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The Farmhouse Mystery
Previously published as The Farmyard Mystery
The wild west of Ireland. A lonely farmhouse. A father and son slaughtered in the dead of night.
Farmer Pat Nevin and his university-student son, Conor, drive through the quiet rural landscape of County Mayo, heading back to their farmhouse in Mucklagh. It’s 3.30 a.m. As they step out of their Mitsubishi jeep, they are stabbed to death.
Pat’s distraught wife, Eileen, and their younger son, Shane, rush out of the house to find their bodies lying on the ground — and call the police.
The Nevins were good farming folk. So what were they doing on the backroads at three in the morning?
Detective Inspector Martin O’Shea and Detective Sergeant Deirdre Maguire of the Westport Gardaí are called to investigate. The newly formed team, created after a reorganisation of the western region, must prove itself fast. Maguire, an intelligent and determined officer from Tipperary, has sharp intuition about people; O’Shea, methodical and slightly world-weary, anchors the case with experience.
The wild west of Ireland. A lonely farmhouse. A father and son slaughtered in the dead of night.
Farmer Pat Nevin and his university-student son, Conor, drive through the quiet rural landscape of County Mayo, heading back to their farmhouse in Mucklagh. It’s 3.30 a.m. As they step out of their Mitsubishi jeep, they are stabbed to death.
Pat’s distraught wife, Eileen, and their younger son, Shane, rush out of the house to find their bodies lying on the ground — and call the police.
The Nevins were good farming folk. So what were they doing on the backroads at three in the morning?
Detective Inspector Martin O’Shea and Detective Sergeant Deirdre Maguire of the Westport Gardaí are called to investigate. The newly formed team, created after a reorganisation of the western region, must prove itself fast. Maguire, an intelligent and determined officer from Tipperary, has sharp intuition about people; O’Shea, methodical and slightly world-weary, anchors the case with experience.
206 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 5, 2025
283 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
David Pearson
34 books121 followersOne of Ireland's most prolific crime writers, David has a total of 24 books published to date across four separate series.
The Galway Homicides - set in and around Clifden on the Wild Atlantic Way
The Dublin Homicides - a grittier set of 6 stories set in the capital of Ireland
The Wexford Homicides - introducing DI Vikki Kirkby
The Mayo Murders - a new series set in and around Westport in County Mayo featuring DI Martin O'Shea and DS Deirdre Maguire.
The Galway Homicides - set in and around Clifden on the Wild Atlantic Way
The Dublin Homicides - a grittier set of 6 stories set in the capital of Ireland
The Wexford Homicides - introducing DI Vikki Kirkby
The Mayo Murders - a new series set in and around Westport in County Mayo featuring DI Martin O'Shea and DS Deirdre Maguire.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 10, 2026
I don't wish to be impolite so it is hard for me to describe this book I did not enjoy reading. Maybe just the word "amateur" to describe the police work will suffice.
I paid 99 cents for it before I had rejoined kindle unlimited where it is now avaiable. Not worth 99 cents I might add.
I paid 99 cents for it before I had rejoined kindle unlimited where it is now avaiable. Not worth 99 cents I might add.
February 7, 2026
Well I think I've only read one other crime book by an Irish author so was really looking forward to read this. It was a good story but put up against the crime books which are prolific from english and american authors, it's like a paler version. There are no fast moves made really, they go home and have breaks, whereas in england they seem never to see their families for days on end and eat very unhealthy food all the while. However the story was intriguing. Pat Nevin a farmer and his teenage (I think) son Connor are arriving back at their farmhouse in the middle of the night, and Pat leaves the main headlights on as he goes to open the barn door, Connor gets out of the jeep but can't see his dad for the glare of the headlights, so protecting his eyes he walks towards his dad, then sees his dad's dead body covered in blood on the floor by the door, behind him waiting, is a man ready to knife him through the chest too, who leaves, grabbing the bag Connor had in his hand and vanished over the fields to find his motorbike with illegal number plates and using no lights makes it to the main road which Pat and Connor have just left.
Mrs Nevin looks out of the window as she had heard the jeep arriving but can't see anything but the barn door open and the glaring headlights of the jeep, their other younger son Shane steps out of the front door to go and see where his dad and brother have been at this time of the night. But he too is dazzled by the glare of the jeep's lights and the barn lights then he stumbles across Connor's body and then his dad's.
The police arrive quite quickly and the forensic people and the doctor, not necessarily in that order, and speak with a very distressed Mrs Nevin and shocked son Shane, neither know where they had been or why. Daylight arrives and the scene is being quiety processed and DI Martin O'Shea and DS Deidre Maguire begin a proper look at the scene and the possible exits the murderer could have taken, the family are in shock and cannot really help them.
The story is intriguing slow moving it may be, but it is a lot deeper than it first looks, international bad actors on the move, cheese products compromised (never thought I would write that about cheese in a book before), but through the intrepid efforts of another member of their team whose parents were being held by a gunman, the young woman, whose name has escaped me now, alerts the police who were able to solve this with the help of, well I would have thought Interpol they are the sort of international go to-ers these days, but with the help of the very obliging Dutch police they get their man in the end, through a little lying! Have a second one to read so better go to it then!
Mrs Nevin looks out of the window as she had heard the jeep arriving but can't see anything but the barn door open and the glaring headlights of the jeep, their other younger son Shane steps out of the front door to go and see where his dad and brother have been at this time of the night. But he too is dazzled by the glare of the jeep's lights and the barn lights then he stumbles across Connor's body and then his dad's.
The police arrive quite quickly and the forensic people and the doctor, not necessarily in that order, and speak with a very distressed Mrs Nevin and shocked son Shane, neither know where they had been or why. Daylight arrives and the scene is being quiety processed and DI Martin O'Shea and DS Deidre Maguire begin a proper look at the scene and the possible exits the murderer could have taken, the family are in shock and cannot really help them.
The story is intriguing slow moving it may be, but it is a lot deeper than it first looks, international bad actors on the move, cheese products compromised (never thought I would write that about cheese in a book before), but through the intrepid efforts of another member of their team whose parents were being held by a gunman, the young woman, whose name has escaped me now, alerts the police who were able to solve this with the help of, well I would have thought Interpol they are the sort of international go to-ers these days, but with the help of the very obliging Dutch police they get their man in the end, through a little lying! Have a second one to read so better go to it then!
January 2, 2026
Great Read
As always David Pearson has written another captivating start in this series. Mr. Pearson is great author in my opinion. I know when I pick up one of his books to read, it will be one I can't put down till the end. Keep them coming!
As always David Pearson has written another captivating start in this series. Mr. Pearson is great author in my opinion. I know when I pick up one of his books to read, it will be one I can't put down till the end. Keep them coming!
March 17, 2025
Complex case solved by realistic,interested characters.
Up to David Pearsons usual standards. His stories flow well and it is easy to connect the different characters and their backgrounds.
Up to David Pearsons usual standards. His stories flow well and it is easy to connect the different characters and their backgrounds.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews