This is the first Orphan X novel I have read, and I can tell other readers out there not to worry about starting with Into the Fire even though it is the fifth in a series. It reads spectacularly as a stand-alone.

I'm sorry now that I have somehow missed out on this series so far. Orphan X is a fascinating character whose entire existence is dedicated to helping people in life-or-death trouble. In Into the Fire, Orphan X, aka Evan Smoak, is all-in to help Max Merriweather. Max's cousin has just been murdered, but before he was he had given Max something to guard. Now his cousin's murderers are after Max. The action is non-stop and fast-paced. I found it to be a very fast read, and now I'm looking forward to going back to the first book in the series to learn more about how Orphan X came to be. He and his sidekick Joey are fabulous characters whom I want to know better.

My thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur for providing a digital ARC and for introducing me to this series. I give Into the Fire five shining stars.

I enjoyed Into the Fire as much as the previous books in the series. After several books pursued the previous story line, I like the transition into a world where Even is forced to begin making his own choices about the future. The multiple layers that are peeled back in the course of the story were interesting and a reminder to keep second order thinking close at hand! Free from his larger antagonist organization in this book, the author has a chance to work on developing the characters and relationships a bit more and the interactions were some of the best parts of the story. Two unexpected twists at the end set the stage for the series to go in new and interesting directions and I eagerly await the next release to see what the future holds!

I have a very mixed reaction to this book. Yes, very well written, you can tell he is an experienced author. Even when I was tempted to skim, I found myself actually reading.

The hero has a mysterious background that I didn't really understand, but instilled him a dramatic sense of honor- to save and redeem what appear to be hopeless cases. I liked Evan, better than Jack Reacher with respect to his special skills. As much as I hated the dog part, I did like his choice and his standard issue, beautiful but weird computer hacker genius not girlfriend.

Inasmuch as I love to see the bad guys get it, this is a very violent story, Lots of blood and that did disturb me. In reading what else this author has done, I can see where this came from. I am curious about Evan Smoak, but we'll see what is next.

Evan Smoak has one last job to do -- and then he's out. One last person to help, and then he can move away from his Orphan X life (where he'd been trained since boyhood to be a very effective killing machine) to whatever comes next. And so he meets Max Merriweather, a down-on-his-luck guy whose cousin corners him into holding on to a flash drive for him. Then Max's cousin is murdered and the killers come looking for him. And he stumbles onto Evan.

As Evan peels back one layer of killer after another, what starts out as a simple job is anything but.

Into the Fire was my first Orphan X book, but it won't be my last. It's a terrific, fast-moving story in the action / adventure genre. And a terrific story. I highly recommend reading it.

I will post Amazon & Goodreads reviews once the book is released (and I'm eligible to review).

I am a big Gregg Hurwitz fan and have read all his other books, and was SO EXCITED to have the opportunity to read this one before its release. This Evan Smoak book was just as good as the previous four 'Nowhere Man' books and I finished it in just a few days. It seemed to have even more action & violence than the others! In the book Evan seems to hint at potential retirement, but I hope we get a couple more books first. Great read...

I received this from Netgalley.com for a review.

Go get 'em X, the world is safer knowing you got our backs.

Great continuation of the series.

4☆

Another great addition to the Orphan X series! Evan Smoak/Orphan Man is at it again, defending the under dog. The action starts from the beginning and never stops. You do have to suspend reality a bit, a lot of the things that Smoak does are way over the top. Despite that I thoroughly enjoyed the book and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it. There is a twist at the end of the story that I didn’t see coming. Despite this being part of a series it could be read as a stand alone. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Holding out for an unsung hero for the masses, an anonymous gladiator? The last hope when everything is hopeless and legalities be damned? He’s back! Evan Smoak, a former black ops killing machine known as Orphan X, a product of government training and brainwashing, somehow he was sooo good, he managed to retain his humanity and has become the last resort of all last resorts, the anti-hero who is seemingly unstoppable, and he is only a phone call away…The Nowhere Man.

Max Merriweather made that call and now The Nowhere is out to discover who is trying to get to Max, a bit of a loser in the eyes of the world, an “in case of something terrible happening” messenger for his successful cousin, a man who has become a target, a pawn in a deadly corporate game, a throw away patsy. What Evan finds is that he only knows the tip of the iceberg and this could be the hardest case he has ever taken on. It will also be his last, he is spent, he is done, but he is determined to keep Max safe.

Can you tell I loved this book? Evan Smoak and all her represents? Gregg Hurwitz has created the ultimate anti-hero, the knight in tarnished armor, and even though this is book five, Orphan X never gets old.

INTO THE FIRE is filled with action, emotion, and atmosphere! Gregg Hurwitz knows how to build a character into something “more,” brilliant, yet damaged, intense, and definitely larger than life! He has surrounded Evan with characters that truly bring this tale to life, sometimes with attitude, sometimes with humor, but always with heart.

An incredible read, once again! Suspense, action, danger, yet, balanced with endearing human day to day flaws, I cannot recommend this book or this series enough! Definitely a re-read for me!

I was invited to receive a complimentary ARC edition from Minotaur Books! This is my honest and voluntary review.

Series: Orphan X - Book 5
Publisher: Minotaur Books (January 28, 2020)
Publication Date: January 28, 2020
Genre: Thriller | Anti-Hero
Print Length: 400 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

I absolutely love this series (thank you, Netgalley!) and couldn't wait to read this one as well. I love the characters and of course all the fun gadgets and James Bond-like aspects to this storyline. This book was as great as the ones before it and I couldn't stop reading. I can't wait to see what happens next! Evan Smoake is one of my new favorite characters in a genre that just doesn't have enough great stories. Thank you, Gregg Hurwitz!!

My first Orphan X novel. Couldn't put it down. Hope the Orphan doesn't retire. Definitely have to read the others.

I love Gregg Hurwitz's Orphan X novels, and Into the Fire is another great one!

It's Evan Smoak's last assignment as the Nowhere Man; he wants to help one more person, and then he's decided it's time to join the real world and have a normal life. He gets a phone call from loser Max Merriweather. Max has no job, lives in a real dump, and lost his wife years before after a miscarriage. Even Max thinks he's a loser, and that everything he touches turns to dirt. When Max's very successful cousin Grant gives him a note to be opened only in case of death, Max doesn't initially realize that he's been set up to take the fall for his Grants misdeeds, redirecting the ire of some very dangerous and shady characters.. Grant figures that the bad guys will take it out on Max, rather than Grant's family. And then Max calls Evan.

As usual, it's one thing after another. Evan solves one problem, only to find there is a second, then a third, fourth and fifth layer of problems that have to be dealt with. There is the usual cast of characters: Prosecutor Mia and her adorable son Sam, Joey the teenage hacker extraordinaire, the weapons and car guy who designs whatever Evan needs and enough bad guys to fill several nightmares. At the same time that Evan has to deal with all this, he is thinking about his life after X; can there even be a life after the Nowhere Man? And just what does that look like?

Into the fire is a great finale to the Orphan X series....or is it really a finale? Loved the characters, loved the story and I would love to see more!

Gregg Hurwitz's Orphan X series is one of my favorite thriller series. Orphan X, aka The Nowhere Man, is sort of a cross between Jack Reacher and Jason Bourne. Early in the series we learn that Orphan X was part of a government program that took kids from orphanages and trained them to be black ops assassins, then targeted them for elimination when the program was terminated. In this latest book, Orphan X is still dreaming of a normal life while helping everyday people who need his skills. While I highly recommend the entire series each book somewhat stands alone and catches you up on the backstory.

In this 5th book in the 'Orphan X' series, the death of a forensic accountant enmeshes Evan Smoak in a fight against formidable opponents. The book provides enough background information to be read as a standalone.

*****

When Evan Smoak was a spindly twelve-year-old living in an orphanage - where he slept on the floor between bunks - he was 'rescued' and placed in a black ops program that trained orphans to be highly skilled assassins. Evan was dubbed Orphan X.

After doing his assassin job for many years, Orphan X left the black ops program and set himself up as 'The Nowhere Man', a badass who helps people in trouble. When a person in dire straits is given Evan's number by a former client, the call goes to Evan's uber-encrypted RoamZone phone, which he answers with the phrase "Do you need my help?"

Max Merriweather badly needs Evan's help. A few months ago, Max was entrusted with a yellow envelope by his cousin, forensic accountant Grant Merriweather.

Max was instructed to give the envelope to Los Angeles Times reporter Lorraine Lennox in the event of Grant's death. Now Grant has been brutally tortured and killed.....and when Max tries to give Lennox the envelope, he finds her dead. Max is now REALLY scared.

Max is a sad sack who's a failure in a family of overachievers and whose ex- wife - whom he still pines for - can't bear to look at him. Wanting to do at least one good thing in his life, Max is determined to take care of the envelope business before it blows back on Grant's wife and pregnant daughter.

Terribly frightened and not knowing what to do, Max stumbles into a coffee shop and collapses onto a stool. As it happens Evan's previous client, an autistic savant named Trevon Gaines, sits down beside Max.....and the RoamZone number is passed on.

Max calls the RoamZone, and Evan agrees to help the beleaguered man.....which turns out to be a Herculean task.

The envelope Max was given contains a thumb drive that details an Armenian gang's multi-million dollar money-laundering scheme. The Armenians are determined to kill Max and get the drive, so they search Max's house, ransack Grant's office, and eliminate anyone who gets in their way.

Evan manages to hide Max in a dilapidated house in the poorest part of Los Angeles, where the downtrodden man is supposed to remain until the coast is clear.

Evan uses his superb skills to neutralize the Armenian gang, and thinks job well done. Max is now safe. But nooooo. It turns out there's someone more powerful than the Armenian gang leader calling the shots, and that person continues to send killers after Max and the thumb drive.

As things shake out, every time Evan defeats a nemesis, there's someone even higher up - and better connected - going after Max and the drive. (In my own mind, I was thinking, 'How far up does this go. The mayor? the governor? the President? Putin?' 😏)

The book isn't quite non-stop action, but it's pretty close, and Evan has to grapple with innumerable human killers as well as vicious fighting dogs. This gives Evan the opportunity to show his softer side, since he rescues a 'bait dog' and brings it to his protégé, a 16-year- old girl called Joey.

Joey is a gifted computer hacker who has an apartment chock full of computers, monitors, and high-tech gadgets....and a healthy supply of orange juice, Red Bull, and Twizzlers.

For a bit of light relief, Evan interacts with the other tenants in his apartment building, who think he's an importer of industrial cleaning supplies. When Evan is charged with bringing 'nibbles' to an HOA meeting, he's REALLY out of his depth. 😊 Still, Evan is compassionate when a mugger snatches a necklace from his neighbor - octogenarian Ida Rosenbaum - and that thief is in for a bad time.

As usual in this series, Evan gets into trouble with Mia, the district attorney who lives a few floors below him. Mia is attracted to Evan, but knows there's something 'off' about him.

For his part, Evan likes Mia and her 9-year-old son Peter. In VERY different circumstances, Evan and Mia might be a couple, but killers like Evan can't form romantic bonds.

As Evan deals with one threat to Max after another, he keeps saying he's going to quit being 'The Nowhere Man' after this mission, so he can lead a normal life. That would be a shame.

I like the novel, which is fast-moving, exciting, and a good primer about various weapons and explosives. If you enjoy action stories, this is the book for you.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Gregg Hurwitz) and the publisher (Minotaur Books) for a copy of the book.

This is the fifth book in the Orphan X series and the author is maintaining the pacing of the first four books. As with many of these types of books, the storyline goes beyond what a typical human is able to accomplish, but the author's writing style holds the reader's interest which causes one to overlook this fact (hard to do in several other books of this genre). While enough background is revealed for this to be a stand alone novel, I recommend that any readers start with the first in the series to gain a better understanding of the main character.

I have also posted my review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook page.

This is the fifth book in the Orphan X series. Evan Smoak was chosen by the government and trained as an assassin. He is done with that part of his life and currently uses his special skill set to assist people in need.
Max Merriweather has a key that his cousin left for him before he was killed. He reaches out to Evan since he doesn't know what the key opens, but someone does and will do anything to get it. Keeping Max safe and unlocking this mystery challenge Evan as the bad guys seem very well connected.
Most series often provide clues from prior installments, so technically, this book could be read as a standalone. I personally never recommend this, since you will miss out on quite a bit a good reading and character development. Into the Fire is action-packed with a fast-paced plot and what can I say, Gregg Hurwitz writes some amazing books.
I received a DRC from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley.

I had not read any of Gregg Hurwitz's books prior to Into the Fire. I do not read the reviews prior to my reading the book as I do not want other opinions to influence mine. This is one time I wish I had. There were a lot of gaps in my knowledge about Evan which were probably outlined in the previous books. While I enjoyed this book, I suggest that the reader start with the first book and read them in order. My rating is 3.5 so it is rounded up.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Gregg Hurwitz has done it again with another great book following Even Smoak, or rather Orphan X, through his chaotic life. I love the suspense, the fast writing, and the action that makes there such a page turner. I also love his basics, such as his getting bossed around at HOA meetings, talking to his aloe Vera plant, and his love for vodka. This book did great following the previous Orphan books. Loved it and I love to hear about more Evan Smoak in the future.

Another thrilling entry into the Orphan X series. While his "main struggle" from the first four books was eliminated in the previous entry, it was nice to see him face a different kind of challenge and grapple with his identity versus running from his enemies.

I thought it was extremely interesting to see how the concussion impacted him throughout the experience, which added suspense in a new way. The book ends with a set up to the next one without being overly sequel baiting.

Definitely recommend it to fans of the Orphan X or John Wick series.

Thank you to NetGalley for a chance to read and review this book.

Another page turner by Gregg Hurwitz!! There is a little something for everyone in this edge of your seat read of the next installment of the Orphan X series. Gregg Hurwitz really gets you this time having you feel that everything will be wrapped up in a neat little bow mid-way through and the story line might take a different turn and then wham all of the action ramps back up and keeps taking you along with just another twist. Very well done and entertaining.

Another amazing Orphan X book. This installment has Evan Smoak, aka Orphan X aka The Nowhere Man, a reformed government assassin putting his unique skill set to use for good of the average citizen rather than the country. This time it's Max Merriweather who needs his help to fight for his life against the same people that killed his cousin but not before entrusting a damaging flashdrive in his care. A flashdrive that could expose an embezzlement scheme that reaches higher than anyone imagined. It's like a game of whack-a-mole. Every time X "extinguishes" a threat a new one pops up to take its place.

I enjoyed this story but so much I can't say with out giving it away. I love the characters especially Joey who I can relate to having a teenage daughter of my own. I had a nagging apprehension throughout the book that this was going to be the last and X was hanging up this S.W.A.T. boots and settle down but but, without giving anything away except O.M.G. I feel confident that there will be a #6. My only qualm with the book was X's concussion which in hindsight is kind of funny: I have no qualm that X could shoot George Washington's eye out of nickel from 100 yards away but I had an issue with how he did it all with this horrible concussion. Readers: such a fickle bunch. Now all I have to do is be patient and wait for the next one.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and #NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.