O’Keefe by David Whish-Wilson is a suspenseful crime thriller that takes you into the world of drug smuggling and crime, exposing the vulnerability of Australia’s ports.
Under cover, agent Paul Cutler is assigned to infiltrate a newly appointed security company run by Finn Dillon at Fremantle Port.
A surge of Mexican Cartel meth has hit Australian streets. It hadn’t been reported in the press, but the packaging of a recent seizure of cartel meth at the WA/SA border contained traces of ocean salts from a specific ocean region the other side of Rottnest Island. It was believed that the meth had been brought ashore via a method that avoided Border Force security.
Paul Cutler takes on a new identity as Paul O’Keefe.
O’Keefe’s handler, Khalil, has set him up with off-the-books work funded by a secret ACIC proceeds of crime fund. O’Keefe is to report only to Khalil, and he is not bound by the usual rules, nor does he have the usual protection. He understands he is a means to an end, he is expendable and unprotected. The job is dangerous, but the pay is generous.
Paul O’Keefe passes the tests set by Finn Dillion, and he is admitted into the centre of operations as a trusted member of the team. He is playing a dangerous game in this criminal world of smuggling, murder, and kidnapping, where his true identity could be exposed at any time.
The book is fast-paced with plenty of suspenseful action, and the characters are great. You become very invested in Paul O’Keefe, desperately wanting him to stay alive and be the lead character in another crime adventure. This one is hard to put down.
What I like about David Whish-Wilson’s undercover series is, he takes a topic that you may not have thought a lot about, and exposes the problems, challenges, and difficulties. This book shows the ingenious ways in which national shipping companies and local fishing fleets are outsmarting our border forces. It highlights the overseas involvement, the local gangs, and related crime.
O’Keefe is the second book in David Whish-Wilson’s Undercover series. You do not need to have read the first, as this book stands alone.
The first book in the series, Cutler, is an excellent read too, taking you on a journey exposing the dark world of deep-sea industrial fishing.
Five stars.
A selection of our Beauty and Lace Club members are reading O’Keefe by David Whish-Wilson. You can read their comments below, or add your own review.
I love to read, any book on any topic. I now love ebooks as they are easier to store, I was running out of bookshelves! My other interests are family, gardening and our beautiful King Charles spaniel dog who is my reading companion.
O’KEEFE by David Whish-Wilson
O’Keefe follows an ex-undercover agent, Paul Cutler, who takes on a new identity as Paul O’Keefe after surviving imprisonment at sea. His mission is dangerous to track down the source of the Mexican cartel meth that’s flooding Australian streets.
Working at a security firm in Fremantle Port, O’Keefe uncovers a secret world of illegal operations, rival factions, and increasing risks. As tensions rise, he becomes caught in a deadly power struggle.
The story explores crime, corruption, and how far one man will go to fight the criminal tide.
I liked the realistic Australian setting at Fremantle Port,i found the story fast-paced and suspenseful it keeps you turning the pages,
Okeefe has an interesting past ,and The story feels believable with all the current crime and drug issues in Australia at the moment .
This book is great for readers who enjoy Australian crime thrillers with atmosphere and tension.
Thankyou beauty and lace i rate it 4 out of 5 stars .
Thank you, Fremantle Press and Beauty and Lace for the opportunity to read and review O’Keefe. I loved this story, I knew the Port, the beaches, the streets, the hotels, and the clubs like my own backyard.
O’Keefe is one tough nut to crack, his laconic laid back style resonated with me, along with Whish-Wilsons signature no holds bar approach to storytelling.
It was just another day at the office for O’Keefe, the master of having to continually keep his emotions in check after years of practice was always on guard and one step ahead.
O’Keefe with his cavalier approach is so determined, as he is catapulted from one thrilling, gut wrenching, life threatening situation to the next.
I’m looking forward to the next installment and keen for Cutler to make a reappearance.
Fast paced, plenty of action and well written, loved every second of it! Whish-Wilson takes us along for the ride and are immersed into the persona of Paul O’Keefe. His no nonsense attitude and well thought out storyline make this quite a read. I thought I would get bored but there wasnt a chance!
O’Keefe by author David Whish-Wilson is an immersive crime novel set in Australia in the international criminal underworld.
Main character Paul O’Keefe has lived various iterations of his name in his complex and dangerous work. Formerly an on-the-books undercover operative for the Australian Federal Police, O’Keefe, then Paul Hennessy, opted out for a quieter, safer life after a particularly brutal beating and near-death experience that resulted in PTSD and his inability to continue in the role. However, O’Keefe found himself drinking too much and wandering aimlessly until tracked down by Malik Khalil, who recruited him as an off-the-books operative funded by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission’s slush fund. This suited O’Keefe as he took work when he wanted it and was paid well. He answered to no-one and wasn’t bound by the usual rules of engagement. On the downside, he had limited protection if anything went wrong.
This novel puts O’Keefe in the middle of an undercover investigation into his new boss at Fremantle Port, the head of Portside Security, Finn Dillon as he seeks to uncover illicit freight coming into port. It exposed a network of illegal operations as rival factions fought for control of the port’s smuggling routes in the lucrative cocaine trade and Mexican cartel meth which was flooding the streets of Australia; and had me sitting on the edge of my seat for the ever more dangerous position O’Keefe is in, as his real identity is increasingly threatened with exposure. The storyline is raw, violent, complex and scarily showcases a larger-than-life criminal underworld and the potential vulnerabilities of our ports as opportunities for illegal trading practices. I enjoyed O’Keefe immensely and found it a hard to put down novel.
Thank you to Beauty and Lace and Fremantle Press for the opportunity to read and review O’Keefe. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys a good crime thriller with lots of detail, twists and turns and interesting characters.
O’Keefe is a genuinely absorbing piece of Australian crime fiction, offering a gritty, immersive look at the Western Australian underworld. I think it’s meant to be centred around a fictionalised John Kizon.
I found myself relying heavily on the acronym glossary at the front and the detailed specifics of the WA crime economy, drug operations and maritime activities felt somewhat outside my immediate knowledge base.
The characters are the book’s greatest strength. O’Keefe is particularly well-drawn: clever, charismatic, and operating with a complex moral code. He immediately grabs your attention as a fascinating anti-hero.
A highly engaging and authentic read for anyone interested in Australian noir and character-driven crime narratives.