When DS Harper is tasked to investigate an attempted murder of a man called Gregor little did she know that Ruby her relative could be involved. And what does a two year old girl Lonnie have to do with Ruby? When Lonnie is found unattended on a cold October day by the sea the two cases seem unconnected until CCTV footage shows Ruby walking away with Lonnie and who is the mysterious Constance and Ruby pretends to be? After facing some tough decisions DS Harper knows that somehow Ruby is involved on the attack of Gregor but her and Lonnie have just simply vanished just like Constance. This book involves many a folklore tale that has been written into the book beautifully.

Loved this book. Very different and believable. It really is a page turner! A very good read.

Oh my what an interesting book. This is a DS Joanna Harper murder mystery - seemingly with no murder - just a good try. The story goes into the myth/legend/actuality of the Selkies. It also involves Joanna's sister/daughter Ruby. A very good read I had to read it in one sitting - just had to know what happened. Was it worth it? Yes, it certainly was. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I read a free advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

I absolutely loved this book. A really brilliant mixture of a police unvestigation of an attempted murder with a folk story interwoven throughout The mixture of the two, works really well.. Constance is a believable character pining for home, despite being a. mother to her baby daughter Leonie. Ruby who befriends Constance, is searching too, for her place in the world and within her family. A really good read.

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.