My Review of Something In The Walls by Daisy Pearce

Title: Something In The Walls

Author: Daisy Pearce

Publication: February 25,2025

Publisher: Minotaur Books/ St. Martin’s Press

Genre: Horror/ Thriller/ Mystery/ Fiction/ Mystery Thriller/ Witches/ Historical Fiction/ Paranormal

Pages: 304 pages

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Review:

Meet Mina: A Woman on the Edge of Something Dark

Mina, the book’s protagonist, is a freshly minted child psychologist who’s desperate to prove herself in a field dominated by experts. Instead of feeling empowered by her career choice, she’s stuck—adrift in a stifling heatwave in Britain, trapped in the bubble of her impending marriage to Oscar, a methodical and precise researcher who couldn’t be more different from her. The only solace Mina finds is in attending a local bereavement group, where she wrestles with the grief of losing her brother years ago. Her life is small. Safe. Predictable.

That is, until she meets Sam Hunter at the grief group. Sam, a journalist, offers Mina the opportunity of a lifetime—an investigation into a haunting.

Enter Alice Webber, a thirteen-year-old girl who claims to be haunted by a witch in the rural, remote village of Banathel. Alice’s disturbing symptoms have left her family desperate, and money is tight. The chance to help Alice could give Mina the experience she needs. It seems like a win-win. But Mina doesn’t know it yet—what’s about to unfold will not just challenge her professional skills; it will drag her into a nightmare where folklore, superstition, and the darkest parts of her past collide.

The Witch in the Walls

Alice’s condition doesn’t improve. Instead, it spirals out of control, pulling Mina deeper into Banathel’s twisted history of witchcraft and superstition. The village is a place where ancient traditions dictate life. People believe in evil—and they have their own disturbing methods of “dealing with” it. As Alice’s symptoms grow stranger and more intense, Mina begins to unravel a web of secrets that has held the town in its grip for generations.

But Banathel isn’t just a setting. The town feels like a character in itself—its oppressive, eerie atmosphere wraps around you like the heatwave that seems to suffocate Mina at every turn. The folklore, the chilling rituals, the belief in something far darker than Mina ever expected—each layer of mystery beckons you to read on, even when every instinct tells you to step back.

Folklore, Superstition, and a Haunting History

What makes Something in the Walls so terrifying is its grounding in folklore and superstition. Pearce doesn’t just rely on the typical horror tropes. Instead, she builds a world where the supernatural feels real, where witchcraft isn’t a distant myth but something alive and present. It’s a place where people believe deeply in what they can’t see, and those beliefs influence every action.

As Mina digs into Alice’s haunting, she finds herself not just uncovering the town’s sinister traditions, but also confronting her own past. The deeper she goes, the more she begins to wonder: Is there something in the walls of Banathel that even she is unprepared for? The town’s past isn’t just a relic—it’s active, alive, and waiting to claim its next victim.

A Slow-Burn Thriller That Gets Under Your Skin

The magic of Something in the Walls lies in its ability to make you feel both disturbed and fascinated at the same time. Pearce expertly creates a sense of mounting tension that builds from the first chapter and doesn’t let up until the very end. Every page is laced with dread, every twist is unexpected, and every step Mina takes into Banathel only leads her—and us—deeper into the darkness.

But what’s even more compelling than the supernatural elements is Mina herself. She’s vulnerable, relatable, and struggling to find her place in a world where grief, fear, and doubt constantly threaten to overwhelm her. As she tries to help Alice, she begins to question everything—the boundaries between good and evil, what’s real and what’s imagined, and how far she’s willing to go to uncover the truth.

The Unforgettable Final Act

By the time you reach the final act of Something in the Walls, you’ll be racing through the pages. Pearce doesn’t just deliver on the creeping terror she’s built; she delivers a conclusion that will leave you questioning everything you thought you knew. The mystery of Alice’s condition, the secrets of Banathel, and Mina’s own tortured past all come crashing together in a finale that is both chilling and deeply emotional.

Something in the Walls is a book that demands your attention, and once it has it, you won’t be able to let go. The uneasy, weird vibe that lingers through every chapter will keep you up at night, long after you’ve finished reading. If you’re someone who loves a good slow-burn thriller with a psychological twist and just enough supernatural creepiness to make you second-guess the shadows in your room, this is a book you must read.