I keep being drawn to thrillers, the synopsis of this one was great, and I saw some early reviews of this one as being a 4-5 star read. However, I just didn't love it and I cant give a good reason other than the fact that me and thrillers just don't mesh anymore. I'll probably keep reading them and being disappointed because thats who I am. So I am rating this one a 5 because it's not the authors fault that I continue to make poor choices.

Mina has a degree in child psychology, but no experience in the field. That is until Sam, a guy from her grief counseling group, propositions her: come with him to investigate a girl whose parents claim has been showing signs of possession.

When Mina and Sam arrive they find a poor family with a surprisingly normal looking teenage daughter, Alice. Sam informs Mina of his suspicions that the family has exaggerated the extent of Alice's experiences in the hopes of getting media attention and money. However the longer they stay in the small town of Banathel the less they can explain away...

First and foremost I should mention that I kind of just skimmed the description (one might even argue I simply gave it a cursory glance) and kind of came into it thinking of a yellow wallpaper sort of thriller story, and was not prepared for it to be horror

But man o man was it a good horror! There are really rattling scenes that the author did such an amazing job at describing, I could literally see the story playing out, and the terror that the MC experiences you also feel. I spent last night snuggled up in my bed jumping at shadows like a little kid and then had to go to work the next morning. Like i was normal.

In all I thought it was a really well told story, I love books that have this perfect level of detail where you as a reader can fall into the story without having an ornate amount of descriptors that distract from the plot (looking at you Dan Brown).

Overall a very entertaining read that seriously just flew by, I recommend to anyone looking for a fun horror.

By glancing at the title, readers are immediately drawn into the intriguing possibility of the paranormal lurking beneath the surface, or perhaps even a touch of horror. I’ve always had a taste for a good scary novel, embracing the thrill it brings—even if it means I’ll find myself sleeping with the lights for the foreseeable future. “Something in the Walls” offers precisely that kind of spine-chilling experience, promising to weave a tale that lingers in the dark corners of the imagination.

Mina is a young child psychologist at the very beginning of her career. You might expect her to have lofty career and life goals, but she is just muddling through. Her future marriage is hanging by a thread, and she has never been able to overcome the death of her brother and the role she played in it. Mina feels a supernatural connection to Eddie, making her see him in newspaper articles and all around her. To navigate her grief, she attends grief group sharing sessions intermittently.

During her latest session, she meets Sam, who also feels a supernatural pull toward his daughter. He shares a unique case about a young girl in a remote village who claims a witch is haunting her and her family. The town has a colorful history involving witchcraft and witch-hunters. Mina agrees to meet Alice, which would help with her research for her budding career. Her fiancé thinks this is a bad idea that could jeopardize their relationship, but Mina decides to go anyway.

Upon meeting Alice, Mina is struck by how genuinely supernatural the situation seems. The locals have a strange vibe, and everyone appears on edge. Could this be an elaborate plot to bring fame to a small town and money to a poor family? Mina is determined to find out and expose any such plot to get Alice the help she needs.

Plot aside, the execution of the story could have benefited from another round of editing. I found the timeline confusing; the events unfold in what feels like the present day, yet some references seem almost Victorian. For example, a little girl is wearing a Ninja Turtle shirt, while her brother died from pneumonia over a period of three days and yet didn’t have access to health care or at least a round of antibiotics. Some of the descriptions were overly dramatic, which took attention away from the main story.

The audio production did not help clarify the time setting of the plot, as Mina's voice sounded quite mature for her young age, which added to my confusion. However, the novel held my attention throughout, and the creepiness factor really picked up halfway through, which was enjoyable.

I was excited to receive this as an ALC! I went in blind not knowing what to expect and absolutely loved this book.

Brief summary: child psychologist Mina is given the opportunity to observe a young girl, Alice, who claims to be haunted by a witch.

At first, I was thinking it was giving Yellow Wallpaper vibes (IYKYK); however, it soon transformed into some religious witch hunt horror story! I could not listen to this book at night because I got so spooked. This could be a great spooky time read, even though the setting is a heat wave in Britain.

The audiobook was absolutely fantastic! I was on the edge of my seat while listening.

This will be a great fit for fans of creepy horror books combined with a whodunit mystery and rich atmosphere.

Mina, a newly licensed child psychologist, meets Sam, a news journalist, and after hearing about a haunting in a remote village, they set off to help the young girl who is being afflicted and figure out what is going on. The village seems to have turned on the young girl, Alice Webber, who claims to be haunted by a witch. Sam and Mina are there to help Alice, but ghosts from their own pasts come back to haunt them as well. What really is going on in this village?

Thank you Daisy Pearce and Macmillan Audio for this ARC in exchange for a thorough and honest review. All thoughts here are mine and mine alone.

This book really freaked me out. The author perfectly set up each scene with enough ghostly happenings and real occurrences that gave me a claustrophobic feel in just about every scene. As the story progressed, the fear squeezed me more and more until the big reveal. The big reveal was perfect for the story and I know I will be thinking about this book for weeks.

The narrator was excellent. I liked how the story flowed as she voiced each character and added her vocal interpretation of the moment.

I gave 4 stars few plot holes but already a really really good darn book! Man! Had me biting my nails! Looking over my shoulders! Bert was very freaking creepy man!!! What the heck was happening in that town! What hold did he have over that town! Why couldn't they see it? What happened to his wife!?! So many unanswered questions! And who the heck was watching Alice! I still have questions but I still give the book a good rating because it was a really great creepy! Book and I'm all for creepy! It would have made good Spooky season read

OMG, this book is like spooky vibes central! 💀 So Mina, this super green child psychologist, is stuck in a major life rut—bad fiancé, hot AF weather, and unresolved grief vibes. Then she meets Sam, this low-key mysterious journalist, at a grief group. He’s like, “Wanna help me with this totally creepy case of a girl in a haunted town?” And she’s all, “Why not? My life is chaos anyway!”

Cue tiny, eerie village, and Alice—a girl who's either cursed, haunted, or just misunderstood. The locals? Full-on culty superstition mode. The tension is off the charts, and you can literally feel the suffocating heat and dread. It’s so atmospheric, you’re like sweating along with Mina. 🔥

The plot starts all suspenseful, and you’re totally hooked, but TBH, the ending? Not what I expected, but like, whatever, it was still a ride. Definitely gives you chills, and I legit could NOT put it down. Highly recommend if you’re into creepy small-town vibes and witchy folklore. 🌒✨

Huge thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion. 4/5 stars—so good! 👏

I was SO excited to receive an ARC of this book, considering I've entered at least two Goodreads giveaways for it.

I really enjoyed Daisy Pearce's writing. The vibes were perfectly spooky. Her worldbuilding and imagery is very immersive, making me feel very creeped out through the book. I will say, my mistake for not realizing sooner that this was a thriller, not a horror. It really set me up for a disappointment of my own making. That said, I really enjoyed the ending, even if it did, at times, feel a little disjointed.

The characters in this book were well developed, in my opinion. I did listen to the audio, so the narrator may have helped with this, but Pearce writes children well. That's a really difficult thing to do, and I remember listening and thinking that the kid actually sounded like a kid. (so sorry I forgot her name) The narrator was fantastic--I enjoyed all of her voices and thought they were well executed.

I received an ARC of this title via NetGalley, but opinions are my own. This one didn’t do it for me. I was really eager to read it and intrigued by the premise but it missed the mark. Mina came to work with and study a specific child who was facing some bizarre troubles and scenarios (the point of the book) but then spent very little time with her once she got there. I felt like so many random things just kept happening. I just couldn’t really connect with it even though I wanted to. Thanks for the opportunity to listen and review.

"Something in the Walls" is an incredibly creepy thriller that completely delivers the chills. The claustrophobic small town and the oppressive heat leap from the pages. I was completely engaged with the plot for about 70% percent of the story as our main character, Mina, a child psychologist takes on the task of evaluating a young teen girl named Alice who may or may not be possessed by a "witch". With each new reveal, I kept flip flopping between "yes, it's a possession story" and "no, it's a sham to make money". Unfortunately, the book takes a sharp left turn at the last 30% mark and it completely lost me. The pacing faltered with last minute reveals that were rushed and underdeveloped. Since the first half of the book is so strong, I would recommend picking it up if you are a fan of suspense reads with a mix of horror.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Macmillan/St. Martin's Press for an advanced reader's copy of the book.

Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce is a chilling blend of psychological tension and supernatural horror. The story follows Mina, a child psychologist investigating the eerie case of Alice, a girl haunted by a mysterious "witch in the walls." Set in a small, superstitious village, the novel builds a haunting atmosphere filled with unsettling scenes and a sense of dread. While the plot offers intriguing twists and a strong audio narration, some readers may find the pacing uneven or the characters difficult to connect with. Still, Pearce delivers an eerie tale that fans of witchy, atmospheric thrillers will enjoy.

The novel centers around Mina, a child psychologist, who delves into young Alice's claims of being haunted by a witch. Although the book progressed quickly, I found it challenging to stay fully engaged. The narrative attempted to build mystery, but overall, it felt somewhat flat and didn't live up to the intriguing premise outlined in the description.

Despite these issues, I did appreciate how the story concluded. The ending was satisfying and well-executed, tying together the narrative threads in a way that made sense and provided some redemption for the earlier parts of the book.

I dont know...I was enjoying it at first. like the is she possessed or whatnot that was going on, but then too many characters started appearing and that last 1/4 of the book I was like what the hell is going on. Pearce's writing was good though and I will read more from them.

“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.

What a fun and creepy read!

I loved the concept of a new psychologist cutting her proverbial teeth with a troubled teen, and loved that it was for a newspaper trying to uncover the truth—whatever that truth might be.

I thought the setting of rural England was wonderful, and the author’s description of the ongoing heat wave was excellent.

I couldn’t tell with certainty what time period this was set in (I’m guessing mid-80’s?), which was disconcerting at times.

I did love seeing how the MC built rapport with her patient, and enjoyed reading through the family dynamics, the neighborhood dynamics, and the treachery of living in a small town where nobody has left.

The middle bit where things went paranormal lost me, honestly—but the beginning 1/3 and the final 1/3 were redemption for a five-star overall rating.

This book does need some trigger warnings.

I think the narration was very well done. Well written to be 'read' in the form of an audio book. Sometimes I did have a little confusion with the switching in characters, but it was easily sorted out.

Parts of this book had me scared. Other parts had me questioning and confused (but in a good way, because I thought surely I had it figured out. But no, of course I didn't). Interesting twists leading to an ending I wasn't expecting.

Actual Rating 2.5

This one was a bit odd and is certainly more enjoyable if you don’t think about it too much. Don’t think about why an adult woman who is a child psychologist acts so naïve and clueless. Or why the same child psychologist spends most of her time talking to everyone but the child. Don’t think about why the ending is so predictable because every single thing that happens is pushing in that single direction. Don’t think about why the first half of the book feels like a completely different book than the second half.

Part of what lessened my enjoyment was the direction that the author chose for the antagonist/final solution. Personally, it just feels like a trope that’s been used so much in recent years that I was hoping for something more unique or interesting, a break from the standard. I was also hoping it would take a more supernatural turn and that more would come from that aspect at the end. I wanted so much more from the witch aspect, which had started off quite strong in the first portion of the work.

I quite liked the beginning of this one, but the aspects I liked and the tension/atmosphere quickly became lost as the book went on. My thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review

This book had a really interesting premise. I thought the author did a great job creating a creepy, chilling atmosphere. I liked the supernatural vibes throughout. I thought the pacing of the story was good, I didn't feel like there were any points where I was bored, but I was also not really on the edge of my seat. I think with this one I wanted just a little more. I thought the ending was good, with some really interesting plot twists that I enjoyed. Overall a good read, with a really great narrator on the audiobook.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy!

It wasn't a bad book, but it didn't capture me. I just didn't connect with the characters that much and never felt invested in the plot.