by Brian Freeman
Release Date: October 7, 2025
2025 Blackstone Publishing Inc
Ebook ARC; 306 Pages
ISBN: 978-1665109765
ASIN: B0DZ7YJMNR
Audiobook: B0DXQH9M33
Genre: Fiction / Mystery
Source: Review copy from publisher
4 / 5 Stars
Summary
Shannon Wells is a private investigator who
helps women with nowhere else to go. Last year, a woman named Faith
Selby came to Shannon with a strange Find out who I really am.
Shannon soon discovered that Faith was hiding a whole other life, but was unable to penetrate the web of mystery the woman had built around her past. Now Faith is dead. The only clue to who she was and why she was murdered is an old photograph of a little girl in the rain outside a Midwestern motel.
The hunt for answers takes Shannon from the hot beaches of Florida to a remote small town in Michigan as she peels away layer after layer of a shocking cold case that has rippled violently into the present. With each secret she uncovers, the danger around her grows—and forces Shannon to confront the demons hiding in her own past.
Shannon soon discovered that Faith was hiding a whole other life, but was unable to penetrate the web of mystery the woman had built around her past. Now Faith is dead. The only clue to who she was and why she was murdered is an old photograph of a little girl in the rain outside a Midwestern motel.
The hunt for answers takes Shannon from the hot beaches of Florida to a remote small town in Michigan as she peels away layer after layer of a shocking cold case that has rippled violently into the present. With each secret she uncovers, the danger around her grows—and forces Shannon to confront the demons hiding in her own past.
My Thoughts
Photograph is a standalone mystery novel by the author who has brought us some new thrilling novels in the Jason Bourne universe (ones I have thoroughly enjoyed), so I was intrigued to read something that was completely original by him. And I was not disappointed. With characters that were intriguing and fully fleshed out to a plot that was fun, but also full of twists and turns, this was one enjoyable mystery.
The MC Shannon was a complex person who had experienced personal trauma in her life, an experience that made her decide to open a private investigation agency to help other women. There were a lot of depths to this character and I personally liked the exploration of how the trauma has impacted her life as I thought it was done with sensitivity and compassion. Shannon is a determined person who cares deeply for others and it shows in her interactions throughout the story. Now I wasn't a complete fan of Shannon at the beginning of the book as she came across as a bit spoiled, especially when dealing with her estranged father, but she did grow on as the book progressed, to the point where I really enjoyed her personality. She is not gullible, and I appreciated how she took the time to ensure she was safe when she did certain things. It always bugs me when a main characters does something stupid, with no regard to personal safety, puts others at risk as well, and there is not much said about such behaviour. This book didn't take that approach which suited me.
The plot moved along relatively quickly, even if the beginning was a bit slow. However, the 'slowness' is a relative term as it was necessary to build up certain relationships and understanding of certain situations, but once that was done, it took off and the tension never let up, throwing the reader twist after twist. I changed my mind about who was responsible a few times, but did figure it out before the end. And it was just a random statement that caught my eye and made me think the way I did, otherwise I would not have clued in to who it was. I totally loved how the mystery and the plot revolved around a single photo taken years ago and how the author managed to link everything in this book to that photo.
Verdict
Photograph was a very intricately plotted mystery with plenty of twists and turns, and I really liked the fact that it was so different from the Bourne thrillers he writes. But, while I did think Shannon had some good character development, I also thought the secondary characters could have been more developed as that would have added to the richness of the story. However, I highly recommend this to any reader who likes a psychological thriller/mystery, and I also recommend his Jason Bourne novels to those who love thrillers. Personally, I would love to see another book featuring this character. Hint, hint!!
