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.

Daisy Pearce delivers an enthralling and eerie tale in Something in the Walls, a gripping psychological thriller that keeps readers on edge from start to finish. The novel follows Alice, a girl who suddenly seems different—haunted, even—though no one in town can quite put their finger on why. Enter Mina, who feels an inexplicable pull toward Alice and a deep-seated need to help her. But as Mina steps into Alice’s world, the story takes a chilling and unexpected turn.

Pearce masterfully crafts an atmosphere of suspense, building tension in a way that makes the novel nearly impossible to put down. The pacing is relentless, with each chapter heightening the intrigue and deepening the mystery. Just when the reader thinks they have a grasp on the story, Pearce throws in a shocking twist that reshapes everything.

With its strong character development, immersive storytelling, and an ending that lingers long after the final page, Something in the Walls is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and ghostly mysteries. It’s an addicting and atmospheric read that cements Pearce as a master of the genre.

The overly descriptive nature of every other sentence was so tedious. I almost did not finish the book due to the wordiness and constant fanciful descriptions of every object, person, sight, smell, sound, feel. Characters did not seem as fleshed out as they could have been. And the ending was so unsatisfying- it felt like none of the conflicts or mysteries were fully revealed or resolved.

I was drawn to this book because of its dark, mysterious vibe and the way it tackled some really heavy emotions. I enjoyed the audiobook version, but I kept feeling like I needed more. The atmosphere was thick with suspense and sadness, which really pulled me in, but there were moments where I wanted the story to go deeper, to explore the characters' feelings and motivations more thoroughly. It felt like there was this untapped potential that just never fully came to life. The mystery was gripping, but I kept hoping for more twists or a bigger emotional payoff. I was left with a sense that the story had more to offer, but it held back just a little too much for my liking. Still, if you're into dark, melancholic stories, this one definitely has its appeal.

Something in the Walls can be considered a psychological thriller but it also has some supernatural elements. The main character is Mina and she is a new psychologist so she is thrilled when she gets an opportunity to review the case of a 13 year old girl named Alice who is apparently displaying signs of being possessed.
The book had some haunting moments as Mina and Sam (who is the reporter that invited her on the case) do research on the case.
Mina finds herself questioning whether what is happening to Alice is psychological or if there is something more sinister going on.
Overall I enjoyed the book and the storyline. The narrator did a good job especially in some parts where Alice was talking.
Thank you MacMillan Audio. All opinions are my own.

I started out loving this book--captivating with its atmosphere, in that eerie sense of dread and suspense; it was almost gothic in its unsettling nature. I burned through it only to be let down by the last quarter of the book, and ending. Such a promising start, with such a dissatisfying ending--the premise was there to take the reader to a different twist, one that hadn't been done this well in a long time, only to end up with a feel of "Really? This again? Meh." I sadly don't recommend this one for that reason, but if a reader is going to take a chance on it the audiobook is definitely the way to go. Solid narration, with a voice that befits the vibe of the story quite well.

My thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to preview this title in exchange for my honest (sorry!) opinion.

This was an interesting take on a psychological horror-thriller. The beginning felt very promising, setting the stage for an atmospheric read and I was hoping to feel that way for the entirety of the book but unfortunately, I feel that this fell flat in regards to promise of what was actually transpiring, a reason behind the horror and eeriness happening throughout the novel, but it was as if we left with more unanswered questions than we started with.

May not be for everyone but it did keep me in engaged up until the end. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I have been excited about 𝑺𝑶𝑴𝑬𝑻𝑯𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑰𝑵 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑾𝑨𝑳𝑳𝑺 𝒃𝒚 𝑫𝒂𝒊𝒔𝒚 𝑷𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒆 ever since I received this from @macmillan.audio via @netgalley, and whoa! This February 25th release is a perfect kind of super creepy, haunted story that these insistently cold days are asking for!

Mina is a freshly licensed child psychologist who has taken her first case with the urging of a journalist friend. The two are curious about 13-year-old Alice due to the odd nature of the girl and the strange insistence of several townsfolk who clearly believe in witchcraft, but they also have an ulterior motive to seek her out. What they find will test their resolve and put Mina in a fight against more than imagined demons.

I did not know where this story was going to go, and I cannot say much, but this is the kind of spooky tale I really like. I appreciate characters who are extremely skeptical and look for the rational, all while still pondering the "what-if".

The "herd mentality" discussed in this story (not a spoiler but a possible rationale based on history) was a frightening reminder in this current culture and I could not help but make the connection. I also couldn't help but think of Monty Python's Quest for the Holy Grail scene..."She's a Witch!" A completely different vibe, but similar basis!

I digress...

Ana Clements narrates this taut tale and does a fantastic job with the changes of Mina and her confidence to confusion, fear to loathing, and all things in-between. It made for a great listening experience! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25

I’m not a huge horror or paranormal fan so I was a little nervous about this book. Thankfully, it was not very gory. It was more lore and witch stories/scenes than paranormal hauntings and ghosts.

With all that being said, I really enjoyed this book. The stories and lore intrigued me. The story left a lot to the imagination throughout, is it really paranormal or is someone trying to make you believe it is?

Very character driven. I fell in love with a few of them and equally hated others, which you were supposed to.

I highly recommend the audiobook. The main character has an incredible Irish lilt and the I think the creepy voices and scenes hit different via audio.

I really wanted to love this book—the premise had so much potential with its eerie village setting, folklore-inspired horror, and psychological tension. But unfortunately, it was just so slow. The pacing dragged, making it hard to stay engaged, and I found myself struggling to connect with Mina as a protagonist. The atmosphere was well done, and there were some genuinely creepy moments, but it took far too long for anything to really happen. If you enjoy slow-burn horror with a heavy focus on psychological elements, you might get more out of this, but it just wasn’t for me.

2.5 Stars
The hidden eyes on the cover of this book is the scariest thing about it tbh - this just started being about one thing and then it pivoted into something else and I just have so many questions and I'm really not sure if I liked this or not and I found this to be pretty predictable in the end. This was ultimately just okay but I found myself underwhelmed by it.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC!

Perfect book for lovers of thrillers and gothic fiction. This book follows along Mina, who is a newly graduated child psychologist as she tries to unravel witchy and dark occurrences that are happening around Alice. It’s a modern day witch hunt with mob mentality and a thin line between what’s real and what’s fiction. If you like Diavola, The House Across The Lake, or Haunting of Hill House, this book is for you.

Something in the Walls is a unique witchy story about a newly certified child psychologist who is attempting to help a 13yr old girl who claims to be haunted by a witch.

For me, it was all about the suffocating atmosphere and the creepy vibes. Also, the audiobook narrator did a great job creating a deep sense of wft is actually happening here? I will say that the ending felt rushed? thrown together? muddled? I can’t explain it but it threw me way off because it really was going pretty damn good. Overall it’s a 3.5 rounded up to 4 ⭐️ It’s my first time reading Daisy Pierce but not my last:)

First I would like to thank Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the ARC of this novel.

I switched between reading and listening to this book. And I enjoyed both versions. The narrator was great and the audiobook was well done.

I was really looking forward to this book and the beginning really held my interest. I loved the folklore behind the book and I wish the book has stayed more on that theme. I felt the second half the book just started to feel like I different book.

I loved the relationship between Mina and Alice. It was sweet they way they connected with each other but the rest of the book felt very disjointed and just had so many unanswered questions. I also just felt like the entire second half I was yelling at the main character and wondering why she was making the decisions…it’s like watching a horror movie and wondering why the characters are going back into the house when we all know it’s a terrible ideas.

Overall, I rated the book 3/5 stars.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.
What a strange and original story!
Creepy and eerie. There were times I had to glance up to make sure I was still alone!
The narration was excellent!

It started out strong and had my attention and my intrigue. Then, in the middle it drug. The end seems like it was an entirely different story than what I had started.
I think the narrator did a great job and really brought emotion into the story.
Thank you #NetGalley for the honor of receiving this ARC

Mina almost has it all - she’s engaged to be married and has a promising new career as a child psychologist - but years later, she’s still changing the ghost of her 14y/o brother who died. When she goes to a meeting of others who are also grieving, she meets Sam who lost his young child. He also believes there’s more out there when it comes to lost loved ones and convinces Mina to join him on one of his most peculiar cases: a 13y/o girl Alice who claims she’s haunted by a witch. With a town history rooted in witchcraft and accusations, Mina may be in more trouble than ever while investigating Alice.
Ana Clements was great at narrating this story. Unfortunately many parts in the plot left me confused or lacking interest. Otherwise it was a great read!
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book had an intriguing description —a creepy house, an unsettling atmosphere, and a main character questioning her own sanity. However, while the book sets up some eerie moments, it never quite delivers on its potential. The pacing felt uneven, with long stretches where not much happened, and the twists were a bit predictable. The main character’s decisions sometimes felt frustratingly irrational, making it hard to stay fully engaged. It’s not a bad read if you’re looking for a quick, spooky story, but it doesn’t do much to stand out in the psychological thriller genre.

**Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ELC. All opinions are my own.**

I struggled a little bit with this one, if I'm honest. The pacing was off for me, and I found myself struggling to want to go back to it, even as an audiobook, which is usually a much quicker read for me. While there was nothing wrong with the narrator, I didn't love her for this particular tone of book. It didn't seem to match what was supposed to be a more tense affair. Personally, I felt like a lot of the plot wasn't clicking for me. I kept thinking "why aren't we doing independent research instead of just talking to the same three people over and over again?" It just didn't grab me the way I hope for in a thriller/horror scenario. I'd also seen the plot twist coming from a mile away and that also had me un-immersed for a long time.

What I did enjoy was the relationship building between Alice and Mina. That felt real and natural, the way I'd expect a child psychologist to interact with a child. I appreciated Fern and her entire character. I would have loved to spend more time in her world.

I say all of this to say that this book is absolutely for *someone.* There are good bones here, it's got a lot of the telltale signs of books that I would (and have) recommended to patrons at work ten times over. It's just not entirely for me, and that's okay.

This book did not end how I thought it would - in a good way. As the book was going, I would think I knew what was truly going on and then a turn would happen and then realized it was something else, which I really enjoyed. This was perfectly creepy and suspenseful and I would definitely recommend it. I also think the narrator for this was really good.