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by Gregg Hurwitz ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 19, 2016

With his digital-age The Avenger, Hurwitz races by minor plot holes and spins a web of relentless intrigue with bursts of...

Kicking off a new series, Hurwitz ( Don’t Look Back , 2014, etc.) sets young Evan Smoak, a one-time government assassin, to work as a pro bono equalizer—one call brings a criminal to justice.

The 9/11 terror attacks made major bad guys targets for undercover termination, and so a darker-than-black government agency created the Orphan Program. That group trained throwaway kids as the world’s most efficient assassins "for solo, offline covert operations." Then "drones changed everything," and the Orphans were left in limbo. Orphan X, Evan, decided to freelance, his impetus being his belief that his Orphan mentor (and substitute father), Jack Johns, was murdered. Soon, a Hezbollah arms chief, a dealer in fissile material, and a serial rapist receive Evan’s justice. All it takes is a quick call to his victim’s hotline, 1-855-2NOWHERE. Evan’s back story arrives in short, scene-style chapters. The primary narrative follows Evan as he takes on new projects. His lair is a luxury Los Angeles condo, the atmosphere set by neighboring busybodies, where he has a secret vault with Google-level technology. Hurwitz offers a glimpse of Evan’s modus operandi as the assassin eliminates a dirty cop coercing an immigrant teen into prostitution. Then the tale spins down into double crosses and duplicities as Evan becomes a target and other former Orphans enter the fray. High-tech gadgetry abounds—microscopic internal GPS transmitters, a "fully pixelated contact lens" for digital communication—but Evan is old school too, mastering esoteric Filipino, Japanese, and Indonesian martial arts. Hurwitz closes with an unexpected narrative left turn, but even though he’s painted Evan adequately, including vague hints of possible romance with neighbor Mia, a widowed single mother, Evan will need another adventure or two before he grows into an empathetic hero.

Pub Date: Jan. 19, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-250-06784-5

Page Count: 368

Publisher: Minotaur

Review Posted Online: Nov. 3, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2015

SUSPENSE | SUSPENSE

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by Gregg Hurwitz

A CONSPIRACY OF BONES

by Kathy Reichs ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 17, 2020

Forget about solving all these crimes; the signal triumph here is (spoiler) the heroine’s survival.

Another sweltering month in Charlotte, another boatload of mysteries past and present for overworked, overstressed forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan.

A week after the night she chases but fails to catch a mysterious trespasser outside her town house, some unknown party texts Tempe four images of a corpse that looks as if it’s been chewed by wild hogs, because it has been. Showboat Medical Examiner Margot Heavner makes it clear that, breaking with her department’s earlier practice ( The Bone Collection , 2016, etc.), she has no intention of calling in Tempe as a consultant and promptly identifies the faceless body herself as that of a young Asian man. Nettled by several errors in Heavner’s analysis, and even more by her willingness to share the gory details at a press conference, Tempe launches her own investigation, which is not so much off the books as against the books. Heavner isn’t exactly mollified when Tempe, aided by retired police detective Skinny Slidell and a host of experts, puts a name to the dead man. But the hints of other crimes Tempe’s identification uncovers, particularly crimes against children, spur her on to redouble her efforts despite the new M.E.’s splenetic outbursts. Before he died, it seems, Felix Vodyanov was linked to a passenger ferry that sank in 1994, an even earlier U.S. government project to research biological agents that could control human behavior, the hinky spiritual retreat Sparkling Waters, the dark web site DeepUnder, and the disappearances of at least four schoolchildren, two of whom have also turned up dead. And why on earth was Vodyanov carrying Tempe’s own contact information? The mounting evidence of ever more and ever worse skulduggery will pull Tempe deeper and deeper down what even she sees as a rabbit hole before she confronts a ringleader implicated in “Drugs. Fraud. Breaking and entering. Arson. Kidnapping. How does attempted murder sound?”

Pub Date: March 17, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-9821-3888-2

Page Count: 352

Publisher: Scribner

Review Posted Online: Dec. 22, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2020

GENERAL MYSTERY & DETECTIVE | GENERAL THRILLER & SUSPENSE | MYSTERY & DETECTIVE | SUSPENSE | THRILLER | DETECTIVES & PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS | SUSPENSE | GENERAL & DOMESTIC THRILLER

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by Kathy Reichs

THEN SHE WAS GONE

by Lisa Jewell ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 24, 2018

Dark and unsettling, this novel’s end arrives abruptly even as readers are still moving at a breakneck speed.

Ten years after her teenage daughter went missing, a mother begins a new relationship only to discover she can't truly move on until she answers lingering questions about the past.

Laurel Mack’s life stopped in many ways the day her 15-year-old daughter, Ellie, left the house to study at the library and never returned. She drifted away from her other two children, Hanna and Jake, and eventually she and her husband, Paul, divorced. Ten years later, Ellie’s remains and her backpack are found, though the police are unable to determine the reasons for her disappearance and death. After Ellie’s funeral, Laurel begins a relationship with Floyd, a man she meets in a cafe. She's disarmed by Floyd’s charm, but when she meets his young daughter, Poppy, Laurel is startled by her resemblance to Ellie. As the novel progresses, Laurel becomes increasingly determined to learn what happened to Ellie, especially after discovering an odd connection between Poppy’s mother and her daughter even as her relationship with Floyd is becoming more serious. Jewell’s ( I Found You , 2017, etc.) latest thriller moves at a brisk pace even as she plays with narrative structure: The book is split into three sections, including a first one which alternates chapters between the time of Ellie’s disappearance and the present and a second section that begins as Laurel and Floyd meet. Both of these sections primarily focus on Laurel. In the third section, Jewell alternates narrators and moments in time: The narrator switches to alternating first-person points of view (told by Poppy’s mother and Floyd) interspersed with third-person narration of Ellie’s experiences and Laurel’s discoveries in the present. All of these devices serve to build palpable tension, but the structure also contributes to how deeply disturbing the story becomes. At times, the characters and the emotional core of the events are almost obscured by such quick maneuvering through the weighty plot.

Pub Date: April 24, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-5011-5464-5

Publisher: Atria

Review Posted Online: Feb. 5, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2018

GENERAL THRILLER & SUSPENSE | SUSPENSE | FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP | SUSPENSE

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by Lisa Jewell

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Thursday, March 4, 2021

Series review - orphan x.

In this combined series review, I will be reviewing all of the books and novellas in the Orphan X series by Gregg Hurwitz. These books are all published by Minotaur. This is an exciting adventure series that makes me think of a young Jack Reacher.

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It is ten years later, Evan has chosen to leave the program and now he is in a run for his life. Evan will not get away easily. No one leaves the program, so he is being trailed by someone with skills to match his own. Meanwhile, he has since lost his  handler/father-figure Jack. Despite being chased, Evan begins to use his inestimable skills to try and help others.

There are a couple of particular things of that I’m worth noting about Evan. First of all he has extreme case of OCD. Secondly he was raised by a list of commandments and part of his role as an assassin and he lives by those principles to this day. Also, he has a great love of  vodka. Can’t forget to mention that. Also, th ere is a character introduced in this series that has had a minor role throughout that I have enjoyed seeing from time to time.

This first book is most certainly action packed, gadget filled, and has excitement from beginning to end. What a great introduction to a thrilling series.

As this book begins Evan wakes up to discover that he is in a locked room and he’s been ambushed, he has also been drugged. Accompanied by his exceptional skills and exceedingly sharp wits, Evan determines a plan to escape. One thing Evan has kept on his person despite leaving the program is something called a RoamZone phone. This untraceable gadget allows him to be contacted by people who need his help. He receives a call for help, and knows that time is of the essence, thus he must escape. Will he able to escape and prove that the years of training as a specialized government assassin will be enough to save his life in the lives of others that he comes upon?

The victims that Evan help include a teenage girl trying to escape a sex trafficking operation. Another woman needs Evan's assistance and does everything he can to rescue her as well.  All along, the action and intensity remain at a fever pitch, 

What an exciting addition to an already thrilling series. I love seeing Evan get himself out of precarious situations. I also loved getting to know more and more about him as I read each book in the series. Readers following this series from the very beginning will no doubt have seen that Evan is indeed a man of strong morals, despite the training he has received and the many lives he has taken. 

In this book we are reminded of how Evan was pulled into a program from a young age and trained until he was 19 to become a government assassin. Skilled beyond belief, one thing his adoptive father/handler Jack wanted to always have him remember is that he was a human being first and not just a killing machine.  It is in this third book of the series that Evan loses his mentor, Jack. When Evan learns that the program's director, Van Sciver, is behind Jack's murder, Evan goes after him.

Meanwhile, now completely free of the program, Evan’s goal is to help as many people as possible, no matter the cost. However, with Von Sciver, who is called Orphan Y, having sent hit men after Evan, this definitely becomes a game of cat and mouse.

Along the way, Evan runs into sixteen-year-old Joey Morales. She failed the program and now Evan is sort of becomes a guardian and protector. She becomes part of Evan’s life. Another important person in his life is Prosecutor Mia Hall, who lives downstairs from Evan, as well as her young son Peter. It has been nice to see Evan evolve over the first couple of books in this series and to see more and more of his human side.

A bit more about Joey. She is brilliant computer hacker and programmer who has tried to become a machine. While she helps Evan track down his enemies, Evan becomes her pseudo father. No matter how smart and resourceful Joey is, Evan does not want her to be a part of the program. I absolutely love their interchanges. For example, I loved it every time Evan would remind Joey: language . 

Beyond Evan's exceptional skills and wits, his apartment is a veritable fortress that keeps him safe and has every tool and gadget he could ever need. It also houses all the vodka Evan could ever need in a lifetime.  For another exciting entry into a thrilling series, Hellbent  definitely fits the bill. 

The program has indeed been disbanded and Evan is doing whatever he can to get rid of whatever orphans are still alive, and this includes Evan. Not only is Evan determined to kill the president before he himself is killed, he still working on helping other people. So this is another game of kill or be killed.

Evan is not in this fight by himself because he’s continually getting help from his protégé, Joey. She is a gifted hacker and programmer who is instrumental in helping Evan work towards his goal. Meanwhile Evan remains good friends with his neighbor, single mother and Prosecutor Mia Hall and her young son Peter.

Evan Smoak was trained as a government assassin in a Black Ops government program. He dealt with burn-out and left the program. He has had many a fight for his life, because no one walks away from the program. But, as always, this highly skilled man manages to survive fight after fight.

Evan gets a call on one of the gadgets he kept, his  RoamZone phone,  from a desperate man. Max Merriweather is currently separated, just lost his cousin Grant due to a brutal murder, and it seems that he has even bigger problems on his hands. Before Grant died he had given Max a letter that was to be given to a reporter if something ever would’ve happened to him. When Max realizes that the reporter is missing and then his apartment was ransacked, he knew that he needed some help.

At this point in his life, Evan really planned on retiring. But, just one more case. And what a case this is! It doesn’t matter what Evan has to face, his exceptional skills, unending gadgets, and close association with computer hacker and pseudo daughter Joey Morales, Evan is up to the task.

As Evans stepped in to help Max, he quickly realizes the source of his problems. Evan discovers that an Armenian gang is involved. He has no trouble neutralizing the gang. However, it seems that killers are still after Max and whatever precious thing he was given to by his cousin. Along the way, Evan does something that I thought was really cool. He rescues a bait dog, which is a dog used in dogfights that usually cost a particular dog its life. He rescues the dog and brings it to Joey, and this is something that she has none too pleased with. As before, we see how Evan interacts with neighbor Mia Hall and her young son Peter. It’s evident that they have a connection, but with Evan being constantly surrounded by danger, it’s any wonder whether or not that will ever go anywhere.

I really loved this 5th book in this exciting series! How Gregg Hurwitz keeps raising the bar in this series just blows my mind. There might be some suspending belief while seeing how Evan can get out of every situation - insert any MacGyver episode - but oh, what fun! The book also has a measure of humor in each story and I enjoy that as well. Meanwhile, the human side of Evan is getting clearer and clearer, especially as his concern and protectiveness concerning Joey increases. 

Many thanks to Minotaur Books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Joey is heartbroken when she fails to stop the suicide of a young woman. Joey discovers something called The List, which is something that is around her college campus that rates young women based on their sexual prowess. Joy is determined to find out who is responsible for this list and for the girls suicide.  I have come to love Joey in the series in to see her work her own case as it were, was a true delight.

In what has proved to be my favorite book in this exciting series, Evan Smoak, aka The Nowhere Man, or Orphan X, gets a call from someone that claims to be his mother! Evan cannot believe this. He was abandoned at only a week old, later trained as a child to become a government assassin. Eventually Evan became burnt out and retired. He cannot refuse the opportunity to meet his mother and to find out things about his early life. What is more is that she asks him to help someone named Andrew Duran.

Andrew has managed to attract the attention of a brother and sister assassination team and if Evan doesn’t help him he definitely will not survive. Yes, another action packed book! Evan has his gadgets, including his RoamPhone, his skills and his wit. All the while, he deals with his OCD. Let the reader not forget his love of vodka, and his wonderful relationship with Joey, the hacker and programmer that Evan wants to keep out of the Orphan program. He becomes an excellent father figure to Joey. I love the fatherly role he has taken on with her and how while she continues to humanize him, and he tries to keep her on the right track in life so that she never has to experience her first kill.

This was the most personal, sentimental and emotional book in the series that’s far. We learn more about Evan's childhood and how difficult his life was once he was pulled into the program. Readers also meet and get to know Andrew, who is not only an alcoholic, separated from his daughter, but who lives in slovenly conditions that completely clash with Evan’s highly OCD nature.  In this book we even see that Evan was able to find out more about why  his mentor and handler was killed.

I have to say that microdrones that looked like dragonflies in this book kind of made me laugh. Meanwhile, Evan’s softer side, his more human side, definitely comes out in this book. Of course we see his relationship with Joey growing, him drawing closer to neighbor Mia and her son Peter, how he interacts with other neighbors in his building, and his reluctant connection to Andrew. 

The finale was thrilling and gives me great hope and excitement for the next book in the series. I am on pins and needles waiting for that book. Excitingly, I will be getting it as a print ARC and cannot wait for that to arrive in my mailbox one of these days.

8 comments:

Glad to see this, I've been wondering about this series and was afraid it was too high voltage and intense for me

I've never read his work, the books look interesting. Great reviews.

One of my favorite series - I am a serious fangirl for this one.

The series sounds great. Thanks for putting it on my radar.

I love that you compiled this series into one post!

This series sounds interesting great review

Good on you for finishing a series. I struggle with that😂

wow!! new author and series to me; as always you impress with your reading and reviews.

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Book Summary and Reviews of Orphan X by Gregg Hurwitz

Summary | Reviews | More Information | More Books

An Evan Smoak Novel

by Gregg Hurwitz

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• Genre: Thrillers
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Book summary.

" Orphan X is the most gripping, high-octane thriller I've read in a long, long time. Hang onto your seat because Gregg Hurwitz will take you on a dizzying ride you'll not soon forget!" -Tess Gerritsen

The Nowhere Man is a legendary figure spoken about only in whispers. It's said that when he's reached by the truly desperate and deserving, the Nowhere Man can and will do anything to protect and save them. But he's no legend. Evan Smoak is a man with skills, resources, and a personal mission to help those with nowhere else to turn. He's also a man with a dangerous past. Chosen as a child, he was raised and trained as part of the off-the-books black box Orphan program, designed to create the perfect deniable intelligence assets - i.e. assassins. He was Orphan X. Evan broke with the program, using everything he learned to disappear. Now, however, someone is on his tail. Someone with similar skills and training. Someone who knows Orphan X. Someone who is getting closer and closer. And will exploit Evan's weakness - his work as The Nowhere Man - to find him and eliminate him. Grabbing the reader from the very first page, Orphan X is a masterful thriller, the first in Gregg Hurwitz's electrifying new series featuring Evan Smoak.

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"Starred Review. Hurwitz, known for this kind of adrenaline-producing fiction (notably The Survivor , 2012), adds enough humanity to the action to make this a standout, and readers should get in at the start." - Booklist "Starred Review. Bestseller Hurwitz ( Don't Look Back ) melds nonstop action and high-tech gadgetry with an acute character study in this excellent series opener." - Publishers Weekly "Hurwitz closes with an unexpected narrative left turn, but even though he's painted Evan adequately, including vague hints of possible romance with neighbor Mia, a widowed single mother, Evan will need another adventure or two before he grows into an empathetic hero." - Kirkus "This isn't simply Hurwitz's 'best thriller yet' or 'a terrific new thriller' - Orphan X is an order-of-magnitude leap into stardom. It's the most exciting thriller I've read since The Bourne Identity . Fans of Jack Reacher, Mitch Rapp, and Jason Bourne will LOVE Evan Smoak, and the deadly, secret world of the Orphan Program. A new thriller superstar is born!" - Robert Crais "What is Orphan X? A thrill-a-minute read with twists and turns galore. I'm looking forward to Evan Smoak's next adventure." - Phillip Margolin " Orphan X is the most gripping, high-octane thriller I've read in a long, long time. Hang onto your seat because Gregg Hurwitz will take you on a dizzying ride you'll not soon forget!" - Tess Gerritsen "Gregg Hurwitz's Orphan X is his best yet - a real celebration of all the strengths he brings to a thriller." - Lee Child "Brilliantly conceived and plotted, his character Evan Smoak, Orphan X , deserves his own niche in the thriller hero hall of fame. Read this book. You will thank me later." - David Baldacci " Orphan X is the most exciting new series character since Jack Reacher. And Reacher would love this guy. A page-turning masterpiece of suspense enriched by compassion and insight." - Jonathan Kellerman "Exciting and mind blowing! A perfect mix of Jason Bourne and Jack Reacher, ex operative Evan Smoak turns on the action and shows off all the right moves as he sets out to help the downtrodden, and perhaps save his own humanity along the way." - Lisa Gardner

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Gregg Hurwitz Author Biography

Gregg Hurwitz is the New York Times #1 internationally bestselling author of 23 thrillers including the ORPHAN X series. His novels have won numerous literary awards and have been published in 33 languages. Gregg currently serves as the Co-President of International Thriller Writers (ITW). Additionally, he's written poetry, screenplays and television scripts for many of the major studios and networks, comics for AWA, DC, and Marvel, and political and culture pieces for The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, The Bulwark and others. Gregg lives with his Rhodesian ridgebacks in Los Angeles, where he continues to play soccer, frequently injuring himself.

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Mystery Sequels

Orphan X by Gregg Hurwitz (Orphan X #1)

I figured Orphan X is a welcome addition to this thriller sub-genre, and I was right. However, Evan Smoak does remind me also of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher in a way as well, so that’s a plus.

The book is about Evan Smoak, a legendary assassin known as The Nowhere Man. At the age of 12, he has snatched away from his already bad life and included in a shadow government organization called The Orphan Program that trained young guys to become deadly assassins later on in life.

Each child is known only under a letter, and Evan is called X.

Trained by a father figure called Jack in all sorts, forms and arts of killing the opponent, when the program is eventually disbanded, Evan is already well underway to question the reasons why he has to kill people and why those people. He soon realizes that the life chosen for him is not a life he would choose for himself, and once the secret program is dissolved, he knows that he now can put his lethal skills to good use – not to kill, but to save people who really need saving.

He doesn’t need money for his services as he has plenty from his previous life, he has only one request: that the people whom he saves will pay it forward, by giving others in dire need of help his number to call. Maybe it’s a way for him to atone for all his dark past, or maybe he’s found his real calling. Regardless of the reason, he has become famous and people who truly are desperate have now a way to get help. Once they call, he greets them with the words ““Do you need my help?”.

Sadly his one rule turns out to be the one to put him in grave danger from the wrong people who want him dead. Someone from his past knows who he is and will do everything in his power not only to expose him but also to eliminate him.

By helping his latest client, a young girl, he’s entered a vicious cat and mouse game where he suddenly becomes the prey. And he’s now no longer sure whether the client is indeed someone in need of help or someone eager to betray him.

The story is fast-paced, the action is pretty much non-stop and Evan (not his real name, of course) is a character I couldn’t help but like, despite his rather cold and enigmatic nature. Over the years he has built a wall surrounding and protecting him both physically and emotionally. And soon this wall is about to crumble when he meets his neighbors Mia and her adopted son, Peter.

The characters have a nice depth to them, making you feel that you really want to know more about them. Evan is fearless, probably an adrenaline junkie at times and he has one main rule and honor code: never let an innocent person die.

I’m definitely looking forward to rereading the second book in the series, which will be titled The Nowhere Man to come our January 2017. I can’t wait!

Orphan X by Gregg Hurwitz Series : Orphan X #1 Published  by Minotaur Books Published  2016 Genres : Crime mystery Source : Purchased Also by this author :  The Nowhere Man ,  Hellbent

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Orphan X: A Novel (Orphan X, 1) Mass Market Paperback – November 1, 2016

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“Brilliantly conceived and plotted … Read this book. You’ll thank me later.” -- David Baldacci Who is Orphan X? The Nowhere Man is a legendary figure spoken about only in whispers. It’s said that when he’s reached by the truly desperate and deserving, the Nowhere Man can and will do anything to protect and save them. But he’s not merely a legend. “Excellent…A smart, stylish, state-of-the-art thriller…might give Lee Child’s Jack Reacher books a run for their money.” ―The Washington Post Evan Smoak is a man with skills, resources, and a personal mission to help those with nowhere else to turn. He’s also a man with a dangerous past. Chosen as a child, he was raised and trained as an Orphan, an off-the-books black box program designed to create the perfect deniable intelligence asset: An assassin. Evan was Orphan X―until he broke with the program and used everything he learned to disappear. But now someone is on his tail. Someone with similar skills and training who will exploit Evan’s secret new identity as the Nowhere Man to eliminate him. “Hurwitz melds nonstop action and high-tech gadgetry…in this excellent series opener.” ― Publishers Weekly (starred review ) This edition of the book is the deluxe, tall rack mass market paperback.

• Book 1 of 10 Orphan X
• Print length 416 pages
• Language English
• Publisher St. Martin's Paperbacks
• Publication date November 1, 2016
• Dimensions 4.15 x 1 x 7.45 inches
• ISBN-10 1250097207
• ISBN-13 978-1250097200
• See all details

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Editorial Reviews

“This isn't simply Hurwitz's 'best thriller yet' or 'a terrific new thriller'- Orphan X is an order-of-magnitude leap into stardom. It's the most exciting thriller I've read since The Bourne Identity . Fans of Jack Reacher, Mitch Rapp, and Jason Bourne will LOVE Evan Smoak, and the deadly, secret world of the Orphan Program. A new thriller superstar is born!” ―Robert Crais “What is Orphan X? A thrill-a-minute read with twists and turns galore. I'm looking forward to Evan Smoak's next adventure.” ―Phillip Margolin “Orphan X is the most gripping, high-octane thriller I've read in a long, long time. Hang onto your seat because Gregg Hurwitz will take you on a dizzying ride you'll not soon forget!” ― Tess Gerritsen “Gregg Hurwitz's Orphan X is his best yet -- a real celebration of all the strengths he brings to a thriller.” ― Lee Child “From the explosive opening where a boy begins his dramatic transformation, Orphan X blows the doors off most thrillers I've read and catapults the readers on a cat-and-mouse chase that feels like a missile launch. Brilliantly conceived and plotted, his character Evan Smoak, Orphan X, deserves his own niche in the thriller hero hall of fame. Read this book. You will thank me later.” ― David Baldacci “Orphan X is the most exciting new series character since Jack Reacher. And Reacher would love this guy. A page-turning masterpiece of suspense enriched by compassion and insight.” ― Jonathan Kellerman “Exciting and mind blowing! A perfect mix of Jason Bourne and Jack Reacher, ex operative Evan Smoak turns on the action and shows off all the right moves as he sets out to help the downtrodden, and perhaps save his own humanity along the way.” ― Lisa Gardner

About the Author

Product details.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ St. Martin's Paperbacks (November 1, 2016)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 416 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1250097207
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1250097200
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.15 x 1 x 7.45 inches
• #2,124 in Assassination Thrillers (Books)
• #2,175 in Vigilante Justice Thrillers
• #24,280 in Suspense Thrillers

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About the author

Gregg hurwitz.

Gregg Hurwitz is the New York Times, #1 internationally bestselling author of 23 thrillers, including the Orphan X series, and two award-winning thriller novels for teens. His novels have won numerous literary awards, graced top ten lists, and have been published in 33 languages. Gregg currently serves as the Co-President of International Thriller Writers (ITW).

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• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 5 star 57% 31% 9% 2% 1% 57%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 4 star 57% 31% 9% 2% 1% 31%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 3 star 57% 31% 9% 2% 1% 9%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 2 star 57% 31% 9% 2% 1% 2%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 1 star 57% 31% 9% 2% 1% 1%

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Customers say

Customers find the book enjoyable, brilliant, and well-presented. They describe the plot as exciting, action-packed, and suspenseful. Readers praise the characters as great, unique, and believable. They appreciate the amazing writing and detail. They also mention the pacing is fast and fun. Customers also say the premise is great and interesting to follow.

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Customers find the book enjoyable, brilliant, and entertaining. They say it has an interesting premise and is a great airplane read. Readers also mention that the author does a great job keeping the story exciting.

"...Overall, this was a really good book . It was mostly just what I was looking for...." Read more

"...It was most definetely fun to read ." Read more

"...This is just good, escapism reading with a main character that I can gladly cheer for...." Read more

"Everything I hoped for amazing writing and detail. I got it. Terrific series " Read more

Customers find the plot exciting, action-packed, and good. They appreciate the suspense, character development, and various subplots. Readers also describe the book as a fast-paced action-filled thrill ride from start to finish.

"...moving along, how the characters worked together, and how the twists were unexpected .. I would definitely recommend this book to all other readers. DS" Read more

"...I couldn't stop reading this book. It was full of so many surprises . The one drawback was the fighting scenes. They were good and action packed...." Read more

"A real page turner! Great author and exciting plot !" Read more

"...A very cool short story that will give you a small Orphan X fix before the highly anticipated Out of the Dark is released on 1/29/2019...." Read more

Customers find the characters fantastic, unique, and likable. They also appreciate the secondary characters being given some dimension.

"I liked how the storyline kept moving along, how the characters worked together , and how the twists were unexpected.. I would definitely recommend..." Read more

"...the top evil on the part of the baddies, and resolutions to character arcs without being formulaic . It’s familiar but nicely so...." Read more

"Fast pace, good character development , and a nice effort to humanize the otherwise extraordinary protagonist...." Read more

"... Great character development and story . I can't wait to read the next Orphan X in the series!" Read more

Customers find the writing quality amazing, tight, and easy to read in little bits. They appreciate the excellent descriptions and the fullness and pace of the narrative. Readers also mention there are no misspellings.

"Orphan X: A Novel by Gregg Hurwitz is well written ...." Read more

"Everything I hoped for amazing writing and detail . I got it. Terrific series" Read more

"...turned paladin" thrillers you have read or seen is the fullness and pace of the narrative ...." Read more

"...More clever. More exciting. More fast paced. More filled with detailed (albeit not totally realistic) action scenes. The hero is unique...." Read more

Customers find the book fast-paced, fun, and furious. They say it starts out fast and doesn't let up. Readers also mention the author presents a deeply flawed human in a lonely setting.

"...I like that this author presented a deeply flawed , human in a lonely, personless life...." Read more

"... Fast paced , just on the edge of believable baddassery on the part of Evan/Orphan X, close to but not over the top evil on the part of the baddies,..." Read more

" Fast pace , good character development, and a nice effort to humanize the otherwise extraordinary protagonist...." Read more

"I am in love with Evan Smoak. What a fantastic, flawed, screwed up and fabulous character he is...." Read more

Customers find the premise great, interesting, and well-told. They say the entire series is interesting to follow. Readers also mention the story of Evan Smoak's development is fascinating.

"...This is an excellent series , but you have to start with this book so you know where X came from...." Read more

"...going to be one of my new series to keep track of the first book was excellent . I’m gonna go get the second book right now and read it...." Read more

"...trying to guess what would happen next and did a great job of throwing in some unique twists ." Read more

"...The character is very well fleshed out and the ride starts with the very first page ...." Read more

Customers find the writing style to be good and unique. They say the book is fast-paced, well-thought-out, and interesting. Readers also appreciate the vivid details and twists and suspense.

" A real page turner ! Great author and exciting plot!" Read more

"...thriller and liked the synopsis of Hurwitz's Orphan X. This fast-paced story did deliver , but not quite as much as I'd expected...." Read more

"...influence; Ludlum never came remotely close to prose this polished and vivid ...." Read more

"This was a fun read. A real page turner , but it got pretty far-fetched after awhile. Not sure I’ll continue with the series." Read more

Customers find the concept interesting, well-crafted, and thought-provoking. They also appreciate the thoughtful, reasoned, and memorable story. Readers mention the characters are complex, smart, capable, flawed, and consistent. In addition, they say the tradecraft seems deeply researched and descriptive with a touch of humanity included.

"...The tradecraft seems deeply researched ...." Read more

"The conceptualization of the orphans is unique and grabs your attention...." Read more

"...It is a pleasure to share his struggles as he struggles to learn to live a life that means more than being an incredibly skilled killing machine...." Read more

"...Second time reading through this series. Evan/X is complex, smart , capable, flawed, consistent and likable...." Read more

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