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)

Very good action, even though a bit incredible.

It was very enjoyable and on par with The Jack Reacher and Victor the Assassin books. The action was good and I like that the main antagonists were more than two dimensional thugs. Narrator was bang on and did a very good job of bringing the characters and their voices to life. Looking forward to continuing this series.

entertaining but formulaic

ok at start but became increasingly predictable and implausible. however it did pass time on long drive.

Eh...I've heard worse

Would you try another book from Mark Greaney and/or Jay Snyder?

I most likely will not get another book from the author. Ridiculous story and the main character is a super human that cannot die. It left me more annoyed than entertained.

Great entertainment value

Very good story line but really gets a trifle unbelieviable as it races towards the end. The characters are good and believiable and narration excellent. A fair copy of "Vine Flynn"! I can recommend it to anyone who enjoys spy thrillers.

Splendid read.

Would you consider the audio edition of The Gray Man to be better than the print version?

No, just a faster. While audible books make the "read" faster, I can still complete my work and get things done as I enjoy a book. It's hard to find time to just sit and read. Vacation is never long enough to get all the books you want to read as you would like.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Gray Man?

There were too many moments that were memorable. I can see why they would want to make a movie from it. I just hate that the movie never does the book justice. I can't wait to read the next in the series

What about Jay Snyder’s performance did you like?

Mr. Snyder's voice is distinct and pleasing. The voice variations with the characters is very adept. A lot of narrators can not complete the range in vocal to distant one character from another. He does make it believable that they are different.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I did have emotional responses to the narration. But I did know it was a book. I was not completely lost in it. But I could see it happen. I'm more apt to loose myself watching, not reading. But still could not stop reading it until it was over.

I was entertained from start to finish

The book was great! Action from start to finish with both Dynamic heroes and villains.

Excellent narrations. One of the best

What did you love best about The Gray Man?

The narrations and voicings. Perfect.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Gray Man?

Latching onto an almost dead guy and launching out of an airplane with him to use his parachute. Classic. Just a good flow and storyline, no real stand out spectactular moments.

What about Jay Snyder’s performance did you like?

Everything, this guy is a master at voicings, Asian, spanish, good guy, bad guy, russian all of them.

Action packed

you can guess the outcome at the beginning of the book, but the ride to get there keeps us at the edge of your seat.

what a find!

I've been searching for a book after listening to several of my favorites I took a chance on this one this may become my favorite new character and hopefully series!

Some warts, but a rip-roaring fun read

This book definitely has some issues and I debated between 3 and 4 stars, but went with 4 because it is a fun read. This is a pure popcorn read - there’s not any eternal qualities to this book - it’s just pure escapism. The Gray Man is supposed to be the top assassin in the world, full of cunning, but with a strong moral compass. And he is a likable character. This is a fast paced book that made you reluctant to put down. There were a number of issues however. First, For someone whose greatest weapon was “between his ears”, I found Court Gentry to be remarkably boneheaded at times. Early on, despite being mysteriously tracked by someone who had to have inside knowledge of his moves, he doesn’t take any precautions to protect himself. The world’s greatest assassin would have. Second, the handler of the world’s greatest assassin would have his family far better protected. Third, there was a character introduced and who was developed in a very positive way, only to be abruptly dumped and never heard from again. This isn’t a criticism, but as I read, I noted one scene lifted from “The Shooter” and another from “The Bourne Identity.” So, yes, this book has its holes. But I come back to the fact that this was a lot of fun to read, and, in the end, that’s what counts for this genre. Jay Snyder was a great narrator.