I really did not see where this was going, such a cleverly written book!

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book

‘Believe’ by S.M. Govett is an unnerving and twisty domestic thriller and police procedural which explores the nature of truth and the danger of revenge. We meet Natalie, who is a shell of her former self and still struggling a decade after her boss was found not guilty of the rape she accused him of. When her husband Ryan is accused of a similar crime, her strength is further diminished… and things just keep getting worse.

Alongside Natalie’s chapters, I enjoyed how this novel featured sections from the perspective of a police officer who is tasked with investigating Ryan. However, I wish we’d had more of a chance to explore her motivations and her relationship with her partner who had recently transferred from another unit.

Overall, this gets three stars from me - the premise was good, and elements of the mystery were very clever, but the ending wasn’t as satisfying as the rest of the book in my opinion. It’s still a worthy thriller which a lot of people have absolutely raved about, so please don’t “believe” me without reading it and forming your own view!

I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher Michael Joseph, Penguin via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

4.5 stars
This is a great psychological thriller.
The story is made up of narratives from two women - Natalie and Detective Helen Stratton.
Natalie is recovering from a rape that shattered her life a few years ago and is trying to make her marriage work with Ryan.
When Ryan comes home and tells her he’s been accused of rape, and then later they find out the woman has been murdered, Natalie is in shock.
Detective Stratton is charge of the case and has a new colleague to work with to find the killer. She’s also struggling with her past, but initially lacks sympathy for Ryan and Natalie’s situation.
There’s a few twists and turns in this book and most of them totally took me by surprise, so I won’t spoil them.
This is a great read that will certainly keep you guessing as to who is telling lies and who is telling the truth.
Thanks to Michael Joseph Publishers for the opportunity to read this book.

Thanks to net galley and the publishers for an advanced ecopy in exchange for a review.
Believe is a suspenseful and tense thriller.
The book follows unreliable narrator Natalie and her husband Ryan. She is getting hate mail which isn’t the first time and she thinks her past is catching up with her.
Another main character is Stratton a police officer who is on the case of a killer after her sister disappeared many years ago.
When Natalie’s husband is accused of a terrible crime can Natalie find it in her to forgive him or will she dig deeper to try and uncover the truth.
A page turner and I will be recommending

Ten years ago, former lawyer Natalie was raped by her boss, but in court he was declared innocent and consequently she, a liar. She is still haunted by her past ordeals and occasionally suffers total blackouts. Married to Ryan, she freelances from home as a legal journalist, when her husband gets accused of rape by his new assistant…This fast-paced thriller kept me at the edge of my seat with its salvo of twists and turns plus lots of red herrings. Highly recommended!

A thrilling read!

Natalie was sexually assaulted by her boss; that was bad enough but in the ensuing court case, he was found not guilty and she was devastated all over again. Suffering from blackouts, she hasn't got her life back but the support of her husband gets her through the days and nights. When he is accused of the same crime by a young woman he works with, their lives begin to fall apart and when that girl's body is found not far from their home, the pressure is intense. But he didn't do it - did he?

The suspense is palpable in this one and, as hard as I tried, I couldn't work it out until it was almost spelled out on the page. A roller coast of a read, and one which kept my full attention until the very end. Gripping all the way through - I think I suspected each character in turn (some more than once). Recommended and, for me, 4.5*.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley.

Believe is a good mix of domestic thriller and police procedural. The first third is packed with twists and revelations, the middle third with a police investigation, and the final third with more twists and danger for the characters.

I really enjoyed the way that the reader is kept guessing and never truly knowing who to trust. I had my suspicions about the person who ended up being the culprit but was never fully convinced because so many of the characters seemed so potentially guilty!

Believes contains just the right amount of comfortable thriller predictability with moments to make you doubt everything you thought you knew about the story. A brilliant and enjoyable read.

Natalie has struggled to come to terms with being raped by her boss ten years ago. She lost her job due to the stress and suffers from blackouts. So when her husband, Ryan, is accused of raping a female colleague, she doesn’t know what or who to believe. Her best friend says he’s tried to hit on her in the past but Ryan maintains he’s innocent. But then, the body of the girl who accused Ryan of rape is found murdered in the woods near their house, Ryan becomes the police’s main suspect. Can DI Stratton crack this seemingly straightforward case when she has her own demons to fight?

This was such a great read. It’s one of those books where you think you’ve cracked it but then the story throws you a curveball and you’re back to square one with second guessing how it will all end. I loved the fact it’s told from multi POV and that you got a background into the characters’ lives too. I didn’t want to put it down, a great page turner.

A very good read. Well written. Good storyline that kept me guessing throughout, although i never say the final twist. It’s a must for a holiday read.

A very well plotted and enjoyable thriller. An unusual and twisty plot. The characters are good and you feel empathy towards them.....but should you?

A great read. Well recommended.

Believe follows Natalie, who has spent years trying to move on after her boss assaulted her, and the jury declared him innocent. But despite trying to block the past out, it still haunts Natalie, and she often wakes up not knowing where she’s been or what she’s done. When her husband gets accused of the same crime, Natalie wants to believe he didn’t do it - until the woman who made the accusation is found dead and he becomes the prime suspect. Natalie can’t trust the law. She can’t trust her husband. And worst of all - she can’t trust herself.

This was one of my most anticipated 2025 reads and it did not disappoint! Believe is told from the alternating perspectives of Natalie and DI Stratton, who is investigating the murder case, creating a perfect contrast of psychological suspense and a witty, procedural edge. Natalie is an unforgettable character, and her perspective is so skillfully written that it pulls you into her disorientation, leaving you constantly questioning what’s real. This sense of uncertainty draws you in even further, making it impossible to put down.

Believe is the ultimate masterclass in unreliable narration, and I’m genuinely in awe of how brilliantly S.M. Govett crafted such a complex and deceptive web. I doubted everything and everyone, constantly shifting my suspicions, only to be completely wrong in the end. The pacing itself is perfect, and it created a balance of tension and vulnerability that really brought the plot and characters to life.

The psychological intensity of Believe is perfectly matched by its shocking yet deeply satisfying conclusion. The twist is executed with such precision and skill that it left me completely stunned. This is a book I gladly won’t forget anytime soon.

Thank you so much to S.M. Govett and Michael Josephs for sending me this advanced copy of Believe to read and review. My opinions are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
It was good. I guess your typical crime thriller with a moody DCI and a young sidekick.
I must admit it was a tad tedious to start with. Took a while to get into the story. Never saw the main twist coming though. Although I did the other one.
It was enjoyable reading.

Very good adult debut from this author
Tense and tenser and I kept changing my mind as to what had happened/ was happening and who was to bakme,many twists and turns and am happy to say I got it wrong!
Good dual storyline and strong characters
Look forward to the authors next book

S.M. Govett's "Believe" is an absolute powerhouse of a detective novel that I simply could not put down. This murder mystery is a true page-turner, hooking me from the very beginning and holding my attention so completely that I devoured it in a single day.

What makes "Believe" so compelling is Govett's masterful ability to craft a deeply unpredictable narrative. Despite there being only a very small number of suspects, I found myself completely stumped, unable to anticipate where the story was headed next. The plot is rich with different twists and intricate layers, each revelation adding new depth and complexity to the mystery.

The dual perspective employed in the storytelling is particularly effective. We experience the unfolding investigation through the eyes of two key characters: the sharp lead detective and the wife of the main suspect. This unique approach offers a multi-faceted view of events, enhancing the suspense and allowing for a deeper dive into the emotional landscape surrounding the crime. I absolutely loved this narrative choice.

The character development in "Believe" is another major strength. The detective team, in particular, is well-rounded and, for the most part, incredibly likeable. Their dynamics and individual personalities shine through, making them a group I'd be very eager to follow further. In fact, I would love to see a follow-up book featuring this excellent team.

"Believe" is a must-read for anyone who loves thrillers or detective novels. It's a gripping, fast-paced, and incredibly clever mystery that will keep you guessing until the very last page. Highly recommended!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Tense. Told from different points of view from 2 very different characters. The characters are authentic in every way. You will struggle to stop reading as it’s a very more-ish page turner and I’m recommending it to everyone. As I thought I’d worked out the mystery I was blindsided. Cannot recommend this book enough.

This is such a strong debut book into the adult thriller genre, S M Govett previous books have been YA.

Believe has all the great twist and turns along with more red herrings than any book I think Iv read. I really thought I had it all figured out…. How wrong was I 🤣

The book is written from two perspectives one being Natalie, who has spent ten years trying to get over the twin set of events which changed her life forever and Stratton who is a detective in Murder Investigation Team. I really loved the different Pov’s and the secondary side story of Stratton past was really interesting too.

The characters were well developed and relatable and likable, I enjoyed the police procedural element to the story too and the office banters and relationships. I felt connected and invested.

A page turning twisty thriller at its finest!

From the premise of this novel I was eager to read it and enjoyed it in the main. However I did find the start of it very slow and some parts of the book seemed to drag slightly. However the latter half of the book really picked up pace and the dramatic conclusion was welcome. I would rate this 3.5 stars rounded up. Thank you to NetGalley, Michael Joseph Penguin Random House and the author for the chance to review.

What a brilliant debut. Full of drama, tension, secrets and intrigue. I was completely hooked from the first chapter. I couldn’t put it down.
A psychological thriller that is gripping, clever with twists and turns you don’t see coming and keeps you guessing until the end. You don’t know who to believe…..
The story is told in dual narrative from the POV’s of Natalie and DS Stratton. The characters and storyline are very well written, relatable and interesting. I liked the authors writing style. It’s an engaging and entertaining read. Definitely recommend if you enjoy this genre.
I look forward to reading more from this author.
With thanks to #NetGallery @michaeljoseph #PenguinRandomHouse for an arc of #Believe in exchange for a honest review.
Book publishes 19 June 2025

We start with Natalie who, when we first meet her, is suffering blackouts. Sometime she just fades away for a moment or two, occasionally longer, but there are times when she loses hours and also "wakes up" in a different place. This all started when she was assaulted by her boss who was subsequently found not guilty. These days she, and her supportive husband Ryan are just trying to get through the days. Setting up routines helps a lot, as does her work, which she now does from home. But things get worse when the anonymous notes that she received during the trial start to arrive again. Escalating her anxiety and, in turn, her blackout episodes. And then Ryan gets accused of committing the exact same thing she herself suffered. She really wants to believe the innocence he so vehemently professes but... Things escalate even further when the young woman accusing Ryan is found murdered in woods near their house...
Enter DI Helen Stratton to investigate. She is not without her own demons surrounding the disappearance of her older sister years ago, the reason for her becoming a cop in the first place, but she is nothing but tenacious and is good at her job. Well, when she is not abusing it to find her sister that is! She is partnered with DC Bradley who has just transferred and who is on the "fasttrack" program. They are a bit chalk and cheese but appear to rub along quite well. Initially anyway!
Things went rather swimmingly for me with this book. Interesting and intriguing all the way up to a final shock that had me rolling my eyes when it was revealed. Now, I do understand that this is definitely a ME thing rather than anything the author might have done wrong but, as I have to be honest, and I'm trying to do this without spoilers, but I really do loathe this type of ending... Although I do understand that it does happen in real life, more than we ever hear probably, it just doesn't do it for me and leaves me less satisfied than I would prefer.
But, all that said, I did spend the majority of the book trying to figure out what was going on. So many questions. So many secrets and lies. So much obfuscation. And the unreliability of the many characters only added another layer to the mix.
Now, I do have to wonder whether this is the start of a new series featuring Helen? It kinda looks that way to me. And I think it would work as I do feel that she has so much more to give as a character. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

A great debut thriller from S M Govett. The story is told from two different perspectives, Natalie a woman who suffers with blackouts after she was raped 10 years prior to the start of this story and a female detective Stratton, who has her own demons. Plenty of twists and turns to keep you thinking and a final twist (I did not see coming) with an ultimately satisfying conclusion. Definitely an author to look out for.

Thank you to Netgalley, Michael Joseph and Penguin Random House for the advance copy of this book.