I was pulled in by the blurb that is book was “studded with folklore and horror….”

But the tale of Mina, a freshly minted child psychologist and Alice, a 13 year old girl who has something seriously wrong, left me bored! I didn’t this story seemed all over the place and I didn’t really care about any of the characters.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Something in the Walls is a haunting psychological thriller that blends folklore, grief, and supernatural dread into a story that’s as emotionally resonant as it is terrifying. Daisy Pearce crafts a slow-burning narrative that builds tension with every page, and the payoff is worth the wait. At the heart of the novel is Mina, a newly minted child psychologist still reeling from the loss of her brother and unsure about her upcoming marriage. Her emotional fragility is palpable, and Pearce does a brilliant job of developing her character not just through her interactions with others, but through her internal unraveling. Mina’s descent into uncertainty and fear feels earned, layered, and deeply human. The plot kicks into gear when Mina is asked to help Alice Webber, a 13-year-old girl claiming to be haunted by a witch. What starts as a professional opportunity quickly morphs into a psychological and supernatural nightmare. The village of Banathel, steeped in superstition and secrecy, becomes a character in itself claustrophobic, eerie, and brimming with menace. And then there’s the twist. Without spoiling too much: it’s not just Alice who’s haunted. Pearce masterfully flips the narrative, revealing that Mina’s own past may be more entangled in the darkness than she ever imagined. The final chapters are a whirlwind of revelation and dread, and they reframe everything that came before. While the pacing occasionally slows in the middle, the emotional depth and atmospheric tension more than make up for it. If you love thrillers with rich character development, folklore-infused horror, and a twist that hits hard, Something in the Walls is a must-read.

This started off a bit slow for me (I did not care a single ounce about her relationship with Oscar), but ended up with me sprinting through the book to find out what happened. Spooky and eerie, with characters to care about. 3.5/5 stars

Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley, and the author for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce is a wonderfully creepy and atmospheric horror that kept me on edge the entire time. I loved how Pearce built tension through small, unsettling details that made the house itself feel alive. The characters felt real and relatable, which made the scares hit even harder. It’s a short, chilling read that left me thinking about it long after I finished.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this eARC. All opinions are my own.

This was an enjoyable reading experience.

Dark, witchy, and utterly absorbing!

"Something in the Walls" is a slow-burning, atmospheric horror novel that seeps under your skin and stays there long after the final page. Set against the mist-drenched backdrop of rural Ireland, the book captures a sense of creeping dread that builds with every chapter.

The witchy elements are woven in with just the right touch of subtlety and menace, giving the whole story a dark, folkloric undercurrent.

If you’re drawn to gothic tales, witchcraft, and a slow-building dread that pays off with chilling reveals, this is one to put at the top of your list.

Something in the Walls follows newly-trained child psychologist Mina Ellis and journalist Sam Hunter as they try to uncover the truth behind the claims of Alice Webber, who believes her deteriorating condition is due to her being haunted by a witch. As Mina and Sam investigate, they learn more about the dark history of witchcraft and superstition in the small town of Banthanel, but it becomes clear that Alice isn’t the only one in danger.

This novel is very atmospheric and suspenseful, with a lot of witchy, folky elements and a creepy smalltown vibe. I was hooked immediately, and I finished it on a weekend day. I find it hard to classify genre-wise. I will say, I did have to suspend disbelief at a few points in terms of some characters' behaviors and certain plot points, but I let it slide for the sake of entertainment and because I was having fun. I would also encourage readers to check content warnings, though they may contain spoilers.

I would recommend this to readers of horror, thrillers, and psychological suspense who enjoy supernatural elements, especially witchy and folklore elements.

*Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press - Minotaur Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review!*

I was intrigued by the premise and enjoyed the eerie atmosphere, but the plot relied a little too heavily on familiar haunted house tropes without delivering deeper character development. While the suspense builds well in places, the resolution feels rushed and lacks the emotional impact it aims for. I do think it will hit well for classic horror readers, but others who like more fleshed-out character development and themes may want to skip this one. I did enjoy the scare it gave me! I would like to see a media adaptation as it would make for a great scary movie night!

Something in the Walls was an ok horror read. Kind of mid in terms of genuine horror, but just creepy enough to make the cut. It had all the elements that normally make for my favorite horror - atmospheric setting, cultish small town, social commentary, and a strong female lead. I enjoyed reading the book, but I felt it was lacking in the horror department.

There's some decent exploration of the connection between mental illness and witches, with a bit of psychological tension and rural superstition. It's not very visceral, but more of a slow burn, atmospheric story. I will say I think this would translate great to a screenplay. Hopefully media rights will be sold at some point.

The main character is a psychologist, newly minted, and looking to get her feet wet. When she gets the opportunity to work with a girl who claims to be being haunted by a witch, she jumps at the chance. But what she uncovers in the small town of Banathel is more than she could have ever anticipated. Going in highly skeptical, she learns that while this girl may not exactly be of sound mind, there aren't many minds in the town that are. They believe there are ways of...dealing with witchcraft and wild young girls. And they don’t expect outsiders to understand.

Highly recommend for a lighter horror read (due to pacing - not themes), but not the best I've ever read. There could definitely have been improvements, but I would 100% read more from this author in the future.

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press | Minotaur Books for providing me with an advance digital copy of this novel for review.

A well-written, emotionally resonant domestic horror that excels at mood and tension. Recommended if you appreciate psychological ambiguity and slow-building dread.

The premise of this book is brilliant, a young psychologist in an isolated village full of superstition and old folklore had all the makings of a tense, gothic thriller. The oppressive heatwave and claustrophobic setting were well described, and there’s a constant sense that something is very wrong.

Unfortunately, the story never truly gripped me. The pacing dragged in places, and Mina’s passivity made it difficult to feel invested in the unfolding events. Alice’s increasingly strange behaviour was intriguing at first, but the mystery lost momentum, and the ending felt rushed.

A shame, as the atmosphere was spot-on, but the plot and characters didn’t live up to the promise.

Something in the Walls delivers a haunting ambiance and genuinely unsettling moments. Pearce’s strength lies in the creeping dread and psychological unease she cultivates. But the payoff stumbles just when the tension is at its peak. It’s a solid read for folk horror enthusiasts, though the conclusion may hold it back from achieving full dread‑fueled greatness.

Thank you @stmartinspress for this ARC! What a great old ride.
💭Something in the Walls💭
By: Daisy Pierce

Pages: 304
Rating:
Book Goal 2025: 21/130

✨Do you believe in magic and why?✨

This was a very interesting book! I felt like it was a bit of romance, thriller and horror together. I liked the story overall. I wish we would have gotten more history of the town & plot rather than the characters themselves which may be a first for me.

✨ Creepy village vibes
✨ Witchy moments
✨ Hauntings

I did see that someone else said that this book is two different books from beginning to end and I do agree. There were parts where I felt like what I was reading was not written by the same person who wrote the chapter before. Which made it difficult to rate. I will say this is a quick read for spooky season if you are looking for something. :)

Ugh. Yet another gorgeous cover that tricked me. But to be fair, the synopsis got me, too. This is my second book by this author and will likely be my last, as both were only two-star reads for me.

The main character, Mina, has just finished her schooling to become a child psychologist. She's having trouble gaining experience in her field, so she is a bit unmoored as she thinks almost exclusively about her upcoming wedding to Oscar, and the death of her brother many years ago.

Mina attends a grief-share type group to cope with her brother's death and there she meets a journalist named Sam. He shares with Mina the story of Alice, a thirteen year old who claims a witch is haunting her. Alice travels to the remote village where Alice and her family live, hoping to make a difference and help the family. Mina needs the money and the experience; Sam will get the story; Alice will be cured; everyone will be happy.

Instead, Alice's behavior becomes increasingly worse and intense. It doesn't help that the residents of the small village still believe deeply in superstition and witchcraft. They know how to deal with this evil themselves and don't expect Mina to understand what must be done.

Sounds GREAT, right??

I was super into this one, but then we move on from Alice being a witch and never getting any conclusion about that. The twist wasn't even a twist, it was so obvious once the story started to meander away from the set-up towards a completely different story. I still would've liked the book if there had been a real resolution, and just completely ignored the first half of the book.

Once I started this one, I was hooked. I could not put it down, but the complete pivot away from eveything else was jarring and disappointing. It wasn't even ambiguous, which can be phenomenal when done well. There was just...nothing.

I like to think I am intelligent, so I'm not sure if I missed something, but...what was in the walls? How did I miss this piece of information that seems super important, given the title of the book? Yet when I started looking at other reviews, I found I was not the only one confused by this whole book, after loving the beginning.

It's not just that we don't know the answer to that, but the whole thing about Alice being haunted by a witch, or being a witch? That just gets completely dropped. We hear nothing more about it with the reveal of a child molester within the village. It would be easy to point to that and say that's the source of Alice's behavior.

But it's not, and that makes everything all the more confusing than it already is.

Not recommended.

Thank you for a copy of this ARC!

Psychological thrillers are always hit or miss with me if I catch on or if it's hard to follow. This one was just the right balance of thinking. It is one that I would suggest if you enjoy deeper storylines.

I liked where this book was going but I felt like it took too long to get there. I had a hard time staying interested. It was a good story but I think it just got bogged down with too much detail and repetitiveness. .

Mina has just graduated with her degree in child psychology and is waiting for her opportunity to change children's lives. It seems as if she has been waiting forever for "her real life" to begin. When she gets the opportunity to help Alice, a young girl that believes she is being haunted, she seizes the opportunity to help . Superstitions are deeply held in this small British village and as Mina struggles to help Alice, not everyone is happy. This book is good choice, full of mystery & suspense.



Thanks to the author
., Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

You know when you get the feeling that something's wrong, but for the life of you there is no reason for the feeling?

That's this book.

It's just so incredibly WEIRD. Have you ever seen one of those horror movies with no gore, but the tone and music are just right and you want the entire thing with goosebumps on your arms? That's this book.

The thing I really loved about Something in the Walls is that the reader is left to figure out what exactly was real and what wasn't. I loved that Mina really gave me a feeling that maybe something was wrong, but maybe not as bad as we thought. But as the evidence mounts, I began to feel this absolute horror for Mina and this intense urge to jump into the book and pull her out.

The book did drag ever so slightly, which is why it didn't get a higher rating. However, I'd still read this one with the lights on if you're easily spooked.

🧱 I ended up doing audio for this and it was an easy enough listen while I did some chores around the house. It’s about a young psychologist asked to meet with a child — who claims she’s being haunted.

🧱 The story was interesting enough but I also found it to be pretty predictable. I saw where it was headed fairly early and there were no twists or turns that surprised me. The whole premise is a little beyond and I just wasn’t as intrigued as I was hoping I would be.

🧱 So who is this for? Read it if you really like…
- ghost stories
- witch trials
- spooky tales

This book was a great example of a strong concept...wait, a couple of strong concepts...there's another concept...why are there so many concepts in this book...

Okay, a series of strong concepts thrown into a cauldron with the heat turned up to boiling until the whole thing ends up tasting like a very intense mush. The main character, Mina, is a child psychologist tasked with informally seeing Alice, a teenager possessed, or haunted, or mentally ill, who can say. The trouble is, like one of those novels where the main character is reading an important story but has to keep putting it down so other things can happen in the plot, Mina inexplicably just does not talk to Alice all that much. And they are in the same house. I have no medical degree, mind you, but I'm pretty sure that illnesses are not diagnosed by talking to everybody except for the patient.

There's a good amount of spookiness, and I enjoyed the folk horror of it all, but ultimately this book left me with too many unanswered questions.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the ARC.