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The Girl in the Photo
I stare at the little girl in the photo, her big eyes looking straight at me. ‘Please,’ the woman pleads holding the photo up. ‘You have to help me. No one else will.’
Every Friday Mercy Hamilton goes to the same supermarket. But she doesn’t buy groceries. Instead, she shows a fading photo of a little girl to anyone who’ll look, begging for help to find her daughter.
One Friday, Erica Fielding comes across Mercy. Touched by her story, Erica agrees to do what she can to help.
But all is not as it seems. The police know of Mercy. And there’s never been a record of a missing girl matching the description Mercy gives. In fact, there’s no record of a child at all. They think Mercy might be suffering from delusional disorder and there’s nothing Erica can do.
But Erica can’t stop thinking about poor Mercy. Just who is the girl in the picture if not Mercy’s missing daughter?
Despite people’s warnings, Erica is drawn deeper and deeper into Mercy’s drama…. And Erica will come to realise it was a mistake she’ll pay for.
Because she was the target all along.
An absolutely unputdownable read that will have your heart pounding as you question everything you thought you knew. Perfect for fans of Gone Girl, Lisa Jewell and Shari Lapena.
Every Friday Mercy Hamilton goes to the same supermarket. But she doesn’t buy groceries. Instead, she shows a fading photo of a little girl to anyone who’ll look, begging for help to find her daughter.
One Friday, Erica Fielding comes across Mercy. Touched by her story, Erica agrees to do what she can to help.
But all is not as it seems. The police know of Mercy. And there’s never been a record of a missing girl matching the description Mercy gives. In fact, there’s no record of a child at all. They think Mercy might be suffering from delusional disorder and there’s nothing Erica can do.
But Erica can’t stop thinking about poor Mercy. Just who is the girl in the picture if not Mercy’s missing daughter?
Despite people’s warnings, Erica is drawn deeper and deeper into Mercy’s drama…. And Erica will come to realise it was a mistake she’ll pay for.
Because she was the target all along.
An absolutely unputdownable read that will have your heart pounding as you question everything you thought you knew. Perfect for fans of Gone Girl, Lisa Jewell and Shari Lapena.
370 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 20, 2023
210 people are currently reading
923 people want to read
About the author
Sam Carrington
11 books479 followersSam Carrington lives in Devon with her husband, two border terriers and a cat. She has three adult children and a new grandson! She worked for the NHS for fifteen years, during which time she qualified as a nurse. Following the completion of a psychology degree she went to work for the prison service as an Offending Behaviour Programme Facilitator. Her experiences within this field inspired her writing. She left the service to spend time with her family and to follow her dream of being a novelist. SAVING SOPHIE, her debut psychological thriller, published in September 2016. It became a Kindle eBook bestseller, with the paperback hitting The Bookseller Heatseeker chart at #8. Sam was named an Amazon Rising Star of 2016.
Her 6th book - The Open House - publishes in December 2020.
Her 6th book - The Open House - publishes in December 2020.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 140 reviews
July 15, 2023
I stare at the little girl in the photo, her big eyes looking straight at me. "Please" the woman pleads holding the photo up. "You have to help me. No one else will."
Every Friday Mercy Hamilton goes to the same supermarket. But she doesn't buy any groceries. Instead, she shows a fading photo of a little girl to anyone who'll look, begging for help to find her daughter. One Friday Erica Fielding comes across Mercy. Touched by her story, Erica agrees to do all she can to help. But all is not as it seems. The police know of Mercy. And there's never been a record of a missing girl matching the description Mercy gives. In fact, there's no record of a child at all. They think Mercy might be suffering from delusional disorder and there's nothing Erica can do.
What a cleverly written thriller. When Mercy asks Erica if she has seen the girl in the photo at a supermarket one day, they form some kind of weird friendship. Nobody else wanted to help Mercy find her daughter, But Erica starts to help Mercy, she discovers somethings that make her question everything she thought she knew. It not long before things start to spiral out of control. With plenty of twists and turns, I was never sure what direction the story would take us on. The book covers - mental health issues, love, loss and grief. The ending was a surprise, but it was also quite sad.
I would like to thank #Netgalley #AvonBooksUK and the author #SamCarrington for my ARC of #TheGirlInThePhoto in exchange for an honest review.
Every Friday Mercy Hamilton goes to the same supermarket. But she doesn't buy any groceries. Instead, she shows a fading photo of a little girl to anyone who'll look, begging for help to find her daughter. One Friday Erica Fielding comes across Mercy. Touched by her story, Erica agrees to do all she can to help. But all is not as it seems. The police know of Mercy. And there's never been a record of a missing girl matching the description Mercy gives. In fact, there's no record of a child at all. They think Mercy might be suffering from delusional disorder and there's nothing Erica can do.
What a cleverly written thriller. When Mercy asks Erica if she has seen the girl in the photo at a supermarket one day, they form some kind of weird friendship. Nobody else wanted to help Mercy find her daughter, But Erica starts to help Mercy, she discovers somethings that make her question everything she thought she knew. It not long before things start to spiral out of control. With plenty of twists and turns, I was never sure what direction the story would take us on. The book covers - mental health issues, love, loss and grief. The ending was a surprise, but it was also quite sad.
I would like to thank #Netgalley #AvonBooksUK and the author #SamCarrington for my ARC of #TheGirlInThePhoto in exchange for an honest review.
April 5, 2024
Every Friday Mercy Hamilton goes to the same supermarket. But she doesn't buy any groceries. Instead, she shows a fading photo of a little girl to anyone who will look, begging for help to find her daughter. One Friday Erica Fielding comes across Mercy. Touched by her story, Erica agrees to do all she can to help. But all is not as it seems. The police know of Mercy. And there's never been a record of a missing girl matching the description Mercy gives. In fact, there's no record of a child at all. They think Mercy might be suffering from delusional disorder and there's nothing Erica can do.
When Mercy asks Erica if she has seen the girl in the photo at a supermarket one day, they form some kind of weird friendship. Nobody else wanted to help Mercy find her daughter. But when Erica starts to help Mercy, she discovers somethings that make her question everything she thought she knew. It's not long before things start to spiral out of control. The book covers - mental health issues, love, loss and grief. The ending was a surprise, but it was also quite sad.
When Mercy asks Erica if she has seen the girl in the photo at a supermarket one day, they form some kind of weird friendship. Nobody else wanted to help Mercy find her daughter. But when Erica starts to help Mercy, she discovers somethings that make her question everything she thought she knew. It's not long before things start to spiral out of control. The book covers - mental health issues, love, loss and grief. The ending was a surprise, but it was also quite sad.
March 20, 2024
A psychological mystery of a missing child.
This was a twisty slow burn, I did unfortunately skim through the first 20%.
I understand and sympathize very much with the grief that one of the characters goes through but I did find it very predictable and continued on hoping for a different outcome that didn’t happen. It was a miss for me, but I can see how others may be drawn to the suspense.
This was a twisty slow burn, I did unfortunately skim through the first 20%.
I understand and sympathize very much with the grief that one of the characters goes through but I did find it very predictable and continued on hoping for a different outcome that didn’t happen. It was a miss for me, but I can see how others may be drawn to the suspense.
August 26, 2023
3.5 / 5
I didn’t expect the book to go that well, but I was surprised at how surprised I was at the ending. Honestly, halfway through this book I got increasingly unconcerned at how many loose ends there were and how any feasible reasoning didn’t explain any of it. It’s not until the true end, it all just makes sense, and everything clicks into place but I do have to say- you have to ride it out with this book because it does get absurd at points.
Erica is shopping in Batemans on a Friday, a little girl approaches her crying since she lost her mum in the store. She drops off the girl at the help centre, and goes to the basket queue for her groceries. A women taps her from
behind asking if she’s seen a little girl in store that has gone missing, her name is Mercy Hamilton. Mercy is escorted off the premises, and Erica goes about her day. But soon after, she feels a sense of guilt, after having helped a lost kid she wants to do right so she helps with Mercy to find her. But as she explains what happened to what the police and press says it doesn’t match up. Infact the kid does not exist since there is no record of the child. Erica wants to do right and help mercy, but as each week goes by she begins to realise that the missing child is only one of her problems.
I have to give credit to Sam for explaining this one and allowing us the time to get to grips with it. Because we have some books that give the worst reasoning to the plot, and the book ends. Honestly, I am amazed at the explanation of the ending I started to research more into it. I found this plot unpredictable at first, and as I progressed I started to get more skeptical. I was not ready for the twists, and with my morbid sense of wanting to find the answer I stuck through with the book and honestly I was glad. This felt like a complete book that makes sense on all ground, which I don’t think you get in any modern book. Definitely a good read, but one you have to stick with throughout to understand.
I didn’t expect the book to go that well, but I was surprised at how surprised I was at the ending. Honestly, halfway through this book I got increasingly unconcerned at how many loose ends there were and how any feasible reasoning didn’t explain any of it. It’s not until the true end, it all just makes sense, and everything clicks into place but I do have to say- you have to ride it out with this book because it does get absurd at points.
Erica is shopping in Batemans on a Friday, a little girl approaches her crying since she lost her mum in the store. She drops off the girl at the help centre, and goes to the basket queue for her groceries. A women taps her from
behind asking if she’s seen a little girl in store that has gone missing, her name is Mercy Hamilton. Mercy is escorted off the premises, and Erica goes about her day. But soon after, she feels a sense of guilt, after having helped a lost kid she wants to do right so she helps with Mercy to find her. But as she explains what happened to what the police and press says it doesn’t match up. Infact the kid does not exist since there is no record of the child. Erica wants to do right and help mercy, but as each week goes by she begins to realise that the missing child is only one of her problems.
I have to give credit to Sam for explaining this one and allowing us the time to get to grips with it. Because we have some books that give the worst reasoning to the plot, and the book ends. Honestly, I am amazed at the explanation of the ending I started to research more into it. I found this plot unpredictable at first, and as I progressed I started to get more skeptical. I was not ready for the twists, and with my morbid sense of wanting to find the answer I stuck through with the book and honestly I was glad. This felt like a complete book that makes sense on all ground, which I don’t think you get in any modern book. Definitely a good read, but one you have to stick with throughout to understand.
July 16, 2023
This was a wild ride that I finished in one sitting. It centers on Erica, who is struggling with infertility and not happy in her marriage. She meets Mercy at a grocery store and agrees to help her try to find her child who had been kidnapped from there; strangely, no one else is taking her seriously. Immediately things about Mercy don’t seem quite right but Erica can’t put her finger on what is causing her to have this feeling.
This book was so twisty! It was clear that Erica’s relationship with Mercy, her husband, and even her neighbor across the street were not as they seemed but I had no idea what was coming when the twist was revealed and it made it all make sense. I thought Erica was being hysterical and really unrealistic with some of the accusations she made, but the truth brought it all together brilliantly. The ending was well done and there were no loose ends left.
Overall, great book with a twist I didn’t figure out in advance (a rarity!). Would definitely recommend for those who like psychological thrillers. I’ve liked the other books I’ve read from this author too and am going to see if there are more I’ve missed. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was so twisty! It was clear that Erica’s relationship with Mercy, her husband, and even her neighbor across the street were not as they seemed but I had no idea what was coming when the twist was revealed and it made it all make sense. I thought Erica was being hysterical and really unrealistic with some of the accusations she made, but the truth brought it all together brilliantly. The ending was well done and there were no loose ends left.
Overall, great book with a twist I didn’t figure out in advance (a rarity!). Would definitely recommend for those who like psychological thrillers. I’ve liked the other books I’ve read from this author too and am going to see if there are more I’ve missed. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 16, 2023
A very slow burner and I am afraid I soon began to lose interest. It was still a good read but not what I would call an edge of your seat thriller. For me it was predictable and nothing to surprise me and get my heart racing. I am sure other readers will enjoy it more just not for me.
Thanks to Netgalley for the Arc.
Thanks to Netgalley for the Arc.
February 28, 2025
I read The Girl in the Photo in one sitting. I didn't want to put the book down, simply because I had to find out if I'd guessed right. Well, I sort of did. The story is interesting, and I enjoyed the psychological elements, but it's a tad too long. The middle part drags, the pacing is off, and the security guard's point of view chapters seem superfluous. The writing was all right, and I liked the reveal, but I'll be honest with you, the letter at the end ruined it for me. Why can so many thriller authors not resist the urge to add yet another twist right at the end?
January 5, 2026
This started off really well but I found further in it all got a bit repetitive and started to irritate me. Such a shame. I read on as I was dying to know what was going to happen but I just found myself glazing over here and there, rolling my eyes. I also rolled my eyes at the description of the missing child as she looked nothing like the girl used on the cover. How hard could it have been to find a photo on these sites they use that is like the person being written about ? I thought that was a trifle lazy.....if I'd written it I'd have insisted on someone matching !!
She misses quite a lot of question marks off but that appears the norm these days. Doesn't make it right in my book, though, pardoning the pun. People watching needs a hyphen, cabernet needs capitalising and this sentence was written with the words the wrong way around, "...when last did you socialise ?"
I sort of guessed whare the story was heading but not totally and it had a tremendous ending.
There were some funny little sentences as well that made me titter. Then at one point I made myself laugh when one person broke into another's home, then decided she'd have a kip while she was at it and I wrote, "She's not effing Goldilocks !!"
It did have some shocks in it and it was something a little different but wasn't a real favourite, I have to say. I'll still read more by her, though.
She misses quite a lot of question marks off but that appears the norm these days. Doesn't make it right in my book, though, pardoning the pun. People watching needs a hyphen, cabernet needs capitalising and this sentence was written with the words the wrong way around, "...when last did you socialise ?"
I sort of guessed whare the story was heading but not totally and it had a tremendous ending.
There were some funny little sentences as well that made me titter. Then at one point I made myself laugh when one person broke into another's home, then decided she'd have a kip while she was at it and I wrote, "She's not effing Goldilocks !!"
It did have some shocks in it and it was something a little different but wasn't a real favourite, I have to say. I'll still read more by her, though.
July 26, 2024
This is what’ll happen if ‘Split’ met ‘The Perfect Stranger’ and then had a baby !!
4/5 ✨
Bravissimo 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
4/5 ✨
Bravissimo 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
July 31, 2023
★★★★ 3.5 stars (rounded up)
You think you know who she is…You’re wrong…
I really don't know where to start. This is essentially such a sad sad story. It is heartbreaking in more ways than one. It is about the loss of a child, mental illnes, IVF sand yet so much more. There is not a lot I can say without giving anything away so I will just keep it brief.
Erica is lonely married woman struggling to conceive and in her marriage. She journals on Instagram sharing her struggles where she is an inspiration to many. Whilst at home, her marriage crumbles. She has rehearsed over and over what to say to her husband Jamie to end their marriage and yet she can't bring herself to say the words. And every evening he returns home from his work as a forensic psychologist working with prisoners as grumpy as ever. It's clear things are taking a toll on their marriage.
Every Friday, Mercy Hamilton goes to the same supermarket. But she doesn't buy groceries. Instead she shows a fading photograph of a little girl to anyone will look begging for help to find her daughter. She has become a nuisance to staff and shoppers alike but one Friday Erica is there and is aghast that no one will take her seriously. Touched by Mercy's story, Erica agrees to do all she can to help. But not all is at it seems.
The police are aware of Mercy. But there's never been a record of a missing child matching the description of the girl in the photo. In fact, there's no record of the child at all. Everyone believes Mercy to be suffering from some kind of delusional disorder. So what exactly can Erica do? The closer the two women get, the closer Erica comes to uncovering the disturbing truth.
The story was an incredibly slow burn and took some time to build. A little too slow for my liking but I stuck it out and was rewarded. There is so much to this story that I can't even begin to reiterate without inadvertently letting something slip. I really didn't see the twist coming but when it did I was like wow...but saddened at the same time.
Overall, an enjoyable psychological thriller that was a little too slow to start but came together nicely. A compelling tale.
I would like to thank #SamCarrington, #Netgalley and #AvonBooks for an ARC of #TheGirlInThePhoto in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
You think you know who she is…You’re wrong…
I really don't know where to start. This is essentially such a sad sad story. It is heartbreaking in more ways than one. It is about the loss of a child, mental illnes, IVF sand yet so much more. There is not a lot I can say without giving anything away so I will just keep it brief.
Erica is lonely married woman struggling to conceive and in her marriage. She journals on Instagram sharing her struggles where she is an inspiration to many. Whilst at home, her marriage crumbles. She has rehearsed over and over what to say to her husband Jamie to end their marriage and yet she can't bring herself to say the words. And every evening he returns home from his work as a forensic psychologist working with prisoners as grumpy as ever. It's clear things are taking a toll on their marriage.
Every Friday, Mercy Hamilton goes to the same supermarket. But she doesn't buy groceries. Instead she shows a fading photograph of a little girl to anyone will look begging for help to find her daughter. She has become a nuisance to staff and shoppers alike but one Friday Erica is there and is aghast that no one will take her seriously. Touched by Mercy's story, Erica agrees to do all she can to help. But not all is at it seems.
The police are aware of Mercy. But there's never been a record of a missing child matching the description of the girl in the photo. In fact, there's no record of the child at all. Everyone believes Mercy to be suffering from some kind of delusional disorder. So what exactly can Erica do? The closer the two women get, the closer Erica comes to uncovering the disturbing truth.
The story was an incredibly slow burn and took some time to build. A little too slow for my liking but I stuck it out and was rewarded. There is so much to this story that I can't even begin to reiterate without inadvertently letting something slip. I really didn't see the twist coming but when it did I was like wow...but saddened at the same time.
Overall, an enjoyable psychological thriller that was a little too slow to start but came together nicely. A compelling tale.
I would like to thank #SamCarrington, #Netgalley and #AvonBooks for an ARC of #TheGirlInThePhoto in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
September 25, 2023
3.5 stars
The Girl in the Photo by Sam Carrington is a psychological thriller about a missing child.
First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Avon Books and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
My Synopsis: (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Erica Fielding is grocery shopping, when a woman approaches her, holding out a picture of a little girl. Mercy Hamilton begs Erica to help her find her missing daughter. How can Erica refuse?
Apparently every Friday, Mercy returns to that same supermarket and asks people to help her find her daughter. But no one helps, and as Erica gets dragged deeper into Mercy's story, she starts to wonder. Something seems off with Mercy, and there doesn't seem to be any record of a child.
But Erica has her own problems. She and her husband Jamie seem to be at odds.
My Opinions:
Up front -- at times I hated this book....and at other times I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. It was compelling in a weird way.
Unfortunately, I didn't really like any of the characters, and that always makes for a long and difficult read. If you can't cheer for anyone, why bother? Early on I was worried that we may have an unreliable narrator....but which one? I didn't know who to trust, as so much remained hidden. This made the book interesting, and yet frustratingly slow.
This book is about the loss of a child, about grief, about mental health issues, and about someone coping with trauma. It is a somewhat difficult and dark read.
It did have a couple of interesting twists, and although I had figured out the main one, the a second one had me very surprised. The ending, too, was an OMG moment -- but not really in a good way.
For a more complete review of this book and others, (including the reason I chose to read/review this book, as well as author information and contact details), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
May 22, 2023
I don’t even know where to start. The story is sad… Erica is a lonely married woman who is struggling in her marriage due to difficulties getting pregnant. It has caused a lot of strain between her and her husband, Jamie.
One day while doing her weekly grocery shopping a woman, Mercy, approaches her with a picture of a little girl asking for help finding her. This helps Erica channel her energy into something other than her failing marriage. Erica dives into helping Mercy…
The story was a little slow for me. I also had a good feeling the book would end the way it did. While it was interesting, I wish I was pulled in more. How? I don’t know.
One thing that was disappointing to me was not having the closed loop on why the security guard played a part in this story… in the chapters that are told from his POV I was on track to believe he had something to do with the disappearance of the young girl. And while he did, innocently, his POV was never answered for me.
One day while doing her weekly grocery shopping a woman, Mercy, approaches her with a picture of a little girl asking for help finding her. This helps Erica channel her energy into something other than her failing marriage. Erica dives into helping Mercy…
The story was a little slow for me. I also had a good feeling the book would end the way it did. While it was interesting, I wish I was pulled in more. How? I don’t know.
One thing that was disappointing to me was not having the closed loop on why the security guard played a part in this story… in the chapters that are told from his POV I was on track to believe he had something to do with the disappearance of the young girl. And while he did, innocently, his POV was never answered for me.
June 13, 2024
New author for me but actually really enjoyed this book!
January 13, 2024
this honestly isn't a bad book i kept wanting to read on and on but idk it seemed a bit much but yet again another book which is so good i'll be giving it aleks to read. aleks if you're reading this, hi
December 23, 2023
INCREDIBLE ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
February 8, 2024
Got good like 2 thirds in. Unexpected twist but not that great 3.5 stars
July 14, 2024
4.5 ⭐️ so the first half of this book wasn’t particularly special. but the last half had my jaw dropped the whole time. sacrificed sleep to finish this. twist after twist. sooo good.
August 28, 2025
Good twist at the end, very easy to read
August 7, 2024
I was slumping hard and needed a quick thriller to fall asleep to that would get me out.
This worked, but it wasn’t a very enjoyable way to do it.
I am not the biggest fan of an unreliable narrator, and unfortunately this narrator was unreliable to the point that you couldn’t even look back and make sense of some of the things that happened, once you knew the full truth of everything that had happened. I feel like it could have been done in a much better way, where all the light bulbs in the twinkle lights strand turned on once we got that last bulb to work again, but sadly I was still left with a strand that was halfway burned out.
The story intrigued me, and I enjoyed the actual narrator of the book, which is hard for me to do as someone who does MUCH better with physical books than audiobooks. I was captivated enough to pay attention and finish the book which is saying something. Unfortunately, I was ultimately underwhelmed and I would probably say a big MEH to anyone asking if it was worth a read.
This worked, but it wasn’t a very enjoyable way to do it.
I am not the biggest fan of an unreliable narrator, and unfortunately this narrator was unreliable to the point that you couldn’t even look back and make sense of some of the things that happened, once you knew the full truth of everything that had happened. I feel like it could have been done in a much better way, where all the light bulbs in the twinkle lights strand turned on once we got that last bulb to work again, but sadly I was still left with a strand that was halfway burned out.
The story intrigued me, and I enjoyed the actual narrator of the book, which is hard for me to do as someone who does MUCH better with physical books than audiobooks. I was captivated enough to pay attention and finish the book which is saying something. Unfortunately, I was ultimately underwhelmed and I would probably say a big MEH to anyone asking if it was worth a read.
June 30, 2025
I was recommended this book, and at first I was reading it like… what is the point of this? And then BOOM I was stuck to the storyline and couldn’t stop reading. Really good read! 5 stars 🌟
April 4, 2024
Wow!!!!! What a twist, definitely was expecting that to happen!! I could not put this book down.
July 26, 2024
3.5
This is exactly the easy read psychological thriller that I enjoy. Erica is shopping when she sees a woman (Mercy) with photo of a little girl desperately trying to find her daughter. The staff at the supermarket seem to brush off Mercy as a nuisance. Erica who is trying for IVF with her husband feels sorry for Mercy and befriends her.
As i said an easy read with a couple of twists in it. It addresses grief and mental health and certainly had some sad bits in it. Erica did annoy me though. I kept thinking speak to your husband. Also the ending though good all just felt unbelievable. So good but not great.
I will read more from this author.
This is exactly the easy read psychological thriller that I enjoy. Erica is shopping when she sees a woman (Mercy) with photo of a little girl desperately trying to find her daughter. The staff at the supermarket seem to brush off Mercy as a nuisance. Erica who is trying for IVF with her husband feels sorry for Mercy and befriends her.
As i said an easy read with a couple of twists in it. It addresses grief and mental health and certainly had some sad bits in it. Erica did annoy me though. I kept thinking speak to your husband. Also the ending though good all just felt unbelievable. So good but not great.
I will read more from this author.
September 23, 2023
I was really drawn to the premise of this book but I felt it was a bit of a letdown. It was a quick read but I didn't find myself aching to keep turning the pages.
**Minor spoilers**
I had a feeling how the story was going to play out pretty early on. There were too many clear giveaways in the way other characters were acting. It was also clear which information the author was trying to steer a certain way.. The one thing that surprised me was the neighbor's involvement. I didn't see it coming though it also didn't make a ton of sense. I'm glad the author wrapped the story up but using the neighbor felt like an easy answer.
**Minor spoilers**
I had a feeling how the story was going to play out pretty early on. There were too many clear giveaways in the way other characters were acting. It was also clear which information the author was trying to steer a certain way.. The one thing that surprised me was the neighbor's involvement. I didn't see it coming though it also didn't make a ton of sense. I'm glad the author wrapped the story up but using the neighbor felt like an easy answer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2023
I found this book to be very predictable and slow. It was a slow burn and got very detailed for each situation. I had a feeling of the truth through the whole book, and in the end, I was right. I don’t like when there is too many details through the story that make it predictable and the “twist” isn’t a surprise.
September 4, 2023
Top marks to Sam Carrington writing a unputdownable page-turning psychological drama novel.
Today I’m giving the psychological family drama The Girl In The Photo by Sam Carrington my biggest shout out for readers to read this next. I started off reading this psychological drama, with never even guessing the ending.
The one thing that makes this story so touching is I feel for a mother who has had a child, that goes missing.
I will never forget the time I was in my local shopping centre, when I see my best friends little girl wandering around on her own. I asked her where’s mummy? She told me she doesn’t know. Luckily she knew me as she often came into my house to play with my little girl. I took my friends daughter by the hand and looking for my friend, eventually I found my best friend, she said thank goodness that I had found her, she dared not think of what would have happened if I hadn’t of found my friends little girl.
Erica is documenting her IVF Journal on Instagram with lots of followers and comments.
A 3 year-old girl went missing while at Bateman’s with her mother on Friday at around 11am. The police came to a standstill while they searched the whole area.
While shopping in Bateman’s supermarket, Erica sees a little lost girl in a supermarket, crying for her mummy, she holds her hand, taking her to customer service.
While Erica is in a que at the till Mercy shows Erica a photo of her daughter Tia, asking her have you seen her? But the photo doesn’t look like the little girl who she has taken to customer service desk. Karen the check out lady tells Erica Mercy Hamilton, comes into the supermarket every Friday, showing a photo, of her daughter saying have you seen her?
When Erica is looking online she can’t find anything about a little girl missing outside Bateman’s supermarket.
Erica tries to help Mercy find her missing daughter. Mercy Hamilton seems to have the same nursery as what Erica has.
This remarkable story reflects mental health symptoms. According to the charity Mind, mental health problems effect around one in four people in any given year. One of the rarer of these dissociative identity disorder (DID ) is at the heart of The Girl In The Photo.
Today I’m giving the psychological family drama The Girl In The Photo by Sam Carrington my biggest shout out for readers to read this next. I started off reading this psychological drama, with never even guessing the ending.
The one thing that makes this story so touching is I feel for a mother who has had a child, that goes missing.
I will never forget the time I was in my local shopping centre, when I see my best friends little girl wandering around on her own. I asked her where’s mummy? She told me she doesn’t know. Luckily she knew me as she often came into my house to play with my little girl. I took my friends daughter by the hand and looking for my friend, eventually I found my best friend, she said thank goodness that I had found her, she dared not think of what would have happened if I hadn’t of found my friends little girl.
Erica is documenting her IVF Journal on Instagram with lots of followers and comments.
A 3 year-old girl went missing while at Bateman’s with her mother on Friday at around 11am. The police came to a standstill while they searched the whole area.
While shopping in Bateman’s supermarket, Erica sees a little lost girl in a supermarket, crying for her mummy, she holds her hand, taking her to customer service.
While Erica is in a que at the till Mercy shows Erica a photo of her daughter Tia, asking her have you seen her? But the photo doesn’t look like the little girl who she has taken to customer service desk. Karen the check out lady tells Erica Mercy Hamilton, comes into the supermarket every Friday, showing a photo, of her daughter saying have you seen her?
When Erica is looking online she can’t find anything about a little girl missing outside Bateman’s supermarket.
Erica tries to help Mercy find her missing daughter. Mercy Hamilton seems to have the same nursery as what Erica has.
This remarkable story reflects mental health symptoms. According to the charity Mind, mental health problems effect around one in four people in any given year. One of the rarer of these dissociative identity disorder (DID ) is at the heart of The Girl In The Photo.
February 20, 2024
I think this book deserves 5 stars from me, not because it's a perfect book, but because it kept me truly captivated from beginning to end. Even when not reading I was thinking about what could really be happening. The mystery it creates for the reader did leave many possible leads to explore and, although not entirely impossible to predict, kept the true outcome buried amongst other, more seemingly plausible answers.
The realisation the character has did feel all encompassing, and inspired the same feelings of confusion and desperation in me that the character would have been experiencing herself while also making clear all the seemingly twisted threads. The ending did pull at the heart strings and I empathised with Erica as she was forced to face the devastating truth that had broken her mind.
Perfect? No. Would I recommend it? Yes.
Edit: Just remembered something I'd meant to include. The last chapter could have been left out, it gave us the last answers we didn't have but really it didn't need it, could have left the disappearance as just an unsolved mystery but didn't exactly detract from the story 🤷 Wish the epilogue wasn't there though, just as a choice the author makes. I like when stories end happily
The realisation the character has did feel all encompassing, and inspired the same feelings of confusion and desperation in me that the character would have been experiencing herself while also making clear all the seemingly twisted threads. The ending did pull at the heart strings and I empathised with Erica as she was forced to face the devastating truth that had broken her mind.
Perfect? No. Would I recommend it? Yes.
Edit: Just remembered something I'd meant to include. The last chapter could have been left out, it gave us the last answers we didn't have but really it didn't need it, could have left the disappearance as just an unsolved mystery but didn't exactly detract from the story 🤷 Wish the epilogue wasn't there though, just as a choice the author makes. I like when stories end happily
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 24, 2023
Erica has a mundane life. She works as a freelance journalist, is married to a lovely man and life seems normal.
That is until one Friday she meets Mercy at the grocery store who is desperately looking for someone to help her find her missing daughter.
Frustrated and shocked by how the staff at the store treat Mercy, she promises to do all she can help her.
And so the journey begins. As she makes her way through all the evidence she can find, she is confused when she realises that the police know Mercy, but more than that they have no record of her missing child, in fact, they have no record of her ever having a child.
The girl in the photo, is a dark, psychological, twisty tale where you really don't know what way the story will turn from one page to the next!
It deals with some pretty big subjects such as Mental Health, grief, loss, relationship breakdown and friendships.
I was hooked from page one and I literally gasped (which isn't good when you're on public transport reading!) when the eventual storyline was revealed.
Honestly one of the best books I've read this year. Highly recommended
That is until one Friday she meets Mercy at the grocery store who is desperately looking for someone to help her find her missing daughter.
Frustrated and shocked by how the staff at the store treat Mercy, she promises to do all she can help her.
And so the journey begins. As she makes her way through all the evidence she can find, she is confused when she realises that the police know Mercy, but more than that they have no record of her missing child, in fact, they have no record of her ever having a child.
The girl in the photo, is a dark, psychological, twisty tale where you really don't know what way the story will turn from one page to the next!
It deals with some pretty big subjects such as Mental Health, grief, loss, relationship breakdown and friendships.
I was hooked from page one and I literally gasped (which isn't good when you're on public transport reading!) when the eventual storyline was revealed.
Honestly one of the best books I've read this year. Highly recommended
March 25, 2025
3.5 stars: this book has been languishing on my TBR pile for some time, so I finally decided to pick it up. The story follows Erica as, while at the checkout at the supermarket, she is accosted by a woman named Mercy, desperate to find her missing child. Erica is struggling with IVF and feels a pull towards Mercy, and is determined to help her. It doesn’t take long for her story to stop adding up though, and Mercy seems to know an alarming amount about Erica’s life.
After a slow-ish start, the pace really picked up in the second half. I did guess early on what the big twist was, and there were a few hints that I think were more obvious than they should’ve been. Having said that, the final letter really did catch me off guard - I wasn’t expecting it at all!
The story itself was well-constructed, aside from a few plot points that I felt could’ve been expanded upon. For example, pages 63-64: ‘And as Mercy relives the experience and the days following Tia’s abduction, // I purse my lips together tightly in an attempt to prevent the tears.’ I feel like actually describing Mercy’s experience to the reader here could’ve really helped the reader’s emotional investment in the story.
After a slow-ish start, the pace really picked up in the second half. I did guess early on what the big twist was, and there were a few hints that I think were more obvious than they should’ve been. Having said that, the final letter really did catch me off guard - I wasn’t expecting it at all!
The story itself was well-constructed, aside from a few plot points that I felt could’ve been expanded upon. For example, pages 63-64: ‘And as Mercy relives the experience and the days following Tia’s abduction, // I purse my lips together tightly in an attempt to prevent the tears.’ I feel like actually describing Mercy’s experience to the reader here could’ve really helped the reader’s emotional investment in the story.
June 28, 2024
My goodness what a book that was! I've read some great books recently and this was up there with the best of them! If you are a fan of Lisa Jewell or Jon Marrs this is the book for you, dark, twisty, gripping and unputdownable, and I did not see the final twist until it was right upon me. There were so many questions throughout the book that I wanted answers to and in the end everything tied up into a neat horrifying bow! If you like a good thriller with a twist - this one comes highly recommended!
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