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

One word - WOW! I'll be honest, I had about written off Kerry's books of late as I hadn't enjoyed them for a while but this one - THIS is the Kerry I know and love that has kept me coming back again and again. I absolutely LOVED this book! It had everything Kerry in it, including his trademark dry wit and humour and his hilarious similies which always have me chuckling.

Of course, it also had a nod to my own childhood. I'm of the generation (from the 70s and 80s) that used to put sticky tape over the holes on top of the cassette tapes so I could record the latest top 40 hit off the radio whilst simultaneously trying to cut out the annoying DJ's voice before the intro lead into the song itself. Of course, I no longer have any cassette tapes. I no longer have a cassette player or walkman. When those tapes unwound randomly getting caught in the player and we'd have to use a pencil in the centre holes to wind them back in again - the struggle was real, believe me!

The Tapes. Where do I start? This book was so hard to put down that I literally flew threw it. From those first few pages right through to the last, I was completely hooked and I didn't stop until I turned that last page. It's fast paced and thrilling and completely entertaining. And it wasn't completely predictable like some are, though that never ruins my enjoyment of a good book. I did figure out who the Earring Killer was fairly early on through a clue I picked up on that was otherwise overlooked. My only complaint was, well, I can't really say as it would be a spoiler. But suffice to say, it was the second reveal that I felt was a tad too random and spoilt the total perfection of this fun and fast paced thriller. But not too much.

So what was it about? Well...Eve is clearing out her father's garage when she comes across a box marked "Ange" (her mother's name) filled with dozens of seemingly random cassette tapes, a microphone and cassette player. She smiles at the touch of nostalgia. Her mother disappeared without a trace thirteen years ago and sifting through the box of tapes stirs a memory she can't quite grasp. She slots one of the tapes into the player and there's a rustle before she hears her mother's voice clear as day as if she were sitting next to her. The memory proves too much for her and she replaces it in the box before sifting through what else may be there. At the very bottom is one tape marked different to the others. It's simply labelled "Eve" in her mother's scrawled handwriting. At first, all she hears is her mother and a toddler version of herself learning to count and her alphabet but then it stops and there's a crackle before an older version of her mother's voice speaks.

"My name is Angela...if they say I'm missing, I'm not. If you're listening to this, I've been murdered."

Eve doesn't know what to think. Why did her mother think she would be murdered? What secrets had she uncovered? Desperate for answers, Eve searches for the truth herself. Though she has no one to ask. Anyone she could have asked was no longer here. Her mother gone thirteen years, possibly murdered; her dad recently passed, hence the clearing out of his house - who else was there she could ask who would know anything?

What thus ensues is a week of surprises for Eve in her quest for answers and search for the truth. What was Angela alluding to? Who was she referring to when she said she knew who the Earring Killer was? How did she know who they were? And what really happened to her thirteen years ago?

As Eve listens to the tape, her mother confesses to stealing the box in which she discovered the missing earrings of the Earring Killer's victims, a serial killer who has plagued the town for two decades and remains elusive. Thus leading with the knowledge that her mother knew the identity of the Earring Killer, though she doesn't disclose the name. Of course, Eve's mother had her own emotional issues. A self-confessed kleptomaniac with a lack of impulse control as well as a habitual liar. But something in her mother's voice on these tapes rings true. Eve believes her - though no one else would, based on these tapes. What she needs is that box. The one her mum found. Where is it? She hasn't found it amongst her father's things or in the box marked "Ange" where he would have likely have stored her mother's things. So where is it? Does its absence mean this is just another of Angela's fanciful fabrications? Eve doesn't think so. Not this time. But with her mother's history, how can she be sure?

But as Eve digs deeper into the mystery, she doesn't realise that she has unwittingly awakened a serial killer that has been dormant for thirteen years. In doing so, has she inadvertently marked herself out as the next victim?

I loved the format of this book, the way the story unfolded with excerpts from a book about the Earring Killer published a decade before peppered throughout with each detailing the victims one at a time. It added a unique twist to the tale along with the tapes and her missing mother's voice from the past.

I cannot say enough about this book but it was Kerry at his best! And I haven't read something so awesomely brilliant by him in a while so I was glad to find myself lost in time to THE TAPES!!

An unputdownable fast paced thrill ride with that hint of nostalgia for us Gen X's who grew up with cassette tapes as the norm. The tension was palpable throughout and was a rollercoaster ride from which I didn't want to leave. It's gripping, it's heart pounding and a thoroughly addictive read. An easy five stars!

I would like to thank #KerryWilkinson, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheTapes in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

If you’re a lover of crime, thrillers and mystery this is a very safe read!

You’ll enjoy it. The book is twisty and keeps you guessing. There are multiple mysteries unfolding so the story never feels dull and you never have an issue with wanting to keep turning the page.

Though, like I said, it is a very safe read. It doesn’t reinvent the crime/thriller wheel, but if you’re after an enjoyable read that you can trust to deliver an intriguing mystery - then this book is definitely worth a read!

I could not put this book down. It was fast-paced and full of twists and turns and an ending I did not see coming. A perfect thriller.
thank you for the opportunity to read this arc.

4.5 stars

Wow, just wow. This is the perfect thriller/mystery. I love the concept of found footage/tapes. This was an absolute unputdownable book. Kept me guessing the whole time. I loved it!

I was sucked into this book from the beginning and could not stop reading. The pace and tension were perfect, and the story had me guessing (wrongly) about the killer throughout. Eve is a great lead character - flawed but brave and unrelenting. Her mother has left her a message on a cassette tape telling her that if she is listening to the tape then her mother is dead. Eve sets about trying to find who might have killed her mother.

I was on the edge of my seat until the very end of this book, gasping at the outcome. “Things are not as they seem” was never more true.
I will be thinking about Eve and the other characters for some time to come.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC.

After the passing of her father, Eve discovers a box of tapes and a cassette player while cleaning out his house. In her mom's handwriting, Eve finds a tape labeled with her name "Eve." Eve's mom had disappeared without a trace years ago. Not sure what to expect, Eve plays the tape, In a shaky voice, her mom's voice comes out clear - "If they say I'm missing, I'm not. If you're listening to this, I've been murdered."

Angela. Eve's mom, is an unreliable narrator. In her journals and the tapes, she admits to things she couldn't possibly have done, like rob a bank. I couldn't trust what she was saying, even if she seemed genuine. I do wish she had said more on the tapes, or adding another twist about what Eve finds on the tapes. By knowing that Angela was unreliable, it made me question everything because it was hard to determine the truth.

The ending was so shocking! Beyond finding out who the killer is, there is an additional plot twist that I did not expect in a million years. I thought this book was a popcorn thriller to me because I finished it in one night and didn't even realize the time had gone by!

I will share this review on my Instagram @carriedawaybooks on the publication date.

Wow - fantastic read that I couldn’t put down. Premise that captures you from page 1. While I can’t imagine I would have made many or any of the same choices as the main characters, you couldn’t help but place yourself in the situation. Can’t wait to read more books by this author!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I'm so thankful that I got to read an early copy of this book !

I was immediately hooked with this one, I really liked the concept of the tapes and this book has one of my favourite Tropes. A book within a book.

The book follows Eve who's father has passed away and her mum is missing, whilst sorting out her dad's things she comes across a cassette with her name on it. On the cassette is a recording from her mum, we then follow Eve as she trys to uncover what happened to her mum. I really liked Eve as a character and I felt there was a lot to her.

The book was super fast paced and really easy to follow, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone, whether you need a read to get you out of a slump or a new thriller recommendation this is it !

Ah geez what a ride for sure this one had me blown away and I cannot wait for more, seriously such a good book and what that had me guessing all the way, brilliant novel thank you ❤️

3.5 rounded up to 4.

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


I loved the concept but didn't love the execution. If I am being completely transparent the main character aggravates me. If I found tapes that hinted at my mother being murdered I would have blown through every last tape as fast as I could manage. But that wasn't the case here, our FMC took her sweet time.

For a book titled "The Tapes", I wish there was more about the actual tapes...or that the messages on them were a little more in depth. I suppose it could have been written this way to draw the story out and create more uncertainty. If it was then it worked because it kept me reading. I couldn't read it fast enough....I had to find out!


I loved the underlying murder mystery involving the earring killer. The excerpts from the book about the case was probably my favorite part of the book. I am not too proud to admit there were multiple characters I thought MIGHT be the killer and I was ultimately stumped!

I would definitely read more from Wilkinson in the future.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

First, I want to thank Kerry Wilkinson, Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I can bring you this review.

Once again Kerry Wilkinson brings his readers another thrilling and addictive psychological thriller. The first thing that hooked me to the book was the title and the cover of the book. As a child growing up in the 80’s and 90’s I listened to cassette tapes religiously as I loved music. So, I was quite intrigued to see how Kerry was going to take me back to that time and use the tapes. Needless to say he did not disappoint.

I may be wrong but I think this is the first book of Kerry’s that actually pulled on my heart strings and could relate to. Where I actually shed a tear or two. I don’t think this was meant to happen in a psychological thriller when he was writing it but he struck a nerve with me. I could totally relate to cleaning out the character’s fathers house where he was a borderline hoarder who kept everything that ever meant anything to him. Reading this section of the book where this character heard his loved ones voice for the first time in 13 years come through. Oh the emotions I felt for this character as tears came to my eyes as I wish I could have had the same experience myself.

What was said on the tapes were shocking. There was one line that was said over and over that pulled hard on my heart strings- and I need you to know that I love you.

Kerry’s book is fast paced, twisted, suspenseful, addicting, and if you are like me it will pull on your heart strings.

I'll be honest, this wasn't my favorite book by this author but still good! It drug a little more than her other books but I am so glad I stuck with it!

Loved this - great read, utterly addictive.
Brilliant plot, fantastic twists. Utterly gripping!
Will definitely be looking out for more from this author

This book was absolutely unputdownable. I started it, thinking I would read a couple chapters here and there, but nope, I read it all in one sitting! Everytime I thought I knew what was going to happen, I was wrong lol. I LOVE THAT! The writing was well done but there were a few times where I found it a little repetitive. I really enjoyed this and cannot wait to check out other books by this author!

This was a fun book! I enjoyed the red herrings and I didnt see the ending coming at all! I liked that Eve struggled with her own demons and was in imperfect character just trying to do her best. I'll definitely be checking out other books by this author!

Eve is clearing her father’s house when she finds an old cassette player and set of tapes. As she starts to listen to the tapes, one catches her eye with her name on. Her mother’s voice comes on the tape saying that if she’s missing then she has been murdered. Eve is desperate for answers, but the more she listens the more secrets she discovers. What if the killer is still out there?

This is my first book by this author, however the premise of this one really piqued my interest and I know I had to read it. The idea of solving a mystery through old tapes seemed original and wistful in way. Even though the story starts in an interesting way, I found my engagement then starting to drop as the story becomes repetitive with a sense of it being overly long. I found the main character didn’t really do a lot for me either and felt a bit flat. Overall this wasn’t a bad thriller, just one that I won’t remember easily. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

This is a good mystery thriller.
Eve has the awful job of clearing her Dad’s house after he has died. She comes across some old cassettes that her Mum had recorded on when Eve was younger.
Eve’s Mum has been missing for sometime and she becomes enveloped in listening to her voice.
She then comes across a tape where her Mum says, “If they say I’m missing, I’m not. If you’re listening to this, I’ve been murdered.”
Eve is left shaken and struggles to think what to do at first, but she soon realises that she needs to listen to more tapes to get more information.
The book starts off strong but wasn’t quite as gripping as I thought it would be.
It’s a good mystery but not one of my favourites from this author.
Thanks to Bookouture for the opportunity to read this book.

Fab book, very gripping story and I loved the characters, this book had me gripped and guessing till the end fantastic read would recommend

I found it pretty hard to get through the book. The narration is disjointed and the book excerpts featured chapters disturbed the flow of the book further.

The story and the plot itself were pretty solid. However there was a lot of monotonous narration which lost me quite a few times in the book.

Easy read thriller, ideal as a beach book for summer holidays, or to while away the hours on a rainy Saturday afternoon. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.