SOMETHING IN THE WALLS by Daisy Pearce

Stories of possession are some of my favorite horror tropes. This one in particular leans into the witchcraft aspect of it.

Mina, a newbie psychologist, is tasked with helping 13 year old Alice who believes the witch she released from an old bottle is haunting her. Mina is skeptical at first, but soon realizes things don’t quite add up.

This had all the unnerving and foreboding elements you’d expect from a psychological horror/thriller. However, there were some implausible scenarios and plot holes that took me out of the story and left me with more questions than answers.

In short, I liked it, but I was hoping for more.


Rating: 3/5 ⭐️

**ARC courtesy of Netgalley & Minotaur Books

I thoroughly enjoyed Somethin’ In The Walls—it had just the right mix of suspense, mystery, and psychological tension that kept me turning pages well into the night. Mina’s journey, both personal and professional, felt incredibly relatable, especially as she navigates her anxieties about her career and her relationship with her fiancé, Oscar. The heat wave in Britain adds a subtle, almost claustrophobic layer to the story, making Mina's feeling of being stuck in a small, tight world even more palpable.

When Mina is called to investigate Alice’s strange case in the village of Banathel, the novel really starts to pick up. I loved the setting—the remote village steeped in superstition and folklore felt atmospheric and eerie, adding a layer of unease throughout the book. The introduction of Sam, the journalist, was an interesting twist, and I liked how their partnership developed, though their relationship wasn’t without its tensions, which kept things intriguing.

As for Alice, her descent into madness—or is it possession?—is chilling, and I found myself just as desperate as Mina to understand what was happening. The blend of psychological and supernatural elements worked well, and I enjoyed how the book slowly unraveled the secrets of Banathel. The sense of dread grows steadily, and by the end, I found myself questioning everything—just as Mina does. The exploration of folklore and witchcraft added depth and mystery, and I really appreciated how the author weaved this into the larger narrative of Mina’s own troubled past.

That being said, there were moments where the pacing felt a little slow, particularly in the middle sections of the book. While I liked the gradual build-up of tension, there were a few times when I wanted the story to move a bit faster, especially with Mina’s investigation into Alice’s condition. The ending, however, more than made up for it. It was satisfyingly twisted, and the revelations about Mina’s past left me reeling.

All in all, Somethin' In The Walls is a gripping read with strong character development, a spooky atmosphere, and plenty of twists. It’s not just a ghost story—it’s also a deep dive into personal trauma, folklore, and the things we’re reluctant to face. I was hooked from start to finish, and though there were a few moments where the pacing lagged, the emotional payoff at the end made it more than worth it. Highly recommended for anyone who loves psychological thrillers with a supernatural edge!

I love mystery/thriller books, but if you add a little horror into the mix then you have a book that is going to hook me and never let go. That is exactly what you get with this book. There were a couple slow moments around the middle of the book, but it picked back up at the end.

TapTapTap.
Thank you to @minotaur_books for my gifted copy of Something In The Walls by @kaiki3000 for review!
First things first, this cover - perfection. I mindlessly tried to wipe away that bit of white thinking it was a smudge before realizing it's an EYE.
Mina Ellis is a child psychologist, newly engaged to the bland Oscar. Mina has been summoned to the town of Banathel, as local teen Alice has had numerous terrifying incidents that can't be easily explained.
The story has a bit of a classic feel, without distinguishing features of a specific point in time.
This is a slow burn story, with solidly creepy imagery that settles into your mind. And it definitely didn't go the direction I was expecting.
A great add to the suspense/horror genre - recommended!
GoodRiddanceGoodRiddanceGoodRiddance.
Released on Feb. 25.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book! The plot of this caught my eye pretty quickly, and I will say, for me, that was the strongest part of this novel. A child psychiatrist is hired to exam a 13 year old girl who is supposedly possessed by a witch. What could go wrong? We get a splash of superstition and folklore, coupled with the ever present weight of grief and the impact on the psyche. This was a tense and unnerving read, but the characters themselves didn’t seem to click for me. It was a fun read overall. Not too serious, but one I enjoyed.

Something in the Walls is an excellent horror/thriller novel. Mina, a child psychologist, and Sam, a journalist, travel to a small Cornish town to investigate a girl who believes she is being haunted by a witch. What they find in the village is even more horrific. There are many creepy scenes that had me racing to the end of the novel. 4 stars.

3.5 rounded up. When child psychologist Mina Ellis attends a grief counseling group session, she meets a reporter named Sam who tells her about an interesting case surrounding a young girl who is said to be possessed by a witch. The pair venture off to meet the girl, Alice, in her family home and it becomes immediately clear that something is very, very wrong.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC

The audiobook was just the right amount of creepy to keep my attention. What I loved most about this book was Mina's journey to determine her wants.
Then, when we meet Alice, things get even more interesting.

Thanks to the publisher for the ALC and Arc!

TW/CW: GRIEVING, DEATH OF SIBLING, MOURNING, DEATH OF CHILD, DRINKING, SMOKING, CHEATING, BULLYING, PEER PRESSURE, GRAPHIC ANIMAL DEATH, DEATH BY SUICIDE, SEXUAL ASSAULT

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
Newly minted child psychologist Mina has little experience. In a field where the first people called are experts, she’s been unable to get her feet wet. Instead she aimlessly spends her days stuck in the stifling heat wave sweeping across Britain and anxiously contemplates her upcoming marriage to careful, precise researcher Oscar. The only reprieve from her small, close world is attending the local bereavement group to mourn her brother’s death from years ago.

Then she meets journalist Sam Hunter at the grief group one day, and he has a proposition for her: Thirteen-year-old Alice Webber claims a witch is haunting her. Living with her family in the remote village of Banathel, Alice finds her symptoms are getting increasingly disturbing. Taking this job will give Mina some experience and much-needed money; Sam will get the scoop of a lifetime; and Alice will get better—Mina is sure of it.

But instead of improving, Alice’s behavior becomes inexplicable and intense. The town of Banathel has a deep history of superstition and witchcraft. They believe there is evil in the world. They believe there are ways of…dealing with it. And they don’t expect outsiders to understand.
Release Date: February 25th, 2025
Genre: Horror
Pages: 291
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

What I Liked:
1. Love the books cover - beautiful
2. 80s vibes
3. Writing style is lovely
4. The twists of the book

What I Didn't Like:
1. Unrealistic situations that made little sense to the plot at times

Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}

"Sometimes the deceit is so weightless, you barely think of it"

Did Oscar cheat on her with Lucy...? I hope we get to find out what happened. If he did or didn't.

Ahhhhhh Oscar is cheating....!

I knew the moment that it was mentioned that the girls were staying at Burts

Sam acting like he knows what is going on and taking Burts side. How did Sam become this unhinged?

Yesssssssssss Burt was the one who was taking advantage of the girls. I'm sure he is the one that killed his wife so he could send away Mina.

What's the point of Burt locking her in a room when she has the photos of the girls being molested. There is zero way he can convince people something differently than what is in the photos.

Did she just say she put a pillow on her brothers face?

Go in for a ghost story, think it's a witch story, and find out it's just a pervert abusing underage teens.

Burt convinces people that Mina is the witch but what is he going to do when Alice acts weird again? Is he going to say the witch jumped back to Alice?

Yeah who the hell would even marry Oscar? He meets Mina at the hospital and tells her then that he can't marry her. Ridiculous.

Final Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book a lot. It had the whole psychological aspect of is Alice even haunted or are they doing it for the money. It kept you on the edge of your seat wondering what was real.

We then get this whole switch to Witchcraft. I could see this being a movie and I'd be here for it!

IG | Blog

Thanks to Netgalley, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was great! A journalist grieving from the death of his daughter and a child psychologist grieving the loss of her brother travel to a small village in Cornwall to investigate a possible haunting. There they meet Alice, a teen supposedly possessed by a witch.

In true Folk Horror fashion, the shared madness of towns people ensues. Lots of fun. Highly recommended.

3.5 stars.

The first half of the books was very creepy and had my heart racing while I read late at night. The plot was a bit gothic, a bit small town ancient evil type theme. The ending was surprising and I felt like a lot was unanswered. Maybe that was intended? I wanted to know about the witch? So Alice had nothing going on? We never hear anymore and she's just gone. Would have been a 4 of a few more things were wrapped up for me. Still a great read that I wanted to keep coming back to.

This is SUPREMELY CREEPY. If you're into a bit of horror, & a chilling, twisted storyline this is FOR YOU.

Out now! Thank you to Minotaur Books for the copy to read and review, this was one I BLEW through reading because I needed to know how it'd play out.

Some words I've seen referring to this story that are just completely perfect:
-atmospheric
-horrifying
-chilling

There's this overarching sense of dread throughout this novel, made even more ominous by the descriptions of the characters, the heat wave, and the actions of Alice. The characters are a driving force of this story and I loved reading about each of them.

Some reviews have mentioned the ending and.....I just don't feel like it resolved? Am I missing something?
Anyway, overall I liked this and would recommend if you like creepy

📚Happy Pub Day 📚

Something In The Walls by Daisy Pearce
Publisher- @minotaur_books @stmartinspress

Mina is a new child psychologist who has been asked to assess a thirteen-year-old girl, Alice Webber. Alice has been acting strange and people believe she is possessed by a witch.

What Mina doesn’t realize is just how superstitious the town really is. This is a slow burn and the focus is more on the witchcraft.

If you enjoy slow burns with a spooky setting, give this one a try.

Thanks to @minotaur_books , the author and @netgalley for the opportunity.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Daisy Pearce, and St. Martin’s Press for the ebook. This was a chilling and captivating read! The supernatural elements were seamlessly woven into the story, making it even more compelling. The gripping plot had me reading at all hours—it was as haunting as it was heartbreaking and utterly thrilling!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC read.

This book was an enjoyable read, but it had its ups and downs. The premise was intriguing, and there were moments of brilliance, but it didn’t fully deliver on its potential.

The writing style was engaging at times, but certain sections felt drawn out or repetitive. While the plot had interesting elements, it occasionally lacked momentum, making it difficult to stay fully invested. Some characters were well-developed and compelling, while others felt underdeveloped or one-dimensional.

Overall, this was a decent read with some enjoyable aspects, but it didn’t quite leave a lasting impact. I’d recommend it to readers who are interested in some spooky witchy vibes.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a complimentary early release copy of Something In The Walls by Daisy Pearce.

It took me a while to get into Something In The Walls, the writing style and plot setting just came off as strange to read to me at first but around the midway point I had gotten use to it and I started to enjoy it more. The characters in here were enjoyable to read about, I liked our main protagonist Mina and I even liked the idea of the hinted romance that could have bloomed between Sam and Mina.

Something in the walls does have some good dark twist, and I was intrigued enough to finish it but something’s in here just didn’t do it for me. The witchy atmosphere was nice but I don’t think witchy thrillers are going to be for me, I expected some more supernatural like elements to be included but they were left out. I was hoping for the plot to go in a different direction, the ending felt decent however I still feel like I have some unanswered questions. Overall I give this 3.5 stars, it was a decent thriller but it just didn’t hit the mark for me. I’d definitely would give this author another try though!

Thanks NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and author Daisy Pearce for advanced copy for honest review.

There IS something in the walls. Mina has spent a couple of years at a loss of her brother. She thinks she keeps seeing him around. Maybe she is holding out hope or maybe it was the last thing he said to her that has stuck with her. She returns to therapy at the local church when a stranger comes into focus. They get to talking and realize with Mina's psychological background and Sam reporting, they can come together and help little Alice. Alice can hear things, sense things. Mina and Sam try with Alice but things are getting worse not better. Without any spoilers...This book will keep you holding out hope even with everything sinister happening all around.
Anticipated Release! Book clubs grab your popcorn! Recommend 4 stars

I have been struggling with how to review this book because the story is fine, it's readable and moves at a pretty decent pace. However, there is a shift from the initial premise about two thirds into the book that will either work for some readers or not at all for others. I would have preferred the story continue along with the 'haunting' premise that was introduced at the beginning. I was not a fan of the turn that it took near the close of the book and that left me struggling with this review. It is personal preference and I can understand how someone would appreciate how the story wraps up. Overall, I think that this is a relatively enjoyable read with some genuinely creepy scenes. I found the characters hard to like which may have also added to my overall lower rating. I think my rating is based on my own partiality and not a failing of the book. I would be interested to read more form Daisy Pearce, she has strong point of view and I appreciated the ideas that she was playing with regarding patriarchal rule and oppression of women. I think that if the premise interests you it's worth reading.

The first half of this book had me fully intrigued. It’s based in 1989 Britain during a horrid heatwave. Our main character, Mina, meets Sam at a bereavement group. She is still mourning the loss of her brother in childhood, he is mourning the loss of his young daughter. Sam is also a journalist, and when he learns Mina is a child psychologist, asks her to come with him to a small town to try and help a teen girl claiming to be possessed by a witch. Mina and Sam are both desperate and depressed, the small town is claustrophobic and almost manic, and the heatwave is so oppressive that it crawls off the page.
The true creepy factor is Alice. She is a true 80’s possessed kid, complete with a total change in appearance, different voice, knowledge about Mina and Sam it’s impossible for her to know, suspicious deaths of her enemies, and a penchant for having wasps surround her. And the 95% of the time she’s not possessed? Absolutely normal, sweet, shy 13-year old girl.
Unfortunately, the second half of this book disappointed me. It felt like Pearce took two different plot lines and just mashed them together without pausing to create any resolution. I was invested in the Webber family’s fraught dynamic, the ever-invasive townspeople, and Mina and Sam’s slow decline out of reality. I was not invested in the sharp left turn the plot took from hauntingly creepy to chillingly realistic.
Overall, this was definitely a horror thriller. The whole book had me on the edge of my seat, terrified of what was happening. The only issue was that my fear transitioned to “What’s going to happen next?” to “Why is this happening next?” If you’re looking for something that blends a few different horror tropes like possession and witch hunting, this may be a better fit for you than it was for me!
Thanks to Netgalley, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for the free advanced book and audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

Something in the Walls has a little bit of everything. There's folklore, a touch of the paranormal, mystery and suspense, with some witchiness thrown in, and it all works so well together. This is a really strong debut, and, although I've seen it classified in some places as horror, it's more of a horror lite, perfect for those that like to dip their toes into scary but maybe not go all in. What honestly made this book for me though was the ending, which is certainly the darkest part of the book. It brought everything full circle, and I loved it. I also will not be poking around in anyone's dark basement for a while.