The Gray Man

By: Mark Greaney

Narrated by: Jay Snyder

Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

Now a Netflix film starring Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, and Ana de Armas

The first Gray Man novel from number one New York Times best-selling author Mark Greaney.

To those who lurk in the shadows, he’s known as the Gray Man. He is a legend in the covert realm, moving silently from job to job, accomplishing the impossible and then fading away. And he always hits his target. Always.

But there are forces more lethal than Gentry in the world. Forces like money. And power. And there are men who hold these as the only currency worth fighting for. In their eyes, Gentry has just outlived his usefulness.

But Court Gentry is going to prove that, for him, there’s no gray area between killing for a living and killing to stay alive....

Get ready for white-knuckled listening. Greaney's debut novel introduces the enigmatic and elusive Court Gentry, a former CIA operative and a legendary hired gun. With a terrifying ability to vaporize targets and a strict moral code, he stalks the gray margins of the world, moving silently from job to job, accomplishing the impossible, then fading away. When his government and former employers turn on him, there is no safehouse to run to, no way to lie low. In a constant state of escape and pursuit, Gentry tears through the Middle East and Europe in a riveting life-or-death race against time.

©2009 Mark Greaney (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Through the carnage, Gentry remains an intriguing protagonist with his own moral code. Comparisons will be made to Jason Bourne, but the Gray Man is his own character. The ending screams for a sequel, but it will be difficult to maintain the intensity level of this impressive debut." (Booklist)

"Hard, fast, and unflinching – exactly what a thriller should be." (Lee Child)

"Bourne for the new millennium." (James Rollins)

Perils of Pauline

The "Gray Man" of the title is an uber-assassin, moving like a ghost, striking unstoppably. That is what everyone in this book says, anyway. It turns out, this is no Day of the Jackal" and our hero is no "Bob Lee Swagger". In reality, as presented, he bumbles his way through Europe escaping the massive efforts of an evil (French, of course) corporation through a combination of extreme marksmanship and fighting skill while wounded, and dumb luck; he is often saved by the missteps of his enemies or, I kid you not, things like umbrellas. At one point he defeats an enemy who, as presented, he should lose to.
Speaking of wounds, this begins to seem like a Road Runner cartoon and the massive injuries our hero keeps bouncing back from become laughable. The dialog is sometimes very good indeed, and then, next paragraph, wincingly bad: chest-thumping macho stuff instead of the cold communication of professionals.

To give credit to the author,he presents us with an individual representing the corporation whom you really, really hate; good job there. Our assassin is a "good guy", trying to knock off only those who are evil. That may be unrealistic or impractical, but it is refreshing. He also makes an effort to respect the reader's intelligence by providing practical motivations for the corporations egregious allowance of general mayhem and emotional motivations for the hunter and the hunted. I cannot buy the corporations ultimate, unsatisfying reasons.

The ending is illogical and unsatisfying, but obviously designed to set up a sequel.

High Energy Ride!

This story is for fans of characters like Jack Reacher, John Rain, Mitch Rapp, Ben Treven and others who prevail due to skills derrived from a history of disciplined practice and training, as well as inclination and talent. Modern supermen, although not invulnerable. Early on, I was afraid the story was going to get overheated, and exceed even my considerable willingness to suspend disbelief, but I was drawn in and was satisfied by the finish. I'll listen to the sequel. I like the reader Jay Snyder as well and will look for his name in the future.

Wow

Great book !! I have a new author to look forward listening to again. This was fast paced, never slow, well narrated and well written. Mark Greaney is the best new author I have read in quite some time. I can't wait to see what The Gray Man does next.

Fantastic Read:: Small Spoilers if you Read this.

I very much enjoyed this book, the Action was Great and Ongoing. The Main Character the Grey Man, I found very realistic also the Narration was Excellent. I will be looking forward very much to the next book from Mark Greaney.

But, I did not Enjoy the End, I did not like the Way it all Wound Up, it was too unbelievable too much Blood Loss too Many Injuries, Caused a Lack of Action at the End just when the Most Action was needed. I am not a writer at all, I just thought it Fell Away at the End.

Great!

The only warning I would give is to make sure, before you start this book, that you have 11 hours of listening time available because once you start it you won't want to stop.

If you Like Jason Bourne, You'll LOVE this guy!!

I know I need to be brief, since there are probably hundreds of reviews of this book. I felt compelled to chime in.

First off, Jay Snyder is PERFECT as narrator. Everyone has their opinion, and some reviews are less than kind to him, but I found nothing at all wrong with his read. I liked him in the "Day By Day Armageddon" series, too.

This is a fast-paced thriller, with very little down time. Luckily, Greaney fills the down time with interesting insights into "The Gray Man". Imagine Jason Bourne on speed, and with slightly less of a heart...AND a smart-ass. That's the Gray Man. Important note-- When I say "samrt ass" I'm not talking about the whole "I'm so clever, look what a great writer I am" syndrome, that most authors infuse into their smart ass characters. I'm talking about quick, witty responses that make sense, and are not too implausible.

The story itself is just believable enough to enjoy. Greaney definitely takes it to the edge of believability, but never fully crosses over into the ridiculous.

Intense from begining to end!!!

The Gray Man caught me from the beginning and held me until the end, it was non-stop pulse pounding action like few others!!!

Way Over The Top

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Would have been better spent listening to a more realistic story.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

I thoroughly enjoy this type of story. I regularly listen to books by Flynn, Thor, Child, Silva. And I generally cut their character heroes some slack in terms of what they do and are able to accomplish. But this "Gray Man" book was totally unrealistic. A more realistic story would have been more believable and enjoyable.

Have you listened to any of Jay Snyder’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not.

Could you see The Gray Man being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

No. Too unrealistic and not believable.

Action Packed!

Great thriller. Perhaps, a little heavy-handed with the drama. But, it is a thriller and the story kept me fascinated all the way to the end.

Narration was second to none.

Great Action!

If you enjoy spy thrillers and a lot of action, this audio book is the one. It was fast paced and not a dull moment. I even liked the narrator. I finished it on my power walk this morning and found myself talking out loud to the characters as I walked. LOL!