Terrific for action fans

I liked the first Gray Man book but this was even better. The set up takes a little while, but the second half is non-stop action. Maybe not for the squeamish, who probably won't be downloading it anyway, but as exciting a listen as I've had recently. Vince Flynn has been my favorite but his books have gotten very preachy and "talky." If I want that, I'll turn on cable news. This guy has guns blasting most of the time, and it's a lot more fun.

46 people found this helpful

really impressive

i'm a difficult reader to please but Mark Greaney has done it again. Like his previous, first work, Greaney packs this thriller with speed, suspense, and incredible imagination. This time he also adds an element of global politics. The gray man will constantly surprise you again. Also, if you are a fan of the more technical aspects of a good thriller, Greaney knows his weapons and machines and the types of backgrounds and training that go into becoming a CIA SAD operatives. Worth the money and time.

40 people found this helpful

Second Gray Man

What did you love best about On Target?

It continued the Gray Man's story, and did so in a very believable way. I read this before I read Gray Man, and still had enough context to understand the story. That's the mark of a good and careful author. The book is full of action and exotic places. The hardware is realistically described. The emotions of the main characters seem real and not stilted. This is not a Mission Impossible type book where everything goes perfectly for the main characters. It has gritty detail that makes it believable. I would recommend this book highly.

Who was your favorite character and why?

the Gray Man; he is believable and complex and I can see a lot of me in him (not that I'm an assasin mind you, I'm a lawyer, but I understand the way he thinks).

Have you listened to any of Jay Snyder’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, this was my first, but having heard later performances, I really liked him.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No.

Any additional comments?

Great book, great voice characterizations. You will be quite satisfied.

39 people found this helpful

Excellent !

This one of my favorite new authors. The main character is an assassin but with his own ethics and you actually root for him. Sounds strange...liking a killer but the way it is written...you will too. The book is full of action, doesn't lag. If you like Vince Flynn, Brad Thor or Lee Child...you will like this author too. Strongly recommend this book (and his first novel too).

35 people found this helpful

No preaching just action with twists

This is a great next step from the Gray Man. Mark Greaney does not make his characters nice guys or heroes, they just are. It is generally believable, and the reader makes it more believable the way he speaks for each character. I think this is a better audio book than when read, because of the intensity of his voice. Very hard to stop listening, always another dilemma.

23 people found this helpful

PURE BRILLIANCE!!!!!

I truly cant believe this is only Mark Greaney's 2nd novel. I have honestly never came across an action novel along the lines of Brad Thor or Vince Flynn that truly did not have a single boring second in the entire book. The Gray Man series is so good that I dont want to read the next novel in the series b/c it is the last one so far. It had better not be the last novel in the series b/c that would be a tragedy

16 people found this helpful

Gray Man + Pain Killers = AWESOME

Bravo to Greaney for having the boldness to give his main character a pain killer addiction, and NOT use it the way that EVERY OTHER AUTHOR WOULD HAVE! What I mean is, it's set up so that you think that ultimately Gray Man will suffer enormous harm from his addiction to the drugs, and learn some "valuable" lesson... like an after-school special. I was honestly dreading that moment, and had decided to stop listening to the book if Greaney took that "easy" way out. But, he never did.

It's refreshing to see an author that actually understands that people can take drugs for valid reasons (like intense pain), and still be able to function on them. Seems like every book I read, where a character has a drug addiction, the author takes every opportunity to preach to me about how bad drugs are. I'm an adult, thanks. I don't need a fiction writer preaching to me about morals.

Greaney gives you have a character that is so flawed, real, and interesting, that you don't want the story to end. In fact, the character is brought to life so well that you forgive some of the more implausible things that may happen in the world around him.

Overall, the narrator is top-notch, and the story is captivating. Jason Bourne meets Keith Richards...

16 people found this helpful

Quite the interesting main character- Well done.

Most often I find that protagonist in most books lacking in certain ways but often the author compliments the hero with a supporting cast and they often come together to make the story enjoyable. The Gray Man is awesome in that the supporting cast is a plus but as legendary as he is in the book, he is very human in that he has his flaws and many I can relate with easily. I have zipped through the first two books and I'm a little sad seeing that there is currently only 3 titles in the series. The 4th will be out soon but not soon enough for me.

One thing that I couldn't help but laugh at. The Gray Man struggles with what is starting to be an addiction to pain killers. The author needs to learn a little more about morphine. It is not a psychedelic which at 20 mg will cause him to stare at the ceiling during a phone call and not be able to speak to his superior without stuttering, saying "whoa" and "wha?" when it comes time to talk about the exfiltration of a kidnapped president with his commando team leader whom he is holding captive can only say "Wow, they wind up those celing material strands by hand into these little......so on and so on". This was not his first time taking extremely strong painkillers and the amount he took would take the edge off, not cause him to trip as if he was on acid. I love the way the author does not get preachy about addiction but instead treats it as a normal person would treat it. Drugs are bad, we all know this since we are adults after all, and I was happy to see the author didn't decide to preach to me about it. Instead he describes how our hero deals with it, or doesn't deal with it for that matter since I don't know what will happen later.

Lastly I really enjoyed the author's writing style. The story kept me interested and as with some books, I did not have to go back to reread a section because something just didn't click. At times I forgot I was reading a book (listening, you know what I mean) and just enjoyed the story. The narrator gets a big thumbs up from me for this as well. They both hit the mark dead on.They were both....On Target! Sorry, I could not resist.

14 people found this helpful

Mark Greaney hits the bullseye again!

On Target is Book 2 in the 5 book (so far) Gray Man/Court Gentry series. I've previously reviewed Books 1, 4 , an 5. Mark Greaney again demonstrates that he is a master of the espionage thriller.

After being betrayed by his CIA handlers in The Gray Man, Court Gentry is forced to take on a very difficult assignment by a new employer. The CIA is trying to eliminate him as he carries out the assignment. This is a solid five star novel with excellent narration. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

13 people found this helpful

Poor, nowhere as good as The Grey Man

Cort Gentry went from being the best assasin in the world to complete stupidity. I really enjoyed The Grey Man. However, in "On Target", Gentry does everything wrong, becomes a drug addict and makes all the wrong decisions, all the time.

I finished this book, but only to see what happened in the end. I should have just skipped to the finish.

12 people found this helpful