The Replacement

by Patrick Redmond

Replacement

Genres: Thriller

498 pages, Paperback

First published March 20, 2014

About the author

Patrick Redmond is an English author of psychological thrillers; typical themes include insanity, secrets and death. He attended Felsted School, then studied law at Leicester University and British Columbia in Vancouver. Wikipedia

Reviews

[Raven · Rating 5 out of 5]

From my initial experience of reading The Wishing Game some years ago, still to my mind one of the best psychological thrillers ever, I have been a regular reader of Patrick Redmond. The Replacement is his latest, and once again demonstrates his prowess in the understanding of human psychology, and the pitch perfect transference of this talent into crime fiction.

Meet the Randalls, a wholly dislikeable and affluent family, with the superior and boorish attitudes that such status inevitably yields in their day to day lives. Robert Randall, the dominant patriarch, a retired lawyer, and his hostess with the mostess wife, the attractive Caroline. The twin sons, James and Thomas with their successful careers, after a childhood empty of love and praise for Thomas, and with all the family expectations and opportunities invested in James. Theirs is a family with a bedrock of sexual duplicity, societal position and petty jealousies and rivalries. It’s absolutely fascinating. And then the masterstroke as a large cuckoo in the nest, in the shape of the hapless Stuart- an overweight, low achieving man scarred by his upbringing in the care system- arrives to send this family into free-fall, and then, as they say, it all kicks off. Big style.

The building and development of each player in this almost Borgia-esque nightmare is beautifully rendered with a narrative control that Redmond is well known for. Each character is fully developed with a 360 degree viewpoint that plumbs the depths of their interior lives and motivations. This is particularly true of Thomas, James and Stuart, who are so wholly different, but you know each of them so intensely with the width and breadth of the characterisation. Indeed, every single character is so clearly defined, regardless of their influence in the plot, that the reader is totally engaged in the machinations of their lives, arousing our sympathy or vitriolic bile in equal measure. There’s a wonderful quote regarding Ma and Pa Randall saying, “He was an unpleasant man. She was an unpleasant woman. But even the most objectionable of people could still have feelings”, but as the plot unfolds the finer qualities of these feelings such as they are, are roundly undermined by the revealing of the truly appalling actions of both. The way that they have manipulated their sons, and the degradation and falseness of their marriage, puts the whole family set-up into sharp focus, leading us to question how James and Thomas have survived as long as they have with such awful parents, and how Stuart will fit into this equation. I loved the permutations of the relationships in the book, between the sons themselves, their respective girlfriends, whether pleasant or grasping, and how all their worlds collide, as each revelation of the misdemeanours of the past is unveiled. The close-quartered study of the dynamics of this family is utterly realistic, where jealousy underscored with shifting loyalties is at the fore. The book is incredibly dialogue driven, but is precise and most important very naturalistic and flowing. This intense use of dialogue immerses you even more in the character’s fractured relationships and personal scheming, that in some cases puts Machiavelli himself to shame…

This is a twisted tale of murder, suicide, and sexual and monetary jealousy that slowly envelops you in its grasp and for me certainly, became utterly compulsive reading. The characters are so nice and nasty in equal measure that I bet you have your own candidate as the eventual murder victim- I certainly did- and will fully enjoy this slow potboiler from start to finish. Loved it…

[Melissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't know if this is actually the worst book I've ever read but it is close. I've had paper dolls that were more real than any of the characters. Every one of them had an agenda and there wasn't one that made you feel anything but contempt for them. The plot would have been interesting but the characters were so boring and annoying I just couldn't buy into the story at all. I have no idea why I finished the book. Maybe it was the promise of a twist or I kept waiting for the thriller part to kick. Instead that is a few hours of my life I won't get back.

[Lucy Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reminded me of the play Blood Brothers a LOT.
I feel that Patrick Redmond may have taken some inspiration from there. The majority of the characters in this are hateful and I despised them but there was small snippets from each of their mindsets so you could understand their motivations.
Another solid good read from Patrick Redmond although not quite as good as Apple of my Eye which I found to be quicker paced.

[Tânia · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Toxic people attach themselves like cinder blocks tied to your ankles, and then invite you for a swim in their poisoned waters.” - John Mark

I’ve been meaning to read more from this author for years. I think his psychological thrillers work great with his peculiar writing style that takes some getting used to, but once you do it becomes addicting. It’s very direct and incisive. It reads like a script of a movie. You just have to fill in the images in your head and lights, camera, action!

I was totally absorbed by the story from start to finish. It’s an absolute page-turner. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever read a story about twins from this perspective – the reveal was a total surprise and set the tone of the story. Nothing is black and white and everyone has skeletons in the closet – and that’s life, eh?

However, I would’ve liked more “screen time” with Jimmy & Tommy! They were by far the most interesting characters of the lot and theirs was a story that could’ve benefited from more development to go with the dialogues.

Recommended for people who don't believe mothers don't love their children.

[Jan Woodhouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has to be my favourite book of the moment - it's the first I've read by Patrick Redmond, and - as I tend to binge on writers once discovered - there are more to look forward to. From time to time, I felt the writing could have been improved - sometimes I had to re-read a couple of sentences to work out who the pronouns related to. But this was a minor quibble, totally outweighed by the powerful thrust of the narrative (one scene passing seamlessly to the next), the intricacy of the plot, and the ever-changing dynamics between the characters. My personal timetable was suspended while I finished this book, and the characters stayed in my head after I finally put it down.

[Eldon Farrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I waited years for another Patrick Redmond novel and it was well worth the wait!!

Redmond is in my opinion the BEST author of a generation and it's a shame that more readers have not discovered his amazing style of writing. Each book he writes is stunning in it's complexity and exploration of the human condition. The Replacement is no different. The characters within these pages take you on a journey exploring human frailty and the disastrous results of jealousy left to fester.

Bravo to Mr. Redmond for once again ensnaring this reader with your skillful prose. I eagerly await the next novel from this master of psychological fiction!!

[Theodoros Kiosses · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, Patrick Redmond, delivers a cinematic, suspensful, thrilling reading experience. His characters are well fleshed out, his dialogues, real and to the poinτ. The multiple Povs, the fast shifting between short scenes makes this book, hard to put down. The only minor complaint I have with this book, is the fact, that some times, I thought there were a lot of fights between the characters, and sometimes the change of their emotions felt a bit abrupt. But I definately recommend this book for everyone!

[Windy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so excited by a new book by this author. Slightly disappointed by this though. Got a bit bored by the people being horrible to one another, then the conclusion was rushed and where I expected a big twist to lift it, there was none.

[Nic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very slow going, and the story hints at a twist that never comes so felt a bit disappointing. Chapters were too long, many too descriptive and conversational but with no point.

[charlie.s_chapters · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, so this was by no means bad but I've read better books in the same genre. It was really very slow, I think most of the action happened in the last 60 pages and there are quite a lot of pages in this one. I kept feeling like stuff was about to get messy but then it just didn't, it just seemed a bit anti-climatic. The characters were really well developed, maybe even too well developed, which did help with understanding the plot better. It was an interesting concept and one I'd never come across in another novel before. I did enjoy it, there was just something missing and to be honest I think it was the drama. I don't want to say anything that will ruin the ending but I just feel that it was a bit of a cop out in some places, where more things could have happened. I don't know whether I'm just used to more dramatic crime thrillers so it wasn't as dramatic as the novels I'm used to or whether it just wasn't really for me, I don't know, but there was definitely something missing.

The Replacement

[Christopher Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent idea for a story. Three boys born in the same hospital on same day. Two identical twins and the other one. Babies are mixed up by staff and the two "twins" are in fact one twin and the other one presented to the mother. A lot of potential with this start and the plot developed quite well. My main reservation with this book was that all the characters were so unpleasant it was difficult to care much about what happened to any of them. Still quite a good read for the originality.

[Ness Mills · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh... The characters in this were nasty! Was waiting for a plot twist at the end but didn't get it!

[Ricamarina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a fan of Patrick Redmond for years! Ever since I read "Apple of my Eye". This book highlights that what all glitters is NOT Gold. The mother had a lot to answer for and caused her son's a lot of issues, which isn't commonly spoken about in society. How mother's can contribute to how their children view themselves and interact with the world. Also, the family is seen as very successful both home and public but this isn't the case. All in all, a very good read and gives insight to how dysfunction can also be an issue in "well off" families.

[Victoria Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book - few interesting twists in the story

[Marcus · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Starts great then slows down quite a lot in part 2 then picks up and delivers a "good" ending

[Sarah Staddon-Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brilliantly described characters reflecting the English class system. Most of them are bitter and twisted and have the most unbelievable triats making an astonishing read. Very cleverly plotted. I couldn't help laughing to myself and some of the twists and turns which I don't think the author intended.

[Matt Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked this one up on a whim and ended up absolutely loving it - so many twists and turns and a lot of characters you’ll love to hate (or hate to love).

[Marjolein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeously plotted book about a twisted family. It's a page-turner for sure. Gone Girl contained some plotting and hidden agendas of main characters, but in The Replacement nearly all characters are scheming and conniving. Driven by jealousy they are betraying and deceiving their relatives and loved ones.

From a review that can be found here (https://ravencrimereads.wordpress.com...) : "The building and development of each player in this almost Borgia-esque nightmare is beautifully rendered with a narrative control that Redmond is well known for. Each character is fully developed with a 360 degree viewpoint that plumbs the depths of their interior lives and motivations."

I deduct one star for the middle part that contains two instances with some unrealistic change of hearts of key characters.

[Samie Sands · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my God! The Replacement is an amazing, twisted, complex story with narcissistic parents, confused and frightened adults who haven't managed to grow up and a hospital mistake which turns everyone's lives around. Being mixed up at birth is bound to lead to problems, but these problems are intensified when everyone in the picture feels like they're the victim, like their story is the worst. Patrick Redmond has an amazing and gripping way of writing which gave each character their own, individual tone. Once I was sucked into the story line, I couldn't put the book down until the final, explosive page.

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a good month or so since I enjoyed a book as much as I did this one so it was really great to be reminded why I love reading after being in a bit of a rut. The Replacement was a gripping and interesting read about what happens when two babies are mixed up at birth without the mistake being realized until decades later, a revelation that would turn any family upside down but which is much more juicier when they're as messed up as the Randalls are. Give or take two or three, the characters in this book fluctuate between being seriously deranged to begin with to having their dark side brought out by the events that occur. A brilliant read.

[Nikki O'farrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very dark psychological thriller. At first it seems the Randall’s are a normal family until you break through the surface. Twins James and Thomas seem like the perfect sons until Stuart comes into the family and the family unit starts to implode. The sibling rivalry within this book is excellent as one twin is favoured over the other. I did find it a little confusing at times as I got the characters of James, Thomas and Stuart muddled although this was sorted out within a few pages.
Generally a really good book with lots of twists and turns along the way.
4 stars.

[Lynette · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really disappointed in this novel. After reading his other books I couldn't wait to sit down to this one but actually just felt it was really boring! The plot sounded great, I just didn't feel that
it delivered. Seemed to waffle on and go nowhere really. If I hadn't bought it, I don't know that I would even have finished it.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a lot of characters and I occasionally had to stop and go "wait, Kate? Which one was Kate?!". Only with about five names. That aside, this is a really good book, which has a lot of complicated, layered and devious characters.

[Martin Perks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good thriller about twins, one of which went to the wrong family at birth, and the problems they face when they are reunited

[Cass Glaves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. The story and writing are dark and the story is complex. The characters are well developed and the story flowed. It made me want to read other stuff from this author.

[Sonia Ferrigno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written fast plot. A bit too much happening maybe?

[Circlestones Books Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thrilling page turner, one of his best!

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another brilliant book by Patrick Redmond. One of the best psychological thrillers I've read so far.

[Aisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stunning and thrilling read. Redmond has written an excellent piece.