The Ghost Walk (Karen Herbert, Fremantle)

Ruby Rose Gillespie lives with cystic fibrosis and is admitted to the hospital for a fever on the same day the body of Dr Gabriel Beaufort – her high school friend, secret lover, and the surgeon who performed her lung transplant – is discovered in the nearby swampy wetlands. Rumours quickly begin to swirl, ranging from conflicting accounts to outright conspiracy theories about Gabe’s final days. Driven by grief and uncertainty, Ruby begins piecing together the truth about a man she realises she may never have truly known. Medical drama and forbidden romance collide in The Ghost Walk, creating an engaging thriller. Set against the vivid, atmospheric landscape of the wetlands and grounded in the medical realities of Ruby’s life, Karen Herbert (The Cast Aways of Harewood Hall) skilfully balances suspense with psychological intrigue. She carefully feeds readers a steady trail of breadcrumbs, building tension while leading to a final revelation that is viscerally shocking. The novel closes on a melancholic yet powerful note, offering emotional resonance and narrative closure, leaving readers with the sense that no stone has been left unturned. Herbert continues to carve out a strong presence in the Australian crime and thriller genre with The Ghost Walk, proving she can stand confidently alongside writers such as Chris Hammer (Silver), Jane Harper (Force of Nature) and Candice Fox (Crimson Lake).

Books+Publishing reviewer: Bohdi Byles is a queer, Indigenous freelance reviewer with a background in bookselling, library work, publishing and writing. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

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