This was a pretty fast-paced thriller that caught my attention from the beginning. Sometimes I kind of wanted to smack the MC because of her decision-making skills, but overall the characters were somewhat relatable. I enjoyed the multiple POVs and how the story was told. I was pretty sure I had things figured out early on, but the end had a pretty clever twist that I didn't see coming.

I loved everything about this book. Naturally, I'm a sucker for thrillers especially thrillers with twists. Those types that makes you think that you've figured everything out but you have been tricked and so you haven't.

Emotions ran high in this book and at a point, I found myself at a crossroads wondering which side to take between niece and aunt. With time, I realised that there really are no sides.

I loved the narration, it made me totally immersed in the story. I'd love to read more of A J McDines's work.

I loved this short chapter, fast paced thriller about a woman who sees a man in a photo who is thought to be dead. If you like Freida McFadden and Lisa Jewell, you’ll love this one! I thought I had it all figured out a few times, but was pleasantly surprised at the twists and turns, all leading to a satisfying end! Great read!

Thanks so much for the opportunity to read in advance. I am recommending this for my book club!

Lara’s sister Isabelle, and her two children, were killed by her brother in law Jason, years ago. Lara has never been able to get over it; nor has Jason been caught. She is taking a photo at a wedding and notices a man in the picture who looks exactly like Jason. She immediately reports it to the police.

Lily is Lara’s niece and she has been living with Lara since the death of her mother and siblings. Lara can’t tell Lily about this yet; it would be too disturbing. However, things are not turning out as Lara is hoping. Lily is an inquisitive teen and has made contact with her killer father, Jason.

I just love McDine’s knack for the thrilling zigzags throughout the story. I did not figure out what was going to happen and I was pleasantly surprised at the ending. Am I allowed to say we get to enjoy an HEA in a thriller novel? I am looking forward to McDine’s next thriller, Everyone Has Secrets. Stay tuned in October 2024 for my review. Get your copy of this thrilling, short-chapter, suspenseful novel today! You won’t be sorry! I loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the copy of this book.

I was really excited for this one, I had read a few other books by this author and I very much enjoyed them! The photo was on the slow side, to the point where I wasn’t sure if I was going to finish. I’m not sure if the story needed more character development or plot depth,… the end reveal was a bit lackluster, interesting story but it was also hard to stay engaged in.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookoture and A.J McDine for the ARC. This is a first read from this author and I was very impressed!

I went back on first on ‘who did it’ numerous times. I was convinced I knew the culprit and then a minor detail changed my mind, this happened quite a few time. It was easy to keep me interested for this reason. This book has short chapters and several character perspectives. It was easy to follow along and keep up with each character’s story.

Character development was alright, would like to have more of a backstory of Millie and what her deal was. Lily was a classic teen and was portrayed as such. She was arrogant, invincible, and had an ‘I know everything’ attitude, as most teens do. Lara was guarded and protective and took on the motherly role to Lily. Maggie was oblivious and I found her character annoying. The supporting characters were interesting enough, each being very different from one another, but complemented the story well.

The twist at the end was unexpected! I definitely did not see that coming! I would recommend this book to others. It was quick and easy to read, kept my interest with likeable characters and some solid twists. I will definitely be reading more from this author!

4.5⭐️

Lara is a former photo journalist who gave up her career to become a wedding photographer. She has a complicated past with trauma from when her sister Isabelle, and her two twin nephews were killed. All evidence pointed to a murder-suicide by Isabelle’s husband, Jason, who remains missing.

The lone survivor was the couple’s five-year-old daughter, Lily, who is now fifteen, and aspires to be an “influencer”, posting on Tik Tok and garnering unwanted attention as she discusses her past.

But life moves on, until Lara sees a man in the background of one of her photos, a man who she identifies as her brother- in-law, Jason.

It’s been 10 years but Lara wonders if he here to finish the job?

What follows is a fun twisty entertaining ride with plenty of surprises. The characters were engaging and kept me interested. This was my first book by this author and won't be my last.

Thank you to NetGalley and AJ McDine for a digital copy of this book. The opinions expressed are my own and freely given.

So, I am pretty sure that with every book of this author, I say this, but this is my favorite to date.

A photographer, Lara, is taking a picture of a building and when she looks back at the image she sees a man. This man is her brother-in-law who has been missing for 10 years. He is wanting and believed to kill his wife (the photographer's sister) his two children and attempted murder of his daughter.

Now Lily, her surviving niece, is living with Lara's mother and she is trying to protect them both, in case Jason is really back after all this time, looking to finish what he started. Now, Lara turns to the police detective that investigated all those years ago to bring Jason into custody. Why did Jason "flip" and kill his family? All will be revealed.

I don't believe that I can say any more about this story without giving something away. This book had me flipping the pages. AJ McDine's books just get better and better.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the Arc of The Photo by A J McDine

🌟🌟🌟🌟- such an amazing read I loved all characters, the twists and turns and the suspense which had me at edge of My seat wanting more! Recommend!!

Great character descriptions and the author has such a lovely way of writing that it was so easy to get straight in to the story. Twists along the way and WOW....................the ending....................never saw that coming !! A great book that I would definitely recommend.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review

This was a good psychological thriller, it did drag on for a while other than that there was plenty of suspense that you can’t put it down. The characters were great, the book itself has so many twists and turns with an unexpected ending and the style of writing was perfect.
I have read other books by this author and I have not been disappointed. I would recommend this to anyone who likes reading this genre.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a honest review.

A new author for me but I'll be looking out for more in the future. I found this book an easy, entertaining read and although I thought it predictable, the end twist proved it to be anything but.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review

this book was interesting a bit slow in places and then there was alot going on. It was a good read and i didnt expect that end.

This book was brilliant. It grabbed me from the very first page and didnt let go. The ending was suprising and I just love when its unpredictable.

Thank you to AJ McDine for the ARC!

Lara, a wedding photographer, is editing some recent photos when she spots someone who makes her blood run cold - her brother-in-law, Jason, who is accused of killing her sister and nephews. Ever since that awful day, Lara has been helping raise her niece, Lily, who is now fifteen. But why would Jason come back? And why now?

Another hit by AJ McDine! I have loved every one of her books that I have had the pleasure of reading. “The Photo” was SO well done! With well-developed characters and an exciting, tight plot, I truly didn’t know what to expect. As Lily’s memories began coming back to her and Lara tried to get to the truth while protecting her niece, I had no idea what was coming! Though after I finished reading, I was able to spot a few herrings, I truly enjoyed not knowing and the way the big reveal came! I can’t wait to see what this author comes up with next :)

This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

If you’d love a good, addictive psychological thriller, read The Photo!
I had several suspects in my mind. AJ McDine created a suspicious world & then took my mind for a spin in the end!

Thank you, AJ McDine Bookouture, & netgalley for my ecopy & audiobook! All opinions are my own.

Ten years ago, Isabelle and her young twin sons were brutally murdered. Her 5 year old daughter, Lily, was badly injured, but she survived. Isabelle's husband, Jason, is the prime suspect, but he disappeared the day of the murder and hasn't been seen twice. Isabelle's sister, Lara, is a photographer. As she's reviewing her recent photos, she swears it's Jason in the background of one of her pictures. Is it really him? Has Jason resurfaced? If so, why? WOW! What develops in this book is a roller coaster, and I was fully invested in the ride!

A J McDine has done it again! I loved her most recent book, The Baby, and The Photo is even better! This book is fast paced and had me gripped from the very first words. The short chapters made this an easy read, and I found myself engrossed in this story.

McDine's writing style is vividly descriptive, which really helps to bring her characters to life. I flew through this book because I just had to know what was going to happen. The plot developed at a rapid pace that kept me entertained until the very end. There were twists and turns that I didn't predict. Every time I thought I knew what would happen next, McDine proved me wrong. The ending was brilliant! McDine is one of my new fave authors. I can't wait to read her full catalog.

Tamsin Kennard did a great job as usual with her narration. She always brings a story to life for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the ALC!

Having read one of McDine's earlier books, The Baby, I knew what to expect from the authors writing style and couldn't wait to immerse myself into Lara's story.

Split across the past and present, McDine takes us on a twisty journey that leads us up to the night of the murders and the ripple effect that's still overshadowing life in the present day.

It's a fast paced read narrated on the whole by Lara. There are red herrings aplenty to keep you on your toes and has a shocker ending.

"The Photo" was a fantastic story, filled with twists and turns that kept me gripped from start to finish. I was so engrossed that I couldn't put it down, so I didn't.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

This is a new author for me. I loved The Photo. The blurb made me want to pick this book up and I knew I’d enjoy it. I loved the twists, turns and misdirection. Once I picked this book up I didn’t want to stop reading it or turning the pages to see what happened next. Lara is a great character. I really felt for her in her dangerous mission to uncover the truth no matter the cost. My heart was in my throat a few times reading this. I kept thinking I knew what was going on only to be led somewhere else. I loved this book and would recommend it.