Ballistic

A Gray Man Novel

By: Mark Greaney

Narrated by: Jay Snyder

Length: 14 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

Ex-CIA assassin Court Gentry thought he could find refuge living in the Amazon rain forest. But his bloody past finds him when a vengeful Russian crime lord forces him to go on the run once again. Court makes his way to one of the only men in the world he can trust - and arrives too late. His friend is dead and buried.

Years before, Eddie Gamboa had saved Court's life. Now, Eddie has been murdered by the notorious Mexican drug cartel he fought to take down. And Court soon finds himself drawn into a war he never wanted. But in this war, there are no sides - only survivors....

Listen to another Gray Man novel.

©2011 Mark Strode Greaney (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Bourne for the new millennium." (James Rollins, New York Times best-selling author)

"The story is so propulsive, the murders so explosive, that flipping the pages feels like playing the ultimate video game." ( The New York Times)

just the escapism and intricate sequences we need

Excellent book, great narrator. I've read every book on the series and listened to this over 10 years ago. I have over 500 titles and in the action vigilante spycraft thriller genre, this holds up against the best of the craft. the grey man series is much funnier (in dark humor and dry remarks) and takes itself less serious than the Rapp's Harvaths and Orphan X characters of the others.

The premise for the story is very creative and the story telling by Greaney and the awesome performance of Snyder enhances the text. How he had a prequel that explored courts past was very slick.

the violence in Mexico wasn't as well known in 2011 and not many authors were exploring it in the fiction realm, to paint a vivid and gritty story that spans the amazon and up to the border was all ahead of its time. there mustve been alot of research about the narcos and Mexican p9litics and culture.

bottom line: If you want perfect realism, read old Clancy or griffin. better yet, there are dozens of true stories if you'd like. but if you want an imaginative, fun, and violent look into what makes court tick and how he takes on a cartel, spend the 10 hrs.

sidenote: this story sent me down a rabbit hole with non fiction related to narco terrorism, CIA machinations and the codependent relationship between the US and our southern neighbors. we'll worth it.

Excellent

Incredible, breathtaking, absolutely stunning, my husband thought it was a bit drawn out, but I absolutely loved it, Will definitely move on with next story, such a tragedy that he’s not born again, the only true eternal value to this life!!

Totally enthralling!

I was not disappointed with the graymam's skill level for sure. His abilities to fight his way out of some very dangerous situations is amazing. But also Cord Gentry has a gentle side, loving and gentle especially to those he love and consider his own.

Action Packed

Mark Greaney wrote a fast paced action packed story. Court Gentry seemed to go from one impossible to escape situation to another. It was exciting to listen to how he got out of each situation. Greaney description of modern day Mexico may be very accurate from other books I have read. Mexico appears to be reaping the harvest of centuries of corruption. The Gray mans travels through Latin America, Central America and Mexico was like an exciting travel guide. Jay Snyder did a good job reading the story. This book makes an nail biting escape from today's problems, story good for a boring commute.

There Aren't Enough Gray Man Novels

What made the experience of listening to Ballistic the most enjoyable?

Jay Snyder the narrator. Absolutely the best!

Who was your favorite character and why?

I like Court Gentry, the main character of the book. The obstacles he faces and how he tackles the challenges at any given moment.

What about Jay Snyder’s performance did you like?

Mark Greaney continues to put out thrilling and riveting novels about the Gray Man. I hope he writes more. Court Gentry is a sensitive, strong and intense man and throughout the entire novel narrowly escapes impossible situations. Exciting.......

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Nothing. Jay Snyder is one of the best narrators and will keep your attention throughout the entire book.

Any additional comments?

Mark Greaney and Jay Snyder are an incredible team.

Great book!

All I can say is that I love this series. Greeley obviously does his homework and research. It is very entertaining and difficult to put down. It's well worh the credit.

Suspend belief and you will enjoy it...

Like all books of this genre, you have to give up on reality and just enjoy the action. The Gray Man gets out of situations that no mere mortal can, but that's part of the fun. The best part about Greaney's books is the picture he paints with words. It's easy to follow the story as though you are watching a mental movie. I have never been to the places mentioned in the book but through Mark's imagination I feel like I have. I've read all three installments and though it is hard to match the original Gray Man, this one ranks right up there, and the story and character development was better than the other two. The only thing that keeps this from being 5 stars (besides the fact that I never give 5 stars to anything) is the lack of a connection back to the CIA side of things. The one bit of help he received from the CIA operative in the middle of the novel seemed a bit contrived and added at the last minute to loosely connect this story with the rest of the challenges the protagonist faces. I'm also a little surprised by the "career path" Court Gentry's love interest took. Just like that, in a couple of sentences she was no longer in the picture. Regardless, Mark Greaney's writing is improving. One has to suspend belief to enjoy these books, but as long as the Gray Man stories don't start crossing over into the paranormal or fantastical (like author James Rollins) I will keep reading.

Mark Greaney Did It Again!!!

This novel was so exciting, so electrically charged and jammed packed full of action. Many times, while at work, I would find myself staring into space picturing everything as it was happening. Even the non-action scenes were thrilling because it kept you on the edge of your seat, brewing and building up to the next action sequence. You even get to see the softer side, so to speak, of Gentry. A very different side that you knew was there, but even still, it was nice to see. This novel was excellent. All The Gray Man novels are outstanding. Court Gentry is the absolute best!  I think what makes him the best is the line where he says, “I am different from other good guys because I am not afraid to go down to the level of my enemies.”  That statement sums him up and puts him on another playing field than most “good guys” in other novels.  Jay Snyder is a wonderful narrator and I cannot go without letting you know how awesome and effective his voice is, not only as Court Gentry, which I think he is perfect for, but ALL the other characters as well.  He can change his voice into so many different accents and they all sound authentic.  He’s great!

Now, I am completely sad that I don’t have another Gray Man novel to read.  I will be in search of something that is as fulfilling as this series was.  I do hope this is not the end of the Gray Man novels.  But I do want to end my review with my favorite lines from this novel, from the man himself...

“I’m going to scorch the earth.  I’m going to murder, torture and defile.  I’m going to go ballistic on the motherf#c$er’s who have Laura Gamboa.  And I am going to get her back by killing everything in my path. I’m not going to play by the rules….I am talking about the rules of humanity.  I am prepared to violate every last one of them.”

That’s Awesome…I just love it!

Court Gentry as we have not seen him before

Would you consider the audio edition of Ballistic to be better than the print version?

Dumb question, why would I both listen to and read the book at the same time? Does anyone do this? I understand if it was a book I was studying or something, but this book is pure entertainment.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Court Gentry

What does Jay Snyder bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

An excellent narration. I hope I he does more in the future

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Court Gentry takes on the Mexican drug lords.

Any additional comments?

Great book.

Another excellent entry in the series

What did you love best about Ballistic?

In previous entries, Court always played alone where he could be at his best. I really enjoyed this entry because it explored a part of Court we never saw; his ability to be a good human being and what it's like for him to be a trained assassin that is tied down by offering to help a family in need. There are times in the book where you think it's impossible for the situation to get any worse and that you're about to hear the end of Court Gentry. Of course, that isn't allowed to happen and deep down you realize it, but you literally cannot think of how Court can get out of his miserable situation. The

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Most definitely. The house defense scenes were the best in the book, I felt. They conveyed the sense of helplessness and

What does Jay Snyder bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Jay's portrayal of the myriad of characters was excellent. I was never lost in the dialogue and I felt totally immersed in the story. You know it's a good narrator when you want to listen to any book simply because it has the same narrator (this is how I feel about Jonathan Davis as well from Neal Stephenson's books).

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I think the torture scene was very visceral and intense. It was the point where I thought we'd lose Court and where you felt like,

Any additional comments?

Highly recommended; this series is yet to disappoint. I can't wait to read more, so Mark, hurry it up!