I love the Orphan X series. I know that "love" is a strong word, but it accurately captures how I feel about these books. I eagerly anticipate each new entry because I know I will be in for a thrilling new adventure with Evan Smoak. I have been a fan of this author's writing for quite some time. In his previous books, he took everyday people who had no special training and put them in extraordinary situations. With his Orphan X series, he takes a skilled assassin who still uses his techniques, but develops other skills and emotions. Each book reveals another layer and shows us more of Evan's humanity.
In 'Nemesis', we see a different side of Evan Smoak and Tommy Stojack. Tommy is Evan's friend and weapon supplier. We learn about their backstory and we get to witness Tommy's loyalty and dedication. I admire Tommy for honoring his promises, and Evan for his dedication to helping those in need. Evan's code of ethics plays a significant role in his actions, and it's interesting to see how that unfolds in this book.
Evan and Joey are developing their relationship. Instead of telling her how to handle certain situations, Evan tries to guide her. Tommy shares his wisdom with some young men who lack guidance, revealing a different side of him. These young men don't have the gift of time to benefit from Tommy's guidance. Their environment lends itself to their actions, so it is difficult to correct years of behaving however you please. Once Evan becomes aware of this issue, he of course wants to handle it the way he handles all injustices. Tommy and Evan must come to an understanding of how to handle this situation. There is still the matter of Tommy's weapons being in the hands of an enemy. We are not left wondering how this happened and we are given a satisfactory resolution. But there's also the promise of the next entry. Hurwitz always does me in with his last page. He does not disappoint with the last page of 'Nemesis'.
I love how Gregg Hurwitz lays the groundwork for future books. Bits and pieces show up later in meaningful ways. We had no idea what was in store when we were reading 'Dark Horse', but, this is the beauty of a Gregg Hurwitz book. You feel things you never imagined you would feel reading a book in this genre. We are always entertained and we are ready for the next book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an unbiased review.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of NEMESIS (Book 10 of the Orphan X thriller series) by Gregg Hurwitz in exchange for an honest review. After Evan learned Tommy had supplied the weapons used in the last attack on innocents and on Evan, himself, Evan has been torn about what to do about his and Tommy’s diverging and incompatible codes of honor. Tommy, himself, has been dreading the end of their friendship and potential future adversarial relationship. In the meantime, someone has called in an old favor, and Tommy has answered only to find himself torn between disgust for the situation and sympathy for the people involved. Evan pursues his conflict with Tommy and ends up inserting himself into the situation, but Evan has no sympathy for the wrong-doers and has sworn vengeance on behalf of their victims. This book will resolve their conflict, one way or another. However, even if Tommy can survive his disagreements with Evan, someone else has put a price on Tommy’s head.

I really liked the book and loved the series. I look forward to the next adventure. I recommend this series to fans a spy/assassin thrillers with an Equalizer-type theme.

Nemesis is the 10th book in the Orphan X series from Gregg Hurwitz.

"Evan finds out that Tommy, his gunsmith and armorer and possibly his best friend in the world, has violated one of his commandments by providing weapons to an enemy - someone willing to hurt innocents. When Evan shows up to confront Tommy, he is attacked by mercenaries. Tommy has headed out to keep a promise to an old war buddy. It all comes to a head in an abandoned ghost town."

One thing unusual about this Orohan X story is that we get Tommy's POV for the first time. And we get a little of Joey's POV. There are several storylines going on here and Hurwitz does a good job not getting lost and tying them together at the end. The scene at Tommy's shop is another one of those Orphan X action scenes that Hurwitz does so well - X is continuously backed into a corner but figures a way.
Evan has continued to grow and change because of the people around him. It keeps the character fresh without feeling like it's just the same plot everytime.
Not the ending I would have wished for but the characters' fates belong to Hurwitz.

Another great Orphan X story.

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

Evan Smoak has had a long-standing relationship with Tommy Stojack ever since the two met at a tactical firearms trade exhibit in Las Vegas. But now that friendship is crumbling.

Evan learned that Tommy [who supplies his weapons] had also supplied weapons to the Lone Wolf; those weapons murdered a father and orphaned the seventeen-year-old she’d tried to garrote.

A betrayal of the code Evan thought he and Tommy both shared.

What now? What does Evan's code demand? And what does it mean for his long-standing friendship with Tommy?

=========

Picking up where “Lone Wolf” [the ninth in the author’s “Orphan X” series] left off, readers find Evan Smoak, aka the Nowhere Man, in deep contemplation. All the expected characters are in place; there is sufficient backstory for those new to the series [but read the earlier tales as they offer much for readers in understanding exactly who and what Evan Smoak has become . . . and why].

As the unfolding story places Evan at odds with Tommy Stojack, he struggles to balance his structured sense of right and wrong [delineated in the Commandments that govern all his actions] against his friendship with Tommy. As might be expected, friends are rare for Orphan X; even Joey is not immune from his rigid code.

The story is often hard and difficult as might be expected when Evan is forced to examine his code and the actions he has taken in the past. There is action aplenty, much of it grisly [exactly what readers should expect in an Orphan X story], but the real treasure in the telling of this tale is Evan’s search for a balance between the code he has always lived by and his desire to understand [and perhaps accept] how others fail to meet the standard. What exactly does that require of him?

And there is the friendship he feels for Tommy . . . .

Readers who have followed Evan through the previous stories will find much to appreciate in this unputdownable tale of friendship, codes of conduct, and the defending of the helpless, all leading to a satisfying denouement.

As always, highly, highly recommended.

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

I was thrilled to get access to the latest Orphan X novel. It was well written, as always, but I found myself not liking Evan very much. His OCD, while always apparent to a degree, seems to be taking over his life. He doesn’t have time for Joey, he decides he’s going to have to kill Tommy, he goes on a vendetta against some young men without really knowing the whole story. In fact, maybe that’s it. He’s going off half cocked while his whole personality would indicate otherwise.

Grateful, as always, to read this latest episode!

NEMESIS, the new Orphan X thriller, picks up right after book 9 ended; Evan is stuck with a conundrum that challenges him throughout this book. Evan is trained for battle and subterfuge and very specifically he’s trained to function in isolation. His handler struggled to imprint basic human needs within his warrior stance, but that humanity comes with a price and Evan spends this book examining its cost. He has gradually allowed a very small number of people into his life. Are they fellow warriors, on the same moral path as he is? Are they brothers-in-arms requiring support without question? Are they…friends? Can Evan have anything remotely like friendship? Can any human ever function entirely alone? All of these issues play out while Evan faces a group of young men claiming similar codes of brotherhood for nefarious reasons. And a police department in a small town, both of which have codes of behavior and silence designed to enforce group rules. Tension, gunplay and competing alliances make this another very good Orphan X book. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Evan Smoak has used Tommy Stojack as his armorer for years. Then, Evan discovers Tommy has broken a few of the commandments that govern Evan's life. He learned this commandments in the Orphan Project; he was Orphan X, one of the most deadly assassins the world has ever known. These rules are what kept Evan human while he was carrying out assassinations around the world for the US government. He is coming for Tommy who is Evan's only friend in the world. When Evan rolls up on Tommy's workshop, he is almost taken out by another crew. Evan thinks he is the target, but as he searches for Tommy, he begins to realize someone else is moving chess pieces around. Who is the new criminal in the mix? This series just keeps getting better: Evan is a complex man who rules himself in a rigid manner and expects the same from others, even though no one is capable of living up to his standards. Even his protege, Joey, has difficulties. Always recommended.

Gregg Hurwitz has developed the best assassin turned good guy ever. I just love Evan Smoak: his abilities, his demeanor and his apartment. I like how he is always helping people and doing the right thing. This novel doesn't disappoint.

Too much sadness

I love this series. Evan, trained as a government assassin as a young man, is usually a complicated character. He has few people he could consider friends, just Tommy, who supplies his weapons, and Joey, a 17 year old college student who was in the assassin.program but flunked out. She is now like a close niece to Evan. The previous book ended with Even thinking Tommy did something that made him think that he needed to kill Tommy. No real discussions on why he did it or anything else, just that he should kill his only friend. He knew that Tommy was a good guy, so there must be a reason, but rather than find out why, his reaction was to kill.

Tommy wound up in a real redneck area helping two young men who ran over and killed several Mexican people. Evan tracked Tommy down to kill him and, after he found out what the boys did, to also kill them. There was also a cover-up by the sheriff without a real good reason of why, other than that he was also a racist.

There were some good passages that explain how hurt people hurt and how stupidity is passed on, but all in all I had trouble with a lot of this book. There was a lot of violence. The ending in particular had a few pages that I could have done without.

Normally I devour these books and read them in a couple of sittings. This book took me a week. I found myself stopping after a chapter or two. There were just too many emotionally hurt people and too much sadness. Although I wouldn't call the others realistic, this was too far-fetched, with Evan killing or seriously injuring groups of attackers.

I highly recommend the series. This is good to read for continuity, but I would skip it as a stand-alone.

Orphan X is back and his life has gone through some changes - not in a good way. But as he tries to come to terms with what is right and just, he faces off against enemies that are known and unknown. Without giving anything away, this book felt like a departure from previous books. But then the last 20 % of the book was a return to form and was nonstop action. And once again, Hurwitz creates an ending that shocks the reader and leaves you wondering what will happen next.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

I have never read an Orphan X book so I felt a bit lost with the characters. It’s was interesting enough to me that I want to start with Book 1. So I think I’ll have to update my opinion once I read the other books.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. I’m going to have to rewind and read from the beginning :)

Nemesis finds not only Evan and Tommy at odds following the cliffhanger in the last book, but also Evan and Joey. Hurwitz fills Nemesis with so much action as both Evan hunts for Tommy and Tommy tries to protect and redeem the son of an old military acquaintance. I loved the interaction and conflict between Evan and Tommy and understand the need for an outside force to bring them together, but I didn't like or believe the assassin group that was sent after them. I look forward to where Hurwitz takes Orphan X with all of the changes that come about in this edition. Thank you to St. Martins Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the early access in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received a free ARC ebook of <i>Nemesis</i> in exchange for an unbiased review.

Hurwitz's latest novel featuring Evan Smoak, aka the "Nowhere Man", reveals Evan's growing humanity in his very violent world. His friend, arms dealer Tommy, has moved onto Evan's enemy list since Tommy supplied the weaponry to some evil people. Their relationship is tattered and the likely outcome is Tommy's death.

Intending to confront Tommy, Evan visits his workshop/home only to be attacked by six highly trained killers. Did Tommy set Evan up? Of course Evan uses his specialized skill set to perservere in order to follow Tommy's trail.

Meanwhile Tommy is facing his own issues. Determined to save the young son of a former comrade, Tommy confronts the racism and poverty endemic to small towns. Not enough opportunities and too many drugs has left a populace prone to bursts of rage and stupidity.

Hurwitz's description of young drunken, drug-hazed men staring at their phones is spot-on terrifying.

I love the Evan Smoak character; this book allows him a chance to question everything.

‘No better friend; No worse enemy.’ Evan Smoak—Orphan X—confronts his armorer and his only friend, Tommy Stojoack. Tommy committed an unforgivable sin in Evan’s eyes by supplying the weapons that killed innocents. Evan must mete out the same justice. But Tommy isn’t like the others. The turmoil Evan experiences is unlike any he’s felt and causes his unflappable discipline to flap. Nemesis is a story of friendship, forgiveness and most importantly—assuming nothing.

Gregg Hurwitz melds intense fight scenes, breakneck pacing, and emotional depth and growth. The evolution of X (and Joey) is fascinating, hard to read, and also hopeful. An unstoppable weapon who is learning how to be a real-life boy while facing off with neo-Nazis, racist incels, and other assorted assholes.

Hurwitz’s ability to write well-researched, engaging thrillers that forces introspection is unique. One of my favorite series just got better with Nemesis.

Thank you to Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Nemesis via NetGalley.

Oh my. This might just be the best Orphan X book yet. I've probably said that before, but I really, truly mean it this time. (Or maybe I'll be saying the next thing with book 11? Because that better happen.) It's been a long time coming, let's put it that way. The character development throughout this series is absolutely phenomenal, quite possibly the best I've ever seen. In Nemesis, it feels like the wave that's been building over the past few books has finally reached its peak, where there's nothing left for it to do except crash. And crash it does, spectacularly.

I knew Nemesis was going to be explosive given the ending of the previous book, Lone Wolf, but I was blown away once more. The conflicts, large and small, all felt so true to the characters at the center of this story. I couldn't stop reading, I just had to know what was going to happen next... even if it could destroy me. It's hard having characters you've grown extremely attached to across many years pitted squarely against each other on opposite sides of a fight, but I also had to appreciate how well-written it was. If you're a long-time fan of the series, you know what to do when this one releases. For everyone else, I urge you to consider picking up Orphan X. You never know, it may just become one of your favorite series.

As for that ending... I'm reeling. Someone tell me how to be okay after that rollercoaster.

Nemesis is part of the Orphan X series and is probably best read in order because some of the story carries over from the previous book. Evan’s need for justice has him pitted against one of his few friends in this page turning thriller. Feeling betrayed by Tommy, Evan is ready for a showdown but Tommy has problems of his own someone besides X is gunning for him and promises are coming back to bite him in the behind. While trying to honor the promise to an old Army friend, Tommy is faced with helping a young boy and his friends who are full of hate and stupid choices that have lead to atrocities in the name of racism. X’s sense of retribution has the young men on his radar while Tommy is trying to find justice but protect his promise. Action packed shootouts keep the pages turning and the war between Evan and Tommy kind of breaks your heart a little bit as both of them try to do what they think is right. The ending is full on trauma as you think all is going to be okay just to be blindsided by another twist. This is another hard to put down thriller in the X series but this one will hit you in the feels for real. My voluntary, unbiased, and non-mandatory review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

Gregg Hurwitz delivers another pulse-pounding installment in the Orphan X series with "Nemesis," the tenth book, pitting Evan Smoak against his closest ally. This bold move creates a tension-filled narrative exploring the limits of friendship and honor.

Unlike previous entries, "Nemesis" doesn't focus on a typical Nowhere Man mission. Instead, Evan finds himself embroiled in a personal vendetta, seeking justice for murdered Mexican immigrants while simultaneously confronting his former best friend, Tommy Stojack. This departure from the usual formula allows Hurwitz to delve deeper into Evan's psyche, showcasing his character's growth as he grapples with newfound emotions during his mission.

The novel shines in its action sequences, particularly the ambush in Tommy's workshop and a spectacular old-fashioned shootout in a Western town. These set pieces demonstrate Hurwitz's skill in crafting visceral, edge-of-your-seat moments.

"Nemesis" also explores the consequences of rigid adherence to principles, as Evan's unwavering commitment to his assassin's Ten Commandments puts him at odds with the concept of friendship. This conflict adds a layer of moral complexity to the narrative, elevating it beyond a simple thriller.

While the focus is primarily on Evan, the novel also showcases growth in supporting characters, particularly Joey, who learns hard lessons about the consequences of trying to fit in.

Overall, "Nemesis" is a solid addition to the Orphan X series, offering high-stakes action, complex character development, and a fresh twist on the established formula. Fans of Evan Smoak will find plenty to appreciate, even as it pushes the boundaries of what they've come to expect from the series.

A big thank you to St Martins Press and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been a fan of Orphan X since the first book, and while this one was not my favorite, that's not going to dim my enthusiasm for this terrific series. This one features a conflict between Evan Smoak and his best friend, Tommy Stock, whose actions in the last book seemed like the ultimate betrayal. Of course, when lethally armed, highly trained men of few words and fewer friends have a falling out, they aren’t going to just have a beer and get to the bottom of things—or even throw a few punches and then bro-hug it out. Mystified by social interaction, sans armorer, and having alienated even Joey, Evan has to go it alone (almost) against various bad guys and set out to find Tommy. As always, it’s fun to watch how our hero gets himself out of near-impossible situations. Meanwhile, some villains targeting Evan demonstrate how extra-bad they are by committing the grisliest and most sadistic of murders; I ended up skimming over these scenes because they were just too revolting to read. Maybe this is to make the usual trail of dead bodies in Evan’s wake seem less problematic. I hope that the next installment brings X less personal trauma and gets X back to answering his special phone and deploying his elite skills (and Joey’s) to help someone out of a jam.

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

Nemesis, the 10th book in the Orphan X series by Gregg Hurwitz continues an outstanding series with another incredible book. I would argue that this has been the most consistently great series over the last decade. Every book in the series has been one of my personal top 10 favorites in the year of release. I can confidently tell you that this book, Nemesis will easily be a top book of 2025. Hurwitz has a writing style that just flows effortlessly off the page. His character development is top notch, whether he is writing for the protagonist, the protagonist’s allies, or the villains in the story. I cannot say this with more emphasis, preorder this book it is incredible. Many thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy for my honest review.

I’ve read all the Orphan books and will continue to read them. Although this was not my favorite one. I didn’t enjoy the group of assassins that Janus hired and felt like the murders they committed didn’t add anything to the story. And I hated Evan and Tommy being at odds with each other. But it’s still a great series and you need to read this one.