DEZ IS BACK!!! Love Dez!!! This is another one of those new series that I discovered recently that I have become hooked on. It has a lot of what I love in a crime thriller: smart, savvy, bad@$$ MC(s) that kick @$$ and take names for any villains that make the mistake of crossing paths with them or trying to hurt those they love and protect. Plus, it’s funny and, so far, has provided a lot of entertainment and amusement for me.

From the prologue, we get another glimpse into Dez’s past where we meet more of Dez’s accomplices/partners in crime from a job from two years earlier, where Dez got almost everyone out. The book summary pretty much lays out the first half of the story (part1) so I’m not going to repeat it here. As usual, all the bad guys (corrupt DEA agents and US Marshals and Clockjack mercenary bozos) underestimate Dez and in typical Desmond Aloysius Limerick style (Dez to his mates), he makes mincemeat of all of them and even killing one – by throwing a ball bearing at him. Dez doesn’t like guns. Lol😊 Who says murder and mayhem can’t be funny? Yeah, that’s right, killing bad guys/killers is funny to me.

Besides Clockjack’s corrupt extortion and blackmail of US and foreign politicians for their own gain, they are also snatching DEA witnesses (the most despicable of the lot) from WITSEC along with a group of other psychotic mercenaries with the help of insiders in both agencies for the sole purpose of creating a huge mercenary army. Additionally, what the book summary doesn’t mention is that a couple of characters from the first installment come to Dez’s rescue around the halfway point (part one). I like it when characters from previous installments make cameo appearances in later installments. The series characters kind of become an ensemble cast.

In the second half (part two), Dez and the Swann sisters are in hiding and Dez starts working with a former partner, Arabella, that was introduced in the prologue. Dez discovers that he and Arabella may have a common enemy in an associate of the Clockjack mercenaries. As terrorist mercenaries headed psychotic bozos are wont to do, they did something (won’t reveal any spoilers) that was so despicable that Dez just couldn’t leave without responding in kind.

The ending comes fast in another one of Dez’s expertly planned and calculated, and synchronized to perfection plan that results in spectacular chaos and mayhem. However, that epilogue!!! OMG!!! The lead into the next installment promises more intrigue and, I’m sure, murder and mayhem for Dez and friends!

Byrne is a good writer and storyteller. I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #StMartinsPress #Deadlock

Grab some popcorn and settle in for another exciting Dez Limerick adventure. Reacher like action that starts quickly and never lets up. Bodies dropping all over the pages.

Dez has never met a door he couldn’t open and has an attitude that drives those around him to want to kill him.

Loyal to his friends and deadly to those that need killing. I am hoping he has many more friends in need of his unique skills.

Desmond Aloysius Limerick, aka Dez to his his friends, is a 'gatekeeper'. He opens doors that most of us wouldn't even approach and he keeps them open for his friends. His 'friends' are usually armed and fighting but that is the environment that Dez knows best, and what he is paid to be a part of.

When Dez gets a call for help from his friend Raziah, who lives in Portland, Oregon, he travels there to help her out. She is concerned about her sister Jaleh who was attacked and left for dead just recently. Additionally, Jaleh's apartment was ransacked.

As Dez looks into the situation, it appears that Jaleh, who is a journalist, was writing an article to commemorate a recently deceased businessman who worked for a large conglomerate called Clockjack. Clockjack started as a small company in Portland but it has grown to be a multinational business worth billions of dollars. Could something in Jaleh's article have caused her attack. If so, she is unaware what it could be.

As Dez looks into Jaleh's reporting and the Clockjack corporation, things start to get out of hand. He is attacked by mercenaries and thugs. Clockjack is supposed to be an environmentally friendly company allowing people to disburse their tax dollars to ecologically concerned causes. As Dez examines Clockjack closely, he realizes that it is not what it seems. It is hiding a shadowy undercurrent of violence.

This is an A-1 thriller from page one until the end. The writing is superb and I really appreciated the integral comic relief amidst all the bloodshed and violence. I rarely rate a thriller as '5' but this one is a wonderful exception.

Oh geez, this was absolutely extraordinary. I was super excited to see another installment in the Desmond Limerick series. There is one huge problem - I just can’t put the book down, not when Dez is strumming his guitar or hurling a guy into a wall or clocking a guy with a steel marble, or trying to insure the safety of a friend.

I love that this hero isn’t that body perfect gorgeous hunk of guy who can scale tall buildings and leap into a fire and land on his feet unscathed. Well, parts of that are true - The scaling and leaping anyway. He is so perfect with all his imperfections and battle scars. He is long sighted except when he isn’t and gets caught out and knows when to fold and when to play. I really like this character.

As he lays a trap and waits for the opposition he reflects “Nobody teaches the classic skills anymore. Cursive writing. How to mix the perfect rob roy. Picking a basic padlock. Dez mourns for the world.” A right thinking, logical guy who respects skill even when it on the wrong side.

“Deadlock” is a taut, tightly scripted thriller which ended too quickly - not the pace, not the in between nor the ending - I just didn’t want it to be over. But somehow I think there might be more to come and I can’t wait.

A million thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for a copy.

My deep thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books/St.Martins Publishing for the ARC of "Deadlock" in exchange for an honest review.
He's back! And once again, civilization as we know it can sleep sounder. Our one and only 'Dez', jack-of-all-lethal trades, soldier-of-fortune, wandering righter of wrongs is at large, in charge. (Not to mention a killer rock guitarist when called upon....)
I speak, of course, of Desmond Aloysius Limerick, that mad, mad combination of Jason Bourse, Jack Reacher, James Bond.....and the Lucky Charms Leprechaun. Once again, the 'Gatekeeper', renowned for penetrating impregnable lairs, is confounding odious villains, both corporate and paramilitary, with his particular set of skills and his endlessly cheerful patter.
And once again, author James Byrne delivers one of the most purely enjoyable action-adventures you'll read all year. You won't be able to plow through the pages fast enough as Dez out-quips, outwits, outfights, outmaneuvers, and generally outrages the array of bad guys who underestimate him.
This time he comes to the aid of two sisters who've stumbled into the crosshairs of Clockjack, a seemingly benevolent mega-corporation started by a quartet of high tech nerds. But Clockjack's been hijacked by a totally bonkers mastermind and his small army of hardcore mercenaries. And they've found a way to spring and recruit the world's worst scumbags out of Witness Protection. Their mission - assassinations for hire to upend the world order while they rule from their own private kingdom in Africa. Well.....with Dez on the case and in their face....good luck with that.
Fools that they are, they take Dez's non-stop gift-of-gab as a joke, but we the readers can only chuckle along, since we know the Wrath Of Dez will come down on them in all sorts of fascinating, violent ways........guaranteed to leave the corporate slime and their heavily armed commandos....uh.....properly Dez'd & Confused.
I'm pretty sure you can tell by now that I loved this book to pieces and only sighed aloud after I finished it, bemoaning how long I'd have to wait before Dez's next adventure comes out. Without any doubt a 5 star 'don't miss' for any action-adventure lover.....and not nearly enough books like this to give you such a non-stop blast of fun.

I received an ARC through "NetGalley" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This story begins with Dez performing his Gatekeeper duties. It is then followed up by him now in the U.S. where he receives a call from Raziah, a girl he played music with, asking for help because her sister had been attacked and was in the hospital. Dez drops everything to go to Portland to help. While there he learns that the sister has been working on an article about an auditor who has been killed. When Dez finally got to the hospital, he discovered that there were men waiting to hurt the two sisters. Dez was able to handle them, but as a result he drew attention by the police, U.S. Marshall s and D.E.A. It seems that the men who were the attackers were persons of interest.

Dez eventually was able to satisfy the law organizations. He then figured out that Clockjack, the firm the auditor was working on, were probably behind the killing and the attacks on the sisters. After believing that he had gotten the sisters to safety, he began his investigation of Clockjack. Doing so, he drew the attention of individuals wanting to prevent his intrusion.

To learn what Dez had to overcome, what other events happened before the final confrontation and why Clockjack was so concerned, then you need to read this book. The ending is well worth it.

Loved this thriller- especially the hero Desmond Aloysius Limerick who reminds me of a wild and British Jack Reacher! Desmond has a military background as a specialist mercenary gatekeeper: highly educated, deeply trained, and able to keep all open and hold open all sorts of doors (physical, electronic, cyber). Desmond also has a strong moral center that guides him: doing what’s right and protecting the vulnerable who come under his care.

This suspenseful read opens with Desmond holding open and then closing a door on an undercover CIA operation in Azerbaijan. Fast forward two years, and Desmond’s on a tourist visa to the U.S., bringing along only his guitar, love of music, and rugged laptop and cell phone. He’s in L.A. when he gets a distress call from a young talented Black/Iranian singer friend, Raziah, whose older sister Laleh, a reporter, has been brutally attacked in Portland Oregon. Desmond flies in to help, which starts by taking down a couple of the bad guys lurking around Laleh’s hospital and then encountering both the U.S. Marshalls Office from Virginia and the DEA, each interested in a different one of the assailants who each have deep criminal backgrounds.

All this ladders up to the story Laleh has been investigating: the unexpected death of an accountant scrutinizing the books of a powerful high-tech corporation, Clockjack Solutions, headquartered in Oregon. Desmond gets swept up in the secret corruption that has infused Clockjack, alternating continually between powerful action hero and genius gumshoe detective, as the villains get their comeuppance.

To share more would upend the continual plot surprises- just add this book to the top of your reading pile!!

I’m immediately going back to the first book in this series, Gatekeeper, and I cannot wait for Desmond’s next outing!!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy.

You are in for a wild ride.

LOVED this book!

Thinking he would like a brief holiday in the United States, Dez leaves England and has just spent his first day in Los Angeles when he receives a phone call from Raziah Swann, a young musician/songwriter he has worked with. When she tells him that her sister Laleh is in danger and is in a hospital, he’s on the next flight to Portland, Oregon.

Raziah tells Dez that her sister’s apartment was ransacked and a day after that she was mugged and almost killed. The two go to the hospital, and Dez immediately spots two men who are waiting for Raziah. He dispatches them without any trouble as well as two others who are inside Laleh’s room, apparently ready to abduct her.

When he puts the last thug out of commission with a Thai boxing move, he looks over the man and thinks, he has “heard the expression you should never hit a man when he’s down. Stupid advice, that. There’s no better time to hit a man than when he’s down.” (Italics mine.)

Laleh insists that she doesn’t know why anyone would attack her. She’s a business reporter, she tells the police and Dez, not an investigative journalist, and the only story she’s working on at the moment is a profile of a forensic accountant who was murdered a couple of days before she was attacked. She’s sure there’s no connection, but Dez has his own opinion.

Deadlock James Byrne
James Byrne has written another great story called Deadlock. Dez is back in his second novel. Dez just wants to mellow out, mind his own business and play some bass. But when his friends call for help he doesn’t hesitate to do all he can to help. A tech giant likes to throw its wealth and power around to get its way. Dez handles it deftly. Dez is a cool cat and a guy you want on your side. Come along for the ride.
#Deadlock #JamesByrne #NetGalley #StMartinsPress

Hold onto the seat of your pants for this fast-paced action packed novel that is hard to put down. Desmond Aloysius Limerick, or "Dez" as he is known is called to Oregon to protect sisters Raziah and Laleh Swann from some very bad people. This is the second book in a series and I did not read the first one so this works well as a standalone. I loved this book from the first page and could not put it down. I definitely will be reading the prequel. If you love action and getting rid of the bad guys, this is the book for you.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book that kept me up reading into the wee hours of the night.

This was a great book. I didn’t realize it was the second in a series of books and I haven’t read the first book yet. This is one of the highest praises I can give the author as this book did great as a stand alone book. I didn’t feel like I was missing 1/2 a story. I think there are a a couple of things that can be cleared up once I read the first book but it wasn’t needed to follow the great story of this book.

This series quickly moved into my “must read” category, it has all the elements of a thrilling mystery I expect. I’ve missed the Gatekeeper, Dez, and I’m so excited he’s returned In a new episode of this series. It could be read on it’s own, but I highly recommend the first – it was fantastic! Dez is one of a kind, truly unique and such a quirky character. If the bad guys ever target me, Dez is the one person I’d want on my side. A gun isn’t his first choice of defense, but he’s skilled with many weapons. He’s going to need extraordinary planning and maybe some luck as he faces this new enemy.
He’s been quietly hanging out at a wealthy friend’s estate near Malibu after helping her handlie threats against her company. He’s been enjoying subbing with some bandmates playing his beloved guitar. Now one of his fellow musician friend needs help when her sister is attacked in Portland. The sister is a journalist, writing an article which might have inadvertently made her a target. A large tech company (Clockjack) is based in the area. Part of this endeavor includes being “green”, saving the planet, etc. Dez soon finds himself up against power and wealth with global economic implications. The founders of Clockjack are hiding dark secrets. Dez is facing very dangerous people who won’t hesitate to kill him to protect their true objectives. The story is full of fast paced action and twists you don’t expect. I will happily read all the books about ‘Dez’ the author can create.
Thanks to NetGalley for the digital advance reader copy of “Deadlock” by James Byrne, published by St Martin’s Press, Minotaur. These are all my own personal, honest thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

Deadlock sounded like a novel that I could get behind very easily. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case for me. Granted, I knew that the novel was a sequel. But I generally manage to get by reading sequels as standalones. However, Deadlock was difficult to read as a standalone. Without knowing anything about the Gatekeeper backstory, I was lost at the get-go.

Even if I did know Dez' backstory of being the gatekeeper, I don't think I would enjoy this novel or the prior novel. What I didn't care for was Dez' dialect. Dez came across to me as a wannabe pirate. Something that turned me off at the start. And the wry humor was a miss for me as well. Those two aspects took away from the mystery and suspense in my opinion. An unfortunate one star DNF at 33%

I'm sure that I'm an outlier opinion. But that's just my thoughts about this novel. I don't think I would want to read any more of this series. But, if there are other novels from this author, I'll probably give them a try.

I received a DRC from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

A worthy followup to The Gatekeeper. Brutal and clever action, leavened by a lead character who owes as much to Bugs Bunny as Jack Reacher. After a sluggish start (the first third wandering through some leisurely drama that can be skimmed), the book kicks into gear with the same formula as the first book; kickass thriller that never takes itself too seriously. If the plot lacks any real surprises, that's forgotten in the pace, which moves from inventive sequence to inventive sequence, with sparkling dialogue and well drawn -- but not overblown -- action.

And a big win on the ending, which is less a frustrating cliffhanger than a satisfying and intriguing tease for the next book. In a world of cookie-cutter Lee Child knockoffs, Byrne is an original voice and a terrific guide; this is going to be a reliable summer read for me going forward.

My only real gripe is the cover -- and the cover of the first book, for that matter -- which hide the personality of the series behind a very generic action book look.

Deadlock is another exciting thriller featuring “Dez” Limerick (Desmond Aloysius Limerick). I loved the first book (The Gatekeeper) so I was delighted to get early access to its sequel. Dez is a fabulous main character: very quirky with a ton of skills and lots of ingenuity, both of which help him survive very crazy situations. It may sound odd that a thriller made me laugh, but Dez has a great sense of humor and his Irish/Scottish expressions make for some rather puzzled people in the US.

The action is the first book took place mainly in California. This time, a character he befriended in The Gatekeeper, calls on Dez to help her sister, who has been attacked in Portland, Oregon. So most of the action is this book takes place in and around Portland. I’m familiar with that area, as I have family who live there, and I absolutely loved all the local Portland detail and color. You can tell the author did his homework or knew the area well. (Don’t you hate it when a book takes place in an area you know and you can spot all sorts of errors or things that don’t make sense for the place?) The plot is intricate, with a fair number of people to keep track of - including some who use fake names and you later find out their actual name, which can add some layers of confusion. Nevertheless, I followed the story well and had a hard time putting it down.

I’m a sucker for an excellent audiobook and the narrator of the audio version, John Keating, does all the accents so beautifully. Reading the dialect is probably harder than listening to it, so I loved the audio version. I bounced back and forth between the ebook/print and the audio, and as I read, I could hear Mr. Keating’s voice in my head.

While you could read this as a standalone, I’d highly recommend reading the first book - first of all, it’s great, and second, there are a number of references back to people and events. You would get a better understanding of Dez and why he is who he is and how he wound up in the US.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book and to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Dez is back in his next adventure in Deadlock by James Byrne.

"Dez is asked to help protect a pair of sisters after one of them is assaulted and almost killed. Dez soon finds himself up against a renegade mercenary army and a corrupt sotware company with a lot of political pull. But Dez will do anything to protect his mates - especially when his unique skillset comes in handy."

Dez is up against a lot of bad guys and doesn't always come away unscathed. He takes his lumps but keeps on coming back. He keeps digging until he's figured out what;s happening and then deals with it - in a way that he does best. There are a couple of times where you wonder if Dez is going to make it. Lots of crazy bad guys and an inventive plot. And the ending is wild. Byrne even sets up another book without making it a cliffhanger.

Some great escapist fiction from Byrne. Dez is a character you should meet this year.

I love Dez’s character so much. Dez’s unique way of speaking and his one-liners are still in abundance in the pages of book 2, which makes him all the more endearing. His badassery knows no bounds. I love that about him.

The 1st book was amazing, I couldn’t stop talking about how much I loved it. I was a bit underwhelmed with this 2nd book BUT I’m in the minority. Everyone else seemed to think this one was just as good as the 1st.

I think I liked the 1st better because I felt like I got to know the characters better. In this book I felt like there were too many characters and things going on that I just never really got into it.

This one was almost a DNF for me but it’s possible that I just didn’t care for the audio narrator, which can make or break an audiobook for me. When I read the 1st book I had a physical copy of the book and low expectations which is overwhelming exceeded.

I’m on the fence about whether I’ll continue this series and if I do it’ll be reading the physical copy.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: August 8, 2023
American author James Byrne’s second novel, “Deadlock”, also happens to be the second in the Dez Limerick series (the first, “The Gatekeeper” was published last year). Think of the movie “Taken”, with a gritty yet hilarious leading man with an accent, hell-bent on justice and protecting those he cares about, add a controlling, power-hungry mega-corporation determined to gain even more wealth regardless of who gets hurt in the process, and you have “Deadlock”.
Dez Limerick’s life as a “gatekeeper” is officially behind him. No longer required to run military ops and guide his team through war-desiccated countries, Limerick now has the oppourtunity to live the life he wants. But that life he left behind has provided him with a “particular set of skills” that makes him useful to those he knows and loves. When a young woman and her sister are targeted after uncovering dark secrets about tech company, Clockjack, Dez is called into action. Now he must he face off against a corrupt corporation with endless resources in order to protect those he cares about.
“Deadlock” is non-stop action from page one. Sabotage, intrigue, subterfuge, explosions and fist fighting are threaded through an intense plot, all culminating in an ending that leaves just enough tension, the reader will be left wanting more.
I have not read “The Gatekeeper”, so I am new to Dez and his band of highly trained colleagues (if you can call them that). That being said, like most other series’ of this type, “Deadlock” can be read as a stand-alone, although the previous novel would provide a more in-depth background on some of the characters and plot points.
Dez is witty and hilarious with his Irish brogue and neutral demeanor. His intelligence is not overt, but his methods are so subtle and sneaky that he is utterly unstoppable. His relationships are frail but his morality is strong, and he is definitely a character that is made for the big screen.
Although the plot focuses on the tech sector, the language is not overly scientific, and the subject matter is generalizable. There are numerous characters, but their individual personalities differ, making it easy to differentiate. The ending overtly hints at a third novel, and there’s no doubt that Byrne will bring Dez into the world again with at least a few more afterward. This series will appeal to those who love high-octane spy novels with gruff underdog protagonists.

I didn’t realize this was the second book in the series when I read it and was able to keep up with no problem. I loved Dez and his humor. The story was fast-paced, engaging, and fun to read. It also made me look up the first book as I would like to find out more about Dez. I hope there are more stories to come.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press-Minotaur Books, and James Byrne for the eARC.

Desmond Aloysius Limerick is a retired gatekeeper. He used to go into dangerous places and open doors and keep them open until they were closed. Now, he plays a little guitar and helps his friends. Raziah Swann reaches out to Dez when her sister is mugged and left for dead. Laleh is a journalist, on the trail of a ClockJack, a shadowy company on the verge of winning a government contract worth billions. But what exactly does ClockJack do besides run almost every phone in the world and much of the software available? Dez will protect his friends until his last breath and beyond. This was one of the best adrenaline-laced books I have read in a long time. Highly recommended.