Burner (Gray Man)

Product Information

That's a problem for tomorrow. Today they need to keep him and themselves alive. Right now, it's not looking good. Right and wrong are rarely clear-cut issues in the Gray Man’s world. No one understands that better than Court and Zoya. Clear-cut or not, choices must be made. They’ll have to decide where their loyalties lie. Because one thing’s for sure. If they’re going down, they’re going down together. Court Gentry is a man without a country. Now the country that has hunted him needs his help. Data from a bank in Switzerland covering Russian money and where it is going, has been taken, and it might just take down some of the United States most prominent people. Gentry is on the hunt for truth while after years of running has him looking over his shoulder every bit of the way. Burner is the epitome of riveting with action ranging from car chases to a parachute drop-in to underwater fighting & so much more.

This was my first Gray Man novel, but it won’t be my last. This was a fun fast paced action suspense thriller. The writing style is fantastic and can’t be missed. Its well-researched and very vividly done so you feel like you are right there. I fell that the main character, Court, was also well done. The amount of emotional depth that was shown in his character was phenomenal and thoroughly thought out. Mark Greaney reigns as one of the recognized masters of action and adventure.”—Steve Berry, New York Times and #1 international bestselling authorCourt Gentry is caught between the Russian mafia and the CIA in this latest electrifying thriller in the #1 New York Times bestselling Gray Man series.

Ben Coes, New York Times bestselling author of international espionage thrillers featuring Dewey Andreas I could go on more about Burner (trust me, I really could), but I think it is fair to say that I deeply enjoyed this latest Gray Man novel from Mark Greaney. Greaney has been on a roll with his last few Gray Man books, and I honestly think that Burner is one of the better novels he has released recently. The impactful story, great characters, compelling content and impressive writing ensured that I was enthralled throughout the entirety of Burner, and I honestly couldn’t put it down at times, especially during some of the big action sequences. This was such an epic book, and I can already guarantee Burner is going to end up as one of my top books and audiobooks of 2023. Highly recommended! Any thriller reader would enjoy the pace of this book , and the plot is actually following current events between Russia and Ukraine and the position the United States may be in with their war. It is easy to see why Netflix chose to make a movie from the first book since the twelfth book in the series is full of explosions, shootouts and the main characters barely making it out of situations alive . I absolutely ADORE Court Gentry and it is still kind of funny to see two EXTREMELY LETHAL operators, behave so adorably uncharacteristically when it comes to the possible or now should I say the "developing" possible personal relationship between the two of them.

It’s a shame there isn’t more non-fiction around in the espionage genre. After all, real spy thrillers can be just as fast and furious as Mark Greaney’s Gray Man and the Burner. However, they don’t have to be as placid as John le Carré’s novels and shrouded in delicate diction and sophisticated syntax. Strap in and hang on tight . . . Mark Greaney delivers another heat-seeking thrill ride that’s not to be missed.”— The Real Book Spy

Timely as can be the events in this novel take place as Putin's war against the Ukraine in 2022 takes place. The West is on the surface enraged by Russia's actions, but still dying to do business with whoever has the goods. And those willing to do business with the Russians include elements of the Central Intelligence Agency, tasked with preventing ongoing trade talks from being scuttled. I really enjoyed the plot of this book because it is rooted in current events. Not exactly what is happening but, it helped give a different perspective to the events we’re living in right now. This series is not only getting better with every new addition, but it somehow continues to show us Greaney is one of the best action thriller writers in the business and, unlike too many novelists who write about tough guys, he doesn’t depend on divisive politics and gun worship to attract an audience. Series fans won’t be disappointed, while new readers can easily enjoy Burner without reading all the Gray Man novels that precede it. Where to begin? With this book that’s a good question. Court is off working private jobs once again. Of course the book begins with Court in a life and death situation and he would be the one to walk away. Meanwhile Zoya if in Milan, she’s depressed and drinking. Feeling ashamed of her home country. She’s messed up a few “easy “ jobs and wonders if she’ll ever get another. That’s when her handler calls with an offer.I started listening to this at 4am and haven’t been able to put it down. I wanted to write this review before I finished because I didn’t want to be tempted to write anything additional and take anything away from another listener. I like to think that Court has changed as the years have gone by. He started as a steely killer. Since then he’s been a member of a team, a CIA officer, an unofficial Agency asset, even a bodyguard. He’s a smart guy—he has to be to have lived this long—but he’s not always right. He frequently finds himself in over his head in various situations, but he always finds a way out. But Greaney doesn’t skimp on character development either, and I appreciated that three major characters are women, all quite different from one another. Court is a solid, appealing hero, sensitive enough to admit his loneliness and brutal enough to kill those who need killing. There are some consistency issues in this book. The Brewer character is altered from earlier books to fit the plot. Court Gentry has been de-aged a few years. There are also plot holes, but the pace of the book rips past, and are easily missed. While Burner is fundamentally an action novel, Zoya’s alcoholism and substance abuse (and Gentry’s fears and frustration with Zoya’s addictions) add depth to the characters. Greaney sets up Lacy to play a courageous role despite Zoya’s skepticism that she has what it takes. He also sets up an ending that demands sacrifice in the name of principle — the kind of principles for which Russians and their corrupt counterparts in the US and Europe have no use. All of that makes Burner a saccharin-free “feel good” story, although a fair amount of indiscriminate death precedes the relatively happy outcome.