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alexrenee's review
I didn't finish the last few chapters. I was bored. It was vague in a lot of places. I didn't want to keep reading and when I forced myself to sit and try to read I keep getting distracted. I tried to listen to it on audiobook and I just keep falling asleep.
tessa_talks_books's review
5.0
What’s it about (in a nutshell):
The Gatekeeper is a fast-paced thriller about a former mercenary, Dez, who is known as the Gatekeeper, and what happens after he decides to save a woman (in the hotel where he is staying) from would-be kidnappers.
Initial Expectations (before beginning the book):
The cover shows lots of broken glass and a man running –that totally says a thriller to me. The blurb talks about so many professional aspects that make me think this story will be a very high-powered story with so many dire consequences that will impact whole countries. This story sounds like it could be super intense, high octane, and all of the many buzz words that I often see to describe books in this genre.
Actual Reading Experience:
I was right about the story being a high-octane, fast-paced thriller but what I didn’t know was how character-driven the story would be. Dez and his desire to champion the victim and handle impossible situations with a laid-back charm and unparalleled skills is the story. The interesting thing is that none of Dez’s back story gets told, yet I felt like I knew him thoroughly. He is not your typical action hero in the physical sense, but that made him even more endearing and perfectly human.
The situation is, hopefully, far-fetched, but I didn’t really care about that because I just wanted to see the bad guys taken down and the person behind the scheme revealed. I never guessed the scope of the mystery though I did suspect the culprit. Still, the reveal is just as thrilling as the rest of the story and did not disappoint.
The story is told in third person and primarily focuses on Dez’s point of view. The writing is full of wit and cynicism. I loved every sarcastic minute of it, finding myself chuckling at the oddest times. Short chapters and the fast pace from beginning to end make this a quick read full of political thrills and creative spills.
Characters:
The only well-developed character is Dez. The rest of the characters tend to be somewhat stereotypical, but like with the plot, that didn’t bother me in the least, and I didn’t even think about it at all while I was reading. It just occurred to me when I sat down to write this review.
To Read or Not to Read:
If you are looking for a new action hero to rally behind, The Gatekeeper is just what you want.
The Gatekeeper is a fast-paced thriller about a former mercenary, Dez, who is known as the Gatekeeper, and what happens after he decides to save a woman (in the hotel where he is staying) from would-be kidnappers.
Initial Expectations (before beginning the book):
The cover shows lots of broken glass and a man running –that totally says a thriller to me. The blurb talks about so many professional aspects that make me think this story will be a very high-powered story with so many dire consequences that will impact whole countries. This story sounds like it could be super intense, high octane, and all of the many buzz words that I often see to describe books in this genre.
Actual Reading Experience:
I was right about the story being a high-octane, fast-paced thriller but what I didn’t know was how character-driven the story would be. Dez and his desire to champion the victim and handle impossible situations with a laid-back charm and unparalleled skills is the story. The interesting thing is that none of Dez’s back story gets told, yet I felt like I knew him thoroughly. He is not your typical action hero in the physical sense, but that made him even more endearing and perfectly human.
The situation is, hopefully, far-fetched, but I didn’t really care about that because I just wanted to see the bad guys taken down and the person behind the scheme revealed. I never guessed the scope of the mystery though I did suspect the culprit. Still, the reveal is just as thrilling as the rest of the story and did not disappoint.
The story is told in third person and primarily focuses on Dez’s point of view. The writing is full of wit and cynicism. I loved every sarcastic minute of it, finding myself chuckling at the oddest times. Short chapters and the fast pace from beginning to end make this a quick read full of political thrills and creative spills.
Characters:
The only well-developed character is Dez. The rest of the characters tend to be somewhat stereotypical, but like with the plot, that didn’t bother me in the least, and I didn’t even think about it at all while I was reading. It just occurred to me when I sat down to write this review.
To Read or Not to Read:
If you are looking for a new action hero to rally behind, The Gatekeeper is just what you want.
jbrooxd's review
4.0
[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
4 stars = Great! Might re-read.
This was a fun thriller, along the lines of Orphan X or Reacher. I liked the protagonist here - engaging, a bit mysterious, but not the least bit aloof like in many other books of this style. The scheme they have to uncover and thwart was interesting. I would read more stories starring this character! (Language, violence/gore, references to sex, references to sexual assault, suicide)
4 stars = Great! Might re-read.
This was a fun thriller, along the lines of Orphan X or Reacher. I liked the protagonist here - engaging, a bit mysterious, but not the least bit aloof like in many other books of this style. The scheme they have to uncover and thwart was interesting. I would read more stories starring this character! (Language, violence/gore, references to sex, references to sexual assault, suicide)
jpeers's review
5.0
If you are looking for a fun read, look no further than The Gatekeeper by James Byrne. Dez Limerick is a part-time musician, who in a previous life was a mercenary. He was known as a "gatekeeper", someone who could open any door and keep it open. Fairly vague but it appears he can do almost anything: explosives, hacking, killing, shredding on the guitar, a literal jack-of-all -trades.
The story is well thought out and moves quickly but, make no mistake, Dez Limerick is what makes The Gatekeeper great. If there is a character like him in the thriller realm, I haven't met them. He is wholly unique. He's unnaturally calm, bordering on nonchalant. Almost toys with his enemies then leaves them in a heap on the ground. If Byrne keeps this up Dez could very easily become one of my favorite characters and I don't think I'll be alone.
My sincere thanks to James Byrne, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing The Gatekeeper.
The story is well thought out and moves quickly but, make no mistake, Dez Limerick is what makes The Gatekeeper great. If there is a character like him in the thriller realm, I haven't met them. He is wholly unique. He's unnaturally calm, bordering on nonchalant. Almost toys with his enemies then leaves them in a heap on the ground. If Byrne keeps this up Dez could very easily become one of my favorite characters and I don't think I'll be alone.
My sincere thanks to James Byrne, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing The Gatekeeper.
bookmarkedbybecky's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Are you a fan of Jack Reacher? Jason Bourne? Jack Ryan? Or do you love authors such as Gregg Hurwitz, Vince Flynn, or Robert Crais? Then, grab The Gatekeeper, the debut novel by #JamesByrne and cancel your plans for the next 48 hours.
I loved Desmond Aloysius Limerick, aka Dez Limerick, our mercenary who’s as calm and witty as he is fast thinking with MacGyver-like skills. The characters in this book span the globe, from a multinational corporation that bankrolls the world’s military services to Armed White Aryan militia groups to a national media group that manipulates support for a fractured United States. These people feel like they’ve been ripped from today’s headlines!!
The high-octane plot is explosively thrilling. While the writing might be a bit simplistic, the style definitely delivers high-speed entertainment. I flew through the pages to see how Dez would save the day. I hope @jamesbyrnemystery continues Dez Limerick, The Gatekeeper, as a series. I would love to see all the doors Dez can open, keep open and control who goes through and who doesn’t.
terriep's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
3.5
Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for the ARC copy of #thegatekeeper - the opinions are my own,
This was a good, readable book with LOTS of action. Dez, the main character, remained mostly a mystery man thru the story - I'd get glimpses of his past or where he was from but not enough to really get to know him. His speech pattern sort of felt British, but not really, so that disguised him as well.
The story is a case of right time, wrong place except he was the right guy to be there and help. Then he gets totally entwined in this complex political and corporate espionage/kidnap/murder situation ala Jack Reacher. Just a guy minding his own business and then he whips out all these deadly skills and saves the day.
My main complaint is that I didn't learn enough about Dez - he's still a very shadowy figure. I get that the author may want to retain some mystery and dole out information about him slowly in succeeding books, but I'm more likely to come back for more if I know and like the main character.
This was a good, readable book with LOTS of action. Dez, the main character, remained mostly a mystery man thru the story - I'd get glimpses of his past or where he was from but not enough to really get to know him. His speech pattern sort of felt British, but not really, so that disguised him as well.
The story is a case of right time, wrong place except he was the right guy to be there and help. Then he gets totally entwined in this complex political and corporate espionage/kidnap/murder situation ala Jack Reacher. Just a guy minding his own business and then he whips out all these deadly skills and saves the day.
My main complaint is that I didn't learn enough about Dez - he's still a very shadowy figure. I get that the author may want to retain some mystery and dole out information about him slowly in succeeding books, but I'm more likely to come back for more if I know and like the main character.
melaniestewart16's review
I’m not sure if it’s the story, reading it as an audiobook vs. Physical/ebook, or that I’m just too distracted right now, but I can’t seem to focus on what is happy in this book. Maybe I will try it again later, but for now I’m setting it aside.