Chain Reaction

Dez Limerick, Book 3

By: James Byrne

Narrated by: Ruairi Conaghan

Dez Limerick, a man of many skills and a murky past, faces the impossible—a skilled, deadly opponent who anticipates his every move in James Byrne's Chain Reaction.

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. He was trained as a "gatekeeper"―he can open any door, keep it open as long as necessary, and control who does―and does not―go through. Now retired from his previous life, Dez still tries to keep his skills up to date.

Knocking around the country, picking up the occasional gig as a guitarist, Dez is contacted by a friend in urgent need of his musical skills. At his behest, Dez flies to the East Coast to a gig at the brand new massive complex, the Liberty Center. But he's barely landed before he finds himself in the midst of a terrorist attack, a group has taken over the whole center and thousands of hostage lives are in danger. With the semi-willing help of a talented thief, Dez takes on the impossible task of outfighting and outwitting a literal army. But that's just the beginning, as Dez learns he was actually lured there under false pretenses, by someone who knows more about Dez, his past and his skills than any living person should.

©2025 James Byrne (P)2025 Vibrance Press

Critic reviews

"[Chain Reaction] starts with a bang and never lets up for a second...Dez is an unconventional hero with unorthodox methods and a darn fun attitude. The series gets better and better." ―firstCLUE

"One of the most riveting and enjoyable thriller series out there today and you don’t want to miss it. Trust me, you need Dez in your life." ―Best Thriller Books

"A fast-paced, explosive thriller with a charming hero, Russian terrorists on U.S. soil, high-stakes money schemes, and a worthy opponent." ―Library Journal

Dez I love love the Dez character I am always excited to see how he solves the problem

The Narrator. His voice was too monotone and made it hard to stay focus Can we get the other narrator back. The story did not end the way I would have expected. It just seemed like it was hashed together. Because of my love for the character I am giving an overall rating 3 stars

Desmond Aloysius Limerick

Dez is a unique and delightful hero. He has more wit and wits than anyone. Great story, and a lot of laughs, and a ton of action. Cat and Stella are great new additions to Dez's group of allies.

This narrator was not as great as the one who voiced the first two Gatekeeper books, but he did well.

Decent book, poor production

I really wanted to like this, but I just couldn't. The first book in the series was awesome, the second book was good. This 3rd book, was just ok in my opinion. Some of the things we were expected to accept were just not realistic (an example....correctly guessing that a tile floor is mined....thats a big leap).
The issue with this, as the other reviews stated was the production. I am not sure I can fault Mr.Conaghan, whoever was on the soundboard needs to go. That was some high school quality sound and editing. This was by far the worst editing and production I have heard in over 300 titles. Sorry Vibrance, you blew this one.

Bad audio rubbing!

I love this writer, series and narrator. With that said ... whoever is doing the sound recording is doing a lousy job. The narrators voice is dubbed at different sound levels and his voice is distorted. Not smooth transitions at all. At times I wondered if it was actually some one else's voice. Quality control behind the mixing board needs to be addressed.

Great listen

Dez is a terrific character. The ensemble in this story was excellent from the musicians to the FBI agent. First rate narration. I can’t wait for the next book.