The Gray Man

August 3, 2009
In Greaney's fast-paced, fun debut thriller, Court “The Gray Man” Gentry, a former CIA operative now renowned as the ultimate killer for hire, is on the job in Syria and Iraq. To his shock, he learns that a team sent in to rescue him now has him targeted for elimination. On the run, Gentry slowly realizes that huge forces are marshaling against him, from his former government to the one man in England he always trusted. With unbelievable powers of survival, the Gray Man eludes teams of killers and deadly traps, while the reader begins to cheer for this unlikely hero. Cinematic battles and escapes fill out the simplistic but satisfying plot, and Greaney deftly provides small details to show Gentry's human side, offset by the petty rivalries and greed of his enemies.

September 1, 2009
Enigmatic Court Gentry lives a double life as the Gray Man, an infamous assassin revered in the criminal underworld. An assignment in Africa proves to be successful, but success often brings threats of reprisal. The survivors are not happy and demand revenge. Meanwhile, Gray Mans handler, Lloyd, learns that his family has been kidnapped. The ransom demand: Gentrys head inside a cooler. Lloyd reluctantly orders Gentrys termination to save the people he loves. Of course, the Gray Man is a legend for a reason. From the opening pages, the bullets fly and the bodies pile up. Through the carnage, Gentry remains an intriguing protagonist with his own moral code. The villains motives are fuzzy, though he is quite nasty. 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.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)