Thank you for allowing me to read this book in advance.

Modern day witch hunt meets supernatural thriller. It was a well written book. Lots of mystery. I did enjoy reading it.
The story focuses on Mina, a recent child psychologist graduate. With something troubling from her past, she decides to try and help a girl from another town that seems to be haunted or possessed by a witch.
Mina is sure there is something else going on and intends to dive deep into this girl’s mind and find out the truth. But, as she talks and assesses the girl, she realizes that maybe there is something sinister working against them both.

Mina has just graduated as a child psychologist and ready to get to work and help children who went through losses like she did as a child, when she watched her brother die. She is engaged to a successful man, however the only thing she looks forward to is a grief group therapy. This is where she meets Sam, whose daughter died. He is a journalist and soon recruits her to travel to a small town to evaluate a young girl who is being accused of being possessed by a witch. As Alice and Sam arrive in this town, they realize it is steeped in witch lore and that there is much more than meets the eye happening in this sleepy, idyllic-appearing town.

I really liked the overall concept of this book. The writing and pacing was good. However, what I didn’t like is that there was a lot of loose ends making it feel like the build up of the book came to an unfinished end.

Thank you NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press for this ARC.

𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬
𝐃𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐲 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐞
𝐒𝐭. 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧’𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬- 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐮𝐫 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟓 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓
𝟓⭐️

Happy Monday! How was everyone’s weekend? My daughter has been super sick so we’ve snuggled all weekend with our books and movies.

I love a good horror book once in awhile, a creepy book that isn’t overly scary, but creepy enough that I will only read it with the lights on is my favorite! 𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐛𝐲 author Daisy Pearce was the perfect pick for my horror craving- This was such a fun, modern day witchy tale, with lots of darkness and creepy vibes.

The author did such a great job creating this story and her writing style flows so well. She incorporated folklore, paranormal aspects, murder, multiple storylines, into one perfect plot! The characters were well developed, many unreliable which worked well for this specific story.

100% recccomend adding this one to your TBR! 𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 releases in February of 2025, so set yourself a reminder! I really hope we get more from this author, loved this book so much and want more! Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the early copy!

A modern day witch hunt with a twist. This book had some creep value to it that I enjoyed. The unexpected ending was not what i anticipated but it was entertaining.
A good trip!

Something sinister is brewing in Banathal; a small village in Britain with a history of superstition and witchcraft. Inexperienced child psychologist, Mina, takes her first job to help a 13-year old girl supposedly haunted by a witch living within her walls. Soon, Mina’s past-filled trauma bubbles up to the surface, making it more intense to support Alice. Secrets of the town start to become uncovered, such as how they deal with the evil that lurks among them, until Mina is in too deep herself.

This book is creepy with supernatural thrilling elements. The ending was not what I expected, in a good way. I enjoyed Daisy Pearce’s writing and ability to build suspense throughout the book.

Fresh out of school child psychologist Mina gets the opportunity of a lifetime to consult on the case of a 13 year old girl Alice Webber. Alice claims she's being haunted by a witch, and the whole town agrees.

I really liked this book! It was so creepy that I was actually hesitant to read it alone or at night. I love a book where I'm constantly asking, "Is this a real paranormal situation or is there a practical explanation?" This one kept me guessing the whole way through!

Dislikes: I did guess the twist. I also felt like the way to get us to the creepy parts (meeting Sam at grief group and him enlisting Mina's help) felt a little weak. I didn't care much for the B plot, but the main story was awesome!

Thanks to net galley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

Mina is a child psychologist who meets a journalist named Sam at a grief club. Mina is mourning the loss of her brother, who died several years ago, while Sam is mourning the loss of his daughter. Sam invites Mina with him to investigate the case of Alice, a teenager who with a mysterious illness who is thought to be possessed by a witch.
Upon arriving in Banathel, it becomes clear that many people in the town believe in the haunting as they wait outside Alice's home begging her to use her powers to commune with the dead. Mina has learned about mass psychogenic illness, and tries to convince herself and everybody else that this is really what's happening here. But both her and Sam secretly hope that Alice really does have powers so that they can reconnect with their lost loved ones. Mina tries to evaluate Alice while also uncovering the history of witchcraft in Banathel, to discover why people are so convinced that Alice is haunted... and what the town thinks they should do about it.
During the entire investigation, there's also a massive heatwave, which adds to the atmosphere but doesn't really contribute as much to the plot as I thought it would.
The writing was suspenseful and creepy, and the body horror had me cringing. My biggest complaint is that the plot didn't live up to the writing because there was nothing very special about the story. Everything was rather predictable and although the climax was gripping and well written, it just wasn't enough to make the story stand out among all of the other witchy/ghosty stories out there.
I don't (consciously) remember seeing comparisons to Midsommar before reading the book, but it did actually come to mind while reading, just because the main character was surrounded by mass hysteria which she became sucked into.
Overall, for any lovers of suspenseful horror, and paranormal witch stories, this is an entertaining and fast read. There definitely aren't any dull moments and this book will be sure to creep you out with its unsettling descriptions and graphic climax.

Mina is a psychologist who is asked my a journalist Sam to go an investigate the weird things that are happening young Alice Webber. She claims there is a witch in her chimney. She’s hearing things, seeing things, and multiple deaths surround her “witchy” situation. Mina gets caught up in the mystery and ends up uncovering more than she bargained for and now she’s put herself in danger!

This book kept me on the edge of my seat the WHOLE time.

I absolutely love reading anything about hauntings and witches, so as soon as I read the premise of this new novel, I was all in. But as I sit here trying to write my review, I am struggling, because I thought it was going to be a solid 4 to 5 star read for well beyond the first half of the book. But as I continued and the storyline took a different path than I originally anticipated, I was left a bit confused. I’ll try to explain without giving spoilers.

The story follows rookie child psychologist Mina and journalist Sam, who meet at a grief support group as both are still suffering from the loss of loved ones. The events transpire in the 1980s, when both of our protagonists are drawn to a case involving the possible possession, perhaps possible witchly haunting, of young Alice, a thirteen year old girl who is in dire need of help. So, Mina and Sam put their own lives on hold, as well as in danger, to enmesh themselves in Alice’s life in order to discover what truly is going on.

There is so much to love about this book, from the wonderful writing style to the atmospheric, creepy setting to the solid character development (especially for Alice and Mina). My heart ached for Alice, whom you wanted so badly to simply hug and tell everything would be okay. The book, once started, was also quite difficult to put down, allowing me to finish reading it in two nights. But as I continued reading past the halfway mark, I began to wonder what kind of book this really was trying to be, morphing into something quite different nearing the ending chapters. I felt it was trying too hard to be too many things, if that makes sense. And the ending left me with so many questions, I almost wish there was a second book to provide me with the answers. Would I recommend this book to others, though? Yes, for all of the positives I’ve included in my review! And will I read from this author again? I’m already looking forward to it!

I want to thank NetGalley, Daisy Pearce, and St. Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books for gifting me the ARC of SOMETHING IN THE WALLS. It was such a privilege to read this before publication in February. And I appreciate you trusting me with an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce. All opinions are my own.

Mina a child psychologist with no experience and Sam an investigative reporter is invited to a small town in Britain during a heat wave to interview a young girl, Alice, who is demonstrating very odd behavior. This is the kind of small town/village where everyone knows each other and kind of has a darkish past. Alice believes she is being haunted by a witch. Which of course could explain a lot of the odd behavior. But Mina thinks there may be something else causing the problems.

I found this book creepy, tense, and hard to decide what the outcome would be without letting any spoilers out here. Labeling it as a folklore horror to me was right on point. The folklore of this town was creepy with a capital C and their traditions seemed to contribute to the masses just following along. Lots of witchy vibes. While reading I kept feeling like the setting was farther back in history than just the 80s. More like 40s or 50s or maybe it is that this town was stuck in a mindset of farther back in history. I enjoyed it. Kept me guessing on one aspect of the plot until the very end. Any horror reader will like this. Something in the Walls will be available February 25 through all major book retailers. Happy Reading!

BOOK REVIEW: SOMETHING IN THE WALLS

Mina is beginning her career as a child psychologist and travels to a remote village to see if she can help Alice Webber, a thirteen year old girl who has been exhibiting some disturbing behavior and claiming it’s due to a witch haunting her. As Mina tries to determine whether there’s something supernatural going on, she realizes how much the village is wrapped up in superstitious beliefs.

So I went into this book one not knowing it was a horror book 🤣😅 but I thoroughly enjoyed it! SOMETHING IN THE WALLS was super eerie and made me feel uneasy and tense the whole time I was reading it. I really couldn’t figure out exactly which direction things were going in and I was along for the ride! I alternated between physical and audio and binged this one in two days. Loved the writing and the witchy vibes, it reminded me a bit of the Salem Witch Trials a bit which I find fascinating.

I will say this one is not for the faint of heart and was pretty disturbing, so consider yourself warned!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
"Something In The Walls" by Daisy Pearce was a well written addictive & creepy thriller that had me hooked right away.
There was alot of unexpected twists
that kept interested.
I would love to read another book by this author.

Set in the late 1980s, Something in the Walls follows a recently minted child psychologist Mina Ellis who meets Sam Hunter, a journalist, in a bereavement group which she attends to cope with the sudden and tragic death of her brother, Eddie, a few years ago. As she and Sam get acquainted, he tells her about Banathel and a teenage girl called Alice Webber who has been experiencing some strange symptoms. He has a proposition for her; Sam wants Mina to asses Alice and Mina agrees to it and travels to the remote village. That's when her life unravels.

At first glance, this story is unlike any other with witches, possession and exorcism. When I was reading it, it was like watching one of those classic horror films I remember loving a lot in my childhood. It was creepy, intense, and emotional from time to time. But the twist in its last act? That made this book an instant favourite in my eyes. I was literally sobbing my eyes out in the last seven to five chapters.

At its heart, this book is an intimate exploration of grief and guilt. It exposes us to the darker side of superstition and how sensitised we become, sometimes because of constant conditioning by the society. The writing style was fabulous, something gritty and sometimes downright ethereal. As someone who doesn't like first-person narratives much, this book made me like even that. And Mina. Ah, what can I even say about the protagonist? She's so relatable and you can connect with her deeply. Not just her, but the secondary characters like Alice, Lisa Webber, Fern and others are just as impactful.

This book is perfect for somebody who is into witches, female rage, 'good for her' type of stories and stories which are both meaningful and thrilling. Since the book contains some heavy themes, check out the content and trigger warnings before picking it up.

I absolutely devoured this book. I don’t even think I read the synopsis before starting it, I was just drawn in by the cover and it being for fans of Midsommar. This built so much tension, it had my heart racing from beginning to end. The atmosphere the author was able to portray is what every horror book should strive for. So creepy, so good.

This book was creepy and terrifying and dark in all of the best ways. It’s a little bit on the horror side for my tastes, but I loved every bit of it!

When new child psychologist Mina meets journalist Sam at a grief support group during a summer heatwave, she doesn’t expect to get entangled in a ghost story. But that’s exactly what happens when Sam calls her and asks her to consult on a case of a girl who has been sick since Christmas - claiming to see a witch, hear voices and vomiting hair and nails. Mina is certain that Alice, the young woman at the center of the story, is simply sick and confused, but as she spends more time with the girl, things become more blurred. With temperatures rising, so do tensions in the superstitious town. As one of the town’s residents tells Mina, things are going to get worse before they get better….

This book really captured my attention right from the beginning because it puts you right in the middle of the action, not waiting to build up to the action for very long. And the imagery was so powerful I could feel the relentless heat and see the cramped house as Mina and Sam went yo meet Alice and see what was going on. And there was a lot going on.

Things get creepy pretty fast. It was like the Exorcist, with small, creeping things turning into bigger, haunting things that just make you shiver. And the whole time there’s a part of you that’s wondering whether it’s fake or real. Because the author leaves just enough clues to make you think it could be either way. Which is pretty awesome.

And the ending and twists are awesome. I just loved all the little details and revelations that were scattered throughout the book. They added layers to the book and really rounded out the story. I loved it.

Daisy Pearce is definitely an author I’ll be looking out for in the future. This book was a great break from the coolness of the winter, and I can’t recommend it enough!

Mina graduates. Mina goes to support group meets man working on a weird case about a girl Alice who is possessed by a witch and asks her to help. Mina gets excited but, starts to question, Alice can’t possibly really be possessed by a witch, can she?

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - I love a good haunted house/possession story, so naturally, when I got a "read now" alert from NetGalley that the publisher had made this available, I had to jump at the chance. While it left me scratching my head a bit toward the end, the first 3/4 of the book was a crazy, creepy ride that I thoroughly enjoyed! It begins like a ghost/possession story in the vein of The Conjuring 2 but evolves into something much darker and more unsettling, reminiscent of the cultish unease of Midsommar.

The story introduces us to Mina, a young woman who recently became a child psychologist. The problem is that she struggles to be assigned interesting cases due to her lack of experience. She is also still dealing with the grief of losing her brother when she was a child. Grappling with professional insecurity, unresolved grief for her brother's death, and an impending marriage to Oscar, a meticulous and emotionally distant researcher - Mina has a lot on her mental plate.
Things begin to look up when Sam Hunter, a journalist and man Mina knows from her grief support group, asks her to travel with him to the remote town of Banathel to look into an intriguing and troubling case: Alice Webber, a 13-year-old girl, claims to be haunted by a witch who lives in her bedroom walls. Desperate for professional experience and drawn by the mystery, Mina agrees to work with Alice.
Mina is certain that it's all in Alice's head, and her behavior and the weird things that the family claims are happening are just a result of the heat and mental health struggles. But the town seems to have a strange fascination with witchcraft, and what are the scuffling sounds and shadows that seem to be just outside of Mina's door at night? Is there some truth to Alice's claims, or is this all being staged by the family for financial gain and notoriety?

If there's one thing the author does an amazing job of it's creating an atmosphere thick with unease. The suffocating heatwave in Britain mirrors Mina's internal turmoil and sets the stage for her journey into the remote and creepy village of Banathel. The strange townfolk and weird traditions and beliefs helped make the village feel like a character in its own right. Pearce also does a great job of balancing the supernatural elements with Mina's psychological perspective, keeping the reader guessing about whether Alice's symptoms are paranormal or rooted in trauma.

For the first 80% of the novel, Pearce maintains a taut and compelling narrative. Mina's investigations into Alice's condition and Banathel's secrets are engrossing, and the eerie occurrences in the Webber household are genuinely unsettling. Pearce's ability to evoke dread is exceptional; every creak of the house and shadow in the corner felt real. I teetered on the edge of being totally freaked out and skeptical of what was really happening.

However, the novel takes an abrupt turn when it reveals the truth behind Alice's condition and the nature of Banathel's dark secrets. Without delving into spoilers, this twist was unexpected and seemed to take a sharp right turn away from where I thought it was going. Pearce shifts from a ghost story to something more primal, a move that feels a little disorienting and raises a few questions that I didn't feel were fully addressed. The supernatural ambiguity that Pearce so masterfully built up gave way to an explanation that, while imaginative, felt slightly at odds with the novel's earlier tone.

Despite this, I still enjoyed the book. Pearce's ability to create a creepy, tense atmosphere is unparalleled, and her characters are richly drawn. I think this is one that will resonate differently depending on the reader. If you're someone who appreciates bold storytelling choices and doesn't mind an abrupt shift in tone, the ending will likely satisfy you. For others, like myself, the last act might feel less satisfying than the gripping, suspenseful buildup that preceded it. While the ending may not land perfectly for everyone, the journey through the creepiness to get there is still a fun ride.

I received a free copy of, Something in the Walls, by Daisy Pearce, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Mina is a child psychologist with no clients, she is told about Alice, a thirteen year old with problems. This book is a little disturbing and odd.

4 stars

This was so well written. The tension was worked in so well. It is a rich, intense, spooky, creepy story. One I won’t soon forget.