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.

This is a bit different to the usual books Kerry writes but I enjoyed it still. It’s almost like a true crime podcast with Eve trying to get justice for her mum. It started off quite fast paced but then slowed down but picked up the pace again later on so I was glad I stuck with it. All in all a decent book.

I enjoyed this book and think it was well written and thought out properly, the way we go on this hunt with the main character to find this killer and it just kept being a dead and she still tried to get her mum justice. The only thing I will say that could have been improved on was maybe adding more connection to the main character before getting right into the mystery just getting to know her more, but other than that I really enjoyed it

I was intrigued with the premise of this novel: a woman named Eve finds a cache of cassette tapes while cleaning out her deceased father's home that her mother, who has been missing for years, recorded years ago. The tapes are basically a diary detailing her daily activities in raising her young daughter and other every day topics, but then she adds an ominous message to one tape claiming she has been murdered. Eve decides to try to unravel the mystery of her mother's disappearance once and for all.

The story centers mostly on Eve reflecting back on her relationship with her mother and the mystery surrounding her disappearance. Eve is also raising her own daughter whom she hopes to keep her relationship strong with.

I found Eve's personality difficult to relate to. She had a lot of baggage and personal issues she was working through that did not seem to add much to the storyline. She did a lot of things on impulse without thinking them through which just left me feeling confused on some of her choices. She was definitely stuck in her head most of the time, over analyzing the heck out of everything. But instead of helping me get to understand Eve's motivation so I could cheer her on, I felt annoyed at the repetitive rambling.

Overall, it was a good book to read over a weekend. Liked it, didn't love it.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘳𝘴. 𝘈 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘦𝘴. ‘𝘔𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘈𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭𝘢’. 𝘛𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘌𝘷𝘦’𝘴 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘳 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 – 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥.

I really enjoyed reading this! It was short but full of lots of anxious moments. It’s like true crime podcast but make it cassette tapes. Some of the twists did catch me by surprise — don’t know if it’s cause I was tired, nonetheless it caught me off guard multiple times! I would definitely check out more of this authors books in the near future :)


Thank you NetGalley for this ARC as always 🫶🏽

I thought this was a pretty good read, though it did get a little repetitive in places. It centers on Eve, who discovers cassette tapes her mom recorded when she is cleaning out her late father's house. Her mom has been missing for over a decade and Eve is desperate to know what happened to her. What she hears on the tape causes her to launch her own little investigation into a serial killer known as "the earring killer".

The mystery in this book was sound, though I felt like there were almost too many characters of whom Eve was suspicious, without giving us more background into why they might be a good candidate; thus, when the villain was unmasked, I almost felt like I had been misled. Eve herself was a likable enough character, though I don't know why it took her so long to listen to all the cassettes- I know there were a lot of them but if I was her I would have dropped everything to hear every last one. I was a little disappointed in how it ended, but I did think the loose ends were tied up well.

Overall, this isn't my favorite book by this author, but I did think it was a good read and I enjoyed the mystery and nostalgia around the found cassette tapes. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Tapes by Kerry Wilkinson is the kind of psychological thriller that grabs you from page one and dares you to stop reading. I found myself pulled in by the eerie premise of an old cassette labeled with the main character’s name, a chilling voice message, and a haunting mystery surrounding a long-lost mother.

Eve, the protagonist, is relatable in her grief and curiosity as she digs into the truth behind her mother’s disappearance. The pacing is solid, with cliffhangers that had me saying “just one more chapter” until it was 2 a.m. The idea of tapes slowly unraveling a deadly family secret is such a great hook, and the execution had just enough twists and misdirection to keep me engaged.

That said, while the story was definitely a page-turner, there were moments where the plot felt a little repetitive or stretched out, especially as Eve’s investigation deepened. Some characters could have used more depth, and the big reveals didn’t hit quite as hard as I expected. But the suspense is there, and so is the addictive need to know what really happened.

A solid thriller that fans of twisty mysteries will enjoy. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I read this in one sitting, hooked from the very beginning.
While Eve hunted for clues I was desperately trying to figure it all out myself, but I was not expecting the twists of this one!
I do feel like there maybe was a bit much going on, but it did keep the drama unfolding and kept me hooked.

The premise sounded great but it really dragged after the initial excitement. Our main character felt a bit pathetic and I'm not really sure why they made her an alcoholic, it wasn't used to make her an unreliable narrator or move the story along.

2.5 stars, rounded up as I didn't figure out who the killer was (though it felt kinda farfetched so there's that).

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Out August 11th, 2025
Okay, so imagine you’re cleaning out your late dad’s house and stumble across a box of old cassette tapes. You pop one in, and boom—your long-missing mom’s voice crackles through the static, telling you she’s been murdered. That’s the hook of The Tapes, and it’s a doozy.

This book is like rummaging through a dusty attic full of secrets. The retro vibe of cassette tapes gives it a cool analog eeriness, and Wilkinson leans into that mood hard. The story follows Eve, who’s grieving, confused, and suddenly neck-deep in a mystery that’s way more personal than she bargained for. Her mom, Angela, vanished over a decade ago, and now these tapes suggest foul play—and maybe even point to a killer still lurking around.

Overall, it’s a slow-burn psychological thriller with a nostalgic twist and a solid emotional core. Not every moment hits, but the journey is compelling enough to keep you flipping pages late into the night. If you’re into stories that feel like peeling back layers of family secrets with a flashlight and a sense of dread, this one’s worth a spin.

I really enjoyed this! it's fast paced at the beginning, slows down halfway through but still enjoyable. I couldn't put it down. I love thrillers and this is definitely up there for me. I only knocked a star off i I found it easy to guess partway through who the killer is. but still a great read

While the cover was initially what intrigued me about this book, sadly it became this was a DNF (did not finish) for me. I gave it 10 Chapters but the storyline was slow and the character of Eve seriously lacked development and any sort of reader engagement. The plot line was also all over the place and hard to follow with the random flashbacks of the missing women of the “Earring Killer”. Usually I would want to continue on to solve this mystery, but this book lacked any serious hook to make me not want to put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my copy of The Tapes by Kerry Wilkinson.
This is one of the best books I have read this year.
Eve is clearing out her fathers house after his death when she finds a box of old cassette tapes.
When she plays the first one she hears her mothers voice for the first time since she disappeared 13 years ago.
But is she telling the truth when she’s I’m going to be murdered and she knows who by and why.
Then follows twists and red herrings as Eve searches for the truth.
Brilliant book yet again by this very talented author.
Out 11/08/2025
#NetGalley #Bookouture #TheTapes #KerryWilkinson.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Loved the concept of this, finding old cassette tapes from a generation ago with a message on saying they know who the serial killer is.

This is what happens to Eve when she finds tapes of her mum's from decades ago, she's hoping it'll help solve her mum's disappearance what she doesn't expect is to be involved in a murder hunt.

This was one of those reads that you have no idea where it's going, what the outcome will be and who the killer is. You just fly by the seat of your pants on this one.

Brilliant read, would recommend. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book, this is my honest opinion.

A quick read that makes you want to keep reading and discover the truth behind the tapes. I didn't connect with Eve on emotional level but still enjoyed the chase for answers.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review. I found this story really intriguing and I was hooked by the end of the first chapter. An interesting mystery thriller that had a few unexpected twists throughout. The mix of characters was really interesting and I found the story to be fast paced and entertaining. I would recommend this book.

The Tapes opens with a strong and intriguing premise—one that feels eerily plausible and immediately pulls you in. Kerry Wilkinson has a way of building tension through the ordinary, making the initial setup both familiar and unsettling. But as the story unfolds, that simmering suspense begins to lose its heat.

At the heart of the novel is Eve, whose characterization is easily the book’s biggest strength. She’s messy, flawed, and deeply human, which makes her journey all the more believable. Her struggles as a single mother, particularly in trying to connect with her daughter Faith, add emotional weight that grounds the more mysterious aspects of the plot. I appreciated how she wasn’t polished or infallible—just someone doing her best while carrying the weight of the past.

The pacing, however, becomes a challenge. After a strong start, the middle begins to meander. Transitions between events felt abrupt at times, and I occasionally had to flip back a few pages to make sure I hadn’t missed a connection. It’s not that the plot is overly complex—it’s that it occasionally stumbles in the telling. There’s an expectation of a twist or a moment of revelation that keeps building, but the payoff doesn’t quite hit the mark.

That said, the final third picks up, with a few late-in-the-game developments that pull the threads together. While not earth-shattering, the closing chapters offer a decent sense of resolution and a few satisfying turns—though you may wish they arrived sooner.

For readers who like:
-Character-driven mystery
-Domestic suspense
-A slow-burn narrative

Final Verdict
The Tapes is a story that starts with promise and a relatable lead but falters in momentum before rallying slightly at the end. While the mystery may not fully deliver on its initial tension, Eve’s character arc and the emotional depth in her relationships give the novel some staying power. A solid read if you’re drawn to introspective suspense over high-stakes drama.

Grateful to NetGalley, Bookouture and Kerry Wilkinson for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Kerry Wilkinson, Bookouture, and Netgalley for the e-arc of The Tapes for an honest review! A nostalgic twisty thriller read with short chapters! This book pulls you in from the start! Love the unique premise of cassette tapes from Eves missing mother! Will the tapes help Eve find out the identity of the serial killer?! This book publishes on 08/11/2025!