Origami Man is the latest in the series by Matthew Fitzsimmons. I believe you could read this book as a stand alone because it does summarize the series to some degree, but you definitely would miss out. (I loved the first few books in the series and it is worth the time to go back and enjoy their development.) This installment takes Gibson Vaughn to the Cayman Islands with all the twists and turns we have come to expect from Fitzsimmons, including a reappearance of Fred Tinsley (The Short Drop). I continue to appreciate the complexity and talents of Gibson Vaughn, he is a well thought out and unique protagonist which keeps me invested in watching for the next story. I am again waiting for where the author will take us next! I received an ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

This series never lets you down!

FitzSimmons has done it again. He brings his merry band of misfits back to solve another dilemma. The 4 members of the group are all damaged in their own ways, but putting them together creates a pretty unstoppable force. Not going to give away any part of the story, but it is good from beginning to end.

Let's have more!

Matthew FitzSimmons has crafted an engrossing page turner of a read in Origami Man. Well worth the read!

Hacker, former marine, and troubled soul, Gibson Vaughn returns for his fifth (and for the time being, final) outing, as he and his team must stop a Russian malware attack – an attack that would result in the deaths of hundreds of thousands. Writer/creator Matthew FitzSimmons crafts fun and unique thrillers that sidestep the usual procedurals and exorcises deus ex machina contrivances. Origami Man skillfully continues the excitement, providing an earned ending while preserving an open sky of possibility ahead.

Following Debris Line, Vaughn and the team HQ in the Cayman's. Still wanted by the government they survive in the way the A-Team did for five seasons: “If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them...” Of course, the one man who does find them is the closest thing Vaughn has to an archenemy. How do you keep your enemies close? Fold him into the team - origami style.

Vaughn, along with ex-CIA Jenn Charles and ex-LAPD Dan Hendricks, jump from a pub fight in Belfast to rescuing a hacker in Marseille to racing on the autobahn in Germany. FitzSimmons expertly handles the action and throttles back on the breakneck speeds in order to preserve the human element, amplifying the true struggle sans the adrenaline rush. They must solve the mystery of the malware’s backer, enlist the support of code-breaking hackers, all the while avoiding the watching eye of U.S. Intelligence because, you know, “wanted fugitives of justice” and all that. Oh, and they have to cast such miracles alongside a phantom killer no one trusts. Vaughn and friends are not black-belt SEALs quick with wit and resources. They don’t have access to a Q. Their Alfred is more admin than manservant. FitzSimmons excels in portraying the realistic side of the fantastic.

Origami Man performs as a sequel to Debris Line, which was a palate cleanser following the first trilogy, minus the need of a wiki search. New readers can jump into the pool and splash around carefree with those frolickers, like yours truly, who initially met Vaughn at the bustling counter of the Nighthawk Diner. FitzSimmons gives closure to Gibson’s supporting cast while opening a potential new way for Gibson. A new way that is as appealing as the intro.


Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the advance copy and entertaining read. I’m a Matthew FitzSimmons fan and continue to look forward to his next novel, be it the New Adventures of Gibson Vaughn or a completely different entry in the annals of excitement.

*TIP - For maximum enjoyment, read the previous Gibson Vaughn books first to get to know the characters and villain(s). I read a lot of books, especially the mystery thriller genre and sometimes mix up characters, story lines and which authors wrote what. A significant part of this book references past missions from previous novels so to really understand you should read the series in order. That said, I really enjoyed this book and found myself reading late into the night (which is my barometer for book enjoyment). If you are a fan of Gibson Vaughn, this book won't disappoint.

I Was Hooked From The First Few Paragraphs

The Origami Man opens with an old nemesis from the Short Drop, Fred Tinsley, doing what he does best, killing while retrieving a critical thumb drive. Then, he is double-crossed and almost killed by the person who hired him. Everywhere he goes; men are already there looking for him. He turns to Jenn to convince Gibson to crack the encryption on the thumb drive and help him find the person who tried to kill him. An uneasy alliance is struck. Gibson is successful but he finds malware with documentation that indicates that in six months half a million will die. The story takes off from here to determine who the target is and try to stop it.

The action is quite fast paced. Every advance comes after much internal conflict, more unease with the wildcard, Tinsley, gun fights, car chases, and travel all over Europe. Then, with every accomplishment, it’s clear that there are more loose ends that need to be handled. As the plot becomes more complex, the tighter the novel’s grip on my attention became. Several times I chose to continue reading when I should have been doing something else.

The B-storylines brought more depth in understanding the main characters. These threads were woven quite well into the main storyline. Sebastião makes an appearance again and pulls Jenn’s heart strings. There even are B-storylines on Fred and the person who tries to kill him. These threads enriched the novel and reading it.

To address aspects that some reader may find objectionable, there is a noticeable use of vulgar language. For me, this language was appropriate to the context and character, and its use in this novel did not raise a red flag for me. There were not any sex scenes. There a fair share of violence, but here the violence is not overly dwelt upon. The only aspect that I found a little weak was some of the actions of Tinsley, but these for me were minor distractions that did not bother my enjoyment in reading this novel.

This novel was an excellent addition to the Gibson Vaughn series. If you have liked any of the previous novels, I am sure that you will like this one. If you have not read any, you can start with this novel as adequate backstory is provided for the events of previous novels. Overall, I rate this novel with five stars. Enjoy.

I have received a free e-book version of this novel through NetGalley from Thomas & Mercer with an expectation for an honest, unbiased review. I wish to thank Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.

In this fifth installment to author Matthew Fitzsimmons’ Gibson Vaughn series, Gibson and gang return to form an unlikely alliance with Gibson’s greatest nemesis--the assassin Tinsley—in an attempt to stop a cyber-attack that could cost millions of lives.

Despite this not being my typical genre, I have been hooked on the Gibson Vaughn series from the very first book. With “Origami Man, Matthew Fitzsimmons delivers a masterful, multi-layered story that is both clever and action-packed and stands up well against the subsequent books in this utterly gripping series.

As long as this author continues to crank out books, I will read them with eager anticipation. Truly, I am a Gibson Vaughn fan for life!

Wow, this must be the most dedicated assassin ever. I really love the character Tinsley, sadly he is not the main character. I thought Gibson Vaughn was a little dull. but the book is great. Some really good action and a well written plot. I will most definetely look into this series and I thank #Netgalley and #ThomasandMercer for letting me try this author which i otherwise would have missed.

In this fifth book about Gibson Vaughn, a hacker and versatile operator with a conscience, Matthew FitzSimmons continues the series that has been a little up and down for me, although it never got worse than "good" in the somewhat bleak book 2 (Poisonfeather), but has been back in the "brilliant" category for the past couple of books.
As Vaughn and "his" team of operators are persona non grata in the US, FitzSimmons has chosen new geographical settings for each book in the series, which works surprisingly well, which can also be said about the surprising reappearances of characters from the past books.
As always, the story is well plotted and exciting with several credible twists and turns along the way, and FitzSimmons is an excellent storyteller.
New readers should not drop into the series in this fifth book as a lot much needed background info from the first four books will be missing from the reader's picture.
Summing up, this is a excellent fifth volume of a fabulous series that I really recommend to all fans of thrillers with protagonists with a conscience that makes things difficult for themselves.

A friend highly recommended this author, so I was thrilled that netgalley had his latest title available. I loved this book, as much as you can love a book with a robotic, crazed hired killer as the opening introduction to a brilliant thriller! I didn’t feel like I missed a beat not knowing this collection of misfit mercenaries beforehand, but I do think I’ll go back and read his other books from the beginning now to flesh out their back stories.
Well written, engaging and exciting, loved it!

Powerful opening chapters had me gripped like a vice.
A ruthless assassin in Turkey is betrayed and shot by his anonymous client with brutal results.
This pacy thriller takes you into the world of cybersecurity, billionaire business owners, superyachts in the Cayman Islands and the impact of the digital age on world security.
Compelling characters and their families and friends are brilliantly portrayed.
Another excellent read in the Gibson Vaughn series.

Gibson Vaugh, legendary hacker and former marine, returns in a fifth installment of this series by Matthew Fitzsimmons. He is also a wanted fugitive living in the Caymans when Tinsley, assassin and the man who killed Vaughn's father, draws him into a dangerous new situation.

The threat is ominous, and Tinsley needs Vaughn's help, but as important as the terrorist threat is--can Tinsley be trusted in a truce to prevent the disaster?

Dan, Jenn, and George join Gibson in the hunt for the details that would help them prevent the deaths of millions.

The first book (The Short Drop) is my favorite, but I've enjoyed all of the books and the team of characters involved.

Read in Oct.

NetGalley/Thomas & Mercer
Thriller. Feb. 18, 2020. Print length: 316 pages.

Thanks for the ARC net galley

Tinsley is the most dedicated and detailed assassin in the history of modern thrillers anyway. #5 brings back an old cast but with new vigor. I promise 9ou will not be disappointed. Tinsely by himself is worth the price of the read.

Continued excellence from the creator of Gibson Vaughan. Complex situations, requiring tricky extrication and no time for respite. With a wry cast of "reality suck", like escaping a kill team on the autobahn in a footballer's less than inconspicuous statement car.

I have read all the previous Gibson Vaughn books and was looking forward to reading this as well. It did not disappoint. It starts with a bang as a very dedicated assassin steals a USB drive and ends up with Gibson Vaughn and his group to determine what to do next. This books takes the crew and some crazy adventures that they barely survive. It looks like the Origami Man, someone from Vaughn's past may still be around in future books and that would be a nice addition. A good book that moves quickly.
I highly recommend this book and thank Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for allowing me the preview.

This addition to the Gibson Vaughn series starts off with a gruesome beginning. I wasn't sure that I had picked up a Gibson Vaughn book at first, so I had to go back and read the book description. It was part of the series so I soldiered on despite the bloodiness of the initial chapters. The man who perpetrated the gore was the titular character and the bad guy on which Gibson's team would focus. This character takes them on a wild ride and and team member Jenn gets to grow as much if not more than Gibson Vaughn. Good addition to the series!

I want to thank NetGalley for giving me this advanced copy for an honest review.

I have read all of the previous books in this series, I think this is the 5th book. I have really, really liked the previous books - especially the first book. This book took me a while to get in to. I usually finish a book in a day, yet this one took me several days. The fact that I could put it down and move on to another book daily was not a good sign originally. But, once it got started - it took off with a bang.

I think the difference in this book was the character in the title, a cold blooded assassin with a history that ties in to Gibson and Dan's past. He is an odd addition to our gang and it takes a while for the dynamics of the group to be fleshed out. Also, the plot takes a bit to understand, there are complexities and dots that take a while to be connected. But, when they begin to make progress, it is a wild ride.

I think what makes these books so compelling is the characters that we have come to know and have developed feelings for. You have Gibson - who is a hacker, yet the most idealistic of the crew. Then there is Dan - an old LAPD detective who is hardened by all he has seen. Then Jenn, who I feel for because she tries to carry everything on her shoulders, yet she is broken and knows it. She is actually the toughest and being a female only makes that more phenomenal. And George, who is pretty much missing in this book but is the administrator and project manager of the group.

We get to see the gang travel across Europe and get into all kinds of trouble, but then again...par for the course. I loved the fact that we get to see some old characters - especially one who may end up impacting Jenn's future.

All in all it was a nice addition to the series and I'm looking forward to seeing where the gang goes from here.

This is the fifth in the Gibson Vaughn series and while ORIGAMI MAN relies somewhat on details from the previous books it can be enjoyed as a standalone. Author Matthew FitzSimmons excels at building a story with skilled characters able to handle whatever suddenly appears in their admittedly, dangerous lives. For this book, the evil perpetrator of a prior book has reappeared and the team must decide if their moral templates allow them to work with him long enough to accomplish their over-riding objectives. Assuming he can be trusted, a big assumption. The action is fast and furious and the details are parceled out carefully as the tale unwinds. This is a great thriller; the only drawback is that it ends. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

This book starts out with what has to be the most dedicated assassin I've ever read. Anything that involves a feeding tube, a catheter, and biological waste gets my attention.

From there, the storyline jumps in a group of companions that have been through several stories together. Unfortunately, this was my first Gibson Vaughn book, so I was a little behind on some of the backstories, but I did enjoy the characters. The dedicated assassin from above is central to the story and brings the idea of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer to a whole new level. Not by their choice, but they end up having to include this nutjob on a mission with hundreds of thousands of lives on the line.

As I said, this was my first Gibson Vaughn book, but I will be going back and adding the rest of the series to my reading list. It was a very enjoyable read.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Origami Man is the 5th installment in the Gibson Vaughn series, and it’s another great read. The plot’s a little slow to materialize, but the pace soon picks up, and Vaughn and his group, who are all back, are in full swing. I like this series for several reasons; I like all the characters, warts and all; each book stands alone, and you’re not lost if you haven’t read the other books (unlike some other series), and the plots are all interesting and unique. Our hero has some help from some fellow hackers in this story, and the ending sets up nicely for another book. All in all, fans will not be disappointed. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through @NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.