In this, the sixth installment in the Orphan X odyssey, we see the Nowhere Man, Evan Smoak, trying to get used to his new “retirement”. Said retirement the result of his deal with the President, in exchange for a pardon for his exploits in previous books.

While trying to navigate his new life, his mentoring of his ward/side kick Joey (a refuge of the Orphan Project), The Nowhere Man gets a call on his RoamZone phone from a woman who claims to be his Birth Mother, asking him to help a man who is accused of murder. Knowing it may be a “prank call”, Evan’s sense of duty to help those in need is called into play, even at the risk of violating his deal with the President.

While Evan is contemplating the present, we see into his past and how he came to be chosen for the Orphan Project. And when the mystery woman is, in fact, the Mother who gave him up for adoption, we see a new side to Evan as he wrestles with emotions that were either non-existent, or buried very deep.

Evan decides to take on the assignment requested by his Mother and we see him encounter a very sinister plot that includes murderous siblings, a sadistic scientist and some very scary technology, in the form of killer drones, with some serious capabilities. Along with the usual cast of characters including Joey behind the keyboard and a cameo from Orphan V (Candy McClure) Evan does what he does best.

If you are a fan of Gregg Hurwitz’s Orphan X series, you will not be disappointed with this outing. Great action, riveting story, terrific pace and a cliff hanger ending that will have you wanting for more, pre-order this book. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this pre-publication version of the book.

Wow! I have loved this series from the beginning but this has to be the best. It is filled with action and danger. We get to see a different side of Evan here, he shows a more human side of himself. There are a couple of new characters that provide quite a surprise. Even tho this book is part of a series it could be read as a stand alone, but I do recommend the series too. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

While this is not my preferred genre of book, I gave it a shot. I found that I love the author’s writing! You somehow feel you are right there with all of the action, and you never know what’s going to happen next. This book is part of a series, but the author gives enough background that it works as a stand-alone book.

This was a very interesting novel about micro drones and their possibilities. Evan a retired trained assassin is approached by his mother, who gave him up at birth, to help Andre, a man who it turns out was in the same group home as he had been during his teens. . There is a lot of action in this storyline. Some of the situations were hard to imagine but I guess none of us knows what goes on with our government. This is a fast paced action novel which I could see having a sequel with some of the same characters. The characters are well developed and interesting.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an early reader copy of Prodigal Sun!

I had forgotten just how much I like Gregg Hurwitz's Orphan X series, and Prodigal Son is just as good (maybe even better!) than the previous books in the series. Full of snappy dialogue, fun and interesting characters, wonderfully farfetched (I hope!) scenarios Prodigal Son takes us back into Evan Smoak's past.. his time in foster care, how he ended up as part of the Orphan program...and then connects that to present day, and the call he gets for help. Theoretically in retirement after a secret pardon (as long as he doesn't help anyone else), Evan is working on living a normal life. When he gets a strange phone call and witnesses a bizarre assassination in a junkyard, Evan is drawn back into his past with completely unforeseen consequences, which will change his life.

All of my favorite characters are here (in addition to the Nowhere Man): Mia and Peter, Joey, Tommy, as well as some new villains (of course! the Nowhere Man needs someone to save someone else from!). I never know quite what genre best describes the Orphan X/Nowhere Man (sci-fi? spy?)but I do know that it's a great read. That and the totally surprising ending will keep you reading and then impatient for the next one!

Gregg Hurwitz has created such an amazing character with Evan Smoak. In PROTIGAL SON, we see Orphan X revisit many parts of his past, in not so subtle ways. As with any of his Orphan X novels, this book is jam-packed with guns, fighting, and intrigue. Smoak is on a mission to find someone that a long lost person from Evan's life requests his assistance with. This was my favorite Orphan X novel yet, and I think this will easily be a contender for top read of 2021.

Review: "Prodigal Son" is another entertaining thriller by Gregg Hurwitz. The protagonist, Evan Smoak, is a likeable, capable character, full of quirks and flaws that add to his allure. There are a few character quirks that I still don't understand after reading two "Orphan X" books, like his obsession with vodka and his use of a "floating bed", but these make the protagonist even more interesting. Smoak is sort of a superman with a lot of human baggage. The real strength of this book is the scenario that seems far-fetched, but becomes more plausible and more terrifying as the story unfolds. This excellent story features a heavy dose of technology that is well-researched and well-explained. The author also provided a good deal of backstory, so a reader new to the series will enjoy the story as well.

The author explores a lot of Evan Smoak's human baggage in "Prodigal Son". Relationships are an underlying theme. They help define the protagonist and help readers identify with him as a fellow human. Overall, I enjoyed this exploration of Smoak's softer side, but some readers might find it overdone. I also find his "friends", including a quirky but competent computer hacker and an inventive weapons supplier make it a little too easy for him to escape from difficulty.

Overall, this is a very good read, with colorful characters and a well-constructed, twisty and frightening plot.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Minotaur Publications for providing me with an ARC in return for providing an honest review.

This was my first Evan Smoak/Orphan X novel, but it won’t be my last! An action-packed thriller that has you on the edge of your seat as you turn the pages. It reads like a mashup of Mission Impossible and James Bond. Fast paced and exciting; a must-read for those who enjoy thrillers.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

I never really guess where this series is going but it doesn't disappoint. We learn a lot more about Evan's history in this one and how that ties into who he is as an adult. What I like about this series is that there's always plenty of quieter, more personal moments to balance the big action parts. The ending was really something.

Looking forward to the next one.

Simply Electrifying.

What happens when everything Evan Smoak thought he knew about himself and his past is torn asunder?

In “Prodigal Son,” Evan opens up, faces the truth and takes care of his own.

This time, it’s personal.

Stunning, brilliant, heart-rending and pulse pounding this suspenseful addition to the Orphan X series delivers in a way that none of the other books in the series have so far.

It will in fact make your eyes POP and your heart stop (just for a second though..). That my friends is a promise.

A highly entertaining buddy read with Kaceey that gave us lots to discuss.

A huge thank you goes out to Martin Quinn at Minotaur Books for the arc.

Published on Goodreads on 12.5.20.
Excerpt to be published on Insta.

All right Evan Smoak…you’ve got yourself in some sticky situations before. But this time, all I can say is “good luck pal!”🙈

Book six of the Orphan X series is every bit the white-knuckled, action packed romp as all its predecessors! Can’t poor Evan ever have a normal life? Maybe one that oh, I don’t know…doesn’t involves killing? Even after relinquishing his dark ops “Nowhere Man” persona he still carries the phone...just in case.

And as you probably guessed, retirement isn’t in his short term plan. And now, as he knew it would, the phone is ringing once again. And this time it’s as personal as it can get.

If you’re a fan of this series you won’t be disappointed. All the high-wire action you’d expect. And sprinkled with a hint of possible romance for all of you who want to see Evan explore love. Or is that just me?🏻♀️

To give you the best reading experience, I recommend starting at the beginning of the series. Although the author does provide enough background detail that it can certainly stand on its own.

The ending is of course a nail-biter that has me waiting impatiently for the next release! Please hurry Mr. Hurwitz!

A fantastic buddy read with Susanne that we both loved!

Thank you to Minotaur Books for an ARC to read and review.

It took me a while to get into this book, probably because I wasn't familiar with the series, but once I got a few chapters in I couldn't put it down. It is a fast paced thriller, and stands alone but I suspect when I read the back list I will like it even better. The ending left me stunned, I re-read it twice to make sure I didn't miss something!
Great book, I recommend it if you love thrillers especially technology based thrillers.
Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's press for introducing me to Gregg Hurwitz and the Orphan X series!

3.5 Stars
This is book #6 in the Orphan X series
I read the first in this series ~ actually I listened to the audiobook; Scott Brick is one of my favorite audio performers so I really enjoyed the story.

We know some about Evan Smoak from the other stories. He was raised in a state home and at age twelve he was selected to train as an assassin in the Orphan Program. The training is grueling but Evan becomes one of the most highly skilled assassins. However, he decided to leave the program and thus becomes ‘The Nowhere Man’ and the one who helps people. In the last story, he receives a presidential pardon for his past sins as an assassin. Now, he wants to retire to a normal life.

In this story Ethan’s past and present are presented in alternating chapters. Flashbacks offer new details into Ethan time in the orphan and also offer details on why he was selected into the Orphan Program.

There is no doubt this is a high-tech thriller. True there were times it got a bit too technical for me and I felt I needed to check with my grandsons for help!

I usually mention in my reviews how much I enjoy reading the author’s ‘Acknowledgements’. In this one author,: Gregg Hurwitz thanks many people.
He starts one paragraph with special thanks . . .
"The subject matter experts Evan depended on for this adventure include."
Then lists nearly a full page of names!!!

Want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for professional review purposes only. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for January 26, 2021

Caution spoiler alerts in the review!!!
I was extremely happy to get an advance copy of this book to read because I have been a long time fan of Mr. Hurwitz..
As with any book, the reader must be able to suspend his belief to enjoy the book.. However. in the book the co-incidences are just a little too outrageous to enjoy. To think that his Mother could track down a "super secret" agent who has no records anywhere is just a little two un-believable. then to find out that she had been keeping a eye on him after putting him up for adoption is going a little further out of the realm of believability. Then to add that he has a half brother whom she had arranged to be placed in the same foster home as the main character at the same time that he was there is pushing the boundary,. Then to find out that she is dying on top of it all just in time t0 re-unite the two brothers goes even further outside the realm of believability. Then the "witty banter" interaction between Evan and the young girl protégé that he is helping, again goes beyond believability. I know it is just a "book" but if the reader is supposed to suspend belief to enjoy the book, then piling one improbability after another makes the book unreadable. .

If you enjoy action packed thrillers, this is a good quick read. I have read all of Hurwitz' books following Evan Smoak, a trained assassin. "The Nowhere Man" somehow cannot keep himself retired. He lives to help the underdog. There are enough twists and turns to keep the reader's interest.

Prodigal Son follows Evan as he is introduced to Andre through a woman named Veronica. Not only fighting villains where is his laser focused, Evan is pulled emotionally as he learns more about these two strangers and how all three lives are intertwined.

Thank you Mr. Hurwitz, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy of Prodigal Son.

Evan Smoak, the ex-government agent known as Orphan X, has officially retired from being the Nowhere Man at the start of “Prodigal Son”, the sixth novel by Gregg Andrew Hurwitz in this action-packed series.

But as any thriller reader knows, it’s not that easy to just drop your previous life and walk away – there’s always someone who refuses to accept your decision, always some way to pull you back in.

And for Evan this one’s a doozy – a woman claiming to be his mother asks him to help Andrew Duran, an innocent night watchman who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. As the title implies, Evan’s past at his foster home comes flooding in, and the other orphans and the choices made long ago have a big impact on what happens in the present.

I enjoyed this book much more than the previous one, although some of the coincidences and connections stretched credulity a bit too far. The action/villain is very much in the James Bond mold, an evil genius that wants to use technology to take over the world. The two assassins going after Andrew Duran are a set of twins with a very odd attachment to each other as well as very peculiar traits. Once again, I think Mr. Hurwitz does an excellent job at developing his side characters, mostly I find them much more interesting than Evan himself.

Evan’s attempts to fit in at his building are once again quite humorous, although his relationship with Mia and Peter takes a back seat in this novel. His relationship with Joey, however, takes center stage here as poor Evan begins to realize that Joey is growing up, and beginning to take an interest in boys. In addition to Joey, we get to say hello to Tommy and Orphan V again, an always pleasant diversion. And once again, Mr. Hurwitz ends with a spectacular cliffhanger that guarantees anticipation for the next novel.

A welcome addition to the series. For those of you new to Orphan X I would definitely start elsewhere – although you would enjoy this book, you would miss half of the fun without knowing these characters from the previous stories.

I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from St. Martin's Press / Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

This is one of the best thriller series out there, and Prodigal Son is another strong book. One of the charms of the series is watching the hero, Evan Smoak, try to integrate himself into something resembling normal life; that strand is a major driver of this story, as Smoak finds his past tangled up in his current mission, along with subplots involving his close friends and apprentice.
But none of this gets in the way of the action, which is pretty much non stop, going from one death-defying scene to the next. Hurwitz is a master of these sequences: they are imaginative, detailed, and well choreographed.
Highly recommended.

This is honestly one of the best action series I've stumbled across... Evan Smoak is a marvelous character - complex, troubled, engaging, imperfect, and snarky. I really enjoy watching his character continue to develop here, particularly with regard to his interpersonal relationships (I want to say more but it'd be a huge spoiler)... Joey is turning into a major element of the series, which I also really like - it would be cool to see her get a spin-off of her own!

The secrets, lies, and revelations continue to be parceled out with just the right amount of red herrings and dramatic timing. The action is non-stop, as is the tension, yet somehow the stories remain believable. And I'm a big fan of the way Hurwitz balances backstory revelations that track throughout the series with the immediate Nowhere Man storyline of each book.

This series is great entertainment and the newest installment is definitely what I needed to read just now!

Oh my gosh the answers you have been waiting for. Orphan X has been trained to kill since he was a boy, left by a mother he never knew he had to survive. He became the best, a man who’s very name instilled fear in men. Orphan X, Evan, had changed from a killer obeying others orders to a savior to those who desperately needed help. He is trying to make up for years of killing but now he’s retired from it all. The President has issued him a pardon as long as he’s retired. Evan”s special phone with a number only known to a few, keeps ringing from a woman who claims to be his Mother. Could it be? Where has she been all of these years? Will he answer? It seems she is in need of help but he’s retired, does he put the restrictive pardon at risk? Can he ignore this woman or must he find out his past if she’s for real. If you’ve read Orphan X books this one will absolutely be necessary to read. Excellent and detailed. If you aren’t an Orphan X series reader become one. You can still read this stand alone but knowing the previous stories makes this one so revealing and answers the questions that floated around in your head! Thank you NetGalley, Minotaur Books and most of all Gregg Hurwitz for this ARC. Greg has a real talent to keep you interested. Putting just the right amount of humanity and humility in the Nowhere Man.

As a boy, Evan Smoak was pulled out of a foster home and trained in an off-the-books operation known as the Orphan Program. He was a government assassin, perhaps the best, known to a few insiders as Orphan X. He eventually broke with the Program and adopted a new name—The Nowhere Man—and a new mission, helping the most desperate in their times of trouble. But the highest power in the country has made him a tempting offer—in exchange for an unofficial pardon, he must stop his clandestine activities as The Nowhere Man. Now Evan has to do the one thing he’s least equipped to do—live a normal life.

But then he gets a call for help from the one person he never expected. A woman claiming to have given him up for adoption, a woman he never knew—his mother. Her unlikely request: help Andrew Duran—a man whose life has gone off the rails, who was in the wrong place at the wrong time, bringing him to the deadly attention of very powerful figures. Now a brutal brother & sister assassination team are after him and with no one to turn to, and no safe place to hide, Evan is Duran’s only option. But when the hidden cabal catches on to what Evan is doing, everything he’s fought for is on the line—including his own life.

Gregg Hurwitz has an amazing way of humanizing this "government assassin." Even long time fans of the series -- who know the things he's done both as X and as the Nowhere Man -- are charmed by his vulnerabilities and his desire for human connection. Highly, highly recommended for all thriller fans.