Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Ballistic (A Gray Man Novel Book 3)

Top positive review

Great character and story, but full of technical errors

Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2019

Mark is a great story teller, but seriously sir, you really need to get a competent person to review and edit for spelling and technical accuracy.
One passage talks about fuses to an electrical torture device "shorting out." Fuses ARE electrical "shorts" so-to-speak. When the fail, they "open."
In another passage "breaks" are applied in a vehicle. The correct spelling is "brakes."
In yet another passage about a Eurocopter the bad guy is "jacking the collective left and right." That would be the cyclic. The collective controls the main rotor blade pitch. Us helo pilots call collective the "up-down-go faster stick."
All in all, a great read though

6 people found this helpful

Top critical review

All critical reviews›

tkeithlu

Over the line

Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2018

Every spy/assassin book requires some suspension of reality to make a good story. There has to be national or international threat that can only be solved by our hero, acting alone. But was my first and last Gray Man book. He fights off crocodiles under water, and a shotgun fired vertically while running down a jungle path envelopes the bad guys in angry hornets. Come on, is this necessary? It is too "give me a break" unbelievable to hold my attention.

4 people found this helpful

Sort by

Filter by

2,167 global ratings | 864 global reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

From the United States

Stream Whipper

Great character and story, but full of technical errors

Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2019

Verified Purchase

6 people found this helpful

Helpful

Firebrandrand

Even better than the others!

Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2017

Verified Purchase

I almost didn't read this book because the one thing missing was Gray Man's humanity. I wanted to see a spark that maybe one day there was hope of a happy ending. Don't get me wrong...justice always wins out in Greaney's books, which is certainly cathartic, but that's different than a 'happy' ending. I had come to believe that this is one of those never-ending-for-the-sake-of-cash-flow series books where there would never be a love interest or any hope of him being reinstated in the USA as the unjustly accused good, honorable guy that he is. But happily I saw a romantic crack in his robotic, inhuman nature that made me feel like this series was worth continuing. Buying the next one hoping he eventually gets back in good graces with his homeland and becomes a hero instead of a target.

7 people found this helpful

Helpful

Shawn Jones

Worth your time

Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2017

Verified Purchase

I just recently got started with the Gray Man novels and have been enjoying them. They are full of action, have great stories and are well researched. The technical parts are easy enough to follow but at the same time explain what it is they are talking about. The only problem I have with this Gray Man novels and all of them so far is that the bad guys seem to be more skilled than the hero of the stories. Court Gentry is well trained but in the end it seems that dumb luck is how he manages to win. I don't mind that he doesn't always have the latest and best equipment but he shouldn't have to rely so much on luck to win the day. Don't get me wrong, it isn't far fetched story telling. The writing and story is very believable but the Gray Man is so much of an underdog that he has to rely on too much luck to ultimately win in the end. I would like to see him have at least one friend he can count on to help provide him with intelligence and equipment at least some of the time. Still I love this series so far and I hope Mr. Greaney continues with his Gray Man novels.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

A Top Outing In a Strong Combat Thriller Series

Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2017

Verified Purchase

Okay, I say "Four Stars" but I REALLY LIKE this book and this series. I have read three of them now, in no particular order. This one is as good as the best of my previous reads. Mark Greaney is GREAT because he does a lot of background research about almost ALL parts of his stories: the geography and climate; the appropriate military 'doctrine' about how to approach combat problems, the gear, the weapons, the interpersonal dynamics. This one uses some Navy SEAL activities and takes place in a new location: the Mexico whose culture has been warped by drug cartels.

For sure, ACTION dominates the plot. His hero, Court Gentry, moves from problem to problem and comes up with uniformly believable solutions, given that luck plays a big role in close combat. I only know a very few guys like him indirectly and from the distant past but what little I have heard validates a key point: the 'last man standing' is the best at a lot of things, including channeling fear and pain into focused aggression. Greavey relies on that and he seems to have had his own level of experience. Even so, Gentry goes beyond belief in almost every one of his close combat actions.

In this outing he avenges the death of a man who helped him escape from a prison in Laos and rescues the guy's beautiful sister. He pits one cartel against another, he stays true to a sort of code: limit collateral damage and focus on the 'bad guys.' This is a rollicking adventure/thriller read and I heartily recommend it.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Charles Johnston

An Assassin With a Heart

Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2019

Verified Purchase

Hiding out from a Russian crime lord who wants to kill him, Court Gentry - the Gray Man - goes on the run to the Amazon. Alas, he gets involved with a brutal cartel leader - assassins to the left of him, murderous cartel members to the right. Gentry seeks help from an old friend who once saved his life - but the cartels have just murdered his old friend. As is typical with a Gray Man novel, the action is fast and furious from cover to cover. Even so, the action is plausible (if not probable) and there are no deus ex machinas to deliver the Gray Man from peril. Author Mark Greaney always plays fair with his readers. As the bodies pile up, Gentry, as always, is the last man standing.

The biggest development in the story arc in this edition of the Gray Man novels is that Gentry goes all in to protect and defend the wife of his late friend. He will ultimately come to be known as the deadly operative with a strict moral code - and this novel highlights that this is a man with a heart as well as a deadly warrior. It delivers on several levels.

Helpful

tkeithlu

Over the line

Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2018

Verified Purchase

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Michael G Kurilla

Drug dose adjustment, Gray Man style

Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2017

Verified Purchase

Ballistic is Mark Greaney's 3rd Gray Man novel. This time out out picks up the Gray Man moving through South and Latin America, taking on odd jobs and staying one step ahead of his former employer's (Russian mobster) hit squad hunting him down. The sudden and violent death of an old comrade that makes the news draws him to Mexico where he is drawn into a battle with a drug cartel led by a violent, vengeful nutjob. As the stakes keep rising, the Gray Man is forced to deliver the full treatment. The backstory on the Laotian prison camp provides some enlightening background on the Gray Man pre-book 1.

Tradecraft is largely in the action realm and there are quite a few episodes of things looking quite bleak our hero. The handling of ending a budding love interest was creatively refreshing. Also, the assist from a CIA veteran from Gray Man's past suggest the likelihood for future installments to find quite few players squarely in his corner. So far, the installments have each been unique with a quality of careful planning and then making everything up on the fly. These escapades make for great summer beach reading.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

cynthia

Fantastically wonderful book

Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2020

Verified Purchase

Is there anything better than picking up and reading another Gray Man book? No. Every one of his books are a pleasure to read. The characters are interesting. The story line fantastic. The action, well there's nothing like it. It is almost non-stop. I can't stand to put the book down to go to sleep. The Gray Man is wonderful. I love him more each book I read. Besides being in love with him I also want to mother him. I cannot say enough good things about this book. Just started Back Blast. It's a nice big long book. Just what I like. I'm ready for some satisfaction. Hoping Court gets that awful Carmichael who put out the shoot on site order against him.

Helpful

Boyd L. Randolph

An Assassin has a Moral Struggle

Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2021

Verified Purchase

There is more introspection in this than previous Gray Man novels and had the story been lighter on what appeared to be gratuitous violence and demonstrations of Gentry's superhuman abilities it would have been a 4 star review score. I realize no story involving the drug trade in Mexico will be light on violence, but the almost cartoonish action scenes made the love story/morality play between Gentry and his lady seem almost out of place. A shame, because the human emotion passages were very well developed and flowed together in a relatable fashion.
I'm becoming a fan.

Helpful

Jessica Richard

Never lets me down

Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2020

Verified Purchase

I stumbled onto Mark Greaney out of all places, the checkout lane at the grocery store. The cover looked interesting so I flipped it over and read the quick summary. I bought it..of course, and in less than a month I’d read 1 & 2 and was so excited that I didn’t have to wait for a new release that wouldn’t come till the following year. It was a page turner, beyond that though, he writes so well thar I’m reading and have a mental movie going as well. IMO it takes a certain kind of author/person, and a certain kind of writer, to get me to the point where I can see it as I read it. He delves deep into every book he writes and picks the brains of ppl that know things, and it shines through in every book. This is why I’m a super fan of the Grey Man Series! Keep up the great work!! 👍🏼📚👏🏻

Helpful

Need customer service? Click here

‹ See all details for Ballistic (A Gray Man Novel Book 3)

5 star		71%
4 star		22%
3 star		5%
2 star		1%
1 star		1%

Ballistic (A Gray Man Novel Book 3)

›

Customer reviews

Customer reviews

Ballistic (A Gray Man Novel Book 3)

Top positive review

Top critical review

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

From the United States

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

Ballistic (A Gray Man Novel Book 3) › Customer reviews

Customer reviews

Ballistic (A Gray Man Novel Book 3)

Top positive review

Top critical review

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

From the United States

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

Ballistic (A Gray Man Novel Book 3)

›

Customer reviews