THE HOOK HEAD KILLINGS: an absolutely gripping Irish crime thriller

The Wexford Homicides #1

by David Pearson

THE FIRST BOOK IN A NEW IRISH MYSTERY SERIES BY DAVID PEARSONA young detective ruffles a few feathers in a south coast Irish townWhen Detective Inspector Vikki Kirkby took the fall for a senior colleague’s mistake, she didn’t anticipate being sent from Dublin to the rural backwater of Wexford for punishment. And she feels like the whole force is against her when, during her first case, her views about the suspicious deaths of an elderly couple are ignored. Not only will Kirkby have to find a killer, she’ll also have to win the trust and support of her mostly male colleagues. She finds an ally, maybe something more, in handsome local businessman Peter Booth. However, when Kirkby’s inquiry closes in on his place of work, the busy ferry port of Rosslare, she gets a creeping feeling of being let down again. The Ferry Port Mystery is the first in a new series of standalone novels set in southern Ireland by David Pearson, bestselling author of The Galway Homicides and The Dublin Homicides series. The second book in this new series, The Empty Safe Mystery is forthcoming before the end of 2023.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

227 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 13, 2026

About the author

One of Ireland's most prolific crime writers, David has a total of 28 books published to date across four separate series.

The Galway Homicides - set in and around Clifden on the Wild Atlantic Way, now with a new title available October 2026 - Murder 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.

Reviews

[Sharon Valler: Live Love Read Review · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy this book initially, but as I started to get to know the characters, I became really invested in it and very much rooting for Vikki Kirkby, a police detective who had been used as a fall guy for someone else's mistake. NOT ON!

When Vikki wants to conduct a proper investigation into a supposed double suicide, she meets resistance from her small-town boss, who is keen to take the easy route and close the case with the suicide verdict. Vikki is a great character and I'm looking forward to the next instalment in this series.

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, David Pearson and The Book Folks, for an ARC in return for an honest review.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read 6 out of 10 of another series from this author so I was happy enough to try out his new series featuring a female detective in Ireland, "The Wexford Homicides". Vikki Kirkby was given a new start in a new location and took it with some trepidation as it was her hometown, something of a comedown from Dublin where she ended on a bad note. She most definitely redeems herself, makes new connections and the hard-won praise from a new boss. A love interest enters the picture as well, so we shall see how that develops.

Kindle Unlimited

[Jack Reidy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ferry Port Mystery by David Pearson

Posted on November 20, 2023 by Jack

I liked The Ferry Port Mystery by David Pearson. For the first few chapters I was not sure I would. There seemed to be just enough to keep you reading and I was unsure how long I would continue but things got much better. But I am getting ahead of myself so I’ll go back to the beginning.

First of all, I thank both Netgalley (https://www.netgalley.com) and The Book Folks (https://thebookfolks.com/) for the chance to read this.

Detective Inspector Vikki Kirkby is made the scapegoat for another officer’s screw-up and given a choice of demotion or keeping her rank but leaving Dublin offices of the Irish Garda or accepting a posting to Wexford. She keeps her rank and is transferred.

Although she is a native of Wexford, the welcome is not a warm one. She is given a terrible office and a rather poor team. In her first case she further alienates herself from the local police by treating an apparent simple murder-suicide of an elderly couple as a pair of suspicious deaths.

Although her insistence is not welcome, it is tolerated as she gets her team in better shape. They untangle a very complicated double murder and a related large scale criminal enterprise.

This is the first of a planned new series and a good read. The second book in this new series, The Empty Safe Mystery should be out soon.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a charming cosy mystery set in Ireland. It is the first book featuring DI Vikki Kirkby. I warmed to her as a character - I liked her, and the way she interacted with the other characters, and I would probably be interested in reading some more books featuring Vikki as a protagonist.

This was a satisfying read, because at the time when I chose to read it, it suited my mood perfectly. It was an entertaining mystery, and light enough to read in one sitting, if so desired.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

[Gea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had not read other books by author David Pearson but am happy I found this first entry in a new series. DI Vikki Kirkby is a force to be reckoned with, but her career is sidetracked with a move from Dublin to Wexford to cover for a mistake made by a superior. It’s not long before she finds herself solving a very complicated double murder with the help of her two colleagues.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read other novel by David Pearson and always liked them as they're fast paced and gripping.
This one confirm my positive opinion as it's a good one, a stand alone well plotted and solid.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Jan Mawdesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

he Ferry Port Mystery is the first book in the stand alone series of Mystery’s from David Pearson and introduces Irish Detective Vikki Kirby to lovers of a rollicking good murder mystery set in Ireland.

Vikki is a woman who is dedicated to her career as a detective and has managed to upset the hierarchy in Dublin, as a case she was or rather had been working, was effectively thrown out of Court, the criminal walking free, the Police being made to look incompetent.

She is facing censure, a blatant cover up and is not happy. She can either be demoted or sent to a new posting in Wexford, her home town and a place she had left many years ago. She is not all happy, she is furious, but accepts that is the best way forward.

Arriving in Wexford, settling into her new job she finds that the attitude of the other Detectives Officers very similar to Dublin, but has made her mind up she is not going to let that make any difference to how she does her job. She is the first female Detective Inspector in Wexford.

It is not long before she goes out on her first job; a double murder for no apparent reason. The rationale is not to worry too much about the what and why, just get the case closed, but Vikki is not accepting that, as she believes there is more to the situation than murder suicide.

The trail leads to the harbour and the freight system of the Port town, but it seems that every avenue and lead she is offered or follows, comes up clean and tidy. As she and her slowly emerging team keep on digging, they begin to uncover something so blatant, so huge and so deadly it needs to be ended once and for all.

Based around and in the very real world of Cross channel shipping and freight movement very common through Britain, known for its often illegal undertakings, David Pearson has provided what could be a real case scenario in which to place DI Vikki Kirby.

At times slightly over descriptive, the plot is good, the characters very real with a storyline moving along at a brisk pace, despite a slight tendency to get bogged down in miniature. The Wexford Homicides is a series that will be worth following as Vikki Kirby develops her skills and settles into the world of serious crime, Irish style.

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and The Book Folks for a review copy of The Ferry Port Mystery, the first novel to feature DI Vikki Kirkby, set in Wexford.

Vikki was scapegoated for a senior colleague’s mistake and offered two choices, demotion to sergeant in Dublin or transfer to Wexford at her current rank of inspector. She chooses Wexford, where she grew up, but it’s not a warm welcome. Her first case, a double murder, has her judgement and decisions questioned and meets with a general lack of enthusiasm.

I enjoyed The Ferry Port Mystery, which has a nice mixture of an involved plot and the more personal, be it a budding romance or her rather fraught dealings with her colleagues.

I like a police procedural with its format of everything on the table at the beginning with a gradual narrowing of possibilities as the investigation continues. This fits the bill nicely. Everyone thinks the deaths are a murder suicide except Vikki and she comes under pressure to accept that verdict. It is an early indication of her personality that she doesn’t cave and is proved right. After that she conducts a tenacious investigation, licking her team into shape as she goes. It is an engrossing read with several twists and turns. There are a couple of missteps along the way that are more calamitous for her than most detectives, but she keeps going and uncovers more than just the killer’s identity. I found the story behind the killings intriguing and very unusual. Who knew that such a scheme could make so much money?

The Ferry Port Mystery is a good read that I can recommend.

[Cidney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detective Inspector Vikki Kirby has been moved to another police station in Ireland, the town of Wexford. She's been sent there not for something she has done, she made no mistakes, but some others in her police station did. She is unhappy and hopes her stay there will not be of a long duration. She meets her new boss Detective Superintendent Liam Fawley who seems a decent bloke. Then a call comes in to say that there seems to have been an incident at a house where two people have been found dead in their armchairs, they've been shot and the shotgun is on the floor between them. It's not a pleasant crime scene and all reports say that they were a happy couple. But this case is anything but straight forward as Vikki rapidly discovers as in the garden is a steel shed containing mountains of paperwork which showed that there were some illegal stuff coming and going into the local port and it's looking as if the port master has been trying to build up a case about this, however there is a snag here because the port manager says there are no illegal goods coming or going from the port, the dead man's paperwork says otherwise. This was a very detailed book on smuggling and one which initially I wasn't particulary enjoying but when the pace hotted up I got more stuck into the story.

[Carol Keogh (Goodfellow) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose this book because I enjoyed the Galway murder series and also because I live near the Port which is the focus of the mystery. Initially I was a bit underwhelmed by the character, a bit stereotypical of a lot of Irish based detectives but it was worth the effort of continuing. Vikki is the atypical victim of cronyism in a police system so is moved sideways to her former homeplace where she is less than welcome.
Her first murder in the town and a team who are not 100% behind you is not ideal but she steps up to the plate and the action is fast and sure. I enjoyed this first venture and look forward to Vikkis' next murder.
This is a good start to this series and thank Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC of The Ferry Port Mystery.

[Anna Willett · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic start to this series. Book one and I’m hooked.
Exiled to the rural town of Wexford, Detective Vikki Kirkby’s suspicions about the deaths of an elderly couple are ignored. Certain there is more to this apparent murder suicide than meets the eye, Kirkby pushes to find the truth.
The investigation was enthralling and some of the twists and turns really took me by surprise. I love a strong female character and Vikki Kirkby is one that drew me in so I was with her every step of the way. I can’t wait to see what she tackles next! If you love a good murder mystery, this is a must read.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A detective story set in Wexford, Ireland. Vikki leaves Dublin under a cloud, which also affects her new job in Wexford. Within a short time, a couple are found shot dead in their cottage . Vikki Kirby is tenacious and does not believe in the murder suicide explanation offered by her new team. She is proved right .
Mostly a police procedural, Vikki leads the team competently and helps her juniors shape up. I liked the action. I`m not sure about Vikki's romance, which seemed a little too rushed for me. It didn't really ring true . That was my only criticism though and I look forward to reading more about this team
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

[Jerry Jares · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an engaging new series with Detective Vikki Kirkby. When a senior officer makes a bad mistake, Vikki takes the fall. She is sent to Wexford's backwater. Since she is the only female detective inspector, the men of the police force are underwhelmed.

An elderly couple is murdered in their home. When Vikki treats it as a murder scene (instead of a murder-suicide), her colleagues think she is wrong. This is a complex case with lots of twists. I look forward to the next installment.

Wexford Homicides
** 1. The Ferry Port Mystery (2023)
2. The Empty Safe Mystery (2023)

[Joseph Ruckman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love Pearson’s work, and this latest effort is no exception. Interesting characters abound, and he writes a strong female lead brilliantly. As I read I had to wonder if there wasn’t a massive red herring woven throughout the story. I’m not going to say whether there was or wasn’t, but I will say I was not disappointed! I particularly like his epilogues where he ties up all the loose ends.

[Kelly Rosario · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read and enjoyed some books from this author's 2 other series (Galway & Dublin), I decided to give this new one a try. At first, I wasn't sure that I liked the main character, but as the story progressed, this impression improved. The mystery, while not highly exciting, was enough to keep my interest. I will read the next installment in the series.

[B.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed The Ferry Port Mystery by David Pearson because of its believable plot and likable, all-too-human detectives. The police station and the wider setting of Wexford came alive with just a few deft descriptive strokes. Readers who like realistic and well-written police procedurals will love this book.

[Ladonna Koenig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twists

Loved some of the characters

Did have a question: I think it was chapter 5 or 6,
Kirkby went to the crime scene with Waters (filthy).
But after talking to our version of an M.E., Kirkby drove back to the office in her car. Magic???

[Elizabeth Roxburgh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspector Kirkby murders

Disappointing, just a re-hash of the Galway books. Same storylines just different location. Even the dialogue is similar. Female Inspector trying to prove she is as capable as male officers.

[Ann Glover · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great first book for the series.

A fast paced police procedural. Good scenic descriptions. I look forward to watching the characters develop along with the team as a whole.

[G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm looking forward to book 2. So happy to have read another David Pearson mystery!

[Blue Moon-Shepherd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely great

Excellently done, and I’m awaiting the next read. It went along quite smoothly, and the development of the characters was good.

I highly recommend it!

[Gail Michaud · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Fast & Good Read

A well written book, a great story. The storyline kept you intrigued, you had to read the full story, to find out who the killer was.

[melissa yemich · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a hard time getting into this book. I have read all of David’s other books and had liked them all.

[GW · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ferry Port Mystery -

This was a pretty good read but almost a little too convenient in its conclusion. The Irish/English slang used was sometimes confusing, but was fun.

[Susan Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a quite interesting introduction to a new series. I look forward to reading more.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant read in what I hope will be a long running series
Being forced to be the fall guy for a colleague's mistake D I Vikki Kirkby is left with the Hobson’s choice of being downgraded or banished from Dublin to Wexford where she meets a far from friendly reception from some of her new colleagues. A great quick read with relatable characters

[anne campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

the hook head killers

One of the better crime stories I’ve read in a long time. I will be reading more of the Wexford crime stories.

[Mervyn Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book and location close to my actual location highly recommended

[Rita Bray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

As always David Pearson write another exciting, and suspenseful story. The characters are great. Can't put his books down once you start