I received a free copy of The Nowhere Man by Gregg Hurwitz through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is the second full-length book in the Orphan X series. Back to work after his encounters in Orphan X, Evan Smoak is busy terminating a human trafficking ring when he is taken captive. Oddly enough, the capture has nothing to do with Evan’s work, it’s all about the money, well some of the money. While Evan is imprisoned, he’s aware he is the last hope for a girl on a ship heading toward a sleazy flesh peddler. Also, while captured, Evan’s next call for help comes in. It’s a young boy desperate for help. The clock is ticking and both of the young people need Evan. However, in order to save both, Evan must escape, and his escape must be in time.

This was a great follow-up to Orphan X. It shows both that Evan is facing dangers outside of his work history and that it is important for Evan to be careful about revealing himself.

This is the story of Evan Smoak: former orphan who was taken into a covert government agency at the young age of twelve. There he is trained in spycraft. Now, disillusioned, he’s fled the program and leads a different life in a fortified LA condo. Now, he’s the last resort for the desperate. Call him at 1-855-2-NOWHERE and he simply asks “Do you need my help?”. He saves them from whatever peril they’re in.
However, the tables have been turned and Evan is captured by a well-trained team, drugged, and taken to a secret location where he soon finds himself at the mercy of a greedy killer (Rene) and a pack of thugs that seems to be replaced as fast as Evan disposes of them. Rene has one goal, to try to coerce Evan into transferring his entire secret bank account (27 million) to Rene in exchange for his life. This book is all about how he tries to stay alive to escape from Rene's clutches.
The suspense is ratcheted up a notch when Rene finds out who Evan really is and attempts to auction him to the highest bidder. In this group are the former Orphan leaders who come to bid for Evan. There are some great parallel stories about the sadistic Rene and another former orphan Candy, whom Rene had previously disfigured in Orphan X.
Another great read from this author! A free copy of this book was provided by the publisher and Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Review And yet, another barn burner. The legendary vigilante Evan Smoak reprises his role as savior to the desperate and deserving. Aided by his skills as an assassin - having been trained by a clandestine black ops program by our government - which took the place of family and childhood, he is the Batman of the oppressed. He was originally Orphan "X" until he abandoned the program to become known , as by his enemies knew him, as The Nowhere Man.
In this taut, high octane thriller, Evan is ambushed and captured and placed into captivity like a zoo animal .. with seemingly no way out. With time running out he needs to use all of his skills and ingenuity to escape from the villain "Rene" and his cadre of narcos henchmen, snipers and Doberman guard dogs. He still needs to come to the aid of a "trafficked" teenage girl confined in a carton and steaming her way along the waterway to her nefarious "owner"
Thanks to NetGalley for providing this amazing thriller for my quick consumption ... gobbling this baby up like a rich desert. (less)

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I was given this book to review by Netgalley.

This book reminds me a lot of the Bourne movies. The action starts fast and lasts thru the whole book. I couldn't put it down and ended up reading three of the books in this series in as many days.

Orphan X is the Nowhere Man. When you are in a desperate situation and have nowhere to go call 1-855-2-NOWHERE and help answer the phone. Evan was picked up at the age of 12 to become a trained killer, but found he couldn't keep doing it. Now the other Orphans are trying to kill him by luring him into a situation that only he can help. Will he figure out he is being set up before it is to late, or will his latest case get him caught?

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press - Minotaur Books for a digital galley of this novel.

Having recently read the first book in this series, Orphan X, I was ready to immediately jump into this second book to find out where Evan Smoak was going to go and who he was going to help out of trouble next. Evan left his days of being a professional assassin behind him and now freelances as someone who does pro bono work to get people out of trouble they can't handle by themselves. The Nowhere Man will only help those referred by his previous client. One referral is the only payment Evan wants for the help he gives. This time Evan helps someone but finds himself in trouble. Someone kidnaps The Nowhere Man and it's going to take every strategy Evan has to survive this situation.

Once again a page by page minute by minute action novel with a main character I wanted to get to know better. Characters from the previous book play a large part in this story too and Evan exhibits ingenuity off the scale of believability. The author had Evan accomplish some things off the page in this book and just told us about it afterwards which isn't a favored method for me. I still was cheering for Evan every step of the way but some plot holes had to be actively ignored in some parts of the book. There might have been a little bit of a rush to get the second book published which led to this one not progressing quite as smoothly as the first book. Still, I enjoyed it and I'm ready to dive into book three, Hellbent, tomorrow. All to get myself ready for book four to be released in January 2019.

Another suspenseful thriller with several cliffhangers taken to extremes. I couldn’t tell where the author was running this sequel until the second half of the story, yet the violence was unexpected and brutal. The orphans have been trained to survive these situations and turn the tables on their captors while the plot takes surprising turns.

This is one of those rare books that I’m reading twice to enjoy the plot setup and the easter eggs.

I have a confession to make this is not the first time I have read this book. I checked this book out from the library right after it was released. When Netgalley offered it for review, I thought I loved this book the first time I read it I wonder if it will hold up to a re-read. The Nowhere Man is an epically good read. I love this book much in the way I loved John Wick and other action movies of that ilk. Evan Smoak is the kind of man that should come with a warning label, a bright shining skull and crossbones flashing above his head. Trained as an assassin from the age of twelve in a discreet government program, Evan went rogue and is now helping me that cannot help themselves. A young girl caught up in a human trafficking organization calls 1-800-NOWHERE for Evan's help. Evan to the rescue and there is a lot of dead bodies piling up but its not until later that Evan realizes he was already to late to rescue a girl taken before. Working on a deadline to intercept the shipping container, Evan is kidnapped by men who do not understand who they are dealing with. A quick payday for a really bad man turns into a whole load of trouble for everyone involved. Evan's past sneaks out to haunt him as he must rescue himself and still intercept the shipping container to save an innocent. This book is non-stop action with a character who is guaranteed to stay with the reader and deserves his own big screen time-- a must read for action fans.

My rating (****) -- A good sequel to Orphan X. The plot was a bit frustrating because it was a long drawn out series of bad breaks for Evan until the very end. The unrealistic villain was definitely over the top. There was an interesting twist at the end that I didn't see coming. I hope the next book in the series is more like the first one.

Evan Smoak is the Nowhere Man. He's the lone wolf at the end of a phone line, who people call when there's no one left to turn to. Trained from childhood as a black ops assassin, an asset in Jason Bourne's language, Smoak is on his own with lots of enemies hunting for him. But, he desperately wants to use his skills to help people, particularly the young women being trafficked around the world. But, what happens when the Nowhere Man is himself captured? This novel takes a startling different direction than the first novel in he series. Still action-packed, quick-moving. But, more desperate. More at risk. More unable to help anyone else. In some ways, this novel is even tighter than the first.

Wow, this thriller will have you on the edge of your seat. This is part of the Orphan X Series. The NoWhere Man is Orphan X/ Evan Smoak who helps the powerless. He continues his work as an assassin with an off the books Black O's program. Lots of suspense in this book as he is drugged and captured. No shortage of drama or suspense. A great read that I read as a reader copy and voluntarily chose to write a review.

"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." --from description

Orphan X is a black ops assassin trained from childhood by an off-the-books government program that, as so many of these secret programs do, goes awry. When ordered to kill another "orphan," Evan Smoak decides the problems in the program run too deep to ignore. Using the training and finances he has received, Evan builds an untraceable life.

What to do with the skills he has mastered? Since he doesn't have an alternate career path, Evan embarks on missions to protect the innocent, his only requirement is that whomever he helps must pass his Nowhere Man name and number to someone else in difficult circumstances. One mission at a time, Evan pursues the despicable evil-doers.

What I liked: Exciting and full of adventurous action. Kind of...action fantasy.

What I disliked: 1) The emphasis on the aesthetic treatment of alcohol. I mean, Evan doesn't drink much, but when he does the alcohol is really special--distilled 7 or 9 times, blah, blah, blah. 2) Too many, too detailed fight scenes. While realizing the need to establish his fighting skills and variety of techniques, describing it punch by jab becomes filler rather than fun. I get it. Hurwitz knows what he's talking about and/or has expert researchers.

OK--so Evan Smoak is a high-tech Jack Reacher. Hurwitz gets a lot of background and details established in this first book and it is fun when things are moving. It took me a little while to decide whether or not I liked it because of the excess of information setting up Evan's knowledge of alcohol, martial arts, and weapons, but I did end up enjoying it. Don't we all wish for a superhero kind of vigilante to defeat and punish the bad guys?

Once you accept that this is fantasy-vigilante-hero stuff--Orphan X is great fun. I liked Evan Smoak and cheered him on, but a lot of bad people die.

NetGalley/St. Martin's Press

Techno-thriller. 2016. Print length: 367 pages

This was the second book in the Orphan X series and it's possible that this one was even better than the first. This book focuses more on Evan but still does a fantastic job of creating realistic characters and behavior in seemingly implausible situations. I am hooked and going straight into the third book. Thanks Netgalley for my new favorite author and series! Loved it and highly recommend to anyone who likes a well written and fast paced thriller.

I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. I will definitely continue to read this series....

Evan Smoak is the Nowhere Man.

Taken from a group home at twelve, Evan was raised and trained as part of the Orphan Program, an off-the-books operation designed to create deniable intelligence assets—i.e. assassins. Evan was Orphan X. He broke with the Program, using everything he learned to disappear and reinvent himself as the Nowhere Man.

But his new life is interrupted when a surprise attack comes from an unlikely angle and Evan is caught unaware. Captured, drugged, and spirited off to a remote location, he finds himself heavily guarded and cut off from everything he knows. His captors think they have him trapped and helpless in a virtual cage but they don’t know who they’re dealing with—or that they’ve trapped themselves inside that cage with one of the deadliest and most resourceful men on earth.

I absolutely love this series. The suspense and thrills are endless page after page. Gregg Hurwitz's writing will pull you in and you will not want to put this book down. After reading Orphan X last week, I couldn't wait to pick up the second book. In my reading experience, I sometimes find the second book in a series seems to be a little of a let down but that wasn't the case with this book! The Nowhere Man was just as good as the first.
I highly recommend this series. Off to start Hellbent!!

Could not put it down! I immediately started this book after finishing book one of the Orphan X series and I am loving how the story is progressing. Full of twisty turns and fun intrigue I did not see playing out the way it did. Quite detailed and I felt as if I was with X figuring things out as we went. I am not sure I am liking the draw to Mia, but her kid is adorable. Loved how the cliffhanger/surprise in book ones’ ending presented itself in this book, though I was waiting for it to happen throughout the recons and escapes. GH is masterful at creating an enticing world that has me questioning everyone and everything. Love how the villain of this story got his comeuppance and how I am now waiting/hoping to see more Orphan V and Despi...and obviously how the issue concerning the Orphan program and Orphan Y works itself out😋

Thanks NetGalley and Minotaur Books for a chance to read the book and share my opinions!

Evan is a person who helps those in need with his special skill set. Clearly, this needs to be made into either a TV show or a series of movies. It has everything a person could want and more. Thank you Netgalley for the book.

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

Spoken about only in whispers, the Nowhere Man can only be reached by the truly desperate, he can —He will do anything to save them.
Evan Smoak is the Nowhere Man.
Taken from a group home at twelve, Evan was raised and trained as part of the Orphan Program, an off-the-books operation designed to create deniable intelligence assets—i.e. assassins. Evan was Orphan X. He broke with the Program, using everything he learned to disappear and reinvent himself as the Nowhere Man.
But his new life is interrupted when a surprise attack comes from an unlikely angle and Evan is caught unaware. Captured, drugged, and spirited off to a remote location, he finds himself heavily guarded and cut off from everything he knows. His captors think they have him trapped and helpless in a virtual cage but they don’t know who they’re dealing with—or that they’ve trapped themselves inside that cage with one of the deadliest and most resourceful men on earth.

*4.5 stars*

First, let's start by saying that you should read Orphan X first - the background to Smoak and The Program is kinda vital before digging into this one...

But, be warned, once you have read Orphan X, you will DEFINITELY want to read this one...

What's to love? Action, action, action! Even though Smoak spends most of his time in this book as a prisoner, it doesn't stop him from taking out the enemy, one by one. He is clever, resourceful and quick. And that makes him extremely dangerous.
Also, the way Hurwitz brings some characters back from the first book is very cool - some definite surprises there.
Finally, the way this book finished, and the way it was left open for the third book, was worth the price of admission alone. I don't normally like those kinds of endings but you just can't fault the execution here...

What's not to love? Well, the biggest fault I could find was that at no stage did I ever really feel like Smoak was going to remain a prisoner forever. There was always that sense of "He'll be fine", which obviously detracts from the suspense somewhat.

However, that is a small annoyance in the midst of a brilliant thriller novel. Go read them both!


Paul
ARH

Fabulous book. Thoroughly loved. Highly recommend!

I really enjoyed Orphan X due to its fast pace and intriguing character Evan Smoak. He is the typical macho man who drinks vodka and makes smartass comments, I loved it. I wanted to read the rest of the trilogy, but did not want to wait so long between books, so with Hellbent coming out at the end of this month, I picked up Nowhere Man. The story picks up where Orphan X left off. Evan is still helping those in need, but in this story, he is actually captured by a psychopath and has to escape. There was a lot of violence in the story as he kept killing guards and they kept being replaced. The story was fast paced for the most part and kept me in suspense although knowing there was a third book meant he was going to get away. Some of the characters from the first book make a reappearance and we learn a bit more about Evan's early life. Of course Van Sciver is still trying to find Evan a erase him which only adds to the action. A good thriller but if you do not like violence, then do not pick this one up. I can't wait to see what the next book has in store for us. Based on the ending of this one, it is going to be another good ride.

I enjoyed the focus on Evan and learning more about him. There was a lot of action so this seemed like it should have moved pretty quick, but it was just too long. It really dragged in the middle. I did enjoy the last part of the book and where it is going for the next book in the series.