Poe Webb hosts a true crime podcast where her guests anonymously confess to crimes committed. She and her boyfriend/producer, Kip, have a system in place to protect their show and their mental well-being. One day, Poe prepares for her next recording when an eerily familiar face appears on her screen. She’s pretty sure she hasn’t met her next guest, Ian Hindley, prior to this session. But then his confession takes her by surprise – he claims to have murdered Poe’s mother nearly two decades ago. But Poe is sure that Ian isn’t her mother’s killer. She would recognize him anywhere – she witnessed what had happened, after all. More importantly, she spent years tracking him down. And when she did, she killed him. So who is Ian, and what does he want with Poe? Tell Me What You Did by Carter Wilson is a psychological suspense novel that has Poe questioning what she knows about her mother and that fateful night. And if she doesn’t figure out Ian’s motives soon, she risks her loved ones meeting the same fate.
Book
Poe has never told a soul what she did all those years ago. Not even her father – not that they remain close enough for her to reveal the truth. However, Kip can tell that Poe is hiding something. Especially since she immediately disconnected the session after Ian’s brief reveal. Poe knows that she must tell Kip the truth if she wants the show – and their relationship – to succeed. She prefers that he hears it from her, instead of some mysterious man who happens to know everything about her deepest, darkest secret.
Reluctantly, Poe agrees to have Ian on the show. But Ian will only do it if the show is live-streamed – something they’ve never done before. Even worse, Ian is stalking and harassing Poe to comply. She can’t go to the authorities, because then she will have to reveal what she did years ago. Especially since if Ian is indeed the man who killed Poe’s mother, then Poe will have to consider that she killed an innocent man. She has no choice but to follow through with Ian’s request. And no one knows what Ian will do next.
Review
Wilson knocks another suspense thriller out of the park with Tell Me What You Did. The story is captivating, fast-paced, and impactful. Plus the short chapters make it an easy page-turner. Thanks to the dual timeline storytelling, readers immediately know that something is wrong. Ian has turned the tables on Poe and she is now in the hot seat, forced to confess her crime. For the remainder of the story, readers are itching to learn Poe’s truth and how the final confrontation will pan out.
While I liked Poe as a character, her brazen and reckless attitude might rub readers the wrong way. She’s different than most female protagonists, but I find it refreshing. The author could improve the story by including more descriptions about characters’ physical appearances. Even so, Wilson continues to be one of my favorite suspense authors. I highly recommend this one.
Carter Wilson returns to the Cantina Book Club Podcast to talk about the success of his tenth published book and plans for the future. Catch the interview on an upcoming episode and pick up a copy of Tell Me What You Did, available now.
