This book had my attention from the very first page. I enjoyed the writing style and the timeline and how it was written. Definitely a book that will have you wanting to finish it in on sitting!

Poe Web (what an incredible name, by the way) lost her mother when she was a teenager. She actually saw her being murdered and deals with it in a very healthy way (no). She has a podcast where she interviews people who have a crime to confess, and one day someone pretends to be her mother’s killer, except she already killed her mom’s murderer (she’s fine psychologically, I said).

I love morally grey characters, and Poe is exactly that. She makes terrible choices because of her trauma; she obviously should have gotten some help after her mother’s murder. I don’t approve of people getting revenge themselves in real life, but it is the most satisfying thing ever in books (I become morally grey in fiction too). I expected her dad to be a bad guy, but he’s not; he’s so incredibly normal, and that’s actually refreshing. I also love that Poe learns her parents were both flawed people. It was easy for her to blame her mom for maybe being the reason she got killed in the first place. It’s easy to be mad at the person who’s not here. Now, I wasn’t a big fan of Kip, I’m sorry. He’s mad at her for hiding things, but then he’s not very happy with what she has to say when she finally comes clean. Like, sorry bro, but she was traumatized, and that made her act a little (a lot) unhinged.

I loved this book! It was full of action and suspense. This is the perfect thriller!! I loved the varied time changes throughout

What can I say, I am in my thriller era. This one gave, not as twisty as many others. But I loved the way it goes from past, present. It goes through interviews so you can get pure dialog and it plays out like a podcast which is nice and unique. I loved that the zero cares the main female character gives, and I love that it intertwines with other stories within one, so you can get a bit of Alice's, Kip's background of abuse. Something we can relate to, or we know of someone going through something similar. Definitely will recommend to others.

This is definitely a case of an author showing all his cards early on.
If you had read at least 5 thrillers in your life, you are 90% able to predict what was going to happen from the very beginning.
It didn't really have a twist or grand reveal, it was a 50/50 chance of a presumption being the truth. In the first third, I tried to make a specific guess, and lo and behold. I was correct!
The writing definitely made up for the storyline though. Although the book dragged in some places, I wasn't bored.
The characters were more like puppets or ornaments. Calling Poe a main character os kind of a stretch. She was more of a visualization of the story, things happen to her, not because of her.
Overall, it was an okay book. I think it just wasn't my style, others would definitely love it.
*I received an ARC of this book through netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

I was immediately drawn in from the book description and it did not disappoint! It had me hooked from the first chapter and read the whole thing in a day. The flashback and present day views were well-written and woven together in a very compelling and unique way. Though I was able to guess the twist early on, the author did a fantastic job at conveying and maintaining the tension and suspense throughout the whole book. Overall, I found this to be a really engaging and eerie thriller- a real page turner! Highly recommended. I am excited to check out the author’s other works as well.

Its been a while since a book disturbed me this much (in the best way) and I just couldn't put it down or turn off the lights. Poe's story is gruesome and she hosts a podcast where sinners confess their crimes. But, the past comes back to haunt her and now she's the one confessing. More Carter Wilson books are on the tbr!

Poe Webb hosts the top-ranked true crime podcast in the country, Tell Me What You Did, where guests call in to confess their crimes. She’s generally pretty good about compartmentalizing—hosting the interview and then forgetting about it—but when a strangely familiar man calls in one day, it stops Poe in her tracks. Claiming to be the man that killed her mother, he traps Poe in to conducting an interview like no other because Poe knows that it can’t be true… She killed the man that murdered her mother.

Maybe I don’t know the legal system well enough or maybe it’s a general flaw of the book but couldn’t Poe be arrested for aiding and abetting all of these criminals who come on her show? She has video evidence of who they all are but the whole concept never seems to be a problem… I guess this synopsis works if you can suspend belief there.

At first glance it seems like it will be hefty book, coming in at over 400 pages—I’ll admit I was concerned because what thriller needs to be over 400 pages—but a lot of it is podcast dialogue so it went by surprisingly fast. Still, there are places where it dragged. There was a lot of back and forth between Poe and her mother’s supposed killer that either felt repetitive or like unnecessary detail.

This story drew me in immediately with its thrilling and suspenseful prose and I think readers who love strictly plot-driven narratives are going to love this one. I would consider this to be very popcorn thriller-y as there is so much focus on driving the plot forward and so little on the characters’ actual being; Poe is one-dimensional with very little character development or emotional depth.

Surface level, it’s a fun, quick read—an absolute page turner due to the short chapters—but I wanted more from the characters; not likely one that I will remember but enjoyable enough.

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review. Available 01/14/2025.

This book is a ride from start to finish! From the first page, it had me hooked in a way I didn't expect, especially given how many true-crime-podcast-themed books we’ve seen lately. This one, though, manages to feel fresh and different, and it has its own unique spin that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

The story revolves around a podcast host, Poe, whose life is thrown into chaos when a guest on her show claims to have murdered her mother. What really makes the book stand out is how it flips the usual narrative. It's not just about unraveling a mystery; it's about Poe's journey through some very murky moral waters. She's a character you can't help but empathize with, even when she's making some pretty questionable decisions. You feel for her, yet you can't quite endorse everything she does, and that’s where the genius of the book lies—it makes you question your own moral compass.

And OMG let's talk about the creep factor. The antagonist is as unnerving as they come, almost in the realm of Hannibal Lecter-level creepy. He’s a character that will make your skin crawl in the best possible way if you’re into that kind of thriller.

One of the things I loved most was the twist. I thought I had it figured out early on, only to second-guess myself thanks to some clever storytelling. When the reveal finally hit, it still managed to surprise me, which is a rare treat.

Overall, I’d give this book a solid 4.5 out of 5 stars. It’s a fantastic read for anyone looking to be immediately sucked in by a good thriller, especially those who enjoy stories with morally complex characters and sinister bad guys. If you're looking for a book to devour over a weekend, this one should definitely be on your list.


Thanks to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Carter Wilson for the advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this!!
I was hooked from the very beginning. Poe was a conflicting main character, but I still found myself rooting for her. I was in a state of anxiety throughout the novel wondering what was going to happen. The author did a great job with surprises and keeping the reader guessing. I will definitely read further works by this author!
Thanks to Net Galley for the book to review.

4.5/5

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC!!!

THIS BOOK!!!! I can’t say enough about this. Another thriller based off a podcast but honestly nothing like I’ve ever read before. There is a lot of dark humor and cussing which I absolutely love. It’s all one POV but told from different ways - past vs present and even written differently in some of the chapters (ie chapter based but also interview based).

The one funny thing is I definitely thought the main character (Poe) was a man until about a quarter of the way through. I would say this is probably a mix between thriller and horror - a bit spooky, but I loved it. I took away half a point due to feeling like it kind of glorified murder? But seriously - YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK. It comes out January 2025 - preorder it now, you won’t be sorry.

Oh. My. Gawd. This book! Talk about a cat and mouse chase! I absolutely love Poe - she is such a bad ass. Her struggles are so believable. My mind kept trying to figure out any twists and turns but did not figure this one out. Now I have to get my hands on the other books written by Carter Wilson. Would make an incredible movie but too often they wreck the story. Please let there be more of Poe in the future!

Apparently I just love me a dark story that involves podcasts. I was hooked as soon as I found out the main character hosted a podcast having people admit to crimes they’ve committed and that her mother was murdered when she was a kid.
I loooved the way that every other episode is the transcript from the podcast. I loved the family bond, all the secrets and of course the love for the pets. Honestly, just do yourself a favor and pre order this asap!!


Thank you sooo much to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this 5 star reading.

I liked the different take on true crime podcasts of people confessing their crimes. This book had me hooked with that right away. This was a thriller to top most thrillers. There was enough twists to keep me wanting to read and I could not guess what was going to happen. I am so happy I got to read this book. 4.5 stars!

Although a bit frustrating at times*, overall, I found this to be quite a compelling read.

*My common mantra for reading mystery/thrillers is [extremely Joey Taranto voice] "Call the police, call 'em today!" I was singing that at times with this one, but also, "Just hang up!" Or in the words of Da Share Zone, "If it sucks...hit da bricks!" Maybe it's because I work a job that gets more attempts at scam/prank calls than most, but you actually do not have to talk to people just because they've contacted you. And you don't even have to make up an excuse--you can just end the call. Or say literally anything--I've used, "Oh, no--a ghost!" before. This week, I was so addled that all I could say in a response to a attempted scam was "Wow, that's crazy." My point being, you don't have to entertain nonsense for any reason. Unless it's the plot of a mystery/thriller, I guess.

As a child, Poe Webb watched her mother be murdered in their home. The killer saw Poe, but spared her with the threat to keep her mouth shut or he'll come for her and her father next. She's been looking for him since, determined to make him pay.

Fast forward to the present, Poe is the founder and host of an increasingly popular podcast that invites her viewers to confess their crimes to her. (Can we take a minute to acknowledge that this would be a fascinating IRL podcast? Can someone please work on that?). In her line of work, she comes across some creepy individuals, but they all pale in comparison to the man who claims to have been her mother's killer and knows one of Poe's darkest secrets.

Poe is rattled, but skeptical. Then the man gives details that only the killer and Poe know, and she starts to think she really is speaking to her mother's murderer. When he demands a live stream on Halloween night to force Poe into confessing her long-buried secret, the stakes become higher than ever and Poe has no choice but to follow his instructions.

The book flips between the present day and a transcript of the live stream between Poe and the alleged killer. This gives you plenty of backstory while building suspense for the final showdown.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
(I would actually give this a 4.5)

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Sensational!! One of my favourite books this year.
I knew from the moment I started this one that it was going to be spectacular. The characters, the setting, the true crimes being revealed, all so intriguing.

Poe Webb hosts a true crime podcast where people reveal their crimes to her.
She can't guarantee the police won't come after her guests but they continue to reveal their secrets to her. One day, an oddly familiar man appears on her screen and tells her he killed her mother, all those years ago. But she knows this can't be true, because her mother's killer is dead.

This one turned from completely intriguing to absolutely terrifying pretty fast and I am so glad I read it during the day! The secrets and lies, with Poe's backstory that are revealed, along with the mystery story and a cast of fascinating supporting characters. There was also a clever link to one of the author's previous novels that I thoroughly enjoyed. This is easily one of the best novels I've read this year.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Poisened Pen Press for this gifted review novel.

Could not put this one down, read it in one day! It was such a creepy thriller and had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I also loved the dynamic between Poe and her dad. Highly recommend this one!!

As a huge fan of thrillers, I had this book on my list to read, so thank you Netgalley and sourcebooks for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
What originally drew me in what the originality of the plot of the book. Poe Webb, a true crime podcast host, gets people to confess their crimes live on her show....pretty basic right??? Wrong!! A man comes on the podcast claiming to be her mother's murderer from years ago. But Poe knows something no one else does. This man cannot be her mother's murderer because she killed that man years ago!!

(Plot twist and down the rabbit hole we go!!)😳

I definitely recommend this book if you are a fan of thrillers and be prepared for some slow spots throughout, but overall, a solid 4 star read!

I could not put this book down! Every chapter left me needing more. Great suspense. Had me asking questions throughout. A great thriller. I don't like audiobooks but I could see listening to this one if we could have a creepy narrator with a back and fourth of Poe and IH.
100% will read again and will force my husband to read.