Reading order · 15 books · 2009 to 2026 · Set around the world
Gray Man Books in Order
Court Gentry, known as the Gray Man, is a former CIA operative turned freelance assassin who only takes jobs he believes are right, and is usually being hunted by someone. Fast, detailed action thrillers set all over the world. Zoya Zakharova, a former Russian intelligence officer, becomes his partner.
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Series facts
- Books
- 15
- Published
- 2009 to 2026
- First book
- The Gray Man
- Latest
- The Hard Line (2026)
- Setting
- Set around the world
The reading order
Every Gray Man book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
15 books · Set around the world
- 1The Gray Man2009With Court GentryCourt Gentry, a former CIA operative now working as a freelance assassin, is suddenly hunted by teams of killers across Europe, and his handler is forced to betray him.Buy on Amazon
- 2On Target2010With Court GentryCourt Gentry is hired to kill the president of Sudan, but his old employers at the CIA have other plans for the target.Buy on Amazon
- 3Ballistic2011With Court GentryCourt Gentry is hiding out in Mexico with an old friend, when the drug war comes to find him.Buy on Amazon
- 4Dead Eye2013With Court GentryCourt Gentry finds himself hunted by another assassin, a man from a secret CIA programme with skills to match his own.Buy on Amazon
- 5Back Blast2016With Court GentryCourt Gentry returns to Washington to find out why the CIA put a kill order out on him five years before.Buy on Amazon
- 6Gunmetal Gray2017With Court GentryCourt Gentry is sent to Hong Kong to find a Chinese hacker who has gone on the run, and meets Zoya Zakharova, a Russian intelligence officer.Buy on Amazon
- 7Agent in Place2018With Court GentryCourt Gentry is hired in Paris to kidnap the mistress of the Syrian president, a woman who could bring the dictator down.Buy on Amazon
- 8Mission Critical2019With Court GentryA hooded prisoner is seized from a CIA flight at a remote British airbase, and Court Gentry, the only one to escape, pursues the kidnappers alone.Buy on Amazon
- 9One Minute Out2020With Court GentryCourt Gentry stumbles on a human trafficking ring in the Balkans, and sets out to destroy it.Buy on Amazon
- 10Relentless2021With Court GentryIntelligence officers around the world are disappearing, and Court is sent to Venezuela to bring back a missing American agent, while Zoya Zakharova goes undercover in Berlin.Buy on Amazon
- 11Sierra Six2022With Court GentryCourt Gentry meets a man he thought he had killed on his first mission, years before, as Sierra Six of a CIA paramilitary team.Buy on Amazon
- 12Burner2023With Court GentryA Swiss banker steals records that expose a web of corruption, and Court and Zoya both want him, for different reasons, while the Russian mafia and the CIA close in.Buy on Amazon
- 13The Chaos Agent2024With Court GentryLeading robotics and artificial intelligence experts are being killed around the world, and Court and Zoya, living under new identities, are drawn back into the fight.Buy on Amazon
- 14Midnight Black2025With Court Gentry and Zoya ZakharovaZoya is imprisoned in a Siberian penal colony, and Court sets out to free her, defying the frozen wasteland and the power of the Russian state.Buy on Amazon
- 15The Hard Line2026With Court GentryCourt Gentry becomes the prey when a legendary assassin is drawn out of retirement by a personal vendetta, determined to strike at Court and everyone he loves.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read in publication order, starting with The Gray Man. Each book is a separate mission, but Court’s relationships with the CIA and with Zoya develop through the series.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Court Gentry | Zoya Zakharova | Matt Hanley | Suzanne Brewer | Denny Carmichael |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 The Gray Man | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ||
| 2 On Target | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ||
| 3 Ballistic | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ||
| 4 Dead Eye | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ||
| 5 Back Blast | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 6 Gunmetal Gray | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
| 7 Agent in Place | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
| 8 Mission Critical | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
| 9 One Minute Out | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | |
| 10 Relentless | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | |
| 11 Sierra Six | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | |
| 12 Burner | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | |
| 13 The Chaos Agent | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | |
| 14 Midnight Black | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | |
| 15 The Hard Line | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor |
Characters in the Gray Man books
5 characters from Mark Greaney’s chart, with the number of Gray Man books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Court GentryFormer CIA operative and freelance assassin known as the Gray Man | 15 | The Gray Man 2009 |
| Zoya ZakharovaFormer Russian intelligence officer and Court’s partner | 10 | Gunmetal Gray 2017 |
| Matt HanleySenior CIA officer who handles Court | 15 | The Gray Man 2009 |
| Suzanne BrewerCIA officer and Court’s antagonist | 11 | Back Blast 2016 |
| Denny CarmichaelCIA director of the National Clandestine Service | 8 | The Gray Man 2009 |