The Tapes

By: Kerry Wilkinson

Narrated by: Melanie Crawley, Shaheen Khan

A completely addictive psychological thriller

‘If you’re listening to this, I’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’–in her mother, Angela’s, scrawled handwriting. She disappeared for good more than ten years ago.

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

‘If they say I’m missing, I’m not. If you’re listening to this, I’ve been murdered.’

Desperate for answers, Eve has no one left to ask–only a box of tapes that could lead to the truth. But the more she listens, the more she realises she can never go to the police…

Because Eve’s mother had her own secrets. But what if her killer is still out there? And what if Eve is next?

An absolutely gripping psychological thriller! Anyone who loves Shari Lapena, John Marrs or Lisa Jewell will be totally addicted.

©2025 Kerry Wilkinson (P)2025 Bookouture, an imprint of Storyfire Ltd.

So predictable

No plot twist -- the revelation at the end is exactly what you would likely guess a few chapters in.

The book also feels over-edited. There's one character whose story is just left hanging.

I loved the hero, Eve, and the use of the tapes. Bravo!

I really liked this story about Eve and her missing Mom. Her relationship with her young adult daughter, her recently deceased father and how the author let you inside to know these people. And I loved the "role" of the tapes. Several times I wanted to grab the hero's hand and tell "run", "look" especially as it seems the unknown serial killer had to be close. Too close!