witch doctor

Mina is ready for the next stage of her life. She just finished her child psychology degree and is ready to put it to use. She is engaged to a scientist named Oscar and is planning their wedding. In fact, she is supposed to meeting with her caterer when she meets up with a journalist instead.

Mina met Sam in a grief group. She had started going to the group about the death of her brother years ago, and the stress of the wedding, or maybe the intense heat wave holding them all hostage, has brought up the memories again. Sam lost his daughter and wife, and he was looking to the group for some comfort. Sam has been talking to a family in a small town not too far away. Their teenage daughter has been experiencing some physical and mental difficulties, claiming that there is a witch living in their fireplace and looking at her from the spaces between the bricks.

Sam thought that Mina might be able to help the girl, Alice, and help him figure out what is going on in the house for a story he’s working on. The girl has had rashes and lost time, unexplained pains and lost sleep. She’s hearing voices, to the point where she listens to music through her headphones as much as she can. Sam is concerned about her. He’s not sure if she really is haunted, or if she’s delusional, or if there is something going on in the family that’s affecting her the most. But he has a hunch that Mina could help her. And Mina wants to put her degree to work helping this girl.

By the time Sam and Mina show up at the Webbers’ house, the heat wave is almost at its peak. The heat is everywhere. At first, Alice seems like a normal teenaged girl. Her father works at the local slaughterhouse, and she has two younger siblings, a brother and a sister. Her mother Lisa isn’t sure what’s going on either, but she desperately wants to help Alice.

Mina can feel something in the house, a presence, a mineral smell, a sweetness that reminds her of marzipan. But that doesn’t mean that she believes there is anything supernatural going on. She and Sam ask questions of family members, meet some neighbors, observe Alice. There are some people outside the house, wanting Alice to get answers for them about a missing son or unsolved crime. There are candles and photos, and hints that Alice may be a witch.

But when another teenaged girl ends up in the hospital, the town turns on Alice, blaming her for what happened. The people waiting outside with questions turn into an angry mob demanding answers. Mina digs into the history of the town, which was known for hunting and testing witches. But Mina has to figure out if Alice is a victim of the town’s mythology or being possessed by a the spirit of a witch that this town is unusually prepared to cast out.

Something in the Walls is a creepy thriller that is both inventive and a callback to witch hunt books of the past. There are layers of secrets through the town, and the race to figure out the answers adds suspense and intrigue to the ghost story. This book is smart, with questions that make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up but offer a satisfying ending.

I am not a big horror fan, but there was something about this book that drew me in. And it was worth it. The story is excellent, and the characters are very strong. The witch mythology of the town is fascinating, and brings a depth to this story, from the witch’s bottle to the hag stones to the stories of old witch hunts. This book is a lot of fun for fans of creepy witch stories, any time of the year.

Egalleys for Something in the Walls were provided by Minotaur Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.