Deadlock is the second book in the Gatekeeper series I did not read the first but it would be great to get added details. Fast paced, taking place in Portland and Dez hits the ground running. The main character, Dez, has an endearing charm all his own and overall, this author makes all of the characters engaging. None of the characters are one dimensional, they are all complex and even the bad guys have redeeming qualities. Des is ready to rage war against a big corporation full of bad soldiers to protect the Swann sisters. Action packed, satisfyingly violent, and heart pounding thrills make this an unputdownable thriller with my new literary crush Dez is witty and hilarious with his Scottish 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. Thank you to NetGalley, James Byrne and St. Martins Press, Minotaur Books

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Yes, you've heard it before. From a gatekeeper. Now drink up. We've tasks, and toils, and retribution aplenty. And old, old friends to find."


Deadlock is the second installment of the Dez Limerick series. First, I'll admit that I'm reading the books out of order and the only reason why is because of me. I accidentally started the second book before I got my hands on the first one. It's okay, I think, because I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that they could be read like a standalone.

Anyways, I did what I did with zero regrets and I still enjoyed this. Everything was definitely fast-paced, which makes sense for a mystery thriller. Though, I'll admit it was kind of hard to keep track of all the characters and their names while listening to the audiobook. Luckily, for me, the book is also available on KU so I could just open that up whenever I needed to do a quick search.

In the end, this had so many twists and turns. I honestly didn't see that ending coming and now I'm going to need to jump into the first book before the third book. I need more of Dez for sure. He's just so interesting and entertaining.

It was okay. It wasn’t my favorite but don’t mean other people won’t enjoy it. I hope all the success of this author. And best wishes

Fast paced thriller with humor and explosive action. Dez is a fascinating character with some impressive skills and a good heart, a gruff underdog protagonist. There are twists and turns as Dez navigates the dangers with wit as well as brawn, a fun read.

This is the 2nd book in the series. While I wish I had read the first one before I read this one, I was able to follow and understand the characters. "Dez" is a military trained "gatekeeper", or someone who can open doors, locks, etc. and keep them open or closed and only allow those he wants to enter/exit. A musician friend has asked Dez for help in protecting her sister. This seems simple enough, yet Dez finds himself deep in a situation he did not expect. He is not a fan of guns but yet can bring down enemies and their fortresses with a little simple planning and hardware store supplies. A company with a manifest of doing good has people working behind the scenes to set up an army of men in a country of non-expedition.

Dez is Manchester England and the author writes with the accent of that country. I can hear his voice in my head as I read. I even had to look up some of the words to define their meeting. The author has Dez order a "chip butty" which is a type of sandwich. Not to spoil it, I will let you look it up.

Dez would rather parley than kill but kill he will if that is the only way to stop the threats to his friends. I only find three books in this series. I hope the author will continue with this story line in the near future.

Okay so when I requested this, I didn’t know it was book 2. My fault. Very fast paced. You can feel the tension on the page. Dez is such a unique character that had me wanting more.

I found this book fascinating. The main character, Dez, has a unique ability to be able to open, and keep open as long as he wishes, any door. He was known as The Gatekeeper and has since retired from his covert job.

But when a friend asks for his help regarding his sister, Dez doesn't hesitate to assist. He finds himself in a real mess with the tech company Clockjack as they are not what they seem.

This story has non stop action and characters that felt so real. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

WOW, what a book! I definitely need to read the first one but this one is a page turner that's for sure. He's a new author to me but I'm glad I found him, I will continue to read his books!

This was an enjoyable read. I enjoyed the concept of a gatekeeper and was to go back to read the first!

It took me a while to get around to reading the second book in the Dez Limerick series and man why did I wait so long!! Picking right up where the Gatekeeper left off, we find Dez in Portland, Oregon helping out a young friend of his.

Dez is a man with a shadowy past. He has a special set of skills that he uses in many different situations and to help people he cares about. There is a prologue where he is finishing up a case but after that he gets caught up on a more personal level when a young friend and her sister, a journalist, are in trouble.

It seems someone doesn't like what Laleh Swann has been writing about. After being attacked twice her sister reaches out to her friend Dez. From there it becomes apparent there is something big going on. This is all about Dez. His personality fills the page. He has style and likes to joke.

The author does a good job describing appearances, facial expressions, and body movements. There is a lot of high stakes action in this thriller and the ride along is full of adventure. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series. Dez is larger than life and I can appreciate that!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read.

Desmond Aloysius Limerick is now one of my favorite characters in any genre. Dez is extremely good at what he does - he is a gatekeeper, and he can open or close any gate, depending on what is needed - whether it be rescuing someone from a bad situation, preventing bad guys from escaping, or cracking a safe or a prison cell.

In this book, an auditor who was investigating a new company ended up dead. A journalist who was investigating the now-dead auditor is also attacked but survives. Fortunately for the journalist, her sister knows Desmond and asks him to keep her sister safe.

When Dez checks into what the auditor and the journalist have in common, he finds something: both of them are investigating a new startup company called Clockjack, which is supposed to be the next big thing. The funny thing about Clockjack is that no one seems to know exactly what it does.

I highly recommend this book and the series. I didn't realize that this was the second book in the series, but had no trouble following it. I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books from the publisher via NetGalley, and voluntarily read and reviewed this book.

This is the second book in this series where we are introduced to Dez Limerick, a really funny self-deprecating character with some pretty impressive talents who it turns out, is also an extremely loyal friend to those who he considers friends.

The Gatekeepers are apparently a very talented group comprised of members whose specialties are to not only have the ability to open ANY door, but to KEEP them open as well. And by "door", that means ANY kind of door, whether a physical door or a digital door.

His skills are definitely needed here when an old friend - Raziah - contacts him because her sister - Jaleh Swann - was attacked and hospitalized. Jaleh had started writing an investigative article into a company after a friend of hers was mugged and killed while auditing a certain company.

Needless to say, there are a LOT of moving parts in this one and Jaleh hadn't even realized at the time that there was more to the story - much more. As Dez starts to jump in to discover what exactly Jaleh had involved herself in, he and the Swann sisters realize that this particular story that she was beginning to write is worth killing for because nothing is what it seems. The main characters/antagonists are the kind of bad guys , the seriously bad guys, that have no problem "taking care of " business because they have too much to lose.

Without going into spoilers, let's just say that this book is full of lots of action and plenty of intrigue. Dez is a really funny guy whose "aw shucks" demeanor lets everyone underestimate him and that is what allows him to start getting to the bottom of an unbelievable tale of corruption so big and so diverse that it goes all the way up. There are so MANY high level people that involved that even law enforcement agencies are being pressured to walk away.

I listened to this on audio and thought John Keating did a fine job with the narration. There are all kinds of accents portrayed in this book from English to Scottish and many others in between. To an American who can't really tell the difference of all of these accents in terms of accuracy, I enjoyed listening to them.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. The opinions above are mine and mine alone.

DEADLOCK

The second in the Desmond Aloysius Limerick series, “Dez” is a Gatekeeper. He knows how to get into places, virtually and literally. He’s a bulldog in stature and fighting style and is very creative in getting things done.

Set in current day Portland Oregon, Dez responds to a call for help from the Swann sisters, Raziah and Laleh, who accidentally stumble into trouble involving a high tech app firm called Clockjack. An auditor is murdered and it appears the company is involved in more business than just technical development.

The story is fast paced paced, clever and fun. It is straightforward in writing style and storytelling. Colorful details including scooters, tattoos and food trucks give it a nice touch of current times and youthfulness.
It is just plain action packed good entertainment with a bigger than life modern day badass superhero. Fun and enjoyable.

I would like to thank NetGalley, James Byrne, Minotaur and St. Martin’s Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Going into James Byrne's "Deadlock, I wasn't sure it would be my cup of tea. The ex-mercenary protagonist with a shadowy past surprised me in the best way possible.

Admittedly, my initial impression wasn’t one of intrigue . However, Byrne quickly subverted my expectations. The story takes a sharp turn, throwing our charmingly roguish hero, Dez Limerick, into a high-stakes world of corporate espionage and global conspiracy. I was hooked from that moment on.

"Deadlock" is pure adrenaline. Byrne masterfully crafts a story that races across continents, keeping you on the edge of your seat with each twist and turn. It feels more like a fast-paced action movie than a book, with expertly choreographed fight scenes and daring escapes.

The world Byrne creates is intriguing, with a powerful corporation at its center and Dez as the charming rogue trying to unravel their web of deceit. There's a sense that this is just the beginning for Dez, and I'm definitely interested in seeing where his future adventures take him.

"Deadlock" is a thrilling and entertaining read that kept me guessing until the very end.

Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the chance to read and review.

Fantastic novel, the author has a talent for portraying and naming characters. It's the type of book that you want to read without unnecessary breaks. A blend of humor and thrilling action keep your attention drawn to the page.

Honestly did not realize this was a sequel going in, but was able to find my way along well enough. This book was thrilling and fast-paced. I liked the characters and thought they were super well done. I'll be backing up to read book one (The Gatekeeper) and will be looking for more books from this author.

This is not my typical book, and I was given this as book mail from the publisher.

Dez Limerick traveling to the Pacific Northwest to offer his services and protection to a pair of sisters in need. Laced with humor, action, violence, and a little corporate espionage, if you enjoy a good spy novel you can’t go wrong. Dez is essentially The Equalizer meets Jason Bourne meets Sterling Archer. A fantastic and fast read.

James Byrne has created one of my favorite characters in the last decade. Dez sarcasm and wit is what brings me back to the series, but Byrne provides more than enough action and intrigue for any thriller fan.

Fast-paced action plot that reminds me of the original/classic Bond paperbacks. The protagonist’s physique is nothing like that of OG James Bond, but he’s clever with a nimble mind. Sure, I prefer Orphan X and Reacher, but in the future I’ll also look for Dez Limerick books.
One caveat: “Aloysius” rankles, because to my mind, the very pale, almost cadaverous Agent A.X.L. Pendergast is or should be the only Aloysius. But that’s just me. 3.5 stars bumped up to 4.

Deadlock is the second novel of the series and was as good as “The Gatekeeper”.
Well crafted thriller and comes together well at the end.