“The Replacement” by Melanie Golding is an extraordinary debut that left an indelible mark on my literary soul. From the very first page, I was ensnared by the chilling atmosphere Golding masterfully weaves. The air crackles with tension, and the shadows hold secrets that claw at your curiosity.

Zillah, our mixed-race heroine, strides onto the stage of Crillick’s Variety Theatre, her thrilling performance captivating the curious crowds. But beneath the warrior facade lies a woman navigating the treacherous currents of her own existence. Zillah’s defiance, vulnerability, and determination make her a heroine for our times.

The premise—a series of seemingly unrelated murders, each echoing infamous serial killers—sent shivers down my spine. Golding’s meticulous research shines through as she draws inspiration from real-life cases like Jeffrey Dahmer and Charles Manson. But here’s the brilliance: each murder has a unique twist, a different methodology that keeps you guessing.

Cara Elliott and Noah Deakin, the detectives investigating the case, are more than investigators; they’re flawed, determined souls. Their pursuit of the truth is relentless, and as the body count rises, so does the weight of their responsibility. The killer’s proximity to their lives adds urgency—a race against time and memory.

And then there’s Jessica Ambrose. Her desperation leaps off the pages. Accused of arson, haunted by her past, she’s a character you root for. Her connection to the ultimate copycat killer is a revelation—one that ties the threads of this intricate tapestry.

Golding’s prose is a symphony of suspense. Each chapter crescendos, revealing layers of darkness. The pacing is impeccable, urging you to read “just one more chapter” until dawn breaks. The twists? Oh, they’re there—subtle, unexpected, and utterly satisfying.

“The Replacement” isn’t just a thriller; it’s a descent into the human psyche. It explores obsession, legacy, and the echoes of history. As I turned the final page, I felt both exhilarated and haunted—a testament to Golding’s storytelling prowess.

The first half of this book was exceptional. I really enjoyed it. However I found Zillah had a lot more chemistry with an absent character (Eustace) and the villain (Crillick) than she had with either of her ‘love’ interests. I was also confused about the idea of identity and race. One minute she speaks Zulu, the next minute she’s from Barbados heritage, then there’s talk of Sierra Leone. If I was confused then god knows what poor Zillah thought. The concept was excellent it just didn’t hit the mark.

Historical novel set in Victorian London which explores themes of race, class, wealth, exploitation and emancipation.

Zillah is a performer who finds herself caught between two races and two classes of society. She has to cover herself with dark makeup for her performances as her skin is not dark enough, and her relationship with a Viscount means she also does not fit comfortably with either class.

She realises her position is precarious, but it isn't until she happens to see a new performance that Zillah realises the true meaning of her stage character, becoming determined to help the other woman escape from her brutal treatment.

Vividly conjures the reality of life for downtrodden members of Victorian society and the complex relationships between race, class and wealth.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Although this is a fictional story, the underlying premise is so very real not only historically but also the racism that is still experienced today for african / caribbean people.

Set in Victorian London, Zillah, a free light skinned woman, who 'performs' in a variety show playing Great Amazonia - a wild woman from the heart of Africa. The story exposes the struggles mixed race woman (and people of colour) had, and still have to this day, with embracing their own identity and being able to live a normal life in society without having to be marginalised because of the colour of their skin. In the story Zillah is expecting to 'black up' her face and body to fit the stereotype of the role to appease the working-class audience - even though out of character in the show, she would still be perceived as black despite her light skin - and would be treated as such in a demoralising manner. Within the show Zillah is expected to be marvelled upon by the audience as this exotic wonder as an almost circus act - however Zillah is 'happy' to play this role which takes her away from the slums and into a different element of society. However when her employer wants her to partake in the new act that involves kidnapping Africans she starts to question what she is doing, and she ends up having to make a choice as to whether she stays with her revolting white employer or finds a way out with the African merchant who is appalled at her act and what she is doing.

The story is so much more powerful than I think a lot of people realise. The story writes about the tragedies that people of colour have to go through on a day to day basis, and although racism is more subtle today is still doesn't take away the fact that it is still there. As a an English wife to a Nigerian man, and with 2 beautiful mixed race daughters, I too have learnt so much. There are questions and answers to my now adapted style of parenting that I never would have thought about when I was growing up as certain things didn't affect me. I have been there when my partner has walked down the street and people have made monkey noises at him, or when we have gone into a shop and the alarm has gone on the way out and automatically they have searched him first. I have mixed race friends who said they really struggled growing up as they felt too black to fit in with the white kids, and was deemed too white to fit in with the black kids, so never felt like they belonged anywhere. Even though racism is not as blatant as it was back in the Victorian times, I feel as though the subtlety of it means now that people generally only notice if it directly affects them, and people don't want to stand up and speak up to support people if there is no impact on themselves.

This story was such a compelling and unforgettable read.

This book had a lot of potential and an interesting styory but unfortunately it didn’t work for me. But I think many other readers will enjoy this.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience

I absolutely loved this book until about 60% through and then bam fell out of love with it. It went from an interesting perspective of a woman who had to live by her wits to a far fetched and at times gruesome tale - I have no doubt that this happened but it made for a very uncomfortable read - and detracted from the story for me. Fell flat at the end - and had an unnecessarily long crescendo that meant I couldn’t wait for it to finish rather than savouring every moment as I had at the beginning. Fell flat for me. 2.5*

So engrossed was I in the twists and turns of the Theatre of Marvels that I failed to change at Clapham Junction as planned and faced a far longer more complicated journey. Zillah is an orphan from the slums who has found stardom in variety theatre. She is on the brink of a far better life when one of her fellow performers disappears and she dives into a search that takes her into the underbelly of Mayfair and London theatre.

I was excited to be accepted to read this book and I wanted to like it, however, I found myself to be disappointed.

The description appealed to me and I knew it was YA, so thought I knew what I was expecting, however, I found the writing to be too simplistic, I found myself eye-rolling at the love triangle cliche and the characters were stereotypes.

I wanted a strong female lead, but she seemed too reliant on the men in her life and, whilst I know that Victorian England had women constrained in this way, the book was not factually accurate in so many ways, it could have pushed the ‘girl power’ agenda and got away with it.

I know that I am in the minority, having looked at the Goodread reviews, so this book was clearly not right for me.

I enjoyed this book and found Zillah to be a really interesting main character. Her life in the theatre was vividly brought to life and her resilience at coping with her situation. The Victorian details were evocative and the story flowed well. A good read.

What a great read. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and felt totally transported. I love a historical story and this will definitely speak to historical fiction fans. Very atmospheric!

A truly wonderful arrangement of words into an astounding tale. Told from the perspective of a young black British girl in Victorian London. The prejudice she faces while working at a theatre and pursued by two admirers, who are complete opposites, all the while trying to save a fellow performer from her cruel, greedy boss who is exploiting her for monetary gain.
A really exciting, thrilling read I enjoyed it from start to finish. 5 stars. Thank you for preview proof copy. @LianneDWrites.

A brilliant and highly-imaginative book by a hugely promising new writer. I can't wait for Lianne's next one!

loved this book, so beautifully written! Lianne Dillsworth is such a stunning talent and I can't wait to read her future books. one of my new favourite writers!

This wasn't quite the book for me but I'm sure other readers will love its exploration of identity and racism. It's YA rather than adult and some readers seem surprised by this so beware before reading.

An interesting historical fiction but slightly slow to get started. The characters were well-written, but I didn’t love any of them particularly.

Theatre of Marvels follows the story of Zillah, an orphaned young free born Black woman, who is performing in Crillick's Variety Theatre dressed up as a Great Amazonia. Hidden from the audience, who comes to gawp at her in droves, she is lucky to have a job and a patronage of a gentleman. But when a Black man unexpectedly visits her performance, her fragile stability is threatened. Soon, she needs to reevaluate her life and discover what true freedom really is.
I enjoyed the exploration of identity and freedoms awarded to women, especially Black women, in Victorian times by the author as well as the glimpse into the Victorians' obsession with "freak shows", and the role that race played in their attitudes towards people different from them. Zillah was a strong voice and i liked her character growing and developing.
Although it was a slow burn book, thankfully the very effective ending made up for it.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. This was an interesting story that was less predictable than I imagined it would be. It is a coming of age story, a search for identity,the backdrop slavery in Britain and London. The main character at the start of the tale manages to seem quite naive and unquestioning about her role in a theatre production as the Amazonian. I’m glad the story resolved in the way it did. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

I am normally not a massive fan of historical fiction but I really enjoyed this one. I liked the writing style and the plot and thought the atmosphere and setting were great

I absolutely loved this book. Hooked from start to finish and totally captivated by the dazzling backdrop, engaging narrative and fantastic characters. Will be shouting about this book to everyone who will listen!