Something In The Walls by Daisy Pierce, I read the Kindle version and listen to the audio as well, and I must admit the audio version makes it so much creepier. The narrator, Ana Clement, gave the book such an eerie vibe not to mention her great performance. In the book we meet Amina it is the late 1990s. She’s about to get married to the very taciturn and clinical fiancé Oscar. Due to still mourning the loss of her brother Roger she attends a group for mourners and this is where she meets Sam. he is thereafter losing his young daughter and they get along immediately. So a few days later when he calls, and says he may have a job for her. She agrees to meet him, but he explains that it’s investigating a teenage girl who they believe is possessed at first, Amina doesn’t know how her psychology training or lack there of could benefit this girl, but she knows sometimes what you see isn’t what it actually is so she agrees to help Sam and the girl.. It isn’t until after she arrives and spends time in the home and with the family that she knows she may be in over her head and may not live to get out of it. The only thing I want to say about this book is, the whole book was awesome and although it didn’t end in the way, I thought it would I still got it, and I may have been a little letdown with the ending, but the whole book is so awesome. I really could let that go. This book had so many creepy moments in it IDK anyone who loves haunted house stories should definitely absolutely give this book a listen. for optimal creepiness get the audiobook the narrator as I said, does such a great job. #NetGalley, #McMillanAudio, #TheBlindReviewer, #DaisyPierce, #SomethingInTheWalls,

Daisy Pearce’s Something in the Walls starts off strong, drawing readers into an eerie, oppressive atmosphere that perfectly complements its supernatural horror elements. The heat wave suffocating Britain mirrors protagonist Mina’s own internal anxieties, and the small village of Banathel is steeped in unsettling superstition, making for an atmospheric and immersive read.

The story moves at a great pace, keeping tension high as Mina and journalist Sam try to uncover what’s happening to young Alice. The horror elements—especially the creeping unease surrounding the supposed witch—are well-executed, delivering genuinely chilling moments. The novel’s eerie ambiance and psychological tension had me hooked in the first half.

However, as the story progressed, I found myself questioning certain plot points that felt implausible, pulling me out of the experience. The ending, in particular, left me feeling somewhat dissatisfied—it didn’t quite live up to the compelling buildup. While the atmosphere and horror were strong throughout, the resolution felt rushed and less impactful than I’d hoped.

Overall, Something in the Walls is an engaging, unsettling read with strong horror elements, but it stumbles in its execution toward the end. If you enjoy slow-burning psychological horror with a heavy dose of folklore and an ominous setting, this one is worth picking up—just temper your expectations for the conclusion.

MY REVIEW:

“Absolutely chilling to the bone and fascinating.

Something in the Walls has me trembling. If this was turned into a movie - I honestly would need to watch it in the daylight.

As soon as Mina, a new child-psychologist determined to have her career take off, stepped foot onto the Webber property I could feel the eerie vibes pouring out of the book.

Something in the Walls emphasizes hugely on how fear can lead people to make unpredictable decisions that can lead to something twisted and potentially deadly.

What’s it about:
Set in the Town of Banathel, Mina, a new child-psychologist determined to have her career take off, arrives to assist the Webbers with their eldest daughter. The daughter, Alice Webber, believes she is being haunted by a witch.

This town is known for its history of witchcraft and things alike.

The roots in this town are deep. The superstitions still thrive in Banathel in the current day and there are still traditions to uphold to get rid of the evil in their town. Just things start to unravel, we learn how dark these traditions have been kept alive for decades and how far some are willing to go to get rid of the evil. ”

Thank you SO much for this opportunity - reviews will be posted closer to release date on February 25.

This was a very slow moving book. I struggled staying engaged. I felt like the plot got lost pretty quickly into it and never found its way back. It took a weird turn and the ending left me feeling unsatisfied.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This one gets weirder and weirder as it goes on and it almost never lets up. Though, it’s most impactful about 40% of the way in, and then all the tension and suspense the author carefully builds up tapers off.

Something in the Walls follows newly graduated, child psychologist, Mina, to the isolated town of Banathel, where she is tasked with determining whether a young girl (Alice), claiming to be haunted by the spirit of a witch, is experiencing manifestations of the supernatural or merely sick and requiring a mental health intervention.

Meanwhile, she is dealing with her own problems—Making peace with the loss of her brother to a tragic accident, and the dismantling of her engagement to her scientist fiancé.

If you’re a close reader, you’ll put the clues together, or at least suspect what’s really happening. And then, it’s simply a matter of watching it unfold. Whether you choose to read on once you know, however, depends on your attachment to Mina. I enjoyed being in her perspective. But I did wonder quite a bit about her journalist companion, Sam, who is also caught up in the events plaguing Alice and the town. But neither of them were as smart as they seemed. In fact, they both make some questionable decisions at times. Several, which were especially infuriating. Still, I haven’t read something this twisted and fun in a while. It reads like a modern day witch hunt with some unexplainable moments that mess with the reader’s confidence in the narrator.

Pros:
Solid plotting
Creepy setting
Atmospheric
Folk horror elements
Gripping opening
Intriguing mystery
(Some) Heart-pounding moments
Steady pacing
Purposeful character work
Visceral prose

Would I recommend this?

For fans of the folk horror genre, yes! You might just get a kick out of something that blends the natural and supernatural to make a point. And, if you’ve never read something by this author before. It’s always good to be aware of new talent.

To the general public, maybe not. There are better books out there to sink your teeth in. Supernatural mysteries that are not only compelling, but end challenging the reader’s sense of what is and what could be.

Final rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 3.3

Thanks to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for an eARC.

Mina heads to a small town in hopes of helping a 13-year-old girl who believes that she is being haunted by a witch. As a child psychologist, Mina is hoping to get to the bottom of the girl's bizarre behavior, but the superstitious small town begins making her second guess herself. I was really excited to read this book, but I felt that it moved really slow. It was hard to stay engaged toward the end. Then after getting through it and getting interested, the book goes a completely different direction with little to no explanation. I would've liked to have more explanation instead of the abrupt ending or seen it stay on track with the first 3/4 of the book. Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

13 year old Alice Webber is believed to be possessed by a witch. Inexperienced, child psychologist, Mina, is brought to town to figure out what's really going on. As she digs deeper, she discovers something far more unsettling.

Story starts as a tale about witches in a town that has a deep history of superstition and witchcraft. It has a very creepy/horror vibe, but then 75% in it takes a left turn and steers toward a much more disturbing history. This felt like 2 separate books. The ending was not only disappointing but it also offered no explanation on what was actually happening. Was Alice a witch or not??

Thank You St Martins Press and NetGalley for the free e-galley.
Pub Date: Feb 25, 2025

"Unbearably tense, utterly propulsive, and studded with folklore and horror, Something in the Walls is perfect for anyone who loves Midsommar and The Haunting of Hill House.

Newly-minted child psychologist Mina has little experience. In a field where the first people called are experts, she's been unable to get her feet wet. Instead she aimlessly spends her days stuck in the stifling heat wave sweeping across Britain, and anxiously contemplating her upcoming marriage to careful, precise researcher Oscar. The only reprieve from her small, close world is attending the local bereavement group to mourn her brother's death from years ago. That is, until she meets journalist Sam Hunter at the grief group one day. And he has a proposition for her.

Alice Webber is a thirteen year old girl who claims she's being haunted by a witch. Living with her family in their crowded home in the remote village of Banathel, Alice's symptoms are increasingly disturbing, and money is tight. Taking this job will give Mina some experience; Sam will get the scoop of a lifetime; and Alice will get better, Mina is sure of it.

But instead of improving, Alice's behavior becomes increasingly inexplicable and intense. The town of Banathel has a deep history of superstition and witchcraft. They believe there is evil in the world. They believe there are ways of...dealing with it. And they don't expect outsiders to understand.

As Mina races to uncover the truth behind Alice's condition, the dark cracks of Banathel begin to show. Mina is desperate to understand how deep their sinister traditions go - and how her own past may be the biggest threat of all."

I love small little towns that time has forgotten but that haven't forgotten their dark rituals...

Well....sometimes you want something to be better than it is.

Something in the Walls had all the potential to be good. A 13 year old is believed to be possessed. A very green child psychologist teams up with a journalist to find out what's really going on.

See....sounds like a good story, right?? TOO BAD!

It's almost like if...The Wonder was more modern....and everyone was the worst.

Yikes.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book is barely a mystery/thriller. Such a slow moving storyline it was really hard to get through. I wanted to DNF at so many points but forced myself to finish hoping it would get better. There were too many characters and not enough plot points.

Thank you NetGalley!
This was an interesting book about a little girl who may or may not be possessed. But it just kinda blue balls you with the possession part of the book. I was left wanting more. It had some spookiness but overall I was just ok.

In this novel, Mina, a newly graduated psychologist, is asked to take on a project - a girl who appears to be haunted, while also chasing her own ghosts. While the novel follows this storyline for the first 2/3's, it abruptly changes in the last third, leaving the "haunting" totally up in the air and that portion of the story incomplete. That being said, I had a hard time putting in down in the last 75 pages or so. 3.25/5

A chilling descent into the darkest corners of the human psyche, where the line between reality and nightmare blurs beyond recognition. The unsettling atmosphere and creeping dread linger long after the final page, leaving you questioning what truly lurks in the shadows of your own mind.

Book Review Something In The Walls by Daisy Pearce

“It’s not the dead we should be afraid of, it’s the living.”

Mina, a new child psychologist, meets Sam at a grief group she attends, still trying to deal with the loss of her brother in her childhood. A journalist, Sam entices her to accompany him to investigate a teenage girl, Alice, who claims she is being haunted by a witch. What they experience makes them change their minds about what they believe.

The book is suspenseful with a sense of dread and anticipation that something is going on in the village. The village history of witches, superstitions and the ceremonial riddances adds to the complexity and intrigue. I loved the overlap between witches, possession and connections to spirits. There are plenty of unexpected twists and turns both real and supernatural that will keep you guessing. There are eerie, scary and disturbing parts that will have you clutching your blanket and staying up for fear of nightmares.

The story does not wrap up into a nice bow and you are left with unresolved issues. I loved this. What supernatural experiences can be fully explained. However some readers may find this unsatisfying.

This is a quick exciting read if you like books about witches and hauntings and trying to figure out what’s real and what’s unexplainable.

I was not expecting to like this book as much as I did! I was really hooked on this one. This had a great creepy atmosphere, reading this at night was spooky! I loved the characters in this book and the overall plot. Mina, our female protagonist, has just finished her schooling to become a Psychologist. She gets assigned to her first case, a young teenage girl named Alice. Alice is displaying some strange behaviors and the town is convinced she is possessed by a witch. Mina and a local news reporter named Sam head to Alice’s house to investigate and draw some conclusions on what is happening to Alice. Many things happen and Mina’s life ends up in danger. Is Alice really possessed or is it all in her head?

This was a great atmospheric thriller/ horror novel. I will definitely pick up more books from this author!

Thank you St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

A small town rooted in witchcraft and superstition, a thirteen year old who believes she’s being haunted by a witch, a child psychologist and a journalist who want to help but will they be able to determine fact or fiction from the symptoms.

This is a sinister read with major creepy vibes! There is such an atmospheric setting to this book that is dripping with spine chilling folklore. It was a slower read than what I was hoping for but I was glad for such an interesting premise.

Thank you to the author, Daisy Pearce, publisher Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. I received an epub and am leaving my review voluntarily.

That was a tense read! Witches, folk horror, possession and a whole lot more trauma. The writing style hooked me right away and I couldn’t put this down. Will totally pick up something from this author again in the future.

While this is not something I would typically pick up and read, it wasn't a bad read.

The build up of the plot was gripping for sure and the pace of the book kept me wanting to continue on. Alice Weber is a girl in town who is believed to be possessed. An undercover journalist teams up with Mina to try to figure out what is really going on. As they continue to investigate they find some odd happenings and want to do whatever they can to save Alice.

Which this sounds interesting, I am more of a light thriller reader. This may have been a little too much for me. The plot and journey through this book were very interesting, but it was a little tough for me to read. The twists in this are unexpected and it is a ride for sure.

The town of Banathel has a history with witches and the people that live there will do whatever it takes to remain safe. Enter Mina, a new psychologist who is approached by Sam, an investigative journalist who is looking to get to the bottom of the haunting of teenage Alice. Sam meets Mina at a grief group, it seems that both of them have their own ghosts to contend with. Mina agrees to assess Alice so the two head out to Banathel, Mina hoping to find out if there are underlying mental or physical health issues and Sam looking to prove that it may all be a hoax. What they find there is chilling. Is something sinister going on in the small village?

This book hooked me immediately, and continued to hold my attention with its creepy, supernatural plot. Daisy Pearce does a wonderful job with the dialogue, her lilting prose transporting the reader to the small, superstitious town and unearthing creepy discovery after discovery. Banathel comes to life immediately, inhabited by quirky characters that live with weight of the town’s history and the current “haunting”. 4.5 stars for a sharp, immersive, delicious thriller.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

Oh boy, this was a tough one to get through… I wanted to DNF at around 30% in because it was very slow and hard to follow — also super creepy! However, I persisted, and I’m glad I did because the thriller and plot twist element of things in the last 10% really made this worthwhile for me. Incredibly creepy and disturbing, so definitely check out trigger warnings. I thought Mina’s relationship with Oscar was bizarre, and the entire backstory with her and Eddie was too vague for too much of the book. The ending was so deserving in my opinion, but as a whole this book didn’t impress me.