Publisher: Bookouture
Release date: 11 August 2025
Back cover blurb: ‘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 – and 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?
Eve is clearing her Father's house following his recent death when she comes across a box full of cassette tapes left by her Mother.
Eve's Mother disappeared over a decade ago, and Eve has always believed that she could still be out there somewhere. Despite the lack of evidence to support this.
Most assume that she is dead, murdered even. As her disappearance was at a similar time to when a serial killer was on the loose. Though the killings appear to have stopped just before.
Eve is shocked, but delighted to hear her Mother's voice on the tape recordings, and frightened for her own family when she hears the words, 'if you're listening to this, I've been murdered'.
She wants to go to the Police, but her own chequered past (linked to her Mother's disappearance) stops her. Instead she turns to her best friend's Father, a retired Detective who she thinks might be able to help.
He appears reluctant at first, and convinces Eve that she should drop it. That she needs to process her Father's death first, and then regroup.
What Eve doesn't realise is that the truth is closer than she thinks, and more dangerous than anyone could ever imagine.
The Tapes is available now via Amazon online and all good book shops.
Thank You to the publishers who approved my request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.