This story, narrated by Natalie and Stratton, alternately is full of twists and turns and keeps the reader guessing right to the end. I did not find the characters particularly likeable, but this did not detect from my enjoyment of the book. I will be looking out for future books by this author.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Interwoven with points of view from two main characters, this was a good read.
Natalie is a lawyer who works from home after previous trauma, and seemingly happily married to Ryan who looks after her. There’s also a history of hate letters being sent to them. .
Detective Stratton works for the Murder Investigation Team, and has not had anything to get her teeth into for a while - possibly due to previous cases, whilst also trying to see her mum in the care home as much as she can. She is teamed up with a new boy - a fastrack detective Bradley,
Their lives become intertwined after a girl is found murdered. Ryan is arrested - he worked with her and is the prime suspect.
But Natalie is not sure what is happening. Can she trust Ryan? He’s lied before, is he lying again? Blackouts continue where she doesn’t know what’s going on, and Stratton is not convinced that Ryan is the one.
A page turner although a little slow at times.
Thanks to #netgalley for the advance copy.

An interesting plot from the get-go, told in two POVs - that of the main character, Natalie, and of the lead investigator, Stratton. Both sides weaving the story together and really immerse you in what's happening.

Whilst the book covers some sensitive topics (TW: r*pe) I felt it gave a unique spin on a crime plot, with everything revolving around Natalie's past trauma and how it's affected her and her loved ones.

All in all, a fantastic twisty crime thriller with psychological elements in a debut novel that is well worth a read!

📚 Book Review 📚

This story follows Natalie Campbell, a woman who suffers from PTSD anxiety and blackouts ten years after she is assaulted by her boss at work. Even though this horrific event is with her every day, Natalie is happily married to Ryan and together, they manage to have a good life until Ryan is accused of a crime which rocks everything. Reeling from the crime that Ryan has been accused of, the body of a young woman is found in the local woods and suddenly, things go from bad to worse for the Campbells.

Detective Helen Stratton is the lead investigator on the murder case, and like Natalie, Stratton is haunted by past events in her life. Events which she desperately needs answers to. Nothing is as simple as it seems.

This story is told through the dual pov of both women and is full of secrets, lies, red herrings and absolute shockers! It is fast paced, gripping and I was questioning the reliability of the narrators throughout, wondering who was telling the truth and who wasn’t. I just couldn’t put it down and that ending, I honestly didn’t see THAT coming!! 94% in and baamm!!

This is a fantastic debut, a real page turner and I absolutely loved it, what a brilliant read.

I’d like to thank Penguin Michael Joseph, NetGalley and the author for the arc and the fantastic opportunity, in exchange for my honest feedback 😊

Book released on 10th June 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I liked this book but I think I read it at the wrong time as this didn’t quite hit the spot for me. I think I just wasn’t in the mood for it. I’m going to reread when I’m more in the mood for it :).

This book really kept me gripped, I had my suspicions on the twist, a few of them and one was right, this isn’t a negative, the book flowed well. I liked the snippets of humour from Stratton all in all a good read

A great plot idea that was slightly let down for me by how thoroughly dislikeable the main characters were! I like to have a character I want to get behind but in this case both Natalie and Helen have no redeeming qualities that make you want to root for them.
That said the plot runs well, the blackouts Natalie has are a clever way of moving the story along without having to labour the point and the twists and red herrings are plentiful and clever.

Believe was a great read about a difficult subject. It was a suspenseful ‘who done it’ with many twists and turns which left me trying to guess what the ending would be.
The story was well written and I found it difficult to put down and I became invested in the main characters journey.

Summary
This is a 4.5 star domestic psychological thriller crossed with 3 star police procedural, and ultimately dragged down by a 2 star ending. So it ends up at 3.5 stars, which I'm rounding up to 4 stars. Structurally and thematically it reminded me of The Girl On A Train, in that the central character has mental health issues, and the story is told in alternating first person perspectives.

Listing
A lot of people will read the listing/blurb before they open the book. In this instance, the listing manages to give away the first 30% of the novel, which I found to be a bad marketing decision. But you can make up your own mind about that.
“Natalie has spent ten years trying to get over the twin set of events which changed her life forever.
The first: the moment her boss assaulted her. The second: the moment the jury declared him innocent - and her, a liar.
The memories continue to haunt Natalie, and in her attempts to block out the past, she often wakes up with no memory of where she’s been – or what she’s done.
So when her husband, Ryan, gets accused of the same crime, Natalie comes perilously close to the edge.
Natalie wants to believe him. But when the body of the young woman who made the accusation is found in the woods near their house, Ryan becomes a prime suspect, and Natalie realises she can't trust anyone - herself included...”

Characters
The first main character, Natalie is a middle class solicitor, who is suffering from mental health issues after accusing her boss of rape, and is being targeted by a stalker. I had a fair bit of sympathy for her. Govett herself was a solicitor, so she’s writing partly from experience. In the second third of the book, Govett’s writing of Natalie’s interiority is close to 10 out of 10 for her mental anguish and her doubts about whether her husband is a murderer. The ending descends into quite bizarre psychological confusion with Natalie seeming to become completely unhinged and crazy, and I thought it was quite well done. A solid 10 out of 10 for Natalie.

The equal billing second main character, DI Stratton is a sweary, acerbic, murder squad detective, from a working-class background who is a haunted by the disappearance of her sister. I thought the swearing and acerbity was unconvincing and overdone, and found it unpleasant to read. I can’t say I warmed to her, but I can see how Govett wanted her as a juxtaposition to Natalie’s socio-economic status (SES). It feels like Govett, a middle class solicitor, is slightly outside of her comfort zone in this SES, but it’s an average effort at character creation. It ends up reading like a middle-class person imagining a working class person’s sweary interior thoughts, and producing an exaggerated caricature, rather than something authentic.

DI Stratton spends a lot of time visiting her elderly mother in a nursing home. It was hard to see where this was leading. It seems wasted and pointless padding. It seems that part of the reason for this is that Govett wanted to direct Reader sympathy towards DI Stratton and flesh out her back-story and motivation. It didn’t quite work for me.

Overall, 8 out of 10 for creating Natalie and DI Stratton and bringing them to life with a convincing interior perspective.

There are two main subsidiary characters. Ryan, who is Natalie’s husband, and ends up being a suspect. And Bradley, who is DI Stratton’s middle class, well-educated, clean cut, fast-tracked partner. The sort of character juxtaposition which you only find in fiction, such as Scooby Doo, or buddy cop dramas. It’s clichéd, but it works, so well done. The victim, Alice Lytton is from an SES which is closer to DI Stratton’s and she’s reasonably well drawn. There are a few other characters, such as Natalie’s BFF, Rachel, who are all appropriately two-dimensional, and reasonably well drawn.

Structure
The novel is written in immediate first person narrative, alternating between Natalie and DI Stratton, following the benchmark set by Gone Girl. The alternating first person perspectives give this a reasonable page-turner appeal. 7 out of 10. But against that, the pace is a fairy middling 5 out of 10 - a slow and steady pot-boiler which focuses more on spinning out the intrigue and suspense rather than action.
Govett also plays skillfully with informational asymmetry – where one character (and therefore the reader) already knows something, but another one doesn’t, and the story shows how they come by that information, and how they react to it. Not an easy thing to do. Overall, a respectable 9 out of 10 for structure.

Twist Rating
So, this novel has lots of clever and well-written "unexpected plot developments". Some people might call them twists, but I don't think quite hit the definition, because they don't wrong-foot the reader. There is however a big dramatic Twist in the final third. Did I guess the twist? No. So, 10 out of 10 for tricking me.
Was the Twist cleverly hidden? Yes. So, again, 10 out of 10.
Was the Twist believable and enjoyable? No. Unfortunately, it was contrived, inconsistent and artificial, and left too many gaping holes. So, it gets 3 out of 10 for believability, and contributes significantly to bringing down the overall rating of the novel to 3.5 stars.

Humour
There are some attempts at collegiate humour amongst DI Stratton’s police colleagues. Ian Rankin or Val McDiarmid are experts, but Govett struggles to land the jocularity. There’s also a lot of aggressive, abrasive observational social commentary attempts at humour from DI Stratton about middle class habits and lifestyle – the clichéd commentary on Waitrose, where perhaps Govett herself shops. The attempt at humour is abrasive, and not particularly well-written, and I didn’t like it. There is no humour in Natalie’s sections. So, a disappointing 0 out 10 overall for humour.

Believability/Accuracy
The DI Stratton storyline seems clichéd, and the Natalie one has more holes than a golf-course. 5 out of 10 for DI Stratton. 3 out of 10 for Natalie. There are some good Natalie bits, but the key bits are really bad. For example. the idea of her boss, a married senior solicitor having predatory, pre-meditated sex (rather than drunken sex) in the office with a younger colleague when he knows there’s CCTV is too contrived. He would be instantly sacked, even if it was consensual. 0 out of 10 for that plot point. And another example is the idea of Natalie’s husband, Ryan, having sex with the murder victim on their sofa while Natalie is asleep upstairs. Again, 0 out of 10 for that plot point.

Readability
The events and storyline were fairly easy to follow, which is partly because of the middling pace, but mainly because the writing is very clear and well thought out, and the chapters are very short – each just a couple of pages. Nothing confusing where you’re wondering who that character is or why that person is doing that thing. 10 out of 10 for readability.

Prose Style
Psychological thrillers are churned out by writers fairly fast, with a focus on the structure, the psychology, and the characters. The prose is intentionally weak for a convincing interior perspective. If the character swears in their head, then (unfortunately) that’s what we have to read on the page. DI Stratton swears a lot in her head, and Natalie doesn’t, and Govett manages to make these two voices distinct and believable, and alternates between the two voices with a fair amount of skill. As a work-a-day psychological thriller, it gets a full 10 out of 10 for Govett’s ability to match the prose style to the subject matter.

Legal Issues
As a lawyer, I tend to pick up on legal issues in novels. There are a couple of howling errors when Ryan voluntarily attends the police station to “help with their inquiries”. Firstly, there’s access to bank accounts. The police trawl through Alice (the victim’s) sister’s bank accounts, even though there is no suspicion that she is involved in a crime. Then they trawl through Ryan’s accounts at a point when they don’t have enough information to arrest him. Assistant Dev says, “I’ve left messages with all the different bank branches in the area to see if he’s got any other accounts squirrelled away.” This is completely wrong. Under section 8 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act they would need a warrant to access bank accounts as part of an investigation. They would definitely not get one for the victim’s sister. Whether they would get one for Ryan is debatable, but that’s irrelevant because, according to Govett, they can simply ring round the local bank branches. There is of course a further howler hidden inside this one, which is that 40% of British people have an online only bank account, and that percentage is much higher amongst younger millenials, which is the demographic to which Ryan and Natalie belong.

Another huge howler appears when Ryan is being questioned by the police, even though he hasn’t been arrested. Let’s brush over the fact that when the questioning starts Govett doesn’t mention that DI Stratton reads him his rights – perhaps she did do that, but Govett decided to exclude that detail from the page? It looks weak. At about 60%, his supposedly tough lawyer arrives and asks, “Are you charging my client?”
Of course, what she should have asked is “Is my client under arrest.” To which the answer is no. This is simple socks then shoes order of things. The police arrest first, then charge. But DI Stratton says to the solicitor, “We have the right to hold him for thirty-six hours. You know that.” This is completely wrong. The police can only “detain without charge” after they’ve arrested someone on suspicion of a serious crime. Even the most incompetent lawyer would at this point have insisted, “If my client isn’t under then he’s leaving the station right now.”
So, it was at this point that my faith in Govett broke down. From this point on I took it that this wasn’t a “serious” novel where the writer respects the reader. But just to clarify, although not a serious novel, nevertheless an enjoyable one.

I’m sorry to say that I disliked this book, it was the wrong choice for me, and a DNF.
The main characters/ narrators are not likeable. Natalie, who has regular blackouts (which help to move the narrative along) comes across as a very needy, paranoid, disturbed selfish woman, seemingly caused by her being raped by her boss ten years earlier. Helen, the DS investigating Ryan, Helen’s husband, who is accused of rape, is thoroughly dislikable. She is rude, arrogant and patronising, with an outsize chip on her shoulder against anyone who is not from a working class background, like herself. I found it impossible to relate to either character.
I have an issue with the writing, in that it’s liberally peppered throughout with the f- word, even when characters are talking to themselves. This is just lazy writing, in my humble opinion, and adds nothing to the story. It’s unnecessary, unless it’s used an odd time when a character is angry, or frustrated or whatever, but not to the extent it’s used in this novel.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book.

If you're hunting for a gripping whodunnit, a page-turner, or a thrilling murder mystery, look no further. This book is packed with red herrings that will keep you guessing which details are clues and which are clever distractions. My favourite challenge with books like this is trying to solve the mystery before the reveal—and, for the record, I couldn't figure it out this time!

I really enjoyed Believe and couldn't put it down, staying up way past my bedtime to finish it. The dual POV storyline and short snappy chapters made it just too easy to think ... just one more!

The premise behind the story is very timely and relevant and instantly intrigued me. I was hooked from the first pages. It draws you in and doesn't let you go.

A survivor of SA who wasn't believed. Her husband accused of the same horrific crime 10 years later. He's also now the prime suspect in murder.

"Women don't lie about that"

I felt Natalie's anguish and pain as she struggles to know who to believe and what to think - even questioning herself. I appreciated how this reflects back on the reader, making them question themselves, is Natalie an unreliable narrator? Who do we believe?

Helen Stratton is the lead detective in the case and she's far from perfect but deep down, there's a softer person in there. I found her caustic and funny and I enjoyed her little quips. We are given a glimpse into her backstory and why she joined the force - I very much hope that this is indicative Belive is the beginning of a Stratton series! I'd love to see more from Helen, giving her the chance to endear herself to more readers.

Believe is very twisty - just when you think you've solved it, another plot twist appears. I thought the ending was brilliant, a real penny drop moment.

A brilliant debut, I thought it was clever, assured and the definition of a "page turner." I definitely recommend this book to thriller and crime fans. I also think it would make a great holiday read.

When Natalie's husband, Ryan, is accused of raping a work colleague in their own home while Natalie is in bed, their world is turned upside down. The next day the colleague is found dead, murdered nearby. The mystery starts here. We know Natalie has blackouts due to PTSD she suffers after herself being raped by her boss who was subsequently found not guilty. She has a blackout the night of the murder and Ryan went for a run in the same woods the body was found. Was one of them the murderer? Cue the investigation and the 2 main detectives, one new to the department and seemingly doing everything by the book much to the frustration of his partner. So many red herrings making this a classic murder mystery. Loved it

A psychological thriller involving a woman called Natalie who suffers from PTSD, she was raped by her boss years ago and as a result experiences blackouts where she wakes up in different places. She has a strained relationship with her husband Ryan who while being supportive gets himself caught up in a dangerous liaison...

Alongside this narrative is Detective Stratton who is dealing with her own personal issues. Her sister was kidnapped years ago and never found, and her mother is in a care home. Arriving at work she finds that her partner is the new fast-track DC Bradley. His good looks and youth seem to be a hit when interrogating women.

When a body is found in the woods of a young woman their lives become intertwined as Natalie and Ryan strive to prove they are innocent.

The novel deals with challenging topics like rape, murder and the justice system for victims. It is against this backdrop that we see brilliant writing with strong and convincing storylines. I thoroughly enjoyed this and to be honest couldn’t put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read this ahead of publication

I’m not sure why but this dragged for me and I just cdnt get into it fully but I did stick with it out of respect to the writer
It’s ok but forgettable and lie, any domestic mystery
Not awful not great average read
Concept drew me in but didn’t keep me there

A compelling psychological thriller involving Natalie, a woman who accused her boss of a sexual assault many years ago only to find him acquitted. Her supportive husband is then accused of the same crime many years later and the accuser herself is then found murdered. The murder is then investigated by both Natalie and the lead detective, the two narrators in the story. A typical psychological mystery in many ways, with an unreliable narrator and several twists, but it works.

Thank you NetGalley for an opportunity to read and review an ARC.

This one is hard to review as it has left me with very mixed feelings. It contains themes which may be difficult for some readers ( rape, suicide) . It also relies very heavily on a plot device of blackouts from Natalie, one of the two narrators, which allows the space for much of the plot to unfold and felt really contrived. The plot twist was also too well signposted early on so, for me at least, wasn’t a big reveal when it arrived.

This said it was very readable- I needed to finish it to see how the author fully unravelled the threads that were picked out throughout the book. I enjoyed the police procedural parts of the plot and the relationship between Stratton and other members of the team. The ending felt like this might be developed into a series and I would be very open to reading more by S.M. Govett despite my gripes with this particular plot. Overall a 3* read but lots of potential for future work from this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

An excellent thriller that had me guessing all the way through. The detective character was a bit overdone / stereotyped but otherwise I really enjoyed the book. Thank yo for the opportunity.

OMG what have I just read? When I was about 75/80% through this book, I’m not sure I could’ve told you my name if you asked me… it was so twisty and angst ridden…

Natalie has PTSD and loses time. It’s linked to a sexual assault in her past but her wonderfully understanding husband Ryan and best friend Rachel help her in many ways. But then Ryan is accused of rape… then the rape victim is murdered and Natalie isn’t sure what to believe.

The lead detective has issues of her own and is determined that all murdered women will be avenged.

There’s a lot going on in this well written thriller. The discussion of rape and sexual assault could be triggering for some.

S M Govett is certainly a writer to watch. I’m going for a cup of tea and a lie down to catch my breath at that ending!

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley

A brilliant rollercoaster ride through so many twists and turns it left my head spinning. I was totally immersed from start to finish. What a ride!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review.