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A review by tessa_talks_books
The Gatekeeper: A Thriller by James Byrne
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.