Believe Me

I had enjoyed the book Say Her Name a lot in the mystery genre. So I was excited to read Believe Me, and it was what I was hoping for in a mystery book. The characters were what I was hoping for and worked with the plot going on this. I look forward to reading more from this team.

"Salina hovers by the edge of the bed, which Dad notices. ‘It took you long enough to show your face. Been here days, I have, and not so much as a “howdy do” call on the phone from you,’ he viciously snarls. His daughter looks grim, the strain on her face pulling her skin. ‘Too busy mixing potions and paints for women to tart themselves up as harlots.’"

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the eARC.
It started out well, I really felt for Gabby; what a horrible father, and I wasn't impressed with her sister either. Some things didn't seem to make sense though later in the book and that got me confused.
I wholeheartedly agree with the notion that women are often treated like half wits by doctors, Her poor mother!
On the whole I enjoyed this book, despite my confusion.

Gabby is a lawyer working on a property dispute case, and finds her mother's name on the title deeds. She knows her late mother could not possibly have owned the property and sets out to unravel this mystery.
Her mother died at the age of forty, of an undiagnosed mystery illness, and Gabby is about to turn forty and has the same symptoms.
Her sister has a make up range that she mixes herself, and her brother has distanced himself from the family.
All three of the siblings have tried to distance themselves from a toxic and cruel father.

Ocean House seems to be entwined with her family, her brother in law buys it, and she finds her brothers name carved into the wood.

A body is found buried, and Gabby becomes involved with the detective working on the case, and it turns out he too has connections to the house.

I enjoyed this mysterious and convoluted book, but did guess the cause of some of the deaths. However, there are quite a few twists and turns and the book is well worth reading.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Believe Me by Dreda Say Mitchell; Ryan Carter will command your attention and hook you almost immediately.

Another well written and interesting book that will surprise you at every turn.
I was completely enthralled. The characters has great depth. The writing is fantastic. And the story was engaging.
A story I devoured and enjoyed. If you enjoyed Say Her Name.... Get ready because here comes another enthralling read.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Amazon Publishing UK,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this eARC!

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Amazon Publishing UK and #NetGalley. Thank you to the publishers, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.


A well written story full of surprises.

I really could not get on with this book. I found it very confusing at times. I persevered and read it to the end but it really was not that enjoyable.I think the author over-complicated it.

An enjoyable read that had an engaging storyline and well developed characters, although I found most of them unlikeable, yet wholely believeable..

Believe Me
by Dreda Say Mitchell; Ryan Carter
I started out thinking the book was slow. It picked up and became more confusing as it did. I did complete it but was left less than feeling I just should have been taking notes.

Firstly thank you Netgalley for this Arc

The book was slow to start but persevere as it gets better a mystery at its best

I always believe women, it’s just my go-to response. This novel shows the devastating inequities of health care when it comes to actually listening and believing women and the medical treatment of women spun into a rather complicated mystery with strong gothic tone and twists. Starting out, I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy the read and it suddenly picked up and I was satisfied at the end.

“Believe Me” is a mystery book (family thriller?) by Dreda Say Mitchell and Ryan Carter. This book started off with one of those “shoot the sheriff in the first paragraph” chapters that hooked me in. As the story started I found myself a bit confused as the chapters were not always in linear time and the reader wasn’t told “flashback here.” I found the pacing a bit slow in the beginning - a bit of backstory and regrets - and then it sped up toward the end. I found that there was a lot going on in the book and while it was interesting, at times I wish not as much information was being related to the reader. While I’m glad that I read the book, I did think there’s a lot in this book that at times felt like way too much - it’s almost like it could’ve been a bit more streamlined in the way the overall story was told. Interesting idea, but not executed in a way that I enjoyed as much I hoped to from the summary.

Believe Me

This is a gripping psychological thriller with many twists and turns. The story moves at a fast pace with sections telling a present day story and chapters set 25 years before.

The prose is a straightforward narrative in an easy style. The main characters are Gabby aged 39 (and 14)and her mother Marcia in the flashbacks. They are well drawn and elicit empathy.

Gabby has moved back to the town where she grew up and where her mother died. Gabby gets a phone call telling her that her father has been assaulted and is in hospital. She is reluctant to visit and we slowly learn why. In her work as a lawyer she then comes across a document telling her that her late mother owned a house. No-one seems to know anything about this or how this could be possible.

There are several villains and a twist at the end which I did not predict. I read a copy provided by NetGalley and the publishers but my views are my own. If you like taut psychological thrillers then this is for you.

I just reviewed Believe Me by Dreda.
Interested plot,and characters well thought throughout the book.Good description,to set the scene of the book.

Mystery Abounds…
Mystery abounds in this thought provoking suspense. The strange occurrences around Ocean Haven together with its’ history steeped in mystery provide the backdrop for a familial drama. As lawyer Gabby begins to investigate she knows that her own history is as important as that of Ocean Haven. She needs help but who can she trust? With a deftly drawn cast of characters, a swiftly moving narrative and an atmospheric setting.

I was really excited to read my first Dreda Mitchell and at first the story piqued my interest but gradually I was a little confused. The characters were well developed and the story was engaging but I felt there was a little too much information and the story became too slow. All in all it could have been reduced but I still read to the end and the twist was a surprise to me.

An interesting read. Characters are well developed. Intriguing storyline. This thriller is about one woman’s mysterious death that has led to a lifetime of pain. Can her daughter find out why? Is Ocean Haven hiding a secret about her mother’s past—and Gabby’s future—that she can't even imagine?

3.5 out of 5 ⭐️

A slow start but does pick up pace to make a good psychological thriller with plenty of twists and turns throughout. Another winner for these two authors.
Recommended
Thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the ARC.

This is a must read! Once I started this book I couldn't put it down! I can't wait to tell all of my friends to read it!

Believe Me is the first book I've read by extremely popular and successful authors Dreda Say Mitchell and Ryan Carter and I was expecting great things from what I've heard and read about them. Sadly the book did very little for me, the plot was convoluted and unbelievable and I wasn't convinced by any of the characters either.

Gabby is a property lawyer living in a Devon coastal town who finds her late Mother's name on the title deeds of an old house, Ocean View, while she's working on a property dispute. With her boss pushing her to complete the case quickly Gabby tries to find her Mother's links with the house which lifts the lid on its secret past and causes her to clash with her dysfunctional family. Meanwhile as she approaches her 40th birthday Gabby appears to have inherited the illness that killed her Mother at that milestone age.

I don't like to be overly negative about any book but this did nothing for me at all ,the plot was disjointed and occasionally ludicrous and most of the characters irritating.
The authors are very successful and have a great track record so maybe I'm in the minority here but I really struggled to finish this..