Tell Me What You Did Summary, Characters and Themes

Tell Me What You Did by Carter Wilson is a psychological thriller that blends murder mystery, personal trauma, and the dark pull of public confession.

At the story’s core is Poe Webb, a reclusive true crime podcaster whose life begins to unravel when a sinister guest, Ian Hindley, claims a disturbing connection to her past—specifically, the unsolved murder of her mother. As Poe confronts secrets she’s long buried, the narrative blurs the line between justice and vengeance, truth and manipulation. Told with relentless tension and emotional depth, this novel probes how far someone will go for closure—and how high the cost might be.

Summary

Poe Webb is the enigmatic host of Tell Me What You Did, a hit podcast that thrives on anonymous confessions of dark deeds. Behind her success, however, is a childhood tragedy: the murder of her mother when Poe was just thirteen—a crime she witnessed but never spoke of. 

Living in isolation in Vermont with her boyfriend and producer, Kip, Poe uses her show as a shield from the world, processing other people’s darkness while hiding her own.

Everything begins to shift when a mysterious guest named Ian Hindley appears on her show and makes an explosive claim: he knows who killed Poe’s mother—and perhaps, he is that killer.

Hindley doesn’t just confess a crime; he initiates a psychological game, manipulating Poe live on air and forcing her to confront the deepest, most repressed parts of her memory. As he dangles hints about her mother’s murder, Poe’s careful control starts to unravel.

Haunted by doubt, Poe recalls a secret mission she undertook in her early adulthood: she hunted down Leopold Hutchins, the man she believed killed her mother, and murdered him. 

But Hindley’s appearance and knowledge suggest she may have killed the wrong man. 

Poe spirals into paranoia and guilt, especially as Hindley begins targeting her personally—breaking into her home, bugging her equipment, and threatening Kip during live broadcasts.

Poe digs deeper into the past, questioning everything she thought she knew. Hindley escalates his attacks, revealing footage, personal letters, and journal entries that indicate he’s been stalking her for years. 

He claims to be the son of Raymond Tate, a violent ex-boyfriend of Poe’s mother. 

As the pieces come together, Poe begins to suspect that Hindley is her half-brother—and that Tate may have been her biological father. Worse, she learns that Tate may have been a serial abuser and killer, responsible for multiple unsolved crimes.

Despite Kip’s pleas to involve the police, Poe insists on resolving things herself. She continues her podcast in an attempt to bait Hindley, leading to a series of chilling confrontations. 

One culminates in a live stream where Hindley invades her home, revealing he watched his father—Raymond Tate—murder Poe’s mother, and fled without telling anyone. 

He has spent his life consumed by rage and grief, believing Poe’s vigilante killing of Hutchins robbed him of the opportunity to publicly expose his father.

Poe’s world implodes. Public opinion swings wildly as she confesses to the Hutchins murder on air. Legal proceedings begin. 

Prosecutors charge her with manslaughter, and Hindley disappears—leaving only a letter behind. A DNA test confirms the unthinkable: Poe and Hindley are indeed half-siblings. In court, Poe delivers an emotional testimony. 

Ultimately, the judge spares her prison time, sentencing her to probation and psychiatric treatment due to the extraordinary emotional trauma and systemic failures in her case.

With her podcast ended and her public persona in ruins, Poe retreats from the spotlight. 

She begins rebuilding her life, focusing on healing rather than spectacle. She reconnects with her adoptive father, visits her mother’s grave, and receives a final, heart-wrenching letter written by her mother before her death—offering love, regret, and hope. 

In the end, Poe chooses a quieter life, one centered on truth, healing, and compassion. Her final reflection—“Confession isn’t salvation. It’s just a door cracked open”—underscores the novel’s central message: that truth may liberate, but it doesn’t erase the past. It only gives you a place to begin again.

Characters

Poe Webb

Poe Webb is a complex and deeply troubled protagonist whose journey is defined by her attempt to make sense of her traumatic past while navigating the consequences of her actions. Poe is a podcaster who runs a true-crime confession show, Tell Me What You Did. Her podcast’s focus is on confessions from people with dark secrets, but it becomes apparent that Poe herself harbors significant secrets, particularly concerning the unsolved murder of her mother when she was a child.

She struggles with guilt, self-doubt, and a need for redemption, which drives much of her internal conflict throughout the book. Poe’s vulnerability and emotional complexity are core to her character. She is empathetic to the people who confess on her show, yet her own trauma continues to haunt her.

The murder of her mother is a defining moment in her life that shaped her view of justice and morality. Poe’s descent into paranoia and psychological disintegration is palpable as she becomes ensnared in a cat-and-mouse game with Hindley, the person who seems to know far too much about her past.

Despite the manipulation she faces, she attempts to confront her past mistakes, but the line between seeking justice and being consumed by guilt becomes increasingly blurred. Poe’s relationships, particularly with her producer Kip, further highlight her inner turmoil. Her strained romantic relationship with Kip, combined with his growing suspicion of her secrets, creates additional emotional conflict.

As Poe unravels, her role as a public figure is questioned, and the intense pressure of maintaining her podcast while uncovering the truth about her past forces her to confront uncomfortable truths about herself.

Ian Hindley

Ian Hindley is the antagonist whose role in the story is one of manipulation and psychological torment. His obsession with Poe and her past is rooted in a deep desire for vengeance. Hindley claims to be the son of Raymond Tate, who may have been the biological father of both Poe and Hindley, and is convinced that Poe’s act of vigilante justice against Leopold Hutchins was a wrong that must be corrected.

Throughout the story, Hindley plays a cat-and-mouse game with Poe, controlling the narrative and revealing disturbing knowledge about her past. He knows details of her life that no one else could, which makes him a terrifying figure in Poe’s life.

Hindley’s true motivations are gradually revealed, and it becomes clear that his quest is not just about revenge but about restoring a distorted sense of justice. His manipulation is so effective that it forces Poe to revisit her own traumatic memories, making her question everything she thought she knew about her past.

Hindley’s complex relationship with Poe is marked by an unsettling mix of resentment, empathy, and an obsessive need for closure. As the story unfolds, it is revealed that Hindley has been stalking Poe for years, and his actions are driven by a distorted sense of family loyalty and an urge to right the wrongs he believes were done to him and his father.

His ultimate goal seems to be not just to expose Poe’s secrets but to make her feel the same isolation and guilt that he has felt throughout his life.

Kip

Kip is Poe’s producer and romantic partner, but their relationship is strained throughout much of the story. While Kip is supportive of Poe’s podcast, he begins to sense that something is off and that Poe is hiding deeper secrets. As Poe’s trauma resurfaces, Kip finds himself caught in the crossfire of her emotional breakdowns.

Despite their emotional distance, Kip remains a loyal presence in Poe’s life, although he grows increasingly frustrated with her secrecy and her unwillingness to confront her past fully. His attempts to help her, whether by suggesting she go to the police or encouraging her to open up about her past, often clash with Poe’s need to maintain control over her narrative.

Kip’s character represents the theme of support versus detachment. He genuinely cares for Poe, but his belief in rationality and order contrasts sharply with Poe’s emotional chaos. His eventual decision to leave, both personally and professionally, marks a turning point in his relationship with Poe. His departure underscores the emotional cost of Poe’s secrets and the toll her actions have taken on those closest to her.

However, despite their separation, Kip’s belief in Poe’s humanity and his willingness to stand by her during the trial suggest a lingering hope for reconciliation, even if it remains unspoken.

Themes

Psychological Manipulation and Power Dynamics in Trauma and Confession

A dominant theme in Tell Me What You Did revolves around the psychological manipulation exerted by Ian Hindley and its profound effect on Poe Webb. Hindley’s actions throughout the novel demonstrate a strategic unraveling of Poe’s mental stability, using her trauma as leverage.

From the outset, Hindley’s role as a guest on Poe’s podcast seems innocent enough, but it quickly becomes clear that he is far from a mere participant. Hindley understands the fragility of Poe’s psyche and uses her darkest secrets—namely her mother’s unsolved murder and her subsequent vigilante killing of a man she believed to be the killer—as a means to control and destabilize her.

His method of manipulation extends beyond mere threats or emotional pressure; he exploits Poe’s public identity, her past guilt, and her need for validation. This dynamic forces Poe into a vulnerable position where her every move is scrutinized, and her responses are shaped by Hindley’s unseen hand.

As Poe unravels, she becomes acutely aware of the psychological power she has ceded to Hindley. The question emerges: is she truly the victim, or has she unknowingly become complicit in this dangerous game?

Vigilante Justice, Guilt, and the Complexity of Moral Redemption

At the heart of the narrative lies a moral quandary about vigilante justice, guilt, and the possibility of redemption. Poe’s quest to avenge her mother’s death by killing a man she believed to be the murderer presents a layered exploration of right and wrong.

Initially, Poe’s actions are framed as a justified response to a perceived injustice—her mother’s murder. Yet, as the story unfolds, Poe is forced to confront the complexity of her actions. Was her decision truly one of justice, or was it a desperate attempt to regain control over a traumatic and powerless past?

This theme resonates as Poe grapples with her role as both avenger and perpetrator. Her internal struggle is intensified by Hindley, whose manipulation forces her to confront the uncertainty surrounding the identity of the man she killed and the broader implications of her actions.

The narrative explores the tension between societal justice and personal retribution. It raises critical questions about whether Poe’s need for closure and retribution can ever be reconciled with true moral clarity.

It is only through an agonizing journey of self-reflection that Poe begins to understand the weight of her choices. She must ask herself whether redemption is a possibility after irreversible actions.

The Reconciliation of Identity and Trauma Through Family Secrets

Family dynamics and buried secrets serve as a powerful backdrop to Poe’s emotional and psychological journey. The slow revelation of Poe’s true lineage—discovered through Hindley’s twisted revelations—shifts the narrative into a deeply personal exploration of identity.

Poe’s life has been constructed on half-truths, with her identity as a daughter shaped by the absence of answers about her mother’s past relationships and the mystery surrounding her father’s role. As Poe uncovers the truth about Raymond Tate and his connection to Hindley, she must reconcile her past with the present reality of her fractured family.

This theme explores the idea that identity is not just a matter of personal history but is intricately tied to the unresolved traumas of family relationships. Poe’s discovery that her biological father is not who she believed him to be—and the chilling reality that Hindley is her half-brother—forces her to reassess her entire sense of self.

These revelations not only destabilize Poe’s understanding of her family but also challenge her notion of belonging and connection. The uncovering of these long-buried truths demands that Poe confront the trauma and abandonment embedded in her family history, leading to a painful but necessary process of emotional reconstruction.