I have heard great things about Melanie Golding’s thrillers but having not read one before, I didn’t really know what to expect. The synopsis drew me in and I was really excited to give her latest release a go.

A little girl is abandoned in a seaside town on a cold December night but when her mother finally collects her, it’s brushed off as a simple case of a runaway toddler. A man is found unconscious and barely breathing with a head wound in his bathroom and children’s toys in his flat. DSI Joanna Harper is assigned to investigate the case of the man in the bath and is led to some CCTV footage of a young woman and a little girl. That’s when she realises that the case may be a little too close to home because the woman in the CCTV is none other than her own estranged daughter, Ruby.

Several chapters are prefaced by an extract from a ocean-themed piece of literature. There is a marine mythical element to the book, which took me by surprise within a thriller, but it was done expertly. It somehow didn’t feel out of place within what is mostly a police procedural crime drama and it was a really refreshing, intriguing addition to the book.

I was thoroughly gripped by the Constance/Ruby/Leonie dynamic and I didn’t really know exactly what would happen at its end. The way that Constance and Ruby formed their friendship felt very authentic and I was championing them to join forces from quite early on in the book. Details about Constance and where she came from were very slowly revealed and I relished that gradual process because it kept me hooked.

Gregor came across as quite enigmatic at the beginning but I became more repelled, as the narrative progressed. He seemed to be quite unpredictable and it just wasn’t comfortable whenever he was around. He had the same deadly charisma as Charles Manson or Ted Bundy and I was thoroughly unnerved by him.

There is some really beautiful descriptions of the ocean and coastal landscapes. I really felt the pull of the sea throughout the book and I think that was intentional, given the subject of one of the story strands. These spots of serenity dotted amongst the very chaotic, dark plot were a very welcome reprieve and allowed me to come up for a breath of cold air.

The Replacement is a twisty, unique thriller with a very dark heart. I appreciated the magical realism, mythological element and had no idea where the main story was heading. The different strands of the story tie together cleverly and I was left with a lot to think about on finishing it. Although there is quite a lot of police procedural content in it, which I’m not a huge fan of, it wasn’t overdone and there was still plenty of focus on the key players within the drama. I’d definitely be interested in trying another of Golding’s books!

The Replacement is a fabulous thriller with a modern twist on a folk tale.

I have always been intrigued by Myths and Folklore so for this to be thriller/ crime procedural along with folk takes was absolutely amazing! The story is full of suspense, there was a lot of twists which were definitely unexpected!

I loved Constance and would have loved to have known more about the Roane.

I highly recommend this book to everyone, it is so different and even if you don’t enjoy the folk tale side you can read between the lines and then it is a story of acceptance and love.

This will keep you engrossed as you never know if it's going to be true or not! Twists and turns throughout and a super read, well recommended so get it on your Christmas list. Who is hiding something and who does the little girl belong to?

A small child wanders unaccompanied into a shop. A bag containing baby things on the street outside. Then a woman comes claiming to be the child's mother but then both disappear.
A man is found in an overflowing bath and he has a head injury? Who is he?
Gradually police realise that the incidents might be linked. Its up to Joanna and Steve to work out the connections before it's too late.
A bit of a slow start but gradually it drew me in. Unusual story with a supernatural slant.

What a read! Not what I expected at all, but I loved it. I enjoyed the folklore in the story, Ruby and Constance are great characters and the story is so different to anything I've read. A refreshing read which I'd highly recommend.

Part fantasy, part crime thriller. Ruby meets and is attracted to Gregor only to discover that his ex Constance and their child are still living with him. Despite this, Ruby finds herself drawn to this strange family. As time passes, it seems that all is not as it originally appeared.

Chapters focus on various of the characters, including a detective who has familial links to Ruby. There are a number of surprising revelations and the plot is well structured and convincing enough to ensure the reader accepts the folkloric aspect of the story at face value.

The story does however lack a sense of menace and, despite the author’s best efforts, there is a lack of jeopardy as the story reaches its climax.

Nevertheless an engaging and enjoyable read.

There are 2 plot thats run through which I didn't expect but was a nice surprise and added to the story. There was a mixture of myths and modern tales blended.
Took me a while to get into it but it was good.

A book of mythology and mystery.
DS Joanne Harper is called to a case of a flat with a leaking bath from the flat above which has a body of a man with a severe head injury, watching the CCTV they see a woman and child leaving, after following them they end up in Cleethorpes.
In Cleethorpes a child walks into a shop alone, the police are called but the mother arrives to take of her, but the woman is not the one who arrived with the child.
DS Harper has to join the two together.

An easy book to read if you like mythology, but mythology is not my usual type of book so took some reading for me. The characters were very likeable.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was extremely excited about this one as I loved Golding's Little Darlings so much that I consider it to be my favourite read of 2019. The Replacement didn't give me the same intense feelings of dread. However, it does stick to themes of motherhood and folklore which stood out to me in Little Darlings.

Another thing that both books have in common is the wonderful DS Joanna Harper. It was really interesting to see her backstory develop and the way that it connected with the overall plot. (Note: you don't need to have read Little Darlings to read this. Both books stand alone but it was a nice surprise to see them connect as I wasn't expecting this going in.)

The author provides background on the folklore that inspired this story as well as numerous sources for intrigued readers to explore. I love when authors do this with fiction because it adds an open-endedness to the book. It can be over there and then or you can devote more time to the topics or themes explored.

All in all, I thought this was a thrilling continuation to the DS Joanna Harper series which I hope will continue. If you're looking for a domestic thriller or police procedural (I'd argue that it's very much both!) with a folklorish twist, then you should bump this one up your reading list.

The one good thing about feeling too ill to get off the sofa this weekend is that I sat and read a whole book in one day after being too lacking in concentration to read anything much recently.
This book is a real page turner (can you call it that when reading on a Kindle?) and I really didn’t want to put it down.
A dash of mythology should not be enough to put of the more down to Earth reader. This book is a tale of abuse and friendship, love and darkness. You should read it.

I literally devoured this book in one sitting as I just couldn’t put it down. It’s a psychological thriller that weaves together a mysterious Selkie, a dark and menacing killer and the friendship of two women who will do what it takes to save a child.

Excellent writing that flowed off the page and made it so easy and enjoyable to read. Great concept for a story. I look forward to future novels from this author.

Thanks to the author and @Harpercollinsuk for my gifted copy and spot on the blog tour.

This was a bit bonkers!!
I would have liked this book more without the weird folklore addition. It seemed to come out of nowhere, and I'm not overly sure how it added to the plot. It was all just a bit strange, and a bit jarring.
However, I liked the thriller side to this story. it was a little slow paced for a thriller, but I was enjoying Golding's writing style so much that I actually really liked the slowness.
Towards the end it became a little bit too much of a 'chase' or 'cat and mouse' plot that I didn't really enjoy.

Overall I found it a very strange mixture of genres and ideas - not read anything like this before. Not sure if if the mixture really worked.

Ruby is on a mission to help her friend escape her husband and her life but can she suceed. Why does Constance want to leave and what about her daughter. Jo is called into investigate a badly beaten man almost drowned in the bath tub and soon finds herself far more involved than she ever wanted to be. The question is who are the real victims here?

This was a really interesting read and I finished it in a couple of days. The plot is fascinating and I love the supernatural aspect to it as well. It gives a different dynamic to the story. The ending was so well done and finished the story off perfectly. I like the complex characters and how they all connect together. The writing is well thought out and descriptive. A brilliant thriller with a supernatural twist.

A psychological thriller with some folklore added in, you can’t go wrong with this latest book by Melanie Golding.

A young girl is found wandering outside a shop and the police are called. About twenty minutes later the little girls mother turns up and mother & daughter are reunited.

A mans body is found barely alive in the bathtub of his flat. He has sustained a head injury and it seems as though he has been attacked. DS Harper is sent to investigate and soon the man is found to have connections to the mother and daughter.

Can DS Harper uncover the truth before anyone else comes to harm. ?

This is a great psychological thriller with lots of references to the folklore tales around the Selkies. If you aren’t a fan of folklore then don’t let this put you off as it is a great psychological thriller.

Thank you to HQ and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

The Replacement is a gripping crime thriller that magically weaves in ancient folklore to create a chilling and mystical tale. It starts with a little girl found lost in a seaside town. The police and social services are called in but the mother reappears moments later. She claims the girl ran off when she took her eye off her for a second. Believing it to be innocent the authorities do not follow up.

Meanwhile, Gregor, a seemingly single man, is found bludgeoned and at deaths door in a bathtub. What is the connection?

DS Joanna Harper is leading the investigation into the attack and finds footage of the mother and daughter pair. She realises it is her estranged daughter, Ruby and not the girls mother. Ruby has been helping Constance, Gregor's estranged wife with childcare. Constance is an enigmatic character, who seems to have had a nervous breakdown, imagining she is a selkie, help captive with the loss of her sealskin coat.

Is all as it seems or is there more to the story than meets the eye? The book draws us in, spellbinding us and leading us to a magical conclusion.

I struggled and struggled to read this book but not only did it not grab me it failed to raise my interest in any of the characters. I eventually arrived at the 47% mark and have now given up and moved on.

My thanks to HQ for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Replacement’ by Melanie Golding in exchange for an honest review. I complemented my reading with my own copy of its unabridged audiobook edition, narrated by Stephanie Racine.

This was just incredible - a crime thriller/police procedural blended with Scottish folklore. I was completely captivated by the story.

I read it ‘cold’ as I prefer that approach with thrillers, especially when I have previously read and enjoyed an author’s work. ‘The Replacement’ features DS Joanna Harper, who also appears in Golding’s debut, ‘Little Darlings’.

Here, DS Harper is investigating two seemingly unrelated cases: a missing mother and child and a man found floating in a bathtub. Disturbing truths come to light that not only connect the cases but turn out to be very personal for Joanna. No further details to avoid spoilers.

I so enjoy novels that incorporate folklore and mythic elements. I felt that Golding did well with this while remaining grounded in the conventions of the crime thriller. It also explored the dynamics between mothers and children.

The narrative cycles through various points of view as well as between the past and present. In her Author’s Note she cites the various folktales that had inspired her, including ‘The Mermaid Wife’. I was also pleased with the inclusion of a list of sources for the occasional chapter epigraphs made up of poems, songs, and folktales.

I feel that ‘The Replacement’ was a strong follow-up to ‘Little Darlings’ and I will definitely be looking forward to her future projects.

2.5 stars rounded up as I didn’t enjoy it at first. It just ended up not really delivering either as a thriller (one of my favourite genres) or fantasy (another one).

This is such a good book! It’s well written, delightfully dark and unique. The folklore theme that ran through it was intriguing and engaging.
It’s a fantastic thriller and one that I’d definitely recommend.

I found this book fairly hard to go into but am pleased I persevered. Well written and interjected with folklore. I enjoyed it