Relentless

Gray Man #10

by Mark Greaney

The Gray Man's search for missing intelligence agents plunges him deep into a maelstrom of trouble in the latest entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.

The first agent disappearance was a puzzle.

The second was a mystery.

The third was a conspiracy.

Intelligence operatives around the world are disappearing. When a missing American agent re-appears in Venezuela, Court Gentry, the Gray Man, is dispatched to bring him in, but a team of assassins has other ideas. Court escapes with his life and a vital piece of intelligence.

Meanwhile, CIA agent Zoya Zakharova is in Berlin. Her mission: to infiltrate a private intelligence firm with some alarming connections. The closer she gets to answers, the less likely she is to get out alive.

Court and Zoya are just two pieces on this international chessboard, and they're about to discover one undeniable truth—sometimes capturing a king requires sacrificing some pawns.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Audiobook, Action, Espionage, Mystery, Mystery Thriller

Kindle Edition

First published February 16, 2021

About the author

Mark 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

Reviews

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐

I never thought I'll say this, but this book has way too much action. I'm writing this review with Russian accent in my head thanks to Jay Snyder.

In Relentless Court Gentry is working with a small CIA team; his old team lead Zack and former SVR (Russia Foreign Intelligence) agent, Zoya. Majority of the action took place in Germany. I love all the backstabbing in spy thrillers! It's never simple with so many players and each with their own agenda. This was a fun ride with a new villain revealed! 🤯

[Jade Saul · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was superb read lots of action and Court Gentry at his best

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as strong and solid throughout as "One Minute Out." 8 of 10 stars

[Chris C - A Midlife Wife · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t know how he creates these intricate plots but they always keep me on my toes. Huge twists and plenty of action.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don’t know how Greaney does it over and over. The intricate plots; the nonstop action; the highly detailed characters that work perfectly together. This story never lets up from the time you begin it to the big, fat suspended swivel at the end.

This story was a trip. There were so many twists and turns I honestly lost track of who was manipulating whom and what country was implicating others and masterminding all of the terror. So many dirty hands in the pot.

One thing is undoubtedly clear and that is this author has created a fantastic series that will have to live on for years to come. No matter how many times you read about the Gray Man it never gets old. It’s certainly never boring and you can’t help getting so involved in the fast pace you do not want to stop reading.

Not only is the Gray Man kick ass in this story again, but Zach and Zoya are there in many of these heart-pounding situations. From the US to Venezuela to Germany to Dubai, the world is getting smaller and these operators are the best of the best working to save the good from the evil or at least minimize the threat and fallout.

With characters you love to hate and others that feel so real, Relentless is a novel of huge proportions that builds as it goes to a massive explosion of complex action then leaves you in high anticipation of what’s to come. Greaney is truly a master of black ops details, exceptional creativity, and a storyteller like none other.

* Copy received for review consideration
Full Review - https://amidlifewife.com/relentless-b...

[Terence M [Quot libros, quam breve tempus!] · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars ^ to 5-Stars - "I thought this was terrific!"
The Gray Man had suffered serious injuries in a previous encounter and unfortunately his extended recovery from these injuries meant "Relentless" was a little slow to seriously get underway. Coupled with a ho-hum attitude of my own towards listening to anything at the time, it took me a few weeks of on-again, off-again listening before the book and I hit our respective straps as my Reading Activity, below, demonstrates.

The Gray Man (Court Gentry), the love of his life (Zoya Zakharova), and his best mate from past exploits (Hightower), combine their precocious talents against a team of assassins, a team of Islamic terrorists, and a team of scary ... , well, if your read the book you will find out who THEY were! The action, once it gets underway, is literally "relentless", with moves all over various chess boards against swarms of opponents. Great fun, most enjoyable listening, and worth the wait until the second half of the book for a most gratifying finish.

The well-paced narration by Jay Snyder was outstanding, and a 5-Stars performance in its own right, with the full range of accents and vocal characterisations for which he has become well-known.

Reading Activity:
Nov 21, 2021 02:21AM - 100% done!
"A relentless five hours of "edge-of-the-seat" action!"
Nov 20, 2021 01:15AM - 67% done
"I was patient and the incapacitated Gray Man leapt into action! And there are still five hours left in the book! Yay!"
Nov 17, 2021 02:41AM - 47% done
"Still wondering what The Gray Man is up to ... he needs to spring into some serious action pretty soon!"
Nov 10, 2021 03:03AM - 35% done
"I am enjoying this, even if the Gray Man is somewhat incapacitated at the moment."
Nov 07, 2021 12:57AM - 22% done
"Returning to this book after a short break ... normal transmission resumed today :)".
Oct 23, 2021 07:31PM - 21% done
Oct 22, 2021 05:24AM Relentless (Gray Man, #10)
New Audiobook - 15:39 Hours - Narrator: Jay Snyder

[Mojo Shivers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I once described the way the Gray Man books work, with the odd-numbered books being where Court works alone on personal missions and even-numbered books being CIA assignments with his other teammates in Poison Apple, as being akin to a lawyer taking on pro bono cases between his normal cases for his firm. I honestly don’t know which I like better. The solo missions tend to be more tense and nerve-wracking, knowing he doesn’t have the full resources of the CIA to rely on. But the team missions tend to be grander in scope and against much bigger and better bad guys.

It’s a win-win either way. It’s an easy way to keep things fresh and a way to provide for different parameters for the assignments without it seeming contrived.

And this book is one of the better “team” books in the series. Not only does it have great chemistry between the three Poison Apple operators—Zack and Zoya have never seemed so vital to mission success—but the global conspiracy plot is excellent. It manages to tie together threads in Iran, Israel, UAE, and Germany into a convincing story. It also features American military contractors, Russian assassin squads, and Iranian terrorists as groups in opposition to the team. There wasn’t a second I didn’t want to know what was going to happen next.

But I think the most memorable part, and what Greaney has always excelled at doing, is the stinger in the tail. The last set of chapters turn the whole series on its head, delivering devastating blows to the program and to Court himself. Every so often a good novel series needs a good reset, a good clearing of the board to reestablish the rules of engagement.

This is a major clearing of the board and dovetails nicely into Court once more going on his own for the next installment. I can’t wait.

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Gray Man is recovering from a stab wound and the resulting infection, when he gets sent out into the field. It seems someone defected to Venezeula, and can identify all the other agents. The Gray Man limps through the jungle, only to find the defector pursued by a team of mercs. The Gray Man makes his way to Germany, as his lady love is in danger. He's pursued by the mercs. She's pursued by a team of Russian hitters. Meanwhile, there are terrorists afoot in Berlin that want to kill everybody.

Very good.

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm kind of at a loss with where to start this review. Relentless - Book 10 in the Gray Man Series - really knocks it out of the park. Let me say, first of all, that this is one of my all time favorite series...ever. That is a big statement from someone who reads as much as I do.

There is something that captured me right at the beginning. There is just something about Courtland Gentry that pulls at you. You WANT him to succeed - even if the things he does are not things that you would ordinarily condone. Mark Greaney has created such a main protagonist, and now - a motley crew or team that surrounds him - of likeable but extremely dangerous people that you end up rooting for no matter how crazy things around them get. And crazy is a really apt description this time around.

There are many players on the board this time. Who is really the good guy and who only THINKS they are the good guy? And who knows they aren't and doesn't care? There is a lot going on. But, in true Greaney fashion, he creates a plot line that while complex, still creates a line that the reader can follow to stay in the loop. All may not quite connect at the beginning, but by the time you are invested, the connections begin to make sense.

I have to admit, there were several times in this book that I thought to myself, "how in the world are they going to get out of this?' and I found myself holding my breath more times than I expected. I alternated between listening and reading this book and I've mentioned in the past how much I enjoy Jay Snyder and his portrayal of Court. This time is no exception. I wanted to keep reading, yet I didn't want it to end. That, in all honesty, is the BEST type of book.

So, again, I'm back to what can I say? This is an AMAZING series, and has a compelling, yet in some ways vulnerable main character. Hmmm, vulnerable is not a word you associate with the Gray Man, is it? But he is. He is "bewildered" with his relationship with Zoya. He loves her, but is not sure how to act with her. He is a loner because that is what life has given to him, but he would like to possibly not be. So, this book marks the end in a certain story arc with Court and he is in for some changes going forward. There is a certain character that I CAN NOT STAND, who I am going to look forward to this person getting their due.....really looking forward to that. But, knowing Mr. Greaney, he will do this in just the right way. I have to have faith and patience in him.

So, another book down and another year to wait....

[Judy Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Poison Apple group of Court, Zoya and Zach are back working together whether Matthew Hanley of the CIA wanted it that way or not. Berlin is the main location where so much could go wrong and eventually it does. This book #10 in the Gray Man series is a thriller where almost everybody has two very different agendas they are running simultaneously. It's just one crisis, one assassins job, one political agenda and one international incident after another. By the end of this story it's hard to tell who the winners and who the losers are. Another page turning thriller of a thriller from author Mark Greaney.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an e-galley of this novel.

[Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intricate plot, non-stop action, and even a little humorous dialogue starring the Gray Man and his trusty band of spies. This book, like the entire Gray man series, does not disappoint. An easy five star rating for me

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book ten of the Gray Man Series. This book continues the great action pack series. The Gray Man is yanked out of his hospital bed and sent on a critical mission. The Gray Man goes from one cliff hanging situation to another only this time he is also in love. Can not wait for book eleven.

I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is fifteen hours and thirty-nine minutes. Jay Snyder does an excellent job narrating the series.

[MicheleReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are so many plots, conspiracies, international intrigue, characters and code names that you’ll need a scorecard to keep track of them all. (I must have referred back to the summary of characters at the beginning a dozen times.)

Relentless is another smart, creative, action-packed book which will keep you riveted and will exhaust you. Author Mark Greaney has not let fans of the series down. And he puts enough background in each book that you don’t have to have read every one.

Netflix is about to start filming a Gray Man movie starring Ryan Gosling (as Gentry) and Chris Evans. I would expect that once it airs, people will be checking out the books. So get a head start and check the series out now.

Rated 4.25 stars.

Review posted on MicheleReader.com.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat disappointed in the complexity of this book. There were too many characters which was very confusing unless this reader wanted to keep going back to the character list in the beginning of the book. I found myself skipping through some pages and almost did not finish the book--plus the fact that the book was 512 pages thick.
I was leaning on a two star rating up until the end when Courtney (and the rest of the Poisen Apple) came to the rescue with guns blazing saving the day!
Not one of Gentry's better books.

[Brent · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite reads of 2020 was Back Blast which was Gray Man #5, and the reason was I thought it was a great end to the first 5 book arc in the series and tied up some awesome loose ends that had been running through the series. I was wondering if we would get something similar for book 10, and I think we did but in a different way that makes it just as good.

Beware the following might have some mild spoilers for books 1-9 of The Gray Man series.



When I started on Gray Man book 6 I kind of got the impression that Greany had created a new normal in the series that would probably run the duration of the rest of the books for as long as they were published. In other words I expected the books to alternate between Court's independent assassin work and his CIA tasked duties going forward. I'm really glad that with Relentless the author was not afraid to shake things up and subvert my expectations.

First the plot of the book starts out pretty standard CIA mission type stuff, but quickly escalates from there to one of the most original military/thriller spy genre plots I have read in a while. I've read so many of these "ticking clock terrorist attack" plots that they have become cliché. Greany takes that trope here and dumps it on it's head by continually misdirecting both his characters and the reader about what is going on until the whole scheme and it's implications are laid bare at the end. To make it even more interesting Greany brings in another plot regarding Zakarova to add to the chaos. Also, the decision to hamper or power down Court a bit at the very start of the book was something I liked since it prevents him from being too OP and it added to the craziness and difficulty of the mission. All of this isn't easy to do without making the plot feel too convoluted even for a spy novel, but it works here because of the talent of the author. In the end it was much more than the standard terrorist attack defeated by OP main character that we've got recently from the likes of Kyle Mills and Brad Thor both of whose latest entries felt like they were phoned in.

However, there is one more thing that makes this book better than just the standard episodic Gray Man book. Even when I didn't think there was much of an arc to these 2nd 5 books in the series after Back Blast Greany proved me wrong. I won't spoil, but the ending of this book is utilized in such a way to make it the culmination of 5 books of build up of shadiness for a specific character that is paid off brilliantly. I'll avoid spoilers, but I'll just say I don't think this series is going into a rut or getting stale any time soon. These books are going to instant-preorders for me going forward.

P.S. The audio version of these books is fantastic. It's so good it's my preferred way to consume these now. Jay Snyder is a brilliant narrator for these action thriller stories. I highly recommend everything about it.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Gray Man series. This is #10 and it did NOT disappoint. I liked that the MC is still a bit of loner given his profession, but he so wants to have more. That tug and pull is something most people can relate to. The author keeps Court tethered nicely to his world with a bit of normalcy.

The other characters are also anchored in and they had strong roles which kept the plot rolling along at a steady pace. I like that they are equal to the task. I liked Zoya and Zack. They had some great lines.

Plus the ending was a bit of kick. It has me hanging on for the next one. So 4 stars....so close to 5.

[Todd Wilkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Relentless is a word that can easily describe both the protagonist and the author who brings him to life on the page.

In his 10th Gray Man novel, MARK GREANEY does not disappoint and has crafted another high paced, actioned pack thriller that keep readers engrossed in the increasingly dire circumstances Court Gentry and his team finds themselves in.

RELENTLESS takes us from the outskirts of Caracas to the very heart of power in Germany, with stops across the Middle East.

Still recovering in a CIA hospital bed, the Gray Man is sent out by his handlers to track down a former NSA employee who made off with an all powerful facial recognition program capable of outing any and all U.S. intelligence officers. From there things only get more complex and dangerous, both physically and emotionally, as a variety of intelligence services and their shooters see shifting alliances change from moment to moment. Just when you think you have it sorted out, Greaney fires a plot twist that will have you scrambling to identify the real danger.

The only way the Poison Apple team will survive is to band together and continue to track down their targets and unravel the parties responsible. All that matters is the end result. They cannot let exhaustion, illness, or wounds stop them from achieving their goals. In other words, they must be... RELENTLESS

[Pierre Tassé (Enjoying Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun book to read. It was longer than most but thrilling never the less. Well done Mr Greaney on this book. The Grey Man is a book that you should actually start from the first to this #10 book, otherwise about 25% of the book will highlight your lack of past experience. Again, an enjoyable book!

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Greaney’s Court Gentry Gray Man series is a fast-paced black ops espionage thriller series which features an undefeatable hero who sometimes is a deniable asset for the CIA and sometimes is on his own being hunted. However, this the tenth volume of the series shows a Gentry who appears imminently defeatable, having never fully recovered from a knife-in-the-shoulder wound and unable to be given time to heal properly. He is not at his best and needs constant IV treatments for a bone infection.

This story takes place across the world with so many groupings of operators that it is at first hard to keep them straight. Eventually, you understand who the bad guys are (anyone Gentry is facing off with) and the excitement grows. The plotting in this particular novel is not as tight or as easy to follow as in other novels in the series, but stick with it. Something will make sense in the end.

It opens with an adventure in Caracas and often segues to the Persian Gulf, but the main theater of operations here is Berlin and, before the end of the novel, Berlin might just look like more of a war zone than a modern West European capital.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

An okay read, but one of my least favorite in the series, for various reasons. The CIA is portrayed as gullible, naive idiots. Greaney pulled out all the stops, replaying his favorite tropes: The Gray Man is injured, very sick, yet fighting strong against crazy odds. Suzanne Brewer is conniving — as we know from several previous books illustrating her malicious murderous deeds, but deputy director Matt Hanley is too stupid to see it. Court and Zoyah/ Anthem should know by now that she’s a liar. And a killer. Why wasn’t she fired or terminated last year? Also, to my disappointment, the book ends with a nod to our first introduction to the Gray Man — the spy who came in from the cold.

[Minerva Conrad · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the Gray Man, but this book was a more difficult read because of the timeline jumping around and the numerous foreign characters. It wasn’t until I was a third of the way in that the book finally picked up. Still a good read.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of espionage/action books and this series continues to deliver. Ten books in, I think, and the circumstances have changed but the writing is outstanding and the adventure remains first-rate.

[Jeremy Peers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Relentless, the new Gray Man book from Mark Greaney, is exactly that. Relentless. Relentless can be used to define Court Gentry's personality as well as the pacing of the book. The plot is complex but never feels out of touch. Court rates near the top of the list as a badass, beating out many other badasses. Court has a few friends show up to help him from earlier books, which he needs more than a few times. One of my favorite series, Mr Greaney knows how to write a thriller and Relentless is no exception.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Gray Man is simply the baddest-ass and yet most humble assassin on the planet. #10 has the usual suspects, terrorist, spies, assassins, wanna-be big shots, and by the way the Russia & German mafias.

Highly recommend the audio version, just simply outstanding, drill sergeant.

Better the 2nd time around....

[Tay · Rating 5 out of 5]

That ending! Wow!

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️🇺🇸⭐️ Love The Gray Man ⭐️🇺🇸⭐️

I just Love this series! Court Gentry, Known to terrorist as the “Gray Man” also known by the CIA as The Violator! He’s a disavowed Assassin used by the U.S. government, then when to inconvenient to know him, he’s hunted like a bad dog. He’s an assassin with a conscience. He does what ever it takes to save the country that keeps trying to kill him!!

[Stuart Ashenbrenner · Rating 5 out of 5]

READ MY FULL REVIEW AT Best Thriller Books

With the superb writing the Greaney has continuously produced, he has crafted Gentry in the perfect weapon and delivered realistic, pulse-pounding plots that make the pages fly by all too quickly.

Make sure to check out the full review

[Abibliofob · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read Relentless by Mark Greaney. It's the latest in the series about Court Gentry aka Gray Man. This was one of the best books so far, it is almost non stop action and troubles all the way through. With an ending like this I can't wait to see what will happen in the next one. The power game within CIA is getting serious and so does the betrayal as well. I highly recommend this series. I must thank Mark for writing it and #Berkley , #PenguinPublishingGroup and #Edelweiss for giving me this arc.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic Mark Greaney Gray Man fodder...It is a GREAT series with kick-ass heroes...In "Relentless," the Poison Apple group of Court, Zoya and Zach are back working together, shadowing American military contractors, Russian assassin squads, and Iranian terrorists, in a conspiracy that leaves the reader breathless as the pages fly by...Good stuff!!!

[Jeff P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent fast paced Gray Man novel! I don't know if all of the technology exists yet, but it probably isn't far off if it doesn't. And the way that it is used (misused) by the political actors rings true too. There was no mention of bougainvillea.

[Dee Haddrill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great installment in the Gray Man series.