THE GATEKEEPER presents a new protagonist, Dez Limerick, of unclear background and past, but undisputed talents when villains appear suddenly. Perhaps the best part about his murky past is that there are really no limits to his skill sets. Author James Byrne has cleverly created an opening for a character with enormous possibilities and a great sense of humor. This first book introduces Dez well and suggests he will travel as needed to satisfy his rescue fantasies. I enjoyed every minute of the book and look forward to reading the next. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Byrne’s The Gatekeeper starts off as s fast-paced action thriller, but the rest of the story doesn’t stand up to the initial scenes. It features Irish-Scottish action hero Dez, who can take on half a dozen armed operatives and win and knows how to master any surveillance system in seconds and win the heart of any woman he meets. He has a network of connections, but the reader never gets much of an explanation of who he is or what his backstory is let alone what a “gatekeeper” is. The story then sort of falls off the rails when the author tries to paint Orange County, California, as filled with redneck racist bars and military members stationed there as all being tied in with White Supremacists. In fact, the storyline then has half the military assisting White Supremacists in a breakaway republic with Russian collusion. Few characters, if any, have any depth and the story fizzles out into nothing interesting.

A solid thriller. I suspect this will be popular with fans of the genre. It has an interesting MC and good plotting. I stayed engaged. Recommended.

Thanks very much for the free ARC for review!!

The Gatekeeper introduces us to Desmond “Dez” Aloysius Limerick. He’s a man of many skills, but little history. He speaks with a British accent that can be confused for Australian or Kiwi, but he only tells people that he’s from here and there. He has a dry wit and is incredibly polite. He has the skills of a trained mercenary, and he also plays the bass guitar.

Dez has played a gig with a cover band at the Hotel Tremaine in Los Angeles and is on the elevator up to his room when he meets the beautiful Petra Alexandris and asks if she’d like to have a drink with him. She turns him down. Later that night Dez saves her from being kidnapped by a group of heavily armed professionals. Alexandris, the chief legal counsel of Triton Expeditors, a military contractor, asks Dez to help her find out who is behind the kidnapping.

Dez has a tattoo of the two-faced Roman god Janus on his inner forearm. He describes Janus to Alexandris as representing “Beginnings an’ gates. Transitions an’ times. Duality an’ doors. Passages an’ endings”. In a cryptic way that describes not only Dez, but this action-packed thriller as well.

Alexandris’ attempted kidnapping was just a spark in a much larger plot that could end with the fiery meltdown of a nuclear plant in central California if Dez doesn’t stop it first. The incredible plot revolves around a corporate CEO with delusional ideas of creating a new nation/state. Throw in some corrupt military leaders, a Russian ambassador and hordes of neo-Nazis and white supremacists drawn to the town outside the nuclear plant by an ultra-rightwing media mogul and Dez has his hands full trying to save much more than just Petra Alexandris.

Dez reminds me of Jack Reacher, Jason Bourne and MacGyver all rolled into one. I liked the author’s descriptive writing style and his well- written characters. The Gatekeeper is a fast-paced entertaining read that I would highly recommend.

If you are looking for a fun read, look no further than The Gatekeeper by James Byrne. Dez Limerick is a part-time musician, who in a previous life was a mercenary. He was known as a "gatekeeper", someone who could open any door and keep it open. Fairly vague but it appears he can do almost anything: explosives, hacking, killing, shredding on the guitar, a literal jack-of-all -trades.

The story is well thought out and moves quickly but, make no mistake, Dez Limerick is what makes The Gatekeeper great. If there is a character like him in the thriller realm, I haven't met them. He is wholly unique. He's unnaturally calm, bordering on nonchalant. Almost toys with his enemies then leaves them in a heap on the ground. If Byrne keeps this up Dez could very easily become one of my favorite characters and I don't think I'll be alone.

My sincere thanks to James Byrne, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing The Gatekeeper.

A totally unexpected thriller with hearty amounts of subtle humor and brutal action introducing a wisecracking protagonist who would give Jack Reacher a run for his money when it comes to beating down racists with over-powered fists.

Dez Limerick is a man of mystery. A mercenary of sorts with specialized skills as a “gatekeeper”; accessing even the most secure of locations, and an enigmatic past. Retiring in California, Dez is an amateur musician working gigs when he thwarts an organized team of trained operatives attempting to kidnap a woman whose father happens to be the CEO of a major military contractor. Taking out the team with a fire ax in smooth combat, Dez becomes embroiled in a major conspiracy with Neo-Nazis planning the most brazen coup with global political consequences.

A newcomer in the thriller genre, Dez Limerick is far distinct from the usual silent-type protagonists. He’s as quippy as he is dangerous, disarming his opponents with wisecracks that have you laughing out loud before he busts out violent chops in a flurry of devastating punches and kicks, bending limbs in ways they were never meant to be bent. Described as a barrel-chested man with ridiculously big hands, his fight moves are reminiscent of Jack Reacher’s style; hitting once and hitting hard to drive home his articulation. The fight sequences keep a realistic bearing considering Dez’s physique and refrain from painting him with an all-invincible brushstroke. Dez’s mental acuity adds a cool layer to the combat sequences as he fashions the most banal and unexpected items into the deadliest weapons.

As a character of English origins, his unorthodox dialect flows off with a tinge of proper humor as could be expected when American characters are dumbfounded by Dez’s use of English expressions not commonly used stateside. As such, the interactions between characters are refreshingly witty and exciting. Limerick’s character development is top-notch with a balanced focus on his empathy as a protagonist in tandem with his inclination to step into physical conflicts in the name of justice.

The white-supremacist angle of the story is handled with a keen eye on today’s headlines without rehashing something already explored before. The conspiracy catapults Dez and readers alike on a wild roller coaster ride akin to a Guy Ritchie movie. Unyielding in its grip with plot twists and turns that turn the whole narrative on its head just when you think you’ve finally figured out what’s to come next.

The Gatekeeper is a fresh hit debut of a hilariously charming hero with a mean uppercut dishing out justice in the most spectacularly creative ways. This action-packed thriller needs to be on your radar for 2022.

Full review with blurb image posted on: https://www.bestthrillerbooks.com/kashif-hussain/the-gatekeeper-by-james-byrne

“The Gatekeeeper” is a great addition to the action/thriller section of your library. Dead is the gatekeeper, and he gets into and out of places, trouble, and situations no one imagines. He also controls who enters and exits the same. When he comes to the rescue of the ‘fair maiden’ of this story, he finds that a door has opened to a fantastic story. Survivalists, far-right, Neo-Nazis, out-of-control soldiers, Russians, and more hatch a plot the is hard to believe, but definitely entertains. Great protagonist that I hope to meet again.

I agree with other reviewers that this book reminded me of Jack Reacher in that Dez was very laid back and wasn't looking for violence but also not against it if it came looking for him. I was very surprised by this book as I ended up liking it a lot more than I though I would. I had not read a book by this author previously but I probably should have at some point.. Dez keeps picking at the conspiracy bit by bit until he is neck deep and almost single handedly saves the day. You need to suspend belief a little bit but the book moves at such a quick pace you just get caught up in the story and forget about all the other stuff. Well done.