The Gray Man - Mark Greaney
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Blurb
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. And in their eyes, Gentry has just outlived his usefulness.
This book started off very well, with plenty of action and a believable storyline. Until the last 20% of the book when the hero turns into superman.
Don't get me wrong, if you like the loner hitman surviving against all the odds then this will suit you, absolutely.
The author tries to build suspense but instead ruins what, in my opinion, was a first-class piece of fiction. He is not alone in doing this, and although it is a personal bugbear of mine, enough readers are ok with it so writers continue to push the envelope on how much punishment one guy can take yet still prevail.
Very good writing, no let-up in the action, silly last few chapters. The editor should have had a word and got it toned down a couple of notches.
Reviews
1. If you like your thrillers action-packed and I mean action-packed then this is the book for you. But for me, the book had one major flaw that flaw being that it stretched reality so far that it became farcical.
2. The times call for a hero, and whom better than the indestructible Court Gentry who braves multiple injuries (that would have killed a lesser man multiple times) to save twin girls from certain death. We meet the hired assassin when he has just completed his most recent mission. Unfortunately, the victim’s brother wants revenge—specifically Court’s head delivered to him—and he has the resources to hire killers from all over the world to do so. Suspend belief, overlook the sinkhole-sized holes in the plot, and cheer on our bonafide hero as he travels from Syria/Iraq through to Prague, Zurich, Paris, and beyond while encountering highly trained kill teams
3. This is one of those bad-ass super spy books. Up to about 80% of the way through, it was pretty good. The good guy was super tough but mortal in a super focused, almost robotic way. Still, he got hurt, tired, & still clawed his way through the obstacles. At the 80% mark, it just got stupid, so far over the top that it became a comic book. The very end was pretty good, although the lead into a series was obvious. I won't bother reading anymore.
4. I won't repeat what others have said in describing the hero or the story. Let's just say that The Gray Man is the best debut thriller that I've had the pleasure to read since Lee Child's Killing Floor. It's The Bourne Identity . . . without any slow spots! The characterizations are varied and memorable; the special-ops tradecraft and tactics are detailed and credible; the colorful European locales are rendered with vivid, you-are-there authenticity; the pace is driving and relentless. It's a tale that whizzes by like tracer bullets.
Seems like others have the same opinion as me
Price
£4 kindle, £6 paperback
I think the main meat of the book makes it worth the price....... But only just.
If you just want to read some action to pass the time, then this will fit the bill, and as it is #1 in a ten-book series if you do enjoy it then there are plenty more for you.
