This was my first Gregg Hurwitz book/audiobook, but it certainly will not be my last! I could not get enough of the creative way the author takes us readers on the ride of our life, navigating all of the twists and turns the plot reveals. I am a commuter, and this book kept me wide awake and attentive on my drive. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy of this audiobook for an honest review.

Dark Horse
Orphan X #7
Gregg Hurwitz



#7 in the Orphan X series is freaking fantastic and fans will get another dose of this OCD plagued, automaton-esque, flawed yet perfect hero. In this installation X finds himself way over his head in the emotion department when 16- year-old Joey, X program dropout, tech extraordinaire and his charge wants something he doesn’t think he can give her. Plus Mia and Peter a woman and her young son who have somehow inched their way under his skin and into his heart are facing something Evan doesn’t know if he can cope with. What he needs is to get into his X Zone the uber-focused zen-like alter-ego he uses to fight the fight of The Nowhere Man and when dealing with this ruthless Mexican Cartel leader he’ll get his wish and much more. Fans get ready for non-stop breathless, edge-of-your-seat action and a continuing kinder gentler X mixed in with a fabulous storyline and characters both good and evil who will make a lasting impression long after The End. Series best read in order.

Narration:
The brilliant Scott Brick continues to wow as he narrates this series, he is the perfect Evan but every role he plays is impeccable giving listeners an added dimension and an unfair advantage over readers.

As a government assassin known as Orphan X, Evan Smoak carried out many assignments without argument until one day he knew the little humanity he had left would leak out of his being if he didn’t get out. So now to try and make amends he became The Nowhere Man, someone who helps those who have nowhere else left to turn. But then Aragon Urrea, a man with blood on his hands calls 1-800-2-NOWHERE and asks Evan for help to rescue his daughter who was kidnapped by a rival drug lord. Evan knows more than most that having blood on your hands doesn’t make you all bad so he decides to take the job and go way undercover because just maybe if he brings this innocent home the blood on both his and Aragon’s hands will lessen.

Evan Smoak! I've been a fan of this series since I read the first one, Orphan X, a few years ago, and have anxiously awaited every subsequent installment of the series. This was no exception, especially after the explosive ending of the previous book. And Dark Horse did not disappoint. As usual the stakes are high. Evan chooses to work with a cartel kingpin whose daughter has been kidnapped by a rival cartel. Not his usual type of client, and one he chooses to help because of the teenaged daughter. In the process he gets to know the kingpin, and as he gets to know him he finds his feelings about him growing more and more ambivalent. At the same time, his relationships back home are shifting and changing. I like that we watch Evan evolve as he gets further from his life as a trained assassin and continues to help people who have nowhere else to turn. I also worry that as he loses the tight control he's always had over his life, he's in more and more physical and emotional danger. But the Nowhere Man basics are still here - there's plenty of action, lots of weapons talk and computer talk and some unexpected deep philosophical discussions. And I'm absolutely ready for the next installment!
I listened to the audiobook version, and as usual Scott Brick brings a remarkable sense of urgency when appropriate, handles the humor admirably, and does his usual exceptional job of narrating.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* I have never read any books from this series before, would consider it if i found it for free at the library but it's didn't grab my attention in a way that i would seek it out. Likeable enough but i was able to put it down.

This book is the 7th book in the Orphan X series and the first book I have read by this author. I really enjoyed this author's writing style and the book was very intriguing and kept my interest. I will be going back to read the first six books in the series to see what I have been missing!

Evan Smoak had been trained and known as Orphan X for years. Also known as The Nowhere Man. And many other identities. Evan is all things to all people when it comes to saving and protecting as many lives as possible. However, Evan had enough. He left the program, but his desire to help others still remained paramount to him.

A very interesting man, a man with OCD, he will take on any challenge, even if these challenges put his very life at risk, and that is something Evan has experienced time and again, and will likely experience until he takes his very last breath.

Evan faces what just might be his biggest challenge yet - that of actually working with and for the kingpin of a major drug-dealing operation.The fact that Urrea mixes illegal and legal operations does not make him a good man and this goes against everything Evan stands for, but the kingpin, Aragon Urrea nees help and Evan is man for the job. Urrea's eighteen-year-old-daughter has been kidnapped and the location where she is being held can only be penetrated by someone with Evan's experience. In fact, Evan, The Nowhere Man once again, is the only man for the job.

Evan is not alone in this incredible task. In fact, some of the best characters from the previous books in this series - other Orphans - Mia, Joey, Peter and even Dog, the dog, are right in the thick of things. While I really love Evan, Joey, the teenage tech guru is trying hard to steal first place in my heart in this series. This continuity is important. Important enough that this is a series that should really be read in order.

Factor in that I was able to get this book also as an audiobook ARC while having the print ARC was stellar. The narration was just perfect, making Evan come alive and the adventure and danger utterly realistic.

Many thanks to Minotaur Books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher/author for providing me with an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was exactly what I wanted it to be! I loved it. I will make sure to check out other books by this author. When I requested this I was just intrigued by the concept of it and I loved how it turned out. This story had a great plot and if you have read this and enjoyed it, This was so much. It was such a great story. I would say give this one a try. I will continue to follow this author. Way to go to this author for not letting me down.

I highly enjoyed the narrator of the audiobook. Kept me listening.

Dark Horse by Gregg Hurwitz is the 7th book in the Orphan X series, and my first read by this author. I do not normally like coming into the middle of the series, but here we are. This series gets rave reviews so I was curious what it was about, and I just don't think this series is for me. It is suspenseful enough but I thought it was a bit too long for my liking and could have been a bit shorter and been just fine.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC to review.

Dark Horse is the seventh in a series called Orphan X. Evan is the "Nowhere Man" that helps those that have no other choice. The head of a cartel's daughter has been taken by a rival cartel.

This is my first read by Gregg Hurwitz, and though this is the seventh book in a series. I was not lost as to what was going on. I look forward to go back and read the other books in the series and other reads by Hurwitz.

I enjoyed the fast pace and moments of comic relief. I would compare this to Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This audiobook is well read and well written. The characters are described well. The narrator did a good job reading this book. I would recommend reading/ listening to the first book in this series. Overall this book is well written and well read. It will keep you on the edge of your seat from the first minute trying to figure out what will happen next. I would recommend listening to this audiobook to anyone and everyone. This audiobook is in stores for $26.99 (USD).

One family damaged, one family dangerous, and one family facing the unthinkable

“Dark Horse” is the continuing story of Evan Smoak, better known as Orphan X, but new readers will find that everything they need to know is included in the current narrative. This is the story of the good, the bad and the very bad. Typically Evan, in his role as “The Nowhere Man,” is rescuing the good while fighting the bad. This time “The Nowhere Man” receives a call for help from Aragón Urrea, a “bad” man, the head of a cartel, someone very much outside the law; he is not worthy of Evan’s help but his daughter, Anjelina, is. This young woman is in the hands of a rival cartel; she needs his help.

The pace is fast, and the action takes place over just a few days, but it seems like a lifetime to Evan. He lives by his “Second Commandment” so how he does anything is how he does everything. He is constantly evaluating, looking ahead, assuming the worst will happen, and planning his response. He moves carefully and purposefully through this mission, while at the same time, repairs the damage to his apartment, assesses his relationship with his young protégé Joey and her dog named dog, and maintains his dual identities and the resulting complex relationships with residents of Castle Heights.

“Dark Horse” is about complex family dynamics, one family is damaged, one family is dangerous, and one family is facing the unthinkable. Evan advances, changes, and matures in every book; he reaches out a little more each time for the experiences, the emotions, the “normal” things that he has missed. I received a review copy of “Dark Horse” from Gregg Hurwitz, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books. This adventure, like every “Nowhere Man” adventure, is compelling, provocative, gripping, and entertaining.

I listened to “Dark Horse” as an audio book narrated by Scott Brick. Brick has a multi-dimensional voice that at various times is melodic, reassuring, matter of fact, cautionary, unsettling and alarming. There is urgency in the narration, a tone of anticipation and yet dread of what is to come. The audio version provides a very different experience, perhaps an even more absorbing involvement than in the printed book. Both are exciting with non-stop action and reaction.

I love the intensity of the Orphan X series and this book does not disappoint. Its a little heavy on the philosophical ponderings but still excellent. I purchased this book in the Kindle version and loved it. The narrator was excellent and so is this book! It is an excellent addition to the series and a very good thriller. If you love Orphan X this book will definitely keep you up late trying to finish.

Orphan X is back in Dark Horse by Gregg Hurwitz, and this time, he’s going up against the cartels! The daughter of a major drug dealer in South Texas is kidnapped by one of the most vicious cartels in Mexico. Aragon Urrea has nowhere to turn, so he turns to The Nowhere Man, aka Orphan X. The first decision facing Evan Smoak (Orphan X) is whether or not Urrea is worthy of assistance, as he is unlike anyone Evan has ever helped out before. Ultimately, X can’t leave an innocent girl in such dangerous hands.

Evan’s own life is in upheaval as he tries to repair the damage done to his high rise apartment in the last book. He is conflicted about moving forward with a relationship with Mia to whom he is attracted but represents a step towards a normal life he’s not sure he is capable of or has earned. Evan is also navigating his complicated relationship with Joey, the teenage girl he rescued from the Orphan Program and to whom he has become a surrogate father.

Smoak finds himself getting to know Urrea better and discovering that he has his own complicated set of morals but also an unbounded love for his daughter. The action soon heats up as Smoak bounces between Los Angeles, South Texas, and Mexico where he must infiltrate the cartel and devise a plan to find Urrea’s daughter and get her out alive. No Orphan X book would be complete without a side trip to Las Vegas for everyone’s favorite armorer, Tommy Stojack, whose appearance never fails to bring a smile, if not an outright guffaw. Smoak’s unique talents for planning, adapting, and ultimately unleashing devastation and destruction make for a powerful action-filled climax.

The Orphan X books have always been outstanding action thrillers, but it is the character depth of Evan Smoak that really makes this series stand out. Dark Horse is unparalleled in the emotional turmoil and growth undergone by all of the characters, but none more so than Smoak, who continues to evolve in unexpected ways. This series is as good as it gets and Dark Horse is one of the best thrillers you’ll read all year.

Scott Brick does his usual amazing job with the narration. Bringing both the gritty action and the quieter human moments to life.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher.

Evan Smoak is Orphan X, but he is also the Nowhere Man. He is trying to give up his vigilante life of helping the hopeless, especially after his last case almost got him killed and destroyed his base of operations, but he still gets a call. It is from a man who is sometimes a good man and sometimes a bad man, but his daughter, 18 year old Anjelina, has been kidnapped by a worse man who does despicable things. Aragon Urrea is a kingpin of a major drug-dealing operation in South Texas. He's also the patron of the local area—supplying employment in legitimate operations, providing help to the helpless, rough justice to the downtrodden, and a future to a people normally with little hope. Evan reluctantly agrees to help and once again has to come up with a plan to save someone, but he will put himself in extreme danger as well, penetrating an impregnable fortress of a heavily armed, deeply paranoid cartel leader. Once again he calls on Joey for support as well as others that he trusts to save not only the young woman, but also the man she loves.

Gregg Hurwitz took this story up a level in the treatment of human beings. There was discussion of trafficking, human slavery, killer drugs, prostitution, feeding humans to lions and a lot of killing. I think I might be getting a bit too old for this. Having said that, it was an exciting story with a lot of action. I did find this one a bit slower at times, while Evan built up trust with El Moreno, the head of the Leones. With some cringeworthy activities, Evan had to pretend to approve, while also trying to convince El Moreno he was setting up drug smuggling routes for the family. Once again, Evan finds himself up against many, many well-armed bad guys, but manages to save the day. There was a light hearted side with Joey overseeing the refurbishing of Evan's apartment. Velcro wall anyone?? Another storyline involves Mia, the single mother of Peter, and friends of Evan Smoak's, that brings out the more human side of this over the top character. Overall, this is fast paced, action adventure story with great characters and stories and I recommend it if you enjoy that kind of story. If you're a person who shies away from books with violence, this will not be the book for you. Once again Scott Brick does an excellent job of narrating this story, and he is definitely the voice of Orphan X.

Danger Horse
Gregg Hurwitz

This is the next book in the series with Evan continuing to try and help those that have nowhere else to turn. And I had the pleasure of listening to this one with one of my favorite narrators, Scott Brick. He’s always engaging and does an excellent job.

While I like books where an alpha male does alpha male things, this one shows the progress that Evan has made with Mia and her son and even with Joey. He is learning to relate and care for those around him. Well more so he’s probably already done that a little but he’s recognizing this.

This one shows him working to rescue a missing girl from a drug cartel. And with a twist worthy of a top twisty thriller, I was impressed. This one has all the action you expect in the book and sets up a great next installment. I can’t believe I need to wait a year to read.

If you like action books, you’ll love this one!

Okay so I never heard of the Orphan series before I listened to this audiobook but I love movies like Jason Bourne, so even though I hadn’t read any of the previous books or really any book in that genre, something told me to take a chance and I’m so glad I did. I absolutely love Evan. 😍 I was a little confused at the beginning because duh, I jumped into the middle of the series but the author gives a lot of backstory so it was pretty easy to get into the story. What I loved too, is all the action but I loved the relationships Evan had outside of the job. I’ve already gotten the first book and will be caught up hopefully by the time the next book comes out.

Also the narrator does any amazing job with all the voices and I throughly enjoyed listening to him.

My thanks to Macmillan Audio for an advance review copy via NetGalley of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘Dark Horse’ by Gregg Hurwitz in exchange for an honest review. The audiobook was narrated by Scott Brick.

This is Book 7 in Hurwitz’s Orphan X series of full-on high action thrillers. Book 6 had ended with a heart-stopping cliffhanger, though Gregg Hurwitz makes us wait a short while for a flashback chapter to learn the outcome.

Still, the opening remains very dramatic and sets up the current mission. In Texas Anjelina, the teenage daughter of prominent narco Aragon Urrrea, is kidnapped by a brutal rival cartel and spirited over the border into Mexico. The desperate father reaches out to Evan Smoak, the Nowhere Man, for help.

Even though Anjelina is an innocent, Evan first has to decide whether he can act on behalf of a bad man. If he accepts he will then face the seemingly impossible task of liberating Angelina from a heavily guarded impregnable fortress.

While there is a great deal of action and violence, what distinguishes the Orphan X series from many shoot-em-ups is the contrast between the missions and the challenges Evan faces seeking to integrate into society.

Among these concerns is Evan finding ways to manage his OCD, balancing his role as mentor and protector to teenage hacker, Joey, and her rescue dog, Dog. There is also his relationship with Mina Hall, local district attorney and single mother who lives with her young son, Peter, in the same building as Evan. Her profession necessitates Evan keeping his activities secret.

‘Dark Horse’ is a fantastic combination of nail-biting action sequences with these quieter interludes. The banter between Evan and Joey is always a delight. Here Evan also faces a formidable adversary in the form of the officious president of his building’s home owner’s association, who is always on high alert for any violations including ‘no pets’!

With respect to the audiobook edition, Scott Brick is a highly regarded voice actor with over 900 audiobook titles to his credit. His voice is deep and rich and he effortlessly brings the novel’s characters and its scenes vividly to life.

Overall, an impressive addition to this excellent series of high octane action thrillers. The Epilogue teases new challenges for the Nowhere Man.

I certainly look forward to more Orphan X novels as well as catching up with the earlier books in the series.

I really loved listening to this book. The narrator was wonderful and the story sell binding. One is reminded that none of us is all good or all bad. That said, the ending caught me by surprise. The way a good suspense novel should.

I was extremely excited for the next Orphan X Book to come out. I was literally sitting on pins and needles when my mom told me she pre-ordered this book. This is a great series and Dark Horse did not disappoint. I give this book a 5 out of 5. I was on a roller coaster ride and just could not get enough. There were so many scenes in this book where I just had to stop reading so my heart would stop racing. I didn't want my apple watch to give me the heart rate warning (this happened often while reading this book). I was rooting for the good bad guy that Orphan X aka Evan Smoak was destined to help. And even though it seemed like so many times that Evan would get seriously injured or possibly die he came back and did his thing.

Dark Horse is the 7th book in the Orphan X series and takes off right after the 6th book. Evan is literally picking up the ashes, brick and mortar from the destruction of his penthouse suite due to dragonfly drone bombs that were programmed to take him out. We find Evan going to hardware store drop offs to get handymen to help him with the redesign of his penthouse. When picking up the handymen, Evan continues to be a compassionate person and points out that one of the senior handymen has been cheating them. Evan refuses to take that man along for the work and ends up paying those he selected a handsome fare for their hard work. One of the handymen stops Evan to make sure that this money was not used to harm anyone. After hearing this money is legit, this builds up trust and confidence so the handyman asks if he would be willing to help someone who was not all good but not all bad. And then the moment we have all been waiting for, Evan gets to give out his 1 855 2 NO WHERE phone number.

Then the real ride begins. Evan receives a phone call and finds out that the person he is supposed to help out is a cartel leader. His daughter has been kidnapped and there is no one else that can help him. Evan is reluctant to help especially because of what this leader has done in his past. Evan gets, Joey, his trusty adopted niece minor person to help him. She gives the snark and feist of a 16-year-old with the wisdom of an adult.

Evan decides to meet the cartel leader before he gives a definitive answer on helping him. His entrance was those for the books. He makes his point, agrees to help and tells the cartel leader he will ask him to do things he will not like. One of those things was destroying his illegal enterprise and going legit. Once Orphan X commits there is no turning back. He is able to get into places many cannot even imagine. He finds where Angelina (the cartel leader's daughter) is being kept with the help of Joey and gets the necessary armory muscle from his gun dealer friend. He is able to develop a plan to save the day but of course there is death, carnage, and loads of fun along the way.

Dark Horse shows a different side of Evan Smoak. We see his true compassion from his relationship with Joey, Angelina, Peter (his neighbor's son), the tenants in the penthouse. It is not the same brooding Orphan X. Evan Smoake is dealing with his own feelings, which have been suppressed for so long being in orphan program. Dark Horse shows the evolution of this man and how he relates to the people around him.

And in the end, the government hunt for him begins again.

I would definitely recommend this book and any book by Gregg Hurwitz. I talked about this book in my Technology Education class because of all the gadgets and computer science that goes on in it. I would definitely recommend this book to them. It was a great ride, I was highly entertained and I am going to wait as patiently as possible for the next Orphan X book to come out...because there has to be another one right?

Every time I think that Gregg Hurwitz cannot write a better Orphan X book he effortlessly proves me wrong. this offering is even better than Evan's pervious adventures. One of the amazing parts of this book is that Dark Horse adds another layer to Evan when everything is thrown left and puts Evan in a moral quandary. On a mission to help an individual with questionable morals, Evan is more introspective and learns that all is not black and white and that the murky areas in between are the places he needs to explore for personal growth.
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Evan Smoak is a man with many identities and a challenging past. As Orphan X, he was a government assassin for the off-the-books Orphan Program. After he broke with the Program, he adopted a new name and a new mission—The Nowhere Man, helping the most desperate in their times of trouble. Having just survived an attack on his life and the complete devastation of his base of operations, as well as his complicated (and deepening) relationship with his neighbor Mia Hall, Evan isn't interested in taking on a new mission. But one finds him anyway.

Aragon Urrea is a kingpin of a major drug-dealing operation in South Texas. He's also the patron of the local area—supplying employment in legitimate operations, providing help to the helpless, rough justice to the downtrodden, and a future to a people normally with little hope. He's complicated—a not completely good man, who does bad things for often good reasons. However, for all his money and power, he is helpless when one of the most vicious cartels kidnaps his innocent eighteen year old daughter, spiriting her away into the armored complex that is their headquarters in Mexico. With no other way to rescue his daughter, he turns to The Nowhere Man.

Now not only must Evan figure out how to get into the impregnable fortress of a heavily armed, deeply paranoid cartel leader, but he must decide if he should help a very bad man—no matter how just the cause.