This was a slow burner, and was unlike the books I’ve previously associated with Dreda Say Mitchell.
I was unsure but as I read on I became intrigued and began to enjoy this novel.
It is a multi layered, psychological thriller, the gaslighting by the medical professional is well written along with the domestic violence at home.

This latest standalone psychological thriller is the second co-written by Dreda Say Mitchell and Ryan Carter, and is titled Believe Me. Gabrielle Lewis is a lawyer handed a simple old property dispute case to review regarding the ownership of a house on the cliff known as Ocean Haven. Gabby is surprised to discover a connection to her dead mother and decides to investigate. Fearing her own early death, family secrets and the dark history of Ocean Haven make for an interconnected mystery. The narrative switches back and forth between the present day (Gabby) and twenty-five years ago prior to her mother’s (Marcia) final days. An enjoyable psychological suspenseful tale, if many of the numerous twists are not unexpected. Overall, it’s a pleasant tale with a menacing undertone that all ends up rosily and is a three stars rating. With thanks to Thomas & Mercer and the author for an uncorrected proof copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and freely given.

This is a good mystery/thriller book, told in the first person. It jumps back and forward between two time spans, which confused me at times. There are some interesting characters, especially Gabby, and the plotting was good, although I was almost at the end before it all made sense! There is a lot going on, maybe too much at times but it held my attention throughout. The overall theme of women gaslighted by the medical profession might be tough reading for some. Overall, a good read. Thanks to Net galley for my ARC.

Kept me awake most of the night as I just had to finish it. A great read… grabbed my attention from the first page… with each new revelation, I just kept wanting to turn the pages… I highly recommend this book Well where do I begin? I have been so excited about this one and it has delivered on every level. I have been so caught up in this one – I devoured the whole thing in just one sitting.

Haven't read a dreda say Mitchell book for a long time . Can't believe what I have been missing this book was extremely good and I didn't guess whom the killer was . So worth a read .

I've chosen to read "Believe me" based on the setting of a grand house on a rugged English coastline. Unfortunately, I quickly realized that this book wasn't a good match for me.

First of all, there is the first person narrative, which I don't dislike as a whole, but in this case it reflects the very disjointed feelings of the main character. I understand what the author did as the thoughts of Gabby are a rambling mess, but reading her every thought that was jumping from here to there didn't engage me as a reader.

The same chaotic feeling applies to the storyline. It starts with domestic abuse but then it includes some sort of cult, medical gas-lighting and a con artist, juvenile crime, etc. It just felt as there were too many stories crammed into one. Especially the gas-lighting made my skin crawl, as I cannot understand why someone who gets dismissed by a doctor doesn't get a second opinion. These events take place 25 years ago, and I was an adult back then, it's not as if it were the dark ages where women didn't have anything to say about their bodies. I found this very difficult to read.

Then I get to the mystery, which was very obvious as there were two possibilities and one of them proved to be right.

A sincere thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and the author for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

A really different read. I nearly stopped after the first chapter and am so glad I didn’t. This is clever with great characters and a brilliant ending. Strong 5/5 and a lot of other books to read by her after this.

I love all dreda books, but this is a psychological thriller at its best.

Fantastic story with plenty of twists and turns and an ending I didn’t see coming.

Great story by a great author. 5 stars from me

I found the book's description intriguing and looked forward to reading these accomplished and successful authors for the first time. The authors had some good ideas and tackled some important issues and I know that writing a book is extremely hard work. Unfortunately this book was not for me and I struggled with it. I found the pacing quite slow and the characters and dialogue unrealistic and bland. I think the book was still a work in progress and would have benefited from further development and edits. 2.5 stars.

I would like to thank the authors, publisher and NetGalley UK for the ARC.

I love dreda say mitchell have not read any of any of dreda say mitchell collaboration with ryan carter through.
This is a gripping tale with many twists and turns,
A rollercoaster of a book that is highly reccommended for a read .thanks to netgallery for the book to read not going to put any spoilers because want others to buy it .
will say through its about a woman who dies twenty five years ago was she murdered or not read it and find out

I am a huge Dreda Say Mitchell fan so I grabbed this ARC as soon as I could and then waited to read it like you wait to save the last bite of your best dessert.
I loved it! The father was so terrible and the watch thing gave me such dread.
Then we have the creepy yet beautiful house, the hot cop, and the complicated sibling relationships.
It was all so good. I can't mention anything else because it will all be spoilers. You have to read this one.

As a fan of Dreda's books i was disappointed with this one.The story was unbelievable and i could not gel with any of the characters.Sorry but i couldn't even finish 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..

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!

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 ⭐️

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.

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

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.