1920s Haunted Assylum? Yes, Please!

This is the second novel by Simone St James I’ve listened to, and both were gripping. A little bit of a slow start, but they pick up and just race to the finish. I picked a good one to start my Cannonball Read adventure!
We start with Kitty Weekes, a poor London girl on the run, pretending to be a nurse at a psychiatric facility for Shell Shock patients returned to Britain after the first World War. But of course, not everything is as it seems at the secluded mansion.
As Kitty gets to know the patients and house, we get to know her. A brave and clever girl, she is willing to work hard to help the men she watches over, and sacrifices her own pride to help the other nurses. I liked Kitty, her no-nonsense attitude, her curiosity, and her capacity to care.
The romance was unnecessary, but not unwelcome. This is really a story about a young woman coming to terms with her past as she uncovers the mystery of Portis House and the family that built it. Spooky at times and thrilling at others, I would recommend this book to anyone fond of gothic novels or ghost stories.

The audiobook version was read by Mary Jane Wells. She had a pleasant voice, good dramatization, and great pacing. The character voices were distinctly different, to help with following the story, and seemed to fit the characters well.