Honestly, this book disturbed me and it was difficult for me to read. Part of this is my fault: I always want to read horror and then part way through, I realize I don’t have the stomach for it. Nevertheless, I pushed through with SOMETHING IN THE WALLS because I pledged to read every ARC I’m approved for, but unfortunately, the end went in a direction I wasn’t expecting and didn’t love.

Mina, a 20-something child psychologist, meets a mysterious man at a grief support group she attends after losing her beloved brother. This man, Sam, asks her to meet with Alice, a young girl who might be possessed by demons. Unfortunately, Mina soon learns that the small town where Alice lives is known for its history of witchcraft and things get weirder from there.

There are some memorable, dark, disturbing scenes in SOMETHING IN THE WALLS and the book is written smoothly, but the end didn’t do it for me. I wanted more answers to go with the immersive quality of the first half of the book. I think horror readers will enjoy this book more than I did.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher Minotaur Books for the early digital copy of SOMETHING IN THE WALLS in exchange for my honest feedback.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Horror + Mystery Thriller

Mina is a newly licensed child psychologist on the hunt for some work experience. When she meets journalist Sam Hunter, she hears about Alice Webber, a 13-year-old from the small town of Banathel who claims she's being haunted by a witch.

While looking into things, Mina finds out about the village's old superstitions and their creepy history with witchcraft. The story mixes psychological tension with folklore and horror, diving into themes like grief, superstition, and the messy side of human emotions.

I'm torn about this story. While the atmosphere at the beginning was captivating, it seemed to fade as I continued reading. I'm not entirely sure why that happened. The author excels in her vivid descriptions of the village, which adds to the appeal. The blend of psychological thriller and witchcraft is the main theme, and it can keep you engaged if you overlook the book's other shortcomings.

"Something in the Walls" is entertaining as long as you don’t dwell too much on the story's logic. However, if you start to question why certain things were handled the way they were, it can become frustrating. If Mina were a real person, she might lose her job because I don’t believe she fulfilled her role as a psychologist properly. She didn’t spend enough time with the girl and instead acted more like a detective investigating the town, which is not her profession.

The ending felt ambiguous and underwhelming. I expected a more satisfying conclusion given the struggles the characters endured. Overall, I found the story to be decent, but my experience may differ from others. This is a book that relies heavily on the reader's perspective, so each person's experience will vary.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC of this book.

Scary, dark, ominous, psychologically disturbing, rattling, and heart-pounding—these are the first words that come to mind after finishing this thrilling wild ride. It’s a journey that feels like Midsommar meets The Exorcist with a touch of The Witch.

Enter Mina, a newly minted child psychologist still grieving the loss of her brother, who died six years ago from pneumonia. Her personal life is equally strained as she struggles with her stoic, career-driven fiancé, Oscar, an aspiring scientist. While attending her grief counseling group, Mina crosses paths with Sam, a journalist and divorcé mourning the recent death of his young daughter. Desperate for closure, Sam even entertains frauds posing as clairvoyants to try to connect with his daughter beyond the veil.

Sam approaches Mina with a strange case involving 13-year-old Alice Webber from the small, eerie town of Banathel. Alice claims to be a witch, and Sam plays a cassette recording of an interview with her. The tape includes a mysterious sound—was someone whispering, "Good riddance"?

Despite Oscar’s objections, Mina agrees to join Sam on a train journey to Banathel. They stay with the Webber family: Lisa, the protective mother; Paul, the father whose work at the slaughterhouse seems to drain his sanity; Billy and Tamsin, Alice’s younger siblings who appear blissfully unaware of the dark undertones in their household; and Alice herself, who is battling something sinister that feeds on her energy. Isolated from her peers, Alice is glued to her Walkman, using music as a shield against the trauma she faces.

Determined to uncover the truth, Mina begins to question: Is Alice truly a messiah, as some townsfolk believe? Can Mina communicate with her? Mina’s own motivations are deeply personal—she sees this as an opportunity to connect with her late brother, just as Sam hopes to reconnect with his daughter.

The Webbers’ financial struggles raise suspicions. Could this be a scheme to exploit Alice’s supposed supernatural powers for monetary gain? Or is there something darker at play—something rooted in the town’s peculiar traditions, superstitions, and eerie history? What if the events defy scientific explanation, hinting at a sinister force targeting young girls in Banathel? Mina’s search for answers forces her to confront her own demons and face the darkness head-on.

Overall:
This book had moments that genuinely terrified me—like the scene with the unknown entity crawling out of the chimney, which made me scream and slam the book shut (only to scream again!). The dark and chilling elements chilled me to the bone. While the pacing slowed a bit in the middle, the final quarter ramped up the suspense, delivering a satisfying and thrilling conclusion.

I’m giving this one four witchy stars! This is definitely a must-read thriller to keep on your radar this year.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books for providing me with an ARC of this gripping horror-thriller in exchange for my honest review.

With paranormal thrillers/mysteries/whatever you want to call them, I really struggle with the whole "is this paranormal or not" thing. I have no idea why. It is just a thing for me.

I wasn't particularly impressed with this book. And I do think that's because of the paranormal aspect of it. I wasn't really expecting that at all, I thought it was just going to turn out to be human intervention that appeared so spooky and creepy that everyone was calling it paranormal just to make it easier for themselves to deal with. But no. It is witches, this book is about witches. And that's cool, just not as intense as I wanted and not quite what I was expecting.

I didn't find this super interesting or captivating the way I really like a spooky book to be. I find that is what makes it so spooky, when it holds your attention so completely.

I do feel like there's an unreliable narrator thing going on here and I know how much people love that.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

Daisy Pearce makes her mark on the common story of a young girl possessed by a demonic witch. Mina, a new child physiologist, and Sam, a journalist head to Banathel in hope to help Alice and write a story for publication. Mina and Sam connect over past loss and trauma of their own. The atmosphere Daisy sets is perfect. It’s a record breaking heat wave in a small economically depressed town on the English coast with a deep rooted history of witchcraft. You feel the heat burning down upon you while reading. Buildings are old, closed signs are everywhere, and hagstones hang from doorways all through the town. The characters are all great, the writing is smooth, and the story is genuinely scary. There are intense scenes of demonic possession and menace that will definitely stick with me. You may want to have your chimney cleaned after reading this one. There are some big reveals at the end making this a 5 star read for me. The book is available February 25, 2025.

Mina is in her early twenties and newly engaged to sensible but stolid Oscar (the type of mate who would descale a kettle instead indulging in risky, romantic adventures). She is also a newly graduated child psychologist, specializing in adolescent mental health, who needs more experience to get a decent work placement. She meets Sam, a journalist, at a bereavement support network meeting. Mina is still grieving over the death of her 14 year old brother, Eddie, 6 years ago, and Sam has lost a 7 year old daughter, Maggie. Both are still dealing with personal ghosts.

After just briefly meeting, Sam contacts Mina about a story he’s working on: a teenaged girl named Alice in a small village in Cornwall is definitely sick, perhaps psychosomatically, but there are rumors of “witchcraft.” The village is decorated with hagstones and rife with rumors. Definitely “Midsommar” and “The Exorcist” vibes. Alice has been speaking in gibberish and fainting at school. Mina tries to evaluate Alice, bedeviled by the suspicion that the parents want to make money (ala the Enfield Haunting, 10 years earlier) and the congregating neighbors (the 1980s version of a social media conspiracy theory comment section) want supernatural miracles from “the witch.”

Set in 1989 — before Google, the internet, DNA testing, infrared photography, wireless hidden cameras, and cell phones — you know that this will obviously be a tech-free thriller, one that local folklore, superstition, buried emotions and weird phenomena will create suspense that can’t be dismissed as easily as it might be in the 21st century. What little tech they have (a Dictaphone tape recording with a whispered “Good Riddance” at the end) fails them, so it's up to Mina and Sam to use their own wits and plain ol’ detective work to figure out what’s happening with Alice. Mina and Sam also eventually recognize that their unresolved grief is coloring their perceptions of the supernatural. As a result, they’re both suggestible even though they claim to be looking for the truth.

The book is “medium scary” for the most part — but the tale of possible possession that gets ratcheted up after a few deaths occur, leading up to a graphic ending. The meme “it’s odd that we were taught to fear the witches and not the men who burned them” definitely needs discussion. “Something in the Walls” is one of those books that you won’t want to put down! 4 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO Scary black eyes looking out of the cracks of the fireplace, but no green ones. But look closely at the cover art.👀
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO There’s a heat wave and a hosepipe ban (new British term for me) means lawns and flowers are dying without irrigation.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!

Alice is a teenage girl who is “haunted.” Or so the popular belief is….Mina meets Sam at a survivor support group. Sam is a journalist who has been meeting with a family whose daughter, Alice, appears to be haunted. Since Mina is a recent psychology graduate, he asks her to come and evaluate. Against her fiancé’s wishes, Mina goes with Sam to meet Alice and her family.

Mina begins to meet with Alice and she keeps trying to talk herself into thinking Alice is just delusional, not really seeing a witch in the walls. The entire town is superstitious and believe that witches not only haunt them, but have possessed Alice.

Much more than meets the eye is happening in their tiny town and Mina and Sam are determined to get to the bottom of it, even if they lose their lives.

Really liked this one!! Was surprised at the turn that it took, but did like it. Felt like some of the characters didn’t feel more than one dimensional to me, but the bones of the story were intriguing.

Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce is an atmospheric and chilling psychological thriller that keeps readers on edge with its slow-building tension and eerie sense of unease. The story follows a woman, Holly, who moves into a seemingly perfect home, only to discover unsettling occurrences and dark secrets lurking within the walls. As Holly uncovers more about the house’s history and its previous inhabitants, the mystery deepens, and the line between reality and paranoia begins to blur.

Pearce’s writing is compelling and immersive, pulling readers into the world of Holly’s unsettling new home. The pacing is deliberate, with the tension building steadily as small, creepy details start to unravel a much larger mystery. The atmosphere of dread and foreboding is palpable, and the sense of isolation is effectively conveyed, adding to the claustrophobic feel of the story.

The character development is solid, with Holly being a well-rounded, relatable protagonist whose emotional struggles and personal history make her reactions to the strange events feel authentic. Her gradual descent into uncertainty and fear is portrayed in a way that keeps readers invested in her journey.

However, while Something in the Walls is a well-crafted thriller, the plot occasionally feels predictable, and some of the twists could have been executed with more impact. The resolution, while satisfying, left a few lingering questions that felt unresolved, which may be frustrating for readers who prefer a more definitive conclusion.

Overall, Something in the Walls is a compelling 4/5 star read. It’s a chilling, atmospheric novel that builds suspense effectively, with strong writing and a relatable protagonist. While some of the twists may be a bit predictable, the overall experience is immersive and engaging—perfect for fans of psychological thrillers and haunted house stories. Pearce has crafted a memorable, eerie read that will keep readers turning the pages. I was given an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my review.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Feb. 25, 2025
Alice Webber’s recent behaviour has caused her to be kicked out of school, lose her friends and stalked by the community. Most believe she is possessed by the spirit of a witch. Journalist Sam Hunter meets newly-minted child psychologist Mina at grief group and an idea for a great story comes to mind. If Sam, together with Mina, can prove that Alice is actually haunted by a paranormal presence, it could be the story of Sam’s career. But Mina doesn’t believe in the paranormal and is worried something more disturbing and sinister is at play. But the town of Banathel, Alice’s community, have strong roots in witchcraft and they don’t want Mina interfering in their rituals. After all they believe the only way to rid a body of a witch is to drive the witch out- through archaic rituals that will put Alice’s life at risk.
“Something in the Walls” is not the first novel by author, Daisy Pearce and somehow, I have not heard of her before. She crafts a novel that combines mental illness, witchcraft and the paranormal and you can bet- that will get my attention. “Walls” is obsessive, dark and utterly addicting.
Mina is a recent psychology graduate with the education to be a child psychologist but no formal experience. She is engaged to a scientist, Oscar, and, although they are expected to marry in the winter, she is having doubts. A seemingly normal young woman, still reeling from the death of her brother and the secrets she keeps, Mina makes an intelligent, capable and brave protagonist. As the sole narrator, readers learn about the quiet town of Banathel and its dark past right alongside Mina. The instant sympathy for Alice is there as well, although it is impossible to determine (until the final pages, anyway) if Alice is suffering from mental illness or possession.
“Walls” is part folklore, part horror and one hundred percent immersive. I loved the small, quirky town and all of its secretive yet accepting members, shrouding a history of witch hunting that goes back decades. Alice’s participation in the ritual with her then-friends adds realism to the idea that she very well could be possessed, but Pearce doesn’t give away the ending that easily, providing an endless number of twists and turns that kept me guessing.
I loved the final pages and the gripping conclusion, both Mina and Alice getting the endings they truly deserved. “Walls” opened my eyes to Peace, and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for her novels from now on.

Something in the Walls was a combo of scary, witchy, and folklore thriller. Went into this book blindly and at one point, I was scared of reading it in the dark. The horror aspect dwindled after the first half but that’s when the thriller suspense kicked in.

I really enjoyed this read, so many unnerving parts that kept me hooked. Recommend this book to anyone who likes creepy, witchy reads.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC. Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce will be published on February 25, 2025

Something in the Walls
Mina meets journalist Sam Hunter by chance, brought together by their individual grief, sharing their stories. When he asks for her help, she can't resist the opportunity to put her child psychology degree to use.
They travel to meet Alice who claims she's being haunted by a witch, a witch that watches her from inside the walls. Alice's claims are terrifying and sets everyone on edge.
As Mina and Sam dig deeper into Alice's claims, and try to their best to help, it only seems to amplify the happenings, making everything worse.
With their services proving to be useless, Alice and Sam find themselves running out of time to help Alice. With Alice's family against her, Mina sneaks around finding truth about the town and how they handle these kinds of situations. Alice needs to get to the bottom of this before Alice because another piece of this towns haunted history.
This book was very unlike others I have read. It gave me the heebie jeebies from the very beginning and kept me entranced. It really kept to guessing the whole time, was there actually paranormal things happening within their home, or was this poor girl mentally ill? The ending threw me for a loop and kept me thinking about it long after I set the book down. This one comes out February 25th, and if you're looking for something out of the ordinary, this is it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5!!!
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

Something in the Walls is a dark and broody story with lots of tension and atmosphere but not a ton of explicit explanation. Spoiler alert - if you are like me, someone who likes to have clear cut explanations at the end of their stories, this one might fall a little flat for you in the end. If you are more of a fan of ambiguity, I think you'll love this book.

Set in a small town with a witchy history, Something In the Walls tells the story of Mina, a newly qualified child psychologist investigating the possession of a teenaged girl. In this story, everyone has a secret and nothing is quite as it seems, but how much is supernatural and how much is plain old misogyny?

Woah this was creeptastic as my young kids say!

I compulsively read this. It was frighteningly good! I was completely immersed into this. The suspense and the feeling of dread that built up as you read, this was incredible. I was definitely scared! Great job. I have never been scared like this with a book before.!

thank you macmillan audio for the alc & minotaur for the e-arc!

what i liked:
- atmospheric and eerie

what i didn't like:
- while it was creepy, there were many times that it felt like it was trying too hard to be dark
- slow burn, clunky pacing
- the last ~20% felt like a completely different story, and i felt like it never went back to previous "theories" and explain what actually happened. this is where i have a hard time with because that was the leading the plot for majority of the story.

Thank you to @netgalley for my copy!!! This was a really anticipated read for me. I love a debut, especially a thriller! There is definitely some witchiness brewing in the air of this novel by Daisy Pearce. The atmosphere of dread and menace is as thick and as humid as the heat wave that's suffocating the village of Banathel. The first half of this book had me held in its grip but then it takes a bit of an unexpected turn and all that built up dread simply vanishes. Now that's not to say the ending is bad by any means but it wasn't the direction I was expecting the book to go. I look forward to more Pearce!

I struggled to get past the first couple of pages in this one. Then I requested the audio and I finished this book in two days time.

This was a really great book for the most part! I was fully immersed in the strange happenings. Is Alice possessed/ haunted or does she have a mental illness? This book was creepy and very unsettling. The building dread kept escalating until it stalled. I feel like most of this book had you believing it would lead to one answer and then jumped streams 3/4 of the way through to end up in the other side of the river. It was kind of jolting in terms of piecing things together. I won’t say it was confusing but unexpected and a tad disappointing. It also left for quite a few unanswered questions.

My biggest complaint in the relationship between the MC Mina and her fiancé who wasn’t actually present with her for the majority of the book. Their relationship was brought up several times throughout and I feel it did absolutely nothing for the story itself. Besides that, and the sudden shift in the storyline, I fully enjoyed the folk horror small town cult-y vibes this one was giving. I can appreciate an ending that is open for interpretation and this surely had that.

What to expect ⬇️
🕯️Seances
🐝 Loss of a loved one
🕯️ Witch/ folklore history
🐝 Wasps!
🕯️ Small town
🐝 Mass hysteria
🕯️ Possession/ superstition/ rituals

Something in the Walls is a frightening, yet compulsively readable folk horror novel that was atmospheric and gripping to the very end!

This read was okay I didn’t enjoy nor dislike it. I have a couple friends that I would recommend it to but I’m not sure I’d read from this author again

This was a GREAT story to listen to! AWESOME narration! Great main characters. The plot was easy to find. The story was engaging and easy to follow. Will be purchasing this book. Shout out to Netgalley and publishing for allowing me to listen and review this story.

4 STARS!

DNF. It was bad at all. The writing was really good, but the plot was just a bit too touchy for me right now. May come back to it eventually.