A remarkably successful series of high-stakes thriller novels. Becoming a co-author with the legendary Tom Clancy and his Jack Ryan novels. Producing a No. 1 New York Times bestseller. His first published novel turning into a Netflix film adaptation with a $200 million budget starring Ryan Gosling.
This is the career, so far, of University of Memphis alumnus Mark Greaney. He persisted for years with his passion as a writer to get here.
Greaney began his first book in 1990 while enrolled at the UofM. He finished 15 years later. His second book took just seven months, and he鈥檚 been off and running ever since.
It was in 2009 when Greaney had his first novel published 鈥� The Gray Man. The book spawned a series currently featuring 10 action-packed novels primarily following the drama surrounding Court Gentry, a mysterious assassin working for, and at times in opposition to, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
Greaney has had at least one novel published per year since 2009, publishing two per year five times during that span. That鈥檚 a feat which requires a goal of writing 2000 words per day.
鈥淚鈥檓 always working on what鈥檚 next,鈥� Greaney said, 鈥渂ut that鈥檚 a great place to be for me. It means I have work, and I鈥檓 doing what I love to do.鈥�
The Seven-Year Plan
Greaney enrolled at the UofM in 1985 and graduated in 1992. He always held a full-time
job, and at times two, while earning his degree. He would take semesters off just
to work with jobs ranging from a music store to various restaurants to a computer
hardware business. He even played the drums in a band for a while.
鈥淚 was on the seven-year plan, if you can believe it,鈥� Greaney joked. 鈥淚 was always working and trying to get a degree at the same time. Especially my first couple of years there, I was just going to class when I could get away from everything else I was doing.鈥�
It was after Greaney completed two years of class credits that he became an International Relations major and began to thrive as a student. He didn鈥檛 know it at the time, but that decision would lead to his best years at the UofM and play an important role in helping shape his vision as a novelist.
鈥淚 started taking classes that were fascinating to me, and with teachers who I thought were brilliant and really good to work with,鈥� Greaney said. 鈥淚 was in classes with five people, including the professor, around a small table just sharing thoughts on international affairs and issues. I became so much more engaged.
鈥淚 look back so fondly on my time at University of Memphis.鈥�
Greaney graduated as a double major in International Relations and Political Science. He later found work in international business, most recently for the medical device company Medtronic, up until his writing career took off.
Throughout his breakthrough as an author, and the increased notoriety that has come with it, Greaney has remained based in the Bluff City.
鈥淚 love Memphis and the culture,鈥� Greaney said. 鈥淚 think it is continually becoming a better city, so I feel like we are on the right trajectory overall. This is where I鈥檓 happy, and it鈥檚 always going to be home base for me.鈥�
The Gray Man Series
Essentially traveling the world for a living 鈥� he鈥檚 been to nearly 40 countries 鈥�
helped Greaney build the vivid, realistic settings throughout The Gray Man series. He combined that with the knowledge he gained studying relations and politics
across the world to become one of the most successful current writers of his genre.
鈥淚 didn't use my degree for a long time after I got out of school, but I can't say that anymore,鈥� Greaney said. 鈥淚 definitely use the things that I learned to inform everything I do now.鈥�
In the beginning of the series, Greaney had a wealth of information, what he calls 鈥渓ow-hanging fruit,鈥� to describe Gentry鈥檚 adventures in great detail. It has become more difficult as he digs deeper into the series, constantly looking to acquire new information to make sure his next book is every bit as unique, action-packed and gripping as his last.
His penchant for consuming news from around the world, love of travel and interest
in weaponry and intelligence agencies make his book research as much fun as it is
important. He鈥檚 consistently doing location research and gaining information from
the many contacts he has developed within government, military and law enforcement.
鈥淎 lot of the book ideas themselves will come from kernels of information I gain from reading the news,鈥� Greaney said. 鈥淎s for research, it鈥檚 never enough. I am always looking for as much as I can take away. It helps that I have been fortunate enough to slowly build my contacts and knowledge over time. I think the whole process definitely helps the books become more accurate.鈥�
Greaney credits the experience of working with Tom Clancy, who wrote 17 bestsellers and whose books have sold more than 100 million copies, as an opportunity that 鈥渙pened a lot of doors鈥� for him. He served as co-author on Clancy鈥檚 final three novels 鈥� Locked On, Threat Vector and Command Authority. After Clancy鈥檚 death in 2013, Greaney authored Tom Clancy: Support and Defend, Tom Clancy: Full Force and Effect, Tom Clancy: Commander in Chief and Tom Clancy: True Faith and Allegiance with the backing of Clancy鈥檚 family and estate.
鈥淭hat was a great experience for me in so many ways,鈥� Greaney said. 鈥淚t was really hard work, and I could feel I was under a different microscope, but I knew there was nothing better I could do for my career than to work with Tom Clancy. I鈥檓 so sorry that we lost him in 2013. I would have loved to have done a couple more books with him.鈥�
As for The Gray Man series, Netflix is currently making its film adaptation based on the first book. One Minute Out, the ninth book in the series, is a No. 1 New York Times bestseller. The latest in the series 鈥� Relentless 鈥� was released in February and, like the novels that preceded, has been met with almost entirely positive reception.
Netflix
With a budget upward of $200 million, Netflix has invested more financially into The Gray Man than any of its original movies to date.
The film is starring award-winning actors Gosling, playing the role of Gentry, and Chris Evans, who is best known for his role as Captain America in the Marvel series. The Russo brothers 鈥� Anthony and Joe 鈥� are serving as directors.
Filming began in March, a moment Greaney had convinced himself would almost certainly never happen. He had sold the rights to have The Gray Man become a film after completing the book in 2009. In the lead-up to being published, the small, paperback release wasn鈥檛 getting the overwhelming attention Greaney鈥檚 novels receive today.
鈥淎t the time, it was just super exciting that I was finally getting published,鈥� Greaney
said. 鈥淎n accomplishment, sure, but certainly not a situation where I could quit my
regular job or anything.鈥�
A few months before the book came out, Hollywood called. A group had read The Gray Man and wanted to 鈥渙ption鈥� the story, meaning to reach a contractual agreement for the rights to potentially make a film adaptation.
There were different studios interested and scripts written over the next several years. Sony got involved in 2015, which is when the Russos wrote their script. The momentum eventually died out with scripts and potential directors falling through.
鈥淚 just got to the point where I didn't believe it would happen,鈥� Greaney said. 鈥淣one of it would get my blood pressure up at all, just because I'd heard so many things over so many years nothing ever came of it.鈥�
Then, in early 2020, the Russos regained interest as potential directors. A rumor of Gosling鈥檚 desire to play the lead role began to circulate. In July 2020, Netflix struck a deal with Sony for the rights to create the film adaptation.
鈥淚t's officially totally out of my hands,鈥� Greaney said. 鈥淭he Russos and I are in contact here and there. I鈥檓 working on the 11th book in the series now, so they have always wanted to make sure that what they do from the beginning doesn鈥檛 conflict with things that happen in later books.鈥�
With the first story coming to Netflix, a film series for The Gray Man remains a very real possibility.
鈥淚 am definitely deep into what鈥檚 next,鈥� Greaney said. 鈥淚t feels like I always am, but that鈥檚 where I am comfortable. I know what my next six books are, so I have two books to write a year for the next three years.鈥�
Whatever stories Greaney tells in those next six books and beyond are sure to continue building on the impressive accomplishments of this proud Memphian and UofM alumnus.
An espionage thriller immersed in the military and politics, Relentless was released in February as the 10th installment of Mark Greaney鈥檚 bestselling Gray Man series.
The Gray Man, Court Gentry, is involved with the Central Intelligence Agency鈥檚 (CIA)
secretive Poison Apple program doing contract work as a private assassin at this point
in the series. He is pulled out of a CIA medical facility while recovering from injuries
sustained on a previous mission and sent overseas to unravel an international conspiracy.
A team of assassins has other ideas, but Court escapes with his life and a vital piece
of intelligence.
Meanwhile, CIA agent Zoya Zakharova is in Berlin to infiltrate a private intelligence firm with some alarming connections. The closer she gets to answers, the less likely she is to get out alive.
Gentry and Zakharova are just two pieces on this international chessboard, and they鈥檙e about to discover one undeniable truth 鈥� sometimes capturing a king requires sacrificing some pawns.
鈥淚t is very much a standalone novel,鈥� Greaney said. 鈥淵ou don't have to read the entire series or have read them in any order or anything like that. You can pick this up as your first Gray Man and it will totally be a cohesive story.鈥�
Relentless can be purchased online as an audiobook, ebook or hardcopy through any major online or in-store book retailers.
