SUBSTITUTE

Three people live. Three people die. You make the choice.

Like any mother, Chrissie wants to protect her family. She would do anything to keep them safe. So when a mysterious stranger turns up at her door, offering to prevent the deaths of the people she loves, it sounds too good to be true. The only problem: she must choose someone to die in their place. A substitute.

When her daughter Holly has a terrible accident, Chrissie has no option but to enter the programme. In that horrifying moment, she would do anything to save her. But even after Holly makes a miraculous recovery, Chrissie is convinced it’s just a coincidence. After all, who can really control the laws of life and death?

But as the dangers to her family escalate and her chosen substitutes begin to disappear, Chrissie finds herself in an underworld of hidden laboratories and secretive doctors. And the consequences of playing by their rules are far deadlier than she ever imagined…

* * * * *

What people are saying about Substitute

“Holliday is excellent at creating an atmosphere of unease. ” – The Sun

“A clever slice of dystopian darkness” – Heat Magazine

“Loved it. Could you sentence someone to death to save a loved one? A thrilling speculative thriller for fans of Blake Crouch and John Marrs.” – Mark Edwards

“Utterly gripping” – C.L. Taylor

“Its future-possible plot and richly drawn characters kept me hooked from start to finish. Easy to devour and hard to forget.” – John Marrs

“I love a book which centres around a moral dilemma, but Substitute brought so much more to the table. It’s a real twisting of genres that will blow your mind.” – Caroline Mitchell

“A Black-Mirror-esque descent into what you’d do to protect loved ones.” –  D.L. Marshall

“Original, fast-paced, and thought-provoking, this speculative thriller from the peerless imagination of Susi Holliday will keep you hooked from page one.  Who would you substitute…?” – Amanda Jennings

“This awesome thriller is out next month. If you like chills and thrills with a dark science twist and a big hook, it’ll be right up your street. There is no substitute for Holliday…” – Mason Cross

“Absolutely loved Substitute. It poses a fascinating question I can’t stop thinking about: if you could save the lives of three loved ones by choosing three others to die in their place, who would they be? Not a wasted word and so compelling.” – Fiona Cummins

“Tense, gripping and terrifyingly plausible, Substitute marries an intriguing high-concept premise with warm storytelling and the most-accurate parent-child relationship since The Whisper Man.” – Ed James

“A razor-sharp story that refuses to let you go.” – Quentin Bates

“When faced with an impossible choice of who lives and who dies, a mother is caught in a twisty science of the future. I could barely breathe when reading this. Gripping!” – Rachael Blok

“Dark, clever and thought-provoking, just as you’d expect from Holliday. She puts everyday people through not-at-all everyday situations, and you, the reader, have to watch it all fall apart with your heart in your throat.” – Louise Beech

“I always get excited when a new Susi Holliday book comes out and Substitute didn’t disappoint. A wild ride and a highly original story you won’t want to miss.” – CS Green

“Wowzers – Susi Holliday’s twisty-turny thriller Substitute is epic!! Mind-bending, pulse-pounding, techno thriller brilliance! Perfect for fans of John Marrs, JP Delaney & Blake Crouch.” – Steph Broadribb

“What an absolute belter of a book. I’m loving the slight Sci-Fi edge that her work is taking lately, while still remaining effortlessly cool and relevant. Each new book surpasses the previous, something I thought impossible. Holliday is one of the most exciting authors I’ve come across.” – JM Hewitt

“Susi Holliday knocks it out of the park with this book. It’s everything you want in a thriller – imaginative, credible and engaging; rocketing relentlessly towards a gut-wrenching conclusion as the stakes grow higher and higher… Brilliant.” – Louise Voss

“Absolutely loved it! Original and compelling, with a killer premise and gut-wrenching dilemmas. And I do love a rogue scientist.” – Roz Watkins

“A chilling and addictive tale of the price of good intentions, devastating choices and science gone wrong. Frankenstein meets The Chain in Susi’s most powerful thriller yet.” – Heleen Kist

“A cracking premise. If you want something a little different then I suggest you check this out. Read the blurb. Go on. You won’t be able to look away!” – Rebecca Bradley

“A twisty, super creepy tale that kept me turning the pages well into the night – be careful what you wish for!” – Emma Haughton

“Deliciously disturbing, thought-provoking, and unforgettable. Everything I want in a thriller.” – Jo Jakeman

“If you’re looking for a pacy, smart and twisty plot, Substitute is an absolute must read. This is a book that feels terrifyingly real.” – Lisa Cutts

“You’d be mad to substitute Susi Holliday’s clever, complex & compelling thriller for anyone else’s: who lives and who dies?”  – Claire Seeber

“Substitute has all the elements of a gripping domestic noir, complete with sharp twists and turns, dark secrets, and seismic blasts from the past.” – Paul D. Brazill

“A twisty, brilliantly paced techno thriller with plenty of heart. Brilliant!!!” – Victoria Goldman (Off the shelf book reviews / Love Reading)

“Substitute is an unbearably tense thriller but it’s also a thought-provoking exploration of grief, ambition and the moral principles. Susi Holliday writes such creepy, compelling, original thrillers and the dystopic, genre-defying Substitute is no exception – I loved it!” –  Karen Cole (Hair Past A Freckle)

“Incredibly imaginative but also scarily possible, Substitute is an outstanding techno-thriller that had me on the edge of my seat.  I definitely recommend it; it’s disturbing, twisty and completely addictive.  An easy 5 stars from me!” – Michelle (The Book Magnet Blog)

“Full of tension and with a pacing which really did propel me through the book in double quick time, I think if you like your thrillers with an original ‘what if’ kind of twist, you really do want to give this a try” – Jen Med’s Book Reviews

“Substitute is clever. It’s a techo-thriller, filled with science and also with single-minded people who will stop at nothing to create what they want. A book that will thrill and keep the reader on their toes. Highly recommended from me.” – Anne Cater (Random Things Through My Letterbox)

“Susi Holliday has that knack of making her readers contemplate their own dark souls” – Linda’s Book Bag

“I don’t think I’ve read anything quite like it but I seriously enjoyed this addictive and very believable exploration of what could be in the very near future.” – Claire (A Knight’s Reads)

“I love books with original concepts, ones that push the boundaries of rational thought and make me question my own moral compass. Wow did this book do that and then some.” – Melanie’s Reads