Member Reviews

This was such an addictive read, it worked so well. This is one of my go to authors and never disappoints. I dont want to say too much more as it is going to spoil all the plot twists but it just kept me engaged throughout and I didnt know what to expect.

Was this review helpful?

This is the second book I’ve read by this author and yet again it was a thrilling and unputdownable read. I loved the pace of the story and found the characters to be excellent . As often with a book I’m reading I am certain I know how things are going to finish but I was most certainly way off the mark with this book . That ending was one which actually had me lost for words and it really had the wow factor for me .

Was this review helpful?

Ten years ago, there was a family massacre, Isabelle and her twin boys were found stabbed to death, but her five-year-old daughter, Lily, clung on to life. Isabelle’s husband is missing, presumed dead after killing most of his family.

Lara is a photographer, she’s also Isabelle’s sister. She is very close to her niece, Lily. When Lara, realises she has taken a photo and her brother-in-law is in the background, life changes drastically.

Oh my goodness! This is an intense and emotionally charged psychological thriller.

I couldn’t put this down, I needed to see where the storytelling was going.

I even found myself getting cross or annoyed at times with some of the characters!

You can’t help but play whodunnit with this story, and I was still wrong every time I thought I had worked it out.

As for the big twist at the end - all I will say is WOW!

My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

insane none stop psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your set ,all of the while making your wounder if the killer they said was the killer the actual killer , and is the man in the photo actually the person who is supposed to be dead or is he someone who just looks like him .

Was this review helpful?

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I gave it a 4.5 out of 5 stars. Good, solid book. Short chapters. Plenty of twists including an ending you won’t predict. Storyline was easy to follow. A nice easy read.. I’ve already recommended this book to friends.

Was this review helpful?

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐+⭐
The Photo by A J McDine was an insane psychological thriller that will make you guess every single step!
The narrator - hands down, good one! Tamsin made you feel the story in my bones! Perfect reading, perfect emotions!

You know I was shocked by A J McDin's "The Baby" but once again she showed that she can shock you in the way you expect the least!

It's a heartbreaking story that will shatter your world and is well-developed in all directions!

Lara's sister and her twin boys were murdered, leaving her niece, Lily, in a coma. She survived. Decades later Lara, a wedding photographer, is compromised and her job is suffering. She is positive her brother-in-law Jason, accused of stabbing his wife and three children and then disappearing is back!

The twisted web and end twist... just blow my mind!

Thank you, ...NetGalley and Bookouture for this copy!

Was this review helpful?

So addictive! From the very first chapter I didn't want to stop reading. This is my second book from this author, and I've been blown away both times. I figured out the bad guy pretty early, but was still so engrossed in the story. I enjoyed the chapters that followed Lilly, it put things into a different perspective for me. Absolutely an incredible read!

Was this review helpful?

What a page turner the burb had me hooked. I loved the way the history was told as inner monagues. The usage of midern technology references made this so real. I actually cared about the characters. The writing drew me in . I hated the policeman loved all the red herrings. I was blown away by the ending. Look forward to the next one. Highly recommended fir anyone who loves a good mystery fold by pov.
Thank you netgallery and publisher and author for this amazing 5 star read.

Was this review helpful?

My thanks to Net Galley and Bookatoure for the arc of this book to review.

Wow! Such a fast paced easy read with many twists and turns! Well developed story that grips you and will hold your interest. Loved ir!

Lara Banks is a weddings photographer and in one of her pics she thinks she sees her brother in law who everyone believes killed her sister and twin nephews. But one problem. He's assumed dead!

Was this review helpful?

AJ is a new author to me, I loved their previous novel so was thrilled to be approved for this one!! It started off strong but felt a bit lacking half way through. Thankfully it gathered pace at the end and I really enjoyed it overall!

Was this review helpful?

This one gripped me from the beginning. It moved at a steady pace but kind of stalled in the middle but picked up again. It’s a well developed storyline with well developed characters that were very likeable. It’s told from the point of view of Lara but I would have liked to hear from some other points of view just to give the storyline that extra edge. I was a little underwhelmed by the outcome as it’s nothing I haven’t heard before but there were some surprises along the way. The narration was engaging and held my interest throughout. Enjoyable listen that held my interest…

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to listen to and review #ThePhoto

Was this review helpful?

4⭐️
I really enjoyed The Baby, so was keen to try this book.

Lara’s sister and two of her children were ki11ed and the remaining child Lily was bad injured ten years ago. The main suspect (the husband) disappeared presumed dead. Lara a news photographer and wedding photographer is sure she sees her brother in law alive and well.

There are twists, red herrings, and definitely the trope of poor communication especially between Lara and Lily is used leaving the reader able to pull things together ahead of the characters as we get to see everything, Or at least we think that we do!


It’s an easy enjoyable read.

I had this book for free

Was this review helpful?

If you are looking for a fast paced, binge worthy mystery, look no further than The Photo by AJ McDine. I could not stop listening to this and I read it in a day. Full of heart and wild twists, it will keep you guessing until that very last chapter. That ending was just so 😱😱😱

Imagine seeing something or someone in the background of a photo you have taken. And that person is your brother in law, a man you though was dead, a man who murdered his wife and 2 year old twin boys 10 years ago, Lara is a photographer, and this leads her on a dangerous path to find him and bring her sisters killer to justice.

I was so shocked and entertained by this wonderful story. I just had to finish it.

Thanks so much to the author and Bookouture for my advanced kindle and audio copy of this book. Just fantastic. Publishes in July 11th.

Was this review helpful?

𝑨𝒕 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕, 𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒂 𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒐𝒎 𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒐𝒏 𝒂 𝒃𝒂𝒍𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒐'𝒔 𝒔𝒍𝒊𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒚 𝒑𝒉𝒐𝒕𝒐 𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒗𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒅...𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒔 𝑰 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒊𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒏'𝒕 𝒃𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒎, 𝑰 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒈𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔.

So many of us document our life in photos. They're something to share, to pore over, and to cherish. But what if, while admiring your vacation photos, for example, you see someone in the background who shouldn't be there?

Lara, a wedding photographer, is editing some photos when she seems him...the man everyone thought was dead. Her brother-in-law Jason, accused of stabbing his wife and three children and then disappearing, presumably to take his own life. The sole survivor of the massacre was the couple's daughter Lily, who is now 15, being raised by Lara's mom, and dreams of being an influencer.

When the tenth anniversary of the killings approaches, Lily takes to TikTok to share that she is starting to have memories of that fateful night. Because of the trauma, she previously said that she didn't remember anything. Lara is terrified that Jason has come back to finish what he started, and she's sure that she, her mother, and Lily are all in imminent danger.

I had some theories about what happened that night, but I just let the story unfold, and I'm glad I did because there is a BIG twist coming!

Thank you so much to Bookouture for this early read. THE PHOTO will publish July 11, 2024.

Was this review helpful?

Another fabulous story from this author. I find her writing style so easy to read the pages turn themselves and before I know it, I'm halfway through. An intriguing mystery which starts when the man who is suspected of killing 3 people reappears, but he's supposed to be dead. It's a race against time to find him before he can finish off the job he started. but what we think is happening is not what is happening at all. No siree. Whatever you're thinking, I can guarantee you're wrong. Such a killer twist at the end, a real OMG no, moment!

Was this review helpful?

Lara's sister and her twins are murdered in bed and the suspect, her brother in law has disappeared. Lara gains custody of her niece and attempts to move on with her life, however when she shoots a scenic photo and sees her brother in law in the back the twists begin. This book was a fast paced thriller that was hard to put down. It seems predictable at first but the twists are something you would never expect.

Was this review helpful?

I think this book is SO good that the author should absolutely put their first name to it! I say this because, on the basis of reading this book I really want to remember the talented author who wrote it so I can seek out more of their excellent work!!

The story is excellent, gripping in all the good ways! The central character is Lara, a photographer who suffered the most horrific of bereavements 10 years previously - her sister and 2 year old twin nephews being murdered in their beds. It was assumed that the murders were committed by the husband, Jason, who subsequently disappeared, presumed to have committed suicide. Imagine Lara's horror therefore when she innocently takes a scenic photography of the local harbour, to discover Jason has been captured in the image! Given that it is approaching the 10 year anniversary of the massacre, this discovery throws a virtual grenade in the lives of Lara, surviving niece, Lily and Lara's mother, Maggie. What follows is 100% worth reading!!

All in all a great tale of corruption, intrigue and suspense - all fantastically delivered in a novel that doesn't disappoint in any way, shape of form!

My thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an advance copy.

Was this review helpful?

I thought I had this one figured out! Boy was I wrong! One day you're doing your job and you happened to see someone in a photo you've taken and your whole world turns upside down. The amount of betrayal in this book was insane. At the end my jaw was on the floor. I would have NEVER guessed it. It was such a good read!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley, AJ McDine and Bookouture for the opportunity to review this book.

Let me start by saying that I loved his book! The book starts off with Lara who is a wedding photographer who lost her sister and nephews a while back due to a horrible murder. As she is taking some photos, she notices her sisters killer who has not been seen since the murders in the background of a photo she took. We learn that her niece Lily actually survived that night and has no recollection of what happened that horrible night.

The rest of the book alternates between Lily and Lara and sharing what they are learning and remembering from that night. There are so many twists and surprises throughout the book that I just couldn't put it down! This is a must read!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley, author AJ McDine and publisher Bookouture for the ARC and the opportunity to review this book.

I found this book to be totally gripping and I read it in a day as I just couldn't put it down.

I read a lot of thrillers and normally end up guessing what the twists will be but this one was a complete surprise!
I found the characters relatable and I really liked Lara, the protagonist.
I thought it was extremely well written and well paced and enjoyed reading about the photography parts as much as the main storyline.
The ending was exciting and shocking and I wasn't expecting it at all.

Highly recommend this book for anyone that wants a well written, twisty, satisfying thriller

Was this review helpful?