This was a thrilling and entertaining read that keeps the reader glued until the end. This would make for a very nice movie setup, just be careful of some political mentions you might not expect. Recommended.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Gatekeeper' by James Byrne.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley and Headline for James Byrne and Headline publishers.

Publication date 7th June 2022.

This is the first book I have read by this author.

I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching cover and intriguing sounding synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that this book is 'An explosive and breathless action thriller that will keep fans of Lee Child, Gregg Hurwitz and James Swallow gripped to the very last page. ' I am a huge fan of Lee Child so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Headline. I have yet to read a book published by Headline that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of a prologue and 82 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in California, USA 🇺🇸.

This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonist is Dez Limerick and Jonesy. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything. The fact there are multiple protagonists is even better as it increases the readers knowledge of what more characters are doing and feeling.

'The Gatekeeper' discusses some topics that may upset some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book James discusses/includes violence and strong language.

Well, Well, Well!!! This is the first time I have ever uttered these words about an action thriller but I ABSOLUTELY LOVE LOVE, LOVED THIS BOOK!!

This book was extremely well written and perfectly paced with words that just leapt out of the page!! The descriptions were vivid leaving me feeling the warmth in the air and hearing the explosions around me!! The cover, synopsis and title suit the storyline perfectly.

I read this book in several forms including the physical book, on my kindle and on audio book. The narrator used for the audiobook was absolutely perfect and his voice stayed in my head when I was reading the book or on the kindle. The narrator was John Keating and he really did an absolutely fantastic job of bringing the story to life using the correct pitch, tone and emphasis. I am looking forward to listening to more books by this fantastic narrator!! I am not usually one for action thrillers and tend to steer more towards psychological thrillersz crime and romance but am an eclectic reader so I thought I would give this a try. Well, I am very glad I did as James has completely opened my eyes to a new world and I cannot wait to read more of his books under this name and his others.

I was absolutely captivated from the start of this book which was at about 8am this morning until the second I finished it as 12:3o am. I just could not put it down. I absolutely love the fact that it just brought so many emotions out! I was of the opinion that an action thriller would be serious and we'll just filled with action and not much else. Well, how wrong was I?!? It was absolutely rammed with suspense, crime, laughter, attitude, twists and just everything you could ask for in a book. It had me in stitches on so many occasions I kept getting asked if I was reading a comedy. It just had the perfect amount of everything you could want. My partner is not a big reader he hasn't read more than a handful of books in his life but I can guarantee he will absolutely love this one!!! I would love to see this made into a movie and really hope this is being turned into a series!!!

Do not even look at the first page without clearing your schedules because once you've started you won't be able to stop!!!

The characters were all strong, realistic and worked perfectly for this storyline. I absolutely LOVE Dez and the only downfall is that he is not real as OMG what u wouldn't give to meet him!!! He is absolutely fantastic and I really hope I get to meet him again. He has such a HUGE personality and was absolutely hilarious. His attitude was brilliant and he really made this book what it is. The fact that he could destroy a group of men handcuffed but would apologise for swearing had me spitting my tea out in laughter. Some of the stuff he came out with was just absolutely hilarious. One of the other things I love about him is that he is an open, honest and genuine guy. Many of these action books and films are spoiled by having a protagonist who loves themselves but Dez was so down to Earth and realistic. I don't think I've ever met a male character who I liked as much and who is going to stay with me for a very long time!!! Looking forward to meeting you again Dez!!!

An absolutely HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to James Byrne on opening my eyes to how absolutely unputdownable a crime thriller can be, for bringing to life one of the best characters I have ever met and for becoming one of my favourite 5 male authors. I hope you are busy writing the next book as I cannot wait!!!

Overall one of the best unputdownable, page turning and explosive books I have ever read with an absolutely fantastic character who jumps out of the pages and explodes the world around you!!

Genres covered in this book include Action, Thriller and Suspense amongst others.

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Lee Child, Gregg Hurwitz, James Swallow and anyone looking for a book you won't forget!!!


337 pages.

This book is just £12.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon.

Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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My thanks to Headline for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Gatekeeper’ by James Byrne in exchange for an honest review.

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.

Dez is from the British Isles though describes himself as a mutt as he grew up in loads of places. He’s bow-legged with wide shoulders and is described as looking like “a cube of muscle”. So not the kind of hero with model looks often found in such thrillers. It was refreshing.

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 that was almost impossible to put down and indeed I read it in a single 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.

‘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 entertaining series.

The word building was phenomenal in this book. Here I forgot about my own life and was immersed in the world created by the author. I would recommend this book.