Wow this book was a wild ride! The story gripped me from the very first page & was a very quick read I enjoyed immensely!!!

The plot felt eerily familiar, and I thought I knew where the story was going, but I was actually pleasantly caught off guard. The author does a good job with setting the scene and the appropriate amount of fear/anxiety as well as curiosity. Overall, it was a good, quick, decent read.

Beneath These Walls by Shade Owens is a chilling and suspenseful thriller that takes readers on an emotional and terrifying journey of survival, family, and uncovering dark secrets. The story follows a woman and her two sons as they attempt to start fresh after escaping an abusive marriage. Moving into an old Victorian house passed down to her by her late uncle, they hope for peace and safety, far from the reach of her violent ex-husband. However, the house’s eerie reputation and unsettling history soon make it clear that their new life will be far from peaceful.

The author does an excellent job of creating an atmosphere of dread and tension from the very first page. The house, which should be a symbol of refuge, becomes a character in itself—creaky, mysterious, and seemingly alive with dark energy. As strange and terrifying events begin to unfold, the protagonist is faced with the dual challenge of uncovering the truth about her uncle's past while protecting her children from an unseen threat that grows more real with each passing day.

The protagonist’s inner strength and resilience are evident as she fights to shield her sons from the horrors around them. Owens captures the fierce determination of a mother who will stop at nothing to keep her children safe, even if it means confronting terrifying forces—both human and supernatural. The blend of psychological suspense and paranormal elements keeps the reader on edge, and the twists and turns ensure that nothing is ever quite what it seems.

The novel expertly explores themes of trauma, survival, and the lengths to which a mother will go for her children. Owens crafts a gripping narrative that explores not only the horror of their situation but also the emotional scars carried by the characters. The fear is not only of the supernatural but of the very real threat that still looms over them—the ex-husband who once tried to kill her, and the dark secrets of the past that could come to light at any moment.

Fans of atmospheric thrillers and psychological suspense will be captivated by Beneath These Walls. With its unsettling tension, complex characters, and relentless pace, this book is an engrossing read that will keep you turning the pages until the very end. Shade Owens has delivered a haunting, emotional story that will stay with readers long after they finish it.

One of the few Netgalley reads I have had to DNF unfortunately. It takes alot for me to DNF a book and I really hate to because I'd like to love every book I read especially if I've signed up to review it but unfortunately to love every book you read and love every authors writing style isn't possible. I don't know what it was but I just couldn't get myself very far into the book, I loved the blurb but trying to get through much just wasn't seeming doable for me. Maybe I'll come back to it later on or listen to the audio book though.

This was a thrilling and suspenseful read. The MC and her sons are forced to flee from their home by domestic abuse from husband/father. They end up living in a house inherited from her uncle. Wow! This was very difficult to read at time but well worth getting through the tough sections. The story was paced wonderfully and the characters were well drawn. Highly recommend

A family on the run from an abusive husband and father. They inherit a house from her uncle and think she will be safe in this quiet little town where no-one knows them and surely he cannot find them. As she adjusts to this new life and her sons try to settle in, strange things happen and she realises this old house is not as sweet as it seems and holds some very dark secrets. The police are called and things escalate and if makes you question, as a mother, how far would you go to protect your children? A good read, very enjoyable.

This is comparable to thrillers by Freida McFadden, Riley Sager and Lisa Jewell in my opinion.

The story is Shade Owens' first psychological thriller, but after this one, it won't be the last.

Alice is on the run from her abusive ex husband. She has even had to change her name as a precaution. Now she and her two sons are living in a big Victorian house that she inherited from her uncle, an uncle she thought had already passed away long ago. The house is eerie and has a bad reputation and as soon as they move in, weird things begin to happen. Does this have anything to do with her abusive ex or is there something more sinister going on?

I loved the setting for this story, I always enjoy a creepy house with strange things happening inside. But the book is also about domestic violence, and the author did a great job portraying that part of the story. Some parts of that were difficult to read but that's because it was very believable.

I connected very well with the MC and was rooting for her and her family. There were plenty of mysterious characters and lot of suspense which I always enjoy when reading a thriller.

The ending was good and a had a little twist but I was a tad bit disappointed that it wasn't bigger. The book was set up so well for a really shocking ending but the bang I was looking for wasn't really there.

But overall the book was really good and enjoyed it very much.

This book was so INTENSE!! Some authors have a writing style that makes me feel creeped out reading their books in the dark, and this was one of those books. There were moments I found myself holding my breath.

There is domestic abuse in this story, but it was not the main focus point of the book. What we get instead is a masterfully crafted, suspense building plot. There was healing, mystery, suspense, and fear woven into this one. This one definitely had my anxiety on HIGH. The main character, Emma (formerly Alice), was tough as nails in her own right, and I loved her character. Owens did a great job developing Emma as a character, and I truly felt I knew her by the time this story was over. I was rooting for Emma the whole way through. I love a female main character that is courageous and determined.

The plot flows and develops beautifully. I found myself left saying "one more chapter" over and over again until I finished the book. There was a timeline from the past, that gave us a glimpse into life before her escape. This book is an ode to how far a mother will go to protect her children. I highly recommend this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Red Raven Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

DNF at about 40%

I hate not finishing books. I usually persevere, even when I’m not particularly enjoying a book, as it bothers me to leave a story unread. However, this book is an exception to my rule.

I can’t comment on the full story as I did not finish. I found it very hard to get into. I was bored and found myself rolling my eyes at the inner dialogue of the protagonist.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for providing a copy in exchange for my unbiased review. I wish I had like this book more.

It was interesting book! Find it refreshing ! It was not a typical thriller , at least not for me ! That is a new perspective on writing thrillers , once upon a time we all had such a moment in life - fearing even from ourselves !

I have really enjoyed this book. I felt the narrative was unique and the theme was good. I haven't read any books lately with this story line. I felt really connected to the book and I feel if at any point in your life you have experienced or witnessed domestic violence, it stays with you. I was able to relate to Grayson. It brings attention to domestic violence topic and at the same time shows how strong and unconditional mothers love is. Mother would do anything to protect her children. This book offered many twists and turns. It kept me guessing as the truth unfolded.
In this book we can see the trauma that Alice carries with her, she sees danger in everything, she questions everything. We see how abuse distance her from people around her and make her doubt anyone who comes her way even the ones with good intentions.
This book I about domestic abuse, it is about survival, it is about how mother would do anything to protect her children. It also shows how manipulative people can be and helps to better understand why it is so hard for victims to run away.
Great Read!

I’ve been back and forth on how I wanted to rate and review this book. Definitely a solid 3, maybe even an another half star…I enjoyed it…until the end.

The main character- Alice- is in the worst possible relationship and needs a way out. Even her two boys know how bad this situation is. James, the husband is narcissistic, overbearing and abusive. Alice must escape but her plans keep getting thwarted. She has no money, no where to go, and damn it if James is always a few steps ahead of her.
Finally she finds a way out: her creepy uncle that she thought was dead leaves her a very generous inheritance. Alice, now Emma is living life on the lam, always looking over her shoulder. But now she is living it in a big bad ass Victorian home with her expenses taken care or for the next year. But then shit starts happening. Weird shit. What are those noises?! Is the house haunted? Then they find the BODY. EEK.
Who the heck is it??? And why the hell do they continue to live there? I’d be GONE. Rumors are abound that the dead rich uncle was crazy and evil and did bad things…

There’s a hot cop, Wyatt, that helps out Emma, and they mutually crush on each other. But is HE responsible for the noises? Is he following her? Alice/Emma is highly suspicious of literally everyone because she is being subject to all the weird shit happening in and around her house.

Is she haunted or is she losing her mind? She is set to figure out what the HELL is going on

It was a read that did keep me riveted. Shade Owens kept the reader on their toes! I was suspicious of everyone, questioned every character. I felt the ending was rushed and could have gone so differently. I enjoyed the writing and would love to see the author write more adult thrillers!

I would love to read this book. Unfortunately it was on my shelf and then instantly archived so I never had the chance to download it. I am unable to give it a fair review but will support the author reguardless for offering it on Netgalley

Well written with compelling story line and perfect pacing. It was fast, atmospheric, tense and full of twists. It had me on the edge of my seat the entire time

I really enjoyed reading this book. The main character was a bit too quick to overthink and question her gut instinct. However in the end she was everything I wanted her to be. I never expected the twist at the end. I had many predictions that were proved wrong.

I giggled out loud at the end when "the bad guy speech" happened and Alice totally called the person out...My book club was just talking about why the need for the bad guy speech. This author did a great job!

Thank you to NetGalley, Shade Owens, and Red Raven Publishing / Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this ARC of Beneath These Walls. I received a free copy and this is my honest review.

Amazing book. Very fast paced, very enjoyable read while there is a tw for domestic abuse its still a great book. I would highly reccomend if you love fast paced, jaw dropping psychological thrillers

Thank you net galley and owens shade for sending me this book in exchange for a honest review . This book was incredible. It was like a movie playing in my head The use of rehtorical questions and sound effects made this story truly amazing making you want to know more. Overall this is my all time favourite thriller of 2024 and it dosent compare to any other thriller book i read i rate this 5 stars

This one was just a three star read for me. I was really enjoying it in the very beginning but towards the end of the book it became predictable boring and just felt like maybe the author was rushing or unsure how to end it. I was looking for a big twist or a crazy ending. This didn’t give me “psychological thriller” at all the genre would be more thriller there was nothing psychological about this. I really wanted to love this book but overall it was just underwhelming to me. I could definitely see some people may enjoy this but for me I was just expecting way more and I felt a little let down at the end of it. I wanted more twists and more thrill. The character was a little boring for me also. I hate to give this tough of a review but I wanted to make sure I was very honest. Thank you NetGally and Red Raven Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC.

Alice is on the run from her husband, James. After putting up with emotional and physical abuse, Alice finally decides to leave James after he almost kills her. Alice takes her two sons and flees to a beautiful Victorian house that was left to her by her estranged, wealthy uncle. However, the house also has an eerie history. It seems like Alice's uncle may have been a terrible man. Alice is trying to stay hidden. The last thing she needs is any attention. But strange events keep happening, putting Alice in the spotlight. She becomes increasingly worried that it is only a matter of time until James finds her....

This was my first Shade Owens novel, and wow, it did not disappoint! The writing is phenomenal. Owens does an excellent job handling the very difficult subject of domestic abuse. The struggles of female victims in abusive relationships is well constructed and brutally realistic.

Unlike many thrillers, the reader gets to experience character development and go on this ride with the protagonist. The novel is packed with suspense - I had no idea who could be trusted. Beneath These Walls is definitely a rollercoaster and perfect for any thriller fans. I am looking forward to Shade Owens writing more novels in this genre!

Thank you Red Raven Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.