This book was OK. I did not see the second plot twist coming. I liked that the author made you think that the bad guy could’ve been so many different people. Overall, it was an average book. I enjoyed it and it was a quick read.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read this book early. The opinion in this review is my own.

This was a fun time but it was a bit all over the place. The characters were a bit flat and the dialogue felt stilted but I wonder if that's because this is a UK author and they speak differently then I do. It was still a good time and the twists were decent but many were predictable but there were a few surprises. The pacing is slower and I expected more of a thriller but this was more suspenseful. I enjoyed this and I recommend this book.

I was hooked by the title, The Tapes. Then the blurb, a long lost voice on the cassette, saying “If they say I’m missing, I’m not. I was murdered”. Eve is dealing with the death of her father, planning his funeral, and clearing his house. Among all the nonsense her dad held onto she finds a shoebox full of cassettes, all recorded by her mom. But her mom disappeared 13 years ago. Coincidentally, the killings in town stopped about 13 years ago. Could her mom’s disappearance be tied to a serial killer? I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. So many twists and turns. And I didn’t see the end coming. 4 ⭐️

errrrrrm. errrrrrrm. jaw drop. mic drop. leave the room whilst im reading this and dont talk to me please. haha Kerry is back and like even before i read the blurb and just knowing the authors work i was excited. reading the blurb i was giddy. reading the book and i was jittery! what a read.
Eve is clearing out her dads things after he died. she doesn't have her mum to help, she left without warning or trace years ago. so many years ago now. then Eve comes across some tapes all labelled in the writing she knows to be her mothers. and then Eve see's her name written. Eve cant believe it thinking if this is her mother how lovely, right? except her mother is telling her something shocking, basically she tells her if she disappears it means shes been murdered and that she needs her to know she loves her... what the!!!!
this sends Eve into an investigation that she needs to know. there is more to her mother than she thought. there is more to find out. and more than that she needs to know what happened to her. Eve needs the answers. but as she peels back layers and things she didn't know will this end up putting her finally at peace or infact end up putting her at risk?
the unease and tension in this book was felt right into us as readers. its so brilliant how you are questioning everything but with that undercurrent of something bad might be coming.
another brilliant book by an author that must have thriller novel running through his veins.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for a copy of this book.

Based on the synopsis and the tagline I was expecting something really thrilling but this book fell a little flat for me. I appreciate that it starts off fast but by mid book it kind of felt like the story stalled. I was happy with the ending, there was a nice little twist that was unexpected, but if you’re looking for something fast paced this is not it.

I would say readers who like more mystery than thrill would enjoy this one. 3 stars!

What an intense story this was. Heartbreaking and so sad, and creepy. Full of hope and loss, sadness and promise. I have already bought a couple more by this author and enjoyed them all.

3.5, a quick, twisty popcorn thriller. Eve is cleaning out her late father’s garage when she comes across a box of cassette tapes. She plays one labeled with her name and hears the voice of her mother, missing for over a decade, saying that if she’s gone missing it’s because she was murdered. The tape goes on to reveal other secrets and Eve must decide if she believes her mother and what to do with the information. This was a quick read with good characters, realistic dialogue, and lots of red herrings. Eve was fully developed and sympathetic and I was right there with her, suspecting everyone and slowly unraveling the mystery. Although this book follows a series of murders, there’s nothing gratuitous or over the top at all.

I was excited to see this author has an extensive backlist!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy and a chance to read this early. All opinions are my own.

“The Tapes” is a mystery/thriller by Kerry Wilkinson. The premise of this book sounded interesting - while clearing her father’s house, Eve discovers a box of cassette tapes narrated by her mother. One of the tapes says “If they say I’m missing, I’m not … I’ve been murdered.” In the area when Eve’s mother disappeared there was a serial killer, nicknamed “The Earring Killer” who hadn’t been captured. Eve’s mother had a tendency to lie, so Eve isn’t sure what can and cannot be believed on the tapes she receives. For me, this book began rather interestingly - how many people would love to have recordings of their parents (or grand parents!) and be able to hear their voices [even with today’s technology, so few times are voice recordings saved of our loved ones]. So, I was hooked into the story - but then began a cast of other characters - including excerpts from a book about The Earring Killer that at time I struggled to keep track of who was important and who wasn’t. Sometimes people are introduced like the reader is supposed to know who they are … that didn’t help. I also felt the pacing was inconsistent - beginning was a great hook, then it slowed, then it picked up again.

First off, thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy of this book in trade for an honest review, based on my own opinions.

This book was 3⭐️ for me. It had potential but it felt very repetitive at times, as if going in circles each chapter. Once the book ended, I felt like there were a lot of unanswered questions still; ya girl needs every avenue explained and with an ending.

Eve, a divorced mother, stumbles upon a box of tapes when cleaning out her father’s house, following his death. What she assumes is just sweet recordings of her mother turns out to be clues to find the town’s serial killer. Eve’s mother has been missing for thirteen years and she is determined to find answers.

Without giving too much away, I needed more. This felt very surface level mystery. Too many people were potential suspects and the bits of Vivian’s book in between just didn’t really click for me. I wanted more to be found from the tapes.

3 ⭐️ because it did keep me intrigued but I can’t get past the repetitive content.

Great book, very good twists and turns.

One note would be to check the spelling of some words as well as grammar, there appeared to be a few errors.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookoture for providing me with access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Eve is clearing out her father’s house when she finds a box of old cassette tapes—one of them labeled with her name, in her missing mother’s handwriting. When she plays it, her mother’s voice comes through, saying that if Eve is listening, she’s been murdered. From there, the story follows Eve as she listens to more tapes and tries to uncover the truth about what really happened to her mother. There’s a strong mystery at the center, and I really liked the cassette tape angle—it gave the whole thing a cool, nostalgic vibe.

While I found the plot interesting and definitely wanted to see how it ended, the pacing didn’t fully work for me. The beginning was pretty slow, and then the ending felt rushed. I think some of the twists were a bit unrealistic and hard to believe. The side characters weren’t very well developed either—they mostly felt functional rather than real.

Emotionally, there was a lot of potential—Eve grieving her mom while unraveling a dangerous mystery—but I didn’t really connect with it as much as I hoped. Also, Eve replaying the same tape parts over and over, plus her inner thoughts, started to feel a little repetitive.

Overall, it’s a solid thriller with a great premise, but it didn’t quite deliver the emotional or character depth I was hoping for.

As soon as I read the creepy blurb for this one, I knew I had to read, so thank you for accepting me for an advanced copy.
This started out really positive and wasted no time at all getting straight into the drama. I did feel though that I didn't have enough backstory on our main character Eve for it to have the impact it could have. I also found there to be too many characters that again, didn't have distinguishable traits, so I felt lost at times. What I thought would be a straight up thriller, turned into a crime thriller which I didn't quite expect, but didn't dislike.
I felt the ending was extremely rushed compared to the other 95% of the book.

This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Thank you NG & Kerry Wilkinson
-The Tapes-

This story started off with a flame. By the end of the first chapter your heart is already pounding.

Every single chapter had me flipping through the pages. I didn’t want to put this book down. Thrilling, fast paced and will keep you on your toes.

The twist?? I did NOT see that coming.




Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7740640274

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book before the release date in exchange for an honest review. This is my first book by this author. This book follows about a week of Eve’s life. As she is cleaning out her father’s house after his death she comes across tapes with dates on them. One tape does not have a date though, it has Eve’s name on it. So she listens to it and it’s her mom saying she is about to be killed and wants eve to know how much she loves her and that she regrets some previous life choices. It is mostly about Eve during that week but there are also excerpts from the true crime novel about the serial killer in her town. The plot was great and it really felt full. I was surprised all the way to the end. I will definitely read another from this author.

The Tapes is a tense, twisty psychological thriller told in a really unique way — through transcripts, recordings, and scattered documents.
This unconventional structure pulled me straight into the mystery and gave it a raw, almost true-crime feel that kept me completely hooked.

The story wastes no time getting started — we dive right into the tapes from the beginning, which made the suspense immediate and addictive. The pacing is sharp and full of surprises, with twists that genuinely shocked me. Every time I thought I had things figured out, something new would throw me off.

It slows down a bit around the halfway point, but the final act is gripping, emotional, and packed with tension. I tore through the last few chapters in one go, and the ending really stuck with me.

If you’re into slow-burn thrillers with unique formats, nostalgic vibes, and jaw-dropping reveals, this one’s absolutely worth the hype.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, Kerry Wilkinson for providing this ARC in exchange

A solid fast paced thriller that is easy to consume and would satisfy a reader looking for a quick easy read. There were a lot of twists and side plots in this book <spoiler>what did her brother take from the house? Never answered </spoiler> and most eventually wound their way back to a conclusion. My biggest gripe is that this seemed like such a small town affair that it seems odd that know one would have suspected the killer <spoiler>given their position in the community </spoiler>. There were several moments where logic had to be suspended, primarily around what eve did and did not remember and her ties to the serial killer case particularly the strings between her and Vivian and her and Liam. She was so tangential to the earring killer that I would have suspected her. But if one goes along for the ride and accepts this suspension then it is a fun read. I also could not understand how Eve could just stop a tape without listening to the whole thing. Like I said and quick easy read if one wants to turn their brain off and have a good thriller ride.

4/5⭐️

This was a solid 4 star thriller/mystery. “'If you're listening to this, l've been murdered! Eve is clearing her father's house when she finds an old cassette player and a box of tapes. Though grieving, she smiles at the spark of nostalgia. One tape is labelled
'Eve' …”

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This thriller was a gripping and suspenseful read. The plot moved quickly and kept me guessing with unexpected twists and turns. The tension built steadily, and the mystery at the heart of the story was engaging. The characters were interesting, and the stakes felt real. It’s a solid choice for anyone who enjoys a fast-paced and exciting thriller.

To say I was gripped from the start would be an understatement, it nearly had me in tears by 5% read!
The tension and suspense continued through the book perfectly and although I figured out ‘who did it’ I didn’t see the twist coming which was so much fun.
I really liked the excerpts from the ‘book’, I don’t think I’ve read another book do a flash back like that before.
I think the mark of a good book is when you can’t put it down and this was certainly the case, I haven’t enjoyed a thriller so much in ages, definitely recommend!

wow, what a ride!! the twists and turns were insane and so unexpected! my jaw was on the floor near the end- quite literally. I love Kerry's matter-of-fact writing style. the way she grips you from the beginning. I was so invested in this book from the first few pages, and it's rare for me to read a book that will grab my attention like that.
Eve finds a box of cassette tapes her mother recorded before she disappeared while cleaning out her dad's house after his passing. She did not expect the contents of those tapes to tell Eve that her mother was murdered. This book takes you on a wild, mind-bending ride while having you second guess your assumptions of who the killer is with each chapter.
i think Kerry did a fantastic job of keeping you guessing until the very end, wondering who the killer truly was. I thought every character in the book was the Earring Killer at one point LOL. the suspense was so good.
also just let me mention that at the end credits pages, I LOVED how she included info on children's reading and how to support that.
over all this was one of the best psychological thrillers I have read in a long time, definitely up there with Freida for me.