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?
Intrigued? Well read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from Tell Me What You Did by Carter Wilson, which releases on January 28th 2025.
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.
THREE
A readout on my screen tells me Kip is now recording.
“Welcome to this episode of Tell Me What You Did,” I say into my mic. Audio levels are good. “The show where I invite you, the public, to come on and confess your crimes. I can’t absolve you of your sins, I can’t protect you from any police listening, but I can give you a space to talk and I can attempt to understand why you did what you did. And, as always, I have no idea of each guest’s crime until they tell me, right here, digital face to digital face.”
KOD4ever offers a weird grin, like he’s not sure what to do with his mouth.
“Today I have with me KOD4ever,” I continue. “Welcome.”
Now he smiles, and how meaty it is. “I can’t tell you how excited—and nervous—I am to be here, Poe. I’ve been listening to your show for years. I’m such a big fan.”
“Uh-huh. So, my first question, as always, is this: Do you want to tell me your real name?”
“No,” he says.
Over three hundred episodes, and I’ve only been told a real name four times. And each of those four had burned through their respective statutes of limitations.
“As usual,” I say. “Before we get to your confession, what do you want to tell us about yourself? Paint a picture for our listeners.”
Now begins the dance.
My guests? They’re seeking fame in a sick kind of way. Sure, some of them truly feel massive relief confessing their crimes on a national platform, and by last count, nearly 30 percent have shed tears in the process. But they could confess anywhere. They want to do it here because, if the story is interesting enough, it’ll create a buzz online. From bloggers, mostly. One time, when I had on a guy in his fifties who confessed to poisoning his spouse, upset that his “trophy wife had grown into a consolation prize,” the story got picked up by both the Washington Post and the New York Times (the wife lived, apparently). And my guests know the more they reveal about themselves, the better the episode.
“I, uh, well,” he says, “let’s see. Ah, heck, I’d had it all planned out, and now I’m so nervous, I’m forgetting everything.”
“I don’t want anything planned out,” I tell him. My voice lowers, softens. I’m slipping into my therapist tone. It’s okay. You can tell me. I’m here to help you. “Take your time. Just tell me a few things. Like we’re meeting over the phone after matching on a dating app.”
He chuckles, and it’s kind of gross. “Well, that wouldn’t happen. You’re out of my league.”
“Stay focused.”
“Um…okay. Well, I’m in my forties. A bit overweight, but trying to exercise more. I live in the Midwest—you might have heard that in my accent.”
I had.
“And I work with numbers,” he adds.
“An accountant?”
“I’d rather not say, specifically.”
Kip pops onto my GoPod screen. Not a message, but his video image. A small box in the upper-right-hand corner, and only I can see him. He gives me a thumbs-up, telling me he thinks KOD4ever is being truthful so far.
It’s all about truth.
I get a shit ton of liars on this show. Like, sure, most criminals are going to lie, and most of the buzz around my show consists of debates over whether a certain guest made everything up just to be on the podcast. Some have, for sure. Sometimes I get fooled. But that’s where Kip comes in and why we insist on the guest’s video being on during the interview.
Kip’s a freaky genius when it comes to discerning if someone is being truthful. He knows all the visible and audible cues, and I swear it’s nothing short of magic. It’s also been a problem in our relationship because he knows if I’m hiding something.
So far, KOD4ever seems legit. But we haven’t gotten to the good stuff yet.
“Anything else you want to tell us?”
“No, not really.”
“Well, I’ll be asking some follow-up questions, as you know. Maybe you’ll feel more comfortable…after we get to the reason you’re here.”
“Okay.” More sweat, and he’s now at least two shades paler. I’m no Kip, but it’s painfully obvious this guy is fucking nervous. Could be he’s just going to tell me some bullshit story and hope I air his episode. But I don’t think so. I think this guy did some real shit.
Time to find out.
“Well, as a longtime listener of mine, you know how this works. I’m going to say five simple words, and when I do, the floor is yours. You start talking. Tell me your story. I won’t interrupt for any reason. You have fifteen minutes, and you can use all or some of it. When you’re done, and if I think you’re being truthful, we’ll have a chat. That sound okay to you?”
He wipes his forehead with a folded paper towel. “Ye…yes.”
“Okay, then,” I say. I pause, not for effect, but because this is the moment I love the most. I might be in for a huge letdown or a jolt that will shake me to my core. And not knowing always makes my hairs stand on end.
I lean closer to my mic. Lower my voice even more.
“Tell me what you did.”
Excerpted from Tell Me What You Did by Carter Wilson Reprinted with permission from Poisoned Pen Press, an imprint of Sourcebooks. All rights reserved.
