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Gray Man #5
Back Blast
From Mark Greaney, the #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan novels, comes the fifth explosive thriller featuring the lethal assassin known as the Gray Man…
Five years ago, Court Gentry was the CIA’s best covert asset. Then, without warning, his masters at the Agency put him at the top of their kill list. Court fled his country and became an enigmatic killer for hire known as the Gray Man.
Determined to find out what made the Agency turn against him, he plans to get his hands on the men who sent him on his last mission, Operation BACK BLAST. What he doesn’t realize is that the questions that arose from his time as an American assassin are still reverberating in the U.S. intelligence community, and he’s stumbled onto a secret that powerful people want kept under wraps.
The result: everyone has Court in their crosshairs...
Five years ago, Court Gentry was the CIA’s best covert asset. Then, without warning, his masters at the Agency put him at the top of their kill list. Court fled his country and became an enigmatic killer for hire known as the Gray Man.
Determined to find out what made the Agency turn against him, he plans to get his hands on the men who sent him on his last mission, Operation BACK BLAST. What he doesn’t realize is that the questions that arose from his time as an American assassin are still reverberating in the U.S. intelligence community, and he’s stumbled onto a secret that powerful people want kept under wraps.
The result: everyone has Court in their crosshairs...
513 pages, Hardcover
First published February 16, 2016
About the author
Mark Greaney
80 books5,493 followersMark Greaney has a degree in International Relations and Political Science. In researching The Gray Man series he traveled to ten countries and trained extensively in the use of firearms, battlefield medicine, and close range combative tactics.
Learn more at MARKGREANEYBOOKS.COM
Email Mark at MarkGreaneyBooks@gmail.com
Learn more at MARKGREANEYBOOKS.COM
Email Mark at MarkGreaneyBooks@gmail.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 907 reviews
March 3, 2017
Denny Carmichael, Director of National Clandestine Service with the CIA, is hosting a garden party completely bored stiff while his wife was in her element socializing with her wealthy friends. But his boredom soon vanished when three black SUV’s approached at break neck speed stopping close to the patio where he was standing. Rushing over to the dozen men who spilled out of the vehicles Denny demanded an explanation. When he was told the Gray Man was back in the USA and no doubt he already had a sniper trained on him at this very moment, the blood drained from his face. Court Gentry, aka the Gray Man was the CIA’s best covert asset, but some five years ago he had been put on a kill list by his employer, and he was now tired of running and hiding. He wanted answers and the one person who could give him that was Denny Carmichael. Mark Greaney has done an outstanding job with a thrilling tale of secrets, lies, and cover-ups, along with convincing strong characters for that extra adrenaline rush. Back Blast is a fairly large book at 738 pages but every chapter was a ‘blast” and should not be missed by spy thriller enthusiasts! Highly recommended!
February 29, 2020
Liked this book well enough. Plenty of action. Liked it more than the latest Jack Reachers. This is definitely a story driven book not a lot of emotion from the characters. This story is not unlike others where a government operator is left out in the cold abandoned and then hunted by the same agency. The character, Court Gentry has to find out why. The "why," is a little predictable but that's not why you read a book like this it's for the entertainment, its the action and there's plenty of it. In fact I think it overshadows the story line too much. At seven hundred pages I think it would have run better at five. If you like action novels I would recommend this one.
David Putnam Author of The Bruno Johnson series.
David Putnam Author of The Bruno Johnson series.
June 29, 2021
Great story and my favorite "Gray Man" to date. Onto #6! 10 of 10 stars
August 1, 2024
The one time best covert assassin of the CIA, Court Gentry, is back again for another explosive, action-packed thriller and this time he’s under attack from friendly forces. Setting off at the most frantic of paces and then actually speeding it up even more, there is no greater thrill ride than sitting in on a Gray Man mission and suspending your disbelief. Back Blast is just a blast.
Court Gentry is back in the USA to find that there’s a Shoot On Sight order out on his head. It’s been placed there courtesy of Denny Carmichael, Director of National Clandestine Services, head spy of the CIA and a man with a great deal of resources at his disposal. Gentry has no idea why the order has been placed but, frankly, he’s sick of hiding and he’s done with running. Now it’s time to fight.
First things first, he needs to know why the SOS has been issued and to do that he’s got to confront some of the people from his past. This means getting past incredibly tight security enforced by incredibly competent agents.
What he doesn’t know, though, is that Carmichael’s not playing by the rules. He’s brought a team of killers from Saudi Arabia into the picture by calling in a favour from the Saudi chief spy. Posing as DC police, this team of eight assassins are also on Gentry’s trail and are willing to take him down, no questions asked.
Apparently it’s all about a years old mission that Court apparently made a crucial mistake in. The name of the mission was Back Blast. Court’s convinced he was golden. Carmichael disagrees and is going to extraordinary lengths to erase the mistake.
When all is said and done, Court’s got the CIA, Saudi Arabian assassins, Mossad and more chasing after him. All the big hitters are lining up to take Gentry down.
Gentry is a good man who’s been painted as an evil killer. His quest to find answers appears to be an impossible one, up against immense opposition in terms of personnel and weaponry. But that’s de rigueur for Court Gentry and that’s exactly why this series continues to be endlessly entertaining.
Every successive chapter stacks the odds further and further against our hero and that just makes the inevitable ending all the more fun. Sure, I know what I’m going to get when I pick up a Gray Man action thriller and that’s why I’m going to pick up the next one too.
Court Gentry is back in the USA to find that there’s a Shoot On Sight order out on his head. It’s been placed there courtesy of Denny Carmichael, Director of National Clandestine Services, head spy of the CIA and a man with a great deal of resources at his disposal. Gentry has no idea why the order has been placed but, frankly, he’s sick of hiding and he’s done with running. Now it’s time to fight.
First things first, he needs to know why the SOS has been issued and to do that he’s got to confront some of the people from his past. This means getting past incredibly tight security enforced by incredibly competent agents.
What he doesn’t know, though, is that Carmichael’s not playing by the rules. He’s brought a team of killers from Saudi Arabia into the picture by calling in a favour from the Saudi chief spy. Posing as DC police, this team of eight assassins are also on Gentry’s trail and are willing to take him down, no questions asked.
Apparently it’s all about a years old mission that Court apparently made a crucial mistake in. The name of the mission was Back Blast. Court’s convinced he was golden. Carmichael disagrees and is going to extraordinary lengths to erase the mistake.
When all is said and done, Court’s got the CIA, Saudi Arabian assassins, Mossad and more chasing after him. All the big hitters are lining up to take Gentry down.
Gentry is a good man who’s been painted as an evil killer. His quest to find answers appears to be an impossible one, up against immense opposition in terms of personnel and weaponry. But that’s de rigueur for Court Gentry and that’s exactly why this series continues to be endlessly entertaining.
Every successive chapter stacks the odds further and further against our hero and that just makes the inevitable ending all the more fun. Sure, I know what I’m going to get when I pick up a Gray Man action thriller and that’s why I’m going to pick up the next one too.
August 18, 2021
For me, this was the best Gray Man. Court finally got some closure along with Greaney’s readers. Satisfying closure. The next books should be even better as Gentry is allowed to turn the page.
May 26, 2021
Greaney delivers a high energy spy-thriller with a ‘roller coaster’ plot. In this offering, Court Gentry returns to Washington to understand why he was burned five years ago and the target of a CIA ‘shoot on sight’ directive. Denny Charmichael, the Director of National Clandestine Services, seems to be particularly determined to terminate the Gray Man. Greaney has fun creating a multitude of highly creative escape scenarios for his hero. [Maybe that is why Bonnie Tyler’s song ‘Holding Out for a Hero’ kept running through my head.] Recommend this non-stop action thriller.
November 5, 2023
You knew this episode was inevitable, the Gray Man returns to the US to uncover why he is being hunted. Such a great story and conclusion. Court gets battered about but not as hard as other books in the series. The action is not as non-stop as previous series entries but still very smart, violent and clever. Really good, 5 Stars
August 3, 2020
5 Stars (Incredible)
Back Blast is a heart pounding, pure adrenaline ride that culminates as one of 'Gray Man's' best story to date!! Greany is a master at his craft. He doesn't write 'pretty', with little to no hyperboly or symbolism. What he does impeccably good is to write fast paced action thrillers and builds up on one of the most bad ass characters since Jason Bourne...there I said it!
"Back Blast' is a crossroads of sorts, as we see 'Court Gentry' our kick ass ex-CIA agent, now assassin, involved in a multi continental wild chase from both bad guys and the CIA. Everyone wants him dead. Court has been exiled from US soil for over 5 years- so what does he decide to do? He's back in the USA baby!!
For those of you who are into CIA thrillers, with non-stop action, incredible fight/battle sequences, and a protagonist who the quintessential bad ass- 'Gray Man' series is the stuff for you!
5 Stars
Back Blast is a heart pounding, pure adrenaline ride that culminates as one of 'Gray Man's' best story to date!! Greany is a master at his craft. He doesn't write 'pretty', with little to no hyperboly or symbolism. What he does impeccably good is to write fast paced action thrillers and builds up on one of the most bad ass characters since Jason Bourne...there I said it!
"Back Blast' is a crossroads of sorts, as we see 'Court Gentry' our kick ass ex-CIA agent, now assassin, involved in a multi continental wild chase from both bad guys and the CIA. Everyone wants him dead. Court has been exiled from US soil for over 5 years- so what does he decide to do? He's back in the USA baby!!
For those of you who are into CIA thrillers, with non-stop action, incredible fight/battle sequences, and a protagonist who the quintessential bad ass- 'Gray Man' series is the stuff for you!
5 Stars
February 27, 2017
I won this novel in a goodreads drawing.
The Gray Man keeps poking around, trying to find out who burned him. He wants to get his hands on the folks who sent him out on his last mission.
Lots of great stuff here. The Gray Man is an exciting series.
The Gray Man keeps poking around, trying to find out who burned him. He wants to get his hands on the folks who sent him out on his last mission.
Lots of great stuff here. The Gray Man is an exciting series.
July 24, 2018
Excellent story and narration by Jay Snyder (audible review)
I love this action packed series, and this was one of my favorite books. Glad to find out why Court was black listed. I really enjoyed this story.
As usual it was action packed and exciting. Court back into the USA to figure out what happened to get a shoot on sight placed on his head. I won't give any spoilers here, just know it was a great story.
As for the narration, it is excellent! Jay Snyder does a fantastic job, his reading voice is awesome, he reads with emotion. He does a great job on the female voices and everyone gets their own distinct voice and to top it off Court always sounds sexy.
If you haven't read this series I totally recommend it. 110%
I love this action packed series, and this was one of my favorite books. Glad to find out why Court was black listed. I really enjoyed this story.
As usual it was action packed and exciting. Court back into the USA to figure out what happened to get a shoot on sight placed on his head. I won't give any spoilers here, just know it was a great story.
As for the narration, it is excellent! Jay Snyder does a fantastic job, his reading voice is awesome, he reads with emotion. He does a great job on the female voices and everyone gets their own distinct voice and to top it off Court always sounds sexy.
If you haven't read this series I totally recommend it. 110%
March 20, 2020
I love the Gray Man series. These books are packed full. I know just what I am in for when I pick one of these books up. They also pull me in so deeply that it is easy to tune out louder things in life...like an earthquake, aftershocks, pandemic, 12 hour work days, a daughter in Peru, and that country is under lock down, etc., etc., etc. Lucky for me I have the 6th one in this series downloaded and ready to go.
One of my favorite things about this series is the creativity. I read many books that fall into this genre, and when I read one of Greaney's books, it always feels like something I haven't ever read before. So yay for that. So 4 stars.
One of my favorite things about this series is the creativity. I read many books that fall into this genre, and when I read one of Greaney's books, it always feels like something I haven't ever read before. So yay for that. So 4 stars.
September 14, 2019
You know, I have a lot of book series going. I often complain about the mediocre reads I run into. It's not unusual at all it seems for me to look forward to a book based on a synopsis or some recommendations only to find myself distinctly "underwhelmed". Doing this I often let books I've been "meaning to get to" languish in my "to be read list. I found that I've done that with the Gray Man series and am now like 3 books behind.....
See between times I seem to forget how good these book always turn out to be. I mean they are not what anyone would (I suppose) call great literature. They are however very well written action adventures. Court Gentry is (to my mind) one of the all time great action/spy heroes. AND just in case the rating didn't tip you off, this one is no exception.
If you've been following the series (and if you haven't I would suggest you go back and start at book 1 ( The Gray Man ). This will be a great read either way but we get a lot of story "culmination" here and it would be a shame not to enjoy the entire ride) you know the situation in which Court finds himself
In this book we will finally get some answers to a lot of the riddles we've "lived" with.
So, if you haven't started the Gray man series...do so, I mean right now...I'll wait, go get the first book.
Now get started, I envy you a bit just starting one of the reliably good action adventure series out there. But oh, be aware. After you finish each volume the smell of blood and gunpowder may permeate your reading space for a while...but it's worth it.
Highly recommended, enjoy.
See between times I seem to forget how good these book always turn out to be. I mean they are not what anyone would (I suppose) call great literature. They are however very well written action adventures. Court Gentry is (to my mind) one of the all time great action/spy heroes. AND just in case the rating didn't tip you off, this one is no exception.
If you've been following the series (and if you haven't I would suggest you go back and start at book 1 ( The Gray Man ). This will be a great read either way but we get a lot of story "culmination" here and it would be a shame not to enjoy the entire ride) you know the situation in which Court finds himself
In this book we will finally get some answers to a lot of the riddles we've "lived" with.
So, if you haven't started the Gray man series...do so, I mean right now...I'll wait, go get the first book.
Now get started, I envy you a bit just starting one of the reliably good action adventure series out there. But oh, be aware. After you finish each volume the smell of blood and gunpowder may permeate your reading space for a while...but it's worth it.
Highly recommended, enjoy.
December 13, 2015
Is this the best or the worst CIA thriller I have read?
This could be both the best and the worst CIA thriller you have read - the choice depends on whether you like your action to be basically believable or totally unbelievable.
Court Gentry is probably the best covert agent that the CIA has ever had. Then one day he changed from being the hunter to being the hunted, with all of his buddies sent out by their CIA leader to kill him because of something he had done. The problem is that nobody has told Gentry what he has done wrong.
In previous books in this series, Gentry has avoided death by killing all of his old buddies. To clear his name, he must return to the US to find out the truth. Within hours of smuggling himself into the country, he is involved in a huge shootout at a drug dealer's house and left on the run from the CIA and an unexpected group of other assassins.
If you like your CIA action thrillers to be fast-moving, adrenaline pumping, with the "hero" doing impossible things then you will love this book as Greany is a master of this kind of action. If you don't have any problems with unbelievable corruption at top levels in the CIA then you will also love this book. If you are of this opinion you might give this book 5 stars.
If you like to have some semblance of believability in this kind of story then it will definitely not be to your taste. I am of this opinion and I do admit to laughing out loud many times at the many unbelievable parts of this book. Because of this I rated it as one of the worst, if not the worst, CIA thriller I have read (and I have read a lot of them) and could only give it 2 stars.
My thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book for review.
This could be both the best and the worst CIA thriller you have read - the choice depends on whether you like your action to be basically believable or totally unbelievable.
Court Gentry is probably the best covert agent that the CIA has ever had. Then one day he changed from being the hunter to being the hunted, with all of his buddies sent out by their CIA leader to kill him because of something he had done. The problem is that nobody has told Gentry what he has done wrong.
In previous books in this series, Gentry has avoided death by killing all of his old buddies. To clear his name, he must return to the US to find out the truth. Within hours of smuggling himself into the country, he is involved in a huge shootout at a drug dealer's house and left on the run from the CIA and an unexpected group of other assassins.
If you like your CIA action thrillers to be fast-moving, adrenaline pumping, with the "hero" doing impossible things then you will love this book as Greany is a master of this kind of action. If you don't have any problems with unbelievable corruption at top levels in the CIA then you will also love this book. If you are of this opinion you might give this book 5 stars.
If you like to have some semblance of believability in this kind of story then it will definitely not be to your taste. I am of this opinion and I do admit to laughing out loud many times at the many unbelievable parts of this book. Because of this I rated it as one of the worst, if not the worst, CIA thriller I have read (and I have read a lot of them) and could only give it 2 stars.
My thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book for review.
January 9, 2016
Court Gentry is an elite Special Services officer working for the CIA until the day he is put on a Kill On Sight list by his former employers. Unlike Jason Bourne, he knows exactly who he is, but he cannot fathom why he has been named an enemy of the State.
He has successfully completed every assignment he has been given and no amount of self searching reveals any mistakes he might have made. As Back Blast begins, he has decided to return to the US in an attempt to find out what he is presumed to have done and to straighten out the confusion. But the CIA bosses are informed by their Mossad friends in Israel that he is coming and they intend to stop him before he can begin to defend his name.
Author Mark Greaney introduces many characters and layers of the complex plot, holding the interest of the reader until the harrowingly riveting climax. Lots of gun battles, explosions, and creative escapes along the way, with details that make it all seem very real...and pegging the good guys and bad guys is not as simple as one might have expected as the plot elements and deep-seated institutional corruption are slowly but steadily revealed.
I read an e-copy courtesy of NetGalley and highly recommend this mystery/thriller especially to those who love Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne series.
He has successfully completed every assignment he has been given and no amount of self searching reveals any mistakes he might have made. As Back Blast begins, he has decided to return to the US in an attempt to find out what he is presumed to have done and to straighten out the confusion. But the CIA bosses are informed by their Mossad friends in Israel that he is coming and they intend to stop him before he can begin to defend his name.
Author Mark Greaney introduces many characters and layers of the complex plot, holding the interest of the reader until the harrowingly riveting climax. Lots of gun battles, explosions, and creative escapes along the way, with details that make it all seem very real...and pegging the good guys and bad guys is not as simple as one might have expected as the plot elements and deep-seated institutional corruption are slowly but steadily revealed.
I read an e-copy courtesy of NetGalley and highly recommend this mystery/thriller especially to those who love Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne series.
March 24, 2021
Although Court Gentry is another former CIA assassin on the run after being targeted for elimination by the CIA I gave this an extra star. Gentry doesn't have a network of former CIA associates to help him out. Way too many authors get caught up in helping out their protagonists.
On the downside, there are many leaps of faith during the telling of the tale.
On the downside, there are many leaps of faith during the telling of the tale.
May 29, 2021
It has been worth reading all previous Gray Man novels and 10 semi loads of spent bullets to get to this point of his life and FINALLY find out WHY! This is one thrilling action packed get rid of the bad guys novel.
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September 1, 2018
Another great novel in the Gray Man series. Well worth four ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️! I will add further notes when time allows. Mark Greaney is a great and versatile writer.
April 4, 2020
Wow! Was this a fun read. Great story, great characters with a little bit of humor.
February 9, 2016
OMG - This latest book in the Gray Man series by Mark Greany was phenomenal! Normally, I listen to them on Audio but in spite of 528 pages I read and finished it in two days - so good I couldn’t put it down.
Court Gentry was the CIA’s but agent until the day the on-going villain in this series put out a ‘termination’ kill on sight order. Since then Court has been on the run for the last five years all over the world. Court was now the ultimate assassin but would only take on the cases he saw as righteous assassinations, of the really bad guys who needed to be brought down. Court was excellent at his job until he now had the entire world trying to take him out from corrupt governments, to drug cartels and of course the CIA
BACK BLAST is the culmination of Court finally making his way back to the US and Washington to try to get the answers as to who, and why the termination order for him had been issued. In his mind he knew he’d done everything to perfection - Court never made mistakes but coming back to the US and confronting his nemesis might be the biggest mistake yet!
WOW, wow, and wow! I knew when I picked this up it would be raw, emotional, and action-packed, but my God what a ride! First of all Court came into the states, exhausted and recovering from a battle from the last book. Not in his prime but ready to finally get the answers to why he had been marked as a traitor. In spite of the plethora of key players which sometimes confuses me if there are too many changes of people, Mr. Greany’s writing is so superb that I never lost a moment of confusion as to who was who and what relationship they were as to friend or foe to Court. Except of course that as far as Court knew - he had no friends nor allies. Just as all of the books in this fantastic series, BACK BLAST never lets up and the action and scrapes Mr. Greany puts the Gray Man thru are fraught with excitement, and expertise in combat even on the streets of DC.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again this series of the Gray Man should be on the big screen so all could enjoy it. Move over James Bond - Court Gentry is the new kind of hero!
Marilyn Rondeau
Court Gentry was the CIA’s but agent until the day the on-going villain in this series put out a ‘termination’ kill on sight order. Since then Court has been on the run for the last five years all over the world. Court was now the ultimate assassin but would only take on the cases he saw as righteous assassinations, of the really bad guys who needed to be brought down. Court was excellent at his job until he now had the entire world trying to take him out from corrupt governments, to drug cartels and of course the CIA
BACK BLAST is the culmination of Court finally making his way back to the US and Washington to try to get the answers as to who, and why the termination order for him had been issued. In his mind he knew he’d done everything to perfection - Court never made mistakes but coming back to the US and confronting his nemesis might be the biggest mistake yet!
WOW, wow, and wow! I knew when I picked this up it would be raw, emotional, and action-packed, but my God what a ride! First of all Court came into the states, exhausted and recovering from a battle from the last book. Not in his prime but ready to finally get the answers to why he had been marked as a traitor. In spite of the plethora of key players which sometimes confuses me if there are too many changes of people, Mr. Greany’s writing is so superb that I never lost a moment of confusion as to who was who and what relationship they were as to friend or foe to Court. Except of course that as far as Court knew - he had no friends nor allies. Just as all of the books in this fantastic series, BACK BLAST never lets up and the action and scrapes Mr. Greany puts the Gray Man thru are fraught with excitement, and expertise in combat even on the streets of DC.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again this series of the Gray Man should be on the big screen so all could enjoy it. Move over James Bond - Court Gentry is the new kind of hero!
Marilyn Rondeau
March 11, 2016
This is book five in the Gray Man series. I have enjoyed this series; the action is non-stop and the suspense has me sitting on the edge of my chair. Court Gentry (the grey man) was once the CIA’s best killer spy. There were twenty-five people in the dirty work unit; one by one they were killed now only Gentry is left. For five years he has been hiding, now he decides to come to Washington D.C. to find out why he is on the death list.
The top CIA bosses are running for their lives. They set trap after trap for Gentry but he escapes them. Apparently everything goes back to his last assignment code name Back Blast. Will he find out why he is on the death list or do they catch him? You will have to read the book to find out.
The book is well written and thoroughly researched. The author traveled to some 15 counties while writing this series to gain authenticity for the book. The book is long 528 pages or about 19 hours, therefore, there is time for a longer story line with more details than in prior books. The characters are interesting and the plot twists and turns with lots of action and suspense. As I was reading the book, I began to wonder if this is the end of the series or will there be a book six. I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. Jay Snyder does an excellent job narrating this series.
The top CIA bosses are running for their lives. They set trap after trap for Gentry but he escapes them. Apparently everything goes back to his last assignment code name Back Blast. Will he find out why he is on the death list or do they catch him? You will have to read the book to find out.
The book is well written and thoroughly researched. The author traveled to some 15 counties while writing this series to gain authenticity for the book. The book is long 528 pages or about 19 hours, therefore, there is time for a longer story line with more details than in prior books. The characters are interesting and the plot twists and turns with lots of action and suspense. As I was reading the book, I began to wonder if this is the end of the series or will there be a book six. I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. Jay Snyder does an excellent job narrating this series.
September 11, 2021
One of the complaints I've seen several times about this book is that what Court Gentry is able to do is unbelievable. Having never worked as a spy, or been on a kill on sight directive from the C.I.A, I can't be sure, but I am willing to give Court the benefit of the doubt, a.k.a. suspend disbelief. Lots of questions were answered. Over 500 pages, but at no time did it feel like a slog. I'm already on to his next book.
April 1, 2021
Best book in the series so far!
August 16, 2016
I was so excited to finally have this book in my hands. Mark Greaney’s Court Gentry series is right up there in my favourites and unfortunately it had been a long wait since the previous book in the series, Dead Eye, was published. All I can say having read Back Blast is that it was definitely worth the wait because it was so good.
Back Blast is the fifth novel in Mark Greaney’s spy thriller series starring ex-CIA operative Court Gentry. After five years hiding across the globe as the hired assassin known as the Gray Man, Gentry returns home to the United States determined to find out why the CIA has put a kill on sight order on his head. Gentry finds out that it may have something to do with a mistake he made on a mission six years earlier, but there’s only one problem: as far as Gentry remembers he didn’t make a mistake on that mission.
My favourite thing about all the books in the Gray Man series, and that is especially true of Back Blast, is Greaney’s writing style. Greaney is able to seamlessly combine bouts of thrilling action and vivid descriptions of places and people without out making it too wordy and a chore to read. Normally, I really only enjoy books that feel like a realistic representation of the world and Back Blast really pushes those boundaries with high level conspiracies and gun battles all over Washington D.C., but Greaney’s writing style makes it easy for me to clearly picture what is happening in my head like a movie is playing in there. Also, it helps that he is a master at writing gripping action scenes.
I really enjoyed the increased focus on supporting characters in this book. For the first four books in the series, Gentry was very much a lone wolf type character and the books had that Jack Reacher feel where Greaney would create interesting side characters only for them to never appear again. However in Back Blast it feels as if Gentry finally has some strong supporting characters and that really changes the dynamics of the book. I am looking forward to seeing where that goes in the future and whether we will see characters such as Hanley and Hightower appear more frequently in coming books.
All in all, I loved Back Blast. It is a well-written book that is easy to read and has the blend of action and an interesting plot that I always look for in a book. For fans of Gentry like myself, it is also great because Back Blast finally provides closure on a question that has been teased through all the previous books as to why Gentry was on the run in the first place. This book has got me genuinely excited to see what Greaney does with Gentry next and hopefully we don’t have to wait another two and a bit years to find out!
Is it worth a read? If you’re a fan of authors like Flynn, Thor, Coes, Taylor or any others that write with a similar style then Mark Greaney is perfect for you. Back Blast is a fast-paced, action-packed spy thriller with a strong lead character, an interesting plot and a little bit of mystery, definitely making it worth a read for thriller fans.
This review was originally published at Worth a Read.
Back Blast is the fifth novel in Mark Greaney’s spy thriller series starring ex-CIA operative Court Gentry. After five years hiding across the globe as the hired assassin known as the Gray Man, Gentry returns home to the United States determined to find out why the CIA has put a kill on sight order on his head. Gentry finds out that it may have something to do with a mistake he made on a mission six years earlier, but there’s only one problem: as far as Gentry remembers he didn’t make a mistake on that mission.
My favourite thing about all the books in the Gray Man series, and that is especially true of Back Blast, is Greaney’s writing style. Greaney is able to seamlessly combine bouts of thrilling action and vivid descriptions of places and people without out making it too wordy and a chore to read. Normally, I really only enjoy books that feel like a realistic representation of the world and Back Blast really pushes those boundaries with high level conspiracies and gun battles all over Washington D.C., but Greaney’s writing style makes it easy for me to clearly picture what is happening in my head like a movie is playing in there. Also, it helps that he is a master at writing gripping action scenes.
I really enjoyed the increased focus on supporting characters in this book. For the first four books in the series, Gentry was very much a lone wolf type character and the books had that Jack Reacher feel where Greaney would create interesting side characters only for them to never appear again. However in Back Blast it feels as if Gentry finally has some strong supporting characters and that really changes the dynamics of the book. I am looking forward to seeing where that goes in the future and whether we will see characters such as Hanley and Hightower appear more frequently in coming books.
All in all, I loved Back Blast. It is a well-written book that is easy to read and has the blend of action and an interesting plot that I always look for in a book. For fans of Gentry like myself, it is also great because Back Blast finally provides closure on a question that has been teased through all the previous books as to why Gentry was on the run in the first place. This book has got me genuinely excited to see what Greaney does with Gentry next and hopefully we don’t have to wait another two and a bit years to find out!
Is it worth a read? If you’re a fan of authors like Flynn, Thor, Coes, Taylor or any others that write with a similar style then Mark Greaney is perfect for you. Back Blast is a fast-paced, action-packed spy thriller with a strong lead character, an interesting plot and a little bit of mystery, definitely making it worth a read for thriller fans.
This review was originally published at Worth a Read.
April 15, 2016
Court Gentry was the CIA's best agent - until the day the Agency turned against him and put out a kill-on-sight order. That's when the enigmatic international assassin called the Gray Man was born, and Court has been working for himself ever since.
Thank you to Net galley, the author and the publishers for a ARC copy for a honest review.
Court is determined to find out what happened all those years ago to make the Agency turn against him. On his list to interrogate are his former partners and the men who sent him on his last mission. What he doesn't realize is that the questions that arose from that mission are still reverberating in the US intelligence community, and he's stumbled onto a secret that powerful people want kept under wraps. And now they have him in their crosshairs.
Court is used to having people on his trail, but this time, it's on US soil - the last place he wants to be. He'll have to find the answers to his fate while evading capture . . . and avoiding death.
Mark Greaney, thank you for introducing another great character with Court Gentry, The Gray Man, my second book in a row after reading the great five star book Dead Eye.
Lucky for me Net Galley and the publishers had approved me for this book and another five star book, and the fifth in the series.
Court Gentry has become another one of my favourite characters from a collection of great authors, with Victor from Tom Wood, Will Robie from David Baldacci, John Puller from David Baldacci, Mitch Rapp from Vince Flynn, Gabriel Allon from Daniel Silva, Beatrice Rose from Mark Dawson, to name a few !
Book five in The Gray Man series will answer those nagging questions fans have had throughout the series about why Courtland Gentry has been on the SOS (shoot on sight) list for the CIA for the last five years, yes I have picked so much from the last two books, another reason Mark Greaney is so good.
This book gives you so much more, layers of information and history of Court Gentry and his life, loads of great characters good and bad, lots of twists and turns, lots of full out action , fast paced, full of tension and suspense, and full of the latest technology, weaponry.
After two books in a row, lack of sleep, I feel exhausted myself.
Thanks for such a great character, and powerful action books.
An easy five stars.
Thank you to Net galley, the author and the publishers for a ARC copy for a honest review.
Court is determined to find out what happened all those years ago to make the Agency turn against him. On his list to interrogate are his former partners and the men who sent him on his last mission. What he doesn't realize is that the questions that arose from that mission are still reverberating in the US intelligence community, and he's stumbled onto a secret that powerful people want kept under wraps. And now they have him in their crosshairs.
Court is used to having people on his trail, but this time, it's on US soil - the last place he wants to be. He'll have to find the answers to his fate while evading capture . . . and avoiding death.
Mark Greaney, thank you for introducing another great character with Court Gentry, The Gray Man, my second book in a row after reading the great five star book Dead Eye.
Lucky for me Net Galley and the publishers had approved me for this book and another five star book, and the fifth in the series.
Court Gentry has become another one of my favourite characters from a collection of great authors, with Victor from Tom Wood, Will Robie from David Baldacci, John Puller from David Baldacci, Mitch Rapp from Vince Flynn, Gabriel Allon from Daniel Silva, Beatrice Rose from Mark Dawson, to name a few !
Book five in The Gray Man series will answer those nagging questions fans have had throughout the series about why Courtland Gentry has been on the SOS (shoot on sight) list for the CIA for the last five years, yes I have picked so much from the last two books, another reason Mark Greaney is so good.
This book gives you so much more, layers of information and history of Court Gentry and his life, loads of great characters good and bad, lots of twists and turns, lots of full out action , fast paced, full of tension and suspense, and full of the latest technology, weaponry.
After two books in a row, lack of sleep, I feel exhausted myself.
Thanks for such a great character, and powerful action books.
An easy five stars.
February 3, 2016
I have read and enjoyed this entire series and there is no question that Mark Greaney is a terrific thriller writer—however, this book is a major disappointment.
The premise is that Court Gentry, who has been on the run from the CIA for years, has finally returned to U.S. soil to try and clear his name. This has been building of course for the entire series, and I was looking forward to reading Back Blast to get all the answers about why Gentry had been targeted by the CIA.
Three things bothered me about this book:
It’s length—at 500-plus pages there is way too much nonsensical filler that completely derailed the pace and flow. If the story had been 100 pages shorter then the writing would have been much stronger and enjoyable.
The action bordered on absurdity. In fairness it’s what you expect from a series where the main character is on the run from CIA assassins in every book—but the way he evades his pursuers has become more and more ridiculous. In the past it’s been smart and the violence was in clever, tech-savvy ways. In Back Blast it did nothing but frustrate me.
The last and biggest problem I have with the book is the actual answer as to why Gentry has been on the run all these years. I won’t reveal any spoilers, but suffice it to say the motivations and actions of the people pursuing Gentry and the final resolution were major letdowns after all the time invested in reading this series.
I feel like most longtime fans of the series will want to read it anyway—and I’ll definitely read the next installment because I am a big fan of Mark Greaney—but I don’t think I would recommend Back Blast to anyone. Instead I would suggest the earlier books in the series. They’re much, much better.
---
I received a free digital edition from Penguin Random House First to Read in exchange for a honest/unbiased review.
The premise is that Court Gentry, who has been on the run from the CIA for years, has finally returned to U.S. soil to try and clear his name. This has been building of course for the entire series, and I was looking forward to reading Back Blast to get all the answers about why Gentry had been targeted by the CIA.
Three things bothered me about this book:
It’s length—at 500-plus pages there is way too much nonsensical filler that completely derailed the pace and flow. If the story had been 100 pages shorter then the writing would have been much stronger and enjoyable.
The action bordered on absurdity. In fairness it’s what you expect from a series where the main character is on the run from CIA assassins in every book—but the way he evades his pursuers has become more and more ridiculous. In the past it’s been smart and the violence was in clever, tech-savvy ways. In Back Blast it did nothing but frustrate me.
The last and biggest problem I have with the book is the actual answer as to why Gentry has been on the run all these years. I won’t reveal any spoilers, but suffice it to say the motivations and actions of the people pursuing Gentry and the final resolution were major letdowns after all the time invested in reading this series.
I feel like most longtime fans of the series will want to read it anyway—and I’ll definitely read the next installment because I am a big fan of Mark Greaney—but I don’t think I would recommend Back Blast to anyone. Instead I would suggest the earlier books in the series. They’re much, much better.
---
I received a free digital edition from Penguin Random House First to Read in exchange for a honest/unbiased review.
January 4, 2017
4.5 stars! i had listened to the first two gray man books a year or two ago, and thought they were just okay. but back blast was pleasantly surprising. i guessed only half of the ending revelations, but my main complaint was that it was a little too long. the audio book was over 18 hours long! that is really lengthy for these types of books. overall though, a really enjoyable listen.
September 7, 2020
The Gray Man takes his fight to the states in the 5th installment of the series and it's the best in the series so far. Violator comes to the US to get answers and revenge for the kill order put on him. Great action and closes the door on the first part of the series, but opening a door to new opportunities for Six.
August 5, 2023
Do you love an in depth story with twists and turns, with plenty of dialogue and action? Then this series is for you.
Back Blast is pretty much tied with book 4 Dead Eye, maybe slightly better.
The Gray Man comes home to find out why he is being targeted by the CIA. This will be hard to do in the Nation's Capitol with many security cameras, etc to avoid. But the Gray Man knows how to outplay the system.
We finally learn why Court is targeted and it was due to Operation Back Blast, which happened 5-6 years prior to this.
Greaney has really grown the characters, and done a great job of weaving a solid story. There are a few grammatical/geographical errors, but with a 700+ page book, you can overlook it.
I really love this one as its back in the U.S. and parts of it take place in North Carolina, but most of the setting is in/around DC.
Given the thrillers I've read from Brad Thor and others, some of the stuff that happened in this book, were easy to predict, but did not detract from the overall book.
Back Blast is pretty much tied with book 4 Dead Eye, maybe slightly better.
The Gray Man comes home to find out why he is being targeted by the CIA. This will be hard to do in the Nation's Capitol with many security cameras, etc to avoid. But the Gray Man knows how to outplay the system.
We finally learn why Court is targeted and it was due to Operation Back Blast, which happened 5-6 years prior to this.
Greaney has really grown the characters, and done a great job of weaving a solid story. There are a few grammatical/geographical errors, but with a 700+ page book, you can overlook it.
I really love this one as its back in the U.S. and parts of it take place in North Carolina, but most of the setting is in/around DC.
Given the thrillers I've read from Brad Thor and others, some of the stuff that happened in this book, were easy to predict, but did not detract from the overall book.
March 6, 2016
What a fantastic addition to the Gray Man series!! I don't know how I can review this without giving away spoilers, so I'll give a quick few words here, and then spoilers abound... if you have kept up with Court Gentry's previous escapades, you will love this just as much... excellent story, rapid paced action and suspense, great characters with fun dialogue... a total winner...
Now, here there be spoilers!! This is your first warning...
SPOILERS ABOUND!!!
STOP READING NOW IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW!!!
I'M SERIOUS!!!
YOU'LL BE SORRY IF YOU WANT TO STAY UNSPOILED!!!
LAST WARNING!!!
OKAY, I LIED, THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING!!!
Thank the Lord that we finally know what the hell is going on for poor old Court Gentry! For so long, we have had to watch this poor guy being chased from one end of the world to the other, trying to do his best, and being hunted down constantly - all for some reason that he knows nothing about. All he tried to do was serve his country and keep it safe, and he's treated like a lowlife terrorist for that. If you haven't worked it out yet, I LOVE Court and it was upsetting me no end to see him never getting a break... but finally he does!
Denny Carmichael is a asp-hole and deserves everything he gets. Loved the ending because I know that Court is safe now but there's also scope for more books... a win-win in my book! Oh, and I love Zack Hightower and hope that he is in future books!!
If I had any complaints, it would be that Mr Greaney's publishers decided, in their obviously infinite wisdom, that Australians don't get access to the ebooks! And to get the hardback would require my either paying twice the amount of the book to have it sent quick, or wait about three weeks for normal delivery... so I went with Audible (thank you, Audible), which takes me longer to get through but was well worth it.
Now, here there be spoilers!! This is your first warning...
SPOILERS ABOUND!!!
STOP READING NOW IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW!!!
I'M SERIOUS!!!
YOU'LL BE SORRY IF YOU WANT TO STAY UNSPOILED!!!
LAST WARNING!!!
OKAY, I LIED, THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING!!!
Thank the Lord that we finally know what the hell is going on for poor old Court Gentry! For so long, we have had to watch this poor guy being chased from one end of the world to the other, trying to do his best, and being hunted down constantly - all for some reason that he knows nothing about. All he tried to do was serve his country and keep it safe, and he's treated like a lowlife terrorist for that. If you haven't worked it out yet, I LOVE Court and it was upsetting me no end to see him never getting a break... but finally he does!
Denny Carmichael is a asp-hole and deserves everything he gets. Loved the ending because I know that Court is safe now but there's also scope for more books... a win-win in my book! Oh, and I love Zack Hightower and hope that he is in future books!!
If I had any complaints, it would be that Mr Greaney's publishers decided, in their obviously infinite wisdom, that Australians don't get access to the ebooks! And to get the hardback would require my either paying twice the amount of the book to have it sent quick, or wait about three weeks for normal delivery... so I went with Audible (thank you, Audible), which takes me longer to get through but was well worth it.
July 30, 2022
Court Gentry is determined to find out why he was burned five years ago and why he’s become the target of nearly every hired assassin in the world. As far as he knows, he never did anything wrong in his career as a clandestine agent of the CIA, certainly nothing worth a kill order. His investigation takes him back to the US for the first time since the kill order was placed, back to Washington DC, and back to the CIA itself. And an operation known as "Back Blast" seems to be at the heart of it all.
This is an important novel in the Gray Man series as it wraps up the first “era” of the larger story arc. I’m still enjoying these adrenaline-charged novels even though I had pretty much burned out on similar novels quite some time ago. There is tons of action in these books but it is more…intelligent, somehow, than what I usually find. The plot here is rather complex with a number of different POV characters and as Gentry closes in on solving his mystery we are provided with plenty of misdirection and false leads, just like Gentry himself.
Looking forward to the next book in the series. All indications are that things will change to some extent based on his new circumstances. However, we readers are privy to some info that Gentry is not, and that leads me to believe all will not be well for him.
This is an important novel in the Gray Man series as it wraps up the first “era” of the larger story arc. I’m still enjoying these adrenaline-charged novels even though I had pretty much burned out on similar novels quite some time ago. There is tons of action in these books but it is more…intelligent, somehow, than what I usually find. The plot here is rather complex with a number of different POV characters and as Gentry closes in on solving his mystery we are provided with plenty of misdirection and false leads, just like Gentry himself.
Looking forward to the next book in the series. All indications are that things will change to some extent based on his new circumstances. However, we readers are privy to some info that Gentry is not, and that leads me to believe all will not be well for him.
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