Burner is the epitome of riveting with action ranging from car chases to a parachute drop-in to underwater fighting & so much more. Alex Velesky is about to discover that the hard way. He's stolen records from the Swiss bank that employs him, thinking that he'll uncover a criminal conspiracy. But he soon finds that he's tapped into the mother lode of corruption. Before he knows it, he's being hunted by everyone from the Russian mafia to the CIA. Outstanding….Fans will close the book happily fulfilled and eagerly awaiting his next adventure.”— Publishers Weekly (starred review) This was... fine, but far from one of my favourites in the series. Maybe it was the fever curtailing my attention span, but this felt like it dragged on for entirely too long. And of course, I've never been all that great a fan of Zoya or the romance subplot that just won't die... At the same time a Ukrainian man (Alex Valesky) has been tasked with a job from a Russian acquaintance. He’s given a cell phone full of incriminating information about Russian officials siphoning off money meant for their military. Alex works for a bank and can prove where the funds went.

Nothing starts off the thriller field of 2023 quite like the latest Gray Man novel from leading author Mark Greaney. Greaney is a very impressive author who has been killing it throughout the genre for years. Not only has he produced some cool standalone books, such as last year’s exciting action romp Armored, or the cool military thriller he co-wrote with Hunter Rawlings IV, Red Metal (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2019), but he has also written the exceptional Gray Man spy thriller books. Following legendary assassin Court Gentry, better known as the Gray Man, as he gets involved in several deadly situations, the Gray Man books are one of the leading spy thriller series and I have deeply enjoyed the epic and powerful adventures that Greaney has so far released. I personally have had an exceptional time with several of the Gray Man books, including Greaney’s debut novel, The Gray Man (which got a film adaptation last year), as well as the later entries such as Mission Critical, One Minute Out (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2020), Relentless (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021) and Sierra Six (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022). His latest release is the outstanding Burner, which was one of my most anticipated novels of 2023. The 12 th book in the Gray Man series, Burner was a particularly intense read with a fantastic story behind it.Velesky is on the run after stealing data from his employer that could expose a great deal of powerful people, both in the East and the West, and the dirty money that has been flowing across the globe. They will do anything to keep the information from coming out. That includes killing anyone and everyone tangentially related to those who have possession of the device. Caught between a GRU hit squad and CIA assassins, the unlikely trio must stay ahead of their pursuers if they hope to finish the mission, assuming they don’t end up killing each other before then. This was my first Gray Man novel, but it won’t be my last. This was a fun fast paced action suspense thriller. The writing style is fantastic and can’t be missed. Its well-researched and very vividly done so you feel like you are right there. I fell that the main character, Court, was also well done. The amount of emotional depth that was shown in his character was phenomenal and thoroughly thought out.

The groups have different motives and objectives, and when they collide on a train near Geneva, the story is just getting started. It doesn’t help that one of the most elite Russian assassins is set on obtaining the data and will kill anyone who gets in his way. And he has a personal history with The Gray Man. I could go on more about Burner (trust me, I really could), but I think it is fair to say that I deeply enjoyed this latest Gray Man novel from Mark Greaney. Greaney has been on a roll with his last few Gray Man books, and I honestly think that Burner is one of the better novels he has released recently. The impactful story, great characters, compelling content and impressive writing ensured that I was enthralled throughout the entirety of Burner, and I honestly couldn’t put it down at times, especially during some of the big action sequences. This was such an epic book, and I can already guarantee Burner is going to end up as one of my top books and audiobooks of 2023. Highly recommended! The only thing this book was really missing was an appearance from my favorite side character in the series and I expected a little more from the climax action sequence than what we got. Otherwise this book was a very good time. Strap in and hang on tight . . . Mark Greaney delivers another heat-seeking thrill ride that’s not to be missed.”— The Real Book SpyOh, and the character that I have come to dislike so greatly......well, I have total faith in Mr. Greaney in that aspect as well. I'll not forget reading 'The Gray Man' so long ago. The book was rooted in atmospheric writing wonder. So very different from the Vince Flynn novels I had been reading. Then the Gray Man series continued. Today, 'Burner' is the newest out and I am disappointed. The newest entry reads more as a Matthew Reilly chase book and far, far away from the initial Gray Man novel.

The one thing that hasn’t changed about him over the years is his moral code. For a man in his profession, he suffers from the worst possible flaw—a conscience. I don’t know how Mr. Greaney continues to do it, but he does. I wish I could give it more than 5 stars. There are some consistency issues in this book. The Brewer character is altered from earlier books to fit the plot. Court Gentry has been de-aged a few years. There are also plot holes, but the pace of the book rips past, and are easily missed. To me, Mr. Greaney has already done a fabulous job of creating a character in Court that is such a contradiction. What a dichotomy. He is definitely lethal; in fact, he is arguably one of the most dangerous men on the planet. Yet, he is also so unbelievably good. Good in a way that is hard to explain unless you have been on this journey with Court for the many, many books in this collection. And now.....I'm just thrilled for the "possibility" of Court and Zoya and I can honestly say that my fingers (and toes) are crossed for these two crazy kids :) This is not a spoiler. I’m only on chapter 23 (out of 73 chapters) so there is still lots to come in this book. I just had to get it out there once I saw her name.Ben Coes, New York Times bestselling author of international espionage thrillers featuring Dewey Andreas Mark Greaney reigns as one of the recognized masters of action and adventure.”—Steve Berry, New York Times and #1 international bestselling author This series is not only getting better with every new addition, but it somehow continues to show us Strap in and hang on tight . . . Mark Greaney delivers another heat-seeking thrill ride that’s not to be missed. Wow, Greaney really can’t miss when it comes to the Gray Man books. Burner was another exceptional novel that had me hooked from the very beginning all the way to the final, devastating encounter. The blend of exceptionally written action scenes, spy thriller elements, complex characters and the utilisation of contemporary issues makes Burner really stand out, even alongside the other epic Gray Man books. This was another easy five-star rating from me as Greaney once again shows why he is currently leading the spy thriller genre.