The Vertigo

by Graham Wilson

Perhaps you have read the Crocodile Dreaming Series and wonder who is the man at the centre of its first book 'The Visitor'. Now it is like he has come back from the dead to tell the story he wrote and hid for another to find years later.

It begins as a tale of a victim, bullied by others. He learns to turn the tables and give back in double measure. It is a story built on bad choices. His search for vengeance destroys his life and that of others around him, leading to ever darker places and worse actions. And twinned with his soul is an ancient predatory crocodile being. As time goes by, it is less and less clear who is in control and making the decisions.

Alongside this is a person who is liked by many, does good things, who can be kind and decent.

Which part is real and is there any way forward from here? How does he maintain a balance between the dark part of his soul and the good - it is like standing above a cliff above an endless chasm, walking a tight rope across an abyss. Can he keep his balance as the world sways around him?

Read this story to begin a journey toward understanding.

250 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 15, 2025

About the author

My fiction has been described as "economical and traditional." I try to define my characters through their actions rather than relying on elaborate descriptions or analysis of motivations. I like lots of surprises and feel that the primary role of the writer is to entertain. As a result I tell strong stories that are hopefully well paced and exciting.

I have written professionally for more than two decades. I started my career writing for newspapers, magazines and radio. I have also written dramas for TV and have authored nine books. I studied book publishing at the Banff Centre for the Arts and Stanford University and worked as a Book Publisher for twenty years.

Reviews

[Alex Norgard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading The Vertigo felt like sitting across from a former student who finally trusts you enough to share the truth of what broke them. Mark’s emotional landscape is written so quietly, yet it carries so much weight. The way he thinks, pauses, doubts himself, and tries to make sense of everything reminded me of how fragile young minds can be under pressure.

What moved me most was how the book doesn’t try to paint Mark as a victim or a hero. Instead, it shows him as a human being wounded, unsure, trying to understand his own heart. As a teacher, I’ve seen that same confusion in real life. The emotional honesty in his inner dialogue made some chapters hard to read, but in a necessary way.

I found myself pausing several times just to absorb the weight of his memories. Graham doesn’t sensationalize trauma, he simply presents it the way real people experience it quietly, deeply, and often alone. That authenticity is what makes this story powerful.

By the time I reached the later chapters, I felt myself rooting for him the way I root for my students. Not because he is perfect, but because he is trying so hard to find his footing. The emotional journey in this book touched me more than I expected.

[Carol gift · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading about Mark felt like watching one of my children struggle in a way I couldn’t fix. There were moments when his thoughts felt so lost and confused that I wanted to reach into the book and tell him he wasn’t alone. That emotional pull was strong throughout the story.

The early chapters especially made me ache for him. The way he carries the weight of memory, pressure, and fear reminded me of how many young men hide their pain behind silence. Graham writes those quiet moments in a way that feels painfully real.

I appreciated how the story doesn’t rush his growth. Healing doesn’t happen quickly in real life, and the book respects that truth. It shows progress in small steps, a thought, a realization, a moment of honesty, which made the journey even more believable.

By the end, I wasn’t just reading a character anymore. I was emotionally invested in a young man trying to put himself back together.

[Lauren James · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a nurse, I’m trained to notice the invisible wounds people carry, and that’s exactly what this book felt like, peeling back layers of someone’s emotional reality. Mark’s internal struggle was written with such quiet precision that I often caught myself reading slowly, almost carefully, like I was handling something fragile.

The way Graham captures the tension between memory and present reality is something I see in patients who have gone through emotional trauma. It’s subtle but immensely powerful. Mark reminded me of individuals who look functional on the outside but are constantly fighting their own minds.

I walked away from the story with a heaviness in my chest, but also a strange tenderness toward him as a character. It’s a beautiful, emotionally authentic portrayal of a wounded soul.

[Jane Brind · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone in my twenties, Mark’s confusion hit home for me. That feeling of trying to figure out who you are while carrying things you don’t even know how to talk about, it’s something I see in myself and my friends. Chapter after chapter, I felt like I was reading thoughts I’ve had but never said out loud.

What surprised me was how real the emotions felt. Not dramatic, not exaggerated, just raw and honest. When Mark spirals into overthinking, or freezes because he doesn’t know which way to go, I felt that. Graham captured the modern emotional struggle perfectly, even though the story isn’t set in modern times.

[Jack Hassard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve lived long enough to know what emotional struggle feels like, and Mark’s journey felt painfully authentic.

The quiet suffering, the internal pressure, the memories that won’t leave, these were written with a kind of truth that only comes from deep understanding.

This book reminded me that healing is slow, and sometimes the bravest thing you can do is face yourself honestly.

[Zelda Gomez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some chapters hit me harder than I expected. The way Graham writes trauma is so accurate that I had to pause in a few places. The confusion, the emotional fog, the fear that doesn’t have a clear shape, it felt real. Mark’s journey isn’t glamorous. It’s painful, messy, and deeply human. I appreciated the honesty more than anything. This book doesn’t just explore trauma, it respects it.

[Jane Butler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mark’s confusion felt familiar to me. Not the exact situation, but the feeling of not knowing who you are or what direction your life is going.

There were moments in this book that made me feel seen in a strange, emotional way. This story touched me more than I expected.

[Hellen Vibrant · Rating 3 out of 5]

What touched me most was how vulnerable Mark is beneath everything. He tries to act strong, but his inner world tells another story.

The book shows that sometimes strength is simply surviving your own thoughts, that message stayed with me.

[Mamie Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t feel like I was reading a story, I felt like I was watching a man struggle with his own heart and mind. It was deeply immersive.
The emotions were so vivid that I found myself reacting physically, sighing, pausing, even looking away during certain moments. Very few books do that.

[Priscilla Dorcas · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I loved most is that the emotional struggle wasn’t exaggerated. Mark’s pain felt like the kind people carry silently in real life. This book feels grounded. Honest. True to how human beings think and feel, it’s one of the most believable internal journeys I’ve read.

[Paul Hartford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t feel like I was reading a story, I felt like I was watching a man struggle with his own heart and mind. It was deeply immersive.
The emotions were so vivid that I found myself reacting physically, sighing, pausing, even looking away during certain moments, very few books do that.

[Tolu · Rating 5 out of 5]

The boook so cool 🆒

[Epraim Boyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s not an easy read, but it’s powerful and unforgettable.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how the story blurs the line between human and beast, it’s creepy and fascinating at the same time.

[Daivd Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way Wilson ties the man’s story with the ancient crocodile spirit is pure genius.

[JEREMY PAUL · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could picture every scene like a movie. So vivid and haunting.

[Sarah Angelika · Rating 5 out of 5]

The atmosphere was heavy enough that I felt it in my chest. Finishing this chapter, I felt like I truly understood why Mark became who he is later. It was emotional and heartbreaking in the best way.