She Treads Softly: The Tapes

Wednesday, August 20, 2025

The Tapes

The Tapes by Kerry Wilkinson
8/11/25; 317 pages
Bookouture

The Tapes by Kerry Wilkinson is a highly recommended domestic mystery/psychological thriller.

Eve's father has recently died and she is tasked with cleaning out his house. Her dad was a bit of a hoarder, which makes the task difficult. While digging out things in his garage, she discovers a cassette player, which she sets aside to show her daughter Faith. Then she discovers a box of tapes all labeled in her mother's handwriting. Eve's mother Angela disappeared without a trace thirteen years ago. As Eve plays a tape, she remembers her mother recording a diary of sorts on them.

Then she notices a tape labeled 'Eve.' On it her mother says, "If you're listening to this, I've been murdered and I need you to know that I love you ." Apparently, her mother who was a kleptomaniac stole a jewelry box from someone and discovered in it the earrings collected by a serial killer named "the Earring Killer." Her mother is sure the person will know it was her who took the jewelry box and will come for her next. Eve needs to discover who owned the box so she can identify the killer.

The well-written fast paced narrative follows Eve in the present day as she tries to find out who owned the jewelry box in order to identify the killer. Also included are excerpts from a book about the Earring Killer that was written years earlier which identifies all the victims and includes interviews with their family members. The novel held my complete attention throughout. Alternating between Eve's present day search while dealing with her father's death with the books true story of the victims of the serial killer worked very well. There are several twists along the way.

Eve is a complicated, fully realized character who is very flawed, but you will like and support her in her search. She knows her flaws and struggles. She also knows Angela's weaknesses and realizes that the tapes would mean nothing to the police because of her mother's history. There are several suspects along the way and no one who is really trustworthy.

The Tapes is a great choice for anyone who enjoys reading domestic mysteries that have some aspects of a psychological thriller. Thanks to Bookouture for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

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John Updike's six rules for reviewing:

1. Try to understand what the author wished to do, and do not blame him for not achieving what he did not attempt.

2. Give him enough direct quotation--at least one extended passage--of the book's prose so the review's reader can form his own impression, can get his own taste.

3. Confirm your description of the book with quotation from the book, if only phrase-long, rather than proceeding by fuzzy precis.

4. Go easy on plot summary, and do not give away the ending.

5. If the book is judged deficient, cite a successful example along the same lines, from the author's oeuvre or elsewhere. Try to understand the failure. Sure it's his and not yours?

To these concrete five might be added a vaguer sixth, having to do with maintaining a chemical purity in the reaction between product and appraiser.....Review the book, not the reputation.... Better to praise and share than blame and ban. The communion between reviewer and his public is based upon the presumption of certain possible joys in reading, and all our discriminations should curve toward that end.