On Target

A Gray Man Novel

By: Mark Greaney

Narrated by: Jay Snyder

Court Gentry, aka the Gray Man, is back – and once again on the run from old friends and foes.

Four years ago, Gentry was betrayed by his handlers in the CIA. Now, an old comrade, Russian arms merchant Sidorenko, returns to force him on a mission against his will: kill Sudan’s President Abboud, the supposed trigger for the Darfur genocide. But the CIA has its own plans for Abboud. With his ruthless employers on one side, his blackmailing former friends on the other, and a doomed mission ahead, Gentry would kill just to get out of this one alive.

Every bit as thrilling, informed, and addictive as The Gray Man, and once again skillfully narrated by Jay Snyder, On Target is sure to hit the mark for thriller fans.

Check out Mark Greaney's best-selling previous book, The Gray Man, now.©2010 Mark Strode Greaney (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

“An action-filled yet touching story of a man whose reason has long ago been subsumed by his work ethic.” ( Publishers Weekly)

really impressive

i'm a difficult reader to please but Mark Greaney has done it again. Like his previous, first work, Greaney packs this thriller with speed, suspense, and incredible imagination. This time he also adds an element of global politics. The gray man will constantly surprise you again. Also, if you are a fan of the more technical aspects of a good thriller, Greaney knows his weapons and machines and the types of backgrounds and training that go into becoming a CIA SAD operatives. Worth the money and time.

A Vulnerable Gray Man

I’m a fan of Mark Greaney’s “The Gray Man” (2009) and the series, narrated by Jay Snyder. “On Target” (2010) is my fourth book, after “Ballistic” (2011) and “Dead Eye” (2013).

One of the many nice things about this series is that it’s okay to listen to the books out of order. There’s backstory and some complex character development, but it carries from book to book and it's consistent. Court Gentry, the Gray Man, has some long established enemies that he has to watch out for, and he’s been burned by too many people too many times. Greaney’s adept at weaving the mythos to new action, and it works.

“On Target” shows a surprising side of the seemingly invincible Gray Man. Gentry was badly wounded in an earlier action/book, and picked up a nasty drug habit. He’s gone from being reliable to living and operating in the fog of addiction. It was a surprising turn for a warrior elite hero – but it made Gentry more likable and more real than fiction.

What about the armaments and the fighting? Well, I’m a veteran. I served too long ago to be familiar with some of the more recent weapons Greaney describes, but timing I know. I suspended time and enjoyed the story. It’s not a technical issue, but the speed at which things can be done and people can move just isn’t that fast. It sure makes for a better read speeded up, anyway.

Jay Snyder’s an enjoyable narrator for the series.

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Can anything else go wrong?

I suppose the story isn’t bad, but I found myself constantly wondering what else can possibly go wrong. Listening to someone struggling for more than 10 hours is torture. I really liked the previous book and will listen to the next one, but On Target is definitely not in my top 10. The fighting and ammunition descriptions are a bit technical and long winded.

I really like Court Gentry, and really hope his luck will turn.

Crazy hard

The whole series is a must listen to.. from book 1 onwards great narrator impossible odds the grey ghost is worth it great story well written

Love the Gray Man

Court Gentry is a man of contrast. A paid cold assassin who will not hesitate to kill his target, yet he has a soft side and will go out of his way to save the innocent. No matter how stupid they are. He worked for the CIA until a mysterious Shoot on Sight order was put out on him. Now he travels the world and works as a contract killer. Mostly for two sources. This time he is contracted to kill the president of Sudan by shady Russian gangsters. The president is a murderous dictator, so not too much of a problem with that. But a funny thing happens on his way there and he is side tracked first by his old handler in the CIA who wants the president of Sudan kidnapped but not killed. If Court complies, they will drop the Shoot on Sight order. But nothing is simple for Gentry as a Canadian woman from the International Criminal Court interferes with his plan to get to Sudan and Court has to save her. This unfortunately takes up have the book but once he dumps this woman into safe territory the real story can begin. He meets up with his old CIA team to kidnap the president of Sudan and things go terribly wrong. From bad to worst.

Great action. Kind of a Blackhawk Down feel to it. Greaney does a great job of describing action scenes. And Court has a monkey on his back, and an arrow in his shoulder dipped in a putrid chicken meat. He has tried to come down off of a drug habit but the pills keep calling him back. How do you handle the bad guys, kidnapping and save your fellow agents when you are high and have a festering wound in your back. Listen and you will find out.