The Photo Album (Bobby McGowan #1)

When I signed up to be an ARC reader for The Videotape, I didn’t realize it was part of a series. So, like any good Final Girl preparing for the first kill—I mean book—I went back to the beginning and picked up The Photo Album.

And I’m glad I did.

I had no idea what to expect—new author, no spoilers, no blurb diving. Just me, the story, and the creeping feeling that something dark was coming.

This book was a pleasant surprise! The main character had me hooked from the start, and I found myself rooting for him like he was trying to make it out of the third act alive. No wild twist that left me questioning reality—but the steady build of suspense, tension, and mystery kept me flipping pages like a detective chasing leads.

Well done, Mr. O'Sullivan. You’ve officially got me on the hook, and I’ll be diving into The Other Annie before I'm able to get my hands on The Videotape. If it’s anything like this one, I’m in for a killer read.

A thrilling 5⭐

This book starts out slowly, and with good reason it sets the foundation for a great story. I like the way it gradually covers the crime and the impact on the main character, 32-year-old Bobby McGowan, who was 12 at the time of his mother's murder.

Bobby is a likeable character. Finding himself suddenly out of work, the son of a murdered mother turns sleuth in an attempt to solve the 20-year-old mystery. This starts with a picture in an old photo album that piques his interest in who could be the potential killer.

Bobby realises there's a lot of pictures to go through, and he tries to enlist the help of the local media, much to his embarrassment. We see a family come back together in often emotional chapters of reflection.

As Bobby ticks off each would-be suspect and gets closer to the truth, the killer decides to have some fun at his expense. It's a thrilling game of cat and mouse as Bobby edges closer to the truth.

As a reader, I personally love first-person narrative, and it's great to hear the killer's thoughts. The pace really picks up in the second half of the book, and for the last 25% my heart was in my mouth as the perspective flipped between good and evil.

This was a thrilling read that totally gripped my attention, so much so that when a character's name randomly changed from Austin to Aaron, I thought I'd lost my mind! I think this was a cunning trick to make sure we're paying close enough attention