Exactly what you expect from The Nowhere Man Series.

Plenty of action and a fast moving plot. Not as good as some of the past entries but still a decent read

The Last Orphan was exactly the high-octane thriller I needed.

This story gives us moral dilemmas with all the shades of gray, wrapped up in a complex plot and tons of action!

Evan Smoak, our hero, takes a slightly different turn here. I love that his character has been evolving throughout the series, and here he hits what might be a life-altering point in his path.

I have to mention Joey. I love her character, and she shines here. I’m hoping she gets her own series in the future. Also, bonus points for Dog the dog!

This is the eighth book in the Orphan X Series. While I recommend reading them all in order, I thought Hurwitz did a fantastic job of weaving in enough backstory for this to work as a stand-alone.

This is the latest book in the Orphan X series, although there's enough background that you don't need to have read the previous titles. The story mostly tales place in Iceland, NYC, and Boston. There was more humor than I remembered from previous titles in the series. Highly recommended.

HE”S BAAACCCKKK!!!!! Yep, Evan Smoak is back on the hunt! I was so excited to get this eARC for the newest installment of Orphan X. The gangs all back too, Joey, Dog, Tommy, Mia, Peter, Orphan V as well as Agent Templeton, who is STILL trying to capture Evan. This time she does capture her man, briefly😊

The book summary pretty much lays out the first part of the story, that picks up shortly after the last one. Mia is in Cedar Sinai and has just come out of her coma, and Agent Templeton had several military commando teams waiting for Evan at the hospital as he tries to go and visit Mia. In a moment rarely ever seen by X fans, Evan makes a mistake, a mistake that he is dumbfounded that he made, one that led him to be captured. However, in typical Evan manner, the containment, at the Beverly Hills Hotel, is brief, and Evan is rescued by none other than Orphan V, a woman that Evan once tried to kill, but now they’re allies (a whole other story).

During his brief containment, Templeton and the President pretty much order Evan to get rid of a problem of theirs. While Evan agreed to help them, he told them he would do it in his own way without their interference. Shortly, thereafter he escapes and proceeds to do what he promised he would do. The rest of the story revolves around Evan and his crew proceeding with the new assignment, in their typical covert, quasi black ops manner: Joey, hacking any site they need info from, Tommy, supplying anything and everything that requires any kind of weaponization for the job, and Aragón Urrea (a whole other story), taking care of all the air travel. None of this is a spoiler since it’s all revealed pretty early in the story.

However, there is a secondary storyline that comes up in the second half of the story that allows Evan to step back into his Nowhere Man role: Evan helping someone who needs his brand of help. This is something that Evan agreed to stop doing in the last book when the President gave him a conditional pardon (a whole other story). So, while Evan is working his assignment for the President, he is also working on a new Nowhere Man assignment. These two assignments provide all kinds of trouble for the “bad guys” and for them to come after Evan and for Evan to utilize his bad@$$ Orphan X training and skills to put them down. For anyone who hasn’t read the previous series installments, when Evan is in Orphan X/Nowhere Man mode, he’s like Dirty Harry/Die Hard/Superman dangerous.

Eventually, the two storylines begin to merge, which puts Evan in a position that he wasn’t trained to do, something that he has only learned recently to do, and it troubles him. I loved the very end, made my eyes feel a little watery😊

One of the things that I love about this series is the way that Evan’s emotional growth has evolved over time. Evan is a VERY complicated and deeply flawed man. However, throughout the series, Evan has allowed people into his life and over time, he has allowed them to get to know him and it has irrevocably changed him and his life – and he’s ok with that (I think).

Personally, I don’t think any of the series books should be read as a standalone. In just this one review, there are so many things that a reader, who had not read the previous books, would not know, or understand about Evan, his crew or any of the previous events in his life to make him the character that he is. At this point in the series, it's not even about the action-packed, fast-paced missions anymore (at least for me). Don't get me wrong, I still love all the crazy $#!^ that Hurwitz puts Evan through in every mission/book - LOVE THAT STUFF!!! However, I also love all the personal and emotional stuff that Hurwitz has put Evan through. I look forward to hopefully more of that. Hurwitz is an incredible writer and an amazing storyteller, and while he does provide some additional background in every book, it simply isn’t enough to understand “who” Evan is and why he does what he does. JMHO😊

I want to thank NetGalley and St Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

@NetGalley @St Martin’sPress @MacmillanAudio @TheLastOrphan

Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

PUBLICATION DAY: February 14, 2023

Orphan X is back!!!! The humble assassin, dangerous yet morally conscious, Evan Smoak is going about his daily business (which for him involves spotting surveillance, patrolling safe houses, monitoring ammunition supplies - you know, the usual.) Refusing to compromise his beloved commandments causes him to land in the custody of the president - who has a request (order) for him. Kill someone who is on her bad side, or he’ll never be free. Evan’s never been one to follow blindly - but what will he find when he does his own digging? Someone worth killing? Or saving?

PROS and CONS:
I love these books so much - they are a lightning quick read, with action and humour along for the ride. I will say I was a (teensy) bit bored with the lengthy monologues in this one (not Evan - he’s a man of few words which I like!) - it did tend to feel a bit preachy at times? But aside from that I enjoyed watching Evan do his thing, all the while treating people in every walk of life with respect until they no longer deserve it.

READ IT?
If you’re looking for…action, action, action and a main character who’s impossible not to love, then this one’s for you…

5 Stars

Evan Smoak, a favorite character of mine, faces a thrilling ultimatum in the latest addition to the series. The government, which turned him into a lethal assassin as a child in the orphan program, has found him and given him the task of killing a powerful man or facing consequences. Will Evan finally win his freedom? A must-read for fans of action-packed novels.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the journey through every one of the Orphan books. The author have created a world with characters that captivate. Evan is on his most ambiguous mission yet. It is a page turning and action packed drama. He is struggling with emotions that he would normally be easy to turn off. The reader is given more insight into Evan as a person which adds to the plot twists that occur in the story. The pacing as always is superb. This should definitely be on your must read list.

I love the Orphan X series and am always eager to jump into the next new book! For those that don’t know Evan Smoak aka Orphan X is a former government assassin who now works to help people. In this story, he is kidnapped by the government and the president asks him to kill a dangerous man. Smoak doesn’t trust the government and wants to investigate the man himself. His name is Luke Divine, he’s a very rich man who lives on Long Island and may be responsible for the deaths of some people who attended his parties.

I must admit this wasn’t my favorite book in the series. It got a little convoluted and I had trouble sticking with it. I was very glad to see some of my favorite people pop in like Joey and Dog, and his friend, and weapons expert Tommy Stojack. I was sad that Mia and Peter only made a brief entrance, but maybe we will see more of them in the next book. I recommend this series to everyone and suggest starting at book one so that it all makes better sense.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I gave it three stars.

This is a good addition to the Orphan X series. Never count out the Nowhere Man. No matter how dire the circumstances he always comes out on top. In this book we see him display a few vulnerabilities we haven’t seen in past books. It is a page turner that will keep you entertained from the first page. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

I love the Orphan X series. As with the Jack Reacher, Gray Man, and similar series, the titles tend to blend together, so I can't remember which one is my favorite. I just know that a few of the others are better than this one, and this one is better than at least one of the others. What do you want? It's a formula, it's candy, it works.

It’s dramatic, made-for-cinema action right from the the beginning of this eighth installment of the Orphan X series. X is captured by the government, and none other than the president tries to give him an offer he can’t refuse: kill someone she deems too dangerous, and she’ll let X live. X has dispatched a lot of bad guys in the course of the last seven books, but he’s not a killer for hire. From here, it’s all the usual X thrills in the form of crazy escapes, superlative skills, and fancy toys. Joey and her dog, Dog, are along for the ride and provide important support. Mia and Peter make cameo appearances in this installment, but they aren’t as prominently featured, maybe to balance out the personal drama of recent books. The series quality remains high, making me hope that Orphan X will stick around for a few more books.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for a digital advance review copy.

I loved this book, but maybe I'm biased. I love ALL the Orphan X books. In fact, I just sent the first one to my mother-in-law after reading this one because she has to start reading this series too.

Orphan X/Evan Smoak/Nowhere Man is a decommissioned government trained assassin from the now defunct Orphan program. Thankfully his handler/trainer was able to train him to be deadly but keep some strain of what made him human. Now he tries to stay off the government's radar, as they would like nothing more than to erase him, he uses his talents to help those who know one else can help.

However, in this installment it's the government who brings him in (following an amazing action scene!!) and want to use his talents again. However, he has a moral code that he will not abandon and their target does not meet that criteria. BUT, there is something there that he can not go by unchecked. And the Orphan X is back on his game. Most of the regular characters play their roles as well: sexy but deadly, Orphan V, almost Orphan/teenage hacker Joey (my favorite), weapons expert, Tommy Stojack, and Vera II (or is it III?) his plant. There is lots of action, violence, spy craft, vodka and comedy (Evan is a complicated guy).

I highly recommend starting at the beginning for this series. This one would be a tough one to jump in on without a lot of background as his history and the growth of his relationships with those in his inner circle. But you won't regret those first 7 as this is a fantastic series and should be fully absorbed. And besides this one isn't out until February 14, 2023 so start now and get a head start.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I am a huge fan of the Orphan X series and just reread all of them before starting The Last Orphan. It was great to just immerse myself into the world and read one book after the other. This newest installment doesn't disappoint, and we see Evan becoming a bit vulnerable. He also has to deal with the President trying to enlist him to do a job for her. His relationship with Joey is also fun to watch as it grows.

If you like a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat, check out The Last Orphan.

Fantastic book. Gregg is an author I have never read from before and was happy to realize I can’t wait to read another.

Well, wow. Just when you think a series can't get any better - well, let me amend that; every single one I've read has been impossible to top, and 5 stars is the highest rating I can give. So let's just say that this, the eighth book featuring "Nowhere Man" Evan Smoak (a.k.a. Orphan X), is every bit as good as its predecessors.

After taking his once government-sanctioned assassin talents private, Evan and the government powers-that-be have honored a truce of sorts - although it's no secret that those powers would capture him in a heartbeat if they could. And one fine day, they do. As a condition of his release and possibly an official pardon (or at least looking the other way), none other than the U.S. President offers him a "job": kill a man she claims is so dangerous that his continuing to live and do his dirty work threatens the very fabric of the country. Evan, though, isn't convinced; after all, based on past experiences he doesn't trust the government either. Besides that, his rationalization for going private is to eliminate only those people who have done irreparable (but demonstrable) harm to others and truly, in his opinion, deserve to be removed from this earth.

In this case, the target for rubbing out is a filthy rich guy named Luke Divine who lives on Long Island in a palatial home called Tartarus. He's fond of throwing no-holds-barred parties that have, at least in one known instance, resulted in the deaths of young people. The President's concern, though, lies more in upcoming environmental legislation she favors and he does not. Not knowing who to believe - and in some respects, not caring - Evan sets out, with help from some uber-talented friends who will be familiar to loyal readers, to investigate. And it is there that my description must end if other readers are to get full enjoyment out of the book (and trust me, there's plenty to be had, plus a bit of a cliffhanger that no doubt will factor into the next installment). In short, another winner from a very talented author for which I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me the pleasure of reading and reviewing.

The Last Orphan was difficulty for me to read. Not because it was dark or gruesome or scary; it was hard for me to read because I just couldn’t get into it at all. There are many people that are going to love this book, especially those who have been following the series. I have not, and this was my first book for this series for me. In the beginning, I felt like I was missing a lot since I hadn’t read the others, but then that feeling went away. There are some really great action scenes in this novel, especially the one in front of the hospital. That one played out in my mind like it was a movie sequence. However, there was so much down time between the action scenes, and that time between them was half boring to me; it was filled with too much useless detail. I also felt like it took too long to get to the point of the book. Overall, an okay read. I would still recommend this book; just because it didn’t resonate with me doesn’t mean that it won’t resonate with someone else.

I've read Orphan x #6 [liked very much] and #7 [disliked], but was willing to give the series another try. Glad I did.

In this book, Evan Smoak returns as the Nowhere Man. Uh oh--"...back on the government's radar. Having eliminated most of the Orphans in the program, the government will stop at nothing to eliminate the threat they see in Evan. But Orphan X has always been several steps ahead of his pursuers. Until... the President has him in her control and offers Evan a deal - eliminate a rich, powerful man she says is too dangerous to live and, in turn, she'll let Evan survive. But when Evan left the Program he swore to only use his skills against those who really deserve it. Now he has to decide what's more important - his principles or his life."

And so it begins.

A fast read; the novel kept me going. How would it turn out? What worms would turn? Will Evan stay a step ahead of all that threatens him [sorry, but duh!]. Throw into the mix people from the past: Evan and his idiosyncracies [particularly OCD], Joey, Aragon Urrea's help, Mia, Orphan V.

New words/terms that I had to look up:
horripilation
suicide doors [on a car]
Faraday cage
abecedarian [although I figured that one out--googling confirmed]

There is enough of the background material refreshed so that this can be read as a stand alone novel. And, the characters that return are given a refresher. Thankfully not as gruesome/gory [though there is gore] as #7.

And, no spoiler from me--given the ending, one can certainly see [or not?] where #9 might venture.

I can definitely see this as a movie.

Not literature and not for everyone--but enjoyable.

3.75, rounding up.

Greg knocked it out of the park again. Excitement, suspense, subterfuge and discovering awareness were front and center throughout the story. Loved it!

It’s not normal for Evan Smoak, otherwise known as Orphan X, to find himself shackled to a bench in a prisoner transport. Truth be told, it took a large, well-coordinated, and very well-trained team of America’s finest to land him in this predicament. In fact, the only way that even worked is that X’s only chance to slip the trap would have been to gun down an innocent FBI agent… and he doesn’t do that to innocent people. That’s how he ended up talking to the person who put the whole capture operation in motion, Victoria Donahue-Carr. You’d think the POTUS would be more grateful, given that X is essentially the only reason she’s sitting in the oval office.

But no, the Prez wants to make a deal: she’ll let X go IF he works his particular magic on Luke Devine, a kingmaker who’s apparently built an empire through coercion and blackmail, the guy who apparently stands in the way of Donahue-Carr’s reelection plans. Hint: she wants Devine “rubbed out.”

Needless to say, X has other plans. Once free (you knew that would happen, right?), X is about to go on his merry way when he gets the call. Answering with his signature phrase – “Do you need my help?” – X, aka the Nowhere Man, suddenly has a new quest: a pair of dead bodies that, as luck would have it, trace back to Tartarus. That’s the mansion and party palace where Devine casts his net for new victims. And just like that, X is back on the President’s job.

His problem? Regardless of what Donahue-Carr wants him to do, Devine doesn’t appear to qualify for the ultimate exercise of X’s talents. He's weird, yes. But is he evil? Evan just can’t tell. On the other hand, Devine's six-man security team, all dishonorably discharged Marines, are a walking nightmare. Now that is something he can work with…

…and work with it he does.

Eight novels into the Orphan X series (including Prodigal Son and Dark Horse), Gregg Hurwitz’s hero is moving ever closer to a semblance of a normal life. Oh, sure, he’s still wrapped up in a big ol' OCD cocoon, but hey: over the last seven installments he’s collected a couple of human entanglements: a teenaged protégé-slash-”niece” hacker with a big dog, a potential love interest (and her adolescent son) and even a friend. Maybe even two, if you include a certain ex-Orphan. Just where Devine is going to slot into the milieu, however, remains a mystery…

Sprinkled with humor and generously larded with bad guys getting their just deserts at the hands of The Nowhere Man, The Last Orphan is just the latest in one of the best thriller series out there. Unlike so many of the genre’s writers who bog down their plots with details of weapons and tactics embedded in reams of turgid prose, Hurwitz can actually write. With X he’s created a character who, at first seemed simplistic and stereotypical but who is growing into a fully-fleshed character as the series progresses. Who knows: he might even get a cat some day!

copyright © 2022 scmrak

I received an advance reader copy of The Last Orphan in exchange for my honest review.

5/5 stars! I am extremely upset about one aspect of this book ... that there is a cliffhanger and the next book isn't out for who knows how long. I was hopeful based on the title that this would be the final book in the series. I have been devouring Evan Smoak's story since the first Orphan X book. This book is an exceptional addition to the series. It was interesting to see the minor slip-ups of my favorite character and chart what character growth there is left for him. I can't wait for the conclusion of this series, but everyone should start at the beginning to get the full glory of Evan and his story.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily