Starring Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans…it’s currently the fourth most-watched original film in Netflix history!   The movie was an instant audience favorite, and the Gray Man franchise will continue with a sequel and spinoff already getting the greenlight!

The latest Gray Man novel from #1 New York Times bestseller Mark Greaney

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

www.markgreaneybooks.com

And now Mark is out with his latest thriller – sure to be added Grey Man movie universe – BURNER.

Greaney has given the filmmakers plenty of story to pull from, and series protagonist Court Gentry returns this February in the twelfth Gray Man novel: BURNER (Berkley Hardcover; on sale February 21, 2023). Mark is one of the most prolific and widely respected thriller writers working today. And it’s no wonder why. 

Storytelling legacy

Mark comes by storytelling naturally. His father, Ed Greaney, worked his way up from cameraman to managing editor at WMC-TV, Memphis, Tennessee’s NBC affiliate. In fact, the newsroom at the station is named after him. Each day’s news was the Greaney family dinner table conversation. Mark and Ed also shared a love of reading—they were both fans of Tom Clancy’s novels and would exchange his books as holiday gifts. Those shared books were prophetic.

Full circle

After the publication of BALLISTIC, the third Gray Man novel, another writer came calling. The legendary Tom Clancy was looking to bring on co-writers, and Mark was a natural fit to work with one of the most successful authors in modern history. Mark was last writer to work directly with Clancy before his death and co-wrote Clancy’s final four novels. He carried the torch after Clancy’s death in 2013, writing another four books in the popular Jack Ryan series. Mark learned from Clancy to write stories with a broader scope, globe-spanning novels that were deeper than he’d previously written.

Globetrotting and gunslinging research

Post-Clancy, Mark began taking a closer look at the why behind the action in his novels—something that fit perfectly with Mark’s studies in international relations. Part of including that greater geopolitical backdrop involves keeping an eye on current world politics as well as getting distinct, vivid, “boots on the ground” information. Mark has traveled to more than 30 countries to extensively to research each novel’s multiple locations. He’s also gathered firsthand experience in firearms training, scuba diving, stunt driving, SWAT training, Navy fighter plane flying, field medical training, and more.

All this background, research, and Mark’s profound curiosity and knack for storytelling inform his latest page-turning Gray Man novel, BURNER. In it, Court Gentry is tasked with retrieving stolen records from a disgruntled Swiss bank employee. But the CIA isn’t the only one looking for the records, setting a collision course of different groups hunting down the valuable information. This pits Court against his one-time lover (and fan favorite character) Zoya Zakharova, who is on her own mission.

BURNER is further proof that Mark has solidified his place in the pantheon of the great thriller writers such as Brad Thor, Daniel Silva, Vince Flynn, Lee Child, and, of course, Tom Clancy.

About the author

Mark Greaney has a degree in international relations and political science. In his research for the Gray Man novels, including Sierra Six, Relentless, One Minute Out, Mission Critical, Agent in Place, Gunmetal Gray, Back Blast, Dead Eye, Ballistic, On Target, and The Gray Man, he traveled to more than thirty-five countries and trained alongside military and law enforcement in the use of firearms, battlefield medicine, and close-range combative tactics. With Marine LtCol Rip Rawlings, he wrote the New York Times bestseller, Red Metal. He is also the author of the New York Times bestsellers Tom Clancy Support and Defend, Tom Clancy Full Force and Effect, Tom Clancy Commander in Chief, and Tom Clancy True Faith and Allegiance. With Tom Clancy, he coauthored Locked On, Threat Vector, and Command Authority.

A CONVERSATION WITH MARK GREANEY

Q: Describe BURNER in one short sentence.

Mark Greaney: BURNER finds The Gray Man and former Russian foreign intelligence officer Zoya Zakharova on opposite sides as a Swiss banker’s stolen secrets threaten to disrupt intelligence operations around the world and killers close in.

Q: Who is the Gray Man—and what’s he up to when BURNER opens?

MG: The Gray Man is Court Gentry, a former CIA officer and asset who now spends his days in the private sector working principally as an assassin with a strict code of conduct. As the novel opens he is working for a Ukrainian oligarch sabotaging Russian-owned mega yachts around the world, but then the CIA reaches out to him for help.

Q: Where did the initial idea for THE GRAY MAN come from?

MG: I was travelling in Central America and saw a quiet, unassuming American man in a bar. I made up an entire back story for him then and there; he was former CIA, living off grid because the Agency was after him, taking jobs along the way. I started writing about The Gray Man soon after.

Q: How would you describe your protagonist, Court Gentry? How would your wife describe him?

MG: He is a man with incredible training and tradecraft who is trying to use these tools to do what he thinks is right. My wife would say he’s a good and extremely capable man who also has some vulnerabilities.

Q: For people who have seen The Gray Man movie but not read the books, what’s one thing they’d be surprised to know about Court?

MG: The books really get into Court’s head in a way no movie can. You see why he does what he does, and the thinking through of his options in difficult situations. He’s rarely sure of himself, and he does screw up from time to time.

Q: What, if anything, did you learn about your series from watching The Gray Man movie?

MG: I don’t know that I learned anything new about the novels, per se, because I see the books and films as two different worlds. Having said that, I was so pleased by the way they represented Court Gentry- they captured him perfectly in my opinion.

Q: What do you hope to see in future Gray Man movies?

MG: I’d like to see some other characters from the series appear, like Zoya Zakharova, Zack Hightower, Matt Hanley, and Chris Travers.

Q: You worked with legendary novelist Tom Clancy on his final four books. How did that collaboration come about and what did it mean to you?

MG: Tom and I had the same editor, Tom Colgan. When Clancy was looking for a new coauthor, Tom thought of me. I had been a massive Jack Ryan fan for decades so it turned out to be a great fit. I felt out of my league, for sure, but I worked hard and reached out to men and women in the military for help learning details for the novels.

Q: How did working with Clancy inform the Gray Man books you wrote after?

MG: My Gray Man books became longer and more detailed, with a new emphasis on the geopolitical reasons behind the actions of the hero and villains in the books. I’d also say that working with Clancy and the Jack Ryan books has been a valuable calling card when I am reaching out for expert advice- it definitely opens a lot of doors.

Q: What can fans look forward to in BURNER, the 12th novel in the Gray Man series?

MG: BURNER is an intense globe-trotting thrill ride with strong geopolitical underpinnings and a lot of personal stakes for the lead characters.

Q: What makes BURNER a good entry point for new readers?

MG: I think all my books can be read by themselves- Early in each novel you learn who the characters are and what is at stake. I always tell people they can read them in any order that’s convenient.

Q: For new readers out there, tell us a little bit about yourself.

MG: I was first published in 2009 after a career in the international business sector. In 2011 I started writing with Tom Clancy, and after his death I continued the Jack Ryan series for several years. I’ve published 23 books in all, and I live in Memphis with my wife Allison, my three stepchildren, and our four dogs.

Q: You’ve traveled to Algeria, Prague, Mexico, and beyond and gone through SWAT training and scuba certification as research for your novels. What were the most interesting aspects of your research for BURNER?

MG: For BURNER I traveled to the Island of Saint Lucia, as well as New York, Italy, and Switzerland to get the location details accurate. I’d have to say the trip to Europe was the most beneficial for the story because some intricate action scenes take place there and I really needed to see the areas for myself.

Q: What was the most surprising or unexpected discovery you made while researching any of your novels?

MG: I think every time I am involved with the US military while doing research I learn so much new. I’ve been on a destroyer, in the back of an F-18, at the Pentagon, and spent time at Army, Navy, and Air Force bases. I always am so impressed by the men and women who defend our nation.

Q: Who are some of your favorite authors? What do you think Court Gentry’s desert island reading would be (no more than 3 books allowed)?

MG: I love Tom Clancy, Jean le Carré, Jason Matthews, Ralph Peters, and Daniel Silva. Court is a very practical guy—if he were on a desert island he’d want to read The SAS Survival Handbook, The Special Forces Survival Guide, and some sort of book on building a rudimentary boat.