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The Assassin, the Grey Man and the Surgeon #1
The Assassin, The Grey Man and The Surgeon
It was all going so well for Peter Lee’s drug empire. He had a hold on the producers in Afghanistan and Pakistan. His receiver network was increasing and the distribution was now being handled by four of the biggest gangs in London. With business so good, he was starting to expand. He was becoming very, very rich.
The only small annoyance had come from a little old lady who owned of all things a small corner shop. She had refused to accept any of his little parcels and wanted to go to the police, so she’d been given two bullets, the ‘double tap’, both to shut her up and to send a message to everyone else in the network.
Unknown to Lee she was married to a specialist, a man who, in a former life killed men for a living. He had two friends, one a gatherer of information, the master in his field, one a breaker of men, who was so vicious that it was rumoured that each time he hit a man he cut him. Each of these three men had spent thirty years and more playing the ‘great game’. Inside the security company called ‘The Firm’ they were legends known only as The Assassin, The Grey Man and The Surgeon.
Now living at the edge of the secret world and about to disappear into history, this atrocity had brought them back centre stage but the question is, do they still have what it takes to go up against today’s hard men?
The only small annoyance had come from a little old lady who owned of all things a small corner shop. She had refused to accept any of his little parcels and wanted to go to the police, so she’d been given two bullets, the ‘double tap’, both to shut her up and to send a message to everyone else in the network.
Unknown to Lee she was married to a specialist, a man who, in a former life killed men for a living. He had two friends, one a gatherer of information, the master in his field, one a breaker of men, who was so vicious that it was rumoured that each time he hit a man he cut him. Each of these three men had spent thirty years and more playing the ‘great game’. Inside the security company called ‘The Firm’ they were legends known only as The Assassin, The Grey Man and The Surgeon.
Now living at the edge of the secret world and about to disappear into history, this atrocity had brought them back centre stage but the question is, do they still have what it takes to go up against today’s hard men?
- GenresFiction
164 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 8, 2012
86 people are currently reading
133 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
October 17, 2018
I really enjoyed this quasi spy novel. The three main characters are fun to watch as they take revenge on a drug dealer who murdered "The Assassin's" wife. I was intrigued by a couple of pieces of technology invented by the Grey Man. The one for opening the car was pretty cool and somebody ought to manufacture it. I'll read more in the series when I'm looking for the lighter stuff.
Not to be confused with the Gray Man
Not to be confused with the Gray Man
September 5, 2015
The Assassin the Grey Man and the Surge is a well-engineered first effort from a British writer with a healthy respect for the classic spy novel. The short page-turner introduces us to three older friends who share a past association with a mysterious quasi-governmental organization known as "The Firm". The story begins when one of them suffers an insufferable loss at the hands of drug distributors and calls in an old pledge the three had made to one another. The narrative takes place mostly in London and the author works in some uniquely British terms that put this American reader's Kindle to work and made the story more intriguing. The action moves along at a brisk pace as the three retirees pull themselves together and test their mettle against their unscrupulous opponents.
This is an enjoyable read, perfect for the traveler or the vacationer and written without overly gratuitous violence. In fact, the scenery could actually be a little more fully described, the backgrounds more completely shaded in, and some of the plot lines and characters more fully developed. A first effort for certain, but a worthwhile one and hopefully a sequel is in the works.
It can't go unsaid that the editing is not good. Nevertheless, it's a good story, well told and very much worth the asking price to any reader interested in the genre.
This is an enjoyable read, perfect for the traveler or the vacationer and written without overly gratuitous violence. In fact, the scenery could actually be a little more fully described, the backgrounds more completely shaded in, and some of the plot lines and characters more fully developed. A first effort for certain, but a worthwhile one and hopefully a sequel is in the works.
It can't go unsaid that the editing is not good. Nevertheless, it's a good story, well told and very much worth the asking price to any reader interested in the genre.
February 21, 2013
A pretty good first novel from this British author. I was very pleasantly surprised.
While stories centered around revenge are quite common in the thriller genre, this one features three men that one might term ‘over the hill’. The Assassin, who's wife has been murdered, The Grey Man who provides the technical information and The Surgeon who is pure muscle. They are retired from a quasi government type firm specializing in covert operations and assassinations.
The author gives back stories for the players via musings by each of the protagonists. The method allows for back story and real time events to intermingle and not bore the reader or give too much background information at any one time.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys this type novel. Also, for those that are members of Amazon Prime, this is one of the ‘free to borrow’ offerings.
While stories centered around revenge are quite common in the thriller genre, this one features three men that one might term ‘over the hill’. The Assassin, who's wife has been murdered, The Grey Man who provides the technical information and The Surgeon who is pure muscle. They are retired from a quasi government type firm specializing in covert operations and assassinations.
The author gives back stories for the players via musings by each of the protagonists. The method allows for back story and real time events to intermingle and not bore the reader or give too much background information at any one time.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys this type novel. Also, for those that are members of Amazon Prime, this is one of the ‘free to borrow’ offerings.
November 19, 2013
The first portion of this review will be spoiler free, the second portion will have spoilers and I'll alert you before they come up. Let me start with the good before I move on to the bad...
The plot is actually pretty good. 3 guys, past their prime, each having a specialty, knocking off the rust for one more mission. The Assassin is a master of guns, having a super human level of accuracy with just about any gun. The Grey Man is essentially a spy, but one that blends in to any situation and essentially hides in plain sight. He's also a master at information gathering, hacking and general trinkets of espionage. The Surgeon (aka Surge) is a master of hand to hand combat.
So The Assassin's wife is murdered by an up and coming drug lord in London. The Assassin recruits The Grey Man and Surge (they have all known each other most of their careers) to help out with the revenge mission, as well as the Assassin's son Jon albeit in a smaller role.
I liked the way the author explained how The Grey Man and Surge came to be who they are. He also went into some interesting details about how the Grey Man uses and defeats various security measures for computers, listening devices, etc. I liked the sub-plot of Surge going from being a lean mean fighting machine to an overweight drunk and then getting his mojo back for one last mission.
Now let me move on to what wasn't so good...
First of all, the grammar and spelling are atrocious. My guess is that an editor never once even glanced over this thing, and if he did he should consider another line of work.
But that alone won't ruin a good story. What kept this book from realizing it's potential was that the characters themselves just aren't very fleshed out. The entire idea of the book is The Assassin avenging his wife's murder. Yet very few sentences are devoted to explaining his wife before her murder, or their relationship at all. How are we supposed to care about his wife if we never get to know her? And how are we supposed to believe that The Assassin cares about his wife if the author won't let us peek into their relationship or at least the emotions that The Assassin feels for her? Simply getting revenge on those responsible is not enough, we need to really feel why this issue matters and we never do. It just seems like it's kind of thrown in as an arbitrary reason for these 3 old timers to start kicking butts again. This was a missed opportunity that could have given the book an emotional punch that it lacks.
The same issue exists for The Assassin's son, Jon. We never get to know much about Jon except that he's attending college and agrees to help his dad out with the revenge mission. In fact, when it came time for Jon to make a decision about whether or not he would agree to be a part of this mission or to simply stay out of it, Jon essentially just says he'll help out because, "Screw it, why not?" Again, here's another missed chance for the author to bring in some emotion. Nothing was really said about Jon grieving his mother or wanting revenge for himself, the author just addresses the entire issue with a "What better things have I got to do?" Not good enough.
There are also some inconsistencies and other things that just aren't spelled out very well, which I will go over in more detail in the section that contains spoilers. At the very bottom of the review I'll write a summary of the book with no spoilers...
SPOILER ALERT... the below section contains spoilers...
There are some inconsistencies in the book that rob it of it's believability. Example #1... The Assassin sends his son Jon to a bar to meet with Surge for the first time so that Jon can explain to him that his dad needs Surge for another mission. Surge, who is an out of shape and overweight drunk in his 50's, gets into a bar fight with a much bigger, much younger guy and Surge knocks the guy out no problem. Now you would think Jon would be impressed by this, but later on in the chapter he questions his dad for even trying to recruit Surge saying "He looks like he could barely pop the top off his beer." Did Jon not clearly see what even an out of shape Surge is capable of? Yet here he is questioning Surge.... it's almost like the author wrote the bar fight in later and forgot that Jon had questioned Surge's abilities later in the chapter.
Later, after Surge has gotten rid of the beer belly and man boobs and his whipped himself back into fantastic shape, and is shown to be able to defeat just about anyone in a fist fight with his superhuman reflexes, strength and martial arts experience, there's a scene where Surge blindly charges a bad guy and the guy knocks him out with the butt of a pistol in one swing. Just like that, no problem, all of Surge's experience and hand-to-hand prowess is thrown out the window in one swing.
Surge also sparks a love interest with a woman, although he keeps her at arm's length for her own safety and doesn't really let her know what kind of a fighting genius he really is. The farthest this romance ever goes is them having a cup of coffee and sparring together in a dojo, that is until Surge defends her honor against a bully boxing champion in the dojo, knocking the guy out. Well now the secret's out and Surge tells her that some very bad men (the drug lord and his henchmen) are after him and that she won't be safe around him. Out of nowhere, they both agree that they'll get married once the mission is over. What? They went from having a cup of coffee and exchanging flirtatious glances while sparring to vowing to spend their lives together? This was a massive jump in their romance that made no sense.
SUMMARY: This was a potentially good novel with a few flashes of greatness, but the lack of emotion and the behavioral inconsistencies made it hard for me to immerse myself into the story the author created. It felt lazy and rushed. A good editor and thorough re-write of the inconsistencies, as well as fleshing out The Assassin's and Jon's back stories and injecting some emotion and conviction into their actions could see this rating bumped to a solid 4 stars, but I can't give it more than 2 as it stands.
The plot is actually pretty good. 3 guys, past their prime, each having a specialty, knocking off the rust for one more mission. The Assassin is a master of guns, having a super human level of accuracy with just about any gun. The Grey Man is essentially a spy, but one that blends in to any situation and essentially hides in plain sight. He's also a master at information gathering, hacking and general trinkets of espionage. The Surgeon (aka Surge) is a master of hand to hand combat.
So The Assassin's wife is murdered by an up and coming drug lord in London. The Assassin recruits The Grey Man and Surge (they have all known each other most of their careers) to help out with the revenge mission, as well as the Assassin's son Jon albeit in a smaller role.
I liked the way the author explained how The Grey Man and Surge came to be who they are. He also went into some interesting details about how the Grey Man uses and defeats various security measures for computers, listening devices, etc. I liked the sub-plot of Surge going from being a lean mean fighting machine to an overweight drunk and then getting his mojo back for one last mission.
Now let me move on to what wasn't so good...
First of all, the grammar and spelling are atrocious. My guess is that an editor never once even glanced over this thing, and if he did he should consider another line of work.
But that alone won't ruin a good story. What kept this book from realizing it's potential was that the characters themselves just aren't very fleshed out. The entire idea of the book is The Assassin avenging his wife's murder. Yet very few sentences are devoted to explaining his wife before her murder, or their relationship at all. How are we supposed to care about his wife if we never get to know her? And how are we supposed to believe that The Assassin cares about his wife if the author won't let us peek into their relationship or at least the emotions that The Assassin feels for her? Simply getting revenge on those responsible is not enough, we need to really feel why this issue matters and we never do. It just seems like it's kind of thrown in as an arbitrary reason for these 3 old timers to start kicking butts again. This was a missed opportunity that could have given the book an emotional punch that it lacks.
The same issue exists for The Assassin's son, Jon. We never get to know much about Jon except that he's attending college and agrees to help his dad out with the revenge mission. In fact, when it came time for Jon to make a decision about whether or not he would agree to be a part of this mission or to simply stay out of it, Jon essentially just says he'll help out because, "Screw it, why not?" Again, here's another missed chance for the author to bring in some emotion. Nothing was really said about Jon grieving his mother or wanting revenge for himself, the author just addresses the entire issue with a "What better things have I got to do?" Not good enough.
There are also some inconsistencies and other things that just aren't spelled out very well, which I will go over in more detail in the section that contains spoilers. At the very bottom of the review I'll write a summary of the book with no spoilers...
SPOILER ALERT... the below section contains spoilers...
There are some inconsistencies in the book that rob it of it's believability. Example #1... The Assassin sends his son Jon to a bar to meet with Surge for the first time so that Jon can explain to him that his dad needs Surge for another mission. Surge, who is an out of shape and overweight drunk in his 50's, gets into a bar fight with a much bigger, much younger guy and Surge knocks the guy out no problem. Now you would think Jon would be impressed by this, but later on in the chapter he questions his dad for even trying to recruit Surge saying "He looks like he could barely pop the top off his beer." Did Jon not clearly see what even an out of shape Surge is capable of? Yet here he is questioning Surge.... it's almost like the author wrote the bar fight in later and forgot that Jon had questioned Surge's abilities later in the chapter.
Later, after Surge has gotten rid of the beer belly and man boobs and his whipped himself back into fantastic shape, and is shown to be able to defeat just about anyone in a fist fight with his superhuman reflexes, strength and martial arts experience, there's a scene where Surge blindly charges a bad guy and the guy knocks him out with the butt of a pistol in one swing. Just like that, no problem, all of Surge's experience and hand-to-hand prowess is thrown out the window in one swing.
Surge also sparks a love interest with a woman, although he keeps her at arm's length for her own safety and doesn't really let her know what kind of a fighting genius he really is. The farthest this romance ever goes is them having a cup of coffee and sparring together in a dojo, that is until Surge defends her honor against a bully boxing champion in the dojo, knocking the guy out. Well now the secret's out and Surge tells her that some very bad men (the drug lord and his henchmen) are after him and that she won't be safe around him. Out of nowhere, they both agree that they'll get married once the mission is over. What? They went from having a cup of coffee and exchanging flirtatious glances while sparring to vowing to spend their lives together? This was a massive jump in their romance that made no sense.
SUMMARY: This was a potentially good novel with a few flashes of greatness, but the lack of emotion and the behavioral inconsistencies made it hard for me to immerse myself into the story the author created. It felt lazy and rushed. A good editor and thorough re-write of the inconsistencies, as well as fleshing out The Assassin's and Jon's back stories and injecting some emotion and conviction into their actions could see this rating bumped to a solid 4 stars, but I can't give it more than 2 as it stands.
November 7, 2017
Not Greany's "Gray Man", but you'll wish they knew each other
Please note that this book has no connection with the better-known Gray Man series. In fact, it takes three of this story's characters to equal the skills of ex-CIA assassin Courtland Gentry; but they work together with great efficiency to get the job done.
Set in current-day London, the story involves three retired British government operatives who reunite when the wife of one is killed by drug dealers operating a clever scheme. Aided by the college-student son of The Assassin, he combines with former mates The Grey Man and The Surgeon to exact revenge and end the heroin pipeline that is feeding England's addicts.
The book is not as well-written as Mark Greany's Gray Man series, and errors in spelling and punctuation abound. But give this story a try, and you may (as I did) come away as a fan of these three aging but still formidable men and their young assistant.
Please note that this book has no connection with the better-known Gray Man series. In fact, it takes three of this story's characters to equal the skills of ex-CIA assassin Courtland Gentry; but they work together with great efficiency to get the job done.
Set in current-day London, the story involves three retired British government operatives who reunite when the wife of one is killed by drug dealers operating a clever scheme. Aided by the college-student son of The Assassin, he combines with former mates The Grey Man and The Surgeon to exact revenge and end the heroin pipeline that is feeding England's addicts.
The book is not as well-written as Mark Greany's Gray Man series, and errors in spelling and punctuation abound. But give this story a try, and you may (as I did) come away as a fan of these three aging but still formidable men and their young assistant.
March 3, 2020
Three retired gents after thirty-years with something akin to the British Secret Service black ops quarter known as The Firm. These three gather together once again to avenge the cold-blooded murder of the wife to the one known as The Assassin. The Grey Man and “Surge” The Surgeon come to The Assassin’s aid to wreak vengeance on the drug gang responsible for the wife’s murder. The story details our trio’s efficient, professional methods to identify, research, prepare, and eliminate the drug-dealing gang and its leaders. Not to be confused with Mark Greaney’s Gray Man series. I enjoyed this story immensely; it is well-written and held my interest throughout. Included is a tender, brief romantic interlude for Surge who has been alone most of his life. The result of their courtship is heartbreaking. I will eagerly search out the other books of this series. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
October 29, 2017
The assassin the gray man and the surgeon !
I like books of adventure and I have to admit I do like the subject of assassins . This book gave me the message to be aware of the appearance and ability of the everyday man . There are three items I look for in a book like this . They are action , attention to detail , and not being able to determine the books end . I would recommend this read at any price . Yes , it was a good read .
I like books of adventure and I have to admit I do like the subject of assassins . This book gave me the message to be aware of the appearance and ability of the everyday man . There are three items I look for in a book like this . They are action , attention to detail , and not being able to determine the books end . I would recommend this read at any price . Yes , it was a good read .
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November 11, 2025Absolutely superb!
I was completely riveted by all three of the main characters and fascinated by their thought processes. I ended up being a little in love with Collins and the Grey Man and totally in love with the Surgeon! I will read this series over and over, savouring every word.
So well done! This author rivals Daniel Silva and Mark Greaney!
More please!
I was completely riveted by all three of the main characters and fascinated by their thought processes. I ended up being a little in love with Collins and the Grey Man and totally in love with the Surgeon! I will read this series over and over, savouring every word.
So well done! This author rivals Daniel Silva and Mark Greaney!
More please!
July 31, 2017
The Assasin The Grey Man and The Surgeon
Well done. Senior citizens with deadly skills seek vengeance for a senseless murder of a loved one. Violent, tragedy, and a very bittersweet ending.
Well done. Senior citizens with deadly skills seek vengeance for a senseless murder of a loved one. Violent, tragedy, and a very bittersweet ending.
May 1, 2018
What a great read!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It is a bargain! If you are looking for Mark Greaney’s Gray Man, this is not it, HOWEVER it is a truly good ride to read through and I will be looking for more!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It is a bargain! If you are looking for Mark Greaney’s Gray Man, this is not it, HOWEVER it is a truly good ride to read through and I will be looking for more!
September 3, 2017
Escape
Good easy read, escaping for a few hours. Would like to see more of "The Assassin The Grey Man and The Surgeon".
Good easy read, escaping for a few hours. Would like to see more of "The Assassin The Grey Man and The Surgeon".
December 16, 2017
Hard Hitting Novel
Well written, tight , fast paced. Can't wait for the next one. Very creative plot.It would have been more enjoyable if it was longer
Well written, tight , fast paced. Can't wait for the next one. Very creative plot.It would have been more enjoyable if it was longer
June 9, 2019
Quick and Satisfying Read
A few too many tropes from the genre, but highly satisfying and quick read. Would recommend to fans of the genre
A few too many tropes from the genre, but highly satisfying and quick read. Would recommend to fans of the genre
December 3, 2021
A very enjoyable, yet too short, novel. The novel length could've been double and it would not have been too much information, detail, or backstory.
February 22, 2022
garbage
Don’t waste your time or money on this one. I could not even go through a few chapters. Amazon is failing again by recommending this book to me
Don’t waste your time or money on this one. I could not even go through a few chapters. Amazon is failing again by recommending this book to me
February 8, 2017
This was a very entertaining and fast paced book
Delightful and well written novel. The characters were amazingly unique. It kept my attention focused with anticipation to the end. Good job.
Delightful and well written novel. The characters were amazingly unique. It kept my attention focused with anticipation to the end. Good job.
September 19, 2015
Actually, I read To Kill a Gray Man by the same author, but it's not showing up in goodreads, so I'll leave a review here. I imagine the books are quite similar anyway. It's a good, fast, gritty read. A bit fantastic in the action, and relying a bit too much on "the guy with a computer who can hack anything anywhere anytime" device, but I did enjoy it, and that's the bottom line. I'll look for more in this series to read.
June 4, 2015
Brilliant debut, characters that you really care about (couldn't help but think of David Gemmell's Winter Warriors while reading this) moved along at a fast pace and the action was well described. My only slight complaint was that it was a little repetitive in describing the 'The Firm' but it was nothing that takes away from this old but muscular first read.
December 23, 2014
Quite a fine read!
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes intrigue, mystery,and action. Not what I had expected after reading several books in a Grey Man series by a different author.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes intrigue, mystery,and action. Not what I had expected after reading several books in a Grey Man series by a different author.
February 17, 2015
Good book
I enjoyed this book. I cheered for the underdogs. I thought it was the story by Mark Greavy. I'm glad that I gave it a chance.
I enjoyed this book. I cheered for the underdogs. I thought it was the story by Mark Greavy. I'm glad that I gave it a chance.
May 27, 2016
Looks can be deceiving.
Three very good characters with a good plot. This book was a enjoyable read and I look forward to the next in the trilogy.
Three very good characters with a good plot. This book was a enjoyable read and I look forward to the next in the trilogy.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews