I DNF'd at around 30%

All realism is thrown out the door for this novel and I could only stay in the dark on how we get from A to B for so long. Poe's job is hosting a very successful podcast where criminals come on to admit their crimes even though it means there's a high likelihood of them getting arrested afterwards. She lives with the trauma of seeing her mother get murdered when she was a kid and survives the same fate just by promising the killer she'll never tell. Poe not only keeps her promise and mentions nothing to the police, her father, or her therapist but she also destroys all evidence that would lead to identifying the murderer. One day on her show, someone professing that they are her mother's killer comes on the podcast and Poe is in disbelief as she thought she took care of him once and for all a while ago.

There's a B plot to this book, where Poe is being interviewed in the style of her podcast by the self-claimed mother killer. There aren't details of where this interview takes place nor any real stakes explaining what holds her there to keep answering his questions. These scenes are written in a script format, and most of Poe's dialogue is just complaining about being there and having to answer the questions. There is such an askewed complaining to answering ratio, I don't even understand why she is complying at all.

Maybe the ending of this book is something like, it was in Poe's head the entire time. And if so I am glad I stopped where I did. There are scene's that are impossible to explain, like when Poe notices that someone has been in her house, even though she has cameras and a security system that would capture it. Poe's boyfriend having some sort of lie detecting super power. The random small town stabbing victim. I can take a little bit of mystery, but not an entire world of it.

Amazing book that was hard to put down! Written beautifully and had me on the edge of my seat wondering what the MC would do next. Excited to buy this when it comes out!

Super super predictable- in all aspects. Some of it seemed pointless and some seemed far fetched (the cops seriously had nobody posted there?) and I really didn’t connect with the main character. Or many of the characters besides Alice.

That said- I read it quickly, and while it didn’t surprise me, it was exactly what I would expect. And it made me want to read Alice’s story.

This book was incredible. I went into it blind and quickly fell in love with the main character Poe. It delves into serial killers, podcasts, and a little bit of romance.

Wow! I have never read anything by this author, but I most certainly will now. This book kept me entertained from start to finish. I loved the short chapters and the true crime podcast aspect of the book.

A must read for anyone who like true crime and thrillers! This was fast paced, twist and turns, and lots of "gasp"! Carter Wilson did great on this one!

Shortly said: The first half of the book was way more enjoyable then the second half.
It gets advertised as a thriller and it wasn't one.



First of all before I start mentioning the parts that I personally didn't enjoy let us start about good moments and aspects of this book.

1. The story unfolds itself by showing us interviews of the incident before it happened
- Yes, I talk about the broadcast with the two most important characters in this book, where we got some quick records of it as readers while reading the story. So the story unfolds itself.

2. Some nice quotes/speeches.
- Especially Hindley said stuff that felt thought through and inspiring. I always look out for quotes while reading a book and unfortunately some don't have any (that I personally like), so was nice to see some I did add later on to my collection.

3. Short chapters
- As someone who is easily distracted, when reading longer than 30 minutes, I appreciate short chapters A LOT.

4. Alice's backstory



Now we come to the aspects I didn't like

1. Main character, Poe.
- Arrogant/snooty, stupid, making stupid decisions, cringe, irony (saying she won't, but does it anyway)

2. Lovey-dovey relationship (Poe & Kip)
- Their romance was just exaggerated and cringe sometimes

3. Kip
- Switching moods and opinions way too often
(+ for 1 scene also stupid)

4. Unrealistically telling a whole conversation out of the MC's head that happened so long ago that she wouldn't be able to tell it THAT precisely (chapter 42)

5. Triggering content & flat characters
- Even though I like dark stuff, it was for this case kinda unnecessary as no plot twist or anything else was connected to it and it was mainly to deepen the relationship with the reader and the MC, but we don't get the same for the other characters. (So except the MC and the villain everyone was flat)

6. The WHOLE story was about Poe not telling anyone her actual story of what happened, just so that she overcomes the fear of vulnerability in like just a few days and acts like she was always an open book.

7. The book was NOT a thriller
- A thriller or even mystery thriller is based on some kind of plot twist, which wasn't there or so obvious that it can't even be called a plot twist as it was such a typical cliché ending. Like there was no surprise. Even the characters weren't surprised. And I wasn't feeling anxious or anything while reading is as it usually should be as the 'fearful' thing was so downplayed due to how the main character reacted. She reacted in such an exaggerated or stupid way that I was more focused on that then the 'scary' event.

In general I can't quite enjoy a story without liking the main character and since the character building wasn't that great and said above even the plot (and it's supposed twist) wasn't that strong and rather unoriginal, I will give it 1 instead of 2 stars. Yes, I still liked a few aspects, but as I always say; Some other aspects weight more in my reviews (i.e. enjoyment, plot and character building, et cetera)

Read: 11-12. August
Wrote review: 13. August 2024

Another podcaster/thriller? Sigh, I thought as I started reading it. But maybe this one will be different. And what a difference it was!This was a great thriller, with an anti-hero with an adorable dog, a loving father, a loyal producer/boyfriend, and a lot of skeletons in her closet. Poe is a podcaster who asks folks "tell me what you did" and I have to say, I nearly DNF as the first podcast guest was starting, but I'm glad I kept going. While that first guest is fine in the end (seriously), the next one is terrifying. He tells stories of torturing animals and then claims to be the person who killed her mother. But Poe knows that's not true because Poe killed her mother's murderer. From that point on, Poe and the would-be murderer play a nasty game of cat and mouse.

This was a fresh twist on a formula I've been seeing more and more frequently as of late. Poe is a complex woman with a lot of issues around trust. She's not black or white--she's wonderfully grey. Herboyfriend/producer is kind of boringly normal but is also a solid guy you know you can count on when it matters the most. And while she doesn't have the best relationship with her dad, they find their way back to each other. There were some issues: like, why didn't Poe get therapy after her mother died and a few others that would be spoilers. But overall, this was a great book. It was one I was thinking about when I wasn't reading and only wanted to read it when I had lots of time to really enjoy it. And I immediately went to Carter Wilson's backlist to catch up on all that I had been missing. Today, I signed up for his newsletter.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I'll tell you what I did....
I really enjoyed this story! Carter Wilson has written an incredibly, fast-paced, twisty thriller!

Captivating and fast paced! Helped me out of a reading rut. Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
The concept for this book is something new and unique- a true crime podcast that allows people to confess to their crimes. The villain gave me chills.
Buckle in for this book! Poe is tough and I really liked her character! Thankful there’s no actual animal violence either. That’s really important to me and the author makes a point early on that they aren’t tolerating that either so If that’s a trigger for you too then this book is safe. Bonus points for a Halloween setting. 5/5 as I was submerged in this story fully.

Poe, host of a true crime podcast, invites people to anonymously confess their crimes. When a strange man enters her show, Poe is forced to take a second look. Not only because he claims to be her Mother’s murderer from years ago, but because Poe knows something no one else does. Her Mother’s murderer is dead.

This book had a lot of in detail disturbing scenes, it was genuinely terrifying to read at night. It was a quick read due to the short chapters and suspense, each chapter ending with a cliffhanger. It was definitely unrealistic so you have to suspend your disbelief for this one and the big reveal felt a bit predictable but I overall really enjoyed it! (3.90 ⭐️)

✨ Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts ✨

Available January 14, 2025

Do you like mystery thrillers based on true crime podcasts? Tell Me What You Did is just the thing for you!

I liked the concept of this book a lot! Podcast host Poe Webb invites people on air to confess their crimes. When an odd man decides to come on to confess, he admits to killing Poe's mother... But the funny thing is: Poe's mother's murderer is dead. Poe knows because SHE'S the one who killed him.

Sadly, I enjoyed the concept better than the execution. I wish we'd had more character development, but I felt like we traded that for constant page turning action. That might be some readers' bag! It just fell a little flat for me overall.

Thanks to Net Galley for the early copy!

This book was incredible!!! It kept me interested the entire time! I haven't given a book 5 stars in a very long time but Wilson gets one!!!

This is an absolute must read for fans of psychological thrillers! Wilson does a fantastic job weaving together an intricate story with unexpected twists and turns in every chapter. This book was a definite page-turner and I often found myself saying “just one more chapter”! I loved the writing style of this book too; Wilson often jumped between present and future, but also gave us a few chapters in the past, to help see the big picture. I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone! 5/5 stars! Thank you to the author, Netgalley, and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC!

Carter Wilson's Tell Me What You Did is a page-turning thriller. Poe is a true-crime podcaster with skeletons in her own closet. When a caller claims to be her mother's murderer, Poe is forced to confront her past and to take her future into her own hands. This book kept me engaged to the very end.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC; all opinions are my own.

"Tell Me What You Did" by Carter Wilson is a gripping and intense psychological thriller that had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. The story follows true crime podcaster Poe, who has become quite the viral sensation with her podcast where she invites criminals to come and confess their crimes to her audience….until one day she gets much more than she bargained for.

Wilson's writing is masterful and he expertly weaves together a complex and suspenseful plot that kept me guessing until the very end. The characters are well-developed and the twists and turns in the story kept me hooked and wanting more.

I was thoroughly impressed by Wilson's ability to create a tense and eerie atmosphere throughout the book, making it a truly immersive reading experience. The pacing was perfect, with just the right amount of suspense and intrigue to keep me turning the pages. I couldn’t get enough.

Overall, "Tell Me What You Did" is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a thrilling and captivating read. Thanks so much for the ARC! Five stars!

#TellMeWhatYouDid #NetGalley
Awesome.
This is a gripping psychological thriller that dives into the murky waters of memory, guilt, and the nature of confession. The story follows Poe Webb, the host of a popular true crime podcast with a unique twist: she invites listeners to anonymously confess the crimes they’ve committed. The show’s blend of anonymity and the lure of instant fame has made it a sensation, drawing in countless confessions. For Poe, these stories are just fleeting whispers—crimes she hears, records, and then forgets.But when a peculiar man steps into her studio, everything changes. He claims to be the murderer of Poe’s mother, a crime that has haunted her for years. What makes his confession even more disturbing is that Poe knows the truth—her mother’s killer is dead because Poe killed him herself. The man’s appearance on her show unravels the careful life Poe has constructed, forcing her to confront the ghosts of her past and the terrifying possibility that someone else might know her darkest secret.
I loved it. Carter Wilson is at his best.
Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for giving me an advance copy.

This was a gripping book with a twisted storyline. I really loved the structure where we could see how the past chapters led into the present segments, until it all came together in one cohesive and shocking timeline.
I loved the characters, having a particular soft spot for Poe’s Dad and Grimm. I did. think the ending was a little flat, but this didn’t really affect my overall enjoyment of the story. I’ll definitely look for more books by this author! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

I am an avid Carter Wilson fan but midway through this book, I just HAD to text him via Instagram ands tell him that this book was amazing, that I wasn’t even done yet but I had to ask: how does he come up with these ideas and thank God he does!

This wasn’t really a whodunnit. After all we know from the beginning WHO Poe Webb is and WHAT she’s done, We even know WHERE, WHEN and WHY she did it.

But still we are on the edge of our seats reading from one page to the next, from one interview to the next, from one confession to the next.

Carter Wilson will never ever ever write a book I won’t love, even while I’m so creeped out by the premise that it is an uncomfortable read from page one. Which is EXACTLY what he’s done here in Tell Me What You Did. #highlyrecommend

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for the digital ARC. All opinions are my own.