The Gatekeeper Review

Author: James Byrne

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Release Date: June 7, 2022

Order Link: Amazon

4 Action Packed Hearts

Many thanks to Minotaur Books for an arc of this book.

James Byrne's The Gatekeeper introduces Dez Limerick in the most anticipated new thriller in years.

Review:

Desmond Aloysius Limerick aka Dez.  Remember that name as it's destined to reside up there on the favorite book heroes shelf alongside Jack Reacher, Orphan X, Jason Bourne and a slew of other larger than life heroes.  Readers are introduced to Dez when The Gatekeeper opens as Dez and his shady associates have infiltrated a mansion while on a should have been simple mission that's gone awry.  Even as the situation deteriorates into a life or death situation, Dez keeps cool, calm and collected and does what he does best - controls the gate.  He's a gatekeeper, controlling who comes in and who goes out using whatever devious, underhanded means necessary.  Settle in, readers, as you're about to be entertained by three hundred and sixty six pages of incendiary action and just enough witty banter to keep things from melting down like a nuclear reactor.

I wasn't sure what to expect going into The Gatekeeper, but one thing's crystal clear - the driving force that keeps the wheels turning and the pages literally burning from explosive action is main character Dez.  You wouldn't guess him to be such a force of nature from his less than stellar physique of five foot eight inches with bowed legs, but Dez is built like an army tank with massive arms, legs and hands with all guns loaded.  He reminds me a bit of Jack Reacher in that he's a loner and extremely laid back, even nonchalant, until someone or something riles him, and then he's explosive.  He takes down gangs of men with his hands cuffed behind his back, dusts off his clothes and walks away.  Yes, Dez is a super hero, but one with a shadowy past.  Readers aren't allow to learn much about Dez's illusive background other than he's a retired mercenary now passing his time playing music in California.  Eventually, the mystery surrounding Dez becomes part of his charm as his wit shines through in the darkest of situations and as he side steps direct questions about himself.  I wasn't sure how I felt about him in the beginning, but the balance Byrne is able to strike in creating this character is nothing short of ingenious.  Dez is powerful, no doubt, but also witty, charming, polite, intelligent and highly skilled in an array of both above and below board professions.  Dez is the type of hero you'll cheer on while pouring another cold one.  He's cool, calm and collected under intense, life and death pressure and a saver of damsels in distress.  Make no bones about it, Dez is the controlling and driving force - the gatekeeper - of this book.

That's not to say there's not an over the top, high action plot line driving this story forward at a breakneck speed because there is.  Dez thwarts a kidnapping attempt against Petra Alexandris, then allows the woman to coax and charm him into working with her to find out who is pilfering money from the family business.  The plot thickens to eventually include white supremacists, Russian takeovers, conspiracy, a volatile political climate and more fight scenes than I can count.  Too much?  Not when orchestrated by Dez.  

Brilliantly written, I'm certain The Gatekeeper is destined to be book number one of many more featuring original character Dez.  He's hard to explain, but all in all, Dez is the hero you'll remember long after you finish reading the book.  He's the one you'll recall over and over again in comparison to other heroes.  One thing's for sure . . . Dez is not your normal action thriller hero.  He's the cool-headed driver leading the pack to the finish line of the Indy 500.  The Gatekeeper is a taut, high-speed, convoluted thriller with a hero who refuses to take No for an answer.  Fans of high action thrillers are going to love this one!  Highly recommended!

Synopsis:

A highly trained team of mercenaries launches a well-planned, coordinated attack on a well-guarded military contractor - but they didn't count on one thing, the right man being in the wrong place at the right time.

Desmond Aloysius Limerick (“Dez” to all) is a retired mercenary, and enthusiastic amateur musician, currently in Southern California, enjoying the sun and sitting in on the occasional gig, when the hotel he's at falls under attack. A skilled team attempts to kidnap the Chief legal counsel of Triton Expeditors, a major military contractor – in fact, Petra Alexandris is the daughter of the CEO – but their meticulously-planned, seamlessly executed scheme runs into the figurative 'spanner-in-the-works,' Dez himself.

After foiling the attack, and with nothing better to do, Dez agrees to help Alexandris with another problem she’s having – someone has embezzled more than a billion dollars from her company and left very few tracks behind. But Dez is a gatekeeper – one who opens doors and keeps them open – and this is just a door of another kind. And the door he opens leads to a dangerous conspiracy involving media manipulation, militias, an armed coup, and an attempt to fracture the United States themselves. There’s only one obstacle between the conspirators and success – and that is Dez, The Gatekeeper.