Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Minotaur Books, for an ARC of this book.

Imagine the satanic panic in Cornwall, England during the hottest summer known to man. It's 1989 and Mina Ellis has just graduated with a degree in child psychology and no direction in life. She meets a reporter, Sam, who offers her a case to work with which she could pad her resume. She would travel with him to a tiny village in Cornwall where a teen girl is said to be possessed by a witch. She jumps at the chance to prove there's no such thing as possession, only children with trauma. But once she reaches the village, she sees how steeped in witch folklore the townspeople really are along with all the unexplained phenomena surrounding the teen girl.

Daisy Pearce has a way with details especially her bone-chilling description of the witch, the impact of the intense heat on the townsfolk, and the subtle changes in Alice as the witch may or may not take possession of her. It is a compulsive read with interesting characters. There are parts of the story that are downright frightening like the scene where Paul skins the rabbits - it is very unsettling and introspective. The only reason this novel isn't a 5-star read for me is the plot which becomes muddled in the middle resulting in two different tones between the beginning and the end of the novel. Some of the characters could have been developed more- especially Sam's character. Also, I wish Pearce would have really went for the horror effect. Her descriptions of the supposed witch and the haunting were rich in specifics, but the real life terrors exposed in the last part of the book were demure in detail.

Such a solid, scary, goosebump giving book!!!

Daisy Pearce really sets the tone right from the start. It was so foreboding and made me want to keep turning the pages so fast!! Mina is our main character who is a newly graduated child psychologist who gets an opportunity to help Alice, a teenager who is convinced is possessed by a witch. Mina seems pretty convinced that all of Alice’s issues can be linked to various mental health diagnoses, but at the same time— Mina lost her brother years before and thinks that just maybe, she might be able to connect with him again. This book really takes you for a ride, and makes you question if it was supernatural or just really horrible humans. Mina went on a journey to say the least!! The ending was not what I expected at all so props to you, Daisy!! 👏🏻

It has been a hot minute since a book creeped me out so much. Daytime reading might be preferred 😆 I promise once you get started, you won’t want to put it down!!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the arc🫶🏻

I had a hard time staying interested in this book. The Story was slow to start and the characters were not interesting or likeable. The last quarter of the book finally got exciting and I really liked the ending.

This was one of the best books that I've read all year. It totally gave off spooky Halloween vibes which was perfect for this time of the year. It was creepy and I really didn't want the story to end. There were some bloody/gory parts, but it really just helped with the scary vibe of the book. 5 stars!!

Well, this was certainly disturbing…when child psychologist Mina is in desperate need of work experience, and she’s approached about a troubled child, she leaps at the opportunity to further her career. However, possible witchcraft - possession? - awaits her, along with a distrusting and distrustful village; and what she finds will be nothing anticipated.

A perfect chilling read for this fall and beyond!

𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒚-𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒆 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔, 𝒘𝒉𝒚 𝒊𝒕 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏'𝒕 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒚 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒑 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒇 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒄𝒉 𝒊𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒊𝒕.

I sat on this review for several days because I couldn't really decide how I felt about it. Even though I had a few issues with the story, because I'm still thinking about it, I decided to bump up my rating from a 3 to a 4.

It's the summer of 1989, and Mina Ellis is preparing to marry Oscar, a scientist. I loathed Oscar almost immediately, so he quickly fell to the background of the story. Mina is a recent college graduate, earning a master's degree psychology. I suspect she was drawn to this field because of the trauma of losing her teenage brother Eddie when she was a young girl.

While at a grief support meeting, she meets Sam, a journalist who has lost his daughter and is plagued with the same guilt that Mina carries. He approaches her with a proposition--travel with him to the town of Banathel to investigate the case of Alice Webber, a 13-year-old-girl with a shocking claim--she insists she's being haunted by a witch. Eager to gain some experience and sure that she can help Alice, the duo travel to the isolated town, which is drenched in superstition and witchcraft. And the town has their own way of dealing with its problem residents.

There was a definite air of menace throughout most of the book, and some of the descriptions had me looking over my shoulder. Some parts were so unsettling that I stopped reading at night. Even though I never really connected with Mina (or Sam, for that matter) the atmosphere was what kept me reading. My biggest issue with the book was the ending. I am totally fine with open endings and often even prefer them, but this one was just too abrupt for my liking. Even with that flaw, this was a solid, tense read that just might make you question some of your beliefs.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press/Minotaur Books for the early copy. At the time this review was written, this title was expected to publish February 25, 2025.

I enjoyed this one! I felt the story was unique and different than others I have read. Some of the creepy scenes really got me-there is just something innately creepy about imagining a witch with a creepy smile in your chimney. However, I was a little disappointed with the ending-I wanted to know more about what happened to Alice. Was she really haunted by a witch? Or was it all just fueled by town hysteria? Overall, would recommend!

This was an uber creepy story set in 1980s Cornwall. I really enjoyed the set up with the two MC, one a newly minted child psychologist, the other a journalist. Both come with plenty of baggage. I did like the story of the witch in the wall, although the further along it went the harder it was to believe. I also felt there was some unresolved plot lines. Still a pretty solid scary story.

The book was decent. The beginning and middle dragged a bit, but the ending made up for it. I could have used some more of a spooky vibe throughout the whole book.

sarahwarrengillreads
📚Book Review: Something In The Walls by Daisy Pearce

Thanks @netgalley @stmartinspress for the eARC!

Horror/Thriller set in the 80s & 90s are my jam!

Britan, summer 1989, stifling heatwave, fmc Mina is a recent graduate and child psychologist who is planning her wedding to her scientist fiancé Oscar. She has struggled with the death of her brother for the past six years. When things get too much she goes to a grief group where she meets a journalist named Sam who lost his daughter.

Sam is investigating a teenager, Alice, in the town of Banathel who claims there is a witch in the family’s chimney that she can see through the cracks. Given that the town is quite superstitious and ancient folklore is as prominent as the daily gossip, the residents think that Alice is a witch and can talk to the dead.

Sam invites Mina along on his investigation so that she can gain some much needed experience as a recent grad.

Things are happening in Alice’s household that are creepy and wild. I think this book takes the cake for creepiness and some people may want to read it in the daylight.

I think if I lived in the town of Banathel I would put my house up for sale real quick and get the hell out of dodge. I mean, I’d be questioning everyone and everything and that’s exactly what I was doing when reading this.

If witch hunting, mass hysteria and fear of the unknown are horror tropes you like then add this one to your tbr. Releases February 25, 2025.

4 Stars

I unfortunately DNF'd this book.
I just couldn't get hooked. I found it hard to pick up and read over a longer period of time.

ooooooooh i loved this one. the perfect mix of suspenseful, creepy, witchy, dark, and fast-paced that kept me hooked. i genuinely was surprised at every turn and thought the ending was excellent. the fact that this is set in the late 80s before cellphones/modern technology got a little lost in the shuffle for me but i figured it out eventually.

3.5 stars

While the creep factor was good in spots I wanted a bit more of an overall creepiness. It had a really strong start and a good ending but the middle dragged a bit for me at a slower pace, I wanted a bit more of the haunting aspect. Overall a fun and witchy read. I would have loved a bit more about Eddie and Sam's daughter, if I could have had another 50ish pages added of just their stories/backgrounds this easily could have been another star.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press, Daisy Pearce and NetGalley for the e-arc, I immediately downloaded and wanted to pick this up.

I received an ARC of this book. It makes a great spooky season read! The plot kept me engaged and wanting more. It was outside of the books usually gravitate towards. But I would definitely recommend it to any fans of horror and witch stories.

Talk about a spooky book for the fall! This book was everything it promised to be. Spooky, chilling, makes you look over your shoulder even during the day while reading!

I really enjoyed the characters and the small town atmosphere. The book keeps you guessing whether this will actually be a real witch or just some sort of mental illness manifesting itself in strange behaviour.

I highly recommend this if you want a good scare!

Soooo what? I’m all for ambiguous books but god they always piss me off. All in all, crazy intense and hard to put down. At the end of the day though, I’ve still got unanswered questions. Anyway follow this child psychologist as she investigates a teenager who may or may not be possessed. Things go from 0 to 100 and don’t really let up. And yeah the Midsommar vibes are a definite thing at the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur for this book. This will be out in February of 2025!

This book was gripping and hard to put down. It didn't feel like everything else you see out there, it felt very fresh. I really enjoyed this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for this ARC! *Something in the Walls* by Daisy Pearce is a chilling and atmospheric horror novel that keeps readers hooked from start to finish. Pearce’s evocative writing creates a sense of dread and suspense, effectively drawing readers into a world of eerie mysteries and unsettling encounters. The novel’s plot is intricate and engaging, with well-crafted twists that enhance the sense of unease. While some elements of the story may follow familiar horror tropes, Pearce’s skillful storytelling and strong character development elevate the narrative. Overall, it’s a compelling and unsettling read that will satisfy fans of psychological horror and dark mysteries.

3.5 stars.

✨The author set the tone early on with a foreboding mood, and there were plenty of scary moments that had me peeking over my shoulder.

✨ Aside from that, I really had a hard time connecting with any of the characters, and things felt a bit disjointed and unevenly paced.

✨ The ending was even more disjointed, and I was left wanting more.

✨ With all that said, this was still an entertaining and spooky read, and you might just love it.

This book was everything I wanted and more. Edge of my seat page turner. I wish I could go back to the beginning and read it for the first time again.