The Camera Never Lies

I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, David Rawlings, and Thomas Nelson publishers. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. David Rawlings writes a tight, well-paced tale with interesting word pictures here and there that you can savor. I am happy to recommend his work to friends and family. The Camera Never Lies is based on that old adage about the cobbler's children going barefoot - our protagonist Daniel Whitely is a highly acclaimed family counselor with one best-selling self-help book out and rumors of another in the works. His wife Kelly is a rep for a pharmaceutical company making a hot new drug to help young children basically addicted to their screens - notebook, IPad, iPhone, etc. Their daughter Milly is 12 and losing it, showing signs of deep depression and has isolated herself from every aspect of her life, failing at the school that she once aced, friendless and suicidal. But Dad is focused on work - he is making bad decisions with employees and months behind on the draft of his second book. His editor is ready to take back the big advance for this work, which is already spent on the downpayment of their ritzy new home. Kelly is working to fill the financial gap until the next book sells, at a job she hates. Her dream is to set up a catering business but this temporary job pays the bills for now. But there are rumors of side effects to this new drug - serious migraine-like headaches, some requiring hospitalization. The drug company reassures its staff that this is all malarky, that the rumors are just that, but she is vocally skeptical - which doesn't sit well with her bosses. She knows she has to keep this job until Daniel finishes this next book, but she vows to not pass on the reassurances recommended by the bosses if specifically ask about the rumors. Meanwhile, Daniel's Grandpa dies. His only real legacy is an old, beat-up leather briefcase containing the still lingering aroma of Old Spice and a vintage Olympus HS-10 Infinity camera containing a spool of exposed photos to be developed and a small album of pictures, most faded and almost without color. David is touched, and curious to see what the exposed film in the camera contains, and sets his secretary to work finding someplace he can get the pictures developed. His Grandfather loved that old camera. Engraved on the bottom of the camera, Grandfather assures that 'no matter what you think you might see, the camera never lies'. But the pictures taken on the Olympus are not exactly what was focused on - each picture portrays what the subject was thinking, or imagining. In one, David is holding hands with his co-worker Anna, Milly is doing a handstand on the balcony guardrail 200 feet about the street, the new secretary making eyes at David, and Kelly is always MAD. And Milly is in serious trouble. What a wake-up call! Will the Whitely family be able to overhaul their lives, get control of each day lived fully and together, or are they destined to come apart? Because according to the camera, they are all in very hot water...

Loved it! Couldnt put it down.