This definitely took me a while to get through only because of my other reads but was a good read.
It follows a child psychologist, Mina, and her friend Sam who is a reporter, that wants to study this young girl, Alice, because of stuff that has been happening to her. Upon her study, there are many things that are uncovered. There were plenty of creepy moments and some very interesting ones.
This was my first psychological horror and my first time reading anything by this author and hope to read more.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this experience

Mina just received her degree in child psychology. Mina attends a grieving group to help her process the loss of her brother. While she was at one of the meetings, she meets a journalist named Sam that has lost his daughter. They get to talking and he tells her about a girl he is doing a story on in a village of Banathel named Alice and how they think she's been taking over by a witch. The whole while she's there, shes trying to get answers but she feels shes going around in circles. Mina experiences odd things happening around her that she herself couldn't wrap her mind around.

Is Alice really possessed by a witch? Or is the town just as crazy as it seems? You'll have to read this book if you want to know!

I myself enjoyed the book. It was very slow in my opinion. I felt myself put it down and pick it up a couple days later because it didn't latch on like I wanted it to. The last 30% did work it's magic on me though. I didn't like the ending much. I felt it wasn't really justified. The book was dark, mysterious, psychologically disturbing and I felt myself make the 'ick' face a couple of times. Also giving me cult vibes.

100% would recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to review this spectacular book!

There’s something about folkloric horror and thrillers that always captures my immediate interest. Such was the case when I first heart about Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce. Set in a small English town in 1989, it follows a recently graduated child psychologist, Mina, and her first patient, a teen girl named Alice who claims to be haunted by a witch. Is this girl right about her fears, or is something going wrong with her mentally? And what is up with the strange beliefs held by the people in this town?

Why I Chose This Book:
I love psychological horror and thrillers, and Something in the Walls promised exactly that. There are also themes of mental health, folklore, and history, all melding together to make it unclear what is going on with Alice. Schizophrenia or witchcraft? Crowd delusions or something more calculated and sinister?

What I Liked:
- Psychology and discussions of mental afflictions. Mina might have little work experience, but she knows a lot about different disorders, their symptoms, and their causes. It was interesting to learn here.
- Superstitions, witchcraft, and old-fashioned beliefs
- Heat wave adding to the tensions
- People in this town are… kind of weird, right?
- Past traumas and regrets
- Hauntings?
- Real-world evils
- Should Mina really be marrying Oscar?
- Morally gray?

Final Thoughts
Something in the Walls is a bewitching novel that makes the reader question everything. Is it supernatural or just real life, human issues? Witches or trickery? I enjoyed puzzling through the events that arose and the surprising turns this novel took. It didn’t end where I expected it to, but sometimes that’s exactly what I need from a book. I’m excited to read more from Daisy Pearce.

Something is wrong with teenage Alice, something that has drawn the attention not only of the locals in her small village but also of journalist Sam Hunter. When Sam meets our main character, Mina, at a grief support group, he finds out that she recently graduated with a degree in child psychology, and thinks this could be a good opportunity for the both of them: practical experience for Mina to add to her resume, and an intriguing story for his newspaper. But when they meet Alice, the two aren't prepared for what's haunting her.

I was hooked from the beginning of this story and found Mina a sympathetic if somewhat passive protagonist. There is also some genuinely creepy imagery in the book and a great sense of dread throughout, but the last 10% of the book lost me. The big twists (if they were in fact meant to be twists?) were pretty obviously telegraphed earlier in the story and that made all the reveals seem to drag a bit. Still, I liked it well enough and wouldn't dissuade anyone from reading it or anything. 3 hagstones out of 5.

Thank you Netgalley & Minotaur Books for an eARC ❤️❤️

The book is about young child psychologist, Mina, who's trying to make a name for herself in a super competitive field. But things take a dark turn when she meets journalist, Sam, who's investigating bizarre case of a 13-year-old girl named Alice who claims she's being haunted by a witch.🤯
At first, I was like, "Okay, this is gonna be some creepy, supernatural stuff." But as I kept reading, I realized it was so much more than that. The village of Banathel, where Alice lives, is like whole different world, steeped in superstition and witchcraft. And the people there... they're not what they seem.
Mina's all about finding logical explanations for things, but the more she digs into Alice's case, the more she realizes that nothing makes sense. And that's when things start to get really freaky.
I loved how Daisy Pearce wove together all different threads - psychology, folklore, mystery... it was like perfect storm of creepiness. And Mina's character... she's so relatable, you know? She's got her own baggage, her own demons to deal with, and that just makes her more human.
Anyway, if you're in the mood for something that'll freak you out, keep you up at night, and make you question everything... then this book is for you.👍🏽

At first this book took a bit to grow on me; it felt quite confusing because a lot of character names were thrown around but after the first few chapters it finally smoothed out, especially once Mina hits the road with Oscar to see about the strange occurrences happening in a small village in far western England where a young girl is said to be haunted by a witch. As this story unfolds you learn more and more about the little village, its people, and what is truly haunting them.

Overall I enjoyed this story a lot. I would say it gets better as you get closer to the ending. In the beginning the writing feels a bit clunky but as the story grows and the plot has more to go on, the writing gets so much better! I loved the overall premise and this idea of the witch haunting a local girl while also tying in other stories at the same time. Mina is a likable character, albeit sometimes a bit annoying, but her tenacity is well demonstrated and received in this book. I almost always enjoy a strong female lead and by the end of this one Mina is just that and more. I LOVED the ending of this book and all the conclusions you, the reader, get to draw as it is ending. I do wish that maybe the storyline had a bit more supernatural elements to it but we all know that humans are usually the scariest beings in a room.

Something in the walls
This was a suspenseful, witchy, dark edge of your seat read! The tension built as the story went on in a town full of secrets that kept me glued to this book!
Would recommend to anyone who likes
horror/mystery.
Thank you net galley, Minotaur Books and St. Martins Press for this ARC.

As a horror aficionado, when my buddy-reading bestie passed along the synopsis for Something in the Walls, I knew immediately that I needed to read it. The strong first half had me excited for the creepy vibes and storyline—the blend of psychological horror with witch-hunt and folklore elements was very well done—but the ending didn’t quite deliver what I was hoping for.

It’s slower-paced than a typical horror novel, which helps build suspense. However, despite that buildup, it felt like we never fully reached the payoff. Maybe I’ve read and watched too much in the genre (I’ll admit I’m hard to scare), but the execution felt too soft, never quite landing that truly menacing feeling.

If you enjoy slow-burn horror mixed with psychological and folklore elements, I think you’ll love this book. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Something in the Walls is a compellingly premised in which a new child psychologist travels to a small English village rooted in witchcraft to investigate a teenage girl said to be haunted by a witch.
For the most part, it was exactly as the premise promised. The pacing was great, there was incredible intrigue, and the creepy mystery was captivating. The horror elements were amazingly well done and I developed a strong sense of foreboding the longer the main character spent in this little village where something is clearly just not right. The haunting itself was utterly terrifying and I was fully invested in figuring out what was going on.
This is where things fell off, unfortunately. After so much thoughtful buildup, the conclusion felt underwhelming and while I can appreciate the “ordinary evil” plot line, I admit I was disappointed. While sinister, I felt like the explanation was lackluster, and while the “who” was uncovered, there wasn’t much “how”, which left me with almost more questions to begin with.
Also the main character’s guilt and grief plot line felt somewhat out of place and haphazardly shoved into the story.
Overall I do think this could have been a great book, the potential was absolutely there, unfortunately the ending was not executed well in my opinion, which made it veer off course from the rest of the book.

Thank you to the author and Minotaur Books for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley.
Publication date 2/25/25

✨This releases February 25✨

I love a good gothic style thriller with a nuance of witches and curses. This one took you on a journey of wondering what’s real and what is beyond reality. Set in the early 1980’s the FMC Mina, a newly graduated psychologist follows a journalist, Sam to a remote English village to try and determine what exactly is happening to a young girl that is believed to be possessed or cursed by an ancient witch. Mina and Sam both are silently dealing with their own personal loss and being in the village starts to stir up feeling of grief that may alter their purpose there. But for Mina when she sees and feels unexplainable things, she is more determined to find the truth. I enjoyed this fast paced gothic story with twists and chilling scenes that made it so I didn’t want to read it late in the evening🫣
There are many characters woven in that made them suspect. Some are frustrating others manipulative or just creepy. And so as the reader you’re turning pages trying to determine what’s real. This is my first introduction to Daisy Pearce and I look forward to reading more from her.

Thank you to Daisy Pearce and NetGalley for opportunity to read and review this arc.

I could not put this book down. It felt so eerie. The town this story takes place in felt like some spooky wormhole alternate reality where our MC Mina may be one of the only sane people around.

This book reminded me of how i felt when I watched Wicker Man back in 2006— but better. I also was… 14 back in 2006, so take that with a grain of salt. It just felt weird, and culty, and scary. I’ve seen some others compare it to Midsommer, but I have to admit I never saw that one.

This book did leave me with some questions, but I was so entertained, and it was more resoution than In the Woods which I had finished right before, I was unbothered

Many thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this creepy tale by Daisy Pearce, wonderfully narrated by Ana Clements. All opinions expressed in this review are my own – 4 stars!

Mina is a newly-certified child psychology with little experience and unable to find her path. She meets journalist Sam Hunter at a grief support group, and he approaches her with a proposition. Alice is a 13-year-old who supposedly is being haunted by a witch in the remote village of Banathel. Alice feels this is an opportunity to gain experience and improve Alice’s life. But Alice’s behavior becomes more disturbing, and the townspeople feel that she is evil and they aren’t shy about expressing it.

This was such a creepy, atmospheric story and I thought the writing was hauntingly beautiful. The narration of the book just added an additional layer. Mina is dealing with past trauma and has some ulterior motives in connecting with Alice, as does Sam. This is a dark and twisty tale that will have you guessing just where the evil lies.

This is how I like my horror - spooky AF but will a strong message about society. Alice’s skepticism worked so well with the townspeople who believed strongly in witches. The setting and its oppressive heat really added to the tension as you can understand how the weather adds to the craziness. I do not recommend reading this late at night when you are alone in the house as I did. Every noise had me spooked!

Mina is a new child psychologist hoping to get her feet wet. She meets Sam, a journalist, at a grief meeting one day. He asks her to join him on a case involving a 13 year old girl, Alice, who is supposedly being haunted by a witch. Alice and her family live in the remote town of Banathel where they some interesting beliefs and history involving witchcraft and superstition.

The story started out intriguing and the plot sounded interesting. I love a good witch story. The town was atmospheric and there was some tension in the scenes about the witch and definitely in Alice’s house. But then it just lost the plot and turned into something else. The ending was not great and it didn’t answer the question of WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH ALICE?!

Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher for an arc for review.

Scary, dark, ominous. I'm always drawn to books centered around those in Psychiatry. I do believe that a lot of readers will love this one. "Its not the dead we should be the afraid of, its the living" thank you netgalley and the publishers for the arc

Review of "Something in the Walls" by Daisy Pearce - ★★☆☆☆

Daisy Pearce's "Something in the Walls" offers an intriguing premise that piques curiosity from the start. The atmospheric setting and the underlying sense of suspense create an engaging backdrop for a story that promises much. However, as I delved deeper, I found that it ultimately fell short of its potential.

The characters motivations were sometimes unclear, and I struggled to connect with them on an emotional level. The pacing also seemed uneven; certain sections dragged on while others rushed through key developments, making it hard to fully immerse myself in the narrative.

While "Something in the Walls" showcases Pearce's potential as a storyteller, it ultimately left me wanting more. There are glimpses of creativity and promise, but the execution lacked the polish needed to elevate it beyond a mediocre read. Fans of the genre might find some enjoyment, but I would recommend approaching it with tempered expectations.

This is my first book by Daisy Pearce. What intrigued me about this book the most was the cover. I love the delicate design of the old fashioned ripped wallpaper with wall underneath. I didn’t even see the clever eye until I got a close up! Brilliant Cover and yes I judge a book by its cover. The writing was well done, characters were complex and thorough. The chapters were a little long but it was a fast paced read with lots of things happening.

Mina is just starting out her career as a child psychologist, she is happy and about to be engaged. Soon the opportunity of a lifetime arises. Sam a person she has met in a grief group is a journalist working on the case of Alice Webber. Alice lives in a remote town built on superstition and believes a witch is haunting her. Mina will get experience, help Alice and earn some money. But it seems as though she gets more than she signed up for when super weird things start happening. The whole town has hagstones outside their door and her home draws a crowd of people hoping Alice will heal them.

This book peaked my attention shortly after starting it and pretty much kept it throughout the whole story. I loved the characters and kept rooting for them, while also being very suspicious of each and every one of them. Both Sam and Mina have back stories that lead them to where they are, their desperation for their loved ones is evident. What amazes me the most is cult like crowd mentality. This was a great read for me, despite being a little out of my comfort zone.

The pieces of the story that centered on the supposed possession of Alice had me hoping for something in the same vein as Grady Hendrix’s My Best Friend’s Exorcism, while fully understanding it would be lacking the more fun, campy elements…but then the story veered away from Alice’s affliction to focus on another suspicious character in the community—the neighbor—who was definitely weird and creepy in his own way, but it was missing the shock factor by the time his plot line was revealed. By the end, I didn’t feel like anything had been that thrilling, and we were left with absolutely no resolution to the main plot of the possessed teenager.

Wow, talk about a creepy book!
I actually had to stop reading this one at night because it was freaking me out.
13 year old Alice is claiming that she is being haunted by a witch. Mina, a young physiologist, and Sam, a journalist, move in with the family to try to get to the bottom of what is happening to Alice.
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👀spooky witchy vibes
👀unexpected twist
👀modern day witch hunt
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I thought this books started out very strong. I was genuinely invested in Alice and what was happening in her home. It was creepy and suspenseful.
I’m just very confused about how the book wrapped up. I definitely didn’t get a satisfying ending. I have lots of questions. 🤔
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Thank you to netgalley and Minotaur books for the opportunity to read this book.
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I will note: the cover is PERFECTION

My format- ebook
Other formats- Audio🎧 (8 hours and 16 minutes) and 📖Physical (304 pages)
Spice: 🚫
Language: 🤐🤐moderate
Publication date: February 25, 2025

MY THOUGHTS-
This is not my typical genre but it had me on the edge of my seat. It was dark and creepy, and I could absolutely not read this one right before bed. If you are looking for a book to make you freak out at every sound in the night this is it!

-Witchy vibes
-Small Towns
-Folklore
-Creepy/chilling books that will stick with you long after you put the book down

Thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the ARC!