Release: May 25th, 2021
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Minotaur
Source: NetGalley
Find it at Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, Kobo.
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Delta Dawn has been photographing children’s parties for Manhattan’s elite for several years. She moves unnoticed through the luxurious homes of her clients. Also, she carefully observes their beautiful clothes, their furniture, and art. The parties themselves are often far from perfect. They are full of spoiled, crying children, but Delta can always alter the images afterward to make sure the parents only see the party they wanted. One can forget the with a little airbrushing or filter.
But when she is hired to photograph Natalie Straub’s 11th birthday party, Delta finds herself irresistibly attracted. This time, she imagines she is in the pictures with them. Wouldn’t she fit there so perfectly in their gorgeous home, their elegant life? Delta begins by babysitting for Natalie, slowly befriending her mother, Amelia. She also finds opportunities to listen to Fritz. Soon she’s bathing in the master bathtub, reading private documents, and drinking their expensive wine. Besides, she starts eyeing the beautifully finished garden apartment if only the current occupant could be made to leave.
And then Delta discovers that Amelia Straub wants most is the perfect way for her to stay as part of the family.
The Photographer is a suspenseful story, told in the mesmerizing voice of a character who will make you doubt that seeing is ever believing.
About the Author:
MARY DIXIE CARTER’s writing has appeared in Time, The Economist, The New York Sun, The New York Observer, and more. She worked at The Observer for five years as the publishing director and has worked as a professional actor.
Mary Dixie has an honors degree in English Literature from Harvard College and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from The New School.
She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two young children. The Photographer is her first novel..
The Photographer Review:
I enjoyed reading “The Photographer” and will remember it whenever I listen to the song “Delta Dawn.”
What I enjoyed about this story are the characters. Surprisingly, this is one of those books where I was not empathetic towards any of the members. All of them felt volatile and imbalanced. Yet, that is probably the same reason why they intrigued me. From the get-go, you sense that Delta is wrong with how she superimposes herself in the photos. Yet, you want to see how far she would go to get what she wants.
On the other hand, Amelia is another volatile character. She is obsessed with having a baby and neglects the feelings of the family. It was interesting to watch the dynamic between these two play out. The only person I could somewhat feel sorry for was Natalie, as we know the reason for her behavior.
Also, I enjoyed the author’s style of writing. The author writes the storyline in an eerie and suspenseful manner. The pacing is a bit slow but leads to a gradual buildup and takes a turn where you don’t know what to expect.
However, I felt there were some questions unanswered, like who was Gwen? Why did Itzhak attack Delta? It felt strange to have these scenes come up but not have any reason or resolution behind it. It would also have been nice to have a bit of background on Delta’s character for why she behaves in this manner. I’m also surprised that an affluent family like the Straubs did not do a background check on Delta nor had security cameras to monitor the house.
Overall, “The Photographer” is an entertaining suspense thriller worth checking out if you are a fan of the genre.
