Format: Hardcover, 368 pages
Release Date: August 8, 2023
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Source: Publisher
Genre: Thrillers / Suspense
In this sequel to the highly praised The Gatekeeper, Dez Limerick, one of the best new thriller heroes returns.
Desmond Aloysius Limerick ("Dez" to his friends and close personal
enemies) is a man with a shadowy past, certain useful hard-won skills,
and, if one digs deep enough, a reputation as a good man to have at your
back. Now retired from his previous life, Dez is just a bloke with a
winning smile, a bass guitar, and bullet wounds that paint a road map of
past lives.
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 specialty 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.
Deadlock, by author James Byrne, is the second installment in the authors Dez Limerick series. Desmond Aloysius Limerick ("Dez" to his friends and close personal
enemies) is a man with a shadowy past, certain useful hard-won skills,
and, if one digs deep enough, a reputation as a good man to have at your
back. Now retired from his previous life, Dez is just a bloke with a
winning smile, a bass guitar, and bullet wounds that paint a road map of
past lives.
It should be noted that this story actually begins in Chechnya where Dez is ordered to help a US/UK group to retrieve notes, computers, and sample from a chemical weapon facility. It should be noted that I mention this because one of those characters, Arabella Satti, of MI5, will return later in this story to assist Dez with a problem that he encounters. Also, another character, who I won't spoil, also returns leading to a heart racing finale to the story that leads into the next installment. Thank you James!
If you haven't yet started reading this series, let me kindly introduce you to Desmond Aloysius Limerick. Dez is what's called a Gatekeeper. He opens doors to let people in to do their jobs, he holds the doors to make sure nobody can interfere in his job, and he closes the door behind making sure nobody is left behind. But in Chechnya, Dez had no choice but to exfil with his team after one of the members disappears without a trace, much to the chagrin of Arabella. Fast forward....
Jaleh Swann, is a business journalist in Portland 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 and all her research is stolen. It seems that someone doesn't want what Jaleh uncovered about a powerful company to go public. 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 specialty is he can open any door, keep said door open as long as necessary, and ensures no one enters or exits without his express permission. Now Dez takes on the job of protecting Jaleh & Raziah while exposing 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.
The two captured men (and the corpse Dez left behind) attract the attention of not just Clockjack, but the Portland police, the D.E.A, and the U.S. Marshal's who somehow lost track of the men involved in the attack on the sisters. The conspiracy may be deeper than Dez could imagine. 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.
Thoughts: Dez has quickly become one of my favorite characters, and I am happy that James Byrne took time out of his busy schedule to let me know that yes, a third book is in the works. Dez is a curious character in that he is a rather small man with a big physique. He talks the talk, and walks the walk. Dez always seems to find himself at the right moment at the wrong time which leads to some action packed scenes that will leave you blown away. I do want to see what happens next between Dez and Arabella since she was really made at him for such a long time, and now they kind of got squared away. Just in the nick of time!! No spoilers!
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