Did anyone know Dr Gabriel Beaufort better than Ruby Rose Gillespie? They were friends at high school. They are secret lovers now. And because he is also the lung-transplant surgeon who saved her life, Ruby will forever be in his debt.
But then the body of Dr Beaufort is found in the wetlands next to the hospital, on the same day as Ruby, a person who lives with cystic fibrosis, is readmitted with a sudden fever.
As the crime scene investigation begins beneath her hospital window, Ruby starts to gather her own clues about her lover’s last movements. But with each new discovery, she is haunted by the question of whether she really knew Gabriel Beaufort at all.
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The Ghost Walk by Karen Herbert is a psychological crime thriller that blends mystery, medical drama, and emotional depth. The story follows Ruby Rose Gillespie, a woman living with cystic fibrosis, whose life is upended when Dr Gabriel Beaufort—her former friend, secret lover, and the surgeon who saved her life—is found dead. Confined to a hospital bed, Ruby begins unraveling the truth, turning her vulnerability into strength as she investigates a crime intertwined with secrets, trust, and ethics. Set against the haunting wetlands of Western Australia, the novel offers an atmospheric backdrop that amplifies the tension. Herbert’s strength lies in crafting flawed, authentic characters and delivering a fresh take on the genre—this isn’t a formulaic whodunit but a slow-burn psychological thriller exploring resilience, morality, and the hidden lives we lead. Perfect for readers who enjoy character-driven mysteries, medical thrillers with an Australian twist, and stories that prioritise psychological depth over action, The Ghost Walk is a compelling read for fans of Jane Harper and those who like their thrillers with heart. Teresa, VIC, 5 stars
The Ghost Walk is a cleverly crafted murder mystery that had me guessing until the end. I especially enjoyed the setting of my home town of Perth. I also found the medical aspects of the story interesting and am very grateful for healthy lungs! I thoroughly enjoyed this compelling read. Highly recommend. Chrissie, WA, 5 stars
The Ghost Walk by Karen Herbert is essentially a murder/mystery with a twist. Set in the ‘hippy days’ of free sex, drugs and rock & roll in Australia; it follows the life and love of a Cystic Fibrosis sufferer who has a successful lung transplant and falls heavily for the highly talented and handsome surgeon who performed the operation. Unfortunately for her, she isn’t the only one to fall for him and he happily shares the love of life with a number of his female patients. When he is discovered face down in a nearby swamp, dead, the rumours and suspects are everywhere; was it an accident or was it murder, and were drugs involved? Keeps you guessing right to the end. Most enjoyable. Terry, SA, 5 stars
The quote on the cover of this novel describes it as a “brooding, breathtaking thriller”. My experience was that it’s more of an exploration of the life of our narrator, Ruby, who has Cystic Fibrosis and a secret relationship with her doctor, Gabe, whose death is the mystery. Those seeking a thriller may be disappointed; the pace doesn’t pick up until the last few chapters, but I thoroughly enjoyed this slow, contemplative exploration of life as a young person with a disability in modern-day Australia. The writing is evocative and I found myself immersed in the world on the pages. Ruby has known Gabe since they were children, but he holds his cards close to his chest and makes no promises about his commitment to her, despite the intimacy of their relationship. Ruby slowly pieces together the truth about the man she shared her life with to find out if she really knew him at all. Thoroughly recommended for those who love quiet, thoughtful character explorations with a touch of mystery. Monique, QLD, 5 stars
The Ghost Walk is an engaging and easy-to-read mystery that I really enjoyed. The story follows Ruby Rose, who shares a deep bond with Gabe, her high school friend and secret lover. As her lung-transplant surgeon, she owes him a debt, adding emotional depth to the plot. Gabe is portrayed as a charismatic, almost god-like figure, but his reputation as a womaniser raises questions about his true character. The story takes a dark turn when Gabe’s body is found in the wetlands near the hospital on the same day Ruby is readmitted. From her hospital window, Ruby Rose begins to notice clues that could suggest she might be involved. As the investigation unfolds, Ruby Rose discovers something that belonged to Gabe after his death, which slowly helps piece the puzzle together. The book weaves suspense, secrets, and betrayal, and kept me guessing till the end. The setting, characters, and themes of loyalty, love, and deception add depth to the story. Overall, I found it a compelling read filled with twists and turns that would appeal to fans of mysteries and psychological thrillers. Angela, QLD, 5 stars
The Ghost Walk was an intriguing mystery that had me hooked from the start. It was amazing to have the main character show the medical condition of cystic fibrosis and the trials and hurdles she had to overcome. Definitely will be recommending this book for book club!!!! Karen, VIC, 5 stars
Really enjoyed it, would definitely recommend!! Kelly, VIC, 4 stars
A really engaging read about a woman who was in hospital and seeing her doctor, a lot of twists and turns, relates well with friendships, a bit of intrigue which keeps you guessing through this storyline, friendships, relationships along the way are all involved in Gabe’s mysterious death. Julie, NSW, 4 stars
The Ghost Walk, by Karen Herbert, is a murder mystery which flips between the past and the present, as we try to work out the who, why and how of the story. The opening page sets the scene, with the discovery of a body at the Ghost Walk, said to be haunted by the ghosts of past who had untimely endings in the area. The main character, Ruby Rose, who had been having secret relationship with the dead man, is struggling to come to terms with the death and begins her own investigation into why he has died – was it a suicide – or was there something else going on? Snippets from her past with him give us greater insight into his personality and movements, leading us to the present day, where there are more questions than answers to be found. With many twists and turns in the plot, the reader is kept guessing right up until the book’s dramatic conclusion. Karina, QLD, 4 stars
The Ghost Walk by Karen Herbert is a compelling story about Ruby Rose Gillespie, who has Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and her longtime friend and lover Dr Gabriel Beaufort. Gabriel is a brilliant, charismatic transplant surgeon with demons of his own. The timeline moves back and forth between Ruby’s childhood, student days and ‘present’. This was fascinating – there are gaps- where the reader pieces together the missing pieces of some pivotal events. Pre- and post- transplant Ruby refuses to be limited by her CF. Gabriel also seems to live life on the edge and is not always traditional (or ethical) in some of his decisions. Karen Herbert wanted to build CF into the storyline and she does this brilliantly. I found it fascinating having lost a close friend and a fellow student to CF in my teens. It gave me a much greater understanding of the impacts of their illness, its impacts and explain some of the outward signs, which I had not recognised. Sadly my friends lived and died in the pre-transplant era. So again, I found that Ruby’s story gave me pause to reflect on the ‘what if’ elements of their stories. Vale Carolyn and Adam. Thank you Karen for these insights. Well worth reading. Terese, TAS, 4 stars
The Ghost Walk is a slow burn mystery with intriguing characters who could all have been in the frame for the murder of Dr Gabriel Beaufort. We meet Ruby Rose Gillespie, the secret lover of Dr Beaufort, the day she is admitted to hospital with an infection. The same day his body is found in the wetlands next to the hospital. Through a then and now storyline the reader is immersed in the history of Ruby and Gabriel, their friend group, family ties, university years, Ruby’s life with cystic fibrosis and subsequent lung transplant, Gabriel’s glittering career and their secret love affair. Many secrets are uncovered about Gabriel and a research project he was heading and Ruby is determined to find out why he died. I really enjoyed the pace of this story. There was an almost sinister undertone and I had no idea how this was going to pan out. The build up to the ending was well done and oh my gosh those last two chapters were amazing. Michele, NSW, 4 stars
Good read, flowed well , I was able to keep up with the characters, great storyline with a surprise ending. Recommend read Robynne, NSW, 4 stars
Told from the perspective of Ruby, ‘The Ghost Walk’ unravels in layers. I loved the way the author built Ruby’s character and explored the complexities of relationships and how they shape us. Having a central character who is a transplant recipient gave me an opportunity to learn more about Cystic Fibrosis as well as think more deeply about organ donation. A great Perth based mystery. Charlotte, WA, 4 stars
The Ghost Walk by Karen Herbert was an interesting story. Ruby Gillespie suffers from cystic fibrosis, and has had a lung transplant. Her doctor, Gabriel Beaufort, has been a friend since childhood, and is her secret lover. His body is discovered in wetlands near the hospital. The story jumps back and forth to stages in Ruby’s life, but follows Ruby’s realisation of how little she knew Gabriel. I got a bit lost at times as to time lines, but overall I enjoyed the story, and the way it unfolded. Fay, VIC, 4 stars
Easy to consume, likeable (but flawed) characters, a well paced storyline and an intriguing ending. The Ghost Walks grip got tighter the more pages I read. Melissa, QLD, 3 stars
The Ghost Walk isn’t your typical fast-paced thriller, and honestly I quite liked the slow reveal throughout the story. The main character, Ruby, lives with a chronic illness and I liked how the author wove her experience into the mystery without making it the whole focus. The book moves between past and present, gradually revealing Ruby’s relationships with friends and family and her connection to the murder of her childhood friend, Gabe. If you like a book thats character – driven and a good mystery which has you guessing right up until the end, I think you’ll really like this one. Kylie, VIC, 3 stars
This was twisty and atmospheric and I loved the perspective of the narrator and the details of their struggles and triumphs living with cystic fibrosis. Laura, VIC, 3 stars
I’ve just finished reading The Ghost Walk by Karen Herbert. Described on the cover as a ‘breathless thriller with so many twists your head will spin’, I was expecting a fast paced read. It is not. However I did enjoy the book. Ruby Rose is a great lead character, down to earth with lots of heart. I wondered about her lack of strong emotion following her lover’s death but I enjoyed learning about her life choices. She is a very likeable character. The big ‘twist’ at the end was unexpected but a bit disappointing and without giving anything away I didn’t really enjoy the last few chapters. Steph, NSW, 3 stars
I found this slow going and a bit difficult to relate to the characters at times and the switching time lines. It picked up towards the end and the conclusion was quite captivating. Keryn, SA, 3 stars
I found it really hard to read as I had no connection with the main character.Some may really enjoy this book but I found it lacking in depth, involvement and rhythm.The ending was very unsatisfactory and I felt let down after committing the time to read it. Some chapters made me wonder if I had forgotten the storyline.Sorry I did not enjoy and would not recommend. Mark, SA, 1 star
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