Four years ago, assassin Court Gentry was betrayed by his handlers in the CIA.
Now, an old comrade returns to haunt him-and to force him on a mission against his will.
With his ruthless employers on one side, his former friends on the other and a doomed mission ahead, Court Gentry would kill to get out of this one alive.
“Fine Characterization, witty dialogue, breathtaking chase and battle scenes…”
“…and as many unforeseen twists and turns as your favorite Robert Ludlum or Vince Flynn novel–combined. Moreover, author Mark Greaney supplies verisimilitude as well as anyone in the writing business, along with singular attention to detail that doesn’t merely bring the exotic locales to life: you will feel the bullets whizzing past.”
“A high-octane thriller that doesn’t pause for more than a second.”
“Greaney writes smart, sharp, perfectly-paced thrillers. Intense, intelligent and loads of fun.”
“Discovering The Gray Man was like falling in love for the first time. Reading On Target is like going on a second date and realizing this relationship might last the long haul.”
“Disgraced former CIA agent Court “The Gray Man” Gentry (introduced in 2009’s The Gray Man) makes ends meet as an assassin working for clients he cannot trust. Russian arms merchant Sidorenko wants Court to kill Sudan’s President Abboud, arguably the man responsible for the genocide in Darfur. The CIA makes a counteroffer: kidnap Abboud and give him to American officials in exchange for amnesty. Court cannot refuse and treks through Sudan in pursuit of nebulous, ever-changing goals. Every element in this book is familiar, but Court is endearing in his perseverance even as his schemes are undermined by sympathetic victims, misleading information, outright lies, poor planning, betrayal, conflicting agendas, and simple bad luck. What could have been a storm of clichés becomes an action-filled yet touching story of a man whose reason has long ago been subsumed by his work ethic.”
“Mark Greaney’s high-octane thriller finds expert American assassin Court Gentry (aka the Gray Man) ensnared in a particularly perilous mission. The CIA is already hot on his tail with shoot-to-kill orders when a Russian mob boss hires Court to assassinate the Sudanese president. But things get even more complicated when an old comrade Court thought was dead reappears. Whether he’s tromping through the drizzly streets of Ireland or the scorching deserts of Darfur, the Gray Man is a fun and exciting character. Greaney puts his hero in dire jeopardy at every turn, with a web of allies and enemies that can be hard to tell apart. And thanks to its tight prose and short chapters, On Target is a surprisingly swift read whether or not you’re familiar with the series already.”
Dark clouds hung low above the Irish Sea, fat in the moist morning air, and tracked slowly over the assassin as he stood on the wooden foredeck of the fishing boat. A few screeching herring gulls had encircled the vessel while it was still miles offshore; now that it had entered the harbor channel, a flock one dozen strong swarmed above and around, churning the mist with their white wings.
The seabirds shrieked at the vessel, bleated warnings to the Irish coast of the arrival of a killer to its shores.
But their warnings were lost in the vapor.
The boat docked in its harbor slip just before eight a.m. The assassin climbed off the deck and onto the quay without a glance at the two crewmembers. Not a single word had been exchanged in the three hours since the forty-foot Lochin had picked its passenger up from a Lithuanian freighter in international waters. He remained on the deck, moving fore and aft, vigilantly scanning the roiling sea around him, his black hooded raincoat protecting him from the salty spray and the occasional shower, as well as the curious eyes of the father and son who operated the boat. The crew remained in the wheelhouse during the journey, following strict instructions. They had been told to pick up a passenger and then keep away from him, to return with him to Howth Harbor, just north of Dublin. After delivering this odd catch of the day, they were to enjoy their payment and hold their bloody tongues.
