Introduction
Published in February 2026 by Daisy Pearce, Something in the Walls is a horror that will have you hiding under your sheets. It’s the perfect modern day ghost story to read while cozying up on your couch this autumn!
A Summary
Mina has a secret. She carries it around everyday as it eats her alive. So when she gets the chance to see what truly lies on the other side, she must take it, even if her partner disagrees, and even if it may destroy her in the process. Her degree in child psychology has not had any time to collect dust, but she must trust the knowledge she has accumulated while she tries to help Alice ー a teenage girl who is convinced she has the devil inside of her. And she must do all of this while tackling a horrid heatwave within the UK that threatens to take her life before she has the chance to achieve what she really wants.
Writing Style
The writing style is very descriptive and has plenty of internal monologues. It has a singular POV and fairly short chapters.
My Thoughts
This was my first book by Daisy Pearce and I will be purchasing more after this reading experience. I got this book in a subscription book box and I knew I had to save it for a time closer to autumn, so as the heatwaves began to pass, I picked it up. I didn’t know what to expect, but I am incredibly glad I read it.
Firstly, I really loved the cover and I am so happy to see a different type of cover for psychological thrillers! I’m bored of the ugly covers honestly so this was great.
Secondly, I think it is really easy for novels of the thriller genre to go wrong when discussing anything paranormal. Too many times do authors create a character who is supposed to be skeptical and then suddenly swaps to a full believer within 50 pages. This book does a great job with the characters to make sure that doesn’t happen. They each have such unique identities and yet are all linked through their traumas, and this culminates to an amazing dynamic when dealing with the paranormal aspects of the plot. One character remains skeptical, one character slowly falls into the rabbit hole of belief simply because that is what they need to cope. The nuances felt so real and I truly loved it.
By far my favorite part of the book was the use of the weather to set the scene. It was set during the middle of a humid heatwave within the UK, and that felt really unique compared to the usual wintery feel of thrillers. Throughout the book, the heat adds to the plot rather than just being a tool to make you on edge, and as a resident of the UK, I felt like I was back in the heatwaves I had been subjected to this summer.
Unfortunately, the reason this isn’t rated higher is because it fell into the easy trap that so many other novels of a similar type do. It rushed the ending. The last 30-50 pages felt too fast-paced for comfort, missed out important details and left me feeling a lot more confused than satisfied.
Trigger Warnings
Please note this is a non-comprehensive list and there may be triggers in this book not explicitly stated here.
- Sexual Assault (off-page)
- Child Abuse (off-page)
- Death of a child (off-page) x2
- Torture
- Adultery
Recommendation
I absolutely recommend this book. It’s a good autumnal read that will have you scared to look at your wall.
