The Gatekeeper AUDIO by James Byrne is a totally entertaining book, made better, I think, with the narration available in the audio form. Dez is a superhero, of sorts. He is short, well-muscled, dark hair cut in a flattop. He has a quirky, almost English, accent that enhances his odd sense of humor and manner of speaking. He is a one-man army. He calls himself a gatekeeper. Getting in and out of places is his forte, and making sure other people can enter, or not, is his mission. He is on vacation now, telling himself he has retired. He has just finished playing a gig in a hotel. Oh, yeah, he is also a musician. He is contemplating the rest of his evening from his hotel room window when he spots a sniper. Then, down at the front door, a black SUV stops and four military-like men exit, and enter the hotel in a military-assault-like manner. He exits to find a dead man slumped to the floor. Dez recognizes him as one of the bodyguards of the gorgeous woman he had ridden up with moments before. Running up one floor to her suite, he drags her out moments before the assault begins. Dez doesn’t use guns; he has his body and he makes short work of this bunch before escaping the building with his new friend. Thus begins several really intense days.

I seriously couldn’t tell if this was tongue-in-cheek or not. The story was full of caricatures of real people. Or is that the way the author really sees them? Hard to know. Petra Alexandrus is the chief legal counsel to Triton Expeditors, the financial arm of many of the militaried, government-sanctioned or not, in the world. Petra is gorgeous and wealthy beyond imagining. Her father owns the multi-trillion dollar Triton Expeditors, and she puts new meaning to the descriptor, confident. She likes Dez, though, and trusts him, so she she shares with him that she has discovered someone has embezzled $1.3 billion from her company. She hasn’t figured out who, but has it narrowed down. Dez doesn’t know from finances but as an ex-military contractor, he has plenty of skills to bring to the game. He has seen so much out in the world that he helps her figure out what the game is and then proceeds to keep it from happening. It is a face-paced, entertaining listen, despite how unlikely the character is. Dez is independent and plans to keep it that way. He is open-minded and judges people on their merit, nothing else. I loved listening to it.

The Gatekeeper was narrated by John Keating who seemed to be the perfect choice. He made a book that is almost ridiculous into a compelling narrative and kept a straight face (voice) even during the most ridiculous scenes. He managed Dez’ accent well, in addition to other accents and genders. It was really a wonderful experience, listening to this well-read narration.

I was invited to listen to a free e-ARC audio of the Gatekeeper by MacmIllan Audio, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #macmillanaudio #jamesbyrne #thegatekeeper

What a refreshingly new type of thriller!

Desmond Aloysius Limerick ("Dez") is the ultimate antihero, a cockneyed Deadpool (right down to being a "merc with a mouth") who stumbles into and foils a plot to kidnap Petra Alexandris, the daughter of the CEO of Triton Expeditors, a major military contractor. With nothing better to do, Dez volunteers to help Petra find out who has been embezzling billions of dollars from Triton, and uncovers a ridiculously complicated plan to fracture the United States. Thanks to a unique skill set, Dez is the one man for the job.

Dez is hilarious, brilliant, introspective, and enigmatic all at once, while Petra is more than just a femme fatale--she's also a highly intelligent lawyer who plays a critical role in this book. I listened to the audiobook, which was fabulously narrated by John Keating, and for the first time in quite a while I found myself hanging on every word, and my mind never wandering even once (which is quite a feat as I listen while driving). The villains are marvelously megalomaniacal to the point of being cartoonish, but it works. I will say I had some difficulty with the first chapter as there is so much going on it was hard to understand who everyone was, but since it doesn't really connect in any way to the main plot of the book, don't worry too much about it.

If you like over-the-top villains like Lex Luthor and wild plots like in The Kingsmen, definitely give this one a read. I'm anticipating seeing more of Dez in future books. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and MacMillan for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair review.

I just couldn't get into this story. The writing style wasn't for me. I was completely disconnected with the main character, the story seemed all over the place. I think it was supposed to be a funny action/adventure, but it just missed the mark for me. The narration wasn't my cup of tea either.

A copy was kindly provided by Macmillan Audio in exchange for an honest review.

This is not my usual go to book, but was pleasantly surprised by it. Dez, a retired mercenary going by the name 'The Gate Keeper' can open anything. He is not your usual type of leading man. He is charming but kind of devilish with European brogue and one liners.

I found that the story kept my interest, and kept me second guessing what was really going on.

Thank you for this advanced copy. Would love to read about Dez's next escapade>

Thank you to the publisher for an e-ARC of this title.

An introduction to Desmond Aloysius Limerick, otherwise known as Dez, this book does a great job laying the foundation for a new series that will hold its own alongside the likes of the Jack Reacher, Scott Harvath, James Reece, and Orphan X books. I though this was a great addition to the genre, and will be looking for others in this series to come.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. Loved Dez's character and his accent. The narrator did a wonderful job. It's a fun listen and great book to destress after a long day.

I really appreciate McMillan and NetGalley for letting me listen to an advanced copy of this book!

Book Review
The Gatekeeper
James Byrne
reviewed by Lou Jacobs


readersremains.com | Goodreads


Better than James Bond! A complex, multilayered action thriller with non-stop action, intrigue, and menace. Our hero is Desmond Aloysius Limerick (“my friends call me Dez”), who looks nothing like James Bond.

Dez is five-eight but built like a tank, with a barrel chest, thick arms, short, bowed legs, and oversized hands riddled with scarred knuckles. His scars, burns, and bullet wounds paint a road map of the world’s hot spots.

His past and training is shrouded in mystery, but he obviously was a seasoned veteran of black ops and clandestine ventures. On the inside of his right forearm is a tattoo of Janus, the two-faced Roman god of doors, gates and transitions, and the patron for duality—life/ death, war / peace, beginning / ending—holding the metaphorical key to doors or gateways between what was and what is to come.

Dez was an expert at opening doors that others couldn’t and keeping them open and closing them when needed, and controlling who goes through and for as long as needed. A small part of his skill set involved hacking into security and information systems, as well as physically picking locks. His crew gave him the nom de plume of “The Gatekeeper,” at other times he was referred to as “Chef.” He hilariously thinks he has mastered an American accent, but no one can hear anything but a mongrel type of accent, affected by his upbringing in Liverpool, Ireland, and Scotland. Much like Nelson Demille’s John Corey character, Dez cannot help but pepper his conversation with quips and wisecracks—somewhat shrouding his true guile and mental acuity, He can quote writers and philosophers, yet is an expert at throwing and taking punches.

Dez is attempting a retirement and finds himself in Los Angeles, working a gig as a bass guitarist in a club in the posh Hotel Tremaine. After a three-hour set, he finds himself sipping a beer in his room and looking out the window. He spots the glint of a scope from a sniper on the roof of the next building, aimed at the entrance of the hotel; as a van pulls up, the doors open, and four men pour out. All in black and obviously armed. Dez proceeds to intervene in foiling a kidnapping attempt of Petra Alexandris, the gorgeous, and brilliant chief legal counsel for Triton Expeditors, a multi-billion-dollar military contractor.

They don’t make war, they just market it across the world. Petra is the daughter of founder and owner, Constantine Alexandris. Petra is no stranger to kidnapping; first kidnapped at age twelve and then again the week she turned twenty-one. The action sequence pitting Dez with four thugs is a thing of beauty, comparable to a ballet of violence. Dez breaks the glass and grabs an axe he comes upon on the hotel hallway wall, and uses this incidental weapon along with his guile and skill to thwart the kidnapping attempt. Petra takes him into her confidence and enlists his aid. “I don’t know who to trust … I need some doors opened.” More than a billion dollars has been surreptitiously diverted from her companies’ coffers. Dez starts investigating a possible linkage of the kidnapping attempt with the missing money. With the aid of LAPD detective Beth Swanson he follows leads, all pointing to a military-type plot stemming from a small town in north central California. White supremacist and militias from across the country are converging there, seemingly agitated by an incendiary media companies’ broadcasts. Who is behind this cabal of conspiracy? Is their goal truly to establish a break-away state independent from the USA? (I.e. State of Jefferson or State of Lexington … for nefarious purposes.)

James Byrne weaves a complex and twisted tale of intrigue, menace, and mounting tension that escalates into a taut and unpredictable roller coaster denouement. His pacing and character building are impeccable as the characters jump off the page. It was refreshing to see multiple characters representing women and non-whites in powerful positions. I personally alternated between the kindle and the audiobook version narrated by actor John Keating. The wonderful narration brings to life the full charm and wit of Dez, along with his empathy and sense of justice. This intriguing tale will appeal to aficionados of Lee Child’s “Jack Reacher,” Gregg Hurwitz’ “Orphan X,” and Nelson DeMille’s “John Corey.”

***4.5 Stars On My Instagram Account***

"Do you believe in God?"
" No."
"Why not?"
"Because you can put the words pediatrics and oncology in the same sentence "

And that my friends is the best example of our hero, Desmond "Dez" Aloysius Limerick, an everyman with special skills that will always help the underdog.

Reading and listening to the hilarious explosive action packed thriller The Gatekeeper by amazingly talented author James Byrne was like a night at the movies watching a mash up of James Bond, Mission Impossible, Taken and the ever charming Bruce Willis in Die Hard.

Unlike the heroes in those movies we don't know what Dez does or did to become The Gatekeeper; someone who can open doors whether they are locked, blocked or heavily guarded.

Dez is between "jobs" when he meets sexy Petra in an elevator. After she turns him down for a drink it's not too long before they meet again when he is saving her from would be kidnappers.

There are some fun twists as we jump right in with Dez helping Petra, well cause that is what Dez does. We have no down time as Dez fights mercenaries, the Russians, Russian mercenaries and has to solve a billion dollar embezzlement scheme connected to a government insurrection. Still he finds time for romance, well cause you know he's a charming sexy badass!

Narrator John Keating made me love Dez's snarky attitude as he slowly decimated the bad guys. I loved the sincere hurt in his voice when people made fun of his name. I laughed even when the action got intense. I swooned when it was Petra asking him out but most of all I was truly happy I got to experience this forget your troubles and have a fun adventure story enhanced by a really talented performer.

I received a free copy of this book and audiobook from the publishers via #netgalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Love this book. Kept me looking for more. Would highly recommend. Looking forward to more from this author!!!!

The author did a great job of incorporating well written humor while still having important topics in the plot. Dez, the main character, was well developed and kept me turning pages. The storyline and the plot are relevant and timely and give a fictional view of what radical views taken too far can be. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was fantastic!

A highly entertaining audiobook.
A funny and refreshing new leading man!

A delicious taut nonstop hilarious action-packed suspense thriller by James Byrne, with a leading man and hero you want by your side. With a sexy British/Irish accent to die for and all the dark humor, intelligence, and wit making DEZ, Desmond Aloysius Limerick, (the ultimate) THE GATEKEEPER.

A former mercenary, a musician, and a man who can open any door— physical or digital. He is not too tall, stocky, and bowlegged and buys his black tees from the one place that makes them to accommodate fit his broad shoulders and frame.

Desmond Aloysius Limerick (“Dez” to his friends) has retired at 35 from a shadowy past of military and intelligence work. Now he’s just a bloke touring America with boyish charm, a bass guitar, and old bullet wounds. He doesn’t go looking for trouble, but when it comes, Dez deploys his almost unique skill set: He can open any door, keep it open, and control who goes through and who doesn’t.

Dez on Gatekeepers:
People who guard gates.
Not people who open them.
The trick is not opening doors.
Any half-wit can do that.
It is about keeping them open.
Closing them when needed.
Controlling who goes through and who doesn't.
Owning them for as long as needed.

He has left his old life behind and now spends his time in sunny California, playing gigs as an amateur musician. Until he finds himself breaking up a very professional attempt to kidnap the chief legal counsel (Petra, daughter of the CEO) of Triton Expediters—a prominent and influential military contractor.

Petra Alexandris and her family are grateful for the save; however, now she needs his help for more critical matters—who's embezzled billions of dollars from her company.

Dez agrees, slipping back into his old role with ease; however, he and Petra are up against rogue military operators, well-armed militia members, and white supremacists.

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.

Dez learned early during his time as a keeper there are FOUR primary methods for getting through a door:
Bash
Shoot
Explode
Burn your way through.
And every now and then you get invited in.

A highly entertaining refreshing new adrenaline-fueled debut thriller novel and a leading character with wit, charisma, and laugh-out-loud scenes. I hope this will be a series because DEZ is too good to end. More PLEASE!

This was an EXCEPTIONAL first-rate audiobook, and John Keating gave a superb performance. For fans of Lee Child, Greg Hurwitz, David Baldacci, Janet Evanovich, and Vince Flynn. Packed with action, clever dialogue, and some great laughs!

Thank you to #MinotaurBooks #MacmillanAudio and #NetGalley for the invite to read, listen, enjoy and review an advanced audio copy. #MinotaurInfluencers

Blog Review Posted @
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Pub Date: 07 June 2022
June 2022 Must-Read Books

Thanks so much to Minotaur Books for the ARC, and I also received an advanced listening copy so I will be reviewing both here! All opinions are my own!

This is what I like in a summer read – nonstop action, banter, entertaining main characters, over the top fight scenes, a few laughs thrown in, and a plot that is easy enough to follow without burning all the brain cells trying to keep up. Plausible, nah, but entertaining as heck – 100%.


The book introduces Dez in a mercenary operation that is apparently his last. Retiring to California, he coincidentally ends up in a hotel where he foils a kidnapping plot that is only the tip of the iceberg of issues he is about discover.

The plot is definitely not plausible and at no point did I think that the bad guys were going to win, but it was certainly entertaining to get there. America at this time can definitely relate to white supremacy and big money companies with big egos so I don’t think it’s too far off from reality. I got immense satisfaction out of Dez making quite a few of these people look like complete idiots.

Dez is never fleshed out but he’s by far the highlight of the book. A tactically well rounded character, he can hack and set traps and fight. He is built like a truck, funny, and absolutely kick ass. I loved his Brit/Scottish accent and all his quirks.

Petra is the female lead, a force of nature as well. I loved seeing her dress down her father and the other power players. There are a few other female characters that are brave and badass too, in unconventional ways. Another favorite side character was a personal assistant named Alonzo!

I think the place where I docked half a star was that some of the descriptions of both Dez and Petra became repetitive without telling us anything new. I don’t come to thrillers for character development but it would have been good to have some indication of where Dez came from, although I appreciate the mystery as well.

I also had a chance to hear John Keating narrate the audio! I read and listened about 50/50 to review both fairly and I think he did a phenomenal job, especially with Dez and his cutaway “sorry!”. Sometimes accents are hard or make it difficult to understand the narrator but I found key thing to be clear and consistent in all voices. I did have to raise the speed to 1.5 in order to make it sound like a human but I am totally okay with a narrator speaking slowly in order to enunciate.

The end left it open for more Gatekeeper books too so – hopefully! I definitely recommend this one for people who enjoy fast-paced action-packed thrillers that don’t take themselves too seriously!

The Gatekeeper was an action-packed political thriller of sorts. Dez Limerick's past life as an Irish-Scottish mercenary "gatekeeper" (someone who could open any door and know when to shut it) is bit of a mystery, currently he is in the US working as a part-time musician. He stumbles upon a damsel in distress, saves her life. then she hires him to get to the bottom of who was trying to kill or kidnap her and why. The story goes off the rails with a huge conspiracy at play involving white supremacists, secession plans, the Russians, and more.

My favorite part was Dez's cheeky nonchalant attitude even when things were going to hell in a hand basket, but beyond his attitude I didn't really get to know him all that well. With his tactical wherewithall, the book reminded me at times of the Jack Carr/Jack Reacher series. I enjoyed it but it's certainly farfetched and you must be able to suspend reality.

Special thanks to Macmillan Audio, Minotaur books and NetGalley for the advanced listener's copy of The Gatekeeper for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

Dez is retired military, mercenary or something. He foils an attempt to kidnap the daughter of Triton Expeditor’s CEO. He agrees to help find the fault in the security detail surrounding Alexandris. The more he digs, the more he discovers…not all is as it seems at Triton.

Well! I have a new book boyfriend! I love Dez! He is a little bit of everything. But, I absolutely love his wit! He cracked me up quite a few times during this book! Now, the story itself is a bit far fetched…or maybe it’s not…in this political climate…I guess it could very well happen.

This novel is action packed! I did figure out quite a few parts of the plot and so I knew what was coming next in some of the scenes. But, I enjoyed this story from start to finish. I have to say…pretty dang good thriller

John Keating is the narrator and he is SPOT ON!

Need a good thriller with the fantastic Dez…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

The Gatekeeper Audiobook by James Byrne

Audiobook
Narrated by John Keating
Duration: 10 hours, 35 minutes, 44 seconds
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Release Date: June 7, 2022

Fiction, General Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Action, Adventure, Violence, Attempted Kidnapping

Desmond Aloysius Limerick, “Dez” to his friends, is a gatekeeper. There is not a door that he cannot open or defend. That is what he has been trained to do. He also plays bass guitar with a band when he is in town. Tonight, the hotel has comped him a room. He gets on the elevator with an elegantly dressed woman and her two bodyguards. He asks her if she wants a drink, but she declines. In his room, he is looking out the window, always on alert. He spies a sniper across the street and then hears loud noises coming from the room above him. When he gets to the room, he realizes it is the room of the woman from the elevator. He stops the attack, and that one action will change the course of Dez’s plans.

The book is fast paced, full of action and adventure, and the characters are well developed. The author has a great descriptive writing style which makes the reader feel a part of the book. It is written in the third person point of view. I absolutely love John Keating as the voice of Dez – pure perfection. If you like the Jason Borne or Orphan X series, you will like this one.

I don’t even know where to begin with this one; although I don’t like to compare books to movies or other books, here I go. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐫 reminded me of a mix of Mission Impossible and Jack Reacher.

Not only because of the plot, which has political intrigue, conspiracy, and tons of butt-kicking action, but the leading man, Dez, has a shadowy past and is ex-military. He also can open any “door” and control who comes and goes through it - it’s a gift he has.

Dez is also devilishly charming in his own way. If you listen to the audiobook, which I did, you’ll hear his accent, which makes him all the more likable. Right, okay, back to the plot. Dez finds himself tangled in something huge when he thwarts the kidnapping of a military contractor CEO’s daughter.

I enjoyed this one - it moved quickly and had moments of fun with a charismatic protagonist, yet it offered plenty of action and intrigue!

Thank you @minotaurbooks for the gifted copy and @macmillanaudio for the audiobook.

Definitely an audiobook I could have done without. The one word that comes to mind while listening to the book is ludicrous: so foolish, unreasonable, unbelievable or ridiculous.

Dez seems to be a jack of all trades. The story was all over the place, not to my liking. Thank you to #Netgalley for the opportunity to review the book, sorry to say it was not to my liking.

My thanks to Macmillan Audio for a review copy via NetGalley of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘The Gatekeeper’ by James Byrne in exchange for an honest review. The audiobook is narrated by John Keating.

This is the first in Byrne’s new series of action thrillers featuring Dez Limerick, a retired mercenary previously known as The Gatekeeper, the man who could open doors that others wanted to remain shut.

While visiting California Dez manages to stop the kidnapping of Petra Alexandris, the daughter of a major military contractor. Seeking to understand why she was targeted, Dez and Petra uncover a sinister conspiracy threatening the future of the United States. No further details to avoid spoilers.

I found this one of those books almost impossible to put down or rather turn off. Indeed, I consumed it in a day.

James Byrne informs his narrative with events ‘ripped from the headlines’, including the rise of far right and White Supremacy groups, the January 6th insurrection, and Russia’s cyber meddling. This gives the conspiracy at the heart of the novel more weight as it’s certainly not that difficult to imagine something like it being plotted.

In terms of the audiobook, I was impressed with John Keating’s reading. He is not only an established actor with stage, television, and film credits but has narrated over 180 audiobook titles. In ‘The Gatekeeper’ he confidently handles a wide range of character voices - many with accents, including Dez’s rather hybrid one.

‘The Gatekeeper’ had plenty of danger, intrigue, and action that included great fight sequences. The dialogue was good with some cracking one liners from Dez. Such a character!

Overall, I found this a promising introduction to an new series of thrillers with its enigmatic hero righting various wrongs. I expect that over time we will learn more of Dez’s past and what is entailed in the role of Gatekeeper. I certainly will be looking out for the next in this series.

Read if you like:
Action packed plot lines
Espionage
Political thrillers
Funny MCs

Summary: When retired mercenary Dez Limerick moves to sunny California to become an amateur musician, he thought his days of working as a “gatekeeper” were over. When his hotel is attacked during an attempted kidnapping, Dez saves intended target, and the day, but becomes even more embroiled in an attempted coup.

Thoughts: This book is action packed from start to finish. It felt so much like watching a mashup of James Bond and a Jason Stratham movie. There were chases, guns, militias, the military, the classic villains. You name it, this book had it. For those who are more movie watchers then book readers, I think you will really enjoy the visual aspect the author creates.

One criticism I have is that because the book is so plot driven, while also told solely in the third person, I felt almost no connection to the characters. To me, they seemed very surface in nature with no real depth (although Dez had more depth than anyone else and I really liked his sense of humor). Another issue I had is that the book began to drag from about the halfway point until the end. I think if it was maybe 50-75 pages less, this might not have happened.

I did a mix of audiobook and physical for this reading, and as such would like to note that I did enjoy the narrator and his storytelling. It may have been an even higher rating from me if I had listened to it entirely on audio.

Overall, this book was okay. If you like action thrillers with espionage, conspiracies, etc., I would definitely recommend this one to you.

Thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for both the physical ARC and the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

This thriller by James Byrne was very enjoyable. I liked the main character of Dez Limerick. I was a little worried at the very beginning as the author was introducing this character. Dez is shown using his skills as a "gatekeeper" and it kind of seemed like we were thrown into the middle of a story, but the book quickly recovered and sent us on the way to bigger and better things. When we next see Dez, his technical skills, training, and sense of humor come in handy as he gets involved in a nefarious plot, beginning with the attempted kidnapping of a beautiful and brilliant corporate counsel, who also happens to be the daughter of the corporation's CEO. From there the plot grows bigger than anyone could have imagined.

I hope this is the start of a new series featuring Dez Limerick. I think there are a lot of directions a series could go.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review.