Skip to main content

Silence for the Dead by Simone St. James: A Book Review

Silence for the Dead
Author: Simone St. James
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Paranormal, Romance
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: 2014
Pages: 386
Source: My State Public Library
Synopsis: “Portis House emerged from the fog as we approached, showing itself slowly as a long, low shadow....”

     In 1919, Kitty Weekes, pretty, resourceful, and on the run, falsifies her background to obtain a nursing position at Portis House, a remote hospital for soldiers left shell-shocked by the horrors of the Great War. Hiding the shame of their mental instability in what was once a magnificent private estate, the patients suffer from nervous attacks and tormenting dreams. But something more is going on at Portis House—its plaster is crumbling, its plumbing makes eerie noises, and strange breaths of cold waft through the empty rooms. It’s known that the former occupants left abruptly, but where did they go? And why do the patients all seem to share the same nightmare, one so horrific that they dare not speak of it?

     Kitty finds a dangerous ally in Jack Yates, an inmate who may be a war hero, a madman… or maybe both. But even as Kitty and Jack create a secret, intimate alliance to uncover the truth, disturbing revelations suggest the presence of powerful spectral forces. And when a medical catastrophe leaves them even more isolated, they must battle the menace on their own, caught in the heart of a mystery that could destroy them both.

     My Review: In order to escape from the clutches of her abusive father, Kitty Weeks has lied about her background to get a job as a nurse at an asylum for shell-shocked soldiers. Kitty notices that these patients have been having nightmares. At first, Kitty thinks that these nightmares are normal for these soldiers who are still suffering the after effects of the war. However, she soon notices that there is something sinister going on behind walls of the asylum that may lead to the paranormal. Can Kitty save these soldiers and defeat the ghost that haunts these asylum’s walls?

   Kitty has a tragic past that forces her into desperate situations such as lying about her qualifications to get a job as a nurse. However, she is a very strong character. She is also very curious and inquisitive. This leads her to investigate the mystery of the haunted house. She is also strong-willed. She doesn’t have a lot of patience and is sometimes careless. Despite her flaws, she is a plucky, fun, and feisty heroine that readers will adore.

   Overall, this book is full of romance, mystery, and ghosts. The main characters are very fleshed out, however I would have liked to know more about the minor characters. Because of this, there were more questions than answers. I would have liked a few more scenes with Matron, Syd, Nina, and Martha. They had such potential to be complex characters and I wanted to know them more. The author did make good use of her characters. The story also suffered from being told rather than showing. The novel starts out slow and picks up pace halfway through the novel. Despite its flaws, the eerie setting captivated me, and I wanted to learn more of the secrets, and it kept me reading late into the night. It was a very fun read, and the paranormal aspect was thrilling. The ghosts of Portis House truly fascinated me. I recommend this novel to fans of Daphne du Maurier, Susanna Kearsley, and M.J Rose. I look forward to reading more books by this author!


Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Potiphar's Wife (The Egyptian Chronicles #1) by Mesu Andrews: A Book Review

  Potiphar’s Wife (The Egyptian Chronicles #1) Author: Mesu Andrews Genre: Historical Fiction, Christian, Biblical Fiction Publisher: WaterBrook Release Date: May 24, 2022 Pages: 453 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: One of the Bible’s most notorious women longs for a love she cannot have in this captivating novel from the award-winning author of Isaiah’s Legacy .       Before she is Potiphar’s wife, Zuleika is the daughter of a king and the wife of a prince. She rules the isle of Crete alongside her mother in the absence of their seafaring husbands. But when tragedy nearly destroys Crete, Zuleika must sacrifice her future to save the Minoan people she loves.       Zuleika’s father believes his robust trade with Egypt will ensure Pharaoh’s obligation to marry his daughter, including a bride price hefty enough to save Crete. But Pharaoh refuses and gives her instead to Potiphar, the captain...

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn: A Book Review

The Rose Code Author: Kate Quinn Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Harper Collins Release Date: 2021 Pages: 635 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: 1940, Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire.        Three very different women are recruited to the mysterious Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes.       Vivacious debutante Osla has the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses – but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, working to translate decoded enemy secrets. Self-made Mab masters the legendary codebreaking machines as she conceals old wounds and the poverty of her East-End London upbringing. And shy local girl Beth is the outsider who trains as one of the Park’s few female cryptanalysts.       1947, London.        Seven years after they first meet, on the eve of the roya...

A Right Worthy Woman by Ruth P. Watson: A Book Review

A Right Worthy Woman Author: Ruth P. Watson Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Atria Books Release Date: 2023 Pages: 303 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: In the vein of The Personal Librarian and The House of Eve , a “remarkable and stirring novel” (Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author) based on the inspiring true story of Virginia’s Black Wall Street and the indomitable Maggie Lena Walker, the daughter of a formerly enslaved woman who became the first Black woman to establish and preside over a bank in the United States.       Maggie Lena Walker was ambitious and unafraid. Her childhood in 19th-century Virginia helping her mother with her laundry service opened her eyes to the overwhelming discrepancy between the Black residents and her mother’s affluent white clients. She vowed to not only secure the same kind of home and finery for herself, but she would also help others in her community achi...