Vertigo

by Karen Herbert

Frances, a public servant, is struggling to come to terms with the disappearance of her colleague Eric, and the death of her brother. Asked to review Eric’s last work file, Frances becomes an accidental sleuth, analysing spreadsheets and reports for clues that may help solve Eric’s mysterious disappearance.

As Frances uncovers a trail of corruption that leads to the highest levels of government, she must use her wits and resourcefulness to stay one step ahead of those who want to keep the truth hidden. But will her personal vendetta lead her straight into danger?

With twists and turns at every corner, this is a must-read for mystery fans from the bestselling author of The River Mouth.

Genres: Crime, Mystery

320 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2023

Reviews

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vertigo was an interesting crime/political thriller set in Perth, Western Australia. It took me a few chapters to get into the story but once I did I found it hard to put down.

The story of a missing public investigator and a colleague who can’t let it go, putting herself in danger in the process. There is multiple cover ups, corruption at the highest levels, racism, drugs and a whole lot more going on here and it kept me invested until the very end. It was twisty and not too predictable.

I did love that Frances, the main character, was an AFL fan and went to watch the games. I always liked that the Swans beat her team 😆😆

Thanks to Fremantle Press for sending me a copy of genius book to read. I will be interested to see what else this author comes out with.

[Sharah McConville · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vertigo by Karen Herbert is an Australian crime novel, bordering on political thriller (in my opinion). It took me several chapters to get into this story, but after that I couldn’t put it down! Frances Geller works as a public servant, in the Public Enquires department in Perth, Western Australia. Eric Steyn leads their team but mysteriously disappears one night after work. Frances eventually takes over Eric’s work cases and begins to suspect that a case he was working is connected to his disappearance. Homelessness, drug trafficking, racism, and government corruption are all issues that connect this mystery. On top of that, Frances sufferers with the debilitating condition of Meniere’s Disease (which I and the author both suffer from!) which constantly makes her life difficult. Thank you to Good Reading magazine, Fremantle Press, and the author for my ARC. 4.5 Stars.

[Elle (IG: simply.elle18) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The idea of a public investigator turning sleuth and taking on an intimidating foe is a good premise, setting one up for a high voltage reading experience. I found, however, that the author veered away from the main stream of the story a lot, making it difficult to keep me engaged. I also prefer a faster paced book and this one was a bit slow for my taste.

Overall Vertigo is an entertaining read and I'm sure fans of investigative novels will enjoy this one.

[nina.reads.books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vertigo by Karen Herbert is a mystery book with a different kind of protagonist which allowed for a different kind of reading experience from your usual crime novel.

Frances is a public servant in the Western Australian government with responsibilities in public investigations. She and her team are still bruised from the mysterious disappearance of their colleague Eric a year earlier. When the office is being packed up for a move and some of Eric’s files are uncovered, Frances is asked to review his last case. Soon she becomes an amateur detective, uncovering clues that might help find out what happened to Eric. But the corruption she starts to uncover leads to more and more dangerous situations. Will she find out what happened to Eric before she herself is targeted?

This was definitely a different read for me. As a public servant myself (though at the Federal level) I recognised the bureaucractic speak and thought the focus on government employees was a unique way of presenting a mystery novel. Another point of difference was that Frances had a sometimes debilitating health condition – the vertigo of the title – and the way the author normalises her symptoms and how she tries (or doesn’t at times) to prevent them was refreshing.

I did find though that the story was a bit slow paced. The plot became quite tangled and convoluted for me towards the end and I struggled a little to unpack what was happening and all the different characters from the past and how they linked to the present. It did though have a satisfying if a little farfetched ending. Overall a solid novel for fans of Australian crime/mystery writing.

Thank you to @tfremantlepress for my #gifted copy.

[Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a new kind of book for me, I haven’t read any books from a public servants perspective before, so that was an interesting point of view. I was intrigued at first but then it fell a bit flat. It’s a real slow burn crime novel with lots of information about public housing, health inquiries and public servants.

It touches on many issues such as government corruption, racism, drugs and homelessness. The main character and the author both have Ménière’s disease, I didn’t know much about this before.

An interesting read but at the moment I think I need more suspense and a faster pace.

Thank you @fremantlepress for sending me a copy to review.

[Stephen Ormsby · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of a slow burn story, this novel takes a while to find its feet, but one you get stuck into this one, it takes you on a real journey. Stick with this novel and you will be rewarded with a great premise and a story that lends itself to a sequel or two.

I received an ARC from Good Reading for an honest review.

[Hermien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Especially enjoyable because of the Perth background.

[Georgy Hadwen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ive realised that like greatness itself, some books are great , some become great and some have ( some) greatness thrust upon them. This book was in the latter: in the highly recommended section of my public library and purported to be the new voice of Australian crime. I wish...... I don't know if the author really had a serious direction of travel: one minute a missing person plot, then a critique of government policy , then a polemic about discrimination of marginal groups. I also as a sufferer to some extent of balance issues (unconfirmed Meniere's ) and actually felt sick/disorientated in relentless and unnecessary descriptions of episodic vestibular disturbance. I wanted to add that I have lived in public housing and in a situation where drugs were being actively sold making the need to move immediate for anyone who wasn't using. I struggled too with the style. As a fellow Aussie, the cosy allusion to tim-tams ( the only choc biscuit it seems) alongside the age focused description of team dynamics which i observe at my workplace in 20 somethings was off putting. Without spoiling the ending, the final scene was frankly a 'how do I end this book quickly' example. I have rarely so not enjoyed any aspect of a book. I kept going purely to see if it improved...it didn't. I don't enjoy writing negative reviews but boy this for me was one

[Catsalive · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fran Geller is an investigative accountant in a public service department whose main raison d'etre appears to be the examination of the use of funding within the Public Housing sector. Fran & her colleagues analyse documentation for such things as fund misappropriation & internal corruption, reporting their findings to parliament.

When one of Fran's colleagues disappears & some missing files come to light, she wonders if he had uncovered something better left buried. Fran investigates quietly but it soon becomes obvious that someone is trying to discourage her efforts. To make things more difficult, Fran suffers from severe Meuniere's disease which is a source of anxiety & stress in itself.

I was very interested in the premise of this book; I enjoyed the almost satirical quality of the investigative process & found some of the characters' discussions very amusing. It does get bogged down in the details, becoming quite convoluted at times, & I'm not entirely sure about the resolution, it feels a little unfinished. I loved the setting in Perth & rural WA.

[Michele (michelethebookdragon) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

Vertigo was a good story and I enjoyed the political intrigue.

Centred around the WA political landscape and the machinations between parliament, media, action groups and the internal departments meant to keep them on the straight and narrow. We are given a birds eye view of the often corrupt dealings that can occur that perpetrate the ever growing chasm between that haves and the have nots.

While I enjoyed the story, there were places that it meandered a bit and there were chapters that really didn't add to the story. They were interesting, but had no relevance that I could see. I liked the link back to the author's first novel, The River Mouth.

I think this story would lend itself well to a TV adaptation.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vertigo by Karen Herbert is quite an intriguing crime mystery book. I usually quite enjoy these types of novels, but Vertigo just didn’t do anything g for me. I found that it just dragged along at times, I was thinking where is this going and what is the point of particular sequences. I thought the ending left things quite open, & didn’t really finish up any of the stories within the book.
Overall, it was an ok read, but just not for me, however I’m sure others will enjoy it.

[Ron Duggleby · Rating 1 out of 5]

In Chapter 1, Eric goes missing. I am now more than 60% of the way through the book and the narrative has not progressed at all in finding what happened to him or give us readers some clues so that we might form our own theories. Just lots of tedious, self-serving and irrelevant filler.

I am not going to finish this book. I have reached the point where I do not care about Eric or any of the other characters.

Read it if you want. I have more interesting things to do.

[Jess Checkland · Rating 3 out of 5]

This latest novel from the bestselling author of The River Mouth is a must-read for mystery enthusiasts. Tackling heavy issues such as homelessness, drug trafficking, racism, and government corruption, the narrative weaves a complex web that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The inclusion of disability representation adds depth and authenticity to the story. This book promises an exhilarating journey through a labyrinth of intrigue and suspense.

[Peter Corke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Am happy to see Australian crime fiction, but this book is not for me. I found it quite was tedious, and I got to the point where I just couldn’t read another page. I cared so little about the characters and I found the plot so thin that I didn’t even skip to the end. Too much extraneous detail, and the narrative was a bit disjointed.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed it but it had some faults. Set in Perth, Western Australia and surrounds was a plus. It was interesting reading about Government public investigators. However there were too many side characters and the ending was fanciful to say the least. A good read non the less, well paced and interesting.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot was a bit convoluted and I had trouble keeping track of all the characters. The ending was too far fetched and it seemed as though everyone Frances had ever known was involved in this mystery somehow.

[Tethysnz · Rating 1 out of 5]

Interesting premise of a disappeared public servant and his colleague investigating. The Ménière’s disease angle was something different too. But there were just too many bits of plot all tangled together and in the end I didn’t care enough about the characters to finish it.

[Simona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this - can relate to the setting and experiencing vertigo!!

[Maryanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slow-burn mystery with building action. Especially enjoyed the public service jokes!

[Ruth Gilbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. I loved the fact that the main character was a public servant.

[Lea Hadley · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK read. Didn’t grip me. Interesting take on crime in the public service.

[Ava Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping mystery packed with twists and political intrigue. A must-read for thriller fans!