I really enjoyed this read. It got me hooked very early on and kept me guessing right up until the end. I really didn't see the end coming. Edith Potter is this story's lead protagonist. Her doctor in the lunatic asylum, Dr Stephen Maynard plans to use a new method called psychoanalysis to bring back her sanity. They year is 1927 and resources are limited. Edith hold a debilitating secret, one which a stranger is determined that she keeps, but one which is causing her destruction. It is Dr. Maynard's job to unearth this secret and help her deal with its consequences. This really was an intriguing read. It was slow. Wade drip fed information as Maynard very gradually drew closer and closer to the truth. Historical fiction is one of my favourite genres and this didn't disappoint.

Big fan of all her work, and this didn’t disappoint. Suitably creepy, gothic and great fun. I’m convinced she has inherited Wilkie Collins touch.

I found this book to be interesting considering the time it is set in, after the Great War. I have never given much thought to the lives of people who would be in asylums after catastrophes like war but I found the premise to be very interesting. I appreciated the twist at the end of the book - definitely was not expecting that.

This novel had a great premise. However, it was not well-executed. I liked that it took place in an asylum. Edith was a fascinating character. I found her intriguing, and I wanted to know who she was. The ending was superb! However, there were many scenes that could’ve left out. Also, the romance really distracted me from the plot! Still, I recommend it for fans of The Medea Complex!

Having read and thoroughly enjoyed the May Keaps novels published under Ruth Wade's pseudonym BK Duncan, I was intrigued by Walls of Silence, another historical mystery released under her own name.

The Great War is over but for Edith Potter a different kind of conflict is about to begin. When we first meet her, Edith's going about her daily life in a small village in Sussex, England. A spinster living on her own following her father's death, Edith's mental stability slowly begins to unravel. Her GP diagnoses lonliness; Edith's father was an emminent psychologist, a pioneer in the field of shell-shock, who was attacked and murdered by an unknown assailant while Edith was out running errands.

A series of unfortunate events and displays of bizarre behaviour culminating in Edith attacking her neighbour's geese with an axe eventually leads her to being institutionalised. It is while incarcerated at Lewes County Lunatic Asylum that she meets Dr. Stephen Maynard. Whereas Dr. Johns, charged with running the asylum, believes none of the inmates will ever be well enough to be released back into society, Dr. Maynard is of the opinion that he can help Edith's fractured mind, albeit it initially with an ulterior motive. Having followed her father's career through psychological journals, Dr. Maynard can't believe his luck when he's given the opportunity to include Edith in his own research.

Responding well to shock-therapy and medication, and fearing remaining in a lunatic asylum will do Edith more harm than good, Dr. Maynard arranges for her to be transferred to Beddingham Hall, a facility funded by the Ministry of Defence, run by his long-term friend Peter and Peter's wife, Helen, to house severely disfigured WW1 veterans. It's while Edith's at Beddingham Hall that she makes the most progress, Dr. Maynard travelling from his practice in London to gently probe her psyche. But what secret lurking beneath the surface could be so terrible that Edith's own mind won't allow her to recall it?

At various points in the novel we're introduced to a character called Edward. Initially I thought he was a figment of Edith's fractured mind; a companion invented to help ward off her crippling loneliness. The truth was far more terrible than I could've possibly imagined and when all was revealed, I was left speechless. Bravo to the author for the plot twist I didn't see coming.

As with Ruth Wade's May Keaps novels, Walls of Silence has been meticulously researched, not only to give an authentic portrayal of mental illness and the available treatment, if you can call it that, of the late 1920s, but also in the vivid description of Beddingham Hall and the poor, unfortunate young men who came to inhabit it. While Beddingham Hall is entirely fictional (I think), homes such as this one were indeed needed and I found both subjects, while terribly sad, incredibly fascinating.

So why only 3 stars? Firstly, I found Edith's character difficult to warm to. At times vulnerable, at times callous, manipulative and vindictive, I wavered between feeling empathy towards her and wanting to lock her up and throw away the key. Although when you discover why Edith's mental stability declined, it's hard not to feel sorry for her. Secondly, for me the story lost momentum towards the middle of the book, with a few scenes being a little too drawn out for my liking. Finally, I much preferred the May Keaps novels I mentioned earlier, written under the author's pen name, which contain more of an investigation-type mystery, a plucky heroine and a number of recurring characters that you can become more invested in as the series progresses.

That said, Walls of Silence is still an enjoyable novel; it's a slow-burner that builds in intrigue, keeping you turning the pages to discover Edith's secret, with more than a couple of surprises along the way before the revelation at the end.

I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for more of Ruth Wade's novels but for me, having read some of her previous titles, this one wasn't quite as good as I'd hoped.

Note: Many thanks to the author, Bloodhound Books and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this title in exchange for an honest review.

It's a book I would not usually read But I'm so glad I read Walls of Silence by Ruth Wade. What a brilliant gripping book, once I read the first few pages I couldn't put it down. I have never read any of Ruth's books before and this will not be the last and looking forward to download more of her books and read them. I found this book beautifully written throughout and covers a dark subject in history - asylums and you could be committed to an asylum for any reason and sometimes no reason at all. Most people never come out of these places and sadly die in them. Just Brilliant Read. Well Done Ruth

Many thanks to Ruth Wade, Bloodhound Books and Netgalley for the advanced digital copy of this historical fiction. Brilliant read.

Wow. I didn't see the twist at the novel's end coming. Edith became a sympathetic character within a few sentences.

Walls of Silence caught me by a surprise. From the first page to the last I had a completely different ending in my mind.

In the first pages of the book, we are introduced to Edward and Edith. Edith is a very peculiar individual. She lost her mother in a fire when she was only three years old. Her father, a well-known physician, did medical experiences on her when she was at a very young age. Edith managed to hide the memories of those awful days on the back of her mind for most of the adulthood. However, two years after her father's death, Edith reunites with Edward. Since his return, a chain of events continues to happen, and as a result, Edith is being admitted into an asylum.

Dr. Stephen Maynard learns about Edith's case and is tempted to use the hypnotherapy to cure her. However, Dr. Maynard has no idea what he is about to reveal. And his patient is much smarter than he assumes. Stephen, like any other adult, has a few secrets on his own that he likes to keep private, but Edith is using the reverse tactic on him.

It's an interesting story, however, I was not a big fan of the love triangle. It had nothing to do with the main story. It made a novel much longer. The novel had an unforeseen twist at the end that I really liked.

As a huge fan of historical fiction, I was really excited to read this book, because the 1920s are my favorite decade to read about. The premise was so unique and indeed, I have never read a book quite like this before. The character of Edith was very intriguing, and her story, well, it was shocking! I won't say much about the plot, so not to spoil the story, but this is a really memorable, engaging book and I definitely recommend it!

Walls of silence is the first of Ruth Wades books I have read and after reading this one, I cant wait to read more!
Although I struggled a little at first to get into the book, I persevered and I am so glad I did!

The story is set in the 1920's and follows Edith and her mental health struggles. I found parts of the book a little unsettling, but absorbing at the same time. it left me thinking about it, even when I wasn't reading.
After being incarcerated to a lunatic asylum where electric shock therapy is used, Dr Maynard becomes intrigued by Edith , and she becomes a subject of fascination for him, using new techniques to try and help her. Full of twists and turns I wasn't expecting, This book will appeal to fans of historical fiction, and once it grabs you, you will find it hard to put down.

thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read.

I love this author's books and this is a fantastic release!!

I loved this book, the story was brilliant and I was gripped! To be honest, as soon as I read the blurb I knew I wanted to read this book and the cover is perfect for the story.

Stephen and Edith are great characters and work so well with the plot. The pace for the story, descriptive nature and setting in the late 1920s is great - I love historical fiction so books set in this era are normally a winner with me and this one is superb!!

No hesitation in giving this one 5 stars - such a great story - brilliant!!

3.5 stars.
WALLS OF SILENCE is a novel that delves into the early study of psychology and the people that were directly affected. This was a tough book for me in terms of both content and writing style, but I'm very glad that I got the opportunity to read it. I was fascinated to learn about the treatment, or lack thereof, of soldiers horrifically injured in WW1, and I thought Wade did a masterful job of highlighting what these men dealt with after surviving the battlefields.
Similarly, Wade's protagonist Edith Potter is a woman who has had a very difficult life. Just how difficult is unfurled throughout the book, and is more devastating than I had initially imagined. This book is quite slow-moving, but I was kept engaged throughout, needing to know what horrors were in Edith's past.
I received this novel through NetGalley, from Bloodhound Books, in exchange for an honest review.
taylorhavenholt.com/thhbooks.html

I received this from netgalley.com in exchange for a review.

Set in the backdrop of The Great War, Edith Potter has an equally devastating conflict that is about to begin. She is unhinged by a secret so terrible her conscious mind doesn’t acknowledge it and she devolves into a catatonic state. Floating up and down on the waves of her disturbed mind, it takes until the end of the book to discover Edith's devastating secret.

This is an interesting study of a disturbed and fractured mind. I did get a little lost in the complexity of the story while trying to figure out what happened to Edith and understand her reactions.

3.5☆

It took me a while to work my way through this book. I couldn't envision the direction the story was going to take and that had my speed flagging. It would have been a big mistake to have stopped midway. The really impact of the tale comes at the end, when the revelation is made,and we can look back at the entirety of the tale in a sort of stunned understanding.

I have to repeat that I would have preferred it to be a more concise book but I have to give it four stars , if only because of the way it caught me off guard! This is the story of Edith Potter holed away in the middle of nowhere after the death of her father who was an eminent person in the field of Psychology. She lives under his shadow and seems to have a lot of trouble assimilating completely into her surroundings. There is sanity hidden behind random cracks of insanity in her life. She becomes catatonic and is placed in an asylum after a particular strange episode. Dr. Stephen Maynard then enters the picture.. He is trying to do some research on hypnosis/psychotherapy and ends up encountering her case. The fact that she comes from a very illustrious background makes her a prime patient for him(fame's sake).Unlike the other books I have read recently this does not have a dual time narration, and anything that seems complicated initially, gets clearer at the end. The people are very flawed, each in their own way. This does not make any particular person very lovable, but it's that sort of tale. 

It is neither a light or particularly happy read, but it is something remarkable!

Walls of Silence is an incredible look at the history of mental health and at times is very unsettling. I don’t know much about the history of psychology or mental health so I did go into this blind however I enjoyed learning about it all.

I struggled with the first part of the book as it seemed very disjointed. However the further we dive into the book and into Edith as a person it all seemed to click and I flew through the rest of the book.

I’m a huge fan of books and films set in asylums – American Horror Story: Asylum season is my absolute favourite of the seasons they have made so I was looking forward to diving in to the book.

Edith had my opinions on her change every minute it felt like, at times I loved her, other times I thought she was absolutely vile. This added to the feeling of unease I felt throughout the book – I felt fearful of where the book was going.

I loved Ruth’s writing, she really knows how to make the reader feel uneasy and uncertain. There were times I was looking over my shoulder whilst reading. At times I couldn’t believe the things I was reading when looking at the history of psychiatry and it made me sad and angry that those things were common place in those times. I really admired the research Ruth must have done for this book, it was amazing.

I don’t want to say too much about the book as I found the best part for me was discovering the journey we went on with Edith – it’s one of those books that I think will stick with me for a while. It’s one that I think you’ll either love or hate – if you’re into historical books or about psychiatry then I urge you to read it. It’s unnerving, it’s shocking and at times it’s disturbing.

Words can not describe what Edith Potter went through. Once you find out the back story you are left with your jaw hanging open! I was completely shocked when Stephen found her father’s journal and realized what he did to her. I am not going to tell you, but you need to read this book.

You may find that the psychoanalysis lingo to be confusing but the author has made it where even though you do not understand the wording you understand what is being said. Even for me who sees a psychiatrist & a psychologist was a little confused with some of the language. I was never left in the dark though about what Stephen and the other doctors were saying.

Poor Edith could never get over what was done to her without help. I am surprised that she didn’t have a breakdown long before she did. The lunatic asylum was the worst place for her and if she remained there then she would have just gone into a catatonic state and died. Her mind fought to release the secret that it had kept since she was three years old. What her father did was unforgivable and I am not surprised that she had no love for him.

I highly recommend you read this book, but it is brutal and heart wrenching so be forewarned. It will be slow to grab you completely, but even during the slow parts you are curious as to what is going on and what has happened to her. Plus, you will be dying to find out who Edward is to Edith. I promise you will not regret reading this book.

First, I’m glad I have a background in psychology because some of this book’s talks would have thrown people off just from psychoanalysis. I liked the book for the most part. There were many many slow parts, more so than interesting parts in my opinion. I felt the writing was a little confusing. I would get lost for a page or two at a time and then find my way back. I feel like the last 150 pages redeemed the book for me because I wanted to put the first 200 down so badly.
Character wise, Edith had flaws, obviously. Likable at times but not always. And that’s ok. That was needed for the book and very well understood by the end of it. There’s a twist you don’t see coming. It made sense of everything but it was frustrating along the way that nothing seemed to make sense. For the majority of the book I felt like I was getting pointless information which hindered my reading rate. My one other issue with the book was Stephen and Hallie’s relationship which I never quite bought into.
The historical aspect of the book is minimal unless you’re searching for a brief history of old asylums or the lack of surgical procedures post WWI. With all of this in mind, the last 150 pages kept me interested and I liked the story from that point on.

This book was to die for what a great historical mystery it kept me on the edge of my seat. I have never heard of this author but would love to read more of their work I was very interested in the style and the story.

3.5 stars

This book starts off with that gripping hook that gives you all the disturbing feels, but you can’t stop reading on.

It is post wartime 1927 England, and the surroundings in this novel envelop that time period almost a century ago perfectly. Small town, neighborly feel…you have the market, your grocery store, the butcher, the baker, your local doctor and your church. Small town talk, small town whispers…everyone knows. But do they?

Edith Potter lives alone. Her father, a prominent Doctor in the field of psychology had been murdered and her mother passed away at child birth. Her grandmother aided more or less in her upbringing, but that was far from being a loved child. Now, a spinster of it’s time, in her forties, she isn’t feeling as she thinks she should and has nightmares. Is it grief? Her doctor thinks she is just experiencing some loneliness and gives her suggestions to cope. Edith’s favorite thing to do is tending to her roses. They are her joy and pride. She also is very verse in her father’s field of work and poetry. Amidst these, coping with some things from her past, she falls into a deep and dark depression.

We find Edith later in an asylum for the insane. Among filthy inhumane conditions, she is in a catatonic state and amongst the worst cases to be studied. Dr. Maynard is a budding Doctor with his own theses on the subject and has a chance to try some of his hypnotherapy on Edith, aside from the medications and electroshock therapy that the other doctors are using on the patients. When he recognizes that Edith is the daughter of the renown Dr. Potter, he takes a special interest in her. One that could further his career, but also one of personal liking to the patient. Can he safe her? Are his methods on the brink of a breakthrough or will his own vulnerabilities get in the way?

***

I enjoyed this intricate look into the methods of that time and Edith’s mind. The experience of reading her states go from docile, to angry or sly kept me wondering and guessing. I was sometimes really not sure if she was playing them all? Was she a step ahead? Was she faking anything or was this really her disturbed mind that made her be different from day to day or minute to minute. You want to read it to the end to get your answers, and even then, I am left speechless.

The writing to me was at times a little too long, but so is Edith’s arduous battle. It leaves you exhausted at moments. And although I recommend this book to others, just know you are going into some disturbing territory. If you are up for it, then this is the book for you.