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These Walls Remember
When two estranged sisters inherit a home possessed by the horrors of its dark past, they must work together to survive in this viscerally chilling Southern gothic novel from the critically acclaimed author of This Cursed House.
Do not go into the attic, the note warned.
But that’s exactly what sisters Mickie and Delilah do when they inherit a distant relative’s house in Savannah, Georgia. They intend to sell the property, divide the proceeds, and go their separate ways once and for all.
But 724 Hartford Street has other plans.
As the sisters realize there is far more to this house and its history than meets the eye, past wounds begin to fester and spill into the present in eerie ways. Tensions also flare between the sisters and the sleepy little Savannah community, many members of which suspect more than they are willing to share about what has occurred inside at this address.
When Delilah’s behavior turns first strange and then alarming, it becomes apparent that selling the home is no longer an option. And Mickie must fight to save her sister from the house, which is holding on to its own dark past—or they will both succumb to that which hungers inside its walls.
These Walls Remember is Southern gothic literature at its finest, by an author whose evocative, penetrating writing and use of hauntings to unflinchingly depict historical trauma gets right under the skin and explores the many ways loss, grief, and remembrance manifest themselves in the home as well as in the people who live inside it.
Do not go into the attic, the note warned.
But that’s exactly what sisters Mickie and Delilah do when they inherit a distant relative’s house in Savannah, Georgia. They intend to sell the property, divide the proceeds, and go their separate ways once and for all.
But 724 Hartford Street has other plans.
As the sisters realize there is far more to this house and its history than meets the eye, past wounds begin to fester and spill into the present in eerie ways. Tensions also flare between the sisters and the sleepy little Savannah community, many members of which suspect more than they are willing to share about what has occurred inside at this address.
When Delilah’s behavior turns first strange and then alarming, it becomes apparent that selling the home is no longer an option. And Mickie must fight to save her sister from the house, which is holding on to its own dark past—or they will both succumb to that which hungers inside its walls.
These Walls Remember is Southern gothic literature at its finest, by an author whose evocative, penetrating writing and use of hauntings to unflinchingly depict historical trauma gets right under the skin and explores the many ways loss, grief, and remembrance manifest themselves in the home as well as in the people who live inside it.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 18, 2026
About the author
Del Sandeen
13 books217 followersDel Sandeen lives in northeast Florida, where she works as a copy editor and writes speculative fiction. Her work has appeared in FIYAH: Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction, Nightlight podcast, and Gay Magazine. This Cursed House is her debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
September 1, 2026
Trauma Manifests
In “These Walls Remember,” Del Sandeen proves that we don't just move into new homes—we bring our own ghosts with us. A haunting exploration of the Southern Gothic, Sandeen’s novel sidesteps tired slasher tropes to offer something far more unsettling: an intimate study of how grief and trauma can manifest as true terror. The horror here isn't merely about monsters under the bed; it is a heavy, lingering weight born of the past.
Although the setup – estranged sisters Mickie and Delilah inheriting a Savannah home—begins with a classic premise, Sandeen quickly elevates the material. What truly distinguishes the novel is its integration of the oppressed Black experience with the supernatural. The horror isn't arbitrary; it springs directly from the home's past and is set in motion by the inhumane racial treatment of its original owners. Sandeen forces the reader to confront how American history encompasses too many horror stories, showing that the most chilling specters are the ones created by dehumanization and systemic suffering.
I particularly appreciated the focus on the trio of strong African American females at the heart of the story. Seeing Mickie, Delilah, and Joy navigate their complex family dynamics while fighting for one another provided a grounded, emotional anchor that made the supernatural elements feel much more consequential.
While the character work is undeniably the book's greatest strength, the setting provides a more mixed experience, a missed opportunity. While there were a few "joking asides"—references to the idea that “you know there’s ghosts all over Savannah”—the location itself felt largely incidental to the plot. The atmosphere was certainly evocative, but the aura and local flavor of Savannah felt underutilized.
Ultimately, “These Walls Remember” challenges our expectations of a haunted house. We are conditioned to expect these structures to embody some singular, objective evil, but Sandeen posits a more psychological question: how much of the haunting is the house, and how much is the pain we bring inside with us? It is a creepy, atmospheric read that succeeds because it prioritizes the human cost of grief over cheap, gross-out scares.
Thank you to the Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. #TheseWallsRemember #NetGalley
In “These Walls Remember,” Del Sandeen proves that we don't just move into new homes—we bring our own ghosts with us. A haunting exploration of the Southern Gothic, Sandeen’s novel sidesteps tired slasher tropes to offer something far more unsettling: an intimate study of how grief and trauma can manifest as true terror. The horror here isn't merely about monsters under the bed; it is a heavy, lingering weight born of the past.
Although the setup – estranged sisters Mickie and Delilah inheriting a Savannah home—begins with a classic premise, Sandeen quickly elevates the material. What truly distinguishes the novel is its integration of the oppressed Black experience with the supernatural. The horror isn't arbitrary; it springs directly from the home's past and is set in motion by the inhumane racial treatment of its original owners. Sandeen forces the reader to confront how American history encompasses too many horror stories, showing that the most chilling specters are the ones created by dehumanization and systemic suffering.
I particularly appreciated the focus on the trio of strong African American females at the heart of the story. Seeing Mickie, Delilah, and Joy navigate their complex family dynamics while fighting for one another provided a grounded, emotional anchor that made the supernatural elements feel much more consequential.
While the character work is undeniably the book's greatest strength, the setting provides a more mixed experience, a missed opportunity. While there were a few "joking asides"—references to the idea that “you know there’s ghosts all over Savannah”—the location itself felt largely incidental to the plot. The atmosphere was certainly evocative, but the aura and local flavor of Savannah felt underutilized.
Ultimately, “These Walls Remember” challenges our expectations of a haunted house. We are conditioned to expect these structures to embody some singular, objective evil, but Sandeen posits a more psychological question: how much of the haunting is the house, and how much is the pain we bring inside with us? It is a creepy, atmospheric read that succeeds because it prioritizes the human cost of grief over cheap, gross-out scares.
Thank you to the Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. #TheseWallsRemember #NetGalley
May 20, 2026
Talk about a real summer horror! I just knew when I heard Del was coming out with another haunted house book, she was gonna take it to a whole different level 😮💨👏🏽
These Walls Remember stands out in so many ways to me. Firstly, I really enjoyed the emotional depth that this had. Connecting the house being haunted to grief and its lasting effects was brilliant. The constant themes of the grief being greedy and consuming everything when you keep it to yourself spoke volumes to me.
I also loved the dynamic between Mickie, Delilah, and Joy. I was genuinely scared for them for a second 😅but the way they kept fighting for each other even through their own fear and reluctance was so real. Their relationship grounded the story in such a beautiful way, and I loved watching them slowly come together to save both the house and Lewis. The ending really brought everything full circle for me.
And lastly, this had the PERFECT amount of scary tbh. I’m not even gonna hold you, I was definitely a lil spooked at times 🫣 but it never felt like horror just for shock value. Every creepy moment made me more curious about what was really happening inside that house and why. Del balanced the tension, mystery, and emotional moments so well that I was locked in the entire time.
These Walls Remember stands out in so many ways to me. Firstly, I really enjoyed the emotional depth that this had. Connecting the house being haunted to grief and its lasting effects was brilliant. The constant themes of the grief being greedy and consuming everything when you keep it to yourself spoke volumes to me.
I also loved the dynamic between Mickie, Delilah, and Joy. I was genuinely scared for them for a second 😅but the way they kept fighting for each other even through their own fear and reluctance was so real. Their relationship grounded the story in such a beautiful way, and I loved watching them slowly come together to save both the house and Lewis. The ending really brought everything full circle for me.
And lastly, this had the PERFECT amount of scary tbh. I’m not even gonna hold you, I was definitely a lil spooked at times 🫣 but it never felt like horror just for shock value. Every creepy moment made me more curious about what was really happening inside that house and why. Del balanced the tension, mystery, and emotional moments so well that I was locked in the entire time.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Me on This Book in Eight Ironic English Words:
Don't let the damn dog inside or anything...
Haunted house or haunted family?
That's the question These Familiar Walls kept asking me, and I loved that it refused to settle for an easy answer.
It's a sister story and a haunted house story, two of my favorite literary tropes. I came in with high expectations.
The author rewarded them by building an intricate mystery out of behavior instead of exposition. Every conversation, every strange interaction, every uneasy moment felt like story evidence.
Especially Wes.
(TW: animal neglect, animal cruelty.)
I watched that dog like a hawk because it was obvious he wasn't just a dog. He was evidence. I just didn't know of what yet.
The plot is messy, and I think that works here.
The ending surprised me, not because it tied everything together, but because it was willing to leave major conflicts unresolved.
It feels almost anti-plot, refusing the tidy resolution haunted house stories usually promise. Instead, it asks what it means to live alongside things that never fully resolve.
I loved that.
I also appreciated how honestly the novel portrays characters empathizing with people who are apparently or historically mentally ill. It felt authentic instead of sentimental.
If you enjoy gothic settings, haunted houses, complicated sisters, and stories where the evidence keeps collecting new meanings as you read, I'd absolutely recommend this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing for an accessible ARC. 📚
Content Notes:
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animal cruelty, animal neglect, estrangement, mental illness, sanatoriums, death in an institution, ableism, death of family, haunted house, ghosts, possession
Me on This Book in Eight Ironic English Words:
Don't let the damn dog inside or anything...
Haunted house or haunted family?
That's the question These Familiar Walls kept asking me, and I loved that it refused to settle for an easy answer.
It's a sister story and a haunted house story, two of my favorite literary tropes. I came in with high expectations.
The author rewarded them by building an intricate mystery out of behavior instead of exposition. Every conversation, every strange interaction, every uneasy moment felt like story evidence.
Especially Wes.
(TW: animal neglect, animal cruelty.)
I watched that dog like a hawk because it was obvious he wasn't just a dog. He was evidence. I just didn't know of what yet.
The plot is messy, and I think that works here.
The ending surprised me, not because it tied everything together, but because it was willing to leave major conflicts unresolved.
It feels almost anti-plot, refusing the tidy resolution haunted house stories usually promise. Instead, it asks what it means to live alongside things that never fully resolve.
I loved that.
I also appreciated how honestly the novel portrays characters empathizing with people who are apparently or historically mentally ill. It felt authentic instead of sentimental.
If you enjoy gothic settings, haunted houses, complicated sisters, and stories where the evidence keeps collecting new meanings as you read, I'd absolutely recommend this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing for an accessible ARC. 📚
Content Notes:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
animal cruelty, animal neglect, estrangement, mental illness, sanatoriums, death in an institution, ableism, death of family, haunted house, ghosts, possession
August 23, 2026
I absolutely had to read this book after loving Del Sandeen’s previous book, “This Cursed House.” And oh boy, “These Walls Remember” live up to expectations! It had that amazing Southern gothic feel that Sandeen has just perfected and combined with truly creepy horror!
Mickie and her estranged sister Delilah inherit a beautiful home in Savannah from an unknown relative at the perfect time: both are out of down on their luck and out of options. But the minute they step inside of the house, they realize something is wrong. The house has a heavy, dark feeling about it. And then Delilah begins acting strangely.
This novel is told mostly from Mickie and Delilah’s POVs, but there are flashbacks showing the history of the house interspersed throughout the book.
Obviously, I loved this one. It has just about everything that a good spooky book needs to make it great, from atmosphere to lore, ghosts and flawed characters. Plus the author knows how to throw some great twists and turns in there. Seriously, the greatness of this book is in the carefully thought out details and nuances.
I have to say that I liked “This Cursed House” slightly better, as this one could have used slightly more action in the middle, but I still LOVED this book. Del Sandeen is quickly becoming my favorite horror author.
I can’t say enough about this book except buy it; you won’t be disappointed!!
Mickie and her estranged sister Delilah inherit a beautiful home in Savannah from an unknown relative at the perfect time: both are out of down on their luck and out of options. But the minute they step inside of the house, they realize something is wrong. The house has a heavy, dark feeling about it. And then Delilah begins acting strangely.
This novel is told mostly from Mickie and Delilah’s POVs, but there are flashbacks showing the history of the house interspersed throughout the book.
Obviously, I loved this one. It has just about everything that a good spooky book needs to make it great, from atmosphere to lore, ghosts and flawed characters. Plus the author knows how to throw some great twists and turns in there. Seriously, the greatness of this book is in the carefully thought out details and nuances.
I have to say that I liked “This Cursed House” slightly better, as this one could have used slightly more action in the middle, but I still LOVED this book. Del Sandeen is quickly becoming my favorite horror author.
I can’t say enough about this book except buy it; you won’t be disappointed!!
June 1, 2026
It took me a bit to warm up to this book. The first 20% of the book felt like trope was stacked on trope which was stacked on trope. (Siblings who don’t get along inherit a spooky old house out of the blue from an elderly relative who they barely knew existed and argue about what to do about it. They were told to stay out of the attic so of course they aren’t going to do that -and more!). It was a little jarring and prevented me from settling in and becoming immersed. I took a break for a few hours and came back just before the book exploded into a vivid piece of gothic horror with loads of dread and things that go bump in the night. I was suddenly invested and read straight through to the end. No way was I doing anything else until I found out how this ended. The ending was an over-explanatory fizzle, but that middle was a page-turner.
This is a review of an uncorrected proof and represents my honest opinion of this ARC. Thanks to Del Sandeen, Berkley, and NetGalley for the opportunity to enjoy it.
This is a review of an uncorrected proof and represents my honest opinion of this ARC. Thanks to Del Sandeen, Berkley, and NetGalley for the opportunity to enjoy it.
May 2, 2026
Thank you to BerkleyPub for the copy!
Two estranged sisters come together to deal with an inherited home, planning to sell it and move on. But once they arrive, things feel off. The house holds a history that doesn’t want to be forgotten and as time passes, it starts to really affect them. When one sister starts to really change, it’s clear that something very dark is happening in this house.
This one had such a strong creepy atmosphere. The relationship of the sisters really added an emotional depth to the story. The dual timelines also really added to that creeping dread of what happened in that house.
Read if you like…
👻Haunted House
🖤Southern Gothic Atmosphere
💔Family Drama
😱Unsettling and Creepy
Two estranged sisters come together to deal with an inherited home, planning to sell it and move on. But once they arrive, things feel off. The house holds a history that doesn’t want to be forgotten and as time passes, it starts to really affect them. When one sister starts to really change, it’s clear that something very dark is happening in this house.
This one had such a strong creepy atmosphere. The relationship of the sisters really added an emotional depth to the story. The dual timelines also really added to that creeping dread of what happened in that house.
Read if you like…
👻Haunted House
🖤Southern Gothic Atmosphere
💔Family Drama
😱Unsettling and Creepy
August 24, 2026
If you love Southern Gothic Horror, then Del Sandeen should definitely be on your radar. This is the second book I've read of hers, and the blend of haunted house horror, grief, trauma, and depiction of historical racism is superb, Her characters are interesting and full of feminine badassery. For horror lightweights, this is a great book to give spooky chills without the gore that makes horror a difficult genre for some readers. Highly recommend adding this to your spooky reading list!
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
August 31, 2026
I loved all of the characters and the idea behind the story but I never felt drawn in enough to it. I think this was a •me• issue simply because I recently read a book with a very similar plot that and this one felt too much alike but not as engaging.
August 23, 2026
it was good i guess but for some reason it made me feel nothing? on paper it would be everything i love but i finished it feeling completely un-impacted by the story and the characters
September 1, 2026
a little underwhelmed but this was a quick read !!
August 20, 2026
Are you on the lookout for a chilling haunted house read for Halloween? Well, your search ends here! This story has it all: a creepy house, inexplicable occurrences, themes of grief and sadness, and a dog that emerges unscathed!
It all begins with the gripping line: “The house eats.” Whether that piques your interest or not is up to you, but I found myself totally captivated! The narrative follows two estranged sisters, Mickie and Delilah, who inherit an old house in Savannah, Georgia. Their plan? To sell the house and split the profits or maybe even turn it into an Airbnb. However, the house comes with a warning about the attic, advising them not to go up there. The sisters carry a lot of resentment and sadness towards one another, which tends to surface at the most inconvenient moments, setting the stage for deeper exploration of their issues.
To understand the house's history, we get glimpses into the lives of Lewis and Mae Bell, who originally built it back in 1910. The home bears Lewis's sorrow, grief, and trauma; it feels heavy and, as it turns out, quite hungry. The house is also shrouded in the mystery of vague disappearances, and their late aunt rarely left home or entertained guests. As events begin to unfold, it becomes clear that Mickie won't be able to sell the house due to Delilah's strange behavior. Interestingly, a dog appears, but don't worry, he’s safe!
The vivid descriptions of the surroundings and strange occurrences made the eeriness crawl under my skin. At one point, I found myself holding my breath, unsure of what would happen next and how it all would tie together. You will join Mickie on her mission to free her sister from the clutches of malevolence while unearthing the haunted house's past. There’s always a sacrifice or a 'silent hero' in the mix, but you’ll have to read it to find out for yourself. Make sure to add this to your Halloween TBR!
The author did an excellent job keeping me on edge. I felt creeped out, claustrophobic, and haunted by the house and its eerie happenings. And of course, the characters ignore the warning and head into the attic! Why do people always rush toward danger in scary movies? If you appreciate haunted houses and Southern Gothic horror that delve into themes like racial trauma, sisterhood, gentrification, and the injustices of the past, then this one is for you. It’s a fast-paced read that’s hard to put down. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to grab my nightlight and maybe sage my house after finishing this! Ha!
Thank you, Berkley and NetGalley, for the DRC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
It all begins with the gripping line: “The house eats.” Whether that piques your interest or not is up to you, but I found myself totally captivated! The narrative follows two estranged sisters, Mickie and Delilah, who inherit an old house in Savannah, Georgia. Their plan? To sell the house and split the profits or maybe even turn it into an Airbnb. However, the house comes with a warning about the attic, advising them not to go up there. The sisters carry a lot of resentment and sadness towards one another, which tends to surface at the most inconvenient moments, setting the stage for deeper exploration of their issues.
To understand the house's history, we get glimpses into the lives of Lewis and Mae Bell, who originally built it back in 1910. The home bears Lewis's sorrow, grief, and trauma; it feels heavy and, as it turns out, quite hungry. The house is also shrouded in the mystery of vague disappearances, and their late aunt rarely left home or entertained guests. As events begin to unfold, it becomes clear that Mickie won't be able to sell the house due to Delilah's strange behavior. Interestingly, a dog appears, but don't worry, he’s safe!
The vivid descriptions of the surroundings and strange occurrences made the eeriness crawl under my skin. At one point, I found myself holding my breath, unsure of what would happen next and how it all would tie together. You will join Mickie on her mission to free her sister from the clutches of malevolence while unearthing the haunted house's past. There’s always a sacrifice or a 'silent hero' in the mix, but you’ll have to read it to find out for yourself. Make sure to add this to your Halloween TBR!
The author did an excellent job keeping me on edge. I felt creeped out, claustrophobic, and haunted by the house and its eerie happenings. And of course, the characters ignore the warning and head into the attic! Why do people always rush toward danger in scary movies? If you appreciate haunted houses and Southern Gothic horror that delve into themes like racial trauma, sisterhood, gentrification, and the injustices of the past, then this one is for you. It’s a fast-paced read that’s hard to put down. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to grab my nightlight and maybe sage my house after finishing this! Ha!
Thank you, Berkley and NetGalley, for the DRC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 26, 2026
3.25 ⭐️
I don’t know what was more terrifying, the haunted house or the amount of times we had to listen to the idea of this house going on the market.
I don’t know what was more terrifying, the haunted house or the amount of times we had to listen to the idea of this house going on the market.
August 25, 2026
These Walls Remember by Dell Sandine, when Mickey shows up in Savannah for her aunt Millie‘s funeral she is surprise to learn she, being her aunt closest living survivor gets her home and then her sister Delilah shows up. Mickey and Delilah are like night and day sun and moon and that’s just the beginning of the reasons they don’t get along but they’ll have to live together because Delilah wants to sell it and Nikki doesn’t quite know what she wants to do with the house. There were lots of papers given to her about the home some seem like writings from a crazy rambling old lady but the one that tells them to stay out of the addict is the first one Delilah disregards when she gets to the house. things only become stranger this is when they get introduced to previous owners. I don’t want to say too much about this but I will say it has one of the best twist in a horror book and just so those who know we know it’s when Delilah goes missing right before joy shows up when Nick is doing research on the address. I think the book could’ve been better but it definitely held my attention with such an original plot point I really got reinvested in the book and I really love the way essentially Love wins the day. This truly was a pretty good book it could’ve been shorter and maybe sussed out a little better but ultimately if you love a horror story you’ll probably like this book I know I did because I’m finding myself not wanting to say anything bad but also at the same time wanting to be honest. I do recommend it but definitely read it when you’re in the mood for a good horror story with a great plot twist. #NetGalley, #TheBlindReviewer,#MyHonestReview,
August 14, 2026
These Walls Remember felt like an ode to the horror stories that gave me just enough creepiness to send shivers down my spine.
Two estranged sisters inherit a house from a long-forgotten aunt. Staying in the house, they realize something bad happened to the barren home, and now it's haunting them. As the two sisters bicker, they're forced to reconcile their differences in order to save themselves.
Sandeen explores family dynamics so well on the page. The bitterness between the sisters felt tense and real, mirrored by the resentment in the mother-daughter relationship, and both are juxtaposed against the family who once lived in the house, happy until their story turned tragic.
The eerie atmosphere greeted me right away. I knew the house was haunted even at the mere mention of it, and the build-up to the attic, once the sisters finally see it, was spine-chilling. This isn't horror for scares alone. Sandeen also digs into the house's history, which comes through in a few chapters along the way.
I paired this with the audiobook, and Adenrele Ojo's narration gave each sister her own distinct voice, nuanced to their personalities. Her performance of the ghost had me creeped out. This is an audiobook that does the book justice, not just in character rendering but in atmosphere too.
By the time I reached the ending, I was fully in Sandeen's grip. Instead of wrapping things up neatly, the ending sits with grief and the weight of the past. Not everything gets fixed, and I appreciated that honesty.
Readers who love a good ghost haunting story will find a lot to enjoy here.
Thank you Penguin Random House Audio, Berkley, and NetGalley, for my Advance Review Copies. All opinions are my own.
Two estranged sisters inherit a house from a long-forgotten aunt. Staying in the house, they realize something bad happened to the barren home, and now it's haunting them. As the two sisters bicker, they're forced to reconcile their differences in order to save themselves.
Sandeen explores family dynamics so well on the page. The bitterness between the sisters felt tense and real, mirrored by the resentment in the mother-daughter relationship, and both are juxtaposed against the family who once lived in the house, happy until their story turned tragic.
The eerie atmosphere greeted me right away. I knew the house was haunted even at the mere mention of it, and the build-up to the attic, once the sisters finally see it, was spine-chilling. This isn't horror for scares alone. Sandeen also digs into the house's history, which comes through in a few chapters along the way.
I paired this with the audiobook, and Adenrele Ojo's narration gave each sister her own distinct voice, nuanced to their personalities. Her performance of the ghost had me creeped out. This is an audiobook that does the book justice, not just in character rendering but in atmosphere too.
By the time I reached the ending, I was fully in Sandeen's grip. Instead of wrapping things up neatly, the ending sits with grief and the weight of the past. Not everything gets fixed, and I appreciated that honesty.
Readers who love a good ghost haunting story will find a lot to enjoy here.
Thank you Penguin Random House Audio, Berkley, and NetGalley, for my Advance Review Copies. All opinions are my own.
August 9, 2026
3.75 Stars
This Southern Gothic story set in Savannah and featuring two estranged sisters and a haunted house was a slow burn tale of grief, acceptance and bonds. I quite enjoyed the sentient house aspect, and the concept of grief becoming a living thing.
I also liked the side characters: the funny neighbors, Abrams the local healer, the dog Wes who is more than he seems, etc.
The plot itself is slow and meandering, because the house shows its true nature over time. There is a mystery element here too, as Mickie and Delilah have to uncover the past disappearances and the identity of the strong being haunting the place, so I enjoyed that a lot too. There were some creepy moments and a powerful, emotional resolution at the end.
I’m docking a star only because I would have liked a bit more characterization, some more backstory for the other haunted characters that appear, and a lot more creepiness/gore to truly make this feel like a haunted house story. I would say this is a true Southern Gothic tale with some creepy elements. I would have loved to have more visualizations about pain manifesting into other things rather than having to read it in passing. I would read another book by this author for sure though!
This Southern Gothic story set in Savannah and featuring two estranged sisters and a haunted house was a slow burn tale of grief, acceptance and bonds. I quite enjoyed the sentient house aspect, and the concept of grief becoming a living thing.
I also liked the side characters: the funny neighbors, Abrams the local healer, the dog Wes who is more than he seems, etc.
The plot itself is slow and meandering, because the house shows its true nature over time. There is a mystery element here too, as Mickie and Delilah have to uncover the past disappearances and the identity of the strong being haunting the place, so I enjoyed that a lot too. There were some creepy moments and a powerful, emotional resolution at the end.
I’m docking a star only because I would have liked a bit more characterization, some more backstory for the other haunted characters that appear, and a lot more creepiness/gore to truly make this feel like a haunted house story. I would say this is a true Southern Gothic tale with some creepy elements. I would have loved to have more visualizations about pain manifesting into other things rather than having to read it in passing. I would read another book by this author for sure though!
August 29, 2026
Grief is heavy. Grief is pain. Grief is loud.
Delilah and Mickie are sisters estranged, but when a lawyer tells them both they’ve equally inherited their Aunt Haddie’s house, whom they have never met, they are brought together by this house and all of their unshared resentment is bound to come out. In the midst of unearthing secrets, drawing upon hurt from years ago, and questing the worth of what’s left of their relationship, they discover that the house is a strange one - and is hungry for more.
“It’s not just a building. It’s a home full of memories and lives. If you could talk to it, it would have so many stories to tell you.”
Complex characters, tough conversations and generations of grief - this book took my hand and walked me right into that house. I was able to observe the scares and feel the goose-bumped flesh of tension in the thick air. Loved the imagery and the growth of the present family as well as the setting which reminded me of the oldest southern town with thick backwoods and rocking chairs on porches. Del Sandeen can write hauntings like they are the ghost in the room with you. Stunning sophomore novel!
Delilah and Mickie are sisters estranged, but when a lawyer tells them both they’ve equally inherited their Aunt Haddie’s house, whom they have never met, they are brought together by this house and all of their unshared resentment is bound to come out. In the midst of unearthing secrets, drawing upon hurt from years ago, and questing the worth of what’s left of their relationship, they discover that the house is a strange one - and is hungry for more.
“It’s not just a building. It’s a home full of memories and lives. If you could talk to it, it would have so many stories to tell you.”
Complex characters, tough conversations and generations of grief - this book took my hand and walked me right into that house. I was able to observe the scares and feel the goose-bumped flesh of tension in the thick air. Loved the imagery and the growth of the present family as well as the setting which reminded me of the oldest southern town with thick backwoods and rocking chairs on porches. Del Sandeen can write hauntings like they are the ghost in the room with you. Stunning sophomore novel!
August 13, 2026
Estranged sisters Mickie and Delilah reunite when they unexpectedly inherit a house from an estranged aunt they barely remember. They don't know much about their aunt or the home, other than that she tried to burn the house down and was admitted to a psychiatric hospital, where she eventually passed away. However, she did leave a note behind that said to stay out of the attic.
🕯️ The sisters plan to sell the home, but while cleaning, they discover that the attic is locked and that there are roots and herbs outside the door that look like some kind of protection charm. But that doesn't stop the sisters from breaking in, and once they do, all sorts of weird things begin to transpire.
🕯️〰️🕯️〰️🕯️〰️🕯️〰️🕯️〰️🕯️〰️🕯️〰️
A Southern Gothic novel that will give you goosebumps. It was the perfect balance of emotion, mystery, tension, and supernatural elements while keeping me spooked.
𝔽𝕠𝕣 𝕗𝕒𝕟𝕤 𝕠𝕗:
🕯️ 𝖦𝗈𝗍𝗁𝗂𝖼 𝗌𝖾𝗍𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗌
🕯️ 𝖧𝖺𝗎𝗇𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗌𝖾𝗌
🕯️ 𝖢𝗈𝗆𝗉𝗅𝗂𝖼𝖺𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝖿𝖺𝗆𝗂𝗅𝗒 𝗋𝖾𝗅𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗉𝗌
🕯️ 𝖧𝗂𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗂𝖼𝖺𝗅 𝖿𝗂𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇
🕯️ The sisters plan to sell the home, but while cleaning, they discover that the attic is locked and that there are roots and herbs outside the door that look like some kind of protection charm. But that doesn't stop the sisters from breaking in, and once they do, all sorts of weird things begin to transpire.
🕯️〰️🕯️〰️🕯️〰️🕯️〰️🕯️〰️🕯️〰️🕯️〰️
A Southern Gothic novel that will give you goosebumps. It was the perfect balance of emotion, mystery, tension, and supernatural elements while keeping me spooked.
𝔽𝕠𝕣 𝕗𝕒𝕟𝕤 𝕠𝕗:
🕯️ 𝖦𝗈𝗍𝗁𝗂𝖼 𝗌𝖾𝗍𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗌
🕯️ 𝖧𝖺𝗎𝗇𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗌𝖾𝗌
🕯️ 𝖢𝗈𝗆𝗉𝗅𝗂𝖼𝖺𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝖿𝖺𝗆𝗂𝗅𝗒 𝗋𝖾𝗅𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗉𝗌
🕯️ 𝖧𝗂𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗂𝖼𝖺𝗅 𝖿𝗂𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇
August 18, 2026
The house eats! 🏚
As soon as I heard Del Sandeen was coming out with another haunted house book I knew I would be sat and I was not wrong.
These Walls Remember is more then just a haunted house horror book. There are elements of family trauma and grief and found family issues also. It also touches on how grief will stay with you and how it can fester into something dangerous and deadly.
We have 2 sisters that find out that they have an aunt that recently passed away and they are her only living relatives. There's no money to inherit but there is a house in Savannah, GA that stands empty that Delilah and Mickie decide to fix up and possibly turn into an Air B&B.
Strange things start to happen and unexplained happenings plague the sisters, what have they gotten themselves into.
This book is for southern gotic lovers that also love horror with a haunted house element.
5 🌟's!
As soon as I heard Del Sandeen was coming out with another haunted house book I knew I would be sat and I was not wrong.
These Walls Remember is more then just a haunted house horror book. There are elements of family trauma and grief and found family issues also. It also touches on how grief will stay with you and how it can fester into something dangerous and deadly.
We have 2 sisters that find out that they have an aunt that recently passed away and they are her only living relatives. There's no money to inherit but there is a house in Savannah, GA that stands empty that Delilah and Mickie decide to fix up and possibly turn into an Air B&B.
Strange things start to happen and unexplained happenings plague the sisters, what have they gotten themselves into.
This book is for southern gotic lovers that also love horror with a haunted house element.
5 🌟's!
August 30, 2026
3 stars.
I really wanted to like this book. I started off enjoying this book. About a third of the way through it started getting rough. The story dragged on much longer than it needed to. Then after the long drag, the finish seemed rushed.
I finished it even though several times I wanted to just put it aside and move on.
I really wanted to like this book. I started off enjoying this book. About a third of the way through it started getting rough. The story dragged on much longer than it needed to. Then after the long drag, the finish seemed rushed.
I finished it even though several times I wanted to just put it aside and move on.
Read
July 6, 2026🏚️ These Walls Remember 🏚️
📖 Bookish Thoughts
My full review will be shared closer to the publication date.
✨ What to Expect
• Gothic Horror
• Haunted House
• Estranged Sisters
• Family Secrets
• Ghostly Visions
• Cursed Inheritance
_ _ __
📅 Pub Date: August 18, 2026
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group, and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
📖 Bookish Thoughts
My full review will be shared closer to the publication date.
✨ What to Expect
• Gothic Horror
• Haunted House
• Estranged Sisters
• Family Secrets
• Ghostly Visions
• Cursed Inheritance
_ _ __
📅 Pub Date: August 18, 2026
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group, and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
June 23, 2026
ARC review
Solid 3.5 stars. Mostly because of the pace at the beginning, the paranormal aspect and haunted house aspect would totally go 4.5.
I have to say I almost gave up on this one. It is very slow at the beginning. Maybe half way through you start to really see the “creepy” factor and German edge of your seat chills. I greatly enjoyed the middle. It was what I was hoping for. The mind games of paranormal sneakiness, the did I or didn’t I nature of wondering if those doors were open or if you really saw what you saw. All very creepy, well done, and thought out well.
The ending seemed a bit lacking to me, like maybe it could have should have been wrapped up a but different but still ended ok—the ending didn’t ruin it or make me angry about it. I was just hoping for something else.
Over all a really good and well written story about a very creepy house that many people refused to believe was really haunted. However it doesn’t take much time inside the house for it to show you just what it is about.
Also loved that this book was written by an African American woman and had African American forward characters. Just overall a great creepy haunted house story if you can stick with it past the first 1/3 or so where it’s slow and rough to get through.
Solid 3.5 stars. Mostly because of the pace at the beginning, the paranormal aspect and haunted house aspect would totally go 4.5.
I have to say I almost gave up on this one. It is very slow at the beginning. Maybe half way through you start to really see the “creepy” factor and German edge of your seat chills. I greatly enjoyed the middle. It was what I was hoping for. The mind games of paranormal sneakiness, the did I or didn’t I nature of wondering if those doors were open or if you really saw what you saw. All very creepy, well done, and thought out well.
The ending seemed a bit lacking to me, like maybe it could have should have been wrapped up a but different but still ended ok—the ending didn’t ruin it or make me angry about it. I was just hoping for something else.
Over all a really good and well written story about a very creepy house that many people refused to believe was really haunted. However it doesn’t take much time inside the house for it to show you just what it is about.
Also loved that this book was written by an African American woman and had African American forward characters. Just overall a great creepy haunted house story if you can stick with it past the first 1/3 or so where it’s slow and rough to get through.
August 31, 2026
Thanks to my partners PRH Audio and Berkley Publishing for the free copies!
As soon as I saw this cover and the title I knew I had to have this book. I always love snatching up an audio even when I have the book because I’m impatient and want to be able to listen while I drive etc and not have to wait for time to actually sit down and read a book, but then I have the luxury of also reading the physical book when I have some time. In this case I’m so glad I listened to the audio, which was narrated by @leojo3. She did a phenomenal job with the different voices and I picked up on nuances I would have likely missed if I was reading and not listening to her voice.
The story itself was told through multiple POV and timelines and it was so interesting to follow along and learn the secrets of the house and its past residents. I was definitely creeped out at times which was impressive as it takes a lot to creep me out these days! This book has a little bit of everything including family drama, redemption, complicated relationships, deception, and of course, ghosts. What are you waiting for!? Go ahead and add this to your spooky season tbr!
As soon as I saw this cover and the title I knew I had to have this book. I always love snatching up an audio even when I have the book because I’m impatient and want to be able to listen while I drive etc and not have to wait for time to actually sit down and read a book, but then I have the luxury of also reading the physical book when I have some time. In this case I’m so glad I listened to the audio, which was narrated by @leojo3. She did a phenomenal job with the different voices and I picked up on nuances I would have likely missed if I was reading and not listening to her voice.
The story itself was told through multiple POV and timelines and it was so interesting to follow along and learn the secrets of the house and its past residents. I was definitely creeped out at times which was impressive as it takes a lot to creep me out these days! This book has a little bit of everything including family drama, redemption, complicated relationships, deception, and of course, ghosts. What are you waiting for!? Go ahead and add this to your spooky season tbr!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
These Walls Remember opens with one of my favorite horror traditions: a note that basically says DO NOT DO THE THING. Naturally, Mickie and Delilah respond to that warning the way every horror protagonist since the beginning of time has responded to warnings, by immediately heading toward the thing like they're getting paid per bad decision. If a mysterious inherited house in Savannah tells me not to go into the attic, I'm suddenly moving into the attic out of pure curiosity.
The setup is catnip for anyone who loves a haunted house story. Two estranged sisters inherit a house from a relative they barely knew, both are carrying enough personal baggage to get charged extra at the airport, and they figure they'll fix the place up, sell it, split the money, and continue avoiding each other in peace. Unfortunately, the house has apparently watched every season of "The Real Housewives" and has decided family conflict is its favorite hobby.
What really worked for me was Mickie and Delilah. The haunting is creepy, sure, but the emotional center is these two women dragging years of hurt, resentment, grief, and complicated love around behind them like rattling chains. The book understands something very true about siblings, which is that nobody can infuriate you quite like someone who also knows exactly how you took your cereal when you were seven. They're angry with each other, disappointed in each other, protective of each other, and underneath all of it there's still love stubbornly refusing to die.
The house itself is doing the absolute most. Strange visions. Missing memories. Accidents. People acting weird. Neighbors clearly knowing more than they're saying. At one point I felt like the house had become that friend who starts every sentence with "I wasn't going to tell you this, but..." and then drops life-altering information at 2 AM. The atmosphere is genuinely unsettling, especially once Delilah starts developing a connection to the house that goes from concerning to deeply alarming.
What elevated this beyond a standard haunted house story for me was how the horror is tied to grief, generational pain, and forgotten histories. Some of the most effective moments aren't the spooky ones. They're the moments where the characters realize how much damage people can carry when nobody ever gives them space to set it down. There's a sadness running underneath the entire novel that gives the ghosts real weight.
That said, this book and I had a tiny custody battle over the pacing. The beginning grabbed me immediately, and the middle has some genuinely creepy, page-turning stuff, but there were stretches where it felt like the story kept circling the same emotional and supernatural beats. Then the ending starts pulling together a lot of threads very quickly. Not enough to lose me, but enough that I occasionally felt like I was jogging to keep up while the book had suddenly decided we were doing cardio.
I also think the reveal of what's happening emotionally lands harder than some of the actual horror mechanics. The haunted house elements are creepy, but the family dynamics are what stuck with me afterward. When the book focused on Mickie, Delilah, and the messy ways people hurt the people they love most, that's when it felt strongest.
By the end, I had a good time with this one even when it occasionally felt like it was carrying three different haunted house novels in a trench coat. The atmosphere is rich, the sister relationship is compelling, and the emotional core is much stronger than your average "don't go in the attic" situation. Call it a solid 3.5 stars. Not every piece fits perfectly, but I was invested enough to keep turning pages and emotionally attached enough to care when things got rough.
Whodunity Award: For Making Me Trust the Haunted House More Than Half the Living People in the Neighborhood
And thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC. As always, I accepted this haunted property with absolutely no intention of opening the attic, and then immediately followed the characters' example by wandering directly toward the supernatural problem.
The setup is catnip for anyone who loves a haunted house story. Two estranged sisters inherit a house from a relative they barely knew, both are carrying enough personal baggage to get charged extra at the airport, and they figure they'll fix the place up, sell it, split the money, and continue avoiding each other in peace. Unfortunately, the house has apparently watched every season of "The Real Housewives" and has decided family conflict is its favorite hobby.
What really worked for me was Mickie and Delilah. The haunting is creepy, sure, but the emotional center is these two women dragging years of hurt, resentment, grief, and complicated love around behind them like rattling chains. The book understands something very true about siblings, which is that nobody can infuriate you quite like someone who also knows exactly how you took your cereal when you were seven. They're angry with each other, disappointed in each other, protective of each other, and underneath all of it there's still love stubbornly refusing to die.
The house itself is doing the absolute most. Strange visions. Missing memories. Accidents. People acting weird. Neighbors clearly knowing more than they're saying. At one point I felt like the house had become that friend who starts every sentence with "I wasn't going to tell you this, but..." and then drops life-altering information at 2 AM. The atmosphere is genuinely unsettling, especially once Delilah starts developing a connection to the house that goes from concerning to deeply alarming.
What elevated this beyond a standard haunted house story for me was how the horror is tied to grief, generational pain, and forgotten histories. Some of the most effective moments aren't the spooky ones. They're the moments where the characters realize how much damage people can carry when nobody ever gives them space to set it down. There's a sadness running underneath the entire novel that gives the ghosts real weight.
That said, this book and I had a tiny custody battle over the pacing. The beginning grabbed me immediately, and the middle has some genuinely creepy, page-turning stuff, but there were stretches where it felt like the story kept circling the same emotional and supernatural beats. Then the ending starts pulling together a lot of threads very quickly. Not enough to lose me, but enough that I occasionally felt like I was jogging to keep up while the book had suddenly decided we were doing cardio.
I also think the reveal of what's happening emotionally lands harder than some of the actual horror mechanics. The haunted house elements are creepy, but the family dynamics are what stuck with me afterward. When the book focused on Mickie, Delilah, and the messy ways people hurt the people they love most, that's when it felt strongest.
By the end, I had a good time with this one even when it occasionally felt like it was carrying three different haunted house novels in a trench coat. The atmosphere is rich, the sister relationship is compelling, and the emotional core is much stronger than your average "don't go in the attic" situation. Call it a solid 3.5 stars. Not every piece fits perfectly, but I was invested enough to keep turning pages and emotionally attached enough to care when things got rough.
Whodunity Award: For Making Me Trust the Haunted House More Than Half the Living People in the Neighborhood
And thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC. As always, I accepted this haunted property with absolutely no intention of opening the attic, and then immediately followed the characters' example by wandering directly toward the supernatural problem.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.8/5
These Walls Remember is a story about family intertwined with dark family secrets and attic horrors.
It follows Mickie and Delilah, sisters who recently learn of the death of a distant aunt they never met. When they're told they have inherited the relative's house, they both jump on the chance to sell it and make a little money for their separate needs. However, it soon becomes clear that this is no ordinary house and it wants something from the sisters.
The characters in These Walls Remember are well-written and realistic, showing in the sense that I don't always like either of them. Mickie is a little too type-A at times and takes charge in most situations. However, this is due to the fact that her younger sister, Delilah WON'T take charge and seems to be living her life on the run, jumping from boyfriend to boyfriend, regardless of how it affects her daughter. Despite their flaws, there is a kind of unconditional love there. They definitely don't like each other most of the time, but even after all these years of being apart, when it becomes apparent that Delilah is in danger, Mickie will do anything it takes to help her.
Delilah's daughter Joy was a pleasant surprise, as I never really expected her to be useful or WANT to help after her initial disconnect and apathy on the phone. However, I think her relationship with her mother resembles the sisters' relationship with each other - she recognizes how flawed her mom is and that she wronged her growing up, but it doesn't render her meaningless. I liked that, like the sisters, Joy got on my nerves at time. Sometimes being impatient and short and just generally a little fiery and ferocious. It made her character more complex and realistic for me.
The scares in this book aren't very subtle, which I really enjoyed. Sometimes I get tired of horror that's all in the nuance and want a little in-your-face possession or something like that. These Walls Remembers definitely delivers that, especially in the last third of the book. I feel like the atmosphere of the house is written to really FEEL creepy to the reader. There's something unsettling about it from the moment Mickie and Delilah arrive.
The backstory with the spirit causing most of the trouble is tragic and disturbing at the same time. I won't go into detail, but there's something so sadly graphic about the events that occur. However, I feel like the very end of that story could have been explained a little more. It seems graphic until it's not and suddenly the end felt a little rushed and "left to the imagination."
But umm can we talk about Wes? That poor dog. Not in the sense that he has a bad ending, but man he gets neglected! I know it's because of his relationship with the house and his fear of the spirits, but that dog has a tough life. I was sad this book wasn't featured on Doesthedogdie.com because I was wondering the whole book. Let's just say this book is rated this high for a reason.
This book is slightly slow at the beginning, but not in a way that almost caused me to put it down. Just hang on because it does get creepy. Overall, I feel like this book is a good representation of messy family dynamics and the importance of being loyal to your family.
These Walls Remember is a story about family intertwined with dark family secrets and attic horrors.
It follows Mickie and Delilah, sisters who recently learn of the death of a distant aunt they never met. When they're told they have inherited the relative's house, they both jump on the chance to sell it and make a little money for their separate needs. However, it soon becomes clear that this is no ordinary house and it wants something from the sisters.
The characters in These Walls Remember are well-written and realistic, showing in the sense that I don't always like either of them. Mickie is a little too type-A at times and takes charge in most situations. However, this is due to the fact that her younger sister, Delilah WON'T take charge and seems to be living her life on the run, jumping from boyfriend to boyfriend, regardless of how it affects her daughter. Despite their flaws, there is a kind of unconditional love there. They definitely don't like each other most of the time, but even after all these years of being apart, when it becomes apparent that Delilah is in danger, Mickie will do anything it takes to help her.
Delilah's daughter Joy was a pleasant surprise, as I never really expected her to be useful or WANT to help after her initial disconnect and apathy on the phone. However, I think her relationship with her mother resembles the sisters' relationship with each other - she recognizes how flawed her mom is and that she wronged her growing up, but it doesn't render her meaningless. I liked that, like the sisters, Joy got on my nerves at time. Sometimes being impatient and short and just generally a little fiery and ferocious. It made her character more complex and realistic for me.
The scares in this book aren't very subtle, which I really enjoyed. Sometimes I get tired of horror that's all in the nuance and want a little in-your-face possession or something like that. These Walls Remembers definitely delivers that, especially in the last third of the book. I feel like the atmosphere of the house is written to really FEEL creepy to the reader. There's something unsettling about it from the moment Mickie and Delilah arrive.
The backstory with the spirit causing most of the trouble is tragic and disturbing at the same time. I won't go into detail, but there's something so sadly graphic about the events that occur. However, I feel like the very end of that story could have been explained a little more. It seems graphic until it's not and suddenly the end felt a little rushed and "left to the imagination."
But umm can we talk about Wes? That poor dog. Not in the sense that he has a bad ending, but man he gets neglected! I know it's because of his relationship with the house and his fear of the spirits, but that dog has a tough life. I was sad this book wasn't featured on Doesthedogdie.com because I was wondering the whole book. Let's just say this book is rated this high for a reason.
This book is slightly slow at the beginning, but not in a way that almost caused me to put it down. Just hang on because it does get creepy. Overall, I feel like this book is a good representation of messy family dynamics and the importance of being loyal to your family.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
BOOK REPORT
Received a complimentary copy of These Walls Remember, by Del Sandeen, from Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley/NetGalley, for which I am appreciative, in exchange for a fair and honest review. Scroll past the BOOK REPORT section for a cut-and-paste of the DESCRIPTION of it from them if you want to read my thoughts on the book in the context of that summary.
⭐ 2 ⭐
This book was…….messy.
Messy to the point that my inner developmental editor kicked in, hard, and I started trying to figure out how to tidy it up, make it a better/easier read.
Because it had some good stuff going. Just way too much stuff.
After finishing it (WAY past my bedtime, because I am still ramped up on poison ivy-necessitated steroids), I realized that if a client or former student had turned this in to me, I would have given it back to them without editing it, saying, essentially, you’ve got some strong ideas and characters here, but you haven’t developed any of them fully enough. Either start over from scratch, or pick two main non-primary storylines to weave through in conjunction with the primary and ditch the rest. And, also? You didn’t do Savannah justice as its own character. No way can I edit you out of the multiple holes into which you’ve dug yourself.
Now, all that said, I saw this morning that this is Del Sandeen’s second novel, so I’m going to put her everything-and-the-kitchen-sink-ness with this book down to sophomore slump, and at some point give her debut (This Cursed House) a go, because it sounds even more up my proverbial angst-ridden alley.
Off I go now, to dig my own holes. (The manual labor kind—hit up one of my local Lowe’s yesterday. Spring has sprung, needs must and what have you.)
DESCRIPTION
When two estranged sisters inherit a home possessed by the horrors of its dark past, they must work together to survive in this viscerally chilling Southern gothic novel from the critically acclaimed author of This Cursed House.
Do not go into the attic, the note warned.
But that’s exactly what sisters Mickie and Delilah do when they inherit a distant relative’s house in Savannah, Georgia. They intend to sell the property, divide the proceeds, and go their separate ways once and for all.
But 724 Hartford Street has other plans.
As the sisters learn about this house and its history, past wounds begin to fester and spill into the present: strange visions, memory lapses, unexplained accidents, and surreal echoes of the house’s previous inhabitants—some of whom disappeared after living in the home. The sisters suspect the residents of the sleepy Savannah neighborhood know more than they’re saying about what really happened there.
And then Delilah, once adamant about selling and never looking back, develops an uncanny attachment to the house, her personality changing in alarming ways. Mickie knows that she’ll have to pull her sister from the home’s clutches or they will both succumb to that which hungers in its walls.
Received a complimentary copy of These Walls Remember, by Del Sandeen, from Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley/NetGalley, for which I am appreciative, in exchange for a fair and honest review. Scroll past the BOOK REPORT section for a cut-and-paste of the DESCRIPTION of it from them if you want to read my thoughts on the book in the context of that summary.
⭐ 2 ⭐
This book was…….messy.
Messy to the point that my inner developmental editor kicked in, hard, and I started trying to figure out how to tidy it up, make it a better/easier read.
Because it had some good stuff going. Just way too much stuff.
After finishing it (WAY past my bedtime, because I am still ramped up on poison ivy-necessitated steroids), I realized that if a client or former student had turned this in to me, I would have given it back to them without editing it, saying, essentially, you’ve got some strong ideas and characters here, but you haven’t developed any of them fully enough. Either start over from scratch, or pick two main non-primary storylines to weave through in conjunction with the primary and ditch the rest. And, also? You didn’t do Savannah justice as its own character. No way can I edit you out of the multiple holes into which you’ve dug yourself.
Now, all that said, I saw this morning that this is Del Sandeen’s second novel, so I’m going to put her everything-and-the-kitchen-sink-ness with this book down to sophomore slump, and at some point give her debut (This Cursed House) a go, because it sounds even more up my proverbial angst-ridden alley.
Off I go now, to dig my own holes. (The manual labor kind—hit up one of my local Lowe’s yesterday. Spring has sprung, needs must and what have you.)
DESCRIPTION
When two estranged sisters inherit a home possessed by the horrors of its dark past, they must work together to survive in this viscerally chilling Southern gothic novel from the critically acclaimed author of This Cursed House.
Do not go into the attic, the note warned.
But that’s exactly what sisters Mickie and Delilah do when they inherit a distant relative’s house in Savannah, Georgia. They intend to sell the property, divide the proceeds, and go their separate ways once and for all.
But 724 Hartford Street has other plans.
As the sisters learn about this house and its history, past wounds begin to fester and spill into the present: strange visions, memory lapses, unexplained accidents, and surreal echoes of the house’s previous inhabitants—some of whom disappeared after living in the home. The sisters suspect the residents of the sleepy Savannah neighborhood know more than they’re saying about what really happened there.
And then Delilah, once adamant about selling and never looking back, develops an uncanny attachment to the house, her personality changing in alarming ways. Mickie knows that she’ll have to pull her sister from the home’s clutches or they will both succumb to that which hungers in its walls.
August 24, 2026
Thank you @BerkleyPub this #gifted book. It was a literal and metaphorical manifestation of a ghost story in a group of women desperate for healing.
#BerkleyPartner
This Southern gothic is a haunting of grief, the unending suffering when pain and sadness are locked away and allowed to thrive. It takes the haunted house premise and layers it onto a land of inequity with secrets and otherworldly apparitions forming equal parts in the unraveling.
Estranged sisters Mickie and Delilah have inherited a distant aunt’s house in Savannah. With the intention to sell the house and return to their separate lives, both sisters set to work. While they clean and attempt to bring in realtors, the house has other plans. Locked doors, strange visions, noises in the night, memory lapses and endlessly burning candles are the gateway to hidden truths and a history of disappearances, for this house eats people.
I liked the exploration of race and family in the south over the last century. Mickie, Delilah and Joy are all scarred and have unhealthy relationships with one another. They are imperfect women in an imperfect world. Theirs is a family dynamic of tragedy, neglect and judgement where none of them really like each other that much. While they confront the history of the house and the ghosts therein, they will also need to address their own. It adds emotional weight to this supernatural haunting.
The characters were well developed and the haunting was a slow decay in sanity. I enjoyed the story, but wished it held on a little tighter. I didn’t find the fear or page turning need I usually get from horror, though there was plenty of historical horror to drive events and lend a sinister air. I almost found it to be more of a family drama needing to expel the ghosts of their past than the literal ones. This quality will probably be appealing to many readers who do not enjoy the fear and terror this genre can illicit.
I will say that the whole cast really felt like a neighbourhood and that the varying opinions on race, gentrification, motherhood, identity and home made this supernatural story wrap itself around the real world. They were imperfect people with buckets of problems ending up with another.
The haunting was cleverly integrated into the hunger and all consuming nature of grief and the ending was very satisfying.
Book rating: 3.25 ⭐️
Genre: gothic horror
Themes: grief, racism, family, ghosts, curses
📖 Read if you like: Mexican Gothic, Behind These Wicked Walls
#BerkleyPartner
This Southern gothic is a haunting of grief, the unending suffering when pain and sadness are locked away and allowed to thrive. It takes the haunted house premise and layers it onto a land of inequity with secrets and otherworldly apparitions forming equal parts in the unraveling.
Estranged sisters Mickie and Delilah have inherited a distant aunt’s house in Savannah. With the intention to sell the house and return to their separate lives, both sisters set to work. While they clean and attempt to bring in realtors, the house has other plans. Locked doors, strange visions, noises in the night, memory lapses and endlessly burning candles are the gateway to hidden truths and a history of disappearances, for this house eats people.
I liked the exploration of race and family in the south over the last century. Mickie, Delilah and Joy are all scarred and have unhealthy relationships with one another. They are imperfect women in an imperfect world. Theirs is a family dynamic of tragedy, neglect and judgement where none of them really like each other that much. While they confront the history of the house and the ghosts therein, they will also need to address their own. It adds emotional weight to this supernatural haunting.
The characters were well developed and the haunting was a slow decay in sanity. I enjoyed the story, but wished it held on a little tighter. I didn’t find the fear or page turning need I usually get from horror, though there was plenty of historical horror to drive events and lend a sinister air. I almost found it to be more of a family drama needing to expel the ghosts of their past than the literal ones. This quality will probably be appealing to many readers who do not enjoy the fear and terror this genre can illicit.
I will say that the whole cast really felt like a neighbourhood and that the varying opinions on race, gentrification, motherhood, identity and home made this supernatural story wrap itself around the real world. They were imperfect people with buckets of problems ending up with another.
The haunting was cleverly integrated into the hunger and all consuming nature of grief and the ending was very satisfying.
Book rating: 3.25 ⭐️
Genre: gothic horror
Themes: grief, racism, family, ghosts, curses
📖 Read if you like: Mexican Gothic, Behind These Wicked Walls
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
BLURB:
Mickie & estranged sister Delilah inherit a Savannah house, planning to sell it & go separate ways. But when Delilah becomes dangerously attached to the house & begins changing, Mickie must save her before the house claims them.
REVIEW:
I love a good Southern Gothic horror, & when I saw this cover & read the blurb, I had to read it! It’s a dual-timeline story moving btw present day & 1910, slowly revealing the dark history of the “haunted” house & how horrors got in its walls. I found this to be much more than a haunted-house story—it’s also about dysfunctional family, generational trauma, grief, & loss. There are heartbreaking scenes in both timelines & the FMCs are two strong-headed, estranged sisters that I was invested in.
It’s told in a 3rd-person multiple POV, following Mickie, Delilah,Joy, Abram & Lewis in 1910. Estranged sisters Mickie & Delilah inherit the house from a relative, planning to sell it & go their own ways. Their relationship is strained & they find a warning telling them NOT to go into the attic—but, of course, they do! 😭 From there, things escalate. I found the house to be more like an entity of its own rather than haunted. The 1910 chapters are really well placed & reveal more about the house’s history & Lewis’s family. His story is heartbreaking, especially the racism & trauma depicted, and seeing how loss & grief consumed the house & transformed it is unsettling!
Things get REALLY creepy once Delilah develops an unhealthy attachment to the house & her personality changes. I was flipping the pages because I needed to know what was happening to her. Joy becomes important later on & there’s more family pain revealed. And Mickie does some serious investigating & I felt so immersed as she learns more about the house’s history—be prepared for strange visions, unexplained accidents, and eerie vibes of previous inhabitants—& some are spine-tingling!
The story is always moving with lots of interesting dialogue & no real slow sections. By the climax, the timelines come crashing together, and the determination to save people & figure out more about Lewis is compelling. The ending isn’t conventional horror—it’s more emotional, focusing on confronting grief & trauma. Ngl, there were heartbreaking moments, & I normally don’t need to wipe my eyes while reading horror, but these characters got me.
If you enjoy haunted-house stories that explore grief & generational family trauma as much as they do supernatural horror, you’ll enjoy this one!
Mickie & estranged sister Delilah inherit a Savannah house, planning to sell it & go separate ways. But when Delilah becomes dangerously attached to the house & begins changing, Mickie must save her before the house claims them.
REVIEW:
I love a good Southern Gothic horror, & when I saw this cover & read the blurb, I had to read it! It’s a dual-timeline story moving btw present day & 1910, slowly revealing the dark history of the “haunted” house & how horrors got in its walls. I found this to be much more than a haunted-house story—it’s also about dysfunctional family, generational trauma, grief, & loss. There are heartbreaking scenes in both timelines & the FMCs are two strong-headed, estranged sisters that I was invested in.
It’s told in a 3rd-person multiple POV, following Mickie, Delilah,Joy, Abram & Lewis in 1910. Estranged sisters Mickie & Delilah inherit the house from a relative, planning to sell it & go their own ways. Their relationship is strained & they find a warning telling them NOT to go into the attic—but, of course, they do! 😭 From there, things escalate. I found the house to be more like an entity of its own rather than haunted. The 1910 chapters are really well placed & reveal more about the house’s history & Lewis’s family. His story is heartbreaking, especially the racism & trauma depicted, and seeing how loss & grief consumed the house & transformed it is unsettling!
Things get REALLY creepy once Delilah develops an unhealthy attachment to the house & her personality changes. I was flipping the pages because I needed to know what was happening to her. Joy becomes important later on & there’s more family pain revealed. And Mickie does some serious investigating & I felt so immersed as she learns more about the house’s history—be prepared for strange visions, unexplained accidents, and eerie vibes of previous inhabitants—& some are spine-tingling!
The story is always moving with lots of interesting dialogue & no real slow sections. By the climax, the timelines come crashing together, and the determination to save people & figure out more about Lewis is compelling. The ending isn’t conventional horror—it’s more emotional, focusing on confronting grief & trauma. Ngl, there were heartbreaking moments, & I normally don’t need to wipe my eyes while reading horror, but these characters got me.
If you enjoy haunted-house stories that explore grief & generational family trauma as much as they do supernatural horror, you’ll enjoy this one!
August 18, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley, as well as the author, for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
#NetGalley #BerkleyPublishingGroup #Berkley #DelSandeen #TheseWallsRemember #Horror #Fiction #Books #Reading #BookReviews
Title: These Walls Remember
Author: Del Sandeen
Format: eBook
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley
Publication Date: August 18, 2026
Rating: 5 Stars
Themes: Haunted House, paranormal, southern gothic, grief, familial strife, mental illness, dual timelines
Trigger Warnings: Racism, mental illness, mental hospital scenes, pregnancy, dystocia, child loss, animal neglect/cruelty, discrimination, homophobia, suicidal ideation, familial strife, death, grief, loss of loved ones, mother/daughter estrangement, paranormal, possession
This is the second book I’ve loved by this author. This eerie haunted house story is about Mickie and Delilah. The two sisters have always had a strained relationship. They'd been estranged for many years and have come back together to claim a house that they’ve inherited from their late Aunt Haddie. They intend to fix the place up, sell the house, and split the money. The house doesn’t like that and does it’s best to insert itself into the sisters’ plans. When Delilah starts acting strange and the sisters suspect that the neighbors aren’t being entirely honest about the houses’ history or what happened to Aunt Haddie, they start to realize that there’s a lot more work to do than they thought. Mickie must fight to save her sister from the houses’ influence, or they may both become permanent residents of 724 Hartford Street.
The sophomore novel curse does not apply here. I enjoyed this a lot. As with her debut novel, the writing is creepy and atmospheric as well as beautifully illustrating the southern gothic style. The characters are well-established and multi-layered. I enjoyed the old ladies that were their neighbors. Their dialect and amusing stories made them real and enjoyable, adding some levity to the emotional depth that the sisters’ relationship as well as the houses’ backstory provides. The house is sad! The whole thing is sad, but that adds to the creep factor in the best way. Any fan of haunted house stories will enjoy this.
#NetGalley #BerkleyPublishingGroup #Berkley #DelSandeen #TheseWallsRemember #Horror #Fiction #Books #Reading #BookReviews
Title: These Walls Remember
Author: Del Sandeen
Format: eBook
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley
Publication Date: August 18, 2026
Rating: 5 Stars
Themes: Haunted House, paranormal, southern gothic, grief, familial strife, mental illness, dual timelines
Trigger Warnings: Racism, mental illness, mental hospital scenes, pregnancy, dystocia, child loss, animal neglect/cruelty, discrimination, homophobia, suicidal ideation, familial strife, death, grief, loss of loved ones, mother/daughter estrangement, paranormal, possession
This is the second book I’ve loved by this author. This eerie haunted house story is about Mickie and Delilah. The two sisters have always had a strained relationship. They'd been estranged for many years and have come back together to claim a house that they’ve inherited from their late Aunt Haddie. They intend to fix the place up, sell the house, and split the money. The house doesn’t like that and does it’s best to insert itself into the sisters’ plans. When Delilah starts acting strange and the sisters suspect that the neighbors aren’t being entirely honest about the houses’ history or what happened to Aunt Haddie, they start to realize that there’s a lot more work to do than they thought. Mickie must fight to save her sister from the houses’ influence, or they may both become permanent residents of 724 Hartford Street.
The sophomore novel curse does not apply here. I enjoyed this a lot. As with her debut novel, the writing is creepy and atmospheric as well as beautifully illustrating the southern gothic style. The characters are well-established and multi-layered. I enjoyed the old ladies that were their neighbors. Their dialect and amusing stories made them real and enjoyable, adding some levity to the emotional depth that the sisters’ relationship as well as the houses’ backstory provides. The house is sad! The whole thing is sad, but that adds to the creep factor in the best way. Any fan of haunted house stories will enjoy this.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Disclosure Statement: I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher. My thoughts and opinions are entirely my own and have not been influenced by either author or publisher.
I love the Southern Gothic, and I've come to appreciate it more and more over the last decade. I've often felt like the Gothic is a genre confronting hidden pasts and repressed secrets, about confronting oppressive elements in our society, whether it be patriarchy, racial prejudice, rigidly policed gender roles and sexual identities, or any other combinations of class, sex, or identity that prohibit self-discovery and meaning-making. And what the Southern Gothic does is firmly root this confrontation and this process in Southern history, building out an interconnected network by which we can come to understand modern attitudes in the South (and in the broader U.S.) about who we are, where we've come from, and where we're going.
And as Southern Gothic, These Walls Remember delivers on all of those fronts. It is a deeply woven, interconnected piece of Gothic fiction, focused tightly on elements of the overwhelming greed of something like grief, and how that grief is reflected through a web spun throughout our personal and communal histories.
It's a story about sisterhood, a story about relationships, a story about community, and a story about fellowship. It is a story that is rooted in time and place and history, but it is also rooted in human feeling, in the complex weave of our lives as we try to determine who we are and what we want, and what prevents us from finding it. It is about confronting those emotions we choose not to express, about the necessity of unearthing those feelings and sharing the delicate hurts of our lives in equal measure as we share the robust joys and bountiful good in our experiences.
As a result, it is a story about how we grow, what it takes to move forward, and how our imperfections don't need to define us as we find our way forward through life. It's as good a Southern Gothic as any I've read, but it's just as good a story about our own human frailties and how easy it is to be overwhelmed by them when we don't look to one another for strength.
I love the Southern Gothic, and I've come to appreciate it more and more over the last decade. I've often felt like the Gothic is a genre confronting hidden pasts and repressed secrets, about confronting oppressive elements in our society, whether it be patriarchy, racial prejudice, rigidly policed gender roles and sexual identities, or any other combinations of class, sex, or identity that prohibit self-discovery and meaning-making. And what the Southern Gothic does is firmly root this confrontation and this process in Southern history, building out an interconnected network by which we can come to understand modern attitudes in the South (and in the broader U.S.) about who we are, where we've come from, and where we're going.
And as Southern Gothic, These Walls Remember delivers on all of those fronts. It is a deeply woven, interconnected piece of Gothic fiction, focused tightly on elements of the overwhelming greed of something like grief, and how that grief is reflected through a web spun throughout our personal and communal histories.
It's a story about sisterhood, a story about relationships, a story about community, and a story about fellowship. It is a story that is rooted in time and place and history, but it is also rooted in human feeling, in the complex weave of our lives as we try to determine who we are and what we want, and what prevents us from finding it. It is about confronting those emotions we choose not to express, about the necessity of unearthing those feelings and sharing the delicate hurts of our lives in equal measure as we share the robust joys and bountiful good in our experiences.
As a result, it is a story about how we grow, what it takes to move forward, and how our imperfections don't need to define us as we find our way forward through life. It's as good a Southern Gothic as any I've read, but it's just as good a story about our own human frailties and how easy it is to be overwhelmed by them when we don't look to one another for strength.
August 24, 2026
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ebook in exchange for my honest review.
Summary
Estranged sisters Mickie and Delilah inherit a house in Savannah, Georgia, with plans to sell it, split the money, and move on with their separate lives. There's just one warning waiting for them: do not go into the attic.
Well, if someone told me not to go into the attic, I'm sorry, but I'm going into the attic too. 😂 Of course, the sisters quickly discover there is much more going on inside this house than they expected. Something from its past is still very much present, and when Delilah begins behaving strangely, Mickie realizes they may be dealing with something they can't simply walk away from.
My Review
Gothic horror is one of my favorite genres, so give me an old house in Savannah, two estranged sisters, a creepy attic, family tension, secrets, and a house holding onto its dark history and I'm interested. This one did take me a little bit to fully get into, but once everything started coming together, I was invested. I really liked the atmosphere and the feeling that the house wasn't just the setting. Its history was always there, hanging over Mickie and Delilah and slowly making its way into the present.
I also liked that the horror went deeper than simply having a creepy house with something supernatural inside it. There is grief, historical trauma, complicated family relationships, and the question of what happens when the past refuses to stay buried. The relationship between Mickie and Delilah gave the story an emotional side that worked really well with the darker gothic elements. It was creepy, unsettling, and once it grabbed me, I really wanted to know exactly what happened inside that house and what it wanted from them.
Would I Recommend?
Yes! If you love Southern gothic horror, haunted houses, complicated sister relationships, historical secrets, and slow-building creepy stories, I think this is definitely worth reading. Just remember: if the creepy old house leaves you a note saying don't go into the attic, apparently we're all going into the attic. 😂
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ebook in exchange for my honest review.
Summary
Estranged sisters Mickie and Delilah inherit a house in Savannah, Georgia, with plans to sell it, split the money, and move on with their separate lives. There's just one warning waiting for them: do not go into the attic.
Well, if someone told me not to go into the attic, I'm sorry, but I'm going into the attic too. 😂 Of course, the sisters quickly discover there is much more going on inside this house than they expected. Something from its past is still very much present, and when Delilah begins behaving strangely, Mickie realizes they may be dealing with something they can't simply walk away from.
My Review
Gothic horror is one of my favorite genres, so give me an old house in Savannah, two estranged sisters, a creepy attic, family tension, secrets, and a house holding onto its dark history and I'm interested. This one did take me a little bit to fully get into, but once everything started coming together, I was invested. I really liked the atmosphere and the feeling that the house wasn't just the setting. Its history was always there, hanging over Mickie and Delilah and slowly making its way into the present.
I also liked that the horror went deeper than simply having a creepy house with something supernatural inside it. There is grief, historical trauma, complicated family relationships, and the question of what happens when the past refuses to stay buried. The relationship between Mickie and Delilah gave the story an emotional side that worked really well with the darker gothic elements. It was creepy, unsettling, and once it grabbed me, I really wanted to know exactly what happened inside that house and what it wanted from them.
Would I Recommend?
Yes! If you love Southern gothic horror, haunted houses, complicated sister relationships, historical secrets, and slow-building creepy stories, I think this is definitely worth reading. Just remember: if the creepy old house leaves you a note saying don't go into the attic, apparently we're all going into the attic. 😂
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