As Ballistic begins, 37 year old, former CIA Agent Court Gentry (now on a shoot-on-sight sanction from the CIA) is working in the jungles of Central America, two days by steamboat from the closest small city. Not only is he being hunted by the CIA but former employer and Russian Mafia kingpin Gregor Sidorenko has sent a Dutch manhunter to find him. The Dutchmen has been searching for seven months and when he finally finds the Gray Man he sends a team of assassins.

Six's escape thru the jungle and alligator infested swamps is great reading. As he recovers from this ordeal in a bus station in Guatemala City, Court learns of the death of Eddie Gamboa with whom Court spent quality time in a Laotian prison (another great escape episode in Ballistic). Gamboa, who worked for an elite group of the Mexican Federal Police, was literally blown out of the water on a very expensive yacht owned and exploded by Daniel de la Rocha (DLR) the leader of one of Mexico's drug (second largest crystal meth cartel in the world) and kidnapping organizations.

Court detours to Eddie's grave site where he meets Eddie's pregnant wife Elena, who invites him home for dinner. During the evening, Court meets Chuck Cullen a retired Navy office who is also a friend of Eddie's and Eddie's sister, Laura about whom he had heard so much about in Laos. Rather than leave town, Court is encouraged to attend a memorial service the next day which turns out to be fraught with difficulties (and yet another great action-packed vignette). Now challenged, the Gray Man chooses to avenge his friend's death and the attacks on his friend's family.

Ballistic is the third (after The Gray Man and On Target) adventure in the Court Gentry series. With the exception of a lull in the middle of the book, Ballistic is a must read thriller for those who like both nonstop action and a loner hero with neither friends nor associates. And the "lull" is totally forgotten during the last third of the book when the action and body count is ratcheted-up to a sit up in your seat level.

Although characters and events from the prior novels are referenced, they are not required reading to enjoy Ballistic. Note that Mark Greaney adds both depth and complexity to Cort Gentry's character while touching on a most relevant and topical subject - the Mexican drug cartels. Certainly one of the top three action thrillers in the recent past. Enjoy!

--Jerry Solot