This is the first book I’ve read by Kerry Wilkinson and I thoroughly enjoyed it! This psychological thriller kept me invested from the very beginning.

Eve was cleaning out her dad’s house after his passing when she stumbles upon cassette tapes left by her mother. This leaves her questioning whether her mom is alive or not and who the Earring Killer is.

I feel like Eve was a very well developed character and I really liked and understood her. I did feel like the ending was maybe a little rushed, but I enjoyed the story and didn’t expect the twist at the ending.

Thanks to bookouture & NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

“If your listening to this, I’ve been murdered”

Eve’s dad passes away and she is clearing his house out when she finds a box of tapes and one labeled Eve. Listening to the tapes though grieving for her dad, she finds comfort in hearing her mums voice. Her mum disappeared more than 10 years ago.

I don’t want to give any spoilers away, however I liked the concept of this book and the style in which it was told. However I did find it was quite slow in the middle, although it did pick up at the end. This had a mixture of struggling with emotions, trying to grieve and realising did you really know the people closest to you all that well?

Thank you @bookouture and @netgalley for my copy.

I dont recall ever reading anything by this author before but I think I will in the future. I really the mystery at the centre of the story, it kept be gripped from the first chapter. So much so I have actually read it in the same day as being sent it 🤭 You will not see the twists coming, they are totally surprising and will catch you off guard.
I thoroughly enjoyed the use of the tapes in this book, it gave it a nostalgic edge. I thought that the main character, Eve was very well written and had great depth. Unfortunately I didn't feel the same about the other characters and found them a bit lacking, they felt more like they were just there as filler. The emotions of the characters, especially Eve with her grief for example, could have been explored a little more.
I did think that the last couple of chapters felt a little rushed, like the author wanted to get the book finished quick.
The format of having flashbacks as part of the story really appealed to me. I found this to be a great way of keeping the reader interested and throwing curveballs in there when you thought you knew what was going to happen next.

Overall a well written thriller that leans more towards crime thriller than psychological thriller. I would recommend this to any thriller reader I dont think you'd be disappointed.

📚I was able to read an advanced copy of title thanks to NetGalley,Kerry Wilkinson and Bookouture📚
📚All reviews and opinions are entirely my own📚

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for an honest reviews.

The premise for this book had far more potential than was actually delivered. Something about this book just fell short, it just felt like there were a lot of missed opportunities to deepen the mystery to, add some more elements that would make it more interesting.

We had too many side-characters and random side-threads that took away from the overall premise, rather than adding to it- they felt like asides, rather than part of the action. The pacing just felt very stagnant throughout the book, and I never really felt any thrilling or tense moments.

Overall, not great, but not terrible. For a quick and easy read this one will hit the spot.

The book was an interesting psychological thriller. It was regarding the disappearance of a woman a decade back and the cassettes she left behind for her daughter.

It details the journey of Eve who discovered these cassettes and questions whether her mother is alive or not. Her life becomes much more complicated when she realizes that her mother knew the identity of a serial killer known infamously as the Earring Killer. When a murder occurs she is sure that the killer is alive and her life is in danger.

The book was engaging from the beginning. The characters were also well created and I often felt connected towards Eve's character. Since it was a psychological thriller, more focus was given on Eve and her mother, than on the part of the Earring Killer. The book did have an interesting plot but the ending was a big predictable.

Overall, this was a good book perfect for fans of psychological thriller.

I’ve never read a book by this author before and I will definitely be checking out more! I really enjoyed the clips from the “book” about the victims. I did not see the twist coming which I enjoyed, but I think the ending was a little fast. I never had any issues with the pacing until the very end. Thank you for giving me access to this book early!

Kerry Wilkerson’s *The Tapes* is a gripping psychological thriller. This is the first book I have read by this author, and it won’t be the last. Wilkerson pulls the reader into a story full of tension and emotional depth.

The main character, Eve, is an unreliable narrator. Her troubled past affects how she views everything, making readers question what is real. When Eve finds mysterious tapes left by her mother, who has been missing for 23 years, the story turns into a suspenseful search for truth.

Wilkerson includes suspicious characters and mysterious events that lead Eve (and the reader) through many twists and turns. The pacing is fast, and just when you think you know the truth, the story surprises you again. It’s a novel that keeps you guessing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC for my honest review.

Shortly after her father's death, Eve finds herself sorting through his belongings while deciding what to keep and what to dispose of. While doing so, she stumbles upon some old tapes. Thinking they simply hold pleasant and sentimental family memories, she finds one from her mother telling Eve that she loves her...and that she knows the identity of the serial killer who wrecked havoc on their hometown and was never found. The other catch? Her mother went missing roughly a decade ago...but maybe she was actually killed.

This one was a slow burn but filled with plenty of twists and turns along the way. Feeling alone and unhelped in a small town, Eve takes a lot of the investigation into her own hands, allowing us to follow along every step of the way. Wilkinson does an excellent job creating an ominous atmosphere and developing each character JUST enough to create suspicion without giving everything away. The ending, without a doubt, took me by surprise which isn't an easy thing to do! Thanks so much for the ARC!

This was a nice little mystery and suspense novel. It was surprising and the twist at the end was completely unexpected. The author did a great job building the characters. This was a quick read and one I did not want to put down.

WOW! I could not put this book down, hooked me from the start.
Eve is clearing out her parent's home after the death of her father. Her mother had disappeared over 13 years ago, without a trace. While clearing things out, Eve finds a box of old tapes her mother had made, almost like a diary. Except taped over some entries was the fact that her mother had been murdered.
There were a lot of twists and turns in this book, especially the big one at the end which I never saw coming. I thought I had it all figured out, but wow didn't see the ending coming!!
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was offered an ARC of The Tapes by Kerry Wilkinson in exchange for an honest review with Net Galley. The Tapes is about Eve, who is a recovering alcoholic. Her father has just passed away based on poor health and a heart condition. As she is cleaning out her dad’s home she finds tapes her mom made and one specifically addressed to her. In the tape, she explains that if she winds up dead, it’s because she found out who the Earring Killer was and stole the jewelry box with them inside. Eve begins investigating even knowing her mother embellished, lied and stole during her life. It’s super hard for Eve to trust anyone because the people around her can’t trust that her erratic behavior is not her falling of the wagon and drinking again. All of this digging and listening to the tapes is unearthing so much that Eve never really knew. Reconnecting with people from her past as well as Angela’s creates more questions but also connects the dots in a lot of ways. Will Eve find out what happened to Angela and is she in-fact still alive? Was her dad the earring Killer?
I really enjoyed this book because I felt like I was apart of the investigation which creates a good mystery. I liked Eve a lot because she was smart and investigated based on her intuition. She was honest for the most part and seemed hard working and diligent. It also brought up the love of someone you lost so long ago and how the memories or their voice can be so soothing and comforting. I liked the pace of this book as well and I will be checking out more from this author.

🌟🌟🌟💫
Eve’s father has passed. Now she has the mournful task of clearing out the house and get it staged for sale. While rummaging through years of memories she comes across an old cassette tape in the garage. It stops her in her tracks

On the cassette is her mother's voice with a very disturbing message.
For the record, Eve’s mother has been missing for over 10 years!

Of course, Eve can’t let it go. It’s as though her mother is begging her to solve her disappearance. Can Eve get to the bottom of the mystery or will she end up with the same fate as her mother.

Though I can’t say I was swept away in the mystery, short chapters kept the book moving along at a steady pace.

While I guessed part of the ending I was still shocked by the final reveal. Yup, didn’t see that coming!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture

Addictive is the best word for it, no matter how cliche that sounds! I finished within 24 hours, and that’s only because the book was removed from my hands in order to get some sleep.

I loved the cassettes. It was a great way to link to the past, but the constant doubt due to Angela being an unreliable narrator made it fascinating.

There were many suspects in my head throughout the story, and that’s when I know I’ve found a great thriller!

A missing mother with chilling tales found saying she was murdered takes Evie on a psychological thriller of a rollercoaster read. Hooked from start to finish this is a must read for all readers of this genre as it will keep you on your toes and wanting to reach the end.

Wow, The Tapes by Kerry Wilkinson is an absolute rollercoaster! This psychological thriller hooked me from the opening line and didn’t let go until the jaw-dropping end. Eve’s discovery of those eerie cassette tapes, with her missing mother’s voice claiming she was murdered, sets off a chilling mystery that kept me guessing at every turn. The pacing is spot-on, building tension with each revelation, and the twists are so cleverly woven that I was constantly second-guessing who to trust. Eve’s journey as a single mom navigating this dark puzzle felt raw and relatable, making her a protagonist you can’t help but root for. The atmospheric setting and the haunting premise of the tapes made this a gripping, unputdownable read. Fans of Shari Lapena or Lisa Jewell will devour this one! Huge thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC—highly recommend this 5-star thriller

If you’re looking for an amazing thriller here it is! From start to finish this book kept me wanting more!

Your mother disappeared ages ago, but you suddenly find tapes she made that could provide the explanation you so deeply desire. Just hearing her voice again is so intriguing. Will the truth of her disappearance come to light through these tapes? This was a fairly average thriller, quick read, decent twist. I wouldn’t say it was my favorite ever, but definitely and easy and fun read.

Thank you to Kerry Wilkinson, NetGalley, and Bookouture for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

‘If they say I’m missing, I’m not. If you’re listening to this, I’ve been murdered.’ - As soon as I read this sentence in the synopsis and saw the cover of this book, it drew me in instantly.

This book had me hooked from the first page, I did not want to put it down. It was gripping from start to finish.

The book was a fast and tense read. It had my jaw dropping at the twists and turns and I DID NOT expect the ending… WOW.

This was my fist book I read by Kerry Wilkinson and I was really impressed. I will definitely be reading others

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release date for ‘The Tapes’ is August 11th 2025.

I haven’t read through a book this fast in a long time. Eve is going through her dad’s things after his death. She stumbles upon some cassette tapes that her mother recorded years ago. While listening to those she discovers that her mom’s disappearance may have not been what it looked like. Eve is determined to find out the truth and this book gives you some twists that you weren’t expecting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC. All opinions are my own. Publication date August 11, 2025

This book was interesting and I loved the cassette tape mystery vibes. It was the first book I’ve read from this author and I enjoyed it. The story was interesting from the beginning and I never felt bored due to the fast pacing. I did find some decisions the main character made questionable.

I liked the way the story of her mom was told through the tapes, while we also learned about the killer from a book that was written about them. I did feel the ending was slightly rushed and could take up a larger part of the book.

Overall I enjoyed the book and would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys thrillers and especially true crime.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.