I am a huge fan lately of books by AJ McDine, who I first discovered after becoming hooked on her husbands books. Both are fantastic authors.

I had the awesome opportunity to receive an ARC of The Photo by AJ McDine, and just like her other books this one was great. I don’t feel the need to summarize this one, because plenty other reviews have already done so. But I will say, I enjoyed getting to know all the characters. I thought the true essence was captured of teenagers today. Feeling the constant need to overshare their lives via social media. I loved the relationship between Lara and Lily and gran. I absolutely was shocked by the twist in the end. Did not see that coming at all! This is one of those books that grabs you and pulls you in and you can’t stop reading until it’s all done, truly full of suspense. 4/5

What an excellent psychological thriller. Written mainly from the point of view of Laura, a wedding photographer, who always wanted to be a newspaper photographer but life got in the way, or rather death did! Unlike many books of this genre this book actually has a lot of good characters, particularly Laura and her mother, but also some that I was in two minds about that turned out to be good guys! Well written, with short chapters, this was a very easy read and a cracker of a story.

Briefly, 10 years ago Laura’s sister and her twin boys were murdered and her niece Lily left for dead. One day Laura took some photographs near the beach and was shocked when she sees that someone looking very like the main suspect in the killings is in one of the photographs. Her brother in law Jason Carello. Lily now lives with her maternal grandmother and Laura doesn’t know who she should tell. Her family? The police? Her former journalist colleague?

This is a proper twisty turny (I know it’s not a word) story and I was repeatedly changing my mind about the killer, backwards and forward, and I still got it wrong! Truly this does not happen to me very often so I loved it. I thought the inclusion of Lily wanting to be a TikTok influencer was good and very appropriate these days and the author showed some of the pitfalls of this kind of fame. All in all this really was an great read that I did it one sitting as I had to know who did it! Outstanding psychological thriller.

As with other A J McDine books I was hooked right away with the fast pace, suspense and twists / turns, great read overall.

Ooh! This one had me hooked from the very beginning! Lara, a photographer, starts a whole spiral of craziness when she unknowingly takes a photo of the man who allegedly killed her sister and nephews ten years before - and has since been pronounced dead!

I thought the whole story about the murders was fascinating and as I read, it became harder and harder to put the book down. I wanted to know who was behind such a horrendous crime!

The problem for the murderer is that there was one survivor that night, and she has decided to “tell all” via Tik Tok!

Things just go downhill from there.

I loved how Lara and Marian loved their family so much they’d do anything for justice. It was nice to read “good” characters who wanted to do the right thing for everyone (even if it was sometimes not the right decision).

I wasn’t floored by the twist, but I rarely ever am. It is a good one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc. Lara is a photographer. She thought her brother in law was dead. That is, until she sees him in the background of a photo she took. The man her sister married. The man who killed her sister. Loved the characters and the amazing twist in the epilogue!

THE PHOTO by AJ MCDINE✨
arc review • pub date 07.11.24

This was a solid rollercoaster of suspense and mystery! I am pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this story and kept picking it up every chance I got because i wanted to continue the story. My first book from this author, and I will definitely be seeking out more from her!

quick synop: lara is a photographer, and one day after going through photos to edit, she notices her brother in law in the background of a photo. The problem: he has been missing for 10 years after the brutal murder of his wife and two of his children.

swipe for full #goodreads synop!

4⭐️

Thanks so much to @netgalley, @bookouture & Bookouture Audio for my ARC!

"The Photo" by A.J. McDine is a fast-paced, 5-star read! After a long day at a wedding with a nightmare client, Lara Beckett returns to her flat knowing she needs to review the photos. To her shock, she recognizes Jason Carello, the murderer of her sister and two little boys, in one of the pictures. Lara hasn’t seen the man in a decade, believing him to be dead. This discovery sets Lara, her mother, and her niece on a collision course with the truth from the past.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and thought it was well-written. Most of the narrative is told from Lara’s perspective, and the short chapters make it a quick read. As a wedding photographer, Lara’s profession held a personal connection for me. Despite the challenges in her business, Lara perseveres. The story ends with a surprising twist that I didn’t see coming. I am definitely interested in reading more books by A.J. McDine.

Thanks to Bookouture, A J McDine, and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read this ARC and share my honest review.

This was a solid thriller! Definitely had an ending I never could have predicted, I thought I had it figured out--could not have been more wrong! Read this one pretty quickly!

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Photo’ written by A J McDine in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

It’s ten years since Lara Beckett’s sister Isabelle and her sons Jack and Milo were stabbed to death at their home in Tidehaven, a quiet seaside town in the South of England. As Lara scrolls through photos she’s taken on the sea-front she comes a across a man in the background standing on a balcony who she’s sure she recognises as her brother-in-law Jason Carello, only it couldn’t be him as he was thought to have committed suicide after killing his family. Lara keeps it from her niece Lily who was the sole survivor in the attack, but she does report it to DCI Curtis Frampton who was part of the investigating team. Then strange things start happening to Lara!

‘The Photo’ is a tense psychological thriller and the second novel I’ve read by this author. The cleverly written plot has had me gripped from the first page to the last, and with its believable characters and clever twists and turns it became even more exciting the further I read. It’s packed full of suspense, drama and twists and turns, but I was unable to compute how the author could transform what I thought was a foregone conclusion into a final twist that was so unexpected it left me open-mouthed in shock and total disbelief. This is a brilliant thriller that’s kept me enthralled right to the end until I reached what I can only describe as a triple twist – amazing! Highly recommended!

That Twist! OMG! Well played, A. J. McDine, an absolute stroke of genius!

Lara is a photographer and when she is editing photos she took earlier that day, she notices a man in the background of one of them. Her brother in law. The man who is suspected of killing her sister and nephews ten years before and was assumed dead. But her niece survived and is now 15 years old; has her father returned to finish the job?

Lara is warned to stay away via sabotage of her business, and threats to Lily and her mother, but she is determined to get justice and keep her family safe.

The characters of Lara, her mother and Lily were totally relatable and A. J. McDine's writing is fabulously descriptive and utterly gripping. I was completely hooked and devoured this brilliant book.

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, A. J. McDine and Bookouture, for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Lara is a photographer who happens to take a photo and accidentally captures a face from her past in it. She is shocked as she thought he was dead and horrified as he was involved in the murder of her sister and nephews; also the attempted murder of her niece Lily. Will her life come crashing down once more?

I really wanted to read this as I read my first book by this author, The Baby, not so long ago and it was a 5 star read. This is another amazing thriller, proving the author is not just a one hit wonder. I found that as soon as I started I was fully invested in the story and in for a wild read. I really enjoy this authors writing style, as it’s fresh, compelling and engaging. The characters are written so well that you really feel connected to their story and feel their emotion.

The chapters are short and snappy, ending on cliffhangers that have you desperately turning the pages to read ‘just one more chapter’. I found that as soon as I started this I had to read the whole book, feeling as though I was part of the investigation. The story took lots of twists and turns, as well as suspenseful, entertaining scenes. A.J. McDine has definitely become one of my go to authors now and I can’t wait to see what she delivers next. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

I’m definitely one of the few people that didn’t enjoy this book. I found the chapters repetitive, I didn’t understand the long, detailed scenes of wedding photography, and I had both twists figured out about half way through. It was an easy read because I skipped through a lot of wedding stuff and the repetitive character monologue. This one was a miss for me but I enjoyed the authors style of writing and look forward to reading more from them. Thank you for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

OMG that ending!! 😱 Absolutely no one saw that coming. Thank You Netgalley, Bookouture Audio, and A.J. McDine for the digital and audio copy narrated by Tamsin Kennard. My favorite way to read a book is with audio and the book. It's like someone is reading to you but looking at the words makes it 10 times better. Tamsin has a slight accent, but it was quite lovely. The more I think of that ending the more the stars lean to 5 stars. It's just hard to rate a thriller 5 stars as usually that means I will re-read and when you know the ending, it's hard to think you'll ever re-read unless it becomes a series. Which it could possibly. The concept and story line were great and although I wasn't necessarily scared, this was no doubt a thriller. Lots of fun, an ending no one would ever guess, and can't wait to read more from A.J. McDine.

I didn’t expect to like this book so much! I was quickly hooked and entertained throughout.

This was my second A.J. McDine novel and it did not disappoint. Fast-paced, intriguing and full of twists. The final reveal is absolutely shocking! A great binge read! Definitely recommend if you’re a fan of the genre and looking for a summer thriller.

Excited to read more from this author!

A decade ago, Lily was left for dead along with her mother and twin brothers. Somehow, Lily managed to survive but didn't remember anything. Lilys Father has been on the run for suspected murder of Lilys family ever since. He seemingly vanished into thin air.
That is until 10 years later when Lilys aunt catches him in the background of one of her Photos.

This book is a fast-paced thriller that will keep you glued to the pages. Had me saying "WTH is going on??" "Are you serious!"
The ending had me totally flabbergasted. I totally didn't see it coming. You just never know...Creepyyyyy

I would highly suggest this book to anyone who likes thrillers and is looking for a good creep factor book!

Huge thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for letting me read this ARC!

Wow, what can I say. Five stars as always. Amanda knows how to write, knows how to grip you and has her teeth sunk into you within the first chapter.

She’s asked for no spoilers when reviewing and it’s going to be so hard because this book is mind blowing! The title seems obvious and half way through the first chapter you think it’s going to be about some disgruntled bride, that’s unhappy with wedding photographer Lara’s photos but how wrong can you be…

Lara finds herself reliving family trauma, trying to support a 15 year old who doesn’t want help, whilst thinking she knows better and keeping her elderly mother safe, but still trying to solve this cold case so close to her heart.

Each character that comes into the story has you suspecting them in some way, could it actually be Jason or could it be Johnny the journalist, Trev the mechanic or Curtis the DCI? The book has you questioning and rethinking your theories the whole way through! The ending is unexpected and jaw dropping.

Such short and sharp chapters which is a must for me. Makes it so easy to squeeze in reading, especially if you can’t pause mid chapter like me. However this book is gripping and I’ve finished it in two days! This book is an absolute MUST read for anyone that enjoys psychological thrillers!

Thank you for letting me review on NetGalley!

This book took me a bit longer to read than normal, but that's because my brain is fried lol. If I had been more of my normal self I guarantee this would have been one of my 'read it in a few hours' reads!

The plot had me right from the start! A J McDine knows exactly how to get emotions going while keeping you interested in the actual mystery and suspense of the story. It is written so cleverly and kept me page turning. It is a gripping fast paced thriller that will leave you speechless with its ending. I was not expecting the twists at all!!

The book was detailed and suspenseful at all the right times. Highly recommended and now I need to go on Amazon to see what else I can read by this absolutely amazing writer!

Okay....well, I was not expecting that ending! I had a few hunches about what was going on, but I was pleased to be entertained by the story all the way to the end! Watching the story unfold from Lily's perspective was a nice touch - keeping some things "in the dark" made the whole action more mysterious. The characters were well-defined, and I felt their struggles and pains. Highly recommend!

I want to thank Netgalley, Bookouture and the author for the advanced copy.

Gripping and engaging thriller. The plot is fast-paced and suspenseful. Lara's sister Isabelle and her two little boys were brutally murdered almost ten years ago, but there is still no clue about her brother in law, who is a prime suspect. The case takes a turn when she clicks a photo of him accidentally. Is he truly the murderer. Lies, secrets, corruption, cheating, and shocking revelations came to light in search of answers. Tension escalated, and everyone is hiding something. Short chapters with Lily’s and Lara's points of view added the suspense. Climax is shocking and unexpected with a twisted mindset. Highly recommended for mystery fans. Thanks a lot to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.

Fabulous read! This story was twisty and tense, plus the ending really shocked me, I didn't see that one coming. It's not often that I'm surprised this much by an ending, well done!