Thank you Netgalley for this arc. This was a really creepy one. Her husband annoyed me because he wasn't supportive of her wanting to take on this job. He clearly didnt think she was qualified enough since she just graduated. I really enjoyed this story.

definitely builds tension but shatters it at about 80% in and feels a bit less spooky at times. 3.5 stars. tysm for the arc.

3.5 Rounded Up

This book sucked me in right away. Mina is a new Child Psychologist who has been introduced to 13 year old Alice, whom the town believes is haunted by a witch. I really liked Alice's character and could feel her fear.

I did find my mind was wandering in the middle of the book, but my full attention came back as Pearce set the stage for the climax. I was satisfied with the ending, but did have some unanswered questions. I appreciated that the mood of the story grew darker and darker and it had enough creeping suspense to keep me mostly intrigued.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I could not put it down! Edge of my seat—well, reading nook, the entire time. I have never gotten goose bumps from a book in all of my days on this earth. Such a great suspenseful read.

Something in the Walls started strong, with an eerie atmosphere and an engaging setup that hinted at a truly unsettling horror story. The writing was solid, and for the first half, I was very excited this could be a GREAT book. Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse just past the halfway mark.

The protagonist, Mina, made frustratingly questionable decisions, and her characterization felt inconsistent. For someone who is supposed to be a psychologist, she acted more like an amateur investigator, throwing out random facts and questions that didn’t feel natural or professional. The “twist” was predictable, and rather than building to a satisfying climax, the story fizzled out with an ending that left too many unanswered questions.

It was disappointing because the book had all the right elements to be a great horror novel—but ultimately, it didn’t deliver. While it wasn’t a complete loss, the second half’s inconsistencies and unsatisfying conclusion made it difficult to fully enjoy.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St Martens for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book was terrible. Absolutely could not hold my interest what so ever. Someone had said if you like The House On Haunted Hill I’d love this book…they lied.

I don’t know if it’s the witch possession but it just didn’t do it for me. Each character was boring and I didn’t connect with a single one. The story was slow, pointless and forgettable.

Definitely the worst things I’ve heard in a long time.

This book has the best creepy, sinister vibes and the author does a great job of setting up a very eerie atmosphere. It quickly drew me in & I could just feel the foreboding dread Mina felt as the story unfolded. I thought the audio narrator was great as well. It had so much potential, but ultimately, it went in a different direction than I thought it was going to go ending with some unanswered questions that I really wanted cleared up. Its hard to say much more without giving things away; however, if you like witchy vibes, ghostly horror and weird superstition rituals, you could love it!

“Desperation makes you inventive.”

When I first started this audiobook, I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to get into it. It was one of those books where as I was listening 𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 I found my mind drifting to other thoughts…like I just couldn’t focus on the story.

However, that changed and the story turned atmospheric in the best way. I was like oh geez what is going on in this house and this poor girl. I quickly refocused my attention.

It was creepy and atmospheric. The hysteria vibes were real AND I learned more about witch hunt types of activities such as “riddance” and the “witch pricker.” I’ve heard of the “tool” that they used to identify (I use the term loosely of course) witches back in the day but the “witch pricker” tool used to find the devil’s mark was extra ick. I mean they all were.

Anyway this started as something I wasn’t sure I’d like and turned into a book that held my attention.

The audio narrator was excellent.

I’ve now been enlightened to the saying “Good riddance” it took on a whole new meaning (much darker than when I use it lol) after reading this book.

𝙍𝙄𝘿𝘿𝘼𝙉𝘾𝙀: the action of getting rid of a troublesome or unwanted person or thing.

I love books where I learn new things and this gave me more insight into the crazy witch hunters.

2.75

This had everything I enjoy in a horror novel: there's a mystery afoot, someone might be possessed, there's a few legitimate creepy scenes that give me goosebumps, with a few dashes of gore. The first 70% of this book had it all and I was really enjoying myself. I was a little worried that nothing was being explained by 70% but I had hopes that the ending would give me what I wanted and needed.

Unfortunately, the ending was a complete let down and I still have so many questions. The core 'mystery' wasn't solved and there wasn't an explanation of what had been happening during the entire book. The story took a late turn and I still don't really understand why the author chose to add that storyline in and completely abandon the reason the two main characters (Mina and Sam) were there in the first place.

I wish I could recommend this - but with an ending like that I won't be.

The writing of this novel had a gripping, immersive quality that kept me turning pages. The horror elements were unsettling, and the small-town superstitions added an extra layer of unease.

However, despite the strong start, the story lost some of its momentum about halfway through. The pacing became repetitive, and while I was initially hooked, my engagement started to wane. And then there’s the ending—frustratingly ambiguous and lacking the clarity I was hoping for. I don’t mind open-ended conclusions, but this one felt like it left too many loose threads.

Overall, this book had so much potential to be amazing, and while I enjoyed the ride, the lack of resolution made it feel incomplete.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book!

Something in the Walls is a dark and atmospheric thriller with witchy vibes and small town horrors. We follow Mina an inexperienced child psychologist who stumbles into the chance to join a journalist to investigate the story of Alice, a teen who is said to be haunted by a witch. They travel to the small town of Banathel steeped in superstition and local legends of witchcraft. They encounter hagstones hung from doorways and insular townsfolk with secrets and a shared history. There is a growing frenzy among the towns people as they look to Alice to heal and solve their problems. As things escalate and the situation with Alice worsens, Mina must unearth the dark secrets of the town.

I love stories of local legends and the isolation that small towns harboring secrets have. The late 80’s setting and heatwave happening at the time really contribute to this feeling of oppressive atmosphere. And while I felt the transition to the ultimate conclusion works and is effective, there are a few loose ends plot holes left along the way. In particular there is a shift that happens in the story after a reveal which is chilling in it’s own right but I was left with so many questions especially to one particularly inexplicable event that happens shortly before that shift that just gets dropped. This is a gripping read that’s well paced and easy to fall into, just don’t look too deeply or you’ll notice the cracks in the story.

I think this would appeal to fans of Midsommar and The Wicker Man. Perfect for people looking for a creepy atmospheric read with mystery and secrets to uncover.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and the publisher. I received an advance review copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for the book #SomethingInTheWalls by #DaisyPearce. This dark and spooky book involves child psychologist, Mina and journalist, Sam, who go to investigate a 13 year old girl, Alice. It seems that the whole town thinks Alice is cursed as a witch, and Mina and Sam are there to prove/disprove it. But as time goes by, Mina discovers some dark truths and traditions of the town. Can Mina escape before it’s too late?

Honestly incredibly well written but I wish there would have been a trigger warning at some point before I got this deep in. I really enjoyed everything up until the end, not only was it incredibly disturbing but didn’t explain a lot of what was going on with Alice. I would read something from this author going forward because again the writing is fantastic and their ability to create not only suspense but a good scare factor is something I look for, but ultimately I was a little disappointed in the end.

Wow. This book will likely be on my mind for a while. It did not take the route I had expected it to. There are suspenseful, creepy, supernatural aspects to this story. There were times where I was just mind blown. I couldn’t believe how it was playing out. I was so angry and stunned. Since this book took the route it did, I found the end very fitting and mostly satisfying. I still had some questions.
There is so much I have to say about this book but I don’t like putting spoilers in my reviews.
I both listened and read the ebook. It was a little hard to concentrate on the ebook at first. I found that the audiobook helped me get into the book and once it got to a certain point, I was able to read the ebook no problem. I enjoyed the narrator. She kept me wanting to listen to more, kept me on the edge of my seat. I feel like this would have been incredibly easy to binge if I had had all day to just sit and listen.

This was a very creepy thriller that sucks you in. You want to know why Alice is having these witch-like symptoms. Mina wants to think rationally, but things just don't seem real. I really enjoyed this read! The audiobook was a great listen too!

*Thank you partners @minotaur_books and @macmillan.audio for the #gifted e-galley and audiobook in exchange for an honest review.*

This was a witchy, drama, thriller, horror novel. Was a fairly good read but left me with questions.

Mina recently became a child psychologist, and is also having a really difficult time with her brothers death that was years ago. When she’s attending a loss support group, an opportunity presents itself to potentially hear from her dead brother on the other side, and to help a little girl using her recent achieved skills. The little girl Alice claims she is being haunted by a witch, and her family is in desperate need of help for her. Mina is determined to uncover the truth and get Alice back to normal, but while doing so, some things seem to come out that were not meant to.

Pros
Many different genres included here
Engaging
Like bake characters

Cons
Still left me with questions unanswered
Slow start

The water dripped down the crumbling bricks, the leak growing larger every day. Sometimes the water would run clear, but other times it would be tainted black. She sat there, mesmerized, watching the water fall, wondering if it was possible to drown.

Something in the Walls is a horror novel following Mina, a child psychologist who is starting her first case. Alice, the girl she is studying, says she is possessed by a witch.

This book’s premise was immediately gripping to me and the story had a lot of horrifying elements that kept me on edge. But I ended the book with a lot of questions and things that were never really explained or fully explored. I wanted more from the ending, more explanation of the paranormal phenomenons that were going on. This book is definitely haunting and was entertaining in certain aspects, but it lacked some things that could have made it a lot better for me.

If you like paranormal activity, witches, hauntings, psychological horror… then this may be a book for you!

Something in the Walls pulled me in with its eerie atmosphere and promising setup. However, after a slow build to the climax, the story rushed to the finish without a satisfying resolution. The main character’s rash and immature decisions made it difficult to stay engaged, especially given her supposed professionalism. What started as an intriguing read ultimately fell flat, leaving me with unanswered questions and unresolved plot points. While the story had potential, the ending didn’t quite deliver for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books for the advanced reader copy.

Thank you to the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: I don't really know where to start with this review. This was not a book for me. I'm not in the business of bashing books so I will just plainly say what I didn't like. There is an overgeneralization of mental health symptoms, I understand what the author was going for but it just kind of rubbed me the wrong way. The story starts off very fast and does a lot of telling instead of showing. We don't get a lot of connection to the characters or really a desire to understand them or their motives. The way the psychologist gets involved in the case is hard to believe and very unethical. I'm not a stickler for these things in books but lets at least make them make some sense.

This ended up being a DNF for me, I just could not bring myself to care about the characters and felt too frustrated by the way it was written.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for my copy of SOMETHING IN THE WALLS. This one publishes Feb 25.

This book just didn't do it for me. The premise that these grief stricken people can help a girl with some sort of supernatural abilities just didn't seem like anyone in the liked the idea. They're all so lost and sad, it was hard to focus on the ghost stories. I don't recommend this one.