Review: Agent in Place by Mark Greaney

Title: Agent in Place by Mark Greaney
Gray Man Series Book Seven
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense
Length: 528 pages
Book Rating: C+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

The Gray Man is back in another nonstop international thriller from the #1 New York Timesbestselling coauthor of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan novels.

Fresh off his first mission back with the CIA, Court Gentry secures what seems like a cut-and-dried contract job: A group of expats in Paris hires him to kidnap the mistress of Syrian dictator Ahmed Azzam to get intel that could destabilize Azzam’s regime.

Court delivers Bianca Medina to the rebels, but his job doesn’t end there. She soon reveals that she has given birth to a son, the only heir to Azzam’s rule–and a potent threat to the Syrian president’s powerful wife.

Now, to get Bianca’s cooperation, Court must bring her son out of Syria alive. With the clock ticking on Bianca’s life, he goes off the grid in a free-fire zone in the Middle East–and winds up in the right place at the right time to take a shot at bringing one of the most brutal dictatorships on earth to a close…

Review:

Agent in Place by Mark Greaney is an action packed spy novel starring ex-CIA black ops operative Court Gentry. Although this latest release is the seventh installment in the Gray Man series, it can be read as a standalone.

Court Gentry has repaired his relationship with the CIA but his latest case is a freelance job that takes him deep into the Syrian crisis. Gentry is thrust into danger when he is hired by Rima and Tarek  Halaby to kidnap Spanish model Bianca Medina while she is in Paris. Bianca is more than just a model; she is the mistress of Syrian President Ahmed al-Azzam. Barely escaping with their lives, Gentry delivers Bianca to the Halabys who try to convince him to continue working for them as they continue their efforts to end the civil war in Syria. Court initially refuses their request but once he learns that Bianca has a baby with al-Azzam who is being held hostage in Syria, he agrees to rescue the baby from the ruthless leader.  Will Gentry successfully complete his latest mission?

Gentry is essentially on his own as he goes undercover with a group of mercenaries in order to the border into Syria. Once he arrives in country, he runs into danger at every turn.  When Court uncovers information about the Syrian president that no one else is aware of, he and a handful of trusted cohorts undertake an almost impossible mission that could have major international repercussions if they successfully carry out their plan.

The plot is somewhat convoluted and despite plenty of action, the pacing is extremely slow. The cast of characters is plentiful and trying to keep track of each of them is a herculean task.  Everyone seems to have an agenda, no one is trustworthy and the situation in Syria is complex.   The good guys face an uphill battle as they are continually double crossed which leaves them facing incredibly dangerous situations.

Agent in Place features a topical storyline that is relevant to current political events occurring in Syria.  Court Gentry is a force to be reckoned with in this newest installment in Mark Greaney’s Gray Man series. While not quite as enjoyable as previous novels in the series, old and new fans will enjoy this adrenaline-fueled adventure.