Photo Finished: A Picture Perfect Cozy Mystery
(A Snapshot of NYC Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – New York
Publisher : Kensington (October 25, 2022)
Paperback : 272 pages
ISBN-10 : 1496738810
ISBN-13 : 978-1496738813
Kindle ASIN : B09RGMJNKC
Audiobook ASIN B0B8LHZ845
Audio CD ISBN-13 : 978-1666620948
The first in Christin Brecher’s new cozy mystery promises photo-taking fun—and satisfying sleuthing—when Liv Spyer, a bright-eyed aspiring young photographer trying to make her dreams come true in New York City must develop her keen eye to solve a murder and save her career!
While some people escape into books or music, Liv Spyers escapes through her camera’s lens, which inspires her to jump into things she might otherwise have no business tackling—like moving to New York City. Hustling to make her dreams come true as a portrait photographer, she runs a pocket-sized studio below her grandparents’ West Village brownstone and key shop, where she also lives and works part-time. All of which still has her down to the end of her savings as the holidays approach. Everything changes in a flash, however, when elite events photographer, Regina Montague, invites Liv to shoot with her at New York City’s most exclusive socialite event of the year—the Holiday Debutante Ball!
Liv snaps at the opportunity, convinced that a job with Regina will launch her career. But when her fabulous new gig ends with the murder of billionaire Charlie Archibald, her dream job may never develop with Regina framed for murder. Once Liv begins to focus on her photos from the ball, she’s convinced they reveal Charlie Archibald’s real killer. Now, between cracking the world of high society—and the attentions of a handsome stranger—Liv must hustle once again to expose the killer . . . before she gets cropped from the picture!
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Liv Spyer is an eager young photographer ready to find her place among New York’s vast event and portrait picture-taking world. She has a small studio/apartment below her grandparents’ West Village brownstone where they live and run their key shop. She hopes portraits for the upcoming holiday season will keep her studio afloat. Then she meets Regina Montague, the well-known events photographer. Regina offers her a job on the spot which she quickly accepts. She will be capturing moments at the exclusive New York City Holiday Debutante Ball.
Liv knows this event could change her life so she tries to get all the shots she can and be in the right places at the right times. Then she finds herself in the entirely wrong place at the entirely wrong time. She finds her new boss Regina Montague standing over the very dead body of billionaire Charlie Archibald. With Regina prominent in the lens of Detective Thorne, Liv decides to sharpen her focus on the photos she took at the ball. Can she find clues within the pictures? Will she be able to reveal the real killer? Or will she be overexposed and find that the killer has zoomed in on her as their next victim?
I enjoyed meeting Liv Spyer, her parents, and her grandparents. They are genuine people with good hearts watching out for each other every day. She also has a 4-year-old baby sister who will steal the hearts of everyone she meets. Liv is sharp and has a keen eye for detail which makes her a great photographer and a capable amateur sleuth. We meet several interesting characters throughout the story, like Harry who appeared to be a random man on the train and stuck around to play a key part in the story. We also meet his aunt with an interesting background and successful commercial photographer Regina Montague and her assistant Manjeet. All the characters evolved over the course of the story and gained a great amount of depth for the first book in a series.
I love that this series is set in New York City and not the usual cozy mystery small town. It was fun to travel up and down the streets, on the trains, and to many other big city hot spots. The photography theme is unique and entertaining too. It is clear it is Liv’s passion.
The mystery was more complicated than I originally thought it was. It had different elements to concentrate on in addition to the several suspects. I enjoyed the way Liv approached her investigation. She closely examined the photos she had taken and didn’t shy away from asking questions in an effort to follow each clue no matter how small. After several twists and turns, her focus became clearer leading up to a compelling reveal that had me giggling just a bit.
Photo Finished is an excellent start for this series. The mystery was very well-plotted and the entire story was very well-written. It is filled with engaging characters, a fair amount of humor, and just a bit of romance. A big city cozy mystery that captured my interest in a New York minute. I am excited to see where Liv Spyers’ cameras take her next.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to Kensington Cozies, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
About the Author
Christin Brecher is the author of the Shapshot of NYC Mysteries and the Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery Series. Born and raised in New York City, she lived in London, Connecticut, and Massachusetts before moving back to the city that will always have her heart. She previously worked in television production at the A&E Network, HBO, and PBS before moving into business development and marketing at Time Incorporated.
Also written by Christin Brecher
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” “As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.”
has it all, great characters, mystery, murder, betrayal, and secrets. There is a fair amount of humor too. I really enjoyed this story! I am looking forward to the next book in this series.
are back. Police Officer Andy remains Stella’s best friend while Peter has moved into the boyfriend zone. I really enjoy the banter between Stella and her mom. Millie scent talents are just amazing and Stella’s are pretty darn good too. This is important because their noses can save an international incident from happening.
is well-plotted and written and an excellent follow-up to 
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”