Born in Memphis, Tennessee, he is the son of Ed Greaney, a presence at WMC-TV Memphis for over 50 years [2] and the namesake for the station's current newsroom. Greaney has degrees in political science and international relations, which would later play a major part in his writing career. [3] Career [ edit ] The Gray Man [ edit ] 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. I'll not forget reading 'The Gray Man' so long ago. The book was rooted in atmospheric writing wonder. So very different from the Vince Flynn novels I had been reading. Then the Gray Man series continued. Today, 'Burner' is the newest out and I am disappointed. The newest entry reads more as a Matthew Reilly chase book and far, far away from the initial Gray Man novel. 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.

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. 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. a b c d Rubinstein, Mark (9 December 2014). "Tom Clancy, 'Full Force and Effect': A Talk With Mark Greaney". HuffPost . Retrieved 15 January 2017. 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.

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.

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.Court 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. Burch, Peggy (18 December 2014). "Memphis-based writer Mark Greaney keeps thrills alive in Tom Clancy universe". The Commercial Appeal. Archived from the original on 16 January 2017 . Retrieved 15 January 2017. 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. Velesky is on the run after stealing data from his employer that could expose a great deal of powerful people, both in the East and the West, and the dirty money that has been flowing across the globe. They will do anything to keep the information from coming out. That includes killing anyone and everyone tangentially related to those who have possession of the device. Caught between a GRU hit squad and CIA assassins, the unlikely trio must stay ahead of their pursuers if they hope to finish the mission, assuming they don’t end up killing each other before then. 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.

Ben Coes, New York Times bestselling author of international espionage thrillers featuring Dewey Andreas Second in the military crime series featuring Special Agents Scott Brodie and Magnolia "Maggie" Taylor, after The Deserter (2019). 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.Mark Greaney reigns as one of the recognized masters of action and adventure.”—Steve Berry, New York Times and #1 international bestselling author 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.