Thank you for the ARC. Eves father passes and she finds cassette tapes her mother, who disappeared 13 years ago, made stating she knows who the Earring Killer is. Eve is on a mission to find out what happened to her mother. Overall, it was an intriguing read but I was left wondering why the Earring killer killed.

When Eve's dad dies, she sets to clearing his house. She soon discovers a set of tapes that had been made by her mother. The same mother who had disappeared 13 years ago leaving no trace. However, one of the tapes has Eve's name on it, so she choses to listen to that one first. She is shocked to hear that he mother thought that she was in danger from someone, and that if she disappears then she has been murdered. She goes on to reveal that she knows who the infamous murderer dubbed The Earring Killer due to the fact that he alway took one earring as a souvenir. This serail killer was never caught.
Eve is obsessed with the idea that her mother had been killed and finds herself investigating.
This is another triumph by Kerry Wilkinson, I have enjoyed every single book that I have read, and he has become one of my favourite authors.
You can't go wrong with any of his books.
Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to review this ARC.

The Tapes ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“If you’re listening to this, I’ve been murdered.”

When Eve’s dad passes away, she’s left to clear out the house. While doing so, she finds an old cassette player and a box of tapes. Her mom would always record herself for a journal. Longing to hear her voice, it’s been 10 plus years since she’s been missing, Eve decides to listen. However, what she hears changes everything she thought she knew.


This psychological thriller had me hooked from the beginning. I loved the idea of tapes and “hearing” those added to the suspense factor. I also liked the excerpts of Viv’s book and how they tied into the story. I wasn’t expecting that ending. If you like twisty, whodunnit thrillers with a true crime feel then this is for you!

This book will publish on August 11, 2025. Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for my advanced readers copy. This is my honest and voluntary opinion.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

I loved this book. The narrative is very engaging despite it being a slow burn thriller. Each chapter fed my excited just enough to keep me excited without going over the top and giving anything away too soon. This only enhanced the twisty pay off and left me speechless. I did not predict the end at all and felt very satisfied with the closure given! Rounding this up to a 4/5 and would love to read more from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Wilkinson for the e-ARC of The Tapes.

I'm a sucker for any thriller that has to do with a missing relative and cryptic notes left behind, and Wilkinson's novel scratched that itch. I haven't read anything previously by Wilkinson, but will have to check out some of his other books!

Wilkinson throws the reader into the story and breaks down character relationships explicitly as the story unravels. Typically, this style of writing feels classic for modern thriller novels, but I thought the balance of pacing was not equal to the level of explicit character development for Eve. I would have loved to see some scenes move faster and others drawn out. I did love how the novel was broken out into days and was chunked with past true crime articles/excerpts.

Overall, I was able to fly through this novel, but I felt like the characters could have been developed a touch more to give the novel more of an edge. That being said, the twist at the end was unexpected!

This is a good book. This is like 13 Reasons Why but with different reasons as to how the person died and who died. But had the same thought of having casette tapes being heard by someone and knowing that they are dead.

It was promising but there were moments where the story gets a bit flat.

This is a good book. This is like 13 Reasons Why but with different reasons as to how the person died and who died. But had the same thought of having casette tapes being heard by someone and knowing that they are dead.

It was promising but there were moments where the story gets a bit flat.

A page turner from beginning to end.

The story was intriguing from the get go and opened up into more. I guessed one aspect of it, but there was so much more that was a total surprise.

The ending was satisfying even with the last minute twist I didn’t see coming.

I’ve already looked up other books by this author with two already ordered and I’ll probably work my way through the entire backlist!

Thoroughly recommended and can’t wait to read more.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the free digital e-copy for my honest opinion.

I loved the unique angle of reading what the characters were “hearing”—it added a whole new layer of suspense. The story kept me guessing, and I was hooked from the start. A quick, intriguing read!

I thought The Tapes was a twisty, medium paced thriller that held my attention. I thought it was written well and I was able to finish reading it within a day. The ending surprised me and tied everything together really well.

I was given an advanced copy of this book. All opinions expressed above are my own.

O. M. G. I was up all night reading this, I finished it in one sitting. 6 star read! I will definitely be looking out for this author in the future!

Another gripping psychological thriller from Kerry Wilkinson. This stand alone book is fast paced and full of twists that have the reader thinking every character is a killer. When Eve’s father dies of ill health, she needs to clear his house. Amidst the decades of accumulated belongings Eve discovers some old cassette tapes. One has her name on and upon listening hears her mother’s voice. Her mother disappeared some thirteen years previously and now she is telling Eve that she didn’t disappear, she believes someone would kill her, the person who is also responsible for being a serial killer. Unfortunately, the tape doesn’t mention a name and so begins a dangerous search to try and find out not only what happened to her mother but to several other young women. This excellent book is a gripping page turner that fully delivers with its well woven story.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the free digital e-copy for my honest opinion.

How the book made me feel: I have to say when I first picked up the story I really didn’t expect for the story to really hold my attention. It felt like any other mystery thriller that I could come upon but I found that opinion wrong. I found myself getting invested in the tapes Eve discovered of her mother and the questions that came with it. Going through Eve’s life and the struggles she faced as both a young teen and adult made me pretty angry for her. I couldn’t fathom not being there for your child when they needed you the most. I really didn’t know who to trust or really who Eve should trust in this book. Like her I was questioning everybody’s true self.

Which characters I liked: I was really a fond of Eve with being our main character. She was strong in more ways than one with the struggles she faced. I kept rooting for her with uncovering the secrets in the book about her mother and so on. She was a character I was very much invested towards the end..

What I thought of the plot: I enjoyed the plot very much. To Eve finding the tapes of her mother and discovering how she really was to trying to find out what happened to her. I couldn’t decide who to trust In the story very much like Eve and was questioning everybody’s intentions. I will say I think figuring out who the killer wasn’t difficult but that plot twist really got me. By the end of the story I was dreading what was going to happen that I really was nervous about reading on! But overall I think this was a great story to open up and dive head first into. It did not disappoint me one bit.

The Tapes starts with a compelling hook: Eve finds old cassette tapes from her missing mother, one of which includes a chilling message saying she’s been murdered.

The taped confession and the parallel true-crime excerpts give the book a unique structure, and I appreciated the slow-burning mystery. Eve’s grief and determination come through well, and I liked how the story gradually peeled back the layers of her past.

That said, the transcript-style format wore thin for me after a while, and some of the side characters felt more like plot devices than real people. There were also moments where the twists felt a bit far-fetched or too convenient.

Still, it’s an original premise with solid pacing and enough suspense to keep me turning the pages. Not a favourite, but worth a read if you’re into psychological thrillers with an unusual format.

I love how this book was written! I loved the aspect of reading what they are "hearing". Great read and I really enjoyed it! So much so I read it in about a day! Thank you for the ARC opportunity!

This was a slow-burn psychological thriller with a really intriguing premise. When Eve finds old cassette tapes recorded by her long-missing mother, including one that chillingly says, “If you’re listening to this, I’ve been murdered,” she’s pulled into a dark investigation that uncovers long-buried secrets.

The pacing builds gradually, but I was hooked by the dual timelines and the emotional weight of Eve’s search for the truth. Some twists I saw coming, but others genuinely surprised me. A solid, suspenseful read with just the right mix of mystery and emotion.

Bottom Line:
If you’re after a psychological thriller with vintage underground vibes, layered structure, and emotional resonance, The Tapes delivers. It’s slow-burning and unsettling, with a twisty finish that stays with you.

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

Unfortunately, this one just didn’t work for me. The premise is intriguing, and I really liked the idea behind the story, but the execution fell flat. I struggled to stay engaged and found myself not really caring about any of the characters. The pacing felt slow, and the way the narrative unfolded made it hard to connect or stay interested. I ended up not finishing the book, which is rare for me.

That said, I can see how others might enjoy it more, especially those who connect with the writing style or like a more subdued, quiet mystery.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

🔪⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 – The Tapes by Kerry Wilkinson 🔪

This was such a fast-paced, gripping read—I raced through it in just a couple of sittings! From the first few pages, The Tapes pulled me in with a clever mystery and twists that kept me second-guessing right to the end.

I really enjoyed Eve as a main character—she’s sharp, determined, and just the right amount of flawed to feel real. Watching the story unfold through her eyes added to the suspense and made it hard to put down.

And the ending? I did not see that coming. The final twist completely caught me off guard in the best way.

If you’re into twisty thrillers with great pacing and a satisfying surprise, definitely give this one a go!

An unputdownable page turner that kept me second guessing myself until the end. This book is filled with mind numbing twists and suspense and I could not put it down

This psychological thriller is full of secrets, suspense, and impossible to put down. I did not have the ending figured out, which I loved! I like to be kept guessing until the end. Fast-paced, bingeable read!
If you are a fan of Lisa Jewell, this one’s for you! Thank you for the opportunity to read and review Netgalley!