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The Infirmary
Obsession is a sickness
For which there is no cure.
Suffolk, 1847.
Charles Keller needs to escape London, so he leaps when he is offered a position as surgeon at a country infirmary for the poor. But St Cross is not as he expected, and he soon finds himself reflecting on a promise he once made. A promise to do no harm.
Some promises are made to be broken.
Suffolk, 2023.
Liam has brought his family to an old country house for a holiday, a former infirmary called St Cross. He can't tell them why they are really here, but he hopes that, after this, he can start again. No more lies, no more secrets. But what Liam doesn't know is that the house is keeping secrets of its own.
And some secrets are so dark, they should never be brought to light.
For which there is no cure.
Suffolk, 1847.
Charles Keller needs to escape London, so he leaps when he is offered a position as surgeon at a country infirmary for the poor. But St Cross is not as he expected, and he soon finds himself reflecting on a promise he once made. A promise to do no harm.
Some promises are made to be broken.
Suffolk, 2023.
Liam has brought his family to an old country house for a holiday, a former infirmary called St Cross. He can't tell them why they are really here, but he hopes that, after this, he can start again. No more lies, no more secrets. But what Liam doesn't know is that the house is keeping secrets of its own.
And some secrets are so dark, they should never be brought to light.
356 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 9, 2025
8 people are currently reading
223 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
December 20, 2025
Haunting of Hill House but make it medical! This itched the spot in my brain that was craving a truly haunted story.
Set in a manor house that was previously an Infirmary for the poor, a family takes a little vacation to this house under the terms that they look after the tenants cats and stay out of her room.
There's family secrets, chilling history, weird locals, strained relationships and things that go bump in the night that make goosebumps on your skin.
Set in a manor house that was previously an Infirmary for the poor, a family takes a little vacation to this house under the terms that they look after the tenants cats and stay out of her room.
There's family secrets, chilling history, weird locals, strained relationships and things that go bump in the night that make goosebumps on your skin.
November 12, 2025
Liam, his wife Jess and two daughters Summer and Xanthe are going on holiday. Not to France like last year however but a fortnight in a rambling old house, St Cross which used to be an Infirmary.
This is now the second book I've read by the author. The first being Hear Him Calling which I found just ok. This one I enjoyed more and I've still got The Toll House to read.
Set in two timelines, 2023 and 1847. In the latter Charles Keller has gone to work at The Infirmary and his accounts are told via letters and diary entries which I quite liked. The present day is told from the pov of all the family members.
This story is the classic gothic haunted house. There was plenty of atmosphere and a few creepy moments. I don't think the story had anything new but it did hold my interest.
At the end of spooky season now and I'm coming to the end of my planned creepy reads so I'm ready for a change now.
I did enjoy this book and will read more by the author in the future.
Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for a copy of the book.
This is now the second book I've read by the author. The first being Hear Him Calling which I found just ok. This one I enjoyed more and I've still got The Toll House to read.
Set in two timelines, 2023 and 1847. In the latter Charles Keller has gone to work at The Infirmary and his accounts are told via letters and diary entries which I quite liked. The present day is told from the pov of all the family members.
This story is the classic gothic haunted house. There was plenty of atmosphere and a few creepy moments. I don't think the story had anything new but it did hold my interest.
At the end of spooky season now and I'm coming to the end of my planned creepy reads so I'm ready for a change now.
I did enjoy this book and will read more by the author in the future.
Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for a copy of the book.
November 5, 2025
Hauntingly atmospheric, a gothic blend of tension, the unknown, and a marred history yearning to be repeated…. Highly recommend!
September 15, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley and Sphere for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
Carly has such a talent for depicting space. This is only the second book of hers I've read - I loved The Toll House an I do have a copy of Hear Him Calling - but this sense of space and place is so impressive. She's depicted the claustrophobia the building offers the characters, even though it's a large open house, which I think is really good. She's found the shadows that hide the evil.
I love a dual narrative, dual timeline book when it's done right. The present scenes are a lot more prevalent than the older scenes, there's definitely an imbalance here, but I don't mean that as a negative, just an observation. The older scenes, on the whole, aren't really scenes, they're more notices, rules, letters etc. I would have loved a bit more of those scenes, a bit more expanded upon, but that's just down to my personal taste that I wanted more of that historical element.
I don't like scary books or horror books, yet I enjoy psychological thrillers and gothic thrillers, and I think this errs more on that side than horror, which was good for me. There are scares yes, but they're not there for horror's sake. There's no real crash and bangs, or lots of jump scares. It's quiet. All the shadows and whispers and how your imagination can run away with you, and for me that is often scarier than true horror.
I finished it within a day. It keeps you on the edge of your seat and you're desperate to know what happens next.
There's not a huge cast of characters which adds to this sense of claustrophobia. What I liked is Carly has given the child characters as much air time as the adults. They're just as important and have exciting stories. Sometimes children characters - unless it's in a kids book - are an afterthought and aren't given good storylines. But they both get something to get their teeth into in this book.
It starts off slow, and you're almost lulled into a false sense of security, and Carly has managed to build the tension up without making it obvious, before it comes to a climax at the end.
I couldn't have timed it better. I read this on a day in mid-September, when autumn had officially set in. I had all the lights off and was tucked up under a blanket, and the heavens opened and it started thundering and lightning and it was perfect for the tone of this book.
Carly has such a talent for depicting space. This is only the second book of hers I've read - I loved The Toll House an I do have a copy of Hear Him Calling - but this sense of space and place is so impressive. She's depicted the claustrophobia the building offers the characters, even though it's a large open house, which I think is really good. She's found the shadows that hide the evil.
I love a dual narrative, dual timeline book when it's done right. The present scenes are a lot more prevalent than the older scenes, there's definitely an imbalance here, but I don't mean that as a negative, just an observation. The older scenes, on the whole, aren't really scenes, they're more notices, rules, letters etc. I would have loved a bit more of those scenes, a bit more expanded upon, but that's just down to my personal taste that I wanted more of that historical element.
I don't like scary books or horror books, yet I enjoy psychological thrillers and gothic thrillers, and I think this errs more on that side than horror, which was good for me. There are scares yes, but they're not there for horror's sake. There's no real crash and bangs, or lots of jump scares. It's quiet. All the shadows and whispers and how your imagination can run away with you, and for me that is often scarier than true horror.
I finished it within a day. It keeps you on the edge of your seat and you're desperate to know what happens next.
There's not a huge cast of characters which adds to this sense of claustrophobia. What I liked is Carly has given the child characters as much air time as the adults. They're just as important and have exciting stories. Sometimes children characters - unless it's in a kids book - are an afterthought and aren't given good storylines. But they both get something to get their teeth into in this book.
It starts off slow, and you're almost lulled into a false sense of security, and Carly has managed to build the tension up without making it obvious, before it comes to a climax at the end.
I couldn't have timed it better. I read this on a day in mid-September, when autumn had officially set in. I had all the lights off and was tucked up under a blanket, and the heavens opened and it started thundering and lightning and it was perfect for the tone of this book.
September 13, 2025
Tap...Tap..Tap.. I think I'll be hearing that in my dreams!
I don't think I have ever read a book that shrouded my whole body with such an atmospheric, creepy, and spine tingling feeling before. I had this sense of darkness and foreboding from the very start, which, whilst unsettling, just made me want to read even more.
This was a new author for me but one that I will 100% be following from now on and have already downloaded her previous books.
Set in dual timelines of 1847 and 2023, the plot is centred around The Infirmary. Now, a home to Mrs Clarence but was once an Infirmary for the poor men, women, and children of the workhouses. Set up by Mr Massingham but ran by surgeon Mr Charles Kellar, it's a place of cruelty, despair and sickness. Sickness that seems to bleed into the very walls that are meant to heal.
In 2023, Liam, a writer, who's life over the past year hasn't gone to plan, arrives at the home of Mrs Clarence, with his wife Jess and two daughters, for a house/cat sitting holiday.
Not realising it's past until told by a local, from the very first day, things don't feel right. The house is absolutely filthy, musty, and mouldy. Each member of the family experiences strange happenings that eventually build up to such a crescendo that I could feel their heart palpitations through the pages.
I particularly loved the descriptions of the old medical procedures, practices, and tools. As a reader, I could so easily visualise the rooms and what was happening perfectly and feel the fear and trepidation of being on the table.
In both timelines, the characters themselves were detailed to perfection, and I think the Infirmary was a whole character in itself, and not a nice one at that! I love nothing more than a plot with a host of well written characters, and this one so easily fulfilled that for me.
Deliciously creepy, atmospheric from start to finish, heart pounding, thrilling, and with a sublime ending, I honestly can't recommend enough.
Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for the ARC.
I don't think I have ever read a book that shrouded my whole body with such an atmospheric, creepy, and spine tingling feeling before. I had this sense of darkness and foreboding from the very start, which, whilst unsettling, just made me want to read even more.
This was a new author for me but one that I will 100% be following from now on and have already downloaded her previous books.
Set in dual timelines of 1847 and 2023, the plot is centred around The Infirmary. Now, a home to Mrs Clarence but was once an Infirmary for the poor men, women, and children of the workhouses. Set up by Mr Massingham but ran by surgeon Mr Charles Kellar, it's a place of cruelty, despair and sickness. Sickness that seems to bleed into the very walls that are meant to heal.
In 2023, Liam, a writer, who's life over the past year hasn't gone to plan, arrives at the home of Mrs Clarence, with his wife Jess and two daughters, for a house/cat sitting holiday.
Not realising it's past until told by a local, from the very first day, things don't feel right. The house is absolutely filthy, musty, and mouldy. Each member of the family experiences strange happenings that eventually build up to such a crescendo that I could feel their heart palpitations through the pages.
I particularly loved the descriptions of the old medical procedures, practices, and tools. As a reader, I could so easily visualise the rooms and what was happening perfectly and feel the fear and trepidation of being on the table.
In both timelines, the characters themselves were detailed to perfection, and I think the Infirmary was a whole character in itself, and not a nice one at that! I love nothing more than a plot with a host of well written characters, and this one so easily fulfilled that for me.
Deliciously creepy, atmospheric from start to finish, heart pounding, thrilling, and with a sublime ending, I honestly can't recommend enough.
Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for the ARC.
October 27, 2025
Utterly gripped. loved it.
September 13, 2025
Great read for lovers of creepy tales and haunted houses. Secrets abound in this story, The narrative switches between members of a family who have been offered the mansion for a cheap housesitting vacation, and when the building was used as an infirmary for the poor, many who died there.
Well written and will keep you on edge and eager to know more.
Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Well written and will keep you on edge and eager to know more.
Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 5, 2025
The Infirmary
It’s 1847 and a huge rambling mansion in Suffolk called ‘St Cross’ has become the Infirmary. It’s intended to be a place of healing for the inhabitants of the local workhouse but, instead, it has become a place of death and pain. A surgeon, Charles Keller, is in charge and he is determined to prevent so many deaths from the primitive operating methods currently in use. This decision will make matters worse as he becomes obsessed.
In 2023, Liam with his wife Jess and their two daughters, Xanthe aged 7 and Summer who is 16, arrive at St Cross for a house and cat sitting holiday. The house now belongs to a rich old lady, Mrs Clarence, who is away holidaying in Scotland. Liam is a writer and wrote a hugely successful novel. Now his publishers and agent are all eagerly awaiting his second. So is he. Unbeknown to Jess, Liam’s life has started to seriously unravel. Although he claims to be busily writing, he is in fact beginning to acquire a drinking habit and has used the holiday to run away from his other problems.
St Cross is rundown and neglected with traces of its past all around. It’s Jess who experiences the strange things at first; doors swaying or opening and shutting by themselves and she finds Charles Keller’s diary from 1847. It’s an uneasy read as it chronicles the brutal surgery that was being practiced there. She notices that the set of bells in the kitchen become more legible as the days progress and she realises that they aren’t for servants but for the various rooms such as the morgue.
Xantha goes exploring and finds a Wendy house in the grounds which is a replica of St Cross and meets some of the neighbours as does Summer. She takes part in scrying experiments with a local boy, the gardener’s grandson, and discovers that the Infirmary is far from being closed and forgotten.
It is the spooky season and there’s always a few ghost stories out at this time of year. ‘The Infirmary was a creepy, atmospheric story. ‘The Infirmary’ was suitably eerie and I like the way that it began so subtly with doors swaying and items such as jewellery being lost and was then carefully built up. I could visualise the house so well amid the family’s increasing concern that they were not alone. Especially when they realises its gory past which is refusing to stay buried.
The two timelines of 1847 and 2023 worked well and the primitive methods of treating people made me wince more than once. But the method that Charles devises is not much better. I liked the way that the reader eventually finds out the reason why Liam doesn’t like hospitals and how the old house has played upon it. However, I felt that Xanthe’s character could have been developed more as she was intriguing and I did wonder why anyone would want a Wendy house of the Infirmary?
I read this book in one sitting as I became so engrossed in it and it is an easy read. A really good ghost story with a great, dark atmosphere.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC.
It’s 1847 and a huge rambling mansion in Suffolk called ‘St Cross’ has become the Infirmary. It’s intended to be a place of healing for the inhabitants of the local workhouse but, instead, it has become a place of death and pain. A surgeon, Charles Keller, is in charge and he is determined to prevent so many deaths from the primitive operating methods currently in use. This decision will make matters worse as he becomes obsessed.
In 2023, Liam with his wife Jess and their two daughters, Xanthe aged 7 and Summer who is 16, arrive at St Cross for a house and cat sitting holiday. The house now belongs to a rich old lady, Mrs Clarence, who is away holidaying in Scotland. Liam is a writer and wrote a hugely successful novel. Now his publishers and agent are all eagerly awaiting his second. So is he. Unbeknown to Jess, Liam’s life has started to seriously unravel. Although he claims to be busily writing, he is in fact beginning to acquire a drinking habit and has used the holiday to run away from his other problems.
St Cross is rundown and neglected with traces of its past all around. It’s Jess who experiences the strange things at first; doors swaying or opening and shutting by themselves and she finds Charles Keller’s diary from 1847. It’s an uneasy read as it chronicles the brutal surgery that was being practiced there. She notices that the set of bells in the kitchen become more legible as the days progress and she realises that they aren’t for servants but for the various rooms such as the morgue.
Xantha goes exploring and finds a Wendy house in the grounds which is a replica of St Cross and meets some of the neighbours as does Summer. She takes part in scrying experiments with a local boy, the gardener’s grandson, and discovers that the Infirmary is far from being closed and forgotten.
It is the spooky season and there’s always a few ghost stories out at this time of year. ‘The Infirmary was a creepy, atmospheric story. ‘The Infirmary’ was suitably eerie and I like the way that it began so subtly with doors swaying and items such as jewellery being lost and was then carefully built up. I could visualise the house so well amid the family’s increasing concern that they were not alone. Especially when they realises its gory past which is refusing to stay buried.
The two timelines of 1847 and 2023 worked well and the primitive methods of treating people made me wince more than once. But the method that Charles devises is not much better. I liked the way that the reader eventually finds out the reason why Liam doesn’t like hospitals and how the old house has played upon it. However, I felt that Xanthe’s character could have been developed more as she was intriguing and I did wonder why anyone would want a Wendy house of the Infirmary?
I read this book in one sitting as I became so engrossed in it and it is an easy read. A really good ghost story with a great, dark atmosphere.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC.
October 13, 2025
Life hasn't been so good for Liam and his wife Jess lately. Liam, a writer, has failed to produce a second book, he's under pressure financially and needs to come up with something. He's also been hiding things from Jess and it's all beginning to escalate. So when the chance for a cheap holiday comes up Liam decides to take it. Liam, Jess and their daughters Summer 16 and Xanthe 7 need the break. They will be cat sitting for an elderly lady on the Suffolk coast.
But when the family arrive at St Cross the mansion house is far from welcoming. It's dark, cold, dusty and unloved. Liam decides he will hunker down and get on with his book and Jess tries to be upbeat for the sake of the girls. But it's soon clear that St Cross has it's history and holds many dark secrets. Each member of the family begins to experience strange occurrences. What is the house trying to tell them?
Told in alternating chapters from the POV of Liam, Jess, Summer and occasionally Xanthe The Infirmary is atmospheric and chilling. We also hear extracts from the diary of Charles Keller a surgeon at St Cross in 1847 when it was then an infirmary. The diary details the treatments of the poor men, women and children he operated on. It's horrifying and disturbing.
The Infirmary is the third novel I've read by Carly Reagon. She's very good at creating chilling ghost stories with detailed characters in creepy settings. I really enjoyed the book and can certainly recommend for the spooky season!
But when the family arrive at St Cross the mansion house is far from welcoming. It's dark, cold, dusty and unloved. Liam decides he will hunker down and get on with his book and Jess tries to be upbeat for the sake of the girls. But it's soon clear that St Cross has it's history and holds many dark secrets. Each member of the family begins to experience strange occurrences. What is the house trying to tell them?
Told in alternating chapters from the POV of Liam, Jess, Summer and occasionally Xanthe The Infirmary is atmospheric and chilling. We also hear extracts from the diary of Charles Keller a surgeon at St Cross in 1847 when it was then an infirmary. The diary details the treatments of the poor men, women and children he operated on. It's horrifying and disturbing.
The Infirmary is the third novel I've read by Carly Reagon. She's very good at creating chilling ghost stories with detailed characters in creepy settings. I really enjoyed the book and can certainly recommend for the spooky season!
November 14, 2025
If you want a good spooky story that will suck you in and make you jump as someone walks into the room whilst you’re reading it, look no further than Carly Reagon’s books. I really enjoyed The Toll House last year so I was looking forward to The Infirmary being published this autumn.
This is definitely another atmospheric read. When Liam and Jess arrive at St Cross in Suffolk for a two week house-sitting holiday, it is meant to be a recharge after a tricky year they’ve had as a family. Their two girls both have a hard year behind them, Liam has writer’s block and is hiding secrets of his own and Jess is exhausted from trying to keep the family together and functioning. But things don’t feel right from the moment they arrive. The house affects them all but in its own way. Strange noises, locked doors, a bricked up internal window, a face in a mirror, an old diary from the mid 19th century all create a tense atmosphere. Interspersed with the present day are snippets from the diary, which start to build a picture as to what is at force in St Cross or should we say at the old infirmary? Could this ever end well for Jess and her family?
I mixed hard copy and audio for this one and the narration was really good. The multi POV, short chapters also make it a book hard to put down. If you fancy a spooky read then I can easily recommend Carly’s writing.
This is definitely another atmospheric read. When Liam and Jess arrive at St Cross in Suffolk for a two week house-sitting holiday, it is meant to be a recharge after a tricky year they’ve had as a family. Their two girls both have a hard year behind them, Liam has writer’s block and is hiding secrets of his own and Jess is exhausted from trying to keep the family together and functioning. But things don’t feel right from the moment they arrive. The house affects them all but in its own way. Strange noises, locked doors, a bricked up internal window, a face in a mirror, an old diary from the mid 19th century all create a tense atmosphere. Interspersed with the present day are snippets from the diary, which start to build a picture as to what is at force in St Cross or should we say at the old infirmary? Could this ever end well for Jess and her family?
I mixed hard copy and audio for this one and the narration was really good. The multi POV, short chapters also make it a book hard to put down. If you fancy a spooky read then I can easily recommend Carly’s writing.
September 25, 2025
3/3.5
First, let me tell you how excited I was to get a copy of this book. That was unexpected. The blurb looked very mysterious (and the cover is pretty cool too). Overall, it was a good read and I enjoyed the "ghost" plot, less the family and the characters.
PLOT: I liked the different POVs, but I'm not a fan of Xanthe's role in the book (I won't spoil anything, you have to read it). Xanthe is the younger child (she's 7). Summer character was interesting, but it felt there could have been something more, so it ended being a bit flat for me. Jess and Liam had their problems, and it worked for the plot.
I liked the writing, which was really good and enjoyable. The author did an amazing job of creating the atmosphere of St Cross.
Pick it up if you like:
- Gloomy / English settings
- Horror and Ghosts
- Complex familial relationships
- Secrets and lies
A note: the book has some blood-related scenes and descriptions.
I received an e-ARC from Little, Brown Book Group UK | Sphere via Netgalley. Thank you for the opportunity to haunt the halls of the infirmary. This review is my own and I'm leaving it voluntarily.
First, let me tell you how excited I was to get a copy of this book. That was unexpected. The blurb looked very mysterious (and the cover is pretty cool too). Overall, it was a good read and I enjoyed the "ghost" plot, less the family and the characters.
PLOT: I liked the different POVs, but I'm not a fan of Xanthe's role in the book (I won't spoil anything, you have to read it). Xanthe is the younger child (she's 7). Summer character was interesting, but it felt there could have been something more, so it ended being a bit flat for me. Jess and Liam had their problems, and it worked for the plot.
I liked the writing, which was really good and enjoyable. The author did an amazing job of creating the atmosphere of St Cross.
Pick it up if you like:
- Gloomy / English settings
- Horror and Ghosts
- Complex familial relationships
- Secrets and lies
A note: the book has some blood-related scenes and descriptions.
I received an e-ARC from Little, Brown Book Group UK | Sphere via Netgalley. Thank you for the opportunity to haunt the halls of the infirmary. This review is my own and I'm leaving it voluntarily.
October 15, 2025
Carly has an amazing ability to really immerse you in the story; despite reading this by a pool in 30°+ celcius I could feel the chill in the air and the claustrophobia of the house. At the (rare) times I thought I knew where the story was going, the very next chapter would prove me completely wrong. 10/10, cannot wait til the next one!
November 14, 2025
I’m starting to think that Carly Reagon and I are not meant to be. The endings of the last two books I’ve read by her were totally flubbed. This one was particularly abrupt. Then there are the bits that turn out to have nothing to do with anything. Filler? Red herrings? Who cares?! I actually like her writing-it’s the story I find wanting.
October 11, 2025
A very atmospheric, chilling read. Liam and his family go to stay in an old mansion where strange happenings occur. A captive story, although I felt it was a little drawn out in places.
November 16, 2025
3.5 from me. similar in style to her other 2 books, didnt really gel with the people in tge story but did find the story suspenseful in parts.
November 30, 2025
An enjoyable haunted house tale for the dark evenings with chilling moments and creepy ghosts :)
November 30, 2025
‘I’ve been told there’s no one here, we’ll have the place to ourselves, but I can’t shake the feeling someone’s waiting for us inside.’
I did devour this very quickly but I didn’t enjoy it much. It just felt flat for me.
For horror fans.
I did devour this very quickly but I didn’t enjoy it much. It just felt flat for me.
For horror fans.
October 23, 2025
Not Good….
A very long drawn out story in two halves.
Suffolk 2023 for me was a pointless piece of writing.
Suffolk 1847 would have made a better novel if CR had written entirely about the miss-dead’s,
The people involved , the consequences and eventuality of “ The Infirmary 1847 “
It had so much potential with this story alone.
Would I read it again….No
Would I recommend it….No
A ⭐️⭐️ rating
A very long drawn out story in two halves.
Suffolk 2023 for me was a pointless piece of writing.
Suffolk 1847 would have made a better novel if CR had written entirely about the miss-dead’s,
The people involved , the consequences and eventuality of “ The Infirmary 1847 “
It had so much potential with this story alone.
Would I read it again….No
Would I recommend it….No
A ⭐️⭐️ rating
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