I am a huge fan of this series! In fact, Evan Smoak’s 2nd Commandment is how I approach pretty much everything… “How you do anything is how you do everything.” The latest book in the series, set to release soon, The Last Orphan takes Evan Smoak on a journey of self-awareness & he finds that as time passes, some things slip & other things have greater value. Smoak’s philosophy of helping those that can’t help themselves lands him in new territory when it comes to personal boundaries. The antagonist is like no one he has encountered. The action is rich and the interaction with Tommy & Joey are even richer.

Thank you to NetGalley for the early read of this terrific novel! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I am trying really hard to like this book but I’m finding it hard to follow. It feels very fragmented and jumpy, making it hard to really understand what is going on and why.

In this novel Evan, aka Orphan X, is stuck between the national government and it's desire to have him eliminate a powerful political foe in exchange for ongoing amnesty from the government and his doubts about whether this person "deserves" justice as defined by his personal ethics. He seeks to resolve these conflicting needs as he struggles with self doubt as he works to assist others caught in the web of deceit and whether the individual the government wants eliminated is truly guilty.

I was disappointed with this most recent book in Hurwitz's ongoing series about Orphan X, I've enjoyed this entire series and expected more from this most recent book. The book never did grab me and seemed to meander between intense fighting scenes and lengthy periods of time where Evan aka Orphan X languished in feelings of self doubt and social isolation. In previous books the social conflicts the protagonist struggled with were dealt with more deftly by the author. However, here Hurwitz seemed to struggle with how to portray these issues and when he jumped to the expected physical conflicts they were not given the typical slow build up of intensity I've enjoyed so much in previous books.

Hurwitz's Orphan X series is always a fast paced thriller with plenty of suspense and twists and turns.

I enjoyed reading this story about The Man with No Name. He is faced with a problem of whether to do the bidding of a crooked president or a man who honks he is God. How he deals with his feelings about breaking or keeping his “code” give him pause. Lots of action and unexpected chaos make this book a fast moving adventure.

Another great installment in the Orphan series by Gregg Hurwitz. I enjoyed the story and the returning characters Joey, Aragon, Tommy, and Candy. Not to mention Mia and Peter, Naomi and Madame President. I devoured this series and can’t wait for the next one.

The latest book in a great, great series. Orphan X is dealing with multiple personal issues (unusual for him sorta) and the U.S. government is after him because he broke the rules in the last book. So, suddenly politics is the main reason for his next adventure which includes Orphan V and
Some of the regular characters. This time he is on Long Island (this area has gotten a lot books using it as a backdrop). So, a multi billionaire, an angry US president, and a government official trying g to send him away make a great book. Try in his somewhat love interest and there you go.

So this book is different than what I usually read, but I enjoyed the change of pace and this book. I found myself flipping the pages and staying up to late with this book.

The Last Orphan, the 8th installment of the Orphan X series continues a strong run for Gregg Hurwitz. These books include a protagonist who isn't like anyone else. This book, like the others in the series, are unique and highly entertaining. The Last Orphan has our hero going up against his greatest challenge to date. This book also contains some great characters to compliment X. Joey, Dog the dog, Vera III, and the ever present vodka collection really give off a style to the story. I must add that I cannot get enough of Tommy Stojack and Evan Smoak when together. Great writing and these characters work so well together. I would absolutely love a Stojack book, although I don't know what it would be about. Anyways, great character development. I loved this book and I highly recommend it and the rest of the series. Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read before release. I am happy to give an honest review. Pick this one up on February 14th, 2023 or preorder now for best results.

Gregg Hurwitz continues to outdo himself. Like the previous 7 books, The Last Orphan is a topnotch thriller with literally something for everyone. In The Last Orphan we find Evan Smoak (Orphan X) in a bit of a pickle. The President of the United States has given X an ultimatum: assassinate one of the richest men in the world or lose your life. The President says this billionaire is an existential threat, not only to the U.S., globally. X isn't so sure. Taking the threat under advisement, X must choose whether to go against his principles or tell the president to eff off and take his chances.

The Orphan X series is something I look forward to each year. It is also probably the series I have recommended the most. The Last Orphan might not be my favorite Orphan X book but it is close. What started out as an all-out action series that never left off the gas, the Orphan X series has morphed into a kind of character study with intense action strategically placed. Hurwitz has created a series that cannot be pigeonholed into a single genre and appeals to readers across a range of genres. The "personal growth" of Evan (and Joey) is what really propels the story forward and is essential to keep readers engaged. Orphan X is basically a kid learning about social norms, how people interact with one another, and learning to trust and connect emotionally with another human being. A kid who happens to be a world-class ass kicker.

It is this dichotomy, the deadly assassin who has no fear and the man who fears living in normal society , is what makes Orphan X so relatable. Maybe not the world-class assassin part but we have all felt the same fears and trepidation Orphan X is experiencing. Sure, the action and gadgets are cool but the personal and emotional growth of X is the real star of the show. If you've never read an Orphan X book, you are missing out on one helluva show.

My sincere thanks to Gregg Hurwitz, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the privilege of reading a galley of The Last Orphan!

Evan Smoak (Orphan X) is Back!

This time, the President demands his help, and she's not exactly asking. The President would like his help eliminating someone with connections whose agenda differs from her own. Evan however, has something else in mind.

Evan, Joey, and Orphan V investigate. As the body count rises, so does the tension.

Can Evan save everyone who is in harm's way and save himself in the process? Time will tell.

I loved the fact that Joey, Dog, and Orphan V were featured and have hope that a romance will brew between Orphan X and Orphan V (sorry to all the Evan and Mia fans out there!)

Another fabulous installment in the Orphan X series that kept both Kaceey and me on our toes! So grateful that Kaceey and I have read this entire series together!

Thanks to Minotaur Books via NetGalley for the arc.

Evan Smoak is back!! Having "retired" from the Orphan program Evan is dedicating himself to helping the lost and helpless, when the government finds him and snatches him away from his calling. The president doesn't like his work as the Nowhere Man and has a "project" for him. Those he loves will be at risk if he doesn't agree, and Evan is in a bind... not to mention that he can't get out of the governments clutches unless he agree to do the job.

So as not to give anything away let's just say that Evan approaches the job his way, leaving his government minders holding the bag. With the help of his trusty ward Joey he looks into his target; does this person really deserve to die, or is it just politics? Once again Gregg Hurwitz gives us a non stop action read, raising ethical and moral questions along the way. What is the Nowhere Man to do? Don't miss this unputdownable book, best book of the year in my opinion! A five star read!

I have read all the “orphan” books, and I will look forward to the next one. I did think that this one has a lot of excess material that was unnecessary. However, it was a good book, and I like what the author does with the development of his characters.

The Last Orphan is book 8 in the Orphan X series from Gregg Hurwitz.

"Mia is in a coma after her surgery. Evan goes to visit her in the hospital and walks into a trap. Despite his best efforts he is captured by the FBI. The president makes a demand. Evan must take out a man the president views as a threat to national security or be locked away for the rest of his life.
Evan must decide...but he will do it on his terms."

Evan has changed. He is no longer a lone wolf. There are people in his life that help him and make him better - Joey, Mia, Candy and Peter (and even Vera III) It makes him vulnerable but makes his life richer. It's always nice to see an author allow a character to grow and change.
Evan must match wits with a billionaire who controls a lot of Washington, DC. Are there enough reasons to take him out? How does he protect the people that now matter to him?
I like that Hurwitz looks at the gray here - it's not black and white.
This book is full of the action and Orphan X moments that we love from the series. Glad to see Candy in action again.
This can be read as a stand-alone but you'll want to read all of the Orphan X books. Another great Evan Smoak story.

Can Orphan X overcome his greatest obstacle yet…himself?

Evan Smoak, orphaned as a young boy, was raised to become the perfect assassin in a covert government program and became known as Orphan X. He escaped that life to reinvent himself as The Nowhere Man, using his skills to help innocent people up against powerful forces who have nowhere left to turn, while staying two steps ahead of the government agencies who want to eliminate him.. The only payment he requires is a promise from the people he helps….that someday they will give his phone number to another who desperately needs his help. Those who make that call will hear a simple question, “Do you need my help?”

Evan has survived by keeping himself at a distance from the world; his living space is impenetrable, and he has always been remote in his dealings with other people. Over the course of the first seven books in this series, however, he finds that he wants to somehow have a normal life. Cracks are appearing in his armor….he has befriended a boy who lives in his building (and the boy’s mother),; he has taken on an avuncular role to another survivor of the Orphan program, a teenage girl; he has been contacted by long-lost family members.

In this installment of the series, his adversaries utilize some of these vulnerabilities to capture Evan and coerce him to go after a target, to again be used as their asset. Evan has to assess the life he is trying to inhabit…..is it fair to have innocents in his sphere, given the forces that are aligned against him? Can he truly protect those in his life? And is he actually any better than the evil people he hunts?

The Nowhere Man is no longer infallible; he is questioning his abilities and his choices. Will these uncertainties result in his demise? Will he fade away, abandoning those who have become his family to reinvent himself somewhere else? Read this latest Orphan X novel to find out. I heartily recommend you do so!

A big thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of The Last Orphan, Gregg Hurwitz’ latest entry in the Nowhere Man series (#8). Having liked every one of the series, this one is right on par with the preceding books. In this, Evan finds himself at the mercy of POTUS when he is offered a job that would allow him to have his informal pardon restored. The job involves taking out a threat to the government in the form of Luke Devine, a minigarch who presents a great danger to the country due to the power he has accrued and the leverage he wields. Devine has a talent for manipulating people and making them do anything he wants. Having no interest in working for the government, Evan commits only to seeing if the mission aligns with something he’d consider worth doing. For Evan, it may align if he can truly help someone. That is helping the powerless or as he says, “…if someone’s being terrorized at the hands of another person, that’s something different. Not suffering over ideas or ideals or some metaphysical bullshit. When you see it in their eyes. Bone-deep suffering. Suffering for no other reason than that someone else wants them to. And trying to alleviate that? Is the closest thing to good I’ve found.” It turns out, as he looks into Devine, something does pique Evan’s interest that puts him on a collision course with him and his organization. Devine would make a great James Bond villain.

The Last Orphan is action packed and populated with interesting characters, especially Joey, his teenage protege. Mr. Hurwitz does a good job providing the voice of his female characters and they allow a look beyond the tough guy exterior. This is a worthy entry in the Nowhere Man series that comes out in February of 2023. A solid 4.5 for me rounded up.

Last Orphan
Gregg Hurwitz
Fiction
Nancy
4

While Evan Smoak is no longer living as Orphan X, as the Nowhere Man he regularly utilizes the skills he mastered as he grew up in the Orphan program, trained by the US government to be as anonymous and as ruthlessly efficient as he was required to be when carrying out his missions. Instead of working for the top-secret government agency, Smoak now functions as an independent contractor who only accepts jobs from those who call the number only a very few are privy to and who have no option but to turn to the Nowhere Man for help. Smoak never expected to carry out instructions from his former employer again, but a phone call from the President, with its implicit threat, generates enough interest for Evan to agree to look into the powerful figure with the ability to influence the course of policy decisions and to intimidate not only the President but other branches of the government as well. Smoak’s investigation uncovers an organization responsible for not only the direction of America’s future, but one linked to violence, addiction, and death.

Although Last Orphan reveals more of Smoak’s inner turmoil, I thought it lacked some of the smoothness of transition from one subplot to the next that was part of the earlier books in the series, but it didn’t affect my enjoyment of it.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s for the opportunity to read this ARC and for the chance to offer my unbiased opinion of it.

Find my reviews on Facebook at Nancy'sBookNook

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This is book number 8 in the Orphan X Series.

I have read and enjoyed all the Orphan X books. The background story is fascinating, the plotting is unpredictable, and the action fast-paced.

A US government agency grabbed Evan Smoak out of a group home, raised and trained him as a highly effective, dangerous asset for the government. An assassin. Evan was Orphan X—until he broke with the program and used everything he learned to disappear. He uses his many skills to help those with nowhere else to turn. Now, with the program shut down, most of the Orphans in the program have been eliminated, except Orphan X. The government has been unsuccessful in killing or capturing him. Until now. Trapped, the government offers Orphan X a deal. Get rid of a rich, powerful man who represents a clear and present danger to the United States, and is too dangerous to live, and, in turn, the government will leave him alone. Ahhh, the best laid plans of mice and men…..

What follows is an intense and action soaked story with some totally unpredictable plot twists. Evan Smoak has developed nicely throughout the series, and Hurwitz has succeeded in creating a complex, sympathetic character with a strong sense of morality. What I appreciate most is that Hurwitz doesn’t ignore his supporting cast. They don’t exist just to move the plot forward, but are well rounded and complex characters in their own right.

Hurwitz doesn't keep things simple. Evan struggles with who and what he is as he tries to find his moral compass. Complicating matters is the man he is after is much like Evan. They both live with a strong sense or right and wrong, crime and punishment. Some of the most enjoyable sections of the novel for me are not the gun fights, car chases or things that blow up. Rather, it are the wonderful discussions Evan and Luke Devine (the man he is hunting) have about man’s inhumanity, good and evil, and one’s morality. This discussion, and those which came before in earlier novels as Evan struggles to find his place in the world, to find the goodness within him, set Hurwitz’s Orphan X novels apart from other thrillers.

This is a great series that never disappoints. The Orphan X series transcends the 'thriller' genre. Well worth your reading.

The Last Orphan is Gregg Hurwitz's latest superior installment of his hit Orphan X series. Evan Smoak continues to do things his way, the right way! It's one of the great things I enjoy about this storyline. Another is Smoak's humor...."Seat belt is recommended " Okay, you'll know when you read it! Here's another...."Scrabbling over the wedged body promised to be painful and grotesque beyond compare." Evan is presented by the President, whom loathes Orphan X, with the opportunity to clear his name and remove the kill on-site tag. All he has to do is remove a really, really bad guy who is very insulated and on top that, while wearing an ankle bracelet, and having a full team following him. And, we have all the back stories from the previous Orphan, The Dark Horse. Non-stop action is is part of this thriller! Fantastic storyline continues a series I truly really, really enjoy!
I highly recommend this outstanding Orphan X thriller!!!

This is a good read. From the beginning to the end it's engaging and interesting. It makes you wonder about things.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.