The pace is frenetic and the action is blistering but at no time do you suspend belief. The author has made a special effort to inject realism into his story. He has put a lot into this book including running around Europe for nine days tracing the route his main character takes in the book. He even studied firearms and shot countless rounds just to get the sense of his character, though one would hope that this was not while he was running around Europe - the police tend to frown on that over here. Special attention is given to dressing wounds and how much damage one person can take and still keep going, something that many writers ignore for the sake of pace. Whatever he did, he managed to inject a real sense of credibility and realism to the book that is rare in a debut novel.

And on top of all that Mark is a really nice guy and I'm delighted to say that the book is doing so well that the movie rights have been snapped up, not surprising when you read it. There are also two more books on the way with the next one nearing completion already. It all seems to be happening for Mark at a pace every bit as blistering as his novel but he managed to find the time to answer a few questions for us. 

Have you always written or is this your first attempt?

I had a few false starts before The Gray Man. Like so many people, I talked about writing a book for years and years, had little notebooks and floppy disks of my 'unfinished novel' in boxes that followed me wherever I moved. I worked on the same manuscript for about 15 years before I finished it, but I'd go months without writing a word. As soon as I was done I had an idea for a second book, and wrote that one in nine months. I was proud of this effort, so I got the first 20 pages in front of an agent who had a great reputation in my genre. He liked it a lot, read the entire manuscript, and told me that I was a good writer, but the story wasn't terribly marketable. (It was historical fiction about the Bosnian War). He said he'd like to see me write something else, and that work became The Gray Man. That agent, Scott Miller with Trident Media Group, took me on as a client.

I see that Court Gentry's story is set to continue. Was that always the plan or did the   character evolve during the writing of the first book?

I really just wanted to get ONE book published, I didn't have the hubris to presume I had a series on my hands, though I knew from the beginning this character could have a lot of great stories in him. In researching the novel I got to do some interesting things and meet some interesting guys who filled me with great ideas. When my editor, Tom Colgan at Berkley, approached my agent and I about more Court Gentry books, I was happy to oblige. Right now a second and third book are scheduled, and I'd love to continue after that. I'd never write the same book twice, but as long as there are new messes for The Gray Man to get into, I'm ready to write them!

How do you write? Do you have a ritual, do you plan out every detail or do you see where the story leads?

For The Gray Man I just wrote from page one to page 456. I had places I wanted the story to go and things I wanted the story to do, but I didn't write down an outline or a synopsis. I did put together a synopsis for On Target, (the second book in the series) just so my editor could see what I had in mind. I never looked at it again after sending it to him, but my final manuscript stayed pretty true to the original idea. I've just finished the synopsis for the third novel, and it came together so quickly and easily, it shows me I'm really energized to write the book itself.

The reviews I have read certainly pick up on the 'action' orientation in the book. It's never easy balancing the sensitivity of a main character with enough action to keep readers turning the pages. How do you ensure you satisfy everyone? Will we see more of Gentry's softer side in the next book?

The events in the book all take place in a short period of time, so the focus is definitely on the action, but the humanity of The Gray Man is also on display- he is a tough guy who is trying to do the right thing by using the deadly skill set that is available to him. You also see his vulnerability as the danger takes a physical and mental toll. In the second book you do learn more about his past and his demons. I wouldn't want to call it a "softer side" because he's not a soft guy... he has been honed to a sharp edge by his profession, but some of the biggest dangers to him come from the inside, and there is a balancing act he must perform between his morality and the bloody task in front of him.

You certainly did a lot of research for the novel; travelling, firearms training etc. How do you get the time?

It wasn't easy. I took 9 days off work to go to Europe to follow the path the character takes in the novel. I travelled with just a backpack and hustled through 7 cities in that time, I was pretty exhausted by the time I got home. It helped that I'd planned the trip out very carefully before I set off. The firearms training took place over a lot of weekends of carbine and pistol work, and a full week for a High Risk Civilian Contractor course. One of the best schools for military, police, and security contractors is only a few hours from where I live, so that helped a lot.

Bad guys with no redeeming characteristics - How do you trump Lloyd in the next book?

I am always interested in the point of view that a writer chooses for his work, and I think one can create an entirely different feel for a book depending on whose POV is represented. In The Gray Man you see Lloyd from the inside- I've read reviewers talk about what an unredeeming creep he is, which is true, but from Lloyd's perspective he MUST find and kill Court Gentry, his OWN life is at stake. In On Target, the POV of the enemy is different, you don't see what they see, you don't necessarily know what they know. I think it makes it a very different type of book. Loyalties and objectives change throughout the story, Court's friend at one moment is his mortal enemy at another. The villain is villainous, to be sure, but there are shades of gray in On Target that make it interesting and very distinct from The Gray Man.

If you were given one paragraph to convince people to buy your novel what would it say?

The Gray Man is a fast-paced and fun novel about an American killer for hire who is forced to run a gauntlet of third-world assassination teams as he makes his way across Europe to rescue two young sisters kidnapped at a chateau in Normandy. Court Gentry, an ex-CIA Special Activities Division Paramilitary Operations Officer, is a legend for his covert kills, but now he's on the run after a ruthless multinational corporation has put a price on his head. The film option for the Gray Man has been sold to Shine/New Regency.

When you're not writing do you read much and who do you enjoy most?

I've been a huge reader my entire life, I can't see how anyone could write without loving to read. My favorite writers include Frederick Forsyth, Nelsen DeMille, Ralph Peters, Gerald Seymour, Daniel Silva, Ken Follett, as well as some Jean LeCarre', some Clancy. I've recently been reading James Rollins and enjoy him a lot. I've got a big stack of nonfiction to go through now, mostly research for the next Court Gentry book.

Will you write full-time now or is it still a matter of writing when you have free time?

I am writing full time now, but just by the skin of my teeth. When I sold the film option and the second and third books in the series, I decided to concentrate on my writing for a while. This year I'll be travelling to Mexico and Europe for research, and I'll be at Thrillerfest this summer in New York and plan on a lot more training with firearms at different schools in the US. This gets pretty expensive, but I feel like it makes my writing richer and more "real". Plus, it's a lot of fun to travel and shoot, so I wouldn't have it any other way.

It certainly looks like he's going to be busy. For myself I can't wait to read more. There is a really good balance between character and action in this book that other writers just don't get right. From the start when you read about his extraction from a 'hot' zone you just know that the author is going to grab you and shake you till it hurts. You also know that you're going to enjoy every second of it.

Mark's website is http://www.markgreaneybooks.com and you'll find interviews, blogs and the aforementioned extract there as well as details of his marathon trip around Europe, with pictures. It's well worth a visit but be warned you'll lose yourself in the extract and probably find yourself going straight out to buy the book so you can read what happens next.

Derek Gunn lives in Dublin, Ireland with his wife and three children and is the author of the post-apocalyptic thriller series, VAMPIRE APOCALYPSE, widely praised on both sides of the Atlantic. The first two books in the series are; A WORLD TORN ASUNDER (2006) and DECENT INTO CHAOS (2008). The third Vampire Apocalypse book, FALLOUT, is due out in 2009. An adaptation of Derek's first book is under option and is currently in development as a major movie.