Burner (Gray Man)

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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. However, the Russians aren’t the only people interested in the data, as the CIA wants to claim it for themselves. Determined to keep their interest in it quiet, the CIA reach out to Court Gentry, the Gray Man, to capture Velesky before the Russians do. However, Court is unaware of the full significance of the data he is reclaiming, and that he will have to compete against the love of his life, Zoya. Soon caught between the competing interests of the CIA and Russian intelligence, Court and Zoya decide to work together to keep Velesky alive. But with the dangerous data revealing dark dealings in the highest levels of government, can even these two legendary spies survive? This is the first book I’ve read by this author & although it is #12 in The Gray Man series, I had no trouble reading this as a standalone. Burner follows Court Gentry, who is hiding from the CIA & causing some trouble abroad, as he receives a phone call from none other than the CIA requesting the seemingly simple task of retrieving a burner phone. This burner phone turns out to be more valuable than imagined & multiple adversaries are fighting for control of if, including an ex lover of the infamous Gray Man. A suspenseful & gripping escapade follows on a worldwide ride. While Court is playing real-life battleship, over in Zurich, a man named Alex Velesky steals records from the Swiss Bank he works for and meets with Russian financial advisor Igor Krupkin. Hellbent on dealing a blow to Russia after losing his son in the war against Ukraine, Krupkin wants Velesky to deliver damaging info detailing major Russian conspiracies to two separate sources. The banker agrees, not knowing just how many people are desperate to get their hands on that info—or how far the Kremlin is willing to go to make sure that never happens. Immediately targeted by Russians determined to kill him and reclaim the data before it can leak out, Velesky finds himself hunted throughout Switzerland. His only chance of survival seems to lie in rogue intelligence officer Zoya Zakharova, a woman hunted by her former employers in both Russia and the CIA, who is determined to get him and his information to New York, where it can be deciphered and released. But Velesky and Zoya soon find themselves being stalked by an elite unit of Russian military operators who have no qualms about killing anyone in their way.

In 2020, Greaney and Rawlings both announced via social media and web interviews that they had been contracted by Penguin Publishers to write the next in the Red Metal series. The release date was unspecified but was said to be sometime in 2021. Greaney's audiobook thriller Armored was released on 9 December 2021, and was adapted by Sony Pictures and producer Michael Bay. [15] [16] [17] Personal life [ edit ]

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Greaney continues to reside in Memphis, Tennessee with his wife Allison. [18] Bibliography [ edit ] The Gray Man series [ edit ] This book was one hell of a ride with non stop action and at the end of the book I was at the edge of my seat. Wow, Greaney really can’t miss when it comes to the Gray Man books. Burner was another exceptional novel that had me hooked from the very beginning all the way to the final, devastating encounter. The blend of exceptionally written action scenes, spy thriller elements, complex characters and the utilisation of contemporary issues makes Burner really stand out, even alongside the other epic Gray Man books. This was another easy five-star rating from me as Greaney once again shows why he is currently leading the spy thriller genre.

One of the most distinctive things about Burner was the excellent and memorable use of contemporary events to enhance the already enjoyable spy thriller narrative. Greaney has never shied away from referring to current conflicts, politics and events, and in Burner he goes for the most infamous current conflict in a big way by strongly featuring the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Greaney pulls no punches when describing the conflict and he artfully and powerfully paints the entire invasion as the act of barbarism and greed that it is. While no political leaders are names, multiple Ukrainian and Russian characters are featured throughout the plot and through them Greaney examines multiple sides of the conflict, ensuring that readers are fully aware of what is happening, who is responsible, and just how bad things are. The Russian government are shown to be extremely corrupt, starting the war and then poorly preparing their own troops, all in the name of obtaining more money for the Russian elites to exploit. This focus on corrupt money is a major part of the plot as the characters spend the entire book trying to identify funds being syphoned out of Russia to the West, either to escape sanctions or to be used for bribes or operation money by Russian intelligence. The discussion about bribes to influential westerners is pretty interesting, especially as it seems to be a dig at certain politicians and news reporters, and it ended up being a very fascinating plot focus. While it might seem a little insensitive to use a current conflict in a thriller novel, I personally felt that this was a master touch by Greaney. Having the book focused on something that is such a big part of current world events ensured that I was even more invested in the story while rooting for the protagonists to succeed. I really must compliment Greaney for using his book to shine a light on this conflict, and I feel that his warnings about how the war could end are very important. His books have been well-received by readers and critics alike and he is considered one of the leading voices in the spy fiction genre. The film adaptation of The Gray Man was directed by Joe and Anthony Russo for Netflix, with Ryan Gosling as Gentry and Chris Evans as nemesis Lloyd. [8] Working with Tom Clancy [ edit ] 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.Second in the military crime series featuring Special Agents Scott Brodie and Magnolia "Maggie" Taylor, after The Deserter (2019). But he soon finds that he’s tapped into the mother lode of corruption. Before he knows it, he’s being hunted by everyone from the Russian mafia to the CIA. It’s set in 1974 and is a fact based stand-alone spy thriller about an accountant (who then worked in Coopers & Lybrand) who unwittingly started working for MI6 by infiltrating an international organised crime gang. Just like the Gray Man he is chased around the world by the bad guys.

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 . Gillette, Felix (17 July 2014). "Support and Defend: Tom Clancy's Legacy Lives On". Bloomberg News . Retrieved 24 May 2023.Coming in innocent to the series, I first met Court in the Caribbean, where he was engaged in blowing up ships hidden in the islands by Russian oligarchs. In a timely bit of parallel history, Russia and Ukraine are central to “Burner,” as a Ukrainian-born banker who has inside information about Russian money being funneled to the West is determined to expose the scheme, no matter the personal peril. Burner by Mark Greaney feels like an impressive ode to spy craft in the midst of an absolutely captivating & thrilling tale. On the run and attempting to stay out of the crosshairs of the American CIA, The Gray Man is busy sinking mega million dollar yachts owned by Russian Oligarchs. Minding his own business in the Caribbean, Court is interrupted by a young and dashing CIA officer with a lead from Suzanne Brewer. What ensues is a job offer to one of the disowned assets that she’s spent years trying to hunt down while potential damning Russian money funneling schemes are about to be broadcasted to the world. Trigger Warnings: This book mentions &/or contains murder, violence, gore, drugs, alcohol & addiction.

Greaney is masterly at writing action, with scenes like a car chase on a winding, hilly road in Saint Lucia coming alive in cinematic fashion. An epic gun battle on a train is so prolonged, it’s actually exhausting, involving as it does submachine guns, broken glass and mayonnaise. I do like the John Gilstrap 'Jonathan Graves' series and find it great fun. Gilstrap is clearly having fun and preposterous is expected and delivered. The 'Gray Man' series has slid into a similar series, but not as well done as Gilstrap's. Part of that is the ability of reading Gilstrap's bit of tongue in cheek efforts. Also, Gilstrap's situations fit better than the ones written in this. The finale in 'Burner' is clunky due to taking itself too seriously. 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. But the only man who can put the information together and share it with the world is 4000 miles away in New York City. There’s no way a Swiss banker like Velesky can hope to stay ahead of the killers on his trail for that long.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. a b Gill, Leonard (4 October 2009). "Mark Greaney: Good Aim". Memphis Flyer. Contemporary Media, Inc. Archived from the original on 8 October 2009 . Retrieved 19 July 2023. 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. Outstanding….Fans will close the book happily fulfilled and eagerly awaiting his next adventure.”— Publishers Weekly (starred review)