This one had such an original hook—I was instantly curious. The deeper it went, the more tangled and dark it got, and I couldn’t stop reading. Every time I thought I had it figured out, a new layer dropped.

Smart, eerie, and totally absorbing. Easily one of my favorites from this author.

The Tapes is a gripping, fast-paced thriller that’s both easy to read and nearly impossible to put down. From the very beginning, I was hooked by the suspenseful tone and clever plot. Kerry Wilkinson masterfully weaves a dual narrative—one from the present investigation to find the killer and the other from the original killings—creating a layered mystery that constantly kept me guessing.

I especially loved the inserts that tied into the current case. It added depth and a unique twist to the storytelling that made me feel like I was part of the investigation. Every detail felt intentional, and everything came together in such a satisfying way by the end. The final twist genuinely surprised me.

If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers with a strong sense of intrigue and clever plotting, this one’s definitely worth reading.

The Tapes is a domestic thriller that's worth the read.

While Eve is cleaning out her late fathers house to sell she discovers a box of old cassette tapes with her mother, Angela's handwriting on them. One specifically is labeled Eve.
"If you're listening to this, I've been murdered."
This line coming from her mothers voice shocks Eve. See, her mom went missing over a decade ago with no trace to be found. What follows this discovery is a twisty ride with Eve trying to solve the mystery of her mothers disappearance.

I had heard Wilkinson's name quite a bit throughout my Facebook book groups but this is the first book I've read by the author. I will definitely be reading more! I loved the format of interspersing Eve's journey with excerpts from a book that parallels the mystery (I'm trying very hard to not give anything away!) I love the creepiness of the tapes and the lines being used over and over throughout. I wish we got more tapes though. As an avid audio book reader I can just picture how creepy and awesome this one would be with more of Eve's mothers voice coming through, little lines at a time, and I think it would have added to the physical book as well.

I think Wilkinson's writing and story telling are strong. I liked Eve and how flawed and real she was. How she questioned herself and everyone around her while trying to parse out the facts from the lies and suspicions. There are a lot of side characters but not too many to get confused, I think. They all had their own voice and substance.
The pacing got a little wonky in the middle but it came back around and I devoured the book very quickly (also thanks to being stuck at the DMV for hours. *sigh*)

I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good mystery with a little bit of a nostalgic flair!

⭐⭐⭐.5 / 5

First to say i did enjoy this book. Old-school cassette tapes, a mom dropping a bombshell about being murdered, and serial killer? All sounds very intriguing.

But honestly, I kinda wanted more. Like, the tapes? I expected them to spill some wild secrets, but they ended up being more background noise than anything. The middle part of the book felt a bit messy, with a lot happening with work drama, Eve's family issues, her dad’s funeral, the mystery itself kinda took the backseat.

The characters relationships? Felt a little flat. Something was just… missing.
That said, the ending? Legit caught me off guard. I was way more into the last bit. I was literally suspicious of all but not the real killer.

If you're into domestic thrillers or serial-killer mysteries, it's worth checking out.
Also a big thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the early access to this book.

This book was captivating and truly left you guessing, mostly because of the unreliable narrator. I thoroughly enjoyed trying to figure it out along with her, and the plot twist at the end was also interesting. A good quick, fun read.

The Tapes by Kerry Wilkinson is a murder mystery wuth twist after twist. I enjoyed reading it, but the beginning was a bit slow for me and I found it difficult to really get into. However, the ending of this book made up for it because I did not guess that twist at all. It was so unexpected and there was no way that I would've figured it out. I did think the ending was a bit rushed, and I would have liked to know more details about how the killer chose his/her victims and what the motive was. Perhaps that is a part of readnig a mystery though, you never quite get all the answers.

Eve is grieving the loss of her father, while prepping his house to be sold she stumbles upon boxes of cassettes left behind by her mother who disappeared years ago. One of the cassettes is addressed to eve, and upon listening she learns that her mother knew the identity of the local serial killer, The Earring Killer.

The concept of this story is what really hooked me, unfortunately the book didn't do it for me. There were parts I really loved, like the excerpts from Vivian's book. But this was a very slow burn and a lot of it was repetitive. I felt the twists fell flat and the end was quite predictable.

Firstly thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of The Tapes. Unfortunately, this book didn’t quite hit the spot for me. The premise was good, but it felt very disjointed in places and some parts, for me personally, were not needed. I also think that the serial k*ller could have been given another name. I did read this in a couple of sittings and it was a quick read. I am certain there will be people who will fly through and enjoy this book more, but unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I’d hoped. 2.75⭐️.

Eve's father has just died and her mother has been missing for 13 years. As she cleans out her father's house, she finds a cassette tape with her name on it. The tape is a recording her mother made and she states that "If they say I'm missing, it's not true. I think I've been murdered."

Eve's mother recorded that she had learned the identity of a serial killer who had terrorized their town for years but she also had been known to lie. Can the tape be trusted? And if so, is the killer someone Eve knows? Is she in danger?

I enjoyed the story and while I didn't see the twist coming and the story was interesting enough to keep me flipping pages, it didn't wow me either.

This one just wasn’t for me-I’m really sorry! I won’t post this publicly on Goodreads/Instagram etc as I’m aware it’s nearly publication date but it’s not for me.

I thought the premise & hook was excellent and I felt that nostalgia vibe with taping & recording. The general plot outline was interesting and it was paced out well. But for me, it was executed poorly and the writing was too basic for my tastes.

Sorry!

"If you're listening to this, I've been murdered."

Eve is clearing her father's house when she finds an old cassette player and a box of tapes. Though grieving, she smiles at the spark of nostalgia. One tape is labelled "Eve" - in her mother, Angela's scrawled handwriting. She disappeared for good over ten years ago. The tape whirrs. A voice crackles. "My name is Angela," Tears fill Eve's eyes at the familiar voice, at the thought that this message is just for her. But the next words make her heart pound. "If they say I'm missing, I'm not. If your listening to this, I've been murdered." Desperate for answers, Eve has no one to ask - only a box of tapes that could lead to the truth.

This story had an interesting premise. While Eve is clearing out her Dad's garage after hiss passing, she finds an old tape recorder and a box of tapes, She sees her name on one of the tape, she starts listening to them. Her mother disappeared over ten year ago.

The pace is steady, the characters are mostly likeable, but I didn't like Eve's boss. The story is told from Eve's perspective, but we also get chapters that are excerpts from a book about a serial killer. I do think the story could have been a bit shorter, as it felt drawn out.

Published 11th August 2025

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Bookouture and the author #KerryWilkinson for my ARC of #TheTapes in exchange for n honest review.

This book was okay. I did finish it only to find out who did it but I wasn’t super interested. I didn’t expect the killer to be who it was but other than that it just fell a bit flat for me.

This is my first book by this author, but it definitely won’t be my last. I enjoyed the single POV interspersed with “excerpts” from a book about the killer Eve unwittingly found herself on the hunt for. I loved the multiple suspects, the mystery shrouding her mom’s disappearance, and how perfectly it all wove together in the end.

This book pulled me in from the very first page and kept me guessing the entire time. The Tapes is a true “who-dun-it,” packed with red herrings and suspicious characters, all of whom seem like they could be hiding something. Eve, our narrator, is flawed and complex—grieving, struggling with sobriety, and haunted by the loss of a mother who may not have simply walked away. That touch of an unreliable narrator makes every clue feel just slightly out of reach, and you’re never quite sure who—or what—to trust.

And that ending? I definitely did not see it coming.

If you enjoy dark mysteries with emotional depth, a nostalgic twist, and an ending that will knock the wind out of you, this is one to add to your TBR.

The premise for this book is really good. I enjoyed the book and I was interested enough to want to keep reading to find out what happened. However I will say that I wasn’t Wowed by it. It is definitely a book to give a shot but not if you want super high intensity.

Eve is cleaning out her late father’s house. While doing so she stumbles upon some old cassette tapes. She also finds a tape player. In those tapes her mother states “If they say I’m missing, I’m not. I’ve been killed- and I need you to know that I love you.”

This begins the mystery of what happened to Eve’s mom as well as who the Earring Killer is/was.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Net Galley for this e- ARC. When I read this blurb I was excited to read this book. I love the throw back to the retro listening of "tapes". However, this story just didn't keep me entertained. This is a new to me author and I hope to be able to read more from them in the future.

The tapes by Kerry wilkinson

Eve discovers cassette tapes recorded by her long-missing mother Angela, one addressing her directly with a chilling message. These spark a journey into secrets and mystery.

The book had some flashbacks, eve is an emotionally rich character, round the middle of the book it fell a little flat then it got going again

I would recommend this book to people who like character driven plots

So much going on in this brilliantly gripping thriller!

Eve finds a box of cassette tapes in her parents garage after her father dies. She is fascinated to discover that several of them were narrated by her mother, who disappeared 13 years ago. Amongst the nostalgia of hearing her mother‘s voice again, there is also a chilling message to Eve, indicating that her mother discovered something that somebody wanted kept quiet. Was she silenced?

The cassette tape aspect of the story was the absolute highlight for me! Who remembers those heady days of taping the top 40, trying to cut off the DJ talking at the end, and getting frustrated when he talked too much at the beginning? 😆 So while this was a thriller through and through, there was also some excellent humour when Eve asked her young colleague, Owen, to try and convert the tapes to digital, and also when Eve’s teenage daughter persisted in referring to the tapes as podcasts!

Back to the main plot, I liked Eve and found her relatable. She had very much been shaped by her alcoholism and the trauma that initially led her to drink. As well as Eve, the story is narrated by chapters from a book detailing the victims of a serial killer in the town.

The supporting characters were all very well written, whether likeable or whether I would’ve been happy to see them go to prison for a long time. Despite many theories, I was unable to guess the outcome of this brilliant story and the ending completely took me by surprise.

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Kerry Wilkinson and Bookouture, for an ARC of this book.

I appreciated how The Tapes jumps right into the story without lingering through countless chapters of groundwork. While I don't mind a slow build-up in a thriller, especially when it adds to the tension, this book offered a refreshing change of pace from the traditional formula. It’s somewhat of a unique concept—initially, you might wonder how intriguing a story can be about someone who finds tapes and listens to them, uncovering secrets. But it’s so much more than that.

The story revolves around an adult daughter who stumbles upon cassette tapes recorded by her mother, who disappeared years prior. As she listens to each tape, she uncovers clues that suggest there’s more to her mother’s disappearance than meets the eye. The experience of working through the tapes makes you feel as though you're right there with her, eager to uncover all the secrets hidden within.

Without giving anything away, I will say that while I found the story engaging, there weren’t as many twists as I anticipated, especially in relation to the “killer.” The revelation was a surprise, but I wouldn’t really call it an unexpected twist. The character involved seemed so insignificant that they didn’t even register on my radar.

Overall, I enjoyed this book—it's a fun, interesting read that kept me captivated. I would definitely recommend it to those looking for a different kind of thriller with an intriguing concept.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

This was a twisty read with many surprises. The plot was unique but is a slow burn. I really enjoyed Eves POV and I liked the content of the tapes. It was a wonderfully intriguing read!