Tell Me What You Did by Carter Wilson

on

 


⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Book Review: Tell Me What You Did by Carter Wilson

Genre: Psychological Thriller / Suspense

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5 out of 5)

Spoiler Alert: Yes. And I’m not even sorry.

🛒 Buy Tell Me What You Did Now

💡 TL;DR:

If Tell Me What You Did were a podcast episode, it would be that one with the twist no one sees coming—except apparently the internet, because some people claim they predicted it. Well, I didn’t. I made five solid theories while reading this and not one was even remotely close. Which only made me love it more.

🎙️ The Premise:

Poe Webb is the thirty-something host of a wildly popular true-crime podcast called Tell Me What You Did. Each episode features a criminal confession, sometimes anonymous, but often traceable due to the obsessive fan base that analyzes every voice inflection like it’s a federal case.

Poe's dream guest? Her mother’s killer. Except she already took care of that one herself. Allegedly.

🧠 Poe’s Complicated Past:

At age 13, Poe walked in on a man brutally murdering her mother. She identified him as Leopold Hutchins—thanks to a little email snooping on her mom’s computer (hello, trauma and tech-savviness).

Years later, she lures a man she believes is Leopold—now going by Leonard Avery—on a date, using her mom’s photo on a fake profile. When she’s sure, she poisons him. End of story… or so she thinks.

Except it’s only the beginning.

🎧 The Caller:

The story opens with a chilling prologue: a man calling himself Ian Hindley confesses on Poe’s podcast that he killed her mother and currently has her boyfriend and producer, Kip, tied up in a chair.

By the way, Poe hasn’t told Kip (or anyone) the truth about her past. So this call is... problematic.

And yes, “Ian Hindley” is clearly a nod to Ian Brady and Myra Hindley—a horrifying real-life duo. Great. That set the tone.

👥 The Players:

Poe Webb – Complicated, brilliant, and beautifully unhinged. I was rooting for her from the first line.
Kip Nguyen – Poe’s boyfriend and podcast producer. Loyal. Lovely. Probably didn’t sign up for any of this.
Alice Hill – Poe’s unlikely friend, a twice-survived attempted murder victim who runs a victim advocacy group. Constantly reminds Poe: don’t trust anyone.
Poe’s Father – Unnamed, intense, and fiercely protective. Poe says he’s the only one she trusts. (I didn’t trust him at all.)

🕵️‍♀️ My Theories While Reading (all wrong):

  1. Poe killed the wrong guy.

  2. Her dad’s the real killer.

  3. Alice’s attacker “Jack” is Poe’s father.

  4. Hindley was hired by her father.

  5. Hindley is lying about having Kip.

Score: 0 for 5. I’m either very gullible, or this book is just that good. (Spoiler: it’s the latter.)

🔪 The Truth Unfolds:

We find out that Leonardo Worbly (aka Leopold Hutchins aka Leonard Avery) really was the killer. He was also a serial murderer. And Hindley? He’s John Worbly, Leonard’s brother.

He took the fall for one of his brother’s murders and spent 20 years in prison. After his release, he tracked down Poe, lured her into confessing (on her own podcast, no less), and demanded she and Kip kill each other on livestream.

No pressure.

💥 The Final Showdown:

Poe recognizes Hindley’s location from the livestream—it’s a vacant house nearby. Armed with a hatchet (because obviously), she rushes in.

Her father shows up mid-hostage situation and starts beating Hindley with a bat. Poe finishes the job by shooting Hindley with his own gun.

Her confession about killing Leonard Avery lands her a 14-month sentence (thanks to a great plea deal). Killing Hindley is ruled self-defense.

💌 The Aftermath:

From prison, Poe keeps her podcast going. Kip sticks with her. After her release, Poe plans to join Alice’s victims' advocacy group. A surprising but earned turn for a character who’s been through everything.

🧠 Final Thoughts (and Feelings):

I loved this book.

It’s sharp, tense, unpredictable, and deliciously dark. The pacing is perfect, the dialogue is crisp, and the characters are all just shady enough to make you question your loyalty every few chapters.

I also loved that Poe is morally complex. She’s not your average heroine—and I appreciated that deeply. Carter Wilson did a masterful job building suspense and then actually paying it off, which isn’t easy.

✍️ SEO Tags:

Tell Me What You Did review, Carter Wilson thriller, Poe Webb podcast book, books with unreliable narrators, books with major twists, best thrillers 2024, psychological suspense podcast book, true crime podcast fiction, books like Verity, books like The Last House Guest

📣 Would I Recommend It?

Absolutely. To anyone who likes:

  • Podcast-based thrillers

  • Dark, layered protagonists

  • Surprising reveals you won’t see coming (unless you're lying)

  • Books that feel like true crime documentaries with a twist

📚 Books You Might Like Next

If you loved Tell Me What You Did, here are some other psychological thrillers that deliver similar tension and mystery:

  • The Night Swim by Megan Goldin – A crime podcaster investigates a small-town rape trial with chilling secrets.

  • Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier – A dark, gritty thriller with buried secrets and one of the best final twists.

  • The Chain by Adrian McKinty – Your child is kidnapped. To get them back, you must kidnap someone else’s.

  • A Nearly Normal Family by M.T. Edvardsson – A legal thriller told from three viewpoints, each with its own secrets.

  • The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson – Strangers meet on a flight and casually plan a murder. What could go wrong?

Comments

Post a Comment