James Byrne books

James Byrne is the pseudonymous author of the Dez Limerick action thriller series, featuring a retired mercenary drawn back into high-stakes covert operations.

Dez Limerick Reading Order

Title Published Buy on Amazon
The Gatekeeper 2022 Buy
Deadlock 2023 Buy
Chain Reaction 2025 Buy
Storm Warning 2026 Buy

James Byrne is a pseudonym for a Pacific Northwest journalist and political writer who has published nine other novels under different names. The Dez Limerick series, published by Minotaur Books, is his first work under this pen name.

The books follow Dez Limerick, a short, bow-legged, heavily scarred former mercenary who has settled into a quiet life in Southern California, where he sits in on music gigs as an amateur musician. His past catches up with him repeatedly, and each novel puts him in situations that demand the infiltration skills he thought he had left behind. Dez is resourceful, funny, and far more dangerous than he looks.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has James Byrne written?

James Byrne has written four books in one series.

What was James Byrne's first book?

James Byrne’s first book is The Gatekeeper, published in 2022.

What is the Dez Limerick series about?

The Dez Limerick series follows Desmond Aloysius Limerick, a retired Irish-Scottish mercenary living in Southern California. Dez is a former “gatekeeper,” a covert operative trained to infiltrate secured locations and control access points. Despite his retirement, he keeps getting pulled into dangerous situations that draw on his particular set of skills. The series began with The Gatekeeper in 2022.

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