Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

“Sometimes, you have to be cruel to be kind…”

Happy pub day to this book! 😊

Although I enjoyed it, it was a slower paced novel. Mina was an interesting MC that through trying to help Alice, she makes some realizations about her own life. The imagery in this book was superb. I always love being able to picture scenes of a book as I’m reading like a movie.

There were some creepy parts that made me feel 😅. It includes aspects of mystery, witchcraft, and superstition. It was an original story that I’d still recommend! The cover is also so cool! 🤩

A delicious descent into depravity and madness. Something in the Walls will sink its teeth in deep, and leave its mark. Ominously sinister in the very best of ways. This book should be in your hands!

Creepy, chilling, and witchy - this one is an unsettling folk horror seeps under your skin. This slow-burn thriller follows child psychologist Mina as she takes on a troubling case: 13-year-old Alice Webber, who insists a witch is haunting her. As Mina delves deeper into Alice’s world, the eerie village of Banathel reveals its dark history of superstition, secrets, and something far more sinister lurking just out of sight.

The writing is simple yet incredibly effective, layering tension and supernatural unease throughout. The audiobook narration amplifies the chilling atmosphere, making every whispered warning and shadowy moment feel even more ominous. If you love folk horror with an eerie, slow-building dread, this one’s worth a listen.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacmillanAudio for an advanced arc and alc of this title!

This book is a chilling and atmospheric psychological thriller with elements of suspense and the supernatural.

Mina’s journey, as she steps into a case that could provide professional experience but also tests her beliefs and abilities, is both a personal and professional challenge. The setting in the small, remote village of Banathel, with its deep ties to superstition and witchcraft, heightens the tension, creating an environment where logical explanations might not hold up against the unknown.

The fact that Alice’s symptoms are escalating and becoming more disturbing suggests that there’s a darker force at play, pushing Mina into unfamiliar and uncomfortable territory. The tension between the rational world that Mina is trying to build with her psychology career and the strange, eerie elements of Banathel and its people will likely keep readers on edge.

Oscar, with his precise and careful nature, could serve as an anchor for Mina’s more unpredictable emotions and actions as she becomes immersed in the mystery. The fact that Sam Hunter, a journalist, has a stake in the case suggests he might push Mina toward conclusions or actions she may not initially be comfortable with, further complicating her internal struggle.

In my opinion this book has a slow creeping tension that builds.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

SOMETHING IN THE WALLS brings readers to the limits of where thrillers meet horror in a compact, impactful story.

When newly minted child psychologist Mina gets her first "big girl" case, she doesn't really just how lucky-or unlucky-she is. Mina's been invited by a journalist named Sam to meet a young girl named Alice Webber who lives in a town forgotten by the world, where witchcraft panic still looms with shadows that might be the only relief from the heat wave they are experiencing. Mina is taken to meet Alice, her neighbors, and the community that supports each other amid times of strife. But Alice's case isn't just for a psychologist: She's hearing noises in the walls, and she knows things that people shouldn't know. Things like what's buried in Sam's past. And Mina's. When people start dying and fingers start flying, Mina learns that she has to clear Alice's name... and figure out who is really bringing the evil to this town.

There are so many great building blocks in Daisy Pearce's thriller. This novel seems to be gasping for air with a sweltering, bleak backdrop of a town, and it finds greater weight by setting the story sometime in the nineties, where mass media more deeply controlled ideology and small towns (and small minded folks) could stay more easily cut off. But it's the towns collective fear of witchcraft and its macabre history of it that really helps this novel toe the line between thriller and horror- and I don't just mean green faces on broomsticks. What haunts this story is truly terrifying stuff, and the reveal of who is behind the worst crimes--and not just why, but how--will keep readers up at night. Like the best horror novels, this book masquerades with fiction and monsters to uncover something more sinister about our world, something that happens under our noses (and in our basements) every day. The final pages of this story will make readers uneasy, and while the novel concludes with some loose ends that bothered me, it will certainly keep you up at night.

What a creepy and fun read! I didn’t know what to expect going into this but would now love to read more by this author.

Something in the Walls is a good mix of thriller and horror. I really liked our main character and thought all the characters in the story were well developed. The town was definitely strange which added to the creepiness of it and there were definitely times I wanted to reach out and strangle this girl’s parents…

From the start it was really tense, but I do feel towards the end, it kind of died down however the end twist was fun. I was constantly bouncing back and forth between “is this really a witch or is someone messing with them?” It was hard to quite pin it down to one or the other because there were so many things I needed to explain to myself. I won’t say too much because I don’t want to give it away. Thanks to Minotaur Books for my eARC.

You know that feeling when you pick up a book, and from page one, you just *know* it’s going to be amazing? That was me with this one. The premise? Absolutely gripping. The execution? Impeccable. The eerie, slow-burn tension? 10/10. I devoured it in a single day, completely unable to put it down. And then… the ending happened. 😩

But let’s rewind.

This book follows Alice Weber, a girl the whole town swears is possessed. Enter a journalist, determined to uncover the truth, and Mina Alice (a child psychologist), who joins forces with him to figure out what’s *really* happening. What starts as a simple investigation quickly spirals into something far more disturbing than either of them expected. And let me tell you—the horror, the unsettling atmosphere, and the sheer *what-the-heck-is-happening* factor? Chef’s kiss. 👌✨

The writing pulled me in, the mystery kept me guessing, and the pacing had my heart racing. It was everything I wanted… until we got to the final stretch. I kept waiting for that *aha!* moment, for answers that would tie it all together. But instead, I was left with… nothing. Nada. Just a lot of questions and a slightly betrayed feeling. 😅

That’s not to say this book isn’t worth reading—because *oh boy,* it is! If you love dark, eerie mysteries with a side of psychological horror, this one will grab you and refuse to let go. Just be warned: the ending might leave you staring at the ceiling, wondering what just happened.

🔮💀 *Final Verdict:* A wildly gripping ride with an ending that… well, let’s just say it might not be for everyone. Proceed with curiosity (and maybe a backup book in case you need closure). 💌

Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce is the story of Mina, a child psychologist with no experience and Sam, a reporter she met at a grief group, going to a small town to help a troubled girl. They believe she is haunted by a witch. Mina and Sam find out that this town has unusual traditions and secrets. They also find out the lengths people will go to keep their secrets hidden. We find out sometimes the real horror can be found in those secrets. I loved that this book was set in the 1980s. I kept thinking things like “why don’t they text…oh. They don’t have that.” It was definitely a book I did not want to put down. I was hooked from the beginning. Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur books for an advanced digital copy of Something in the Walls.

Could not put this book down.Horror with a touch of feminism great characters really involving.Daisy Pearce is an excellent writer and I will be following her .#netgalley#st.martinsbooks.

This was perfectly creepy! When Mina, a newly graduated child psychologist, is approached by a journalist during one of her grief counseling sessions, she can’t help but be intrigued by his offer. Sam has just wrapped up an interview with a teenage girl from a small town who believes a witch is watching her through the walls and he needs help from Mina to understand if Alice is truly being haunted. While others think the girl can communicate with the dead, Sam and Mina decide to uncover the truth behind what’s happening to Alice. Both have their own hidden motives, while they want to help Alice, they also hope that she might be the key to reconnecting with their lost loved ones.
I loved the eerie atmosphere of this book and wished it was longer. I do think it could have explored certain elements more deeply. More background on the town and its people would have helped set up the ending better. Additionally, it was difficult to connect with some characters since they were introduced abruptly without much development. If you enjoy the vibe of a haunted, isolated town with a touch of Midsommar, you’re in for a real treat.

*Thank you to Daisy Pearce, St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and Netgalley for the ARC copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

The eerie and suspenseful witchcraft vibes of this book is what kept me going. Otherwise, the story was slow and tedious. Didn’t really feel like much was happening until the end. Even then, it left me with questions that didn’t seem to get answered. Loved the writing style but was hoping for more in regards to the story.

2025 has been so good to me. This was great--just creepy and folky and haunted. I liked the premise of going to a small town dripping in supernatural lore and investigating, too. I feel like this could almost be a TV show with that premise. This was tense, with interesting world and characters, and I really did enjoy it. The US cover is also really cool, and it fits the vibe of the story well.

SOMETHING IN THE WALLS by @kaiki3000 is full of gothic tension and disbelief in your own senses. Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publisher @stmartinspress for the e-ARC and #partner @macmillanaudio for the #lrc. Happy Pub Day to this title!

💀💀💀

Mina, a yet very green child psychologist is waiting for her break. When she attends her normal bereavement group she attends to mourn her brother's death years ago, she meets journalist Sam Hunter and he has a proposition. Something dark and dangerous is stirring in the remote Irish island of Bathanel and young Alice Webber claims she is being haunted by a witch. She is showing signs of sickness and coughing up strange things. In a town built over the bodies of witches and where superstitions and hag stones run rampant, Mina must determine what is disturbing the girl and prove whether or not it is otherworldly.

💀💀💀

This kind of story has everything I want in a book - a competent if newly minted female sleuth, a dark mystery, gothic small town vibes, and a whole boatload of secrets to uncover. The author uses misdirection, nuance and other subtleties to move your senses in one direction while pulling a slight of hand action in the other. I loved the ending and all its implications! If you want to be spooked in the best way, pick this one up!

DNF @ 74%

I really tried to get into this book. But I’m not scared, the audio is boring me to sleep, and paranormal activity seems unreal. I cannot decipher between what’s really happening and what’s in their head. I wanted to like this one but I couldn’t continue.

🥺🥺🥺 I’m scared. Dang near every page of this one creeped me out. I found it impossible to put down once I hit the 20% mark, even though I knew what I was in for.
My imagination ran wild with the imagery, and at times was just like a movie playing in my head.
I’m left with a lot of questions, now that I’ve finished, but in the best way possible. A story like this does not need a tidy little bow and the author handled to ending so well!
Highly recommend if you are a reader of all things that go bump in the night!

Teased with the first few chapters of Something in the Walls, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the rest. Child psychologist Mina meets journalist Sam at a grief support group. He's investigating events happening in a remote village - there's a girl exhibiting strange behavior, she's getting worse, and oh by the way the village is steeped in superstition and witchcraft lore.

The hook occurs when Sam plays back a recording for Mina that he made at an earlier interview with the girl and her family. There's something unexpected and otherworldly captured. Super creepy!

Reminiscent of Emma Donoghue's The Wonder, we meet the village characters as Mina and Sam stay at the family house. They're eccentric, there are cruel teens, the village is secretive and protective. What is going on?!?

I loved the beginning. Was mildly entertained with the eerie and unsettling middle (that may have dragged a bit) and more than disappointed with the ending (which didn't stick the landing). I'll just leave it at that.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital ARC. (pub date 2/25/2025)

Thank you @minotaur and @netgalley for a copy of the e-ARC.

Happy Pub Day to Something in the Walls.

I am a big fan of haunted houses, curses, and possessions. Those are my favorite types of horror books to read. Something in the Walls is about a 13-year-old girl who lives in a small village and is rumored to be possessed by a witch. The small village has a deep history of superstition and witchcraft.

Mina is a newly graduated child psychologist. She meets Sam, a journalist, in a grief group. Mina lost her younger brother when they were both still children. Sam lost his four-year-old daughter. They team up and travel to a remote village to try and help Alice, the girl everyone thinks is possessed by a witch. It’s the thick of summer, and I love when an environmental aspect is used as its own character in a book. Sam is looking for a scoop, and Mina is hoping to gain some experience in her field, as she doesn’t believe Alice is truly possessed. They are also both haunted by the huge losses in their own lives.

The story is studded with folklore and horror. There are tense moments that described so well I can see them clearly in my mind. It’s creepy and I really enjoyed it.

I loved this book. This is the first book in a long while that has really creeped me out. Mina meets Sam at a grief support group; she dealing with the loss of her brother, he with that of his daughter. Sam is a journalist who has been asked to travel to a small town to investigate the possible haunting of Alice Webber, a 14 year old girl. He asks Mina, a newly graduated child psychologist to accompany him to see if there is a possible psychological basis for her experiences.

Things I liked: the imagery is astoundingly unsettling. I truly cannot say enough about how well Daisy Pearce sets the mood and describes how creepy this town, this house, and this whole situation is. The mish-mash of human evil, supernatural evil, grief, wishing for there to be something beyond, and there maybe being something there that you weren't bargaining for. I finished this book a week ago and I'm still thinking about how deeply creepy it is.

Easy five stars.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting story about witches. Some good surprises. Didn't care for some characters. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.