AJ McDine writes in such an engaging way, pulling the reader right into the story, creating realism and an immediate empathy with the protagonist. The Photo is a thrilling, binge-worthy read. It drew me straight in and I finished the book in one sitting. The double twists are jaw-dropping. What a fabulous thriller!

Thank you to AJ McDine, Bookouture and Netgalley for the advance copy.

I always seek out books by AJ McDine. The Photo is a good thriller that is easy to read! It has subplots that you won’t see coming. It actually reads more like a mystery with a fun cast of characters. What would you do if you unknowingly took a picture of a man who had supposedly been dead for ten years? What an exciting premise for a book! The man in the photo was suspected of killing his wife, twin sons, and wounding his daughter before killing himself. Now, there is an urgency to find him and learn the truth behind the murders. It was exciting and held my interest throughout. I’m still not sure I liked the final twist but it didn’t deter too much from my enjoyment! Thanks for NetGalley for this ARC!

A massacre ten years ago, who did it and why?

Lara is just trying to live her life and help raise her niece Lily after she was the sole survivor of a family massacre. Things are going well until lily decides she’s ready to publicly explore her feelings about the massacre on TikTok. Who wants to stop her, and why?

Trust no one. Everyone is hiding something.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and AJ McDine for this ARC!

This was a thrilling ride. Can you always trust what you see. AJ Mcdine is a very good writer. Her books are quick reads and surprise endings.

This exciting and suspenseful book was impossible to put down because I was so eager to find out what was going to happen next. I liked the idea that the main character of the story was a photographer. Since I'm a semi pro photographer, it made me feel an immediate kinship with her and the trials and tribulations described in her job were quite realistic. I was kept guessing throughout the entire book and when the surprise twist was revealed at the end it was a double surprise because there was another surprise twist within the twist. I've never encountered that in a book before and it really made The Photo stand out as something special! I'm eagerly awaiting more books from A J McDine!
Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture, and A J McDine for a wonderful time with this ARC.

4.5⭐️ - this book was incredible and addictive, I read the last 50% in one sitting it was that good! With loads of twists and turns on every chapter!

This was a new author for me and I will definitely be looking forward for more of her books.
I finished this in a single day because it was fast paced and I never once felt bored throughout the book!!
It had me hooked right from the first chapter and the ending just left me shocked and my exact thoughts were "OH MY GOSH, WHATTT"
I did guess a little of bit of where it was heading while I was at the half of the book, but still the twist in the end was amazing.
Not to give in more, but the writing style of those last few chapters were just too good.
It was an easy to read, binge-worthy thriller that I highly recommend!!

Thanks to netgalley, bookouture and AJ Mcdine for this ARC!

What a really great thriller ticking all the thriller boxes!
The story just got on with it from page one, no preamble which I really appreciated
I wasn't able to put this down with short chapters and a great pace.
The author has got it totally nailed down!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange of an honest review.

The blurb grabbed me from the start and that's why I had to read this book.

You immediately dive into the story, which I thought was great. no unnecessary lengths or anything like that. The tension was built up great from the first page until the "showdown"

Unfortunately, the ending was predictable for me from the start, but I still had a great time reading it and would recommend it to others.

The photo is a solid thriller that is extremely well written and can definitely be finished in one sitting.

Wow another great story from this author. This time we are dealing with the sad story of a woman and her two young children being murdered almost ten years ago. Her husband fled the scene and has never been seen since but when out taking photos Lara the woman’s sister is convinced she has caught her brother in law in one of her photos and that he is back for the one daughter he did not kill during the attack. Is the truth stranger than she thinks and is she in real danger? A great thriller.

Thank you to Netgallery and the publisher for this ARC. The publication date is the 11th July. I loved this book it had a gripping plot with many intense moments that made it impossible to put down.

I loved the idea of the book and thought it was very clever! There were many twists and turns throughout the book that made me eagerly turn the pages! I liked the character of Lily as I would always wonder what she would do next.

Overall, I’d highly recommend this book! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 stars!

This was highly entertaining and I will definitely look for other books by this author now. I was kept guessing which is always a plus with thrillers. I will admit to being frequently annoyed with the actions of the two main characters. At times I wished I could yell “why would you do that!” at them. At the same time, I’m sure it’s a lot easier to be frustrated by their actions from a distance compared to knowing what to do when you’re in that situation. Very thankful to have read this copy, with thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture.

This book was impossible to put down and grips you from the start! This is a new author for me as I listened to one of her audio books last month thanks to netgalley! I found this a very quick and easy read and enjoyed the pace and loved that I didn't know where this was going. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a chance to read and review this e-arc in exchange for my review.

Many thank to netgalley, the author and bookouture for approving my request to read this book.

This is the third book I have read by this author and it most certainly didn't disappoint!

10 years ago Lara's sister and her children were brutally attacked and only her young niece survived. The killer was never caught and the prime suspect has not been seen since that fateful night.

Lara is now living in a coastal town working as a wedding photographer juggling her career alongside helping her mother Maggie raise her niece Lily. Looking back on her photos Lara is stunned to spot the suspected killer in the background of one, the question is it truly them and if so why are they back?

This book really intrigued me and I found myself frantically turning the pages to discover the truth after all the camera never lies! Or does it...

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and loved the twist thrown in right at the end- I'm now impatiently awaiting the next book!

This is the second book I have read by this author and once again totally fantastic read

I could not put it down. Engrossed from the first page to the last page

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to review

A J McDine is 1 of my new favorite authors! In March I read an ARC of The Baby and was so pleasantly surprised that it wasn't a rom.com but a more serious book. I gave it 4 stars. So I requested The Photo when I saw it was another new book written by her.

"The Camera Never Lies."
Neither does this reviewer. I'm critical, as an aspiring writer and avid reader. I usually either love or hate a book and there's rarely an in between. I'm thrilled to report that I LOVE The Photo. I raced to read it in one day. (I am a fast reader) I was so invested in Lily, Lara, and needed to learn who was Isabella & the twin
boys murderer. The characters were all well-developed and likeable.

Two of my favorite lines were:
"...& My sister, my elegant, beautiful sister, has a track record for falling for charmers."

"Because it's always the husband, isn't it? & If it's not the husband, someone in the family. Families are a hotbed of resentment, petty jealousies, secrets and lies.". McDine really gets human nature and is a wonderful writer. I look forward to her future books. I also appreciate how she showed the negative aspects to 25 year old Lily as an influencer.

If you enjoy thrillers, don't miss The Photo. It would also make a great movie. It's definitely picture picture. Find out if Isabelle's life was!

What a brilliant book kept me on the edge of my seat from the beginning until the end, great storytelling, great characters, extremely well written and what an ending! I have nothing negative to say about this book, just loved it and got into the story from the very beginning which is a must for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for this brilliant ARC which I have no hesitation in recommending.

I love A J McDine's books, and dare I say this is her best one yet?! Her writing style is just lovely, the characterisation was on point and the pacing was fantastic, each chapter kept the story going, without sacrificing character development or the nice, descriptive passages.

The story had me hooked from the start, and I especially enjoyed the wedding photography sub-plot. I had vague ideas about what might happen in the end, but the very last couple of chapters were a definite shock!

I would absolutely recommend this book.

Ten years ago, there was a tragedy in Lara's family where her sister and twin boys were murdered, leaving her niece, Lily, in a coma. Her brother-in-law, Jason, went on the run as the primary suspect in the case.

A decade later, Jason appears in a photo that Lara had snapped. Why has he returned? What are his motives? And what really happened the night Lara's family was murdered in their beds?

The initial characters in this book are well-developed, which led to a little bit of a slower start to the plot. Lara who is the main narrator was not actively looking for answers and more so trying to make sense of the things that were happening to her. The first 70% of the book was more passive discoveries. I would have loved some chapters from the other character's perspectives that were making more proactive moves into investigating the murders.

It did keep me guessing, and I was ultimately surprised by the ending. This book could be a great palate cleanser as it is a quick read and easy to pick up and down as needed.

Thank you A J McDine, NetGalley and Bookouture for an early copy.

This is a mind-blowing thriller that is impossible to put down. It's a guessing game and next to impossible to figure out. The chapters are short and there are no time jumps which keeps the story moving smoothly. A man believed to be dead is spotted in the background of a photo. Bread crumb clues are scattered and everything you think you know changes on a dime. The twists are wonderfully exposed, but the ending is jaw dropping and so unexpected. I loved everything about this book. A J McDine has really outdone herself. Thank you for the ARC of this highly recommended book