Mark Greaney is the #1 NYT bestselling author known for his high-octane thriller novels, particularly the Gray Man series, which follows the exploits of elite assassin and former CIA operative Court Gentry. In addition, Greaney co-authored three Jack Ryan novels with Tom Clancy, as well as four four solo. Greaney is also the author of the Josh Duffy and Red Metal series.

The Chaos Agent is his latest title in the Gray Man series and it is by far the best in the series and why I’m so excited for the release of the next book in the series, Midnight Black, on February 18th 2025.

A car accident in Japan. A drowning in Seoul. A home invasion in Boston. Someone is killing the world’s leading experts on robotics and artificial intelligence. Is it a tech company trying to eliminate the competition or is it something even more sinister? After all, artificial intelligence may be the deadliest battlefield gamechanger since the creation of gunpowder. The first nation to field weapons that can act at the speed of computer commands will rule the battlefield.

It’s an irresistible lure for most, but not for the Gray Man. His quest for a quiet life has led him to Central America where he and his lover, Zoya Zakharova, have assumed new identities. With a list of enemies that  includes billionaires, terrorists, and governments, they need to keep a low profile, but the world’s deadliest assassin can’t expect to hide out forever.

Eventually, they’re tracked down and offered a job by an old acquaintance of Zoya’s. He needs their help extracting a Russian scientist who is on the kill list. They reject the offer, but just being seen with him is enough to put assassins on their trail. Now, they’re back on the run, but no matter which way they turn, it’s clear that whoever’s tracking them is always going to be one step ahead. Since flight’s no longer possible, fight is the only option left, and no one fights dirtier than the Gray Man.

This was my absolute favourite of the Grey Man books so far. Saying Court Gentry doesn’t fail to deliver as usual, is not giving the character enough credit. He is every bit the lone spy/assassin/vengeance artist I’ve come to enjoy. And Greaney has done exceptionally well to keep that feeling fresh over thirteen books. For someone like me, I lean towards my own company a lot, Court Gentry is like coming home. He’s totally at home as a solo operator and over the series of books has resisted entanglements. That was until he met Zoya, and even then he didn’t make it straight forward.

However, this book appeared to be a turning point. Relationships really were falling into place and we got to witness both the comfort and discomfort Court felt about that. Court had really started to assemble around himself a group of people who would support and defend him. He’d found people that understood him, and could work with him – despite his lone wolf tendencies.

The subject of this story was so timely. The concept of AI is now inescapable in daily life and I agree with the point this book makes – that AI presents a real world danger as it’s so close to getting out of control. This book had updated, modern, vibes of Skynet/Terminator. For anyone who has used ChatGPT, or any other LLM, this book will thrill and scare you. And if you happen to own a Boston Dynamics “Spot” dog, you may feel prompted to permanently take out its battery, or at the least stop strapping your sniper rifle to it.

I’ll avoid spoilers but will note there was a bitter ending, especially considering what I said about Court seeming to have built relationships. I’ve never felt so emotionally invested in Court Gentry as I do right now. And that’s why I’m absolutely clamouring for the next title in the series, Midnight Black. The synopsis makes me think Greaney is going to deliver, yet again, another best book in this series.