By: Carter Wilson
Narrators: Allyson Ryan, Patrick Zeller
Sourcebooks
ISBN: 978-1464226229
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: 01/28/2025
Format: Other
My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC)
She gets people to confess their crimes for a living. He knows she's hiding a terrible secret.
It's time for the truth to come out…
Poe Webb, host of a popular true crime podcast, invites people to anonymously confess crimes they've committed to her audience. She can't guarantee the police won't come after her "guests," but her show grants simultaneous anonymity and instant fame―a potent combination that's proven difficult to resist. After an episode recording, Poe usually erases both criminal and crime from her mind.
But when a strange and oddly familiar man appears on 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.
Poe killed him.
From the USA Today bestselling author of The Dead Girl in 2A and The New Neighbor comes a chilling new thriller that forces the question: are murderers always the bad guys?
My Review
From the bestselling author (and podcaster) of The Father She Went To Find, Carter Wilson (favorite author) returns with TELL ME WHAT YOU DID, a deliciously wicked clever game of cat and mouse psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final page is turned.
About...
A successful Vermont podcaster, Poe Webb, offers listeners (and criminals) a means to confess all their evil deeds and crimes. An anonymous apology on the podcast called Tell Me What You Did.
Poe was only 13 when her mother was stabbed to death. 14 times. Poe wants revenge.
Now Poe has a top true-crime podcast. Then something blows her mind, turning the tables on her when her past rises to the surface by one of her guests. She started the podcast as a means of healing after her mom's brutal murder.
Now, a man claims to be her mother's murderer. But how can this be, since her mom's murderer is dead? She should know since she was the one who killed him.
He claims to be Leopold Hutchins, the man who stabbed her mother 14 times.
She is skeptical, but he knows things—things that were not released by the police. He threatens her to do the broadcast, or he will hurt her father, producer, lover, Kip, and her black lab, Bailey.
But seven years earlier, she tracked down Leopold Hutchins and killed him herself. So who is this guy?
Can you ever escape your past?
Who is the cat, and who is the mouse?
My thoughts...
WOW! What a cleverly written game of cat-and-mouse! Intense, fast-paced, sinister, and twisty.The Halloween setting made it even more creepy and spine-chilling.
A fitting title; there are dark and disturbing confessions, and Poe is caught up in a morally gray area. She is in a constant battle between seeking justice and trying to save herself.
Another bonus for those who have read Mister Tender's Girl, you will enjoy catching up with Alice Hill, the protagonist of Carter's 2018 thriller.
I am a massive fan of the author and love his twisted thrillers with characters caught up in challenging situations.
Gritty and edgy, the author surprises and entertains with a juicy revenge plot. Wilson takes the ‘true crime’ trope to new and unexpected territory!
Recs...
TELL ME WHAT YOU DID is for crime junkies, fans of the author and those who enjoy intelligent and clever thrillers with cat-and-mouse games. Also, for readers who enjoy works by Hank Phillippi Ryan, Jenova Rose, Freida McFadden, Linwood Barclay, and Megan Goldin.
Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press Pen Press for a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: Jan 28, 2025
Praise
MOST ANTICIPATED THRILLERS OF 2025
—SheReads
"What do you get when a podcaster's banal battle of wits turns into a macabre duel to the death? Carter Wilson's next brilliant thriller, Tell Me What You Did, where secrets are deadly and the truth scarier yet. I didn't just read this book, I devoured it in an adrenaline fueled frenzy!"
—Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling suspense author
"Reading this intense, disturbing thriller is as addictive as getting hooked on a particularly good true-crime podcast—fitting, since the book centers on a famous podcaster and the violent secrets she's hiding from the world. With laser focus and quick pacing, Wilson weaves a tense cat-and-mouse tale that will have you locking all your doors (and windows) and reading late into the night."
—Ashley Winstead, author of Midnight is the Darkest Hour
"Tell Me What You Did by Carter Wilson is an intense, unique, and utterly compelling thriller I couldn't get enough of. Expert pacing, a complex and flawed protagonist, plus a hook that sinks in its teeth and doesn't let go all mean you need this book on your summer (or anytime) reading list now. Wilson is one of my favorite authors and I'm already looking forward to what he writes next. Genius."
― Hannah Mary McKinnon, internationally bestselling author of Only One Survives
"I'm a sucker for a revenge thriller, and Carter Wilson's latest, Tell Me What You Did, takes things up a notch by centering the plot around a true crime podcast. Wilson hooks you from page one and doesn't let go, reeling you in with sharp writing, a breakneck pace, and a protagonist to root for even when you think you shouldn't. The perfect book for readers who love their thrillers gripping and utterly original."
― Kimberly Belle, internationally bestselling author of The Paris Widow
"Instantly gripping, Tell Me What You Did drove me to sleepless nights as I devoured the tense storyline. Wilson's podcasting protagonist notches with my favorite heroines, uniquely flawed and as complex as they come, while the twists and turns of his prose made each chapter fly by. Grab this thriller for a fast weekend read."
― Elle Marr, Amazon Charts bestselling author of The Alone Time and Your Dark Secrets
"Absolutely brilliant."
—Wendy Walker, bestselling author of What Remains
"Carter Wilson's latest has a dash of Thomas Harris and a generous heaping of Stieg Larsson―but really, Tell Me What You Did is completely its own thing. Propulsive, shocking, and exquisitely crafted, Wilson's fantastic thriller features an unforgettable heroine and a harrowing truth: We can never escape our past."
― Abbott Kahler, New York Times bestselling author of Eden Undone and Where Y
"Better set aside several uninterrupted hours for this toxic rocket. You'll be glad you did."—Kirkus (Starred review)
About the Author
Photo Credit: Iliana Wilson
Carter Wilson is the USA Today bestselling author of nine critically acclaimed, standalone psychological thrillers, as well as numerous short stories. He is an ITW Thriller Award finalist, a five-time winner of the Colorado Book Award, and his works have been optioned for television and film. Additionally, he is the host of the Making It Up podcast and founder of the Unbound Writer company, which provides coaching services, writing retreats, and online classes. Carter lives in Erie, Colorado in a Victorian house that is spooky but isn’t haunted…yet. WEBSITE
Awards
Five-time Winner of the Colorado Book Award for Thrillers
Two-time Winner of the International Book Award for Mystery & Suspense
Winner of Foreword Reviews Book of the Year for Thriller & Suspense
Winner of the RONE Award for Thriller & Suspense
Winner of the National Indie Excellence Award for Suspense
Finalist for the MPIBA Reading the West Award
Finalist for the High Plains Multi-State Book Award
Finalist for the ITW Thriller Award
Check out my fum #AuthorElevatorSeries
QA Ride with Carter!
