The Photographer

I needed some heavy-duty suspenders for my disbelief on this one, but it had its moments!

Delta Dawn is a successful children’s photographer for the wealthy set in NYC, who’s invited by Amelia and Fritz Straub, two successful architects, to photograph their 11-year-old daughter Natalie’s birthday party.  Within seeming minutes of meeting the Straubs, she develops insta-love ‘gotta be part of this family forever, I’ll blindly do anything they ask whenever they ask it, please need me’ devotion to them, which sets the tone for everything that follows.  This devotion is so immediate - in fact - that at the end of this party, when Amelia and Fritz have a work meeting and suddenly find themselves without a babysitter for Natalie, Delta jumps at the chance to do it, and the Straubs - apparently impressed by her skill at creating balloon animals (this really happened), say “Sure! We completely trust you in our expensive home with our only child you just met! Thanks!”  

OK … they didn’t really say those words, but you get the idea.  Character logic was pretty weak.

The psychodrama only gets worse as Delta embeds herself deeper and deeper into the Straubs’ lives, while secretly creating impossible Photoshop montages of herself in every imaginable appropriate and inappropriate scenario with each of the family members.  It’s never really explained why she feels this strong connection to them, but the book does imply this isn’t the first family she’s “edited” herself into. Having grown up in humble circumstances, I guess it can be assumed that she just wants the life she doesn’t have.  As her desire to elevate her social position and integrate herself into this family reaches its peak, she devises her ultimate plan to make sure she’ll always be part of their lives.  Does her plan work?  You’ll have to read to find out!

I think if you just go with the flow on this one and accept that entertainment seems to be a higher priority than believability, you might enjoy it.  It’s a quick read that kept me invested, if for no other reason than sheer curiosity at how things would play out.  I can’t say that there were any real surprises on that front, but it was fun enough!  I’d definitely watch for other books by this author.

★★★ ½ 

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and author Mary Dixie Carter for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. This will publish on May 25, 2021.