Book Review: Gunmetal Gray by Mark Greaney
Gunmetal Gray is an action-packed story that takes us from classy hotels in Hong Kong to seedy motels in Thailand, swamps full of deadly snakes, and bodies of enemies littering the streets and seas.
And a gorgeous Russian spy.
Last time we hung out with Court Gentry, aka The Gray Man by Mark Greaney, he was just getting back in CIA’s good graces.
No longer hunted down, he is now working for them on a contract basis.
The first contract he’s given takes him all over Asia with a particular task: find Fan Jiang, a Chinese hacker who defected and escaped to Hong Kong, and bring him to the US.
Afterall one of the very few high-valued hackers who know the ins and outs of China’s cyber defenses, Fan is a real catch to the Americans who are now firmly after him.
But then so are the Russians. And the Thais and Vietnamese and who knows how many others who all want a piece of China’s secrets.
So Court heads on a plane to Hong Kong to search for Fan. As he exits the plane he is actually surprised to notice that he’s in the crosshairs of several Chinese agents who are now following him with who knows what sinister intentions.
He knows he can’t work with shadows following him every step of the way, so he has no choice but to dispatch of what proved to become a major thorn in his sides.
Especially when those thorns were about to take him out.
The problem is, killing those Chinese spies set a whole army after him and when Court is finally apprehended, he knows that playing both sides for a while is the only way to keep himself and his old mentor, Donald Fitzroy, alive.
Because Donald Fitzroy is held captive by the Chinese Colonel Dai who has no qualms about killing the old man unless Court finds Fan, and simply put, kills him.
To add to his ever-growing list of worries, a bunch of Russians special ops guys are also after Fan and they mean serious business.
But Court Gentry is the Gray Man for a reason. He is one of the best – if not the best – spy in the world. His training is unmatched by others and his mind makes the strangest connections where most wouldn’t even think to look.
So against all odds, he sets out to do what his own moral code dictates him. Something that won’t sit well with either party, and he’ll get plenty of flak for it, but he can’t do it any other way.
Because he is The Gray Man.
A complex character, who has been often likened to Jason Bourne, Jack Reacher, The Nowhere Man, Orphan X, and so many others.
We sure love our military superheroes and this is a very good time to have them roam around saving lives and even nations.
We need such characters to give us hope. It is a dark and scary world out there, and knowing that The Gray Man is on the job, makes it just that bit easier to believe in something better.
Once again Mark Greaney didn’t disappoint. I wouldn’t be surprised if at some point his book is turned into a fast-paced movie.
At over 400 pages, it is not a short read, but when you’re engrossed in the pages, you won’t even feel the time flying and once again, you’ll find yourself reading until dawn …
Gunmetal Gray by Mark Greaney
Series: The Gray Man #6
Published by Berkley
Published: 2017
Genres: Thriller
Source: Purchased
Also by this author: Back Blast, Agent in Place, Mission Critical