I can't get enough of Evan. The Nowhere Man is such an original and totally intriguing character. This time out, Evan is helping a man who has reached the bottom of his existence and has nowhere else to turn. Once again Evan is there to help with his incredible ability and his personal moral code. I had a jolt when Evan decided this would be his last outing. The thought of not following his life and adventures is not something I look forward to. After all this time, he seems so familiar and reliable that he's become part of the fabric of my reading life.. Another great chapter in this magnificent series!

Lou Jacobs's Reviews > Into the Fire

Into the Fire by Gregg Hurwitz
Into the Fire (Orphan X, #5)
by Gregg Hurwitz (Goodreads Author)
M 50x66
Lou Jacobs's review Sep 29, 2019 · edit
it was amazing

OK... I admit it!!! Reading Hurwitz' Fifth novel of Orphan "X" is a guilty pleasure. It's like eating eating a whole box of Godiva chocolates without coming up for air. And, like chocolates, you can never get enough. This continues the saga of the delightfully, dangerous vigilante ... not a superhero, a kind-of Batman.... a highly skilled assassin who just wants to help people.
Evan Smoak, Orphan X, was a 12 year-old boy rescued out of the projects of East Baltimore.... only then to undergo a 7 year grueling training course under the tutelage of his handler... Jack Johns ... who was the closest thing to a father he would ever know. Evan was part of a black ops "Orphan Program" created by the Department of Defense ... creating a cadre of trained assassins that where deniable and expendable. Each sent on a mission to destroy a high-value target. As his trainer said it was easy to train him to kill, but hard to have remain human. Evan eventually escapes the program to become a pro bono freelancer, helping those who could not help themselves.
Grant Merriweather is brutally murdered ... massively tortured then the coup de grace with bullet to the brain. Just prior to his demise he contacts his somewhat inept cousin Max Merriweather and intrusts him with an envelope to deliver to a reporter in the event of his death. Max becomes the locus of an onslaught of attempts for his capture or killing ... assuming he is in position of damaging evidence that would bring down a cabal of highly placed individuals. Max while fleeing , inadvertently
crosses paths with a previous victim who was saved by Evan and obtains his contact info.
Once Evan is contacted he unselfishly jumps "Into The Fire" to save Max and unravel the motivation of this byzantine organization pursuing Max like a heat seeking missile. Each time Evan eliminates the seeming head of the organization, another threat emerges like a Greek Hydra.
Gregg Hurwitz explodes with another barn burner thriller with a riveting and well plotted narrative jammed with unexpected twists in this deceptive plot. Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press - Minotaur Book for providing an Uncorrected Proof of this gem in exchange for an honest review. I can barely contain my desire for more of the same from Hurwitz!!

Into The Fire by Gregg Hurwitz
Another great "Orphan X" Evan Smoak novel! I am a huge fan of this series and after reading the latest installment of this series I must say I am once again waiting for the next book to come out! Thank you Netgalley and St Martin's Press for this ARC and letting me leave my opinion and thank you Mr. Hurwitz for hours of great reading!

The fifth book in the Orphan X series continues to deliver the fast-paced action and excitement that people have come to love.

I've read the previous 4 books of the Orphan X series and enjoyed them all, Into the Fire may be the best one yet.

It will draw you in and won’t let go.

I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.

An arsenal of credit's due Hurwitz for unspooling another Nowhere Man adventure in which the propulsive storytelling and Smoak world-building kept me shaking my head (with a smile) through the vodka fetishism. (And dog named Dog, which the Walking Dead TV show should've caused him to come up with an alt-name.) One of the best ongoing action-adventure-etc series of its ilk going, in spite of these minor, minor quibbles.

I enjoyed this book as much as I have enjoyed every Orphan X book in the series. Throughout this latest adventure, there was the underlying story that Orphan X was thinking of putting an end to the Nowhere Man by quitting. Evan Smoak is wrestling with changing his life and living as a regular human being. The beginning of a relationship with Mia and her son, Peter, have brought forth conflicting emotions in a man who has been trained to be emotionless. And this latest case, helping Max Merriweather who has relationship issues that mirror Evan’s own, only serves to underscore what he begins to realize he has been missing in his life. The Nowhere Man and helping others is no longer fulfilling his life. As I read this latest adventure of the Nowhere Man, I was disappointed to think the series was coming to an end. But then, Gregg Hurwitz gave all of the Orphan X fans a reprieve with the possibility of another story line. Thank you Mr. Hurwitz. And thanks to Minotaur Books and Macmillan for providing this ebook.

Really a challenge for Evan and the reader. Just when Evan thought he was done, another head of the hydra comes. Evan manages to chop off this and, you got it, another one emerges. Very well written

Evan Smoak, aka Orphan X, is determined that the Nowhere Man will help one last person before he retires from a life of violence and vengeance. His new client, Max Merriweather, was tasked by his dead brother to deliver a mysterious flash drive to a journalist. Max and X discover that the data contained therein leads to multiple hierarchies of villains, all wanting Max dead.

X navigates all the numerous targets with his usual McGyver-like ingenuity, sophisticated weaponry and the genius hacking abilities of teenage Joey. During this challenging mission, X has an almost supernatural effectiveness in killing all his targets, even when suffering the affects of a concussion. He never slows down, barreling on through exhaustion and pain, to finish the job, even after he discovers layer after layer of villainy he must dispose of.

None of this turned me off, however. I’ve enjoyed all the Orphan X books and this one is no exception. X is the badass hero for the 21st Century. To create his anti-hero, Hurwitz combined the paranoia of Jason Bourne with the muscle of John Wick and the advanced weaponry of James Bond.

And though this might have been X’s last mission, the book ends with a surprising cliffhanger, revealing Hurwitz is not yet done with X. That makes me very happy.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

A great continuation of the series. I will recommend this title and series to anyone looking for a well written, suspenseful read with original storyline and compelling characters.

Evan Smoak, also known as Orphan X, also known as the Nowhere Man, is a killing machine. He knows all kinds of hand-to-hand combat fighting techniques and every weapon ever made. But he only kills bad people, and I find him to actually be an inspirational character, strangely.

Hurwitz is great at getting his readers to sympathize with his characters immediately. They are good people with some serious life-or-death problem that Evan Smoak as the Nowhere Man can help out with. In this fifth, and I guess last book of the series ( ☹ ), Nowhere Man gets a call from Max Merriweather, a man whose cousin has recently been murdered, and now some men are after him and the item his far more financially successful cousin left with him. I like Evan, I like Max, I like the cast of supporting characters.

As with the other books in the series, the reader has to figure out how Evan will get himself out of seemingly impossible situations, often without any weapons other than himself. This makes for a fast, page-turning read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book, which RELEASES JANUARY 28, 2020.

For more reviews, please visit: http://www.theresaalan.net/blog

Orphan X, the Nowhere Man, Evan Smoak, receives a call he’s come to expect. “Do you need my help,” he asks, and the answer spins him into battle against a hydra of crooks and killers.

Peeling back layer after layer, Evan fights to neutralize the threat while fighting off a devastating concussion. This will be his last mission; he is desperate to try to live a normal life. But when the woman he loves, Mia, and her son Peter are threatened by the hydra, he will risk everything to save them.

Hurwitz’ explores the depths of human attachments, and what people will do for those they love. A totally satisfying — if violent — thriller. Highly recommended.

I began this book with the certainty that I would enjoy it just as much as I had all of the previous titles in this series, I can't believe how wrong I was. This book is Hurwitz's best yet! I keep anticipating some kind of let down, because no one can hit a grand slam every time at the plate but then I begin and my heartbeat starts to race, and I'm hooked. I'm not sure what I was expecting after Evan took out the President of the United States, but I never imagined anything like this. It starts out as a simple job which Evan decides will bring a close to the Nowhere Man chapter of his life, now that he's eliminated those who wanted to erase his existence and that of the other Orphans. But like life, Evan's plans go awry, circumstances spiral out of his control and it takes every ounce of his considerable skill to set things to right, or as right as he can make it. I began reading these books because I enjoy the action displayed by our hero, but I've found that I look forward to delving into Evan's attempts at social interaction more than the action. His stumbling over his complex relationship with Mia, his playfulness with Peter, his loving bond with Joey and even how he falters in sympathizing with his clients hopelessness; the strength in the story is when Evan isn't being a superbly trained operative, but when his human side is lain bare and exposed. Jack (and Gregg) made him into a finely honed weapon but kept the spark of humanity ignited in Evan which makes this series one of the best written, and one I still hope to be reading twenty years from now. I looked forward to reading this and felt sad when I finished, knowing the next installment won't be for at least a year. To those who haven't read these books, I envy you, if you're wise you'll begin a journey that will leave you breathless and demanding more. I received a copy of this book for the purpose of writing a review, I went into this expecting a great novel and was completely blown away by the incredible gift I was bestowed. #IntotheFire #NetGalley

I have not read the first four books in the Orphan X series, but that doesn’t matter with this novel. It can be read as a standalone without knowing what happened in the past. This is a fast paced, thriller that had me not want to stop reading. The Nowhere Man, Evan Smoak gets a call from Max Merriweather whose cousin was murdered but beforehand left Max an envelope. What happens next is a series of escapades as the Nowhere Man tries to give back Max his life. It is like the layers of an onion, as Evan finishes with one bad group, another higher up the ladder tries to go after Max. Slowly, but surely Evan works his way to the head of the snake. It kept me on edge and I really felt for Evan, Max and the others. Now I want to go back and read the first four novels!

OMG I just love this series, I was fortunate to be allowed to read this before it's release. Thanks to Net Gallery. Gregg Hurwitz has created some wonderful characters. You don't have to read the first 4 books before you read this but seriously it just adds to the story. I'm not going to redo the summary, others do such an amazing job. This is why I like these books. I have to like the main character...check, love Evan, just enough broke to love but with a whole lot to love. Has to be action....oh boy is there a lot of action, I think this book tops that and then some. The book has to grab me, the whole premise of these books really makes me want this as a TV series, I can see this! I enjoy, but don't have to have surprises. YES! I have to say this book left me with wanting to call Gregg Hurwitz and say "do nothing but write pretty please" I'll be eagerly and I mean EAGERLY waiting for book #6 and #5 isn't even for sale yet.

4.5 stars

Dang, I love this series!

“Do you need my help?”

That’s how Evan Smoak, ex secret black op assassin, begins his conversation with every person who calls him on his special Nowhere Man phone. After being groomed from childhood to be the perfect off-the-books assassin for the US government, Evan has been spending his early “retirement” hiding his identity but paying penance for his sins by helping people in danger. This time, it’s down-on-his luck Max Merriweather, whose successful cousin left him with explosive information about some criminals who killed that cousin to keep him quiet. Now they want to silence Max.

Evan’s unique abilities and habit of working outside of the law make him ideally suited to eliminate such threats, often in an action-packed and highly suspenseful manner. If the circumstances sometimes require the reader to suspend disbelief, the sheer entertainment value of Evan’s exploits make it well worthwhile. (Though please, for the love of Dog the dog, I’d urge Hurwitz to check with medical experts to eliminate some of the more egregious nonsensical medical details.)

While the action and Evan’s skillful and often unique ways of handling the bad guys are enough to make these books highly enjoyable reads, Hurwitz has enriched the series and Evan’s character by showing some real personal growth on his part as the series has progressed. Unlike most thriller protagonists like Lee Child’s Jack Reacher (I love ya, Jack, but you’ve hardly changed at all more than 20 books into the series), Evan has changed and grown at least a bit in each book. In fact, the changes he has made by the end of this book, and the surprise complication at the end, promise to keep the series exciting and fresh.

I can’t wait for the next book.

The Nowhere Man Is Facing More Trouble Than He Has Ever Seen

Gregg Hurwitz has created a masterpiece in this fifth book in the Orphan X series. Deeper and deeper the tendrils go, where will it end? I found myself holding my breath as Evan struggled to stay alive long enough to be able to finish this mission. As much as I wish Evan remain infallible and immortal, he does make mistakes and is in great danger of failure when the enemy is this powerful and innumerable.

Through it all, though, Evan shows his compassionate side, ever willing to assist even if it could kill him. Woven into this story are those touching moments when Evan is just a man with hope, disappointment, and fun moments with Joey and Dog. I would give it 10 stars if I could.

Into The Fire is a standalone story, but to really appreciate the characters start with book one, simply named Orphan X, to learn the background that will enhance this story as well as the balance of the books in the series.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

This author continues to impress. The story is well thought out and moves at a good pace. Action packed and filled with intrigue and complexity. A strong ending and a great read. I can't wait for the next book to be written.

Orphan X, the Nowhere Man, Evan Smoak, is contacted by Max Merriweather whose cousin Grant had just been murdered and the killers were now searching for Max. Evan agrees to help and takes the reader into a non-stop action filled saga of dishonor, greed and murder that will keep everyone engrossed. The plot is complex (enough bad doers to fill a stadium) and the characters or at least the protagonists are well rounded and regardless of what they do, make you like them. This was great escapist reading and, best of all, the last line let’s you know there is more to come. Thanks to Net Galley and Minotaur for an ARC for an honest review.

Evan Smoak, AKA “Nowhere Man”, “Orphan X” gets a phone call and once again one of my all-time favorite characters comes to the rescue. Protecting his new charge seems to be a never-ending journey since every time they think they’ve found peace/relief, another threat arises.. Character development is amazing for an action novel as family relationships, love interests, devotion to friends are all key elements in this non-stop thriller.

Although this series is centered on Orphan X, our hero is looking less and less isolated as he moves through civilian life on his own terms. Are those terms compatible with having dependents and a robust home life? Perhaps not. Yet. But Evan Smoak is working out the details of what such a life might entail even as he protects those innocents from the big, dark, scary stuff that looms just outside their comfortable lives. In this fifth tale, the Nowhere Man finds that he has somehow underestimated the forces gathered against him. Author Gregg Hurwitz does an excellent job of creating a tense, fast-moving tale with just enough pathos to keep readers fully engaged. This is not a tale that is easily stopped midway. So, prepare to read straight through regardless of the time. It is a great joyride. I received my copy from the publisher though NetGalley.