My thanks to BookOuture and NetGalley for a copy of “The Tapes “ for an honest review.

I’m usually a big fan of Kerry Wilkinson’s books but unfortunately on this occasion , I was quite disappointed.
For some reason I couldn’t connect with the characters , and I soon lost interest in the storyline.
It definitely won’t put me off reading more by him , but sadly this title just wasn’t for me

Kerry Wilkinson does a great job building tension without going over the top. The characters felt real, the pacing was tight, and there were just enough red herrings to keep me second-guessing myself the entire time.

If you’re into psychological thrillers with a strong hook, The Tapes is definitely worth adding to your list.

Thirteen years after her mother disappeared, Eve returns to her childhood home for her father’s funeral—and uncovers a box of old cassette tapes that will change everything. Among them is one labeled simply Eve, written in her mother’s familiar handwriting. When she presses play, Eve is stunned to hear her mother’s voice not only professing her love but also claiming she’s been murdered.

What begins as a nostalgic find quickly spirals into a chilling investigation. As Eve listens to each tape, secrets from the past begin to surface—dark truths that make it impossible to involve the police. Her search for answers leads her straight into the path of a local serial killer investigation, and she realizes that whatever happened to her mother may not be over… and she might be next.

The Tapes is a cleverly plotted psychological thriller that grips you from the first page. Told through Eve’s point of view and interspersed with excerpts from a true-crime book, the narrative is fast-paced, atmospheric, and filled with jaw-dropping twists. The analog eeriness of the cassette tapes adds a haunting layer of suspense rarely found in modern thrillers.

Eve is a flawed yet compelling protagonist—grieving, skeptical, and determined to uncover the truth no matter the cost. The small-town setting hums with quiet dread, and the mystery unravels in a way that keeps you constantly guessing. Each chapter ends with a punch, and the final twist is as shocking as it is satisfying.

Wilkinson’s writing balances emotional depth with taut suspense, using the tapes as a unique narrative device to explore memory, guilt, and the corrosive power of secrets. It’s a slow-burn in the best way—introspective, atmospheric, and utterly addictive.

If you love smart thrillers with emotional weight, true crime vibes, and genuinely unpredictable twists, The Tapes belongs at the top of your TBR.

Favorite quote:
“If they say I’m missing, I’m not. If you’re listening to this… I’ve been killed.”

This book gives a new life to the word "gripping". The entire idea in itself is one that sinks its hooks into true-crime & mystery-loving readers, myself included. From the very beginning I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what twist would come next which kept me flipping through the pages. I think that the main character, Eve, is one who appears unassuming at first but has layers that deepen through every chapter making her someone that a reader can't help but feel protective over as she continues her journey. The interconnectedness of the characters as well keeps things interesting and I found myself making my own connections and getting even deeper into the mystery at hand. The writing style was descriptive enough to keep my interest while moving quickly enough to avoid boredom of any kind. I felt the author did a fantastic job with the plot development, setting descriptions, and overall writing style. I would highly recommend this book and cannot wait to see what else comes from this author.

This book had me hooked because I loved the concept of the tapes. The story was written very well with great suspense and a wide cast of possible suspects. I did feel it was a little predictable, especially toward the end.

Eve's mother mysteriously disappeared years ago and now she has found her voice recorded tapes predicting her death. Now she must investigate what happened to her and the new murders that are taking place.

This was such an interesting story and I really enjoyed reading this and learning all the characters and their relationships with each other. I did not guess the ending and that is what I like in a thriller/mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC for this book!

This was a truly refreshing new kind of thriller. I found the tape part very innovative and it had me hooked until the end.

The only thing I could potentially criticise is that it was a little slow at times, but other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

If you're looking for a gripping thriller, I highly recommend you get this one.

As a passionate ARC reviewer, I look for the perfect mix of genre, title, description, and, of course, the book cover when looking for my next read. This book captivated me the moment I set my eyes on it, because, right there on the cover, was the ubiquitous cassette tape I spent the best years of my life with as a 90s kid. I wanted in, and was overjoyed to see that the publisher approved my request. I have to say that I am already biased before I begin telling you about my book reading experience, so typing out the first draft of my review right on page one — more details to follow.

Alright then, book gobbled up in no time, and I come back completely exhausted from the adrenaline ride. Well, it wasn't like that throughout the book, but most chapter endings were actual page-turners. A perfectly ordinary person's ordinary life is made extraordinary by the discovery of their mother's old cassette tape recordings, and then begins an adventure that Eve would've never thought she would live to see in her life as a single mother with a teenage daughter.

The story is a twist to the usual cold case whodunits, and accomplished mystery writer Kerry Wilkinson knows how to make a story engaging and enjoyable. The characters are unique, yet believable. This ARC was my very first introduction to the author, and what a brilliant one at that! I thank NetGalley for allowing me to read this fantastic book, and I look forward to the author's next thrilling novel.

Whilst clearing our her father's garage, Eve finds a box of tapes where there are recordings from her mother who disappeared 13 years ago. Eve is given information which leads her to to chase for answers on what actually happened to her mother.

There were moments where the pacing dragged a bit. I found it hard to really connect with the characters, I just wasn't fully invested in them. One (admittedly petty) thing that really got under my skin was the killer’s nickname: the “Earring Killer.” It just sounded a bit ridiculous, and instead of striking fear, it made me cringe every time it was mentioned.

That said, the story itself was strong. It kept me guessing throughout with plenty of suspects. There was a satisfying twist at the end so for a thriller it did its job.

This book had its fair share on suspects - everyone was acting shady - but it was still "easy" to filter down the culprits.

I liked Eve as a character - though she handled a couple of things completely different than I would have.

I enjoyed this story and I'm sure I would read more from this author.

From chapter 1, I was hooked! Actually that's not true, it was from the book description. Chapter 1 was really powerful and the rest of the book did not disappoint me. We get only a few days with the main character but these are busy few days navigating loss, grief, a teenage daughter, being a recovering alcoholic, the joy of hearing her mom's voice in over a decade, and the looming presence of a serial killer. We get lots of information within a short amount of time, everyone is a suspect and I enjoyed trying to piece it together. It would not be a good thriller without a twist and this one had me gasp!

Set in the fictional Sedingham, this British mystery is a fast-paced read for those who want many questions and satisfying answers. We follow along the search for answers with Eve Falconer, a woman going through the process of cleaning out her recently deceased father’s home when she finds the tapes that sets our mystery in motion.

The main character is a grieving, recovering alcoholic mother whose POV is consistent with all of the traits you would associate with that description. Her search for answers compounded by her grief makes for some excellent story telling without veering into melancholy.

I kept suspecting I knew the answers (as I often do with mysteries) and yet, I was wrong at every turn! This made me eager to keep reading and I finished the book in two days which is my favorite type of thriller to read! So if you’re looking for a quick read that will hit the high points you want out of a mystery, The Tapes by Kerry Wilkinson is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Bookouture for the early access to this book in exchange for an honest review!

𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗖𝗞 𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗧 𝗣𝗘𝗘𝗞
After her father’s death, Eve discovers cassette tapes recorded by her mother, Angela, who vanished over a decade ago. One tape chillingly declares, “If you’re listening to this, I’ve been murdered.” As Eve deciphers the tapes, she uncovers shocking secrets and realizes she could be in danger.

𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗢𝗣𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗢𝗡
This was a highly entertaining steady paced thriller. The addition of a book within a book added an extra layer, similar to the effect of a multiple POV.

At its heart, the story is about Eve discovering family secrets and amateur sleuthing her way around her small town to discover the mystery of her mother.

As a mystery lover, this was juicy! I was fully invested in the serial killer aspect and as a domestic thriller fan, all the boxes were being ticked.

Maybe because the cast was small, but I wasn’t shocked by the reveal - although I was surprised at the twist! I had a couple questions at the end, but nothing major. I also might have liked an Eve epilogue, even though the ending was more or less wrapped up.

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗛 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗?
I read this so quickly, wanting to know the truth behind the tapes. This is a solid, gripping, and highly entertaining mystery and I’m excited to get into the authors backlog.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for this #gifted ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.

Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5 stars

I had high hopes for this one, but it wasn’t for me. I felt like the in-between chapters were kind of boring and distracting. I’m not quite sure they added a lot. The plot itself was also really slow. There wasn’t much suspense either so I found myself skimming just to see what the ending is. Overall, an okay read but not one I’d recommend.

I loved the idea and premise. It just fell a little flat for me. I struggled through the slow parts, but curiosity kept me going. I think I would have rated higher had i listened to a well done audiobook production because of the documentary and tapes

The Tapes started off interesting with a solid mystery setup that had me curious, but it ended up feeling like a bit too much all at once. The MMC dealing with the loss of her parents, uncovering her mom’s own struggles, and then maybe a murder on top of that—it just got kind of heavy and a little all over the place. The POV shifts didn’t help either, and I found myself losing interest and not really connecting with any of the characters by the end.

Still, the premise had potential and I appreciate the chance to read this early. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the copy of the book.

I thought this was a great, fast paced and gripping read. I loved the twists I do my best to guess the whodunnit and this one really got me.

After finding tapes from her long lost, missing presumed….? Mother, Eve listens through the mundane chatting about book clubs, and tall tales.

That is until she comes across a tape with her name on, that promises to blow the case of a local serial killer wide open.

The Tapes had me on the edge of my seat, and when I wasn’t reading, I found myself interrogating the suspects I’d lined up to try figure out from what I’d read so far who is the least trustworthy.

This is a very twisty turny book, and I particularly liked the fact that, whilst it had parallels with the Yorkshire Ripper, the author had made the police a lot more sensible and didn’t blame the victims.

Would recommend adding this to your TBR!

From the very first chapter, The Tapes had me hooked. I love when a thriller kicks off with a strong opening — it sets the tone, builds instant curiosity, and this one absolutely delivered.

The story flies by with short, punchy chapters and a fast-paced plot — something I always value in a good thriller. No dragging, no filler — just straight into the tension.

As a mother, I felt a real connection to the main character. What stood out to me was how the book explored different parent-child relationships — some ordinary, some toxic, and some deeply unsettling. That emotional layer added depth and made the stakes feel personal.

Just when I thought I had the killer figured out, the next chapter would twist everything around. It kept me guessing in the best way.

Overall, I really enjoyed this thriller — bingeable, smartly written, and full of tension. A solid 4.25 from me!

The premise of the book is so intriguing ! I loved the idea of finding tapes from a mother who had been gone for years, never knowing if she was still alive and what happened to her. I loved the main character Eve, listening to the tapes and slowly revealing the mysteries and secrets her mother had discovered. I only wish we saw a little more character development from Eve to draw me in to the story even further. Overall this was a fun read.