This book got me. The atmosphere, the creeping dread, the sense that something is always just off—it all builds so perfectly that I was practically holding my breath the whole time.

Mina is such an interesting main character. She’s new to her job, unsure of herself, and honestly just trying to figure out life. When she takes on Alice Webber’s case—a young girl claiming she’s haunted—she thinks it’ll be good experience. But from the moment she steps into that house, nothing feels right. And the town? Banathel is not the kind of place that welcomes outsiders, especially ones asking too many questions.

I loved how this book played with folklore, horror, and psychological tension. Is Alice really being haunted? Is it something else entirely? And why does the town seem just as eerie as whatever is happening in that house? The pacing is so good—little unsettling moments at first, then things spiral into full-blown terror.

Also, huge props for the setting. You can feel the oppressive heat, the claustrophobic village, the unspoken rules that everyone follows except Mina. And the twists? Chilling. Just when you think you understand what’s going on, the story yanks the rug right out from under you.

If you love slow-burn horror with folklore vibes, unsettling small-town secrets, and a mystery that keeps twisting until the very end, Something in the Walls is absolutely worth reading. Just maybe don’t read it alone at night.

Considering that Horror is not one of my favorite genres, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this one. Mina is engaged to a guy named Oscar. She's a child psychologist who one day meets journalist Sam. He broaches the subject with her about helping him find the truth about a young girl named Alice who is potentially possessed. He doesn't know if it's genuine or an act or if she is mentally ill. While she is a bit excited for the opportunity, Oscar really isn't supportive.

There are so many characters who are involved in the town who know Alice and her parents, Lisa and Paul. Other townspeople who all seem to know each other are Stevie, Tamsin, Billy, Fern, Bert, Vicky, Mary and Simon. It is quite a cast of characters but I never was confused by that. I loved little Stevie, was concerned for Alice, and felt bad for Lisa, Sam and Mina. Both Mina and Sam were dealing with the death of loved ones as well as guilt for their deaths. I never figured out why Oscar was included because he just didn't seem to be a necessary inclusion.

Mina wanted desperately to get to the bottom of why Alice was seeing a witch, hearing noises, and other strange happenings. But there were some stumbling blocks. In fact, many.

Parts of the book had quite an affect on me psychologically, I guess. Or maybe it was just emotionally. lol I was freaked out by noises that both Alice and Mina heard. And (since I had the audiobook) I was so scared by the words that were whispered! That's all I'm going to say. The narrator was very convincing that the whispers were coming from a witch or a ghost or something paranormal. It really drew me in for sure.

The only aspect of the book that prevented me from a 5-star read was that some parts at the end seemed over the top to me and were unbelievable. Otherwise, I loved it.

This book started out promisingly, but I profoundly did not care for the twist toward the last quarter. I could see it coming well in advance and as hoping the plotting wasn't so predictable, but alas it was. I do wish books like this came with content warnings, despite the spoiler potential (they could go at the end!), as this kind of shocking pivot does a disservice to some readers who go into it hoping for a supernatural horror and then get something else, or at least something in addition.

This book at certain points sent me chills. The dread, the pure creepiness was impeccable. It felt very much like a scary movie. Set during a heat wave in 1989, a reporter and a newly graduated child psychologist investigate a strange case where a teenage girl is supposedly haunted by a witch and supernatural occurrences the family can't explain. While the two seem to go investigate to debunk anything nefarious, I liked that both secretly had an agenda of their own and pasts that developed their characters. The added horror of the young girl's father working at a slaughterhouse upped the disturbing feeling something was off, especially anytime meals came up. Sadly, by the last quarter as things fall into place, everything happens so quickly, but overall not much is explained and I was left wishing for more regarding the build up and the strange events. The future, and what is next for all involved after this discovery. Due to that missing, it makes it hard to rate how I feel overall.

I absolutely loved this book. The story follows Mina, who is a child psychologist. She is brought to a small town to address issues being experienced by a young teen named Alice there, in conjunction with a journalist named Sam. She is meant to address the psychological issues, as Alice claims she is being haunted by a witch. The story was so well written and creepy - normally books do not really scare me - but this one definitely had me spooked and not wanting to read it while I was home alone! The twists in the book are great, the writing definitely is engrossing, and the character arcs are very well thought out. Many times with books of this nature they will feel somewhat formulaic. This book did not in the least. Highly recommend.

This ebook was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Mina, a newly certified child psychologist, is struggling to find work. She is set to get married and is currently attending a local grief group, where she mourns the loss of her brother. At the grief group, she meets a journalist named Sam, who offers her an unusual job that can give her some experience and help him land a great story. Young Alice Webber, living in a remote village, claims she is being haunted by a witch. Mina and Sam set off to help but as the work on Alice's case begins, her behavior among other events grows weirder and weirder. The town is seeped with superstition and traditions so Mina and Sam have a tough time trying to break in with the locals and solve this case.

Over all this book was pretty interesting and had a strong promise. I was left wanting more though the ending wrapped a lot of things up nicely. I wanted more things explained regarding Alice. Many incidents were seemingly forgotten in the end, which was a bit of a disappointment. Overall it is a solid read.

Mina is looking for her first assignment as child psychologist trying to move past her brother's death years ago when she meets Sam in her grief group. Sam is a reporter heading to write a story on a girl who claims to be haunted by a witch and asks Mina to come along to analyze her. But the longer Mina stays, the worse things seem to get.

This was my first book by this author, but certainly won't be my last! I thought Mina was a great character and I loved how it focused on her character development with the story, rather than the story or the love arcs alone. I thought the ending was a little strange, but overall I thought the book was enjoyable.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

as a new phycholigist Mina has no experience. As she is experiancing the heat in Britain, she anxiously contemplates her upcoming marriage to Oscar. Mina meets journalist Sam Hunter. They are both at a grief group. Sam has a proposition for Mina: A 13 -year-old girl, Alice Webber. Alice claims a witch is living in her fireplace. Alice also believes this witch is haunting her. Alice lives with her family in the small village of Banathel, Alice believes her symptoms are getting worse.

By taking this job Mina will get experience. Sam will get the story of a lifetime; and Alice will, hopefully get better. Alice’s behavior becomes more intense and harder to explain. In Banathel the people have a long history of superstition and witchcraft, which they have their own way of handling. thanks netgalley

This book was a solid 3 for me - not terrible, not great - just a solid read. "Something in the Walls" definitely had a creep factor and witchy vibes. I thought it was a bit more promising in the beginning and then it started to lose me toward the middle. The author has very detailed writing, which I enjoyed. I'll plan to check out some of their other works!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Something in the Walls is a fast paced, suspenseful, cold chill inducing novel that covers subjects such as the history of witchcraft, child psychology, and the ideology of what makes someone a 'bad' person. This book kept me up reading well into the night, which wasn't probably the smartest move on my part since Daisy Pearce writes horror with a fine-tuned pen.

In 'Something in the Walls' we meet Mina, fiancée of Oscar, newly graduated child psychologist, and a sister who is grieving the loss of her brother Eddie back when they were teenagers. It's this grief that sends her to a group meeting where we are introduced to Sam, journalist by trade and father of the late seven-year-old Maggie. While their grief initially brings them together, when Sam starts investigating a case out in the countryside of a fourteen-year-old girl who is supposedly being haunted or possessed by a witch, he reaches out to Mina for professional advice on the girl in question, Alice Webber. With colorful and descriptive prose, we find ourselves in the small village of Banathel, with its strange customs and inhabitants. With numerous twists, turns, and spooky happenings, this novel is a wild ride of superstition, witchcraft and its historical practices, and villains both real and imagined.

While main character Mina is well-written, a female with just enough backbone to make her interesting, the main male characters are all rather lackluster. Mina's fiancée Oscar is quickly revealed to be a man of low morales, and while Sam first seems to be an interesting character, he quickly loses all personality and becomes less interesting than a bag of beans. Whether this is by design to help Mina shine, or if it just happened this way, I found myself wishing to see less and less of him on the page as the novel progressed.

This novel really shines in its supernatural and horror elements. The plot was intriguing, there was a lot of historical information about witches given that was very interesting to me as a reader, and the horror elements were so expertly crafted that I had literal goosebumps while reading the novel. However, the ending left more than a little to be desired for me, with more questions left unanswered than I typically like. Whether this was by purposeful on the author's part to let our imaginations craft our own endings for the characters, I felt like some of the ending was less realistic than the idea of a witch inhabiting the chimney of a house (like how does a family with no means to their names, and no vehicle, successfully abscond without a trace in the middle of the night??). Some aspects of the story felt like they were overlooked at the ending, whether they were forgotten about or perhaps the author couldn't think of a way to satisfactorily tie off their threads, I'm not sure. However, for me it took away some of the enjoyment of an otherwise well executed horror novel. While I overall really enjoyed this book, I wish some of the male characters could have exhibited some character growth, and I wish more questions from the book had been given to us at its conclusion.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur books for providing me with an ARC copy of this novel.

“Something in the Walls” had me on edge but was so good, I couldn’t put it down. We meet Mina, a child psychologist who meets Sam, (a journalist) while attending a grief support group. Sam wants Mina to meet Alice, a young teen being haunted by a witch. Skeptical at first, Mina approaches Alice’s situation from a clinical perspective but feels the presence of something sinister. There were so many deep, unexpected twists and turns in this book, but they were well timed and delivered. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the eARC.

Something In The Walls by Daisy Pearce  is a horror novel about a child psychologist who tries to help a young girl who everyone thinks is possessed.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher St. Martin's Press, and the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
The small town of Bathanel has a history of superstition based on witchcraft.

Mina, a child psychologist with no field experience, has been convinced to look into the case of Alice Webber, a young girl whose family is convinced she is being haunted by a witch.  Mina is intent on proving them wrong. 

Sam Hunter, who Mina met at a grief counselling group that she has been attending, is a journalist who thinks there may be something to Alice's story.

Both Mina and Sam have lost someone, and are still haunted by their own actions, and this case may help them both.  So Mina leaves her soon-to-be husband, and in the the midst of a stifling heatwave, enters the crowded home of the Webber family, where she soon discovers that not everything is as it seems.

Although Mina is sure that the surrounding family and friends are making matters a great deal worse for poor Alice, she is a little worried about some of the incidents.  As well,  the beliefs of the town seem to be overwhelming, but they don't expect her to truly understand the rather sinister traditions of the town.  Mina's own life will be put on the line.

 

My Opinions:
Well, I was pleasantly surprised by this one.  It really is horror.  The author created a suspenseful, haunting, and atmospheric tale filled with foreboding and vivid descriptions.  It was creepy, captivating and surprising.  I was really impressed by the writing.

There were very few characters that I truly liked, and many I hated.  None of them were perfect, and that includes Mina and Sam.  However, the plot was intriguing, with a couple of twists near the end that threw me.  The ending was abrupt, and that was perfect!

It is a dark tale.  I will definitely be looking for more from this author.

Anyway, until next time....

“The Exorcist” meets “The Witch” in an 80s setting that I can’t call “fun”, but definitely captivating. Make no mistake, this is a slow-burn. Rather than going for edge-of-your-seat terror, this book builds a creeping sense of dread that I really enjoyed for about 3/4 of the book. The last quarter of the book or so was where I have to ding a star, because it felt like it did a 180 and went in a direction I never saw coming… and not necessarily in the best of ways. I was left with questions at the end of the book, some of which felt intentional (things that didn’t actually need to be clear). That said, the last few pages were unputdownable and the actual last scene left me satisfied if surprised that we ended up where we did.


I’d recommend if you’re looking for 80s nostalgia and are ok with a slow, steady ride. If you’re looking for horror that will spook you senseless, this won’t be it.

I loved the premise of this book: a newly graduated child psychologist goes to stay with a family whose teenage daughter may be possessed by a witch. Set in the 1980s, the small village they live in feels very isolated.

I thought there were a few genuinely creepy moments in this book, especially one scene involving a chimney. I also liked the folklore. I didn’t care much for the main character’s blundering around and continuously putting herself in potentially dangerous situations. I could only shake my head as she yet again forgot to do something, or said something she shouldn’t have. I also thought that one of the twists was very predictable, but maybe I’ve just read too many thrillers.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this ARC in exchange of an honest review.

This one unfortunately wasn’t for Me. I DNF around the 30%mark. Found it too slow and couldn’t connect to the story or characters.

A young psychologist joins a journalist investigating a possible possession in a small town. This book started out strong, nice creepy vibes and intriguing story. However, about halfway through the story stalled and didn’t pick up till the last 40 pages where it concluded in a completely different direction. So many unanswered questions! Some will really enjoy this book, but it just wasn’t for me. Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book.

I had very high hopes for this read and if feel short for me. It hurts me to say that I did not like this book. I wanted more from this book! I felt like the Author was trying to very hard to make this book a Horror read.

Something in the Walls is a creepy and tense horror novel that captivated me from the start. I knew after reading the blurb that this would be a must read for me, and it did not disappoint. I flew through it! It also gave me such a cold sense of dread which is something I haven’t felt from a book in a while so that was a major win. And the twist? Didn’t see that coming! Now I can see why this is compared to Midsommer. If you haven’t seen that movie, you should BTW although there’s a few scenes that made my stomach churn!

Anyway, I really can’t say much because I don’t want to spoil it but this is a book about a reporter and psychologist who go to the home of a teen girl where strange things are happening. Is it a witch? Is it mental illness? Or something more sinister? You’ll have to read to find out! Just don’t be surprised if you read it in one sitting! I highly recommend it.

. . . ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭒
This definitely wasn’t what expected, but I’ll be damned if I didn’t enjoy it.

In a word, I would say this book was eerie. The feeling it evoked was one of discomfort but like, in a good way? It’s the kind of book that would make an excellent movie, because of the atmosphere it creates. The language the author used to describe how Mina was feeling, whether it was physically, mentally, or emotionally, was done creatively and effectively. So much so, that I collected a few to share: “There is a deep feeling of menace, sleek and slippery, uncoiling inside me”; “An insectile itch crawls up my spine and into my scalp. It burrows and slithers and makes me want to rip off my fucking skin”; “as if my skin were flayed and my nerves exposed, how her gaze had substance, the texture of sand in an open wound” - the efficacy of these quotes in evoking a feeling of familiarity and unease is impressive to me.

This would also be a great read for spooky season, but since it’ll be released next week on Feb 25th, I don’t know that you should wait that long.

~👩🏻‍🦰

So disturbing but in the best way. This book legitimately scared me a couple of times. I was hooked in the beginning, persevered through a slow middle, & was on the edge of my seat for the ending. Thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for this advanced copy.