Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce hits shelves February 25th and is the perfect dark, creepy, witchy read to keep you warm with fright this winter.

A chance encounter at a bereavement group sends a journalist and a recent graduate child psychologist to a small town in England to investigate the possible haunting of a teenage girl. Set in 1989 during a heat wave, this tense and creepy story will give you all the folk horror vibes you need for this winter season.

“That’s how Horace, the man who led the group, referred to grief. Sometimes small and quiet and shallow, sometimes a tsunami, cold and frightening. But inevitable, just like the ride.”

This book was absolutely fantastic. We follow Mina, recent grad looking to get her foot in the door as a child psychologist. She’s still recovering from the tragic death of her brother at a young age. She’s recently engaged to a very serious researcher who absolutely looks down on her. There’s so much potential for her but there’s also so much holding her back. Right away, we see her find a photograph taken on a recent vacation that she believes shows the ghost of her brother, Eddie. Her fiancé Oscar isn’t having it and recommends she go back to the bereavement group she had joined previously.

At this bereavement group meeting she encounters Sam, a recently divorced journalist who is reeling from the death of his very young daughter. Soon after, Sam reaches out to Mina with a possible job. He’s been contacted by a man named Paul, who’s daughter is actively being haunted by the ghost of a witch. Sam asks Mina to join him to investigate the family, and have her spend some time with the daughter, Alice, and see if she can diagnose her. Or…determine if she’s really being haunted. Both Mina and Sam are emotionally invested in believing in the after life and have their own deeply personal reasons for doing so.

They arrive to Alice’s home which is in a very small, old English town and the investigation begins.

“If there’s anything out there, I’ll come back and tell you, Meens.”

I loved the atmosphere that Pearce has created here. It’s very folk horror, very British, and the heat wave genuinely feels suffocating as the story goes on. There’s some really creepy moments. Without giving too much away, Alice believes the witch lives in the fireplace in her bedroom and the imagery that’s created with this element is absolutely terrifying.

It reminded me a lot of the Enfield Poltergeist, and that actually does get referenced at one point. This family too is struggling with finances, a low income family with three children struggling to make ends meet. And like the Enfield Poltergeist, it comes into question whether they are doing this for money or not. I think Pearce handles that old school British class struggle angle well.

And much like Britain back in the ‘80s, this story explores the “old way” vs the “new way” of things. We hear a lot of speak from certain members of the town on the traditions that should be valued, how women are expected to act, the ‘good old days’ etc.

Mina is also exploring her independence and freedom throughout the story. Again, without spoiling too much, there were a few moments where she comes to some crucial realizations that are really lovely to experience. I was cheering her on. All of the characters in this story are really fleshed out and stand on their own. I loved Alice and Mina, and I definitely have a crush on Sam.

Obviously, there’s the overarching theme of grief throughout the story. What does grief mean for each person, how do we move on, how do our actions and regrets shape our future, is there an afterlife…

“It’s just me in there, Mina. I’d swear it on my life. But when I played it back it’s as if something came right up and whispered into the microphone.”

Overall, Something in the Walls is just an absolute stand out read and I highly recommend pre-ordering this before it comes out on February 25th. It’s creepy, emotional, complex, and incredibly atmospheric.

A big thank you to Minotaur Books for sending me an ARC in exchange for a review.