Back Blast: A Gray Man Novel

In some of my other reviews, I generally reveal a bit about the books I'm reading. For the benefit of the reader, I'm going to be quite a bit more vague with "Back Blast". For Gray Man fans, fans of the genre, or for those that are perhaps discovering the series for the first time - this book deserves to be explored on its own, untainted by even a hint of plot spoilers. In creating "The Gray Man" series, Mark Greaney gave readers of the espionage and political/military thriller genre something special. The magic ingredients, so to speak, in the Gray Man series aren't a hero name that you'd never hear outside of a fiction novel, or super-secret organizations run by either maniacal billionaires or heads of state bent on world domination. Or, even worse, the latest "Middle East terrorist have evil plot to destroy the world, kill the President, etc." The genre is completely polluted with this kind of "fiction", for all the wrong reasons. What makes the Gray Man special is that, to most people, he's just some guy with a somewhat complicated past, looking for answers. And, yet again, unlike most characters in the genre, he's not running from the Illuminati only to come back with some brilliant scheme at the end of the book and save the world. While he's certainly fighting to survive, Court Gentry is constantly running *toward* his enemies, sometimes with a plan, sometimes completely winging it. And the Gray Man doesn't always win. What he does do, however, is live to fight another day. And every day gets him closer to the truth. Until the arrival of "Back Blast", the reader is generally kept in a state of suspense about who burned Court Gentry and why. This is trademark Greaney - he made us wait for 5.5 years and four books just to find out what happened in Kiev. And the payoff, so to speak, was totally worth it. In "Back Blast", all old scores are finally settled as Gentry finds out the truth about what happened to him. Was the wait worth 7 years and 5 novels? The answer is a resounding yes. And here's why: All of Greaney's "Gray Man" novels, until now, have had a savage intensity and a writing style that is lean, sparse and to the point. "Back Blast" is, in a sense, much more complex than his other books. There is much more of an emotional quotient to the writing, rather than the raw, in your face action we're used to seeing from the Gray Man (though, without exception, there is plenty of action in Back Blast as well), and there is a longer story line with a much greater level of detail. The reader is also exposed to dimensions of Court Gentry that they haven't encountered before. For those who have read the first four books, we know that Court is something of an anti-hero. And as tough and menacing as the Gray Man is, "Back Blast" reveals a very human and very vulnerable side to Court Gentry, something perhaps not seen since "Ballistic", and something that Greaney clearly paid attention to in this book. It's an investment that pays off. Inevitably, as Court finds the answers he's been looking for, the reader gets to explore Court Gentry for what he ultimately is: a flawed human being, like the rest of us, but ultimately a good person who is ready to face his demons, just wants answers and will either get them or get killed in the process. The story unfolds at a pace all its own, and as the "a-ha" moment is finally revealed, the reader is left with a sense of satisfaction, and a clear promise of more to come. Some of the characters in "Back Blast" will be familiar. Some characters are new, and their development ranges from superficial to deep and complex. Greaney has a knack for not only bringing back the right characters at the right time, but giving characters that previously held small supporting roles, so to speak, a much bigger casting in subsequent novels: their chance to shine in the spotlight and formulate subplots all their own. Most authors shy away from this, for a very simple reason: if done poorly, it ruins the book. Other than Lee Child's "Jack Reacher", Greaney is perhaps the only author in the genre who can interchange characters at will and not rely on heavy recycling for continuity. The magic of the Gray Man series is that the books can be read out of order, and "Back Blast" is no exception. You can pick up the book without having read the previous novels, and it's still incredibly enjoyable. And as the characters and subplots twist and turn, the whole thing "just works". The pace and action don't feel pushed, or artificial. You find yourself yearning to turn another page and at the same time want to go back to read a piece that stood out to make sure you didn't miss anything. As opposed to the previous books, there are multiple actors with multiple agendas, some that fully develop during this novel, and end one way or another, and some that set a tantalizing stage for the inevitable Gray Man book number six. With Gray Man 1-4, Greaney introduced us to a character that is, in a sense, a wounded animal trying to survive through a series of heroic actions. In "Back Blast", the creature truly becomes cerebral, savvy, and tactical. The prey becomes the predator, and the hunters become the hunted. And in the end, perhaps the Gray Man finally gets the closure and vindication he's looking for. Or does he? You'll have to read the book to find out. As far as I'm concerned, this is the apex of Greaney's writing - a true 5 star novel that will be incredibly difficult to top.

This was a good continuation of the Gray Man story. Some closure in this one but also introduced some new characters that have me guessing what’s next. Fast paced read. Keep them coming.

Quite a mystery. Dragged out a little, and solved too cutely, but it was a good plot and enjoyable read.

Loyal fans of Mark Greaney's "Gray Man" (Court Gentry) series know that for the past five years he has been a deadly assassin throughout the world while being hunted by his previous handler's, the CIA and Clandestine Services. What readers never knew was what precipitated Gentry's fall from America's deadliest special ops agent to a man on the run while being hunted by kill teams from his own country. "Back Blast", the fifth in The Gray Man series, finally answers this question as Gentry covertly returns to the US to find out once and for all why the head our government clandestine services (Denny Carmichael) put a termination order on his head. The Gray Man is back home with plans to stop at nothing, including the loss of his own life, to find the truth and to exact revenge for what he has been through. But how can one man take on America's most powerful Black Ops decision maker who has the full force of assault teams, weapons, intelligence gatherers , etc. to hide behind? Gentry must employ every deception, every trick of his trade, and utilize his remarkable skills and instincts to get close enough to the powerful decision makers to execute his plan while being chased by local police, special ops teams, and even a Saudi hit force. But as "Back Blast" unfolds, Gentry discovers he has "friends" he didn't know about who reluctantly are drawn into the battle on his side. "Back Blast" is a fun but convoluted read filled with character studies, plot twists, red herrings, and almost constant action. There are several high suspense chase scenes that will have the reader in "white knuckle" mode for chapters at a time. "Back Blast" is a suspense thriller of over 500 pages that will keep readers captivated for days. Even as Gentry discovers the truth and revenge is exacted, his worldwide roaming status may not change--you'll just have to read to find out why. A high energy novel and series that should not be missed.

Lots of believability action. Stretches capabilities of clandestine operations but believable. Actors remained consistent with operation any goals. Great read

I couldn’t stop reading. Exciting and engaging from beginning to end. I can’t wait to start the next book. Need more be said?

This book was a real page-turner for me, and I enjoyed reading it. Classic Gray Man fade, with plenty of action. In this book, Court returns to the US - missing home, friends, connection - but also determined to find the reason for the shoot-on-sight sanction he had faced the previous five years. At least for me, however, the reason for Court’s “sin” was a bit obvious, and it seemed strange that Court did not think of it himself. Even with having guessed the “answer”, there were still big twists and a hilarious final escape. I’ll not say more, to avoid a total spoiler.

In fiction anything is possible so long as it isn't absurd. This example of an author's creative imagination is a phenomenal thrill-packed ride from beginning to end. The story of how the Gray Man finally goes back home to silence both his demons and the evil men who have been hunting him for five years is full of riveting suspense, blazing action and cunningly contrived twists. The final showdown in a supposedly impregnable stronghold is epic. It reveals how the Gray Man cleans-up his enemies in spectacular fashion so he can start afresh with a clean slate on the side of the good guys..

Greaney has a genius for setting complex and authentic scenarios, drawing the reader into the story, and then creating evil characters you just want to kick in the nuts - over and over. The Grey Man deals with treachery and aggression through cunning and greater aggression while maintaining his own ethical standards regardless of the twisted machinations of his adversaries. My only advice for the author is to write faster. I’ve nearly read the entire series.

I really enjoyed this book, but I’m a big fan of all the grey man books. They are an easy read with a predictable ending, which is what I like in an action book. I loved it and bought the next book in the series as soon as I finished this one.

War sehr spannend

Le rythme est bon, le coté technique est parfait, on a juste parfois l'impression qu'il en fait un peu trop...ce besoin continuel de blesser le héros par balle ou par couteau...OK ça renforce le coté héroïque, mais...on a compris ! A part cela, bon thriller, passionnant, et on sait enfin pourquoi la CIA veut sa peau ! La fin est épique, comme chaque fois !