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.

This is a solid police thriller about a woman who accuses a man of rape and who is still suffering from the after effects, many years later. Then, her husband betrays her and there is a murder. The characters are well drawn and I particularly liked Stratton, the female lead detective who has her own personal demons and who is put in charge of the case, along with a new 'fast tracker' detective, Bradley.

I pretty much read this in one sitting and were it not for a couple of things that, to me, didn't add up, this is an enjoyable police procedural thriller with some good twists and turns.

Thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for the opportunity to preview.

Believe tells Natalie's story. Since a traumatic sexual assault where he was found not guilty, Natalie has blackouts. She manages to cope by creating routines, but her life is sent into turmoil when her husband is accused of committing the same crime that ruined her life. The woman in question is then found dead in suspicious circumstances. Natalie wants to believe her husband's innocence, but she finds herself doubting him.
DI Helen Stratton is working on the case, but has her own trauma. Her sister disappeared years ago and it wasn't properly investigated. Stratton joined the police with a strong sense of justice and will do whatever it takes to catch the killer.

I like detective series and enjoyed the introduction to DI Helen Stratton, she is an interesting character with a challenging past. I would like to read more about what happens next for her.

This was a book that I struggled to put down and it caused me many a late night! It messes with your head in such a way that you just don't know who to believe anymore. I had various theories throughout, all of which were wrong and the twist blindsided me.

I would thoroughly recommend this book.

My thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for sending me this book in return for an honest review.

This is a dark and at times disturbing psychological thriller dealing with some very difficult subjects. Centred around Natalie Campbell who lives with husband Ryan, Natalie suffers from PTSD ever since she was raped years earlier. The alleged rapist was found not guilty, effectively branding Natalie a liar, but died from a heart attack shortly after the trial. As a result of the PTSD she suffers blackouts when stressed. What doesn’t help is that she has received a number of anonymous letters, threatening her. Told in alternating chapters from the perspectives of Natalie and Stratton, the former clearly an unreliable narrator due to her PTSD, this is a brilliantly plotted book.

Briefly, Ryan returns home early from work one day and tells Natalie that he has been suspended from work because of an allegation that he raped his assistant. Natalie is stunned and things become worse when the alleged victim is found dead in woods near to their house. The case is handed to DI Helen Stratton, alongside her new colleague Detective Bradley.

Stratton is a seemingly tough cookie who takes no prisoners and is determined to prove that Ryan is responsible, but is her judgement affected by her own past experiences. Natalie is a flawed character, not unsurprisingly, and it’s difficult to know if her blackouts are real. Who to trust? No idea! The twists and turns are so good I was completely blindsided, and as for that ending. Wow. A fast paced and exciting read.

Natalie has been raped by her boss but the jury finds him innocent. The stress of it all causes her to have blackouts, where she doesn’t remember where she has been or what she was doing. Her husband does believe her and he has been her rock throughout. But an accusation against her husband sends her world into turmoil.
A gripping storyline and interesting characters

Gripping and full of emotional tension. As Natalie’s world cracks open, so do the truths she tried to bury.

Wow this is a strong debut!! A properly gripping psychological thriller which starts as a simple plot and soon throws all sorts in your way - you really don't know what is going on!
Told in alternating chapters by Natalie and Stratton, S.M, Govett builds up the characters of the key players. It's one of the strengths that the main characters are so believable and their flaws and weaknesses are exposed from the beginning. As it becomes clear that nothing adds up we are as much in the dark as Stratton, and Natalie isn't helped by her blackouts.
I didn't see the twist at the end coming and it's very clever and tightly plotted.
I can't wait to read more from this author.

Believe was a tightly plotted and twisted thriller that kept you guessing throughout.

This is not a book that you can put down easily. From the first page, I was hooked. It is such a thought-provoking concept that Govett explores brilliantly. That being said, it is not an easy read - dealing head on with sexual assault, trauma and rape culture. There is plenty of darkness and monstrosity on display here. Govett lets the book breathe - sitting firmly in the morally gray at times. Nothing here is clear-cut, it is all bogged down in differing accounts and clouds of judgement. Within this Natalie’s narrative voice is striking. As a survivor she is trying desperately to claw back the power that was taken from her, which has deeply affected her and changed her life forever. Suddenly she is thrust right back into a nightmarish scenario where she has no one she can trust. She has these gaps of memory loss which is always an interesting tool for a writer to use and adds a sense of unreliability, heightening the discussion around the consideration of different voices in these cases. It exemplifies the whole discussion of he said, she said and how dangerous and damaging this can be.

The plotting is top notch. It is fast-paced and feels like you can never fully feel comfortable, everything is always shifting slightly as more and more information comes to light. With each revelation, your view of what came before shifts slightly. It is compulsively written where you feel like you just have to know the truth. You share Natalie’s desperation as the various aspects of the mystery start coming together. The twists are so well done and in particular, that ending is spectacular. Govett has a real talent and this is an exceptional thriller.

Believe delves into heavy issues with nuance and sensitivity, delivering a terrific thriller.

Fab, exciting debut thriller! Loved the character development, yet still lots going on to excite you at the same time. Very easy page turner!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for this eCopy to review

I picked up Believe expecting a gripping psychological thriller, and it exceeded my expectations. The story follows Natalie, a woman haunted by two life-altering events: the moment her boss assaulted her and the moment the jury declared him innocent—branding her a liar. Ten years later, Natalie is still struggling to move forward, often waking up with no memory of where she’s been or what she’s done. When her husband, Ryan, is accused of the same crime, her world begins to unravel. She wants to believe him, but when the body of the young woman who made the accusation is found near their home, Ryan becomes the prime suspect. As Natalie searches for the truth, she realizes she can’t trust anyone, not even herself.

Govett crafts a tense, thought-provoking thriller that kept me questioning every character’s motives. The writing is sharp, the pacing relentless, and the psychological depth makes her journey both heart breaking and compelling. The twists are unpredictable, and the ending left me stunned.

Believe is an unforgettable read dark, suspenseful, and emotionally charged. The exploration of trauma, justice, and self-doubt is handled masterfully, making this one of the best psychological thrillers I’ve read in a long time. If you love books that keep you guessing until the final page, this is a must-read.

Believe is a very assured debut from SM Govett - perfect for fans of CL Taylor, Lisa Jewell and Claire Douglas. A fast-paced mystery that will have you racing to the end. Highly recommend

Narrated by Natalie and Stratton, when Natalie’s husband is accused of rape and murder, Stratton leads the investigation. Whilst Natalie is determined to process the trauma of her own rape, Stratton’s work ethic as a police officer is driven by the disappearance of her sister thirty years ago.
Events have personal impacts on both women, resulting in them questioning who they believe.

Believe is a compelling story with plenty of twists, begging the reader to read between the lines. I enjoyed the split narrative and thought it worked well to give insight to both characters. However, I feel like the author overworked facets of the characters’ personalities, which I found made them a bit unrealistic. I found Natalie quite naive in places whereas I think Stratton seemed a bit too sceptical. Alice was an interesting contrast of traits but I wasn’t quite convinced by her character. I enjoyed the pace along with the twists and turns, and whilst I was convinced towards the end, I was thoroughly got. Overall, I think Believe is a solid thriller for crime fans.

Believe is a stunning debut that I raced through over the course of 24 hours. It’s both a police procedural and a psychological thriller told from the point of view of Natalie and DI Helen Stratton. Natalie is experiencing PTSD after being assaulted 10 years ago by her boss who was found innocent by a jury. When her husband Ryan is accused of a similar crime by a work colleague, Natalie does not know who to believe when the work colleague is later found murdered,
This is a gripping and well paced novel that kept me guessing throughout with the many twists and turns. The characters of Natalie and Helen are both believable and I was completely drawn into their personal stories.
A compelling read and I can’t wait to read more from the author.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC,

There were so many twists and turns in this thriller that I was kept guessing almost to the end.
It was pacy, written well and with an interesting array of characters.
I liked the way it was written from the perspective of two characters.
An exciting debut novel from this author and I will look forward to reading their next book.