What a book. I think it’s going to be a transition to a new Orphan X (Y) but this was a really great book. Orphan X has transitioned over the series and grown as a person but especially emotionally. The technology was cool and how it interacted with the story. If this is the technology of the future, look out.

I’m looking forward to the next one-whoever is X.

I received a free ARC ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Orphan X, aka Evan Smoak, is one of my favorite series characters. In Prodigal Son our intrepid hero comes into contact with some of the ghosts of his past - specifically some of the boys he grew up with in foster care. Evan clearly lives a carefully structured life, a life he has earned through his years as a government assassin and then as the Nowhere Man. Solitary and emotionally isolated, Evan has made some progress in connecting with others but he has never really thrown off the burden of his past. Confronted with the troubled existences of his former peers, Evan is forced to imagine what might have been if he had not been chosen for the Orphan program.

This time around, the antagonist is referred to as the doctor - a brilliant designer of miniature deadly drones. The science behind the technology is clearly detailed and seems all too possible. Evan puts his life in danger to help one of his childhood friends, Andre, whose own existence is battered and messy. Andre has always taken one step forward and two back. After witnessing a murder Andre becomes the next target.

This book relies heavily on the earlier titles for full understanding of the characters.
#ProdigalSon #NetGalley

Crank up the engines and drag race through the streets. For that is the ride that Hurwitz is going to give you in this 6th book in the series of Orphan X, Evan Smoak. It is taut and gripping and brings suspense to arresting heights. Although this can be a stand alone book, I feel that there is so much richness to at least read the first book. Evan was named Orphan X as someone who doesn't exist according to the government to execute assassins. He left that job to become the Nowhere Man, an individual who helped people in need. He is trying to retire but faced with a call by a woman who claimed to be his mother he cannot stem his curiosity. She asks him to help a man named Andre, who was in the orphanage with him. Andre, who works in a car impound lot, observes a murder. The killers then are after him in high pursuit that involves military technology of the highest classification. I loved ogling the other characters from previous books and watching the emotional development of Smoak. The reason I did not give it 5 stars was I got tired of the abundance of technical information regarding guns and military ops. However, that is a small complaint against a novel that crackles with excitement.

Hurwitz did it again! Evan Smoak "retired" is a laughable thought. Still talking to his aloe plant. Still loves vodka. Still in hijinks. Fast action book as all of the Orphan X books are. Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy.

Gregg Hurwitz has written another great book in the Orphan X series. This book was intense from beginning to end, with a few unexpected twists along the way.

Evan Smoak claims he’s retired but it’s hard to leave a profession that is part of you for almost your entire life and people desperately need your help. Answering his mother’s call, Evan is asked to help one more time. With his trusted friends by his side, Evan tackles evil and develops emotion. I love his relationship with Joey and their conversations made me laugh out loud every time.

I don’t know what I’ll do without anymore Orphan X books in my future.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the arc.

this was another great book in the orphan x series, I enjoy the way Mr. Hurwitz writes and I enjoyed the characters.

First, thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the Advance Readers Copy of Prodigal Son, by Gregg Hurwitz. This is #6 in the Orphan X series, which just seems to get better and better as the books roll on. I'd have to say this is in my top 3 book series, along with the Jack Reacher series and the Scot Harvath books. Hopefully, we'll have many more Orphan X stories to look forward to in the future. This novel probably did the most to develop depth to the Orphan X character, along with his "ward" Joey, and also featured a guest appearance by one of my old favorites, Orphan V. Best of all, we learned a lot about X's early life and how he came to be picked for the Orphan program. Can't wait to read more! Keep these coming!

I got this ARC from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I have not read the other Orphan X books, but I will now. This was an excellent book! You obviously can read it as a stand-alone, but I am sure it would be even better having read the previous books for more background.

Evan Smoak was put into the foster care system by his mother, and taken out of the system by an organization to be made into an assassin. In this book his mother calls him to ask for his help. One of his childhood friends from the foster home are in trouble. He risks life and limb to protect him and in the process finds out that he does have a family, and also that families aren’t just made by blood.

Can’t wait to read the rest of the books, as well as the next in the series!

I almost didn’t finish this book. I actually almost didn’t even start this book. I started the first page and I thought I had made a mistake. I re-read it several times and finally just pushed through and I’m so glad that I did. This book was amazing! I was absolutely captivated by the storylines, I could barely put it down. I loved all the plot lines! It was easy to follow yet you had to pay attention. It wasn’t a love story which I thought was perfect. I loved the mystery and suspense. I thought it was fantastic and so well written. It was a page turner! I loved the mystery until the end. Little secrets were revealed throughout the book which was a huge winner with me because there’s nothing worse than the ending revealed halfway through and then drawn out or worse, revealed in the last couple pages and then abruptly ended. There was suspense until the last page and this book just really won me over.

I've been a fan of the Orphan X series since book one. Evan Smoak is a hero in the spirit of Jack Reacher: only he has fewer lady friends and has way more money. The last book ("Into the Fire") wasn't up to the quality of the rest of the series, so I was starting to worry that the Orphan X chronicles were running out of steam. Fans should worry no more, because Prodigal Son is excellent.

The story opens with Evan trying to adjust to his retirement from being The Nowhere Man. Trouble always finds him though, and when a woman claiming to be his birth mother asks for his help on behalf of a friend whose life is in danger, Evan's curiosity and compulsion to right wrongs gets the best of him. He becomes embroiled in a conspiracy involving shady scientists working secretly for the government and some seriously scary contract killers. The job also opens old wounds for Evan, as his past and present intersect in surprising ways.

It is difficult to review this book without giving away any spoilers. Although plenty of background is given, this would not be a great place for readers new to the series to start, as the most enjoyment will be for readers who know Evan's personal history and his struggles. At times the book seems a little long, but there is enough action scattered between the relationship-oriented sections to satisfy thriller readers. The cliff hanger ending is a whopper.

I received a free egalley of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for Macmillan and NetGalley.

Really looking forward to reading this and was not disappointed. Evan continues to evolve, loved the insight into his birth mother and early childhood. Kept me reading until I completed the book, good thing I have a few days off. Can't wait for the next book in this series. Highly recommend.

My favorite by far of all the Orphan X novels! The author packed so much into this thriller, but it never feels like it's all over the place. Conversely, we feel more deeply drawn into who Evan Smoak is as he learns the deepest secrets that have evaded him his entire life.

If you want a recap of the book, read the blurb. This review gives my overall thoughts and feelings as to the quality of the read and how well the author carried it off to keep me engaged.

To be honest, once I picked up the ARC, I only put it down to get something to eat (eating while I read) and to use the bathroom. And this is not a short read. Finished it at two in the morning, wide awake and wanting more because, holy blast-it-all, that ending ! They say the beginning of a book should hook the reader in, and the ending should propel said reader into buying the next book. Mission accomplished, Gregg Hurwitz. Back to the review.

The reader learns Evan's background in bits and pieces, placed perfectly throughout the book. It's the personal, inside story--earlier and the present--within the larger, outer story of scary tech and makes you wonder how much of the technology is based on current reality.

Pacing and characters are perfection. Never once did I skim. Details are just enough, placed where they should be, internal discovery and struggle juxtaposed against the threat facing humanity. Settings became more than just a place for something to happen. So many moral questions posed on numerous levels. I loved how the book made me stop and think at several points along the way.

While the author gave the reader an exquisite thrill ride, he also slowed things down at crucial moments to give us the heart of the man, Evan Smoak. And I, for one, treasured it all.

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

Evan Smoak, once arguably the best assassin in an off-the-books program known as the Orphan Program, chose to break away from the program and adopted a new mission. Rather than continue as Orphan X, he became the Nowhere Man, the one person willing to step up for those in desperate need of help.

Offered an unofficial pardon by the president, Evan put aside his work as the Nowhere Man and made an effort to live something akin to a normal life. But a phone call from a woman claiming to be his mother, requesting his help for Andrew Duran, puts a reluctant Evan in the middle of a clandestine operation run by powerful men and in the crosshairs of a brother and sister team intent on ending his life.

There’s no one to help him, no place to turn. Is this the end for Orphan X, for the Nowhere Man, for Evan Smoak?

For readers, Orphan X stories are like welcoming an old friend into your home for a delightful visit.
Sixth in the series, "Prodigal Son" works as a stand-alone, but reading the earlier stories will give readers clearer insight into the character and the events that have shaped Evan’s life to this point.

With some flashbacks to Evan’s years in the foster system, readers glimpse his early life and gain a better understanding of how he came to the Orphan Program. As the captivating story unfolds, the intriguing plot twists and turns, taking the story in unexpected directions as Evan finds himself caught between Veronica’s request and the feelings that keep battering him as he walks a fine line in order to keep from jeopardizing the unofficial pardon that is the only thing allowing him to live free.

There are some wonderful moments between Evan, his charge, Joey, and Dog the dog; others between Evan, Peter, and Mia . . . all heartwarming and prone to making readers smile [and chuckle] even as Evan struggles to deal with the emotions connected to his interactions with these people. With strong, nuanced characterizations, a whip-smart [and terrifying] plot, and danger in every quarter, readers will find it impossible to set this book aside before turning the final page. Don’t miss this one.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley
#ProdigalSon #NetGalley

This is the latest book in the Orphan X series by Gregg Hurwitz. It is a quick read with  fast paced action throughout. It picks up with the Nowhere Man retired and trying to adjust to a normal life. But that does not last long as he deals with his past and both human and technological threats. One of my favorite series.


*will post closer to publication. Love this series!

I was pleasantly surprised by this book! Somebody in one of my book groups recommended it, so I read the synopsis and it sounded good. I am so glad I was approved to read it and I can’t wait to read all the books from the Orphan X series. I was able to understand Prodigal Son without reading the previous books but it probably would’ve been even better had I read them beforehand. I loved the writing and how it makes you think about normal human emotion too.

Prodigal Son is the next thrilling ride in the Orphan X series. The worst part of reading an Orphan X novel is waiting so long for the next one. Evan, the Nowhere Man, is in a forced retirement via the President of the United States but when a woman claiming to be his mother asks him to help someone what else is a man to do but jump in head first. Evan quickly breaks his own commandment of never letting anything get personal as he gets in touch with his feelings. Action packed thrills that read like a movie script, the story catches the attention and demands to be read from cover to cover for another addictive chapter in the Orphan X saga and one of my favorite series of all time. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.

I have read all the Agent X novels so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read this earlier than the publish date.

Gregg Hurwitz has created another Agent X story which is gripping, very well-written and with numerous twists along the way. I n the latest book the normally cool-headed Evan is knocked off balance with flashbacks to his past life at the orphanage, and characters from that life appearing in his present. It was interesting to have many questions answered along the way about his background, friends and family as a way of character development going forward, and wonder if there will be a place for the new characters in future books. I think that this book is important for his emotional maturity, and wonder how it will affect his behaviour moving forward. The family part of the ending was fairly inevitable, but as a mother I did wonder if it was necessary to follow a particular character's path with illness and death, especially so suddenly. Apart from that niggle (on my part!) I really enjoyed the book, and can't wait for the next one.....only another year+!!

Even though I've read every Orphan X novel over the past few years, it took reading Prodigal Son to remind me just how much I missed the character Evan Smoak. I'm a bit of thriller/mystery fiend and these Orphan X novels are a bit like stepping into a righteous James Bond scenario. Except in Prodigal Son you peek into just how awful things were for young Evan as an orphan growing up in the system. When this is juxtaposed against his incredible physical and mental skills and his sense of justice, it is hard to stop reading.

In this last installment, Evan has won a pardon which can be revoked if he undertakes to save another person as Nowhere man. Evan has started to live a normal life - meeting people, relaxing, appreciating his gorgeous condo, etc. Just as he was starting to relax he gets a call for help from someone claiming to be his birth mother. She asks him to step back out as Nowhere Man and to save someone in a dire situation. The victim has had all sorts of bad luck but has been trying to do right by his young daughter. Incurred all sorts of debt but is up to date on his child support, etc. As Evan weighs the consequences of helping versus walking away, we can't help but be so upset at the unfairness of life and drawn into the story.

I should have been working on my taxes, tidying up our home, getting ready for our move, etc. but all I wanted to do was read Prodigal Son. So, if you're looking for a satisfying escape - grab this book. If you have tons of things you need to get done ASAP, you'll be hard pressed to put this book down.

Orphan X is back for his latest adventure, once again using his skill as a deadly assassin to help good people out of bad situations. At the end of the previous entry, Into the Fire, Evan had reached a deal with the President to retire as a vigilante in return for being free and clear of the Orphan program that was trying to hunt him down.

But this time it's personal, drawing him back in despite his desperate desire to stay out of the fray. And that's as far as one can go without starting to hint at spoilers.

In plotting out a series like this, whether in books, movies or TV shows, the trick is to craft a story unique to this episode while still moving the overall story arc along. Gregg Hurwitz succeeds fully by having Evan's personal story intersect directly with the plot specific to this episode -- and again, that's as much as I can say without spoilers.

Even so, there is a higher level of success that Hurwitz achieves here, for a reader like me who likes a good thriller but also values literary fiction that is usually at its best when it is character driven. He conjures up the best elements of a thriller -- a believable and truly terrifying McGuffin, along with excellent villains -- and melds them with character development, not only of protagonist Evan Smoak, but also his sidekick Joey and the aforementioned villains (some of the other characters not so much).

The actual plot is basic: everybody chases each other around this way and that, trying to figure out the McGuffin, and then it all resolves once the secrets have been revealed. While the McGuffin may go one or two steps too far into fantasyland, the core premise is based on reality and projects it down paths that are so credible as to be scary.

The villains: the arch-villain is actually a stock character, but he only makes two token appearances, and despite his lack of dimensionality, those scenes are excellent, especially in how Hurwitz gets him to explain himself and his villainy without just falling back onto the trite "talking villain". But the hench-villains, they are good, unique in my experience, well executed especially in parallel with Evan's story.

And the action sequences, which Hurwitz has too often taken over the top in the past, are tight and to the point, no gratuitous nonsense, no wasting time on things that we know in advance can only go one way.

But what followers of this series will like best of all is the further development of Evan Smoak's character. In past entries, we've seen how humanity has slowly seeped into his psyche, the dehumanization of his training eroding as he experiences the real world. In this entry, much of his past history is revealed, and his relationships with real people become even more, well, real. Hurwitz handles this in a literary fashion -- rather than the kind of heavy-handed melodramatics you might expect from a formulaic thriller, there is real emotion, believable epiphanies, conflict and resolution, symbols and metaphors.

Good stuff.

I suppose Gregg Hurwitz could have made the backstory of Evan Smoak in the foster home worse than what is revealed in this sixth book in the series but it would have been tough. My goodness but I felt so sorry for that poor little kid. Okay, all grist for the mill that will turn out a cold-hearted killer/assassin, right? Except that's not what happened with Evan and that's why I like his character so much - a triumph over an early life where he had to learn quickly how to be hard as the adults in his life were. So, fast forward through all the fantastic life threatening episodes (previous five books) when Evan was Orphan X, his government designation, as an asset buried deep within the black ops secrecy. He hasn't even had time to enjoy his retirement from the program when he finds he is having to face a problem he's having trouble wrapping his mind around. His mother? Now she gets in touch with him? Why? And who is this woman really?

When I open one of these books and settle down to read it's just too bad if family or friends try to distract me from my book - it just will not happen. And how could I possibly leave Evan to try to get out of a jam by himself? He needs me! Okay, maybe not me specifically, but I do offer helpful suggestions. Gregg Hurwitz filled in lots of blanks with this story so Evan's character is explained more fully. It will be interesting to see where book seven leads because I will definitely be there to find out what is going to happen. There is a HUGE cliffhanger at the end of this one and I actually find myself thinking from time to time about how Hurwitz will "fix" the problem. I have no ideas so far. It isn't absolutely necessary to read the books in order but I'm super glad I've read them like that. Definitely a favorite author, a favorite character and books I can't wait to read as soon as they are published. They are even just as good on the second time reading.

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