DEADLOCK is the second book in James
Byrne's Dez Limerick series. To say this book is a fast-paced, tension
laden thriller is a gross understatement. Like its predecessor THE
GATEKEEPER, the action is nonstop with explosive scenes setting the pages on
fire through twists and turns readers and antagonists never see coming.
Cancel all other plans and buckle in before diving into this one. It's
one insane ride!
Upon first appearance, Desmond Aloysius Limerick aka Dez to his friends is a happy go lucky, guitar playing guy with a quirky smile, sharp wit and endearing Scottish accent. However, if circumstances warrant it, he can change into a lean, mean fighting machine in the blink of an eye - one with a bottomless arsenal of hard-won, honed skills to call upon. He can appear like a ghost, move like a shadow, wreak havoc, and slip away in the darkness unseen leaving utter chaos and devastation behind - with a poop eating grin on his face the whole time. Dez is a superhero on steroids. Friends love him. Enemies consider him the devil incarnate. He is/was a "gatekeeper" - the keeper of doors. He's never seen one he couldn't open, secure, and keep open as long as necessary making sure all his comrades escape and the job is complete before slipping away. He's retired now . . . unless his skills are needed. When a young friend calls him in distress over an unprovoked attack on her sister, Dez drops everything and answers her plea for help. What he walks into proves to be a complex hornet's nest of lies, deceit and secrets centered around tech company Clockjack - do-gooders on the surface but serving as a front for a sociopath employing hired thugs for protection while plotting to carry out assassinations and take over small third-world countries providing criminals' safe harbor. Before it's all said and done, the thugs wanting a piece of Dez are joined by numerous agencies including the local police, DEA and US Marshal Service. The numbers aren't in Dez's favor, but he does love a good challenge.
James Byrne has brilliantly penned a highly engaging, intensive story with a once in a blue moon, ferocious junk yard dog style superhero who's unique in every way from his Scottish brogue which can be hard to decipher at first to his razor-sharp wit that frustrates his enemies to no end but delights his friends to his big, old kind heart seen only by a precious few. The large cast is just as unique with a vast array of personalities and roles manipulating their way through a minefield of electrified plot twists. The pace is one speed - pedal to the metal, wide open from beginning to end - not to say there aren't any lulls but they're rare as hen's teeth.
DEADLOCK is a well-crafted, highly addictive thriller with a larger-than-life character who will make readers cringe, blush, cheer and laugh all within a few pages. This book can be read as a standalone as the author weaves in enough backstory to give readers a solid foundation of who Dez is but do yourself a favor and grab THE GATEKEEPER and allow Dez to introduce himself. Just don't fall for his "I'm a simple man who plays a guitar" routine . . . Dez is a force to be reckoned with. I'm ecstatic over what I interpreted as the setup for another book to be found in the final pages. Fans of high action thrillers and crime stories are going to devour DEADLOCK as will those looking for a new kind of hero. Dez Limerick is your man!
Jaleh Swann, a business journalist hot on the trail of an auditor who was mugged and killed, lands in the hospital just one day after her Portland apartment is ransacked. When Jaleh’s sister, Raziah, reaches out to an old friend for help, Dez has no choice but to answer. The Swann sisters have been pulled into a dizzying web of cover-ups and danger. At the center lies an insidious Oregon-based tech corporation, Clockjack, which has enough money and hired guns to silence just about anyone—including this rag-tag trio. Luckily, Dez’s speciality is not just to open doors, but keep them open—and protect those working to expose Clockjack’s secrets.
More stands in the way of the truth than just one corporation. When hired thugs come to the finish the job and attack the Swann sisters at the hospital, Dez does what he does best. Now, the two captured men (and the corpse Dez left behind) attract the attention of not just Clockjack, but of the Portland police, the D.E.A, and the U.S. Marshalls. Dez and the Swann sisters are on the run from powers beyond their control and means. Outnumbered, under resourced and outgunned, Dez must use all his skills to keep his friends safe and stand up to corporate conniving. After all, the one thing Clockjack didn’t count on? A good man with a simple job to do.
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