This published on 8/11, but I was lucky enough to get an ARC on NetGalley, so I can officially tell you it is worth a read!

Eve is clearing out her father’s garage after his passing when she discovers cassette tapes her mom recorded before she disappeared more than a decade ago. On one of the tapes, her mom says if she disappears, it’s because she was murdered. (Cue the Law and Order dun-dun.) The story then goes into Eve trying to investigate what happened to her mother with the limited clues left behind on her mother’s tape. This alternates with chapters from a (fictional) non-fiction book about a serial killer dubbed “The Earring Killer”.

What I loved about it:
It’s fast-paced, with short chapters—I could not put it down! There are a lot of suspects, and the final reveal(s) really shocked me. There is a lot of nostalgia for us 80s/90s kids. Eve is a complicated character who has been through a lot, but is incredibly resilient. I thought the way the dual timelines were done worked really well. And I always love a good serial killer read!

If any of that sounds good to you, I recommend grabbing this one next time you’re out and about! And a huge thank you to the publishers for gifting me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Tapes by Kerry Wilkinson starts off strong with an intriguing premise that pulled me in. The setup is engaging and promises a gripping mystery.
But the pacing slowed considerably as the story progressed. The chapters are quite long, and the plot unfolds gradually. This book is definitely more of a slow-burn than a fast-paced thriller. That said, the writing is solid, the editing is clean, and the characters feel believable.

There are a few loose ends I wish had been tied up more clearly, but the ending delivers a fun, twisty payoff. I recommend if you enjoy thrillers that take their time and focus on atmosphere and character.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.5 Stars

Great book! The beginning was a little slow and almost made me put it down, but I’m so glad I stuck with it—what a story! The way the author slowly fits all the characters and plot points together is so satisfying. Just when you think you’ve got a piece in the right place, they switch it up on you. I was kept guessing “whodunit” right until the very end.

That said, there were a few loose threads that left me scratching my head. It felt like certain details were included with the intention of going somewhere… but never quite did. (Seriously—what did the brother take?!)

Overall, suspenseful, clever, and worth the read.

[Thanks to NetGalley for the copy!]

This book caught my interest immediately. The premise is fascinating and I’m happy to say that after finishing the book, the writing definitely followed through! I enjoyed reading from Eve’s perspective, and the inter-spliced sections of Vivian’s book was an interesting way to add all that information on the past victims without cramming it all into one conversation/page. I enjoyed the writing style and how it all came together at the end.

I love how real all the characters felt with their little quirks. All the descriptions were great and I enjoyed finding out about everyone involved in the cases - it felt real. Unfortunately I’d figured out the killer very early on but it was still an interesting read! There was a plot twist at the end however that did surprise me. All in all, great book!

‘If they say I’m missing, I’m not. If you’re listening to this, I’ve been murdered.’

This small town has a serial killer that has overlorded with terror for 18 years. Girls are told to travel in pairs, always let someone know where you are, don't wear earrings....and people are pissed. When Eve finds out her mother may have known the identity of the Earring Killer, she needs answers. Answers about her mother's disappearance. Her father's breif absense from her life. Her brother's standoffishness. There are too many connections and not enough at the same time. As she begins to untangle the web, she realizes she may be putting herself, and anyone who knows what she's up to, in danger.

As an avid thriller reader, I will admit that my gut was half right about the killers identity, but that didn't stop this book from being a wild ride!

Thank you Kerry Wilkinson, Bookouture, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

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This is my honest review for NetGalley.

I was immediately pulled in by the opening chapters of The Tapes—seriously, such a strong and intriguing start! The suspense had me flipping pages, eager to piece things together and find out what was really going on.

That said, the middle did slow down a bit. A few chapters dragged and lost some of the initial momentum. And while the ending delivered answers, it felt a bit rushed—like everything wrapped up too quickly without fully soaking in the impact.

But overall? It was a great read! The concept was fresh, the writing kept me engaged, and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a twisty thriller with a solid hook from the start.

This was a wild book! The plot got me hook in cause afther her father dead, everything she thought she knew started to crumble thanks to the tapes. Definitely the story following the tapes and how was unfolding was good!

The Tapes (2025) was exactly what I want in a quick vacation pick — no filler, just straight into the good stuff. It’s a tight, fast-moving cat-and-mouse whodunit that kept me just on the edge of my seat without turning into a stress-fest. The pacing made it perfect for a beach read: short chapters, snappy reveals, and enough intrigue to keep me flipping pages instead of checking the time. Not the kind of book that will haunt you for weeks, but absolutely the kind you finish with a satisfied “that was fun.”

Excellent fast paced thriller! Eve is clearing out her deceased father’s house and finds a box of cassette tapes her mother had recorded. Since her mother’s unexplained disappearance years ago, Eve has been desperate for answers. As she explores the tapes she soon realizes things are not as they seem and she has no idea who to trust, especially with her mom’s habit of lying and petty theft. Totally unique thriller, not to be missed.

Thank you @netgalley & @bookouture - The way I almost screamed outloud I KNEW IT!!! Just to get a shock of a lifetime 😂. This book was really interesting. I like how I kept going back and forth trying to figure out what the tapes were going to reveal. With many shady characters including mom & our main character at times.. it was hard to pin down who was the subject of the tapes. The inserts from the “book” was a cool way to give more information. I feel like this book would be very cool as a thriller movie 🎥 showcasing the main characters struggle with being labeled “addict” every time she wants to open up was really shown in the writing. I enjoyed this book. I’ll be checking out this authors other books for sure ! This book is OUT NOW #TheTapes #NetGalley read it lmk what you think any suggestions of other books from the author ?? Comment below!

Thank you to NetGalley, Kerry Wilkinson, and Bookouture for the eARC. This gripping psychological thriller delivered all the twists and turns I could hope for. I loved the “whodunit” element, and the ending completely caught me off guard!

I thought this concept was interesting. Recordings are so common now, podcasts, etc, but when Eve was a child, recording oneself on cassette was much more of a project. Eve’s mother Angela has dozens of tapes left for Eve. It’s like an audio journal. When Eve hears that Angela was convinced that she was murdered. Of course Eve wants to figure out if that’s true or not. While Eve was looking for the truth about her mother, She also find a serial killer who spent years killing women.

I didn’t expect the twists at the end of this one. I was definitely surprised.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this one, I’m definitely going to read the authors back catalogue.
I read a lot of thrillers and really thought I had this one figured out but the ending caught me completely by surprise!

How crazy to find a box of tapes in your dad's attic and hear from someone who says they have been murdered if you found the tapes. Then you start to question her family and the police and then wonder if are even safe. This is a fantastic and suspenseful read full of twists and surprises!

BLOG TOUR REVIEW


Review for 'The Tapes' by Kerry Wilkinson.

Well, well, well Wow!!! What another absolute cracker of a book by an extremely talented author!!! This book sucked me straight in from beginning to the explosive ending. It was very well written with excellent descriptions which put me straight into the storyline. The synopsis and the cover suited the book perfectly.

This is yet another absolutely fantastic page turner by the extremely talented Kerry! Kerry's evocative writing skills really brings the story to life ensuring you can see everything around you and feel everything that Eve is feeling, seeing and hearing. The storyline is addictive and filled with suspense, family, tension, secrets, mystery, drama and everything you could ask for in a fantastic page turner!! I loved all the twists and turns and throughout it kept me constantly on edge trying to guess what was going to happen next and although I hate to admit I was wrong, I was wrong each and every time, but keep that to yourselves please!! So, a MASSIVE CONGRATULATIONS Kerry for managing to prove me wrong time and time again!!! I would NEVER have seen that ending coming fair play! I have read many thrillers and it's getting harder and harder for me to be surprised so great job there. I absolutely LOVED the fact that Kerry has included another story in the book by using extracts from the 'Earring Killer' story which was also fascinating. I think its brilliant when authors include books or anything book related in their books and an extra story is definitely the best one!! As always with Kerry's fantastic books this book was gripping, easy to read and fast paced. If you have never read any of Kerry's books then grab your copy of this page turner today and I promise you will not regret it!! I loved the storyline and just loved everything about it. As always Kerry does a superb job of not only weaving together multiple protagonist perspectives together perfectly but also multiple timelines seamlessly ensuring the reader sees the bigger picture of what is going on without causing any confusion but also without Kerry giving anything away until he is absolutely ready to! It was all done perfectly!! An absolutely addictive page turner that kept my heart in my throat on the edge of the seat and absolutely absorbed me. The fact there were so many different red herrings and so many possibilities that all would have worked perfectly I could not put this book down!!! I was so invested in the storyline that I was up until 2am!! I would LOVE to see this turned into a movie!!!

WARNING ⚠ DO NOT START THIS UNTIL YOU HAVE CLEARED YOUR SCHEDULES AS THIS BOOK IS ADDICTIVE!!!!

THE characters were fantastic, solid and completely believable and I absolutely loved seeing them all come to life and hearing their stories. Kerry manages to completely bring Eve along with the rest of the characters to life so it feels like you are standing next to her going through everything that she is. Each of his characters have their own individual flaws, quirks, strengths and weaknesses and the majority of them seem to be hiding their secrets. You have no idea who is hiding what or who to believe at times so you are constantly trying to guess and work it out. I enjoyed getting to know all the characters although I must admit I wasn't a fan of them all!! As always with Kerry he has created realistic, strong and in depth characters that leap out of the pages at the reader ensuring they feel and see everything they are seeing and feeling. There was a great eclectic mix of characters which always helps to liven the storyline up. They all had such different and strong personalities and all suited the storyline perfectly.. There were such a mix of personalities and its hard really to say too much about any of them without giving too much away!!! Regardless of whether you liked, loved or disliked any of the characters they all work perfectly together to bring this story to life. I cannot wait to meet the next characters that this author creates for his next books. A great cast of characters that come to life thanks to Kerry's extremely evocative writing talent!!

CONGRATULATIONS KERRY ON YET ANOTHER ABSOLUTELY ADDICTIVE PAGE TURNER!!!! THIS IS EXACTLY WHY YOU ARE ONE OF MY TOP 5 MALE AUTHORS!!! HERE'S TO YOUR NEXT SUCCESS 🥂

Overall a compelling, addictive, action packed and fantastic page turner!!

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Rating; 4 stars
While cleaning her father’s house after he passed away, Eve finds an old cassette from her mother, who went missing years ago. The first words are chilling: “If they say I’m missing, I’m not. I’ve been killed.” This story caught my attention straight away. Eve is a single mom and recovering alcoholic, trying to find the truth about her mother while working a hard job, dealing with a rude boss, and arranging her father’s funeral. I liked the way her past was written and the bond with her daughter was my favourite part. The mystery had good twists and some surprises. The ending explained everything clearly, maybe a little too much like a movie villain telling the plan, but still very satisfying. I read it very fast and now I want to read more from Kerry Wilkinson.

The Tapes is a book for those who love a good story that starts off with: Wtf?

Our main character finds a tape that alludes to her mother admitting she's been murdered if that specific tape has been found. It opens up a whole can of worms with a million and one questions? Who did it? When was the tape recorded? What happened to her mother? Why was she killed? Who was the killer? Why did they kill her mother? You find yourself, much like our main character, full of questions you can't answer and a desire to flip to the next page as fast as possible.

Full of twists, turns, and a whole bunch of secrets, The Tapes is a book for any thriller lover and those who genuinely love a good whodunnit.

This is one of those books that I can see being turned into a fast paced thriller movie.
Eve lost her Father and while she was clearing his things out of his home, she finds a box of old school cassette tapes.
When she starts going through the tapes, she finds one with her name. Once she gets it cued up and playing she is shocked to hear her Mother's voice. The shock isn't just hearing her Mother's voice, but what is being said on the recording. Eve's Mother says something along the lines of, 'if you are listening to this recording, then I have been murdered.'
Of course Eve is shocked and taken aback by this statement. Not only does she have the emotions of hearing her Mother's voice, but also of hearing her Mother say that she was murdered.
As any good daughter would, Eve immediately wants to know more about her Mother's disappearance and the events surrounding that disappearance.
During the quest to discover more about her Mother's disappearance, the plot gives us twists, turns, disturbing family secrets, and so much more.
The plot is well-written and the pace was okay. I did feel like there were a few places in the story where things got a little slower than the general pace of the book, but it quickly recovered.
The characters were developed and engaging for the majority of the book.
If you want a creepy, fast-paced, and tension filled thriller, this is a good one for you!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!
Happy Reading!

When Eve clears out her dad’s home after his death, she comes across some old tapes. One has her name on it, and she decides to listen to it. On it, her mother is speaking… she says “if you’re listening to this, I have been murdered.” This sucked me in immediately, I had to know what happened . There are lots of twists, secrets, and tension. This was my first book my the author and won’t be my last! Thank you so much to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC!

The Tapes by Kerry Wilkinson was a suspenseful read that kept me on the edge of my seat.
It was full of twists and turns throughout that will have you gripped and hard to put down.
This is a fast-paced thrill ride from page one, and in true Wilkinson fashion, every page holds a new piece to the puzzle.

Thank You NetGalley and Bookouture for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!