
Penn State, she lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and three rescue cats.
Her genre is–thrillers- crime-paranormal; and one of the author who influenced her is Stephen King
She is inspired by facts that lie on the edge of reality: bizarre medical anomalies, new genetic discoveries and anything that seems too weird to be true.
Her 2016 debut thriller, "Type & Cross" was nominated for a “Best First Novel” award by the International Thriller Writers organization.
You can read more about her at www.jldelozier.com

Want to thank NetGalley and CamCon Books for this early audiobook.
Publishing Release Day scheduled for October 18, 2023.

An eclectic mix of genres makes The Photo Thief one of those hard-to-categorise reads, but this made it all the more enjoyable as the intertwined stories slowly and steadily unravelled. The grieving detective is well portrayed and determined Cassie is a great character. Overall a interesting listen.

🎧4⭐️

I had the audiobook read by Rachel L Jacobs and Jeffrey Kafer they do an ok job with the voices and narration.

Detective Dan Brennan is grieving the death of his toddler, he investigates what initially looked like accidental death of a socialite following a fall. That is until he speaks to her daughter Cassie.

I really enjoyed the supernatural element to this mystery, that was by far my favourite aspect, there’s the ongoing question whether it’s supernatural or medication or madness.

The pace is pedestrian, there’s no big build up of tension, there’s always something going on to keep my interest. The two main characters are likeable, Cassie was my favourite I would have liked more from her POV.

I felt that it has a clever and different premise. I’m hoping that it will become a trilogy.

Detective Dan Brennan has just returned to work following the death of his 5 year old daughter. When he is assigned to investigate a wealthy woman’s death after an alleged fall down her staircase, he soon realises things aren't as they initially seemed. The dead woman’s teenage daughter, Cassie, claims her mother was murdered and she has proof. The only issue being the proof came in the form of messages from ghosts in the old photographs that hang in her Grandfather's house!

This book was a very unusual mix of genres - police procedural/thriller/supernatural yet very entertaining and intriguing throughout. The audiobook was well narrated and added to the overall enjoyment.

I am grateful to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced listener copy of this book and am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

I really enjoyed the audiobook version of this book. A clever plot, combining thriller and police procedural, with a dose of the supernatural/spirit world for an extra layer of fascination and intrigue.

Dan and Cassie are great characters and I would love to read more of them, The unlikely friendship that forms between them, despite their age gap, as they are drawn together because of their own experiences, was an excellent element of the story.

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, J. L. Delozier and CamCat for an ARC in return for an honest review.

The Photo Thief was a tale of two stories for me. It was a mediocre investigative story and an excellent paranormal story. These two things together made for an enjoyable read.

Dan Brennan has what should be an open and shut case. A woman fell down the stairs and died. It should be ruled an accident no questions asked. The only problem is the victim's daughter Cassie is saying it was murder. The only proof she has is what the dead people in photographs have told her.

Cassie was such a strong character in this story. Dan has a hard time believing that Cassie can talk to dead people in photographs but he is also grieving the loss of a child and grief will make you do or believe anything. With the help of Cassie cold cases have been solved. The only explanation for how she could solve them is she must be telling the truth.

This story had a predictable ending but it was really Cassie who kept everything together for me. The paranormal aspect of this story makes this something I would definitely recommend.

What a unique book that captures police procedural and supernatural elements and twists them into one. I really enjoyed the story telling from both author and narrator, this book kept me guessing the whole time.

The characters were distinct and different than what seems to be every other character in other novels on my shelf recently. Not too much paranormal, not too much detective sludge. This is the first book I’ve read from this author, and excited for more!

Appreciative to NetGalley for this audio arc !

I’ve just finished listening to the audible version of “The Photo Thief” by J.L. Delozier, and let me tell you, it was one intense ride. This book had me listening long into the night. The book is a thriller but with interesting supernatural elements woven in that work beautifully. I had to know "what happens next".

The story follows a detective, Dan Brennan, who is investigating the death of a socialite who is found dead at the bottom of the stairs – an open and shut case by the looks of it. But then we get to know Cassie, the socialite’s daughter, who says her mother was murdered. How does she know? Well, she can talk to the dead. Is it the medication she’s on or is something else going on here? What should have been an easy case becomes something not so easy at all.

Detective Brennan has troubles of his own – he is grieving for his daughter, who recently died of Cancer, and whose treatment he questions, feeling very much to blame. There is a lot of story going on with all the characters, much to get your head around but very well done and easy to follow – not always possible in an audible book.

The narrators did an excellent job. Rachel Jacobs’s voice had the ideal kind of sing-song, slightly wispy quality that left me teetering on the edge of wondering whether Cassie had lost her grip on reality due to her medications, or if she truly had a connection to the dead. And Jeffrey Kafer sounded just like he was supposed to sound - like a cop. No nonsense and great pacing.

This book was an original, and if it turns into a series (I think it will) then I’m in for it. A great book whose characters are as interesting as the story itself. A big thank-you to NetGalley for offering it!