I am not supposed to like this book. It's high on testosterone, with foul language and way too much gore, all negatives for me. But I like it so much! It was action-packed, with an excellent storyline, great writing, and rich characters. It's not just action, but lots of emotion that pulls in the reader.

Plot summary: Evan, a.k.a. Orphan X, has discovered that his weapons supplier, who is the only person in the world he considers a friend, is also supplying the bad guys. He goes to confront him but gets caught up in a terrible quadru[ple-murder and decides to take action, while also protecting his friend from another threat.

I don't know anything about weapons, but the research looks phenomenal. The descriptions of how Evan, a trained assassin, takes everyone out are riveting. This is the tenth book in the series and the first I'm reading, but everything you need to know is told.

While all the murder and gore is going on, we also get a subplot about Joey, a teenage college student who Evan saved from the Orphan program, and her dog, Dog. Joey is figuring out life and gets herself into some trouble, and Evan comes to the rescue. Orphan V, a.k.a. Candy, makes a showing as well, and it's hilarious.

There are so many parts, but they're seamlessly blended for a great and satisfying story. I skipped over the gory parts, including an entire (short) chapter, and language was limited to the parts where they were I suppose they were needed for accuracy.

As an aside, the author looks exactly like how I picture Evan :)

🤍Book review 🤍

Nemesis
An Orphan X Novel
by Gregg Hurwitz

Very grateful to the publisher for my copy through NetGalley, opinions are my own

Nemesis by Gregg Hurwitz is another thrilling installment in the Orphan X series, packed with action, suspense, and heart.
Evan Smoak, the legendary Nowhere Man, faces one of his toughest challenges yet—going up against his closest friend, Tommy Stojack.
When Evan learns that Tommy may have violated his strict moral code, their conflict escalates into an intense, high-stakes battle.
The story moves at a breakneck pace, filled with incredible fight sequences, sharp dialogue, and deep emotional moments.
Evan’s struggle with his humanity and code of honor adds depth to the non-stop action. Tommy, gruff yet fiercely loyal, is a standout character, and Joey’s subplot adds humor and heart.
Hurwitz’s writing is cinematic, making every scene feel like an action movie.
Nemesis is an absolute page-turner that will keep you hooked until the final scene.
A must-read for fans of fast-paced thrillers and the Orphan X series.

M

Book Review
Nemesis
Gregg Hurwitz
reviewed by Lou Jacobs


readersremains.com | Goodreads


Evan Smoak, aka Orphan X, returns for a highly anticipated tenth high-octane, breakneck-paced thriller. Reading an Orphan X novel is a guilty pleasure, akin to eating dessert before dinner. Evan isn’t a superhero but rather a cross between James Bond and Robin Hood. Although trained as a highly skilled assassin, he refuses to abandon his moral compass and his deeply ingrained desire to retain his humanity.

Evan was a twelve-year-old orphan, rescued from the projects of East Baltimore, only to endure a grueling seven-year training program under the tutelage of his handler, Jack Jones. Jack was the closest thing to a father and family he had ever known. This was all part of a clandestine black ops initiative, the “Orphan Program,” created by the Department of Defense. The program molded a cadre of assassins with unparalleled abilities—both deniable and expendable. Each was sent on solo missions to eliminate high-value targets without backup. As his trainer and a man of principle, Jack knew it was easy to teach Evan to kill but far more difficult to help him retain his sense of humanity—a core theme throughout the Orphan X series.

After a decade of covert assassinations, Evan wanted out. He no longer wished to be a lethal weapon of the government and was one of the few Orphans with an actual conscience. He embarked on his own mission as a pro bono freelancer, helping innocents trapped in impossible situations. He became known to his enemies as The Nowhere Man, remaining on call 24/7 for the desperate, awaiting a 1-855-2-NOWHERE call on his high-tech, untraceable, and indestructible RoamZone phone. Gregg Hurwitz seamlessly weaves this backstory into his latest explosive thriller.

Evan soon finds himself in an impossible situation. His closest friend, Tommy Stojack—a gifted gunsmith and arms dealer who has supplied Evan with weapons, combat gear, and even armored vehicles—has violated one of Evan’s most sacred tenets. Tommy has allegedly provided weapons used in the slaughter of multiple innocents, a violation of Evan’s unbreakable code. When Evan approaches Tommy’s workshop to confront him, he is ambushed by a cadre of skilled killers. Outnumbered, Evan relies on guile and skill to dispatch all but one, who escapes without warning. Hurwitz crafts a cinematic, multi-layered shootout that puts a John Wick film sequence to shame.

Evan soon learns that Tommy wasn’t even there. He had already left town to honor a promise to a deceased war buddy—one that involved helping the man’s troubled son. Tommy finds himself in a rural town rife with racial and economic tensions. The boy is among a group of young men living in a makeshift military enclave, ruled by a belligerent and absentee father who is supposedly working out of town. Tommy quickly discovers their involvement in the deaths of multiple innocent Mexicans. (“We were just trying to scare them.”) With his own brand of hard-edged discipline and justice, Tommy takes it upon himself to bring order to the chaos.

Evan must track Tommy to this desolate town and confront the unfolding crisis. What follows is a series of brutal confrontations, impossible choices, and escalating bloodshed. Prepare for visceral action sequences as the tension builds to an unbearable level.

Gregg Hurwitz proves yet again that he is a master storyteller, carefully unraveling this riveting, high-stakes thriller. With exquisitely plotted twists and deceptions, the violence and action reach a boiling point, culminating in a deeply satisfying conclusion. Each new installment in the Orphan X series reveals further emotional growth in this complicated and flawed man. While this novel can certainly be enjoyed as a standalone, be warned—you’ll likely find yourself compelled to devour the previous books as well.

Personally, I switched between reading on my Kindle and listening to the audiobook, but for the last half, I was completely engrossed in the audio version, narrated by the incredible Scott Brick. A multi-award-winning narrator of over 800 books, with a background in acting and writing, Brick’s nuanced voice inflections brought each character to life in the theater of my mind. He is a natural storyteller with a mesmerizing voice, perfectly capturing the book’s emotion and intensity.

Thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for providing an Uncorrected Proof and Advance Audio Version in exchange for an honest review.

Nemesis is the 10th book in Gregg Hurwitz's exciting Orphan X series. Now I've only read one previous book (well, listened to) in this series - Dark Horse - but just that one and this has made Orphan X one of my favorite series of all time! I've been collecting all the books I've yet to read, since there's a lot of background I missed. However, if you're starting with Nemesis, you won't be totally lost, as this particular story stands alone.

Evan Smoak was formerly a highly trained government assassin, He's survived for years by only having a few trusted confidants and living by a strict code which he calls The Ten Commandments (not to be confused with THE Ten Commandments). However, when he discovers his oldest friend has broken one of Evan's codes, all the rules he has lived by are torn asunder. Tommy Stojack may be Evan's best friend in the world, He's an unparalleled gunsmith who has fashioned most of Evan's weapons and combat gear. Unfortunately, Tommy broke one of Evan's highest commandments, and now Evan must face off against Tommy. In the meantime, Tommy has left town in order to honor a dead friend's request to help his son if necessary. Evan arrives in town with a vengeance while Tommy tries to do everything he can do to help save the son. All this is bad enough, until a threat arrives at the scene which may be even more deadly than the former Ophan X. Will anyone get out alive?

This is one of those books that plays like a non-stop action film in your head as you read. (Unfortunately, if there was such a movie, I wouldn't be able to watch it, as I don't have much of a tolerance for bloodshed!). At around 456 pages, it didn't seem all that long to me, as the pages just flew by. I had a few 1:30 a.m. nights because I didn't want to put the story down. Evan Smoak is a wonderful character. He was trained to be a shadow ops government assassin, having been removed from foster care as a child to learn the art of death. He's broken away from that, and is now the "Nowhere Man", a pro bono assassin for those powerless and terrified; he tells those he helps to give his name to someone else desperately in need of the Nowhere Man. Evan doesn't hesitate to kill when necessary, but has his very own strict moral code. I got a little angry at Evan a time or two when it came to Tommy, but still had to respect his code. I don't know if Tommy appeared in any of the previous books. He's gruff and foul-mouthed, but he couldn't be a more loyal friend and someone who deeply loves his country and those he served with in combat. The man is also funny as hell. He was no lightweight himself when it came to necessary killing. Tommy went to help the son of a former comrade-in-arms who was involved in a killing, and Tommy was the severe but caring papa bear the young man apparently needed. I was thrilled supporting character Joey made an appearance here; she's a 17 year old washout from the Orphan program, and now is a world-class hacker who works for Evan and whom he supports. She has a dog named...wait for it...Dog. Dog, a Rhodesian Ridgeback ,has a lovable personality of his own. Joey has her own independent storyline here, and it was interesting watching Evan try to help her navigate a college women's empowerment group as he's trying to do some really important work. I love the way Joey and Evan fight and make up. The storyline was very thrilling, and the pace never slowed down. The conflict between Evan and Tommy was becoming deadly, as all the while Tommy was trying to help his friend's son and the worthless friends the young man had. Added to this mix was an assassin squad who would make other killers seem quaint. and the final showdown is not to be missed. I hope this series has a long, long life, as the world is always in need of a hero like Evan. Don't let this series pass you by.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Nemesis is the 10th book in the Orphan X Novel series by Gregg Hurwitz. This book can be enjoyed as part of the series or as a standalone mystery!

Wow! Just wow!!! I don’t even know where to start. I think this was my favorite book in the series (so far)!

The author has created such depth in his characters. I really like Evan and found him to be fascinating. The storyline was amazing and well crafted. There was so much depth to uncover and it kept me so engaged.

I highly recommend Nemesis!!!

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

Nemesis (Orphan X #10) by Gregg Hurwitz
Publisher: St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books
Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers
Expected Publication Date: February 11, 2025

Evan Smoak takes on a very personal opponent when he is forced to confront his best friend, gifted gunsmith Tommy Stojack. But when Evan goes to Tommy's Las Vegas workshop, he is attacked by a group of men. Was Evan the intended target or Tommy?

Tommy has gone to a remote rural town of Calvary to help Hick Jr., the son of a former Army friend. He encounters a ragtag bunch of boys filled with racist hatred which resulted in the deaths of 4 innocents. While Tommy tries to help Hick & his friends, Evan arrives in town seeking vengeance. And they also have to deal with a deadly man named Janus & the 4 Horsemen sent to assassinate Tommy at any cost.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and St. Martin's Press. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for the review copy.

What to say what to say what to say. What once was without a doubt my favorite series, a release I looked forward to at the beginning of every year, I truly believe the <i>Orphan X</i> story has run its course. There has been a steady decline in quality since the beginning, but I do not know what it was about <i>Nemesis</i> that I found to be utterly impenetrable. After a few false starts I gave it a go, and I wish I hadn't.

Related, but also unrelated - I find Hurwitz's infatuation with Jordan Peterson and his need to weave him into these stories off-putting.

I had much higher hopes for this book but I think I am Orphan X-d out.

Book 10 in the series.
In this book it become clear that not everything is straight forward, black, and white. Evan struggles with the realization that Tommy, who he considered a long-time friend, does not take it to the high moral grounds by whom he delivers weapons to. Tommy himself deals with the problems of health and aging and tries to safeguard his godchild who is keeping the wrong company. Josephine, the awkward teenager and computer nerd, is trying to fit in as she works her way through college. It is not the best match to make girlfriends. This book is a powerful addition to the previous ones. The inner struggles of the three main characters make this a special story.

Evan Smoak, a former black ops assassin from the Orphan program, continued to uphold the Ten Commandments that guided his actions over the years, even after leaving the program. These ingrained rules, or at least Evan’s interpretation of them, became an integral part of his being. This proved crucial in shaping his life, even though he had gone underground after leaving the program.

Evan found himself in an ethical dilemma. He had a close friend, Tommy Stojack, who had clearly violated more than one of the commandments. This compelled Evan to consider confronting his former best friend, leading to another mission. Tommy, like Evan, had been trained to the highest level, making him a formidable opponent, especially when Evan’s emotions ran high.

Amidst this, Evan’s relationship with his young protege, Joey, a computer genius, was in tatters. The situation weighed heavily on Evan’s mind as he fought battles, all the while determined to seek justice. Evan’s mission had become increasingly intense, all while he questioned whether his actions justified the force he was using.

Nemesis, an exciting addition to Gregg Hurwitz’s thrilling series, further captivated me. I had been invested in the series since reading the first book, and I was thrilled to have access to this audiobook galley. Scott Brick’s narration was exceptional. His matter-of-fact delivery brought Evan’s complex emotions to life, showcasing his humanity amidst the challenges he faced.

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

Oh man, I think this one broke me a little bit.
When I finished the last book, and going into this one I could only say NOT TOMMY!!! He can't be on the wrong side of Evan and what he does.

Now not only is the tension ramping up between Evan and Tommy with every interaction they have but Evan is also fighting with Jo.. well Jo is mad at Evan and he is definitely in the right but well she is a teenager trying to not only navigate college and trying to fit in but also her super-intellect that makes it hard for her to connect with other people.

This has the same action and badassery that we are used to in the Orphan X books, with an addition of some heavy emotions with the relationship between Tommy and Evan. We get some flashbacks to how they met and some other moments from past events and it just made me love them both more! From the first page I was engrossed and couldn't put it down until I reached the last page!!

I CAN"T WAIT to see where this series is going next!!

The tenth book in the Orphan X series may be one of the best ones yet. Evan continues his internal struggles with not personalizing his missions, this time its even closer to home. A bit of a different twist on the series but moves it along nicely. Great characters, a fast paced, action packed plot, and some unexpected twists make this a great read. Although it can easily be read as a standalone, I highly recommend starting with "Orphan X" and reading the entire series in order, Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an advanced reader copy.

I love Evan Smoak/Orphan X and he and the gang are back with Evan trying to make sense of the revelation from the end of the previous installment. On that note, none of the Orphan X installments make for good standalones. A reader would miss SOOO much if they weren’t read in order. JMHO I don’t want to say too much because it would truly be a spoiler for those who are reading the series in order and haven’t gotten to the Lone Wolf (#9) yet.

The book summary introduces the two primary storylines; one of Evan and Tommy being at odds with each other, which also alludes to the ending of the Lone Wolf. The other one is of Tommy trying to keep a deathbed promise to a dear friend. The issue between Evan and Tommy is a HUGE one; a total violation of their 15yr friendship that has literally blown up their friendship. Kind of reminds me of that CJ Box quote (sort of) with this small revision:

“Nothing spells trouble like two feuding best friends and a rocket launcher.”

Suffice it to say, if your ex best friend fires a rocket launcher where he thinks you have taken cover in order to take the perfect kill shot at you, there is probably no hope for “working your differences out”. So, it’s game on and Evan chases Tommy across the country in order to get retribution for the hit squad that tried to kill Evan when he showed up at Tommy’s Vegas armory compound to talk to him. In typical Orphan X fashion, Evan took the hit squad down – except one, Janus

The story flips back and forth between Evan, Tommy, Joey, with some of Evan’s chapter flipping back and forth between present-day and back when he first entered the Orphan program and was being trained by Jack, his father figure. There was also a smattering of chapters from the Four Horsemen, who are a team of assassins fulfilling a contract from Janus. Evan tracks down Tommy, who has fled Vegas, and has gone to honor a promise he made to a dying naval buddy, Delmont. Seems Tommy promised Delmont that he would look out for Delmont Jr if he ever showed up asking Tommy for help. Well, more than a decade later, Jr comes calling, asking Tommy to help him out of a jam he’s in. Seems Jr and his white supremacist friends are in trouble for mowing down, in a Charlottesville style terrorist attack, a bunch of Hispanic people attending a quinceanera in a park.

Most of the story has Evan in Nowhere Man mode (taking down murderers of innocents, especially kids) with his sights on Jr and his accomplice, and Tommy trying to teach Jr to account for his actions and behavior (ie. turning himself in). Evan and Tommy sort of come to a “cease fire” agreement on their own issues until a later date. There is also a secondary storyline of Joey dealing with the aftershocks of her involvement with a women’s empowerment group, which has caused some friction between not only Joey and Evan, but also between Joey and a group of female UCLA students that Joey has apparently offended with the work she was doing for the women’s empowerment group. Joey, an Orphan program dropout, and Evan’s quasi little sister, struggles to make friends and the women’s group were the first friends she ever had and now they are upset with her.

The end of the Tommy/Evan storyline comes in typical fashion for the series, in a bunch of intense and scary scenes with a growing body count of the bad guys. Just when I think the story is going to end the way that I wanted it to, the way I was hoping it would, Hurwitz decides to go with an ending that just broke my heart, tears and all! 😢 NO!!! I DON’T UNDERSTAND!!! WHY!!!

The continuing characterization of Evan, Tommy and Joey was so well done, even if I don’t understand some of it. All three of them are outcasts and as such, it was heartbreaking when their relationships with each other became challenged and vulnerable. They’re all they have. Life in Evan’s world will never be the same again. I’m not sure what to make of this installment. Something seems ominous about it going forward. The pacing was steady to fast, and very interesting, even if a little disturbing at times. The writing was good, for the most part, but, again, kind of sad and disturbing at times. I flipped back and forth between the audiobook and the ebook, and the narrator Scott Brick was as phenomenal as ever. LOVE his Evan and Tommy voices!!! I’ve said this before, but it bears mentioning again, Brick is the absolute PERFECT choice for an Orphan X story! I’m looking at an overall rating of 4.6 that I will be rounding up to a 5star review. 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 #StMartinsPress #MacmillanAudio #Nemesis

Superb edition of the Orphan X. Riveting story keeping you glued to the pages. Thrilling and full of action. Great new characters and a bit different story line than the past books. Highly recommended.

This newest installment of the Orphan X series is unlike any of the others! A deeper look into the psych of these normally stoic characters as fragments of humanity surface after years of being oppressed. These unexpected emotions have Orphan X reflecting and wrestling with commandments he’s been trained on. This is the deepest look into Evan’s human side yet, and it seems like it may be a pivotal point in the series. Bravo to Hurwitz to tackling such a heavy character development while still keeping true to the suspenseful thriller aspect of the series. Even, Joey, Evan’s protegee finds herself immersed in a dilemma as she tries to balance her role as the computer genius in Orphan X’s operations and trying to make friends as a normal college student.
Evan Smoak, a highly trained government assassin has survived by following a strict code of conduct. His circle is extremely small and tight, and he rarely lets it get personal. But when he’s betrayed by one of the few he calls friend, his life and all he thinks he knows comes into question. When it escalates to a brutal attack, Evan knows he has to track down Tommy to put an end to him, before Tommy puts an end to Evan. However, Tommy has been called out of town honoring his promise to a war buddy to be there if ever his buddy’s son needed him. The son has found himself in deep trouble, with Tommy having to watch for attack from all sides. This novel has quite of bit of focus on Tommy’s story which is as compelling as any Orphan operation. It was heartbreaking to watch their friendship break apart, as it seemed to be the one constant that Evan had in his life. I already can’t wait to see what’s next!

Evan Smoak, known as Orphan X and the Nowhere Man, is back in rare form with an intense focus on a suddenly imperiled friendship with Tommy Stojack, his brilliant armorer. Tommy has, behind Evan’s back, been supplying weapons to an assassin who killed a teenager as well as a mastermind criminal involved in human trafficking. This breaks one of Orphan X’s fundamental rules of engagement. He sets to figure out whether Tommy deserves to die for these infractions or whether their friendship can survive it.

Amid repeat confrontations with Tommy trying to sort this out, Evan finds himself a target in a deadly ambush at Tommy’s headquarters, against a slew of professional killers and a sniper. Evan assumes Tommy has ordered the hit on him, and chases Tommy to a remote small town where Tommy has responded to an SOS by the son of a fellow war combatant who Tommy vowed to protect as the man’s dying wish. The son and his late teen friends have formed their own racist militia against the perceived invasion of Mexicans a town over. They foment conspiracy theories (aka Proud Boys) and have decided to take vengeful action on their own that leads to a death. All this rachets up to a breath-taking thrilling plot with danger lurking on every front.

Evan’s internal tug of war between the stoic deadly assassin Orphan X he was raised and the emerging more emotive man continues to powerfully play out. Unexpected emotions triggered over his friendship with Tommy ravage Evan, who’s slowly learning to manage instead of constantly suppress his feelings. Evan’s left wrestling between the commandments he’s lived by as an assassin and the fragile friendships he’s forged since stepping out of service to the U.S. government. With each evolution of the Orphan X series, we see the humanity bursting forth in Evan, which is exactly what his trainer in the Orphan X program hoped to preserve.

His protegee, Joey Morales, also finds herself in an intense, moving internal struggle between her roles as computer genius and Evan’s back-up to being a college student looking to make friends her age for the first time.

Another outstanding addition to this best-of-thrillers series by Hurwitz.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.

This is an Orphan X book but it is really Tommy Stojack’s story. He is X’s armorer - we have met him on many occasions throughout the series. He has led a rough life, wise-cracking through it all with a bottle of Beam alongside his lawn chair. He has provided the armaments and munitions that have allowed the story to move forward, in the fight to replace hope and wipe out the hurters that bring meanness and evil, but now he has made a serious mistake. Evan Smoak, Orphan X is never far out of sight or missing from the action but this story is a serious nod to another character that has served and protected the notion of The Nowhere Man throughout many previous installments.

There is a fairly pedestrian painting on a wall “suffused with a cozy glow.” We are reminded that none of that was a known commodity for this Orphan. The commandments and relationships are tested and tested again. There is sophisticated social commentary, much of it blistering. The description of death and mayhem have reached a new crescendo.

Hurwitz, who is a Master at this genre, has once again done extraordinary research and written an explosive installment that has me wondering where he is going next. So many thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an ARC.

Evan Smoak was “rescued” from a childhood that was going nowhere to become Orphan X, a trained killer with a conscience. After escaping the Orphan program, he took on the Nowhere Man persona - working to help one person at a time by their calling 1-800-2-Nowhere and then having that person pass the number on to another person who needs his help. In this 10th book in the series, Evan must deal with Tommy Stojack, his long-time armorer, who has betrayed him by working with some criminals that Evan had encountered in the past. When he goes to confront Tommy, he runs into a sniper and a number of killers short-circuiting his desire to close the book on his old friend. But the ambush was not for Evan - and the result of this encounter comes out as the story goes forward.

A totally different Orphan X/Nowhere Man thriller. Yes, there is plenty of the action we have come to expect from Evan Smoak (especially in the latter stages of the book), but this is also (almost more so) a psychological dive into his mindset. Moving from Orphan X to the Nowhere Man to the current day, his relationships with Jack (from the past) and now Joey, the young technology guru he is “tutoring,” along with some self soul-searching are explored. So this was not quite the novel I was expecting - it seemed tedious from time to time. But I feel confident that the next edition in this great series will return to my expectations.

My thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my review.

I am a long-time fan of Gregg Hurwitz' Orphan X novels, and was very excited to get an ARC of Nemesis. The books have become quite serialized, building on prior books, and Nemesis is very much in this vein. Evan only has a few people in his world that he trusts, and one of those is his armorer, Tommy Stojkavek. But in the last novel we learned that Tommy had provided weapons to a human trafficker and murderer and this caused a moral quandary for him.

Nemesis is unique in this series as it is told both from the perspective of Tommy and Evan. I'll be honest, I did not find the Tommy storyline to be as persuasive as I wanted. He is helping the criminal sons of a former military comrade, and Evan has decided that the "nowhere man" needs to exact justice for their crimes. It gets sticky from there. Evan and Tommy are adversaries, and then they are not. It's a complex book, and by the end changes the Evan story forever. Was this my favorite Orphan X novel? No. Do I want to see where it goes from here? Yes.

Evan Smoak is back, this time in a story that’s personal.

Estranged from his arms supplier and best friend Tommy, and on the outs with Joey, Evan is struggling, not sure which way to turn. Joey on the other hand is having trouble fitting in at school, and is learning a few hard truths about loyalty and friendship.

When Evan is confronted by Tommy, and put in danger by the one man he’s relied on forever, Evan questions everything. Pitted against each other, Nemesis is a battle of wills and a battle for survival, that’ll keep you glued to the pages.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the arc.

Evan Smoak is back in this latest installment in the Orphan X/Nowhere Man series. Evan is still out there, saving good people from bad, but this time there’s a twist…his best friend Tommy, if not his only friend, has broken one of Evan’s “Commandments”, and has given bad guys things he hasn’t. Now Evan has to take him down. But there are things Evan doesn’t know about exactly what it is that Tommy did and why. In the meantime Tommy has gone out into the middle of nowhere, a place that seems to consist primarily of racists, corrupt law enforcement and a vibrant Hispanic community that seems to be everyone’s favorite target, to keep a promise to a friend. What Tommy finds when he arrives are four young men angry at the world for some unknown reason, including the son of his friend. As Tommy digs into what’s going on and figures out what he’s going to do about it he is also aware that Evan is looking for him to administer the appropriate punishment (whatever that might be) for Tommy’s violation of the rules. But Evan is not alone in looking for Tommy, and as usual there are people looking to kill Evan as well.

Nemesis is full of what we’ve all come to expect from Gregg Hurwitz: great writing, his usual cast of brilliant and uniquely flawed characters like Joey the amazing hacker , his oblivious neighbors and even her wonderful support Rhodesian Ridgeback Dog, as well as seriously nasty villains to take out before they take out him. And then there’s the technology he acquires and uses in his quest to rid the world of evil. This is one of those books that I couldn’t put down. Don’t miss this one!