Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce on February 25, 2025
Genres: Fiction / Horror, Fiction / Thrillers / Psychological, Fiction / Thrillers / Supernatural
Pages: 304
Format: ARC
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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.
Scary, dark, ominous, psychologically disturbing, rattling, and heart-pounding—these are the first words that come to mind after finishing this thrilling wild ride. This was probably one of the scariest books I have ever read. This book had moments that genuinely terrified me, like the scene with the unknown entity crawling out of the chimney, which made me the book and take a breath. The dark and chilling elements chilled me to the bone. While the pacing slowed a bit in the middle, the final quarter ramped up the suspense, delivering a thrilling conclusion.
I gave this one dour stars. I am a reader who like the what’s and why’s explained to me at the end, and that is not this book. However, that does not deter how good this book was, I was just left with a lot more questions that I cared to have.
Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books publishing for this advanced reader copy of the scariest book I have read yet 🙂