O'Keefe

by David Whish-Wilson

Follow Paul Cutler on his next adventure as he fights the cocaine gold rush.

Assuming his new identity as Paul O’Keefe, Paul is tasked with finding the supplier of a surge of Mexican cartel meth flooding Australian streets. Assigned to infiltrate a newly appointed security company at Fremantle Port, he discovers a clandestine world of off-the-books operations, and a business front that goes far beyond mere security. There’s a dangerous game afoot for who gets control of the port’s smuggling operations, and O’Keefe is caught in the crossfire.

A pulse-pounding thriller that takes a hard look at the Australian ‘cocaine gold rush’, where maritime crime meets the ruthless currents of the underworld.

PRAISE FOR THE BOOK

‘Compelling, authentic, satisfying.’ Hayley Scrivenor

‘Vivid, dark, evocative. A hair-raising ride through Australia’s criminal underworld.’ Chris Hammer

‘Outstanding. One of Australia’s best crime novelists – Whish-Wilson is operating at the height of his powers.’ Iain Ryan

Genres: Crime

332 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2025

About the author

David Whish-Wilson is the author of eleven novels and three creative non-fiction books. He was born in Newcastle, NSW but raised in Singapore, Victoria and WA. He left Australia aged eighteen to live for a decade in Europe, Africa and Asia, where he worked as a barman, actor, streetseller, petty criminal, labourer, exterminator, factory worker, gardener, clerk, travel agent, teacher and drug trial guinea pig.

David is the author of four novels in the Frank Swann crime series and two in the Lee Southern series, two of which have been shortlisted for Ned Kelly Awards. David wrote the Perth book in the NewSouth Books city series, which was shortlisted for a WA Premier’s Book Award. His latest novel, Cutler, was shortlisted for a WA Premier's Book Award and the BAD Sydney Danger Award.

He currently lives in Fremantle, WA, with his partner and three kids, and teaches creative writing at Curtin University

Reviews

[John Cooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the grandson of a wharfie, the immersion into the port town of Fremantle/Walyalup as a backdrop for this novel was like a warm embrace... or a pint of Guiness at the Buffalo Club... or both, but with a side of menace and foreboding.

It takes me back to Alan Carter's Cato Kwong series, which David respectfully references in O'Keefe.

This is another cracking crime thriller that explores the theme of lucrative drug imports via the port of Fremantle, our bikie culture, and international criminal networks.

My only issue is that despite wanting to read it all in one go, I didn't want it to end! I eeked it out by jumping into a Jack Reacher book on the side! Congratulations on another ripper David 👏 👏 👏

[Helen O'Toole · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I finished reading Cutler in September 2024, I hoped that David Whish-Wilson would write another book based around this character. I am so pleased he did and now David Cutler has assumed a different identity, that of Paul O’Keefe, an undercover operative working in Fremantle port. Very hard to read some parts of this well written crime novel especially the descriptions of the brutality of the criminals. However I was so invested in Paul O’Keefe that I kept on reading. It helps that my surname used to be O’Keefe! I felt he was a long distant cousin.

What great characters the author has created. I wonder how he researches their conversations, methods, humour, weapons and crimes. I felt like I was watching a top quality crime series. Excellent descriptive writing too & as I spent nine years working just a suburb away from Fremantle, I knew the places so well. It is such a pleasure to read a book set in places you know. A genuine high tension crime novel and I read every chapter with growing anxiety for Paul O’Keefe. I won’t give away any clues as to the ending.
Please write another novel with Paul Cutler as the main character and keep the setting in WA.

[Priscilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

O’Keeffe is an informant for the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) who has earned a job working with a security company who are deeply involved in smuggling drugs. O’Keefe relays the intel he observes and participates in, related to the Australian drug market, to his boss, via a phone call from the local pub on a regular basis. Although his work assists the ACIC, O’Keefe’s life is at risk as he doesn’t actually work for the organisation, so doesn’t have the protection an agent would have. He’s walking a fine line, playing both sides and isn’t sure who will have his back in the end. Will the gang discover his true identity, or will his criminal activity, being an accomplice to so many crimes, end in a life sentence, or even worse, death?

This book is intense, it’s brutal. The drug world is a violent world, the corruption is next level, and O’Keefe is involved in it all. While not my usual genre, I was invested in O’Keefe’s character. My heart was racing at various points in the story. This is a must read for people interested in the criminal underworld.

Thanks to Good Reading for providing me with a copy of this book to review.

[Liat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

O’Keefe is the second novel in David Whish-Wilson’s undercover series. While this is written as a follow from Cutler, the book is easily able to be read on its own and gives enough back story to what readers may have missed in the previous book.

I really enjoyed this book and I loved the high-stakes feel of the undercover operation. O’Keefe as a character is very intriguing and there’s a way that he’s able to separate himself from his other character that is explained very well. Those small nuances give us an interesting insight as to who Paul is away from his life has O’Keefe.

The underworld figures are also fascinating and they are written with a lot of depth. While we tend not to think of drug smugglers and gang figures as good, we see the human side to them that O’Keefe experiences, not just the bad or evil in them which makes for some interesting moral dilemmas.

A very engaging and gripping read and I will definitely be reading more by this author!

Thank you to Good Reading Magazine, Fremantle Press and the author for my copy of this book in exchange for my review

[Diannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received an early reader's copy from Publisher.
A well-written, pacey crime fiction with smooth temporal transitions each chapter makes it an entertaining read. Surprisingly, it feels true. Could local Underbelly like gangs, and international drug cartels be trading illegal drugs through Fremantle Port?
A fan of CUTLER, an undercover operative, I feel the character is well-fleshed out and given more range in O’KEEFE. The narrator says, O’Keefe doesn’t care and that is how he survives. I beg to differ. O’Keefe cares for; Ryan a street kid sleeping on his porch, a kidnapped young boy, the underdog and rude, prejudice behaviour. O’Keefe has heart which allows the reader to witness the violence of pit fights and interrogation techniques.
A lot of tension is created by O’Keefe’s lack of sleep, staying ahead of the bad guy’s intelligence, so his cover isn’t blown and not killed by the hard-boiled criminals he has befriended.
An exciting read. No doubt, Peter Temple would raise a glass with the old codgers at the Buff Bar.

[Maree Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read Shore Leave by David, which I thoroughly enjoyed, so I had high expectations for this book.
I certainly wasn't disappointed! Whilst I haven't read Cutler, the first book in the Undercover series (which I will be sure to read now), I didn't feel that I had missed out on anything. A lot of Paul's backstory is explained, so this can be read as a stand-alone book.
What a thrill of a ride. This book has it all, from drug smuggling, kidnapping to murder.
The characters are very well described, and I could imagine myself there, standing on the sidelines, watching the action unfold.
The story moves along at a good pace, keeping me up until the small hours, turning pages to find out what happens next.
Thank you to Better Reading Preview and Fremantle Press for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved the action this book the drama and O'Keefe been undercover working with the gangs and illegal drug trafficking

thanks better reading

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced thriller.
No surprise having enjoyed many of the Frank Swann series.
DWW writes a bloody good story that jumps off every page.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfectly executed tough noir. Not a beat missed. This guy should be on award lists and be so much better known outside his home state.

He is to Perth (especially Fremantle) in this book what Ian Rankin is to Edinburgh. The gritty underbelly you wish wasn’t there but you know is.

[Stef O'connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first David Whish-Wilson novel, but it won’t be my last! O’Keefe is the second in the Undercover series, and while it works perfectly as a standalone, it left me eager to go back and read Cutler. The story starts at a slower pace but quickly builds into a gripping, high-stakes crime novel full of secrets, violence, suspicion, and fear. Once it hooked me, I couldn’t put it down

[Kim Woodland · Rating 5 out of 5]

O’Keefe is a tense, crackling ride into cocaine and meth smuggling in Australia’s lucrative black market. Former cop Paul O’Keefe is working deep undercover and off the books in Fremantle Port security for a shadowy government handler. While he has seamlessly shed his Paul Cutler persona from the first book in David Whish-Wilson’s Undercover series, the past continues to haunt him.

Whish-Wilson’s writing is lean and clever. He creates an immersive world of criminal relationships where tentative bonds form even when there’s no one to trust. Humanity, morality and betrayal are all explored as rival traffickers vie for control. We get an insider’s view into the heart of the action and the pressure builds from start to finish. A 5-star read – relentless, intelligent and atmospheric.

Thanks to Good Reading for the competition opportunity, Fremantle Press for the ARC and David Whish-Wilson for the compelling read.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fourth star is for the surprise element - I 'm surprised I liked it at all, as it's not my kind of book.
The story is about a police informer planted in a drug-dealing gang (at this point of a book blurb my brain usually switches off from sheer boredom). Had to read it for a bookclub. However, I found it's written quite well, the characters are believable, and the story pace is nice and snappy. And - a cherry on top - it's set in Fremantle, Western Australia!
I was saving this to listen to during a massive "moving-out" house-cleaning expedition, and it worked beautifully - even when I zoned out for a while I didn't feel I had to rewind to know what happend and could just continue with the story while being mildly interested in what's next. A brillinat chioce for the task, I congratulate myself.

[Jodie · Rating 3 out of 5]

O’Keefe for me was a combination of a very familiar setting meeting a very unfamiliar situation, I can truly say my eyes are opened.

I loved that I could place so much of the story. These are places I’ve visited often and I really liked the way they were written.

Whilst the characters were outside of my realm, I appreciated the detail in the way they were written.

I found the level of crime and violence in the story confronting, and I’ll definitely be looking at the same areas different now.

[Jay Dwight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paul Cutler, who appears in earlier Whish-Wilson novels, now takes the uncover identity Paul O'Keefe. Set around the WA docks, O'Keefe is looking to get accepted into the inner circle of a wealthy business suspected to be heavily involved in the drug trade, potentially cocaine and meth.

Vivid, dark and gritty, this novel moves at a good pace and provides the reader with a perspective of one man battling against a large criminal syndicate.

[Madelaine Dickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark and deadly. Total page turner. All night flight? Look no further than O’Keefe.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 would be my rating. I enjoyed the setting in and around Fremantle but the subject matter is depressing because it is so true

[Sandi Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Review copy received with thanks from the publisher. More in my next Good Reads blog at www.sandiwallace.com/blog/.