Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher/author for providing me with an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

OMG!!! This book was exactly what I wanted it to be! I loved it. I will make sure to check out other books by this author. When I requested this I was just intrigued by the concept of it and I loved how it turned out. This story had a great plot and if you have read this and enjoyed it, This was so much. It was such a great story. I would say give this one a try. I will continue to follow this author. Way to go to this author for not letting me down.

I highly enjoyed the narrator of the audiobook. Kept me listening.

I absolutely love the main character, Dez Limerick! I think what I love about him is the way he uses both brain and brawn to take down the "bad guys" (even if they don't always immediately appear as such). He is methodical in how he accomplishes this, using tech, gadgets, and just overall ingenuity.

Kudos to the narrator of the book! He is perfect for Dez and captures the Irish/Scottish accent really well. I saw that others had difficulty with reading his spoken dialect, so I'd totally recommend the audiobook to resolve that issue!

I am hooked on this series and can't wait for more!

Well read But I didn’t find the story very interesting. My opinion, but I do recommend you give it a try. You may love it.

Wow! This was definitely a thrill ride! It is action packed, suspenseful and even has an element of humor. It is over the top and will have you on the edge of your seat. This thriller is the perfect combination of thrills, adventure and laughs. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my audiobook.

I thought this was a good action, military/cop thriller book. The narration was also good. It was a lot of stuff going on which was a little hard to follow in the audioversion. But I did like the MC Dez. I want to thank the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for giving me an advance audiobook copy, in return for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this. Kept me guessing and i enjoyed the narrators. The accents were great and he was fun to listen to. It was action packed! Definitely plot driven. I did struggle to connect with the characters but still a great read

A complicated case for an unconventional investigator

“The Gatekeeper” introduces readers to Desmond Aloysius Limerick, a new class of investigator: a combination of ruthless mercenary, dedicated hero, accomplished musician, and occasional detective. Dez, to his friends and enemies alike, has a complicated professional background that gradually unfolds as he investigates. He is entertaining, clever, intelligent, and perceptive. Everyone finds him pleasant, until they don’t. He is a gatekeeper; one who guards; one who preserves, one who watches, and one who keeps things as they should be. Oh, and he can kill someone in in seconds.

While enjoying the So Cal sun, Dez accidentally finds a job when he foils an attempted assault and kidnapping. He subsequently is contacted by the “target” to help flush out a possible attempt to decimate her family and business. This turns into complicated plot involving trained adversaries, family infighting, and contradictory political ideology. Dez, of course, can handle anything and everything in his systematic, coordinated, and effective style. The pace is fast with political and social conflict and intense confrontations, one after another.

I listened to “The Gatekeeper” as an audio book narrated by John Keating. The diverse personalities were well presented, and the tension of the book was reflected in the telling of the story. I received a review copy of “The Gatekeeper” from James Byrne, John Keating, and Macmillan Audio and Minotaur Books.

DNF at 33%. I couldn't get into the audiobook, and didn't find the actual plot all that interesting, or enough for me to keep reading.

Witty and sharp, this thriller kept me guessing. The narrator captured the accents and did an excellent job bringing the story to life. The ending wasn't as explosive as I'd hoped, but the overall experience was enjoyable.

I definitely was not expecting to love this book as much as I did. I sincerely hope this becomes a series because Des is an amazing character. He’s resourceful and witty.

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the chance to listen to and review this audiobook prior to its release on June 7th.

I knew this book would be a little out of my comfort zone but thought it was worth a shot anyways!

Sadly, it struggled to hold my attention and while the narrator's voice was easy to listen to it became somewhat distracting for me. I may have had a better chance with a physical book for this one.

Don't take my word for it though, there are many positive reviews out there for this one! Check them out!

A good audio book can go a long way toward ending a reading slump. This fast-paced story helped me push through by keeping me engaged. While not plausible in the slightest, it still kept me entertained. The author has created a character who is memorable, if not believable.

This was a fun four star read. Narrator John Keenan did a fantastic job with the voices and he definitely gets five stars for his part. Though this was pure fantasy, I still found it jolly good fun. My thanks to MacMillan Audio. All opinions are my own.

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Brilliant novel! Loved it. I actually went back and forth between this audio copy and the physical copy and it was perfect. Great narration though and wonderful character development. I adored this book!! Thank you so much for this opportunity, I’ll be sharing my review soon on social media and will tag you all🖤

Well that was fun! James Byrne has added a new character to the list of action heroes with an over-the-top set of particular skills, along with the likes of Jack Reacher, Evan Smoak (from the Orphan X series), Mitch Rapp and Jason Bourne. Dez Limerick is a retired mercenary who's also an amateur musician, currently spending some time in Los Angeles, playing the occasional gig with local bands. When he finds himself in the wrong place at the right time, he foils a kidnapping attempt and is drawn into what turns out to be a much more serious plot than anyone could have anticipated. Occasionally I read a book like this and find that it reads a bit too much like a movie - almost like the author is already seeing his work up on the big screen and is halfway writing the screenplay vs a book. Happily this one didn't read that way for me, even though I could see it showing up on Netflix or Amazon as a movie or series. Over the top? Sure, a bit, but most of these types of books are. And I enjoyed Dez' view of himself - completely confident in his skills at work, but with a sense of humor about himself. I listened to the audiobook and the narration was excellent and definitely added to my enjoyment of the story. I hope this is indeed the first in a series, and look forward to seeing what Dez is up to in the future.
Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing a digital copy for an unbiased review.

HE GATEKEEPER
James Byrne
John Keating
Action/Adventure

Dez has come out of retirement to help foil a kidnapping plan and to help the beautiful Alexandris find out who is embezzling money from the company Triton Expeditors. Triton Expeditor’s is one of the major military contractors. They soon find that the reason is not at all what they expected.

This book was great from start to finish. Action packed with just enough story to keep me wanting to listen to more. The thought that things like what happen in this book could happen kind of makes me shiver. I will warn it is a bit gory in places. This was definitely a five star read for me. I would really recommend this books to fans of the Jack Reacher books. I really hope there’s a second book coming so I can learn more about Dez’s story.

In the book The Gatekeeper, author James Byrne writes about Dez, a retired mercenary and amateur musician. He is enjoying his time in Southern California when the hotel he is at is attacked. He helps Petra Alexandris escape capture and possible death. Now he is tasked with protecting her. But can she be trusted? Can her father, who is the CEO of a military contractor be trusted? And who is embezzling money from the company?
This was a great edge of your seat book. The audio-book narration was very well done. I would recommend this book. I received a copy of this audio-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Desmond Aloysius Limerick has arrived and the thriller world is better off for it. The Gatekeeper by James Byrne introduces us to Limerick, Dez to his friends, who is retired from a shadowy past with military training. Dez is a gatekeeper. He opens doors, keeps them open, and decides who gets through.
Dez just wants to hang around Los Angeles, play his bass guitar with a band and relax. Dez is at the hotel Tremaine when he crosses paths with Petra Alexandris, an expert in international finance and daughter of the corporation's owner. When a team of armed men shows up to kidnap Petra, they run into the one thing they didn't plan for: Dez. Now Dez finds himself in the middle of a conspiracy involving murder, media manipulation, militias, and both internal and external threats to the United States. The one thing that none of them counted on was Dez Limerick.

This is one of the best thrillers of the year and an introduction to a character of whom I hope to read many, many more adventures. The action starts with a blast and never really stops. Propelled forward by a character who is funny, charming, and as cool as the other side of the pillow. The plot seems both fantastical and frighteningly plausible. Dez at times uses his smarts to stay a step or two ahead of the opposition and at times trusts in his skills to bull through the obstacles in front of him. He trusts his instincts, his ability to read people, and his internal sense of justice. He harkens back to a hero of the old west, who blows into town, fights for the cause of justice, and then leaves as mysteriously as he showed up.

The Gatekeeper is one of the best debuts of the year and Dez Limerick is an outstanding character. The audiobook is read by John Keating who takes the material to another level and who perfectly captures Dez's character through his vocal interpretation. He had me laughing out loud at parts and sitting on the edge of my seat through the action sequences. His characters are easy to distinguish and his every choice elevated the words. Keating's narration is worthy of award consideration.

This book is destined for my best books of the year list and will hopefully find a legion of fans to spark a long series.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher.

I've been recommended this audiobook because of a seemingly resemblance to the Orphan X series I so much enjoy. And there are superficial similarities - with the protagonist being some kind of ex-military specialist, now helping someone he doesn't know. It's narrated by John Keating - great guy, his voice makes it all so much better instantly. I would hire him to narrate my own personal life if I could afford to.

Now to the novel at hand, which is an over the top, high octane action thriller. The complete military background of Dez Limerick is never fully laid open, but judging from what he does it's safe to say he's a knife toting, gun firing hacker and locks expert. Or as he likes to explain it: It's not just about opening doors, it's about keeping them open and controlling who gets through - and who won't.

He's also of unknown specific British origins, which John manages to turn into some half Irish accent (which makes Dez sound quite charming - ta for that, mate!) And he's just charming enough that I see him capable of maintaining a series, which is why I chose to add this entry in the way of a series novel. I'm pretty sure there's more to come.

If we're talking about plot , then the initial phase of the book is a lot like the 90's Steven Seagal movie Under Siege. Only this time, it's a hotel instead of a submarine, and it's not the chef foiling the terrorists but the bass player. Everything after that does - as strange as that may sound - turn ever more unrealistic. If you're preferring your thrill kicks in a more realistic style, I would suggest reading some Nick Stone. But if you're willing to read this the Hollywood way - brain on half sleep, popcorn and a cold one ready - then you're in for one helluva ride.

Because Dez soon find himself in the midst of some alt right revolution gig. I've been reading in other reviews that this is quite unrealistic. I beg to differ - those militias wanting independence have been around for ages, and Trumpism has given them some kind of hope. Sure, it's a thriller and it's only realistic in a Hollywood kind of way, but I wouldn't dismiss it readily. It also makes for a really thrilling read (as mentioned before). (Also it's about more than just that, but I don't want to spoiler you too much.)

One thing that caught me as odd - having wandered around the states in my mind alongside Jack Reacher - is the fact that Dez is constantly making up his mind about where he's hailing from. He tells two different guys within the same building two different origins within five minutes. At this point, it's mostly a running gag - but it's something Jack would never do. Too hard to keep track of all the lies.

I want to tread back a moment to other reviews calling the plot unrealistic. I've already mentioned we're talking about Hollywood type of realism here, but as the plot thickens you'll realize how well everything is interwoven and blended together, from things happening within the novel as well as real world events that have happened in the past and that are now placed into this situation. I love it when a plot does this.

*****

In the end, I enjoyed this thriller. But I'm still unsure about the character of Dez, seemingly too happy and an "into the breach" kind of guy. I would expect that much more forethought went into his actions than we're privy to. If James Byrne would ask my advice on how to make this series better, I would suggest plunging deeper into the thoughts of Dez, taking a deep dive into his train of thought. And, of course, tell us more about his history.

Disclaimer: I've received a free Advanced Listener's Copy and am leaving this review voluntarily.

I found this to be a fun and quick read. I enjoyed the introduction to Dez Limerick and found him to be very entertaining. I really enjoyed him as a character and am looking forward to reading more of his adventures in the future.

This is a very action packed book with a lot of fight scenes. This is not my favorite part, but I do think it is mostly well done. There is some witty banter, which I always love. Our MC, Dez, has the tendency to confuse people with what seems to be random conversation. The reactions to this from other characters are almost as interesting as the randomness is. There were a few intentionally humorous parts where I found myself laughing.

Some people may find this book to be too political. It involves politicians and a lot of concepts such as white supremacy and the LGBTQ community among others that can be sensitive to some people. It is quite clear where our hero stands in relation to these topics. So, if you like a book that is free from these types of subject or politics in general, then you should likely avoid this one.

I love that the smartest person in the book is a very self-assured woman. I thought she was a fabulous character. She and Dez had some interesting chemistry and I hope to see her in future installments. I'd also love to see her domestic assistant again. He was a really cool character too.

Overall, I thought this was a great first installment to the series. There were a couple of minor consistency issues, but nothing too distracting. I hope the series doesn't take itself too seriously or try to get bigger/badder bad guys every installment because I think it could get over the top very quickly. I thought this was a great combination of action, mystery, interesting characters, witty banter, and humor. I love the concept of the gatekeeper.

I listened to the audio narrated by John Keating. I did not initially love his narration, but it grew on me, particularly after certain things in the story revealed some reasoning behind his vocal choices. In the end, he became the voice of Dez and I hope he continues to narrate the series. I think he did a wonderful job and would enjoy listening to him narrate the next book.

This book was...fine. I really enjoy this type of book normally, but unfortunately could not really get into this one. It does have the makings of a series and there's enough here I would try another of his books, just nothing here made me want to keep coming back for more.More of a backstory on Dec maybe or a reason to care about the characters more. Maybe it was the narrator? Sorry to say it was just ok for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.