The beginning grabbed my attention. I wanted to find out how Mina, a newly graduated psychologist, could help a teenager, Alice, who was hearing voices from a witch in her room. She did her thesis on the effects of trauma with mostly adolescents.

Alice’s mother, Lisa, found wasps on her pillow and heard buzzing noises in the room. Was this young girl for real or simply faking the idea of a witch sending her messages? Mina’s job was to observe and give advice. However, she was getting pulled in more than expected as her brother had died and she felt responsible for what happened. Alice, surprisingly, knew all about it.

The characters fit in well along with the smells and description of the noises. However, it went in a direction that I didn’t expect. Mina was now involved in trying to figure out what was causing the fear of evil witches in this area of Britain – a place where ancestors were known to harshly punish them. However, this story had some loose ends that weren’t explained.

We are well aware that people are manipulated through fear of the unknown. Mina was told that when there’s fear, people start to panic and that’s when someone can get hurt; people do strange things. I had to wonder if this was a psychological thriller or a book related to world politics. It would be an interesting discussion. “Everyone loves to look into the darkness.”

My thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for allowing me to read an advanced book with an expected release date of February 25, 2025.

I had no idea what to believe during this whole story. I didn't know if the witchcraft was actually real and supernatural things were happening in the book or if it was all a mass delusion. For fans of Midsommar, this horror this book was very easy to get into and disturbing.

“Something in the Walls” was absolutely MESMERIZING! I loved this book! The plot is a blend of “The Exorcist”, “The Wicker Man” and “Midsommar” and yet somehow still is its own story. Very creepy, and the author’s command of language and imagery are superb. I actually had to pause and reflect for a moment on how the choice of one adjective over another paints a totally different picture. In this case, it was the description of mud as “rich”, when, given the setting and action, she could have used “dank” or “stagnant”, and suddenly the scene becomes very different. The author chose her words carefully and her writing is evocative of masters of horror-Shirley Jackson in particular comes to mind. There were a couple of loose ends, plot-wise, but they did not detract from my enjoyment of the story. I will be recommending this book to all of my horror-loving friends.

Mina is a newly graduated child psychologist in need of experience. When an opportunity for a job to evaluate a thirteen-year-old who claims she is being haunted by a witch, Mina travels to the remote village of Banathel with Sam, a journalist who is writing a piece on Alice's condition. Mina must figure out what is causing Alice's behavior while dealing with the town's deep roots in witchcraft.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but the story lost momentum around the halfway mark. Some of the characters decisions didn't make sense to me and the plot felt a little confusing. I did enjoy the narration and was glad that I pushed through to the ending as the story ended on a high note. This is a book I might be tempted to reread in the future to see if I can catch more from the story.

Something in the Walls comes out February 25th.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to review Something in the Walls. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Something in the Walls is a swiftly-paced, tense thriller that frequently borders on horror. It's difficult to put down, and truly shines in its character work- Mina is a compelling protagonist, surrounded by people whose motives are often unclear at best.

Though ultimately the plot- and the twist- are slightly predictable, they're done in an enjoyable enough fashion that I found myself not minding terribly that I was able to guess early on what the true heart of the mystery was. If the road to get to that point is enjoyable enough, then it doesn't matter as much that you know how it's going to end.

That being said, the revelation of the central mystery that plagues Mina's past felt flat to me; there wasn't enough foreshadowing to justify the surprise, and as a result it felt slightly baffling, especially given that it's a topic that really needs to be handled with care. It felt more like it was thrown away than anything else, which spoiled what otherwise may have been a higher rating for the book.

I was given a copy in exchange for a review thanks to NetGalley.

Mina is a child psychologist, in a boring strained engagement, who against her fiancé wishes, goes with journalist Sam to the Town of Banathel to look into a strange case of a teenage girl. Alice has been hearing weird buzzing noises and having fevers among other things. The duo, both going for other reasons besides helping Alice, find themselves caught in whirlwind of folklore and deadly secrets.
This book was good. It kept me reading from beginning to end. I love the eerie/spooky feeling I had while reading this. Now a few times I did get lost in what was happening because it was lot going on. After about a half of the way through you could kind of guess who or what the villian is. The ending was fine but it left you wanting more with the main characters, especially Sam. But I can't wait to read more from the author. Thank you for this book NetGalley.

I requested this ebook based on reviews from others so I went in with high expectations. I did find many scenes unsettling and creepy, but I didn’t feel connected to the characters so it was hard for me to feel invested in the storyline. I was also left with a lot of questions that went unanswered in the end. This was a 3.5 star read for me- worth picking up, but didn’t wow me.

Something In the Walls started out with a lot of potential - inexperienced child psychologist, Mina, takes on a case of a child displaying odd, possibly paranormal, behaviour. Mina travels to Alice's small town, meets her family and neighbours, and tries to figure out what is going on, while battling her own demons.
I liked the setting of this book a lot, and I was hoping for a creepy, witchy read. Something in the Walls had an excellent beginning but then shifted in the midsection of the book, and it was no longer creepy. The plot seemed to ramble on, and I no longer cared about the characters.
Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for an ARC in exchange for review.

This was such a dark read with very interesting plot twists. I think Mina was just ok with her monotone life but soon discovered herself trying to help Alice. This book touches to an extent several great points such as grief, abuse and mental health.

"Something in the Walls" by Daisy Pearce is a harrowing exploration of deep grief, superstitions, and the intersection of past traumas with present realities. This book is a psychological thriller with witchy folklore and horror, creating an atmosphere thick with eerie tension, murder, and intrigue.

The story follows Mina, a fresh-out-of-school child psychologist grappling with her personal demons, the death of her brother, and the unraveling of her relationship with her fiance. Under this pressure and a mounting sense of unease, she decides to take on the bizarre case of Alice, a teenage girl claiming to be haunted by a witch. The referral comes from Sam, a newspaper reporter from her grief support group, who is also spiraling after the loss of his young daughter. The exploration of their combined grief and the supernatural are deftly woven together - but are they there to help Alice or use her to communicate with their dead loved ones?

Pearce masterfully crafts the chilling and haunting world of Banathel, imbuing it with a rich tapestry of local myths, superstitions, and the palpable fear of the unknown and unexplainable. As Mina digs deeper into Alice's unsettling witch-like behaviors, the history of the town's witches (and their banishment) in the community, and the disturbing things Mina witnesses for herself, the line between rationality and the supernatural blurs ominously. People close to Alice begin to die in mysterious ways; the pressure to banish the evil from Alice through the Riddance grows stronger, while Mina's welcome in Alice's home and within the town quickly ends.

The pacing of this story is relentless, keeping me on the edge throughout the entire book. Mina's character reveals so much depth as she grapples with her sorrow, deep secrets, and unforgiveness while also trying to help Alice and others in this small town who have gathered against this family. She risks her life time and time again, but I think her willingness to risk it all is only because of her current mental state.

Pearce's writing is hauntingly beautiful, and the story eerie, making it difficult to put the book down. While some plot twists may feel slightly predictable, there were also many moments I felt like jumping out of my seat or slamming the book shut quickly! The emotional stakes remain high, and the chilling climax leaves an indelible mark. I really enjoyed it!

Thank you, #NetGalley, #StMartinsPress, #MinotaurBooks, and #DaisyPearce, for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion of #SomethingintheWalls.

This was OK -- it didn't scream "horror" to me - I'd actually be hard-pressed how to categorize it. The "new child psychologist" back story felt really thin, and didn't really play any part in the plot. I was moderately entertained throughout, but never felt like "wow, this is good."

Clearly many folks truly enjoyed this journey -- it was just a slightly less enjoyable trip for me. Would I read more from the author? Probably, maybe.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.

Something In the Walls by Daisy Pearce is a novel about an inexperienced psychologist and an experienced newspaper reporter who travel together to investigate a possible haunting. They both have ulterior motives, we soon discover. Although this story begins slow and is written very proper, it soon grows tense. I found myself reading faster just to get answers as to what the truth was. The ending was quite a surprise and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

A very creepy and atmospheric story. Mina needs experience after just graduating with her masters in psychology. She meets Sam at a grief meeting. He lost his daughter and Mina lost her brother. Sam is a reporter, and he asks Mina to go with him to Banathel, a small town, where 13-year-old Alice is either extremely sick… Or possessed. Mina and Sam each have an agenda, but helping Alice is still the priority.
I am not going to say much more, but I went back-and-forth between thinking this was either a well thought out scam or Alice was indeed possessed. The only thing that was a bit disappointing to me was the ending. I won’t say why, but I was left with a huge unanswered question. The journey was really good though.

4.25 stars!

I listened to the audiobook - the narration was done very well. Easy to understand, kept my attention. Great tone, pronunciation, and speed. I felt like she performed the work beautifully.

This was a modern take on an old witch tale and I loved that. It is not something that is done or touched on very often - I find witch stories are typically set back in the salem 15th century times. I enjoyed the characters - namely Mina and Sam. I enjoyed the way they met at a grief group after both experiencing tragic loss in their lives. This bonded them together to investigate a seemingly paranormal situation with a young girl, Alice. It had a good pace and kept me engaged throughout the entire book. I loved the mystery and almost "cult like" mentality of the town.

I wish the witch part of the story had been more detailed and "scary". I did feel like a few things were left unanswered as well. But overall a very entertaining book I really enjoyed.

Thanks to NetGalley, MacMillan Audio, and St. Martin's Press for the ARC and ALC and chance to give my honest opinion!

Mina lost her brother when he was 14 and she feels she has some blame for his death. She meets a journalist who tells her about a young girl who is possibly being haunted by a witch and he’d like her help determining what is truly going on. Mina, now a child psychologist wants to help find out if it is truly a haunting or something more worldly..

This book was twisty and graphic and gave off great spooky vibes. It was confusing to start with, but it’s one of those books that as you keep reading, it becomes more clear. It does talk a lot about religion and superstition. It was a quick read and well-written. I would recommend this to someone interested in spooky, haunting stories.

Thank you, NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an eARC of this book. The opinion in this review is my own.

You know those books that you cannot put down because you’re so intrigued by the story but at the same time not really sure if you’re enjoying it? That’s this one for me. I read Something in the Walls quickly, only to find myself feeling a bit disappointed (and confused) by the end. It was extremely compelling with great narration and an interesting plot point until things just got… well, weird.

If you’re looking for something entirely different, that reads part thriller/part paranormal, this might just be your cup of tea. Well written and original, but perhaps too out there at times for me.

Thank you to Daisy Pearce, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, & NetGalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

This fell solidly into the good but maybe too familiar. Mostly it was just the beginning/buildup portion that I found a bit lacking, the story did pick up momentum and interest as it progressed.

Something in the walls is best read at night so you can really get into the creepy vibes of this book! Daisy Pearce does a great job creating eerie atmosphere that leaves you with all the hibbie jibbies.

Sam comes to Mina with an "opportunity" She's fresh out of college as a licensed child physcoligist, he's picked up on story of teenage girl that appears to be haunted or possessed but in order for Sam to write the story he needs a second opinion that's where Mina comes in, is this case all a rouse for the family or the real deal?

This book was such a good read as horror fanatic, there was a few parts I had to close one eye and squint the other because they were so graphic but I live for those kinds of things 😉 Someone referenced this book to midsommer and I totally get it now so as another reviewer said if you like midsummer you will definitely like this! I was however left with several questions at the end but it was still an enjoyable read overall.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Big thanks to Netgally, Minotaurbooks and Daisy Pearce for this E Arc book in exchange for an honest review

Publication Date 2/25

This was a great and twisty read. Perfect for spooky season with the atmospheric vibes. Thank you for the advanced copy, would recommend

An incredibly creepy story, Something In The Walls, is a book that will keep you guessing as you wade, terrified, towards the finish line.
A story of unnamed mental illness or paranormal activity, that is yours to discover. A short, quick read I enjoyed the journey this novel took me on.
For my more in depth, spoiler free review you can check out my youtube video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE0zYKMiUus