When Mark Greaney’s representative at Penguin Random House reached out about reviewing the latest spy novel in his ongoing “Gray Man” series, I assured him that I had only ever seen the film that came out in 2022. I had not read the previous 12 “Gray Man” books. Being a fan of spy novels, however, I was more than willing to delve into the latest book and give an honest review. I was sent the new book, along with the rest of the “Gray Man” library (not sure when I’ll be getting to those). I mention all of this for a very good reason, as it is ultimately the crux of this review.
“The Chaos Agent” is the 13th book in the series, and despite its name, starting at the tail end actually produces no chaos for the reader. Of course there are characters from previous installments, such as Court Gentry (the Gray Man himself), his girlfriend and former Russian spy, Zoya Zakharova, and close associate Sir Donald Fitzroy, but not knowing these characters, surprisingly, does not affect the read. Perhaps the closest definition to chaos in the book is the many moving parts and storylines that eventually converge into one. But this is a controlled chaos, controlled by a writer who has undoubtedly become a master at the craft of complex storytelling.
