When 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. Good, fast paced police procedural in an interesting locale and filled with interesting characters. Looking forward to another in this series.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

David Pearson’s The Ferry Port Mystery is a plain narration of a police investigation of a double murder in a quiet Irish countryside. Introducing Vikki Kirkby, an Irish policewoman transferred to a punishment posting in the town of Wexford; the storyline follows her adjusting to the new space and marking her ground in a male-dominated ‘Garda’ (Police force).

The back cover premise for this mystery is strong and carries much potential with a strong female lead and an intriguing murder to solve. I was highly expectant to enjoy a sneak peek into the Irish Police world and understand their methods of investigations, forensic analysis and how they dealt with the concept of gender discrimination. It had everything a mystery lover would die to acquaint oneself with.

The novel keeps the action real. There is no over-exaggeration of the crime nor any over-the-top investigation. David Pearson tries to capture the essence of working inside a police office in its raw form.

Starting from the discovery of the crime, the initial crime scene detection, to the board-room meetings and suspect interviews, the story follows every action in detailed narration. We not only see the highs, but the entire journey of Vikki Kirkby as she stumbles and falls yet in the end, rises to claim her fallen reputation.

Yet the writing style falls short in making this a page turner.

The absence of an engaging read, singular plot elements and exciting twists or surprises turned the once compelling premise into a plain police procedural. The author details every conversation (even the non-essential ones!), every action and reaction – to the point of even chronicling how a character starts a tractor!

“The driver walked over to the tractor unit, opened the door, climbed in and started the engine”.

Referring to an article by Jerry Jenkins, I share his assertion that it is essential to use narrative to stimulate the reader’s imagination. One should ‘show’ the story through descriptive words and actions instead of directly ‘telling’ how the reader should interpret the scene. Give some credit to the imagination of a reader!

Unfortunately, in the end, this mystery turns out to be a plain, sordid affair!

Excellent read. If you liked this one you will also like to read the Galway murder series and the Dublin Homicide murders. The main character is Vikki Kirby who is a DI in the Dublin Guards who is sent down to Wexford. She was to deal with a double murder as well as dodgy dealings on the Irish Sea.

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.

Good book! This book had a bit of everything! It had suspense, Action, intrigue, mystery, murder, a great who done it, great plot twist, and some crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle!! I definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!