I read this in one sitting.
It's very much fast paced and fun.... if a little unbelievable.
By that I mean the way the characters reacted to each other,rather than the actual storyline.
With that in mind,I thoroughly enjoyed it.
It threw a few surprises up along the way.
Perfect for kicking back for a few hours and relaxing an afternoon away.
Perfect holiday read.

Another amazing book by Susi Holliday.

This was so twisty and dark, and definitely thought provoking.

I read it in two sittings due to the suspense and character development.

I plan to read it again!!

Thank you for my ARC.

4 stars

This is my favorite thriller of Summer '21 so far!

Chrissie, the m.c., is mom to a charming and moderately precocious three-year-old named Holly, wife to a seemingly detached fellow who sends out some shady vibes from the jump, and friend to Wendy, who helps out with Holly and keeps up Chrissie's spirits after a tough postpartum bout. While Chrissie works a bit on the side, these three individuals take up the bulk of her focus, and her life seems fairly typical though not quite ideal. This all changes when a strange individual approaches her with an even stranger proposition: save three people in your life if they so happen to meet an untimely demise. Like any deal with the devil scenario, there is a catch: that folks who agree to this bargain must also select three "substitutes," who will die in the place of the saved loved ones.

Obviously, this through line alone is enough to make for a fun thriller premise, but there is so much more to get excited about here. Chrissie meets twists and turns head on, and like any good heroine in this genre, her past turns out to be more important than she initially thinks possible. There are also some intriguing twists relating to science (nothing too detailed, which may actually frustrate/remove some believability from the read overall for certain readers) and morality. The ancillary characters also enhance the drama in their own fun ways.

Folks who enjoy a "would you rather..." scenario, a Hawthornesque science takes us too far from nature in a dangerous way theme, and/or just a nicely paced thriller will find this one satisfying. I did find Chrissie's propensity for self-blame and convenient forgiveness a bit tough to stomach at times, but she's still a solid star set in an intriguing premise. Bring this one to the beach!

Chrissie Tate answers a persistent banging on the door to find Joseph Marshall on her doorstep. He asked her if she’s experienced grief. She shuts the door in confusion but a few days later she’s intrigued enough to contact him and he makes an extraordinary offer. Who is he? What is he up to? Who does he work for? We learn the truth by narratives that link and connect from 1980 to now and it is told by Chrissie, her estranged father Michael who is a scientist and by Joseph.

This novel has a really good, if a somewhat twisted premise and what develops is very different which for me is a major plus with so many similar books on the market. It’s very easy to read, in fact you lap it up because you want to know and understand what is going on and why. In places it definitely sends shivers down the spine as there are ethics involved especially in the earlier narratives. There’s a mash up of genres with a good sci-fi element, it’s part thriller and there’s a good conspiracy covert thread to the storyline with secretive agencies and this works well in a complex plot, which by the same token is easy to follow because it’s well written. I especially like the conundrum and moral dilemma part of the storytelling which involves all three of the central protagonists. Chrissie is a good central character and she hangs the whole story together. She’s clearly struggling, she’s got a lot to come to terms with from the past but she’s also very likeable. The triple narrative and dual timelines works well, it’s clever and you are able to piece together the jigsaw of the plot and get a clear picture. On occasions I find the dialogue a bit saccharine especially when Holly, Chrissie’s daughter features but maybe it’s true to life and how some people would talk to little ones.

Overall, this is just a bit different and thus it makes for good escapist reading. Clever title too!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Amazon Publishing UK for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Substitute by Susi Holliday is a pretty good book with an outlandish premise. You immediately get immersed in the story when what seems to be a door-to-door salesman comes knocking. What he is selling is so outrageous that it's hard to conceive of. Entertaining book and hooked me until the end.

Oooooh this was twisty! What would you do if you could protect everyone you love but had to pick someone else to die? The substitute? This was a lot of fun. There were a few moments in the book that took me out of the story a little, but it was a fun ride.

<b>Note:</b> I received an advanced copy of this book from Amazon Publishing UK via NetGalley.

3.5 Stars

Like any mother, Chrissie wants to protect her family. She would do anything to keep them safe. So when a mysterious stranger turns up at her door, offering to prevent the deaths of the people she loves, it sounds too good to be true. The only problem: she must choose someone to die in their place. A substitute.

When her daughter Holly has a terrible accident, Chrissie has no option but to enter the programme. In that horrifying moment, she would do anything to save her. But even after Holly makes a miraculous recovery, Chrissie is convinced it’s just a coincidence. After all, who can really control the laws of life and death?

But as the dangers to her family escalate and her chosen substitutes begin to disappear, Chrissie finds herself in an underworld of hidden laboratories and secretive doctors. And the consequences of playing by their rules are far deadlier than she ever imagined…

To be honest, I was a little confused by Chrissie's character. This insane offer came out of the blue and she questioned it for like five seconds before agreeing. I am not a parent but I can understand the concept of wanting to make sure your kid is safe, however, the level she agrees to go to to do that seems awfully extreme.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced copy.

This is the first novel I have read from this author. I am clearly in the minority when I say I just didn’t like this book. I had a very hard time getting into it and a hard time keeping everything straight.

Sorry this was a pass for me

This book was not for me. The idea behind the story is pretty good, but it was too slow-paced for me. Things started to get interesting until half the book. On the other hand, most of the characters were fine, but to me, some of Chrissie's actions toward Nathan and Wendy seemed unreal. I would only recommend this book to fans of slow-paced thrillers.

Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK, I had the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

#Substitute #NetGalley
A good read.
Chrissie wants to protect her family. She would do anything to keep them safe. So when a mysterious stranger turns up at her door, offering to prevent the deaths of the people she loves, it sounds too good to be true. The only problem: she must choose someone to die in their place. A substitute.
When her daughter Holly has a terrible accident, Chrissie has no option but to enter the programme. In that horrifying moment, she would do anything to save her. But even after Holly makes a miraculous recovery, Chrissie is convinced it’s just a coincidence. After all, who can really control the laws of life and death?
But as the dangers to her family escalate and her chosen substitutes begin to disappear, Chrissie finds herself in an underworld of hidden laboratories and secretive doctors. And the consequences of playing by their rules are far deadlier than she ever imagined…
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Mercer for giving me an advanced copy.

Thank You NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and Author for this advanced ebook copy!

Substitute by Susi was a fun, wild book!
The story is what really drew me in. The flow of the story was continuous and I truly did not want to put this down as it was an addicting read.
This was honestly a great book, and one I truly enjoyed.
I felt for the characters.... Chrissie she was like most mothers trying to protect her child!.
Overall, this book was Eddie, kept me on my toes, I was turning the pages quickly here!

Y'all won't want to miss this crazy ride!

What an original premise!

A perfectly crafted tale of noir, I devoured this book and happily lost a day to it.This book is such a refreshing change from the tropes saturating the thriller market right now.

I cannot recommend this enough.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me a copy. It was a pleasure to read and it is a pleasure to write an honest review!

I absolutely love this evocative thriller. I couldn’t wait to get to the finish. The characters were so real to me. This is one of the best thrillers I’ve have read all year.

How far would you go to save the life of someone you love? Would you die for them? Would you pick someone else to die in their place? It sounds ridiculous, but when Chrissie’s daughter has an accident that leaves her on the brink of death, she has a choice to make. All Chrissie has to do is name someone to die in her daughter’s place. She does, not really believing anything will happen, but her daughter makes a shocking recovery. Surely, it’s a coincidence. But with her family in ever increasing danger and her list of “substitutes” shrinking, the suburban mom finds herself in a world where people literally play god

Was a different concept for this book. I wasn't sure if I would like the direction it was going in but was interesting enough to keep my attention.
Give this one a try if it's not your usual style, you might be pleasantly surprised.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.
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Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Substitute.

The premise was super intriguing so I was disappointed that it didn't meet my expectations, but that's on me.

First, I didn't like Chrissie; I found her personality irritating. I understand she was still mourning the loss of her mother but she kept mentioning it on every other page; when she discovers her husband is a cheating scumbag, her reaction is dulled, almost indifferent, and the author just glosses over that startling revelation.

When the stranger proposes the shocking proposal to Chrissie, she practically jumps on the idea.

Second, there were too many cliches; her husband is cheating on her with her BFF; Chrissie doesn't call the cops when a strange man visits her because, naturally, she's had postpartum depression and she's concerned no one will believe her and this guy's crazy offer.

This trend needs to stop where the main character's mental illness, namely depression, can be used against her or make her sound crazy or unreliable. I'm over it.

The cliches don't end there because, naturally, Chrissie has a guy friend she likes and who comes through for her when she calls him after shutting him out for four years.

In the end, Chrissie and this guy is a couple, she makes amends with her dad, her daughter is safe and sound, and all is right with the world.

Third, the story was hard to suspend disbelief when I figured out who Joseph was.

The characters were mostly one dimensional with little character development; I didn't like or sympathize with anyone. After a few chapters, even Holly got on my nerves.

The writing was okay and I think some readers would enjoy Substitute but I was hoping for something darker and more suspenseful.

Like any mother, Chrissie wants to protect her family. She would do anything to keep them safe. So when a mysterious stranger turns up at her door, offering to prevent the deaths of the people she loves, it sounds too good to be true. The only problem: she must choose someone to die in their place. A substitute.

Firstly you have to read this as it is the most twisted and chilling book I have read for a long time. Would agree to this situation after thinking about it for such a short time? Chrissie does and this is where her nightmare begins.. This is a very twisted tale but wow it held my attention and I was just dying to know how it was all going to turn out. the book was very well written and totally draws you in from the first pages. I loved this book and have also found a new author to add to me list Highly recommended, thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Substitute has a simple premise: Chrissie, still working through her grief over her mother's death, would do anything to protect her family, especially her three-year-old daughter Holly. Hoping to capitalize on that, Joseph Marshall, a complete stranger to her, shows up on her doorstep offering the impossible: he can save the three closest people to her from ever dying. All she has to do is choose three people to take their place.

Chrissie sort of agrees to take part in the program, but ultimately dismisses Marshall as crazy. But when she and her friend are in a terrible accident, she has no choice to initiate her end of the bargain. When one of the people on her list - one of the substitutes - is found dead, her first instinct is to believe it to be mere coincidence. After all, how can anyone ethically carry out what Joseph Marshall proposed? But after threats to her family, most especially Holly, increase, Chrissie finds herself in a medical nightmare.

I enjoyed Susi Holliday's The Last Resort, but found Substitute to be even better and finished it in a matter of days. The pacing is excellent, even with the switch between two timelines and points of view (scientist Michael Gordon in the 1980s and Chrissie in the present). Not to mention, the plot really made me think. I wouldn't put it past any government to create a program like this, and the idea of choosing a "death list" really stuck with me long after I closed the book. After all, if you have the ability to make one, what's to stop someone else from putting YOU on their list?

As I said, I liked the author's previous book, but this one solidifies that I will be looking forward to more from her.

Thank you to Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for providing me this copy for review.

Brilliant concept! I really enjoyed reading it. From the synopsis itself, I knew that the story would be intriguing and compelling. With interesting characters and a good pace of events, this medical thriller is a sure page-turner.

Narrated in dual timelines, the story follows Dr. Michael Gordon, a scientist who discovered Cellregenix, a viral vector that will help revive an individual on the verge of death, and his daughter, Christina Tate, a housewife with a part-time job and a mother to a three-year-old daughter named Holly. How the discovery of such a scientific breakthrough affected the character's lives are the surprises and twists that a reader will look forward to. I wouldn't get into details because I want you guys to find out what happens.

Overall, this was an excellent read and I would surely check out the other works of the author. I'm grateful to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review an eARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What if you could prevent your three most loved people from dying, but you had to choose substitutes to take their place? When Chrissie is offered this deal, she thinks someone is playing a prank on her. That is until one of her three chosen loved ones is in an accident. They survive, but her substitute does not.

Scientist, Michael, has been working on a cell regenerating drug in the hope he can cure cancer. His lab partner sees a different path though - what if they could cure death?

Told in alternating points of view and time, Chrissie in the current day and Michael years earlier, The Substitute is a suspenseful morality thriller that leaves you asking ‘what would I do?’  I enjoyed the slow reveal of Chrissie’s past that connected the dots as the story progressed.

With plenty of twists and tense moments, I was engrossed in this one from the start. This was my first book by this author, but I’ll be checking out some of her others shortly!

This is a futuristic thriller telling the story of a mother willing to take a highly unusual step in order to keep her child safe, which in turn leads to unpredictable circumstances. A great and original read!

What would you do to protect the ones you love? Could you sacrifice someone you know to keep your loved one alive? That is the question for Chrissie. A strange man comes to her door promising that she never need to experience grief or loss again. What's the catch? Pick three of your closest family or friends you never want to lose and you won't, you just have to give the names of three people to die in their place. As life goes on after this conversation, Chrissie begins to see some of this put into action - is it coincidence or could this possibly be happening? Past and present times collide to bring this story full circle. Great read!

As usual with Susi Holliday books, this was a fast paced exciting thriller. Also as usual with Susi Holliday books, the plot doesn’t stand up to a lot of scrutiny. In this case, the science was a complete nonsense, but the book was enjoyable enough that I didn’t mind too much.

A recommended beach read - remember to leave your brain at home!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing a review copy in exchange for honest feedback.

In the Substitute, Chrissie Tate is a wife to Michael and a mother to their three-year-old, Holly. She is also a drama queen. Chrissie’s marriage is happy. But she can’t stop grieving for her dead mother. Even though years have passed. She frantically worries about protecting her young daughter—from falls, and from her neighbors. So, when a stranger comes to her door with a strange proposal, she eventually invites him in.

“Tell me, Mrs. Tate have you ever experienced grief? What if I could ensure that you never had to experience that again, Mrs. Tate? Would that be something that might interest you?“

The stranger, named Joseph, claims he works for the government. Chrissie quickly names three people who she wants to save from death. She chooses Holly, Michael, and her best friend, Wendy. Then, Joseph reveals the catch.

“If you want to prevent the death of your loved ones, then you need to select the people you want to die instead.“

In a parallel plot set in 1980, Michael has found a virus that can reanimate recently dead mice. The time the mice live again is short—only days in 1980. But how would the virus act forty years later when Chrissie was visited by Joseph?

It is an interesting idea to mix a Michael Crichton-type medical thriller with a domestic suspense plot. Science going horribly wrong hasn’t really been popular for decades. And, that part of the book is my favorite part.

I’m bored with the “family with secrets” thriller style that has been so popular the past few years. Chrissie’s full-blown panic, PTSD, and epic worrying are not supported with either rational underpinnings or a mental health issue. She’s just annoying.

That said, the Substitute does have an intriguing plot. It makes you wonder what you would do if Joseph stopped by your house one evening. 4 stars!

Thanks to Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the author, Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The premise sounded intriguing, dark and twisty - unfortunately the execution did not live up to the premise. Telling the story through varying POVs worked well, although the twist was clear to me fairly early on. Nevertheless, the build-up was well-done. However, the book is one cliché after another, the characters are one-dimensional at best and I found it impossibly pat.

ⒷⓄⓄⓀ ⓇⒺⓋⒾⒺⓌ
Substitute
Author: Susi Holliday
Genre: Mystery and Thriller, General fiction
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you Amazon Publishing UK for sending me an ARC of this book.

What if you never had to feel grief? How would life be?

In the story, we see Crissie or Christina fighting with her mental trauma, trying to create a loving family and caring for her daughter. Suddenly a person comes to her with a choice of never having to feel grief again. She just has to give him the three names of people who matters the most to her. And three substitutes for them. Christina, losing her mother at an early age, takes a relevantly smaller time to give her answer, and the story starts rolling from there.

The overall storyline is good, really good in fact. Throughout the story, the plot detangles smoothly and the cliffhanger leaves you wanting more. However, I found the starting part of the story a little dragging. The mystery started after 30% of the book was over. Although those small details in the beginning of the story makes sense in the later part of the story.

You will like this book if medical thrillers are your thing, and you are up for some drama. The story does not let you feel disappointed, so I think this is worth a try.

This moves back and forth in time between the 1980s, when a pair of mad scientists come up with an amazing discovery, and the present, when Chrissy is presented with a choice that seems easy on the surface. It's somewhere between sci-fi and thriller (duh) leaning more heavily to the latter. I know others have really enjoyed this but it felt trope-y to me and I wasn't invested in the characters. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

This was a really great sci-fi mystery. The jumping across POVs over different time periods, but it all tied together perfectly in the end. It was suspenseful and mysterious in all the right ways.

I really enjoyed the Substitute!! What a creepy and intriguing premise. I’m a huge fan of short chapters too. This one kept me interested through each and every page. Def my type of read!! I’ll def be checking into some others by this author.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this one.

When I read the blurb for this book I was really intrigued by the premise of the story and the moral questions it might throw up. You can choose to save 3 people but you must choose 3 others to take their place. Who would you choose and is there ever a right choice?

The story is quite slow moving and nothing really happens until well over half way through the book. I don’t know if it’s intentional or not but I didn’t like any of the characters in this book which is unusual for me.

Without giving spoilers away, I personally found a lot of it predictable and slightly lacklustre. It was such an amazing premise but the execution did not follow through.

It also ends abruptly with a contrived Happy Ever After which is not something you see in many thrillers.

Having said all that, I did enjoy reading it and it was easy to read, I just wanted more. More depth, more story, more character development.

Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing for the advanced reader’s copy.

What if you could save your loved ones from dying? We all wish we could have a magic button that would automatically save the people we love. In Susi Holliday’s new novel, Substitute, she explores just that, and it is a thoroughly entertaining, clever story. But it isn’t quite as straightforward as just saving someone you love. For you to save them, you must choose someone to die in their place.

Substitute is a highly engaging thriller which blends with science fiction so well. We meet Chrissie, who is still grieving for her mother who died several years earlier. Although her husband can’t seem to understand why she is still getting upset. She is approached by a stranger who asks if she would like to take part in a new programme. She doesn’t take this proposition all that seriously at first and eventually signs up, thinking it’s all just hypothetical. But it becomes clear that Chrissie wasn’t just randomly selected to take part. There is something far darker going on behind the scenes here.

Susi Holliday’s premise is such an interesting one. It had me thinking, what would I do if I was in Chrissie’s position. Would I be able to decide who lives and who dies so I can protect the ones I love? It did make me wonder if perhaps there is something similar in development somewhere around the world and that thought gave me chills. Given everything that’s happened in the past year, it doesn’t seem quite outside the realms of possibility anymore.

I loved the two different strands in this story. As we meet Chrissie in the present, we are also taken back to 1980 where we meet two scientists, Edward, and Michael. They are in the process of developing something extraordinary which Michael believes will benefit the world hugely.

I loved how Susi Holliday gradually revealed more about her characters and I could begin to see why they were involved in what was happening here. It is so cleverly put together. There are some tense scenes as we begin to understand why Chrissie has been selected to take part in this programme. It made for such gripping reading and the last line right at the end gave me chills.

This if my favourite book by Susi to date and I flew through it. If you love a mix of science fiction and a psychological thriller then this is the book for you. I highly, highly recommend it!

Be careful what you wish for. What would you do to guarantee the safety of your loved ones? A bit odd, a bit out there, but it was really good. I enjoyed Substitute. Thought provoking, a bit dark at times. A good story and great writing. I'm going to check out more from her

This reminds me of that short story where the couple answers the door and there's a box with a button and if they push the button, someone dies.....etc etc.

Except...better?

While there are similar books/movies/stories on the market, this manages to take this to a sci-fi, almost Black Mirror level. I loved it. It's truly a moral question at the end of the day.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Wow, what a deliciously dark, twisted rice! Well written, intense, and unputdownable! Written in a fast paced and fantastic way. While not really realistic, I enjoyed it greatly! I absolutely love dark books, so if you don’t, this one may not be for you! Highly, highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

Unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Recommend to any science fiction thriller lovers!

I've been a fan of this author for a while and was exited to be approved for The Substitute. I was reminded of Flowers for Algernon and Fire Starter (two of my all time favourite books) at the beginning of the story which really helped me get into it.

Imagine you could guarantee the safety of three of your closest family/friends but in return you earmark three substitutes to die in their place...what would you do? This is the choice given to Chrissie by a mysterious stranger, she is no stranger to heartbreak so it doesn't take much soul searching until she makes her decision....

Highly recommend!

A darkly twisted, science fiction type read. Have you ever thought there could be a second chance? A do over? Chrissi didn't think so but here she was and she thought it was a coincidence but is it? When an already grief stricken Chrissi gets an offer to fix the future of three people but has to substitute a person in the place of whom she saves. How could she go along with this and who does she choose. Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the advance ecopy.