Mark Greaney takes on geopolitics in the latest installment of the Gray Man series

Summary

NPR's Book of the Day: In-Depth with Mark Greaney on "Midnight Black"

NPR's "Book of the Day" recently featured an engaging conversation with acclaimed author Mark Greaney about his latest installment in the Gray Man series, "Midnight Black." Released on February 24, 2025, this 14th novel stands out not only for its gripping narrative but also for the meticulous research and real-world experiences that Greaney infuses into his storytelling.

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1. Introduction to "Midnight Black"

The episode kicks off with NPR Host Andrew Limbong introducing Mark Greaney and his renowned Gray Man series. Greaney's latest book, "Midnight Black," is highlighted as a standalone novel that delves deep into the perilous world of espionage and geopolitics.

Key Points:

• Series Overview: "Midnight Black" is the 14th book in the Gray Man series, focusing on Court Gentry, a former CIA operative turned assassin.
• Standalone Nature: Greaney emphasizes that readers do not need prior knowledge of the series to dive into this installment.

Quote:
Mark Greaney explains, "You don't have to read the first 13 to know what's going on here, thankfully for everyone" (02:10).

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2. Plot Synopsis and Character Development

Greaney provides a detailed overview of the novel's plot, setting the stage for Court Gentry's latest mission.

Key Points:

• Central Conflict: Court Gentry's beloved partner has been captured and imprisoned in a high-security Russian gulag, presumed dead by his allies.
• Desperate Measures: Determined to rescue her, Gentry navigates through compromised diplomatic channels and engages with the Romanian mob to infiltrate Russia via the Black Sea.
• Escalating Challenges: As expected in a thriller, obstacles arise immediately, intensifying the protagonist's journey (02:15).

Quote:
Mark Greaney shares, "At this point, he is trying to make a deal with the Romanian mob to smuggle him across the Black Sea and into Sochi, Russia" (02:53).

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3. Commitment to Realism and Research

One of Greaney's standout qualities is his dedication to authenticity. He often engages in firsthand experiences to accurately portray the challenges faced by his characters.

Key Points:

• Firsthand Experiences: Greaney recounts his personal scuba diving experiences, which enhance the realism of scenes where Court Gentry must navigate the cold, deep ocean.
• Diving Background: Initially terrified of the ocean, Greaney overcame his fears by learning to dive for the third Gray Man book, now finding joy in the activity (04:14).
• Previous Research Trips: Although he didn’t visit Russian gulags for this book, his past trips to Russia provided ample material, supported by extensive video footage and notes.

Quote:
Mark Greaney states, "I tell myself I just have to do it enough to be able to write about it... it's a fun aspect of the job" (04:33).

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4. Geopolitical Themes and Inspirations

"Midnight Black" is steeped in contemporary geopolitical tensions, reflecting Greaney's long-standing interest in global affairs.

Key Points:

• Current Affairs: The novel touches on the ongoing war in Ukraine and its ramifications within Russia, mirroring real-world events.
• Cold War Homage: Greaney draws inspiration from Cold War-era novels, particularly those by Tom Clancy, aiming to capture the same intensity and complexity (05:30).
• Personal Interest: From a young age, Greaney was fascinated by geopolitical issues, maintaining a habit of daily research even when not directly relevant to his writing (04:59).

Quote:
He remarks, "This book for me is kind of an homage to these Cold War novels that I was reading in the 1980s... because what's happening over there now, sadly, is very similar" (05:30).

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5. Mastery of Craft and the "Gray Man" Concept

Greaney delves into the intricacies of his writing craft, particularly the concept of the "gray man," which is central to the series.

Key Points:

• Definition of the Gray Man: A "gray man" is someone who operates effectively without drawing attention, avoiding stereotypical gear or behaviors that would identify them as operatives.
• Attention to Detail: From the make and model of a car to the subtlety of clothing, every element is meticulously chosen to convey character traits without overt signals (06:13).
• Authentic Representation: Greaney ensures that his characters' environments and tools reflect their skills and backgrounds, enhancing the story's credibility (06:29).

Quote:
Mark Greaney elaborates, "A gray man is somebody that does all those things but does not wear the gear or walk with a certain posture of somebody that's, you know, ramrod straight because they've been in the military for 20 years" (06:29).

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6. Influences and Mentorship from Tom Clancy

A significant portion of the discussion centers around Greaney's collaboration with the late Tom Clancy and the impact it had on his career.

Key Points:

• Collaborative Efforts: Greaney co-wrote with Tom Clancy and took over the Jack Ryan series post-Clancy's passing.
• Career Transformation: Working with Clancy propelled Greaney from being a "little paperback writer" to achieving national bestseller status (07:34).
• Valuable Lessons: Clancy's advice, though sometimes cryptic, pushed Greaney to elevate his writing and immerse himself in the espionage world's intricacies (07:13).

Quote:
Greaney recalls, "The first time I met him, he said, I'm going to give you a piece of advice... He said, never fly commercial. Always use a private" (07:14). He adds humorously, "I still have never flown on a private plane" (07:32).

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7. Conclusion and Book Release

The episode concludes with a reminder of the release date for "Midnight Black" and an expression of gratitude towards Mark Greaney.

Quote:
Andrew Limbong wraps up by stating, "Midnight Black, the 14th in the Gray Man series, is out Tuesday. Mark, thanks so much" (08:09).

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Final Thoughts

Mark Greaney's "Midnight Black" promises to be a thrilling addition to the Gray Man series, enriched by the author's commitment to realism and deep geopolitical insights. His collaboration with industry giants like Tom Clancy and his relentless pursuit of authenticity set his work apart in the espionage genre. For fans of high-stakes thrillers and nuanced character development, "Midnight Black" is poised to be a must-read.

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Disclaimer: The timestamps correspond to the provided transcript and may not reflect the actual podcast's timing.

Transcript

[NPR Host]

Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day.

[Andrew Limbong]

I'm Andrew Limbong. Sometimes I think the dictum of write.

[NPR Host]

What you know can be kind of silly, especially for fiction. Right. Isn't the whole point using your imagination? And yet there's something interesting about writers who go the extra mile and try and do as much research as possible in order to really get a sense of what their characters are going through. Which is why I wanted to talk to Mark Graney. He's the author of the popular espionage series the Gray Man. And the latest book is out now. It's titled Midnight Black. And like you'd expect in a spy action series like this, his characters shoot guns, apply first aid, endure extreme conditions in order to catch the bad guy, that sort of thing. And he tries to get first hand knowledge of these things within reason, of course. After the break, we talk about how far he'll go for his research and the big name author who really pushed him to get better at his craft. That's ahead.

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[Mark Graney]

You know, we're past Valentine's Day now and I've been thinking a lot about the obstacles that get in the way of spending time with your person. Maybe you and your partner are so busy that your schedules never align. Maybe you're in a long distance relationship and the thing keeping the two of you apart is an ocean. Or maybe you're in off the books. Assassin, a former CIA and the woman you love is imprisoned in a high security Russian gulag. That's where we find Court Gentry in the upcoming thriller novel Midnight Black. It is the latest in the Gray man series. Author Mark Groeny joins us now. Hey, Mark.

Hey, how you doing?

[Andrew Limbong]

Not bad, not bad. All right, so set us up here a bit. This is the 14th novel right, in the Gray man series and it follows around this guy named Court Gentry who is very good at pulling off these like off the record assassinations. Right. He's a, he's a former CIA guy who does other people's secret dirty work. Where is Court Gentry's head at in this one?

[Mark Graney]

Well, in this book, as you said, it's the 14th in the series. It is a standalone novel.

You don't have to read the first.

13 to know what's going on here, thankfully for everyone. But this one opens up with him in Bulgaria and it establishes really, really quickly that he is in A very desperate point of his life. The woman he loves, as you said.

Has been taken by the Russians.

All of his confidants and people he trusts in the west believe that she's been executed, but he just can't let himself believe that. So he has tried all the easy, quote unquote, ways to get into Russia.

Which is a police state, obviously, and.

None of that has worked.

So at this point, he is trying to make a deal with the Romanian.

Mob to smuggle him across the Black.

Sea and into Sochi, Russia. And of course, things go wrong on page one and continue go wrong for him for quite a while.

[Andrew Limbong]

Yeah, a lot goes wrong for him in this book. You're famous for getting firsthand experience for the things you put your characters through. There's a Washington Post article that called you the Tom Cruise of thriller writers. Right. So if someone's shooting a gun in your books, you try to shoot that specific gun. If there's a car being driven, you try to drive that car. Did you have to do any special research for this book? Did you head into any Russian gulags or anything?

[Mark Graney]

I did not into the gulags, thankfully. I actually went to Russia when it was safe to do so several years ago when I was writing a book with Tom Clancy called Command Authority. And that was shortly before the invasion, the initial invasion of Ukraine by Russia. So that was kind of the last chance to go and do that sort of thing. And fortunately I have my thousands of videos and notes and recordings, and so I was able to kind of recount.

What it looks like at Gorky park.

Or what this subway station is like just from. From my time being there back then.

[Andrew Limbong]

What about the other stuff? There was a scene where he. Where Court Jetry has to, like, scuba dive. And it's like the way you describe it, I'm like, oh, I feel like you've done this before, like, just in the cold, deep ocean. Was it. Was that a real life experience you had?

[Mark Graney]

Yeah, I am a diver. I learned how to dive specifically for one of the Gray man books, the third Gray man book, a long time ago, and was terrified of the ocean and everything beforehand, but told myself I had to, and now there's nothing I love to do more than dive.

So just like with all the things that I do to try and get.

The realism right, I tell myself I just have to do it enough to be able to write about it. I don't have to be particularly adept at it or particularly hardcore at it, but it's a fun aspect of the job.

[Andrew Limbong]

The last Gray man novel was about artificial intelligence. This one touches on the current status of the war in Ukraine and how it's affecting the people in Russia. How do you of pick and choose what stuff from the headlines makes it into your novel and what gets left out.

[Mark Graney]

I always like to write about geopolitical issues. That's what's interested me since I was a kid.

When I was young, I didn't read novels. I had a subscription to The Economist and U.S. news when I was 15 years old. And even if I wasn't writing a book about what's happening with Russia and Ukraine and honestly Russia's subversion in the West, I would be researching that stuff for an hour a day anyway. I guarantee I would, just because it's so interesting to me. And this book for me is kind of an homage to these Cold War.

Novels that I was reading in the.

1980S, Tom Clancy and all those guys. Because what's happening over there now, sadly is very similar. And I wanted to kind of tell that type of a story.

[Andrew Limbong]

I want to talk about craft for a bit. You do pay a lot of close attention to things, right? Like the brand, the make, the model of certain objects. And even if you don't know anything about cars, you can tell by how you like position it that you know, some car that some mid level dude rolls up in is saying something about him. In this world of like shadow ops and war criminals, what do the things that you use, the clothes you wear, the stuff you have in your, on your body say about you the entire.

[Mark Graney]

Term the gray man was not something that I invented. It was something that I would hear from military contractors and people in military describing someone who is in their line of work to one degree or another, but doesn't telegraph that you can't be.

In the airport and look at that guy and go, well, those sunglasses and that watch and those Merrell boots and all those things identify him? A gray man is somebody that does all those things but does not wear the gear or walk with a certain posture of somebody that's, you know, ramrod straight because they've been in the military for 20 years. So the people that are really good at this do not telegraph it with their gear, that's for sure.

[Andrew Limbong]

Yeah. You know, you've mentioned a few times that, that you worked with the late Tom Clancy, think it's fair to call him a pillar of his genre, right. You, you co wrote with him, you took over writing the Jack Ryan books after he died. Is there any bit of either career advice or a writing tip you learned from him that you still think about today?

[Mark Graney]

Well, there's a lot of things.

The first time I met him, he said, I'm going to give you a piece of advice. I'm like, oh, great. I can't wait to get advice from Tom Clancy. He said, never fly commercial.

Always use a private.

And I kind of looked at him. I was like, okay, that's great.

[Andrew Limbong]

Easy for you to say.

[Mark Graney]

Tom.

Exactly. I still have never, I still have never flown on a private plane.

But no, he, you know, it just.

Made me feel like I was in this world now and had to go out and get the information. Before Clancy, I wasn't going to the Pentagon and, you know, getting information or the three letter agencies and, you know, I wasn't flying in the back of an F18, which I got to do a few years ago. He really, you know, pushed me up.

To the next level, less so with advice and more so with just this. You know, you're working on such a large scale now.

It's, it's, I was just a little paperback writer before I worked with Clancy, and then suddenly, you know, you have the number one book in the nation. And that was all thanks to him.

[Andrew Limbong]

That was author Mark Graney. His new book, Midnight Black, the 14th in the gray man series, is out Tuesday. Mark, thanks so much.

[Mark Graney]

Hey, thanks so much, Andrew.

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