What a great book! I was hooked and couldn't put it down. Read it over a weekend. Daisy does a great job writing the story and keeps you guessing till the bitter end. I am still wondering!! I love the plot and the characters and my heart just broke for Alice. Great book for a book club discussion.

I received this book from Net Galley for a review. It wasn’t quite what I expected, but it is still a spooky and enjoyable read. I like my horror to by a little more horrifying and Something in the Walls is more of a suspense thriller.

Mina, a newly graduated child psychologist, and Sam, a reporter, head to a small town in Cornwall to investigate a teenage girl who claims to be haunted by a witch. Remaining skeptical, the team speaks with the people of the town and the girl’s family. As they begin to uncover Alice’s secrets, Mina realizes the truth is more sinister than she can imagine.

As I said above, I enjoyed this book. There isn’t as much supernatural activity as I hoped, but it was still an enjoyable read that I devoured quickly while sitting in front of the fireplace. I did see the ending coming from the first quarter of the book, so I wasn’t surprised, but the way the events played out was insane in a good way. There are elements of The Wicker Man (the original, not the abomination with Nicholas Cage) and Midsommar. Learning about ancient pagan rituals will never cease to amaze me.

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I really like Pearce's writing style and found the story to be captivating. I did like the buildup of terror throughout the book - the folklore horror and the building hysteria gave me some serious creeps during this story and I was HERE for it. But I do have to agree with what others are saying; the first part of this books feels like an entirely different story than the end of this book and it was very disorienting.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I had really high hopes for this book. I think that was my mistake.

The first 30 percent and the last 70 percent felt like 2 completely different books. The fact that the summary said this was midsomer vibes I was intrigued. I didn’t feel the comparison.

I would give this a 2.5 for the creepy/witchy parts. But overall the story seemed disconnected and I wouldn’t recommend it

This book has a small town claustrophobic feeling about it. It follows the story of Mina who is an inexperienced child psychologist. She goes to a small village to investigate a case of possession of a thirteen year old girl. The town is filled with superstition and folklore. The theme of the book is suffocating and mass hysteria. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed the haunting of hill house. If you enjoy an atmospheric read as well.

The first 2/3 to 3/4 of this book were excellent, but by the end it really felt like a completely different story entirely. It seemed like maybe the author had two ideas for stories but wasn't sure how to fully flesh either one out, and so she smashed them both together in a way that didn't make much (or perhaps any) sense. I loved Pearce's writing, and I loved the story we started out with, but by the end I was wondering what the hell I was actually reading. Learning that Pearce is a fan of Stephen King makes sense, though, since he also has a habit of coming in out of left field with the most bizarre endings that don't always make sense. I might still be interested in reading something by Pearce in the future, though, because I loved her writing.

Something in the Walls is my first from Daisy Pearce and it was a real enjoyable read. For me, it had a bit of everything. A domestic thriller, supernatural horror, some harrowing scenes and it all came together very nicely. Daisy's writing style is descriptive and not overly so which gave way for a medium paced, atmospheric story. At some points, I had actual shivers.

Id love to hear this as an audiobook as with the right narrator, it would make a very atmospheric listen!

Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the eArc

4 stars

Perfect atmospheric setting and a page turner, it is both heartbreaking and terrifying. It sure kept me turning pages. It would have been 5 but got a bit disjointed around 60 percent, but still an excellent tale.
Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
4/5 star

This book has me on the edge of my seat since page one. This was such a good "witchy" book to read and I hope there is a sequel because I have more questions than answers 😂😂

It’s creepy, it’s witchy. It did everything it was supposed to do in a thriller. Excellent start leaving me captivated. I got a little lost/muddy in the middle and an unexpected ending makes this novel fantastic. Thank you!!

Something in the Walls is about an extremely creepy, contemporary witch hunt. Mina is an inexperienced psychologist, also engaged to a man she questions enough to avoid keeping wedding planning appointments. Mina attends a bereavement group to help her mourn the death of her brother several years earlier. There she meets Sam Hunter, journalist, mourning the loss of his young daughter. He encourages Mina to travel with him and take on the challenging case of Alice Webber, age 13, who claims she is being haunted by a witch. The thick, humid heat wave in this small village is as much a character in this story, as the atmosphere and events become darker and more foreboding. There is increasing hysteria and horror as time goes on, with an almost unexpected conclusion. This is a highly recommended book for fans of the supernatural and horror! With thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC. My opinions are my own.

Folklore horror is one of my very favorite genres and this book definitely lived up to my expectations. I think with most folklore books there is a bit of a slow introduction, so I never really mind that. Even when I was scared I could not put this one down!

This book is a very well written book and has very well developed characters but I struggled to like the characters and the story. Even though I didn’t like the characters and the story I think that many people will love this story.

very thrilling! did not see the plot twist coming at all. the book kept my attention all throughout. the plot was very interesting and the characters were likeable. no complaints! will read more from this author

I felt like this book had so much potential. The start of the book was great. I wanted to keep reading to know more of what’s going on. It’s got a great blend of witchiness and intrigue to keep going. I lost interest about 60% through. The book goes by so quickly, it feels like there isn’t enough character development. The ending is good but also felt abrupt to me. I would have liked to see Mina and Sam have a talk.

Would be a good book for Halloween.

Also, weird but the book could have been named better. I understand it but with all the witchy and paranormal that happens in the book. The name could be better as well.

Oh, Something in the Walls—a tale where every bit of childhood dread about monsters lurking in dark corners is validated by… a child psychologist and a journalist wandering through a town so superstitious it might as well be Salem 1692. Daisy Pearce’s horror novel introduces Mina, a freshly minted child psychologist who’s still figuring out what her job even is, and Sam, a journalist with a tragic past and an alarming interest in haunted children. Together, they head to Banathel, a village with a creepy name and even creepier people, to investigate Alice, a young girl who’s apparently being harassed by a witch in the walls. Yes, that’s right—a witch who lives in walls. If you can suspend your disbelief (or throw it out the window entirely), there’s plenty of unsettling spookiness to be found here.

Mina, clearly feeling lost in life and a little too excited for spooky career prospects, dives in headfirst, hoping this case will give her the breakthrough she needs—and maybe even a bit of closure for her own family tragedy. She’s also planning her wedding, so nothing like a little potential possession to set the mood. And then there’s Sam, the journalist who practically drags her along for his own motives, likely inspired by the loss of his daughter. There’s something heartwarming about the way these two team up to exploit—I mean, help—this haunted kid.

Pearce really works to craft an atmosphere thick with dread. Several reviewers have raved about how the setting feels like it’s soaked in unease, from the oppressive heat of a British summer to the oppressive gloom of a superstitious village. Banathel could probably use a heavy dose of therapy itself; it’s a place where everyone has a lot of opinions on witches but apparently no access to air conditioning or rational thinking.

Now, if you’re looking for strong character relationships, well, you might be left wanting. Mina and Sam aren’t exactly bursting with charisma. Mina’s relationship with her fiancé is so lukewarm it could probably be cut without anyone noticing, and Sam’s obsession with finding a supernatural connection to his daughter is bizarrely intense. The villagers are appropriately cryptic and unhelpful, and poor Alice is left to make it through her haunting with very little actual support. The whole situation is just the right mix of unsettling and slightly absurd.

The story starts off slow, a point that quite a few readers felt dragged down the suspense. For a horror book, the action doesn’t exactly leap off the page until later on, but once it does, expect a few solid scares. The ending, depending on your perspective, either “wraps things up nicely” or leaves you scratching your head and wondering if the witch in the walls will ever actually knock on the drywall.

For all its quirks and its occasional head-scratching moments, Something in the Walls manages to keep readers on edge with a blend of supernatural horror and small-town paranoia. It’s a book that might leave you wondering if the haunting was ever real—or if the villagers simply needed a collective therapy session. So if you’re into slightly pretentious scares, ominous villagers, and questionable life choices, this one’s for you.

Oo, creepy and witchy! I was drawn into this book within the first few chapters. Once the potentially possessed child was mentioned, I felt myself start to get nervous and a little scared. The writing is engaging and makes you want to keep reading - it also feels perfectly atmospheric and spooky. I did also like how grief was woven throughout. I do wish it was a little fast paced for the final 1/3, but overall, a fun read

The synopsis of this book grabbed my attention because it was marketed as a mix of folklore and horror and while both are genres I don't normally gravitate towards, I found myself enjoying this well enough.

Newly-minted child psychologist Mina is asked to help a young girl, Alice, who has recently been haunted by a witch. What Mina walks into is a broken home and entire village under the influence of something otherworldly. While I caught on quickly to the "who" in the book, I couldn't figure out the "way" or "how" which kept me reading late into the night.

I didn't find any of the characters all that likeable yet wanted this one to be resolved and for Mina and Alice to prove to themselves that they were capable and worthy. No one really supported either character, which lead me to champion for both.

"Something in the Walls" would make for a great creepy movie. It sort of gives Salem Witch meets "The Possession".

This book quickly drew me in, wondering what happened to Eddie, and why Mina was so interested in contacting the dead. I thought the author did a great job intertwining Eddie’s and Mina’s story with Alice’s as it progressed. I think more could’ve been added onto the ending as an epilogue from Alice’s point of view explaining if her “paranormal” experiences were genuine, or a product of her mind created by the stressors of her situation and the towns mass hysteria.

After recently finishing her degree in child psychology, Mina finds herself wandering aimlessly through her days. She hasn’t been able to break into her field yet, instead filling her time planning a wedding to her safe and secure fiancée and obsessing over her brother’s death (even though it’s been 6 years). Encouraged to go back to a grief support group, she encounters a journalist, Sam, who gives her a (albeit- strange) chance to get her feet into her field.

Sam is assigned to write an article on Alice, a young teenage girl living in the superstitious small town of Banathel, who is supposedly haunted by a witch. Mina believes that there must be a tangible reason for her disturbances, but can’t deny the opportunity to both work in her field and maybe get some closure on her brother’s death. But the more time she spends around Alice, her family, and the town, the stranger the occurrences seem until she starts to question everything she really knows.

Some minor spoilers ahead.

Full disclosure: I found the book slow to start. But once it picked up, I could not put it down. Something in the Walls caught my attention and would not let me go. It was thrilling and slightly terrifying and had me on the edge of my seat. The blend of witch lore and the way mass hysteria can affect a town is well demonstrated in this novel. I do wish I had more information on the witch by the end, but overall was entranced by the story as a whole.

Recommended if you like: thrillers, horror, witch stories