The Replacement by Melanie Golding (eARC Review)

Format: eBook

Source: NetGalley

Publisher: HQ

Genres: Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Fiction

Publication Date: 11th November 2021

Synopsis/Blurb (Taken from Goodreads):

From the acclaimed author of Little Darlings, Melanie Golding returns with another captivating tale of myth and the mysteries of motherhood.

One dark December night, in a small seaside town, a little girl is found abandoned. When her mother finally arrives, authorities release the pair, believing it to be an innocent case of a toddler running off.

Gregor, a seemingly single man, is found bludgeoned and left for dead in his apartment, but the discovery of children’s toys raises more questions than answers.

Every night, Ruby gazes into Gregor’s apartment, leading to the discovery of his secret family: his unusually silent daughter and his mentally unstable wife, Constance, who insists that she is descended from the mythological Selkies. She begs Ruby to aid in finding the sealskin that Gregor has hidden from her, making it impossible to return to her people.

DS Joanna Harper’s investigation into Gregor’s assault leads her to CCTV footage of the mother-daughter pair from town. Harper realizes she knows the woman almost as well as she knows herself: it’s her estranged daughter, Ruby. No matter the depth of Ruby’s involvement, she knows she will choose her daughter over her career.

My Thoughts & Review

The Replacement (also known as The Hidden) is an exciting new psychological thriller from Melanie Golding. Having really enjoyed her debut novel Little Darlings in 2019 I couldn’t wait to read this one.

The Replacement (The Hidden) opens with a 2 year girl being abandoned outside a seaside shop by her mother, followed by a body of a man floating in a bathtub is found after a neighbour discovers bloody water dripping from her ceiling. The man is still alive but only just when his body is discovered. These opening chapter will have you hooked to find out if these two events are linked or not.

This is a well written book which is told through multiple voices throughout the story. The first voice is from Ruby the woman who claims to be the mother of the toddler found abandoned, the second is from the detective in charge of the case involving the man that was found in the bathtub and the third is from the injured man himself. We also sometimes hear from the little girls real mother Constance. Not only did I enjoy the story but really enjoyed the way Golding manages to mess with the readers head by including then and now timelines. Normally I’m the first one to admit I find this sort of jumping around difficult to follow but this time it worked for me and I’m glade. Now even though I was engrossed in the story and was truly shocked by some of twists and the final revelations I did find there were occasions where the pacing was a little slower compared to the other parts of the book.

As for the characters I thought they were well done. I really liked the detailed backstories of the characters, it really allowed me to understand the characters more deeply. I also liked how Golding gradually revealed the relationships between all characters. The characters are definitely an interesting bunch and while reading I changed my mind multiple times on who I liked and didn’t like.

All in all, a very enjoyable read!! Can’t wait to see what Golding has to offer next. If you’re looking for a gripping psychological thriller with a bit of folklore interwind then this is definitely a book worth trying.

I would like to thank the publisher HQ and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

My Rating