Max Merriweather is asked by his cousin Grant to hold an envelope and if something happened to Grant who to call. Max tries to do as his cousin asks but that person is also dead now. He is given Evan's phone number to ask for help. There are so many layers to this mystery and Max is lucky to have Evan to help. This is about corruption and Max's life is on the line now. He just wants to keep the family safe. Evan helps with the idea he will retire when this is all over. Will it ever be over?

INTO THE FIRE: An Orphan X Novel
Gregg Hurwitz
Minotaur Books
ISBN 978-1250120458
Hardcover
Thriller


INTO THE FIRE is scary good. I made the smart move/mistake of picking this latest entry into Gregg Hurwitz’s Orphan X series as a nightcap which by next morning had turned into bleary-eyed adrenaline surge, thanks to Hurwitz’s perfect pacing, strong characterization, and surging, non-stop action scenes. You might ask for more, but what is more than one hundred ten percent? Hurwitz, in INTO THE FIRE, attempts to answer that question.

Evan Smoak is the Orphan X of the series, a standout recruit of the government-created and then abandoned Orphan team which sought to create an elite group of special agents with superior skills. Smoak has settled (almost) all accounts with those who had wished him dead while styling himself as The Nowhere Man, an anonymous individual who will assist those in desperate need of the application of his wide skill set. As INTO THE FIRE begins, Smoak coming to grips with deciding what color his next parachute will be. We’ll discuss that in a moment or two. The beginning of INTO THE FIRE, however, gives the reader the almost immediate opportunity to meet two members of the extended Merriweather. Grant Merriweather is a forensic accountant whose firm’s services are very much in demand by law enforcement, attorneys, and just about everyone who can afford their hefty fees. If Grant is Merriweather the Great, however, his cousin Max is regarded as Merriweather the Less by everyone in the family including himself. Max is an underachiever who is a disappointment to almost everyone who becomes involved with him, despite his own best efforts at self-improvement, which seem to only make things worse. He is accordingly extremely ill-prepared for what happens after Grant is brutally murdered, seemingly without reason or motive. Whoever killed Grant is now after Max, and Max really has almost --- almost --- no idea why. He is way outside of his limited field of expertise. A stranger takes pity on him and gives him the phone number of someone the stranger says will help. Max calls the number and finds himself talking to Evan Smoak, who is in the middle of his own identity crisis. Evan has decided that he is going to start putting his own life together in an attempt to live normally, or whatever closely passes for it. Smoak thus plans to take one more case, which means helping one more person. That person turns out to be Max. What Smoak quickly discovers, however, is that Max’s problems are Hydra-headed. Just when Smoak thinks he has eliminated the danger to Max’s life something else pops up wanting to take Max out. Smoak, with some outside assistance, discovers layers upon layers of corruption within the rapidly decaying city of Los Angeles. He’s up to doing whatever it takes to clean it up, at least emotionally. From a physical standpoint, however, Smoak has sustained an injury that at best keeps him from functioning at one hundred percent and at worst is significantly life-threatening. It doesn’t stop him, however, and by the explosive conclusion of INTO THE FIRE Max has acquired a lot more than having his life saved.

Hurwitz is one of the very few authors I know of who can write a posterior-kicking book and make the conclusion --- dare I say it? --- heartwarming. On top of that, let me hint at something about the (very) ending of INTO THE FIRE. It seemed as if Hurwitz was wrapping the series up and bring all things Smoak to a close. Then, in the final sentence, he demonstrates that he is only getting Smoak warmed up. More layers. More Smoak. More Orphan X novels. It doesn’t get any better than this. Strongly recommended.

Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
© Copyright 2020, The Book Report, Inc. All rights reserved.

Max has a problem. His forensic accountant brother, Grant, has given him a sealed envelope. He instructs Max to give it to a reporter if anything strange happens to him. The problem occurs when Grant is a victim of a professional hit. And the reporter is permanently unavailable. That forces Max out of the frying pan and Into the Fire. Only Evan, formerly Orphan X but now the Nowhere Man, can help.

Into the Fire is the fifth book in the Orphan X series. I have only read the first book but was able to pick up what had happened earlier without issue. It makes a fine standalone. Basically, Evan was an orphan groomed to be a black operator for the US government. However, he went rogue and now helps people escape impossible situations. Per Evan, “one last mission and he was out.” And that mission is Max.

I enjoyed this covert underworld thriller as much as the first book in the series. It has believable characters dealing with extraordinary circumstances. The reader begins to think about what they would do if they were in the same situation. Especially wondering if they could create a nursemaid’s elbow with a quick twist and jab to the forearm. Ahem, I digress.

This thriller is an exciting pulse-pounding read. It is highly recommended for all thriller readers. 5 stars!

Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Into the Fire is the 5th book in the Orphan X series. I recommend reading the previous books before reading this one.

Now that no one is chasing the Orphans, Evan feels like he is ready live a normal life. He accepts one more mission before he retires the Nowhere Man.

"Evan had faced evil before in various guises - dark and dirty, passionate and zealous, powerful and cruel. But he'd never gone up against someone so...ordinary."

You will definitely want to have plenty of allotted reading time before starting this one. It was hard to put down. Sure it can be over-the-top, but it's a high-octane thrill ride. Love this series and highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Gregg Hurwitz for a copy of "Into the Fire" in exchange for an honest review.
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Another terrific book in this series.This is a well written hard charging multi layered thriller.As usual I picked this book up and four myself reading late into the night just could not put the book down,#netgalley#st.martins

This series gets better with each book and this one doesn't disappoint. I do sleep read a lot of series but this is one I really look forward to because he's a brilliant writer who writes an exciting and exhilarating story. Happy reading!

I highly recommend this book, fans of the Orphan X series rejoice; the Nowhere Man goes “Into the Fire” for one hell of a final ride.
Evan wants out, but reluctantly decides to take on one last mission to help Max Merriweather.
The Nowhere Man is literally a “one man army” but even that may not be enough this time out. Never mind thoughts of retirement, he may not live long enough to see tomorrow. In this final mission, Evan will find himself in way over his head and needs a little help from his friends. Get ready for another thrilling roller coaster ride as Evan goes into the fire to face a living hell unlike anything he has previously faced.
Thank you Mr. Hurwitz for taking us on this fantastic ride once again, your Orphan X series just keeps getting better and better. You have knocked it out of the park once again, and that cliff-hanger is absolutely mind blowing. Thank you very much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books for graciously providing me with a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Evan Smoak, the Nowhere Man, also known as Orphan X, is tired. He is tired of being on the run from his own government, he is tired of being unable to have a normal life, is tired of not being normal. Of course, how anyone with his background as an off the books government trained (from childhood) government assassin could ever be normal is a bit of a conundrum. Most of all the Nowhere Man is tired of being the Nowhere Man, the man who is the last resort of survival. When his phone number is hesitantly given to someone, that person is beyond desperate.
Yeah, yeah, I know books of superheroes, supermen, unstoppable men are almost a dime a dozen. But Smoak is just enough this side of different to make him intriguing, and the books a terrific read.
So, back to the desperate guy in Into the Fire. His name is Max Merriweather and he is desperate on so many levels. He is the family black sheep, low achiever, and loser. Somehow Yiddish says it best, the schlemiel. Max grabs at his chance to do something right and he agrees to hold the “life insurance” of the family super star, Grant, a forensic accountant. It is never a good idea to hold the life insurance of someone who helps bring down criminals. It just always ends badly with bodies scattered from here to there, including the person who took out the insurance.
Tropes, motifs and clichés are all there. I don’t care; they are in all action thrillers. With Into the Fire they are all imaginatively used and positioned, they move the story along rather than have the reader moan, “oh not again.” There is one welcome absence, hot sex to interrupt the action when the writer can’t think of anything else to do. Instead there may be the beginning of a sweet, mature romance.
I am always fascinated to read of the advanced weaponry, technology and computer/hacking skills utilized in the Orphan X series. Most mentioned I know are out there, the rest I assume are accurate. Hurwitz uses them well, avoiding an over-reliance on tech and other skills.
For a man who has very definite OCD tendencies, who craves quiet and routine, and is a total vodka snob, Evan Smoak is going to have a long road back to normalcy. Not that those are the only roadblocks.
This is a book that ratchets up the excitement and the interest in all of the characters. There is tenderness to balance the violence. This is a thriller to read and enjoy. Even without reading the previous books. But do go back and do so.
The book begins with Smoak wanting to retire. It ends with him answering his phone with “Hello?” Is this the first step back toward normalcy? I wouldn’t bet on it.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is the 5th book in Hurwitz' Orphan X series. Evan Smoak is Orphan X, plucked from an orphanage at age 12 and trained to be a talented, if not the best, agent for an off-the-books government agency. He managed to break free of the agency and become The Nowhere Man, helping those in dire need and only asking that they pass along his phone number to the next person who needs his help. And the next person to call is Max Merriweather. When Max’s cousin is killed, he left him an envelope that contains nothing except a key. But someone is after that key, and will go to any means necessary to get it back. Evan is able to save Max from the initial threat, but that is not the end of the line as another and another threat arise. As The Nowhere Man peels back each layer, he finds himself in even greater danger than before. Another page turning edition in this series. Hurwitz is right up there with the better thriller writers of today. My thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to review the ARC of this novel.

Hurwitz has done it again with his <i>Orphan X</i> series. The Nowhere Man takes on what may be his last case in a down on your luck, working man who is sucked into a large cover up after being asked to hold onto some incriminating data. I like how Hurwitz ratchets up the tension in this one. Every time X thinks he's got all the bad guys, he finds out there's another ring of bad guys above that one. I also like his interaction with Joey. I like seeing Evan become more human, and curious to find out what a normal life would be like. While this feels like it could be the end of the <i>Orphan X</i> series, Hurwitz does leave a door open for further adventures. I would love to read more.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press - Minotaur Books for a copy of Into the Fire by Gregg Hurwitz. Evan Smoke has decided this mission will be his last, but it is the mission that just won't end. Just when Evan believes he has taken care of the "bad guys" more appear...how high does the deceit go? Helped out by Joey, Evan is determined to finish this one last case.

This book shows Evan as more human then in previous books. He gets beat up, gets a concussion, and isn't as perfect as we are used to seeing him. It was nice to see the character be more vulnerable. This was a great addition to the Orphan X series and was the same fast paced, page turning thriller as the previous books in the series. The very last page in the book was shocking...in a good way.

I highly recommend this book, and the Orphan X series to anyone looking for a good page turner!

Amazing, amazing, amazing! The 5th book in the Orphan X series by Gregg Hurwitz does not disappoint. The premise of Into the Fire is Evan Smoak (Orphan X), once again, takes a phone call as The Nowhere Man to help Max Meriweather. Max is at the end of his rope. His cousin has been brutally murdered, leaving Max an envelope that contains nothing but a mysterious key. However, someone really wants that key, badly enough that Max – and anyone he turns to – is in deadly danger. What seems like a simple job for The Nowhere Man turns out to be anything but. Behind every threat he takes out, a deadlier one emerges and Evan Smoak must put himself in greater danger than ever before as he heads once more Into The Fire.

Into the FIre also brings back book favorites, Joey, Mia, and Peter. I love reading the Orphan X series. They contain great action, but also unexpected humor. Evan Smoak is a complicated man with a remarkable and deadly set of skills. The way Gregg Hurwitz continues to creatively come up with ways to get X out of the situations he ends up in is remarkable.

I mourn the day the Orphan X series is finished, but the good news is Into the Fire leaves it open for another book. I can only hope.

I received an advanced reader copy of Into The Fire in exchange for a honest review.

The Nowhere Man wants a change in his life and is planning to take on one more call for help. Max Merriweather's life has been full of disappointments. His life upended when his forensic accountant cousin Grant is brutally murdered. Max's promise to deliver Grant's envelope to a reporter goes awry when he finds her murdered and his apartment is ransacked by a scary man called The Terror.

At first, Evan easily finds the men who are after Max and executes a plan to keep him safe. But it seems like Evan has chopped off the head of a hydra and more threats keep coming to kill Max. Injured by a concussion, Evan needs the help of his genius hacker friend Joey Morales and gunsmith Tommy Stojack to infiltrate a city jail to kill the businessman behind the complex money laundering scheme that Grant and Max had uncovered. Evan thinks the threats are over until he and Max uncover another sinister layer of evil and greed with tentacles across all levels of the Los Angeles government. And their leader has set their sights upon two of Evan's dearest people: District Attorney Mia and her young son.

This was another thrilling read with an unexpected cliffhanger ending for Evan.

I received an eARC from Netgalley and St. Martin's Press with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

I have read every one of the books in this series and I love them all. This one doesn't disappoint either.

Evan is Orphan X, and he tries to help those who reach out to him. His methods are unorthodox and quite often brutal but he is doing good at the end of the day. He is part MacGyver with the stuff he makes and figures out, this is my favourite part of the book(s). He also has a good team of people he can rely on to get him the equipment or information that he needs to resolve the problems of his latest client. I have to say though, there were times when I swear my heart just stopped, wondering how on earth he was going to get out of his current situation! I loved the relationship that he and Joey were building and the dog was adorable!

The ending of this book was a surprise....I am thinking there is another book in the works, somehow. Not a cliffhanger as such, just something unexpected.

5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I absolutely love this series. Gets better everytime a new one comes out. Full of action and new characters that are believable. Can not wait for the next installment

This is another non-stop action-packed book staring Orphan X, Evan Smoak. I don’t know how Gregg Hurwitz comes up with all this stuff, he has a wild imagination! These are exciting books and would be great movies as well.

I haven't read any of the other books in the series, but I will now. This story moves at a fast pace and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Evan will do anything to help others. Including putting his own life at risk. There are people that he cares about, but he doesn't let them know. He is wondering if he will ever have any kind of a normal life. He doesn't know what he would do. When Max comes to him with a problem, he figures this is his last job. Maybe he has done enough. If this job doesn't kill him, he will retire. I am thinking that this is the end for him, but then there is the phone call at the end. Not sure if there will be more after this. Good story.

4.5 stars

<b>Into the Fire</b> is an exhilarating ride from the first page to the last. The 5th <i>(and possibly last?)</i> book in the Orphan X series finds Evan Smoak planning retirement for "The Nowhere Man". A trained assassin with a conscience, Smoak is trying to make amends for the sins of his past. As The Nowhere Man he helps those in desperate need of his special talents. People whose troubles are so large it seems as if there is no way out. Max Merriweather definitely fits the bill. Tasked by his cousin to deliver a package upon his untimely death he walks into a world that's surely going to get him killed. This is supposed to be Smoak's last case, just another tick on his checklist to say goodbye to a rogue life and settle into normalcy. But every time he thinks he has saved the day another snake rears its ugly head. Will Max Merriweather's troubles prove to be above even The Nowhere Man's paygrade?

<i>Special thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books and Gregg Hurwitz for access to this book.</i>

Action, adventure, violence, humor: all rolled into one terrific story.

Have you met the Nowhere Man? As Orphan X, he carried out all sorts of government-sanctioned deep-cover assassinations. Then he went rogue and walked away from all that, and began trying to live an ordinary life as Evan Smoak, importer of industrial cleaning supplies, with a condo penthouse in the Castle Heights Residential Tower in LA. But secretly, he has been doing penance for all the evil he'd done in the past by working as the Nowhere Man and risking his life to help others who are in dire circumstances...again, and again, and again.

Now Evan believes he's done enough to pay his physic debt and hungers for the things he's missed in life--a normal life including a wife, children, a home. So this will be his last mission...

I received an email from Gregg Hurwitz in which he described the plot as similar to the old childhood rhyme of The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly: each time Evan thinks he has defeated the villain in his latest case, a bigger, more powerful head springs up. A game of Whack the Evil Mole.

This is a very intense and violent thriller, with edge-of-your-seat action. What sets it apart from others of its kind are the laugh-out-loud moments: like when Evan has to deal with the HOA in his condo building--it's his turn to bring 'nibbles' to the meeting. Nibbles?? All he's got in the pantry are olives to go along with his vodka. Or when a dog and teenaged girl invade his home and mess up his perfect obsessive-compulsive environment. Arghhhh!

Unlike other GR reviewers, I don't believe this is the end of the series...Or is that just wishful thinking on my part? A tantalizing ending leads me to hope.

I received an arc of this new thriller from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I honestly enjoy these books sooo much and highly recommend the series to those who love action and adventure! But do start with book one.

I know these books are crazy outlandish, but if you are looking for a thriller, I think they are awesome! Completely unrealistic but I’m always cheering for our hero Evan to save the day, yet again.

This book in particular would seem like it was wrapping all the loose ends and coming to a conclusion many times before the ending. Others may find this frustrating but it just added to my anticipation. Highly recommend!

*Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.