by Matt Brolly
Release Date: February 10, 2026
2026 Thomas & Mercer
Ebook ARC; 297 Pages
ISBN: 978-1662520433
ASIN: B0DXG631T4
Audiobook: B0FFNJ6F2X
Genre: Fiction / Mystery
Source: Review copy from publisher
4 / 5 Stars
Summary
When a mutilated body washes up on Sennen Beach,
DS Liam Kilshaw is plunged into a case as dark and unforgiving as the
Cornish winter. With the victim’s face so severely disfigured that
identification is impossible, whispers of a local superstition begin to
surface—the killing bears a chilling resemblance to the legend of Bucca
Dhu, a vengeful sea demon said to demand human sacrifice.
But myths don’t murder people. When a second body is discovered just above the high-tide line, Kilshaw knows he’s racing against time. A missing crew member, a lost shipping container and a trail of cryptic clues all point to something far more sinister.
But myths don’t murder people. When a second body is discovered just above the high-tide line, Kilshaw knows he’s racing against time. A missing crew member, a lost shipping container and a trail of cryptic clues all point to something far more sinister.
My Thoughts
The Replacement is the second book in the DS Liam Kilshaw series and I really enjoyed this one as it blended local myth with an interesting mystery. When DS Kilshaw is called down to a scene of crime, he discovers a gruesome sight when the body seems to mimic a local legend and the face of the victim is grossly misfigured leaving it difficult to identify the victim.
Liam is one of those characters that you just can't help feeling sympathetic towards as he suffers from PTSD from his work as a marine volunteer and former Special Boat Service Member. One one of his previous missions, he almost drowned and is suffering from the affects of that mission as he has developed a fear of water, something that he had previously loved. As a form of therapy, he volunteers for the local boat rescue team hoping to cope with his fears. I really enjoyed this aspect of the novel as I like it when an author shows the stress the job has on its people and how they cope with it on a daily basis. In some series, it just goes away and that devalues the experience while this author blends the difficulties of the job with the demands of the job. Despite all of this, Liam is relentless in his pursuit of the truth which sometimes puts his relationships with others at risk as he tends to keep others at a distance, one of the reasons why he is divorced.
The prologue in this book actually gave me the creeps, not because it was bloody or anything like that, but because it was chilling. When you catch a glimpse of how a local legend can be twisted for personal use to torment children as they are growing up, it simply sends chills down your back and you wonder what will happen in the future. Well, we got it in this book and the details are creepy. I really have to commend the author for blending the local folklore into this book and there were quite a few twists and turns, some predictable, some surprising. There are quite a few themes in this book that could be explored as well: isolation, loneliness, mental health, PTSD, abuse, legends and folklore, misplaced loyalty, friendship, and relationships. I really enjoyed the hunt for clues as I like the procedural aspect of these novels and this one did a bang up job.
Verdict
The Replacement had a lot of great things going for it and I enjoyed both the mystery and the character development of the main character. I would have liked to have seen a bit more from the secondary characters, but as this seems to be setting up to be longer running series, there should be room for those secondary characters to grow. The mystery was interesting and while some parts were a bit predictable, there was enough that was surprising that it kept me flying through the pages and interested in what was happening. I thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere of this book and loved how the folklore blended into the mystery. Looking forward to the next one in this series.
