Eve find some cassette tapes while clearing out her dad's place, one has her name on it. Her mom recorded them, she plays the one with Eve written on it, her mom says if she dissappears she's been murdered. This gripping novel is well written with well drawn chracters and the plot keeps you reading till the end. Thanks to Bookoutre and Netgalley for this review copy.

I was impressed with this book. While this is my first read from Kerry Wilkinson, it wont be my last. The book was very gripping, I couldnt put it down in the last third of the book! Although the beginning did not immediately hook me, that quickly changed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

This was a pretty interesting concept. It reminded me a little of Thirteen Reasons Why in a good way.

I liked that the main character had flaws and she embraced them. She didn't feel like a cookie cuter protagonist. I often felt sorry for her and hoped the killer wasn't someone she was ose with for her own sake.

Once the killer is revealed, the plot moves very fast, in true thriller form, and I couldn't put it down.

The writing style threw me a few times. Things would get exciting and the chapter would end, I'd flip the page and it wouldn't pick up where the last chapter left off. It was very jarring to me and it took me out of the story a few times when I would flip back to make sure I didn't miss something. This happened a lot throughout the story.

I wish we heard more from the tapes. It felt like we get snip-its from them that moved the plot along but it would have been interesting to read more of what the tapes said instead of how the killer was revealed.

Overall, I had a good time.

This was an enjoyable, quick read. I always enjoy stories where someone finds a hidden diary (or tapes in this case) and am amazed at the self-control to not binge it all immediately. I guess it wouldn't be much of a story if they lacked self-control 🙃

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for this eARC for review. All opinions are my own.

What to say on this one…
It had great potential. The pacing was off for me, it was a little repetitive, and the ending a bit rushed.. That being said, I did enjoy it. I think for someone who’s just entering the thriller genre, it’ll be great.

This one was interesting! Loved the plot and the characters. It was a little slow in places and I wanted a few more details! Good read!

The Tapes by Kerry Wilkinson is a heart thumping ride. This was such a propulsive thriller. When Eve returns to clean out her late father’s house, she finds a box of old cassette tapes. On them? The voice of her long-missing mother, claiming she knew someone was going to kill her… and that she knew the identity of the infamous serial killer who was never caught, nicknamed the Earring Killer.

What follows is a fast-paced, twisty search for the truth; Eve, not exactly a reliable narrator herself due to her alcoholic history and shaky recovery, dives headfirst into her mother’s past. As she starts unraveling secrets, she learns shocking things about her father, begins suspecting everyone around her… and people start dying.

I could not stop reading. I had to know what really happened to Eve's mother and who the killer really was. I guessed part of the twist, but another piece totally blindsided me. The ending felt a little clumsy, but honestly, it didn’t take away from how gripping the rest of the book was.

A fast, bingeable read that’s 100% worth your time. Can’t wait to read more from Kerry Wilkinson!

The Tapes by Kerry Wilkinson had a promising premise, but the execution didn’t work for me. The pacing felt slow and I had a hard time connecting with the characters and staying engaged in the story. While it wasn’t a fit for me, I’m sure others might find more enjoyment from it, depending on their tastes. Didn’t finish at 18%. Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley & the author for this advanced copy (which I’ve managed to finish just before release). I really loved that this book got right into the story and that we didn’t have to wait for the reveal about the tapes, it got me really intrigued by why they had been left and finding out the mystery. The writing was easy to follow and for a good 75% of the book I just couldn’t put it down! Overall I think I would’ve just liked more twists/suspense throughout the book as the end felt quite rushed and confusing at times. Overall would still recommend as it’s an enjoyable read!

Im glad got a chance to read this but i pushed my self to read it . It was so and didnt catch my attention i like some parts but some parts seemed to jump ahead than go back. It just wasnt for me it might be for someone else. I just feel like it coulda been a little better. I would still gjve it a chance if u want something new to read. What not my cup of tea might be someone elses.

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!