Tag: Penguin Michael Joseph

Believe by S. M. Govett [BOOK REVIEW] Believe by S. M. Govett [BOOK REVIEW]
Book Review · Books

Believe by S. M. Govett [BOOK REVIEW]

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Believe by S. M. Govett [BOOK REVIEW]

About The Book:

Believe by S. M. Govett [BOOK REVIEW]

Pages: 400

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime

Publisher: Michael Joseph

Format I read it in: Hardcover

Rating: ★★★★

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My Thoughts:

“Believe” gripped me from the beginning, and amused me with the never-ending plot twists.

Told from a dual perspective, we meet two women, both carrying different weights on their shoulders. Natalie was sexually assaulted ten years ago by her boss, but the court declared him innocent, automatically labeling her a liar. Despite him being dead now, Natalie is still affected by the trauma this caused her. When she finds herself in a stressful situation, she experiences blackouts, waking up after a few hours with no recollection of where she has been or what she has done.

The second woman we meet, DI Stratton, is dealing with her own demons. Her sister went missing a long time ago, and the police didn’t do enough to help, dismissing the case. Still looking for her missing sister, she joined the force, so she is able to have a better chance of finding her. Stratton is also having a difficult time with her mum. Suffering from dementia in a care home, her mum often has flashbacks of her daughter’s disappearance, causing a fresh wave of pain and hurt to the whole family.

Natalie’s husband comes home one day, revealing he’s been suspended from work, because his colleague accused him of sexually harassing her. And then, the very next day, this woman is found dead in the woods, making Ryan, the husband, the primary suspect. Natalie is overwhelmed with everything – after all, her husband is being accused of the same thing that happened to her. But there is one thing Natalie is not prepared to share – she had a blackout on the night of the murder.

And this is where the story starts, and I adored unraveling it, bit by bit.

With so many variables and secrets in play, I never knew where the story would go. I loved the “unreliable narrator” trope. The scenes where Natalie realises that it may very well be her that is the killer and the helplessness about it. The inner battle between – was it me, or was it my husband? Was my husband so heartless to do the same thing they did to me, after knowing the pain and trauma I suffered. Did he kill this woman? Did I do it?

It automatically makes it a thrilling read when you cannot trust any of the characters. And despite not trusting them, I still cared about them and their story. 

When it comes to the ending, my feelings are mixed.

Some clues and revelations came a bit late and at a convenient timing. In a red herring kind of way. For me, this felt rushed and like taking the easy route out. That is the only reason it’s not quite a 5-star read. That being said, it was an incredible thriller, full of twists and likeable characters. A book that will definitely take you on a journey and perfect for book clubs and making predictions on who the culprit is and what really happened.

“But it’s true what they say about finding peace in nature. Plants rebuild themselves every year, coming back stronger, more vibrant. There’s a lot to be learned from plants.”

About the Author:

Believe by S. M. Govett [BOOK REVIEW]

S.M. Govett read Law at Trinity College, Oxford, before qualifying as a solicitor in the City. After realising that didn’t suit her, she started tutoring before turning her hand to writing, which she discovered was her true calling. She has since authored several bestselling YA novels, including The Territory trilogy and We Go On Forever. She also co-wrote the screenplay for the feature film, T.I.M., which was the no. 1 film on Netflix upon release. Believe is her debut adult thriller.

She currently lives in London with her husband and three children.

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The Secrets of Hartwood Hall by Katie Lumsden captured my attention from the very beginning. It's the perfect read for Halloween! The Secrets of Hartwood Hall by Katie Lumsden [BOOK REVIEW]
Book Review · Books

The Secrets of Hartwood Hall by Katie Lumsden [BOOK REVIEW]

innah96Leave a comment
The Secrets of Hartwood Hall by Katie Lumsden [BOOK REVIEW]

The Secrets of Hartwood Hall by Katie Lumsden captured my attention from the very beginning. The errieness of the forbidden part of the house made for a spooky atmosphere. It’s the perfect read for Halloween!

The Secrets of Hartwood Hall by Katie Lumsden [BOOK REVIEW]

Pages: 388

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Publisher: Penguin Michael Joseph

Format I read it in: Uncorrected Paperback

Rating: ★★★★

My Thoughts:

Margaret Lennox is a young widow and she’s offered a position as governess at Hartwood Hall. She is eager to start, hoping that this new place and work will bring her a healthy distraction from her reality. It’s 1852 and references are extremely important to secure a job. Although Margaret is afraid her hearing loss will prevent her from getting this job, she is soon proven wrong. Mrs. Eversham gives her the job to teach her son, Louis.

Despite Louis being a great pupil, Margaret feels quite uneasy in the house. There are strange figures in the dark and a forbidden east wing of the house. Also, the servants keep whispering and Margaret feels like they are keeping things from her. The town doesn’t trust Mrs. Eversham and they think the house is haunted and cursed. Margaret also starts a forbidden affair with Paul, the gardener, and inevitably starts to tangle herself in a lot of situations. As her past is trying to catch up with her, she now has current secrets also to try and keep.

I quite enjoyed reading this book!

It was so easy to keep the pages turning and dive into Margaret’s life. As we learn more about her, I admired her search for freedom, despite the curveballs that life has thrown at her. Her marriage was not one from love and she was being owned by a man who claimed to know what’s best for her. Imagine not being allowed to work if you wished so, to not be allowed to read your preferred genre, to engage with your friends. When Margaret becomes a widow, she’s rightfully excited to start teaching again.

On the other side of the story, we have Hartwood Hall and its residents.

Mrs. Eversham is a lady that keeps to herself and often travels away. Louis is a boy that doesn’t say much, but is hiding a big pain in his heart. Everyone is hiding something in this house, even the servants, especially the servants. The house screams of secrets and eeriness. On top of this, spooky things do happen, especially during the night. Food missing from the cupboards, footsteps that keep erasing themselves, candles placed in odd places and being moved… The servants don’t seem to know how to mind their own business, and Margaret ends up getting herself in the middle of a blackmail situationship.

“Of course I did not believe the house was cursed – but when people feared a place, there was usually a reason.”

The ending was somewhat unexpected, but not as exciting.

It explained everything and tied up the story very neatly, leaving nothing unresolved. I just didn’t feel that wow factor when closing the book in the end. However, despite that, this book really impressed me. It was the battle for freedom, in a time when it wasn’t socially acceptable to do so that did it for me in the end. In the search for true happiness and standing up for love, for friendship, for loyalty. When a loss can cause us heartbreak, even though we know it’s the best thing for us. And when a loss can also ultimately secure our freedom and give us the relief we needed to be happy again.

The Secret of Hartwood Hall by Katie Lumsden is coming out in March 2023 and I strongly recommend you give it a chance.

About The Author:

The Secrets of Hartwood Hall by Katie Lumsden [BOOK REVIEW]

Katie Lumsden is a twenty-eight-year-old novelist and short story writer from London. She has been reading Victorian literature avidly since she was thirteen years old, and it is her love of literature and history that inspires her to write. After a degree in English literature and history, she studied for an MA in creative writing at Bath Spa University, before embarking on a career in the publishing industry. Her short stories have been shortlisted for the London Short Story Prize and the Bridport Prize, and have been published in various literary magazines, including Litro and Brittle Star.

Katie has a Youtube channel, Books and Things, where she reviews and recommends books, focusing on classics and historical fiction.

Her first novel, The Secrets of Hartwood Hall, will be published by Michael Joseph in March 2023.

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