What a page turner! I felt like I was right there the whole time. Twists and turns were coming at me & I was loving it! I can’t wait to read other books in the series and other books by Gregg Hurwitz.

I received a free copy of Orphan X by Gregg Hurwitz through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This was a great book. As a fan of the old television show The Equalizer, I really enjoyed this book.

Evan Smoak has a lot to make up for. He was raised to be a government assassin, and for a length of time, he killed on demand. When Evan became disillusioned and began questioning the basis for some of his termination orders, he decided it was time to remove himself from government work. In an effort to do good and to make up for some of his more questionable assignments, Evan decides to employ his deadly skills to assist those who desperately need help with a final type of solution. However, to the government, Evan is a loose end. How will Evan handle being both predator and prey?

Evan Smoak (alias) was an orphan who was taken into a covert government agency at the young age of twelve. There he is trained in spycraft. Now, disillusioned, he’s fled the program and leads a different life in a fortified LA condo. Now, he’s the last resort for the desperate. Call him at 1-855-2-NOWHERE and he simply asks “Do you need my help?”. He saves them from whatever peril they’re in. The only thing he asks, is to find someone in need and give them his phone number. The book starts with him helping a young lady but now he is contacted by two people who both claim she gave them his number. He slowly realizes that he is the real target but the trick is figuring out who is the true client and who is being used by his former group that is now hunting him. This book is well paced with lots of plot twists. Well written and thoroughly enjoyable. Cannot read to read part 2.

A free copy of this book was provided by the publisher and Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I received this book from Netgalley for my review.

When I first started reading this book I thought of the Bourne movies. It starts off with a boy age 12 being picked up and trained to be a killer for the Orphan project. But Orphan X has been raised with compassion as well. He decides to get out of the game and use his training to help people who have no way out and thus the Nowhere man is born. If you are in a position where there is no hope and no way out call 1-855-2-NOWHERE and the voice on the other end of the line will help.
Orphan X now finds out that he is being hunted by Orphan Y and he needs to find out why quickly, all while still helping his latest case.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press - Minotaur Books for the digital galley of this novel.

I love reading black-ops thriller novels but somehow I missed this one when it was published in January 2016. I was very glad to accept the invitation of the publisher to read all three books in the series in anticipation of book four to be released in January 2019. My weekend has been hijacked by Orphan X -- and I enjoyed every minute of it.

This first book in the series sets up the history of Evan Smoak and how he became a member of a classified assassination group that was so secret the other members didn't even know there were more members in the program. Evan is Orphan X, trained in isolation through his pre-teen and teenage years by one man to be a weapon to be deployed wherever an off-the-books assassination needs to be done to give politicians and career government workers a clear means of deniability. Alone, having only himself to rely on. Gregg Hurwitz gives Orphan X impossible tasks to perform and then imagines impossible means for him to use to come out of the situation alive. I don't know how much of the tech and spycraft in the novel is (or was) real at some point but Hurwitz sold me on the possibility of it working.

I liked getting to know Evan Smoak, his incredible bunker of a penthouse and his ability to see a weapon in practically every object he touches. If I could have tapped the pages of my Paperwhite faster I would have because I stayed up until 2 am reading. If the black spots in front of my eyes had just gone away I probably would have stayed up all night reading. This is just good, escapism reading with a main character that I can gladly cheer for. Now it's on to book two, The Nowhere Man, to meet a new group of people who either want to kill Evan or want him to help them out of the trouble they are in. This guy stays busy!

Let me preface this review by saying this: I am not typically one for the whole assassin/secret agent type of Guy. James Bond, Jack Reacher, Jack Ryan.... they aren't really for me. But this novel... my emotions are practically indescribable.

Evan Smoak is Orphan X: highly trained from a young age to be an efficient killer and operative. He uses his talents to help those in dire need. When someone trained like him targets him, Evan must do all he can to stay alive.

This novel is a fast paced thriller that will keep you on your toes. The characters are wonderfully flawed and human. Even the smallest character is seen through a life like lense.

Twists and leaks are a big part of this novel. And all were very effective in moving the story along. None were forced and that cliffhangar has me needing to read the next novel.

If you like Jack Reacher and Joe Pike, you'll enjoy Evan Smoak. These days, even the off the wall premise is possible and the twists will take you on a fast ride

I enjoy a good action & adventure tale, and by now I've read hundreds of them.

Mr. Hurwitz starts with an unlikely conspiracy (orphans trained as teen assassins?!?) and takes it to unexpected yet logical extremes. I couldn’t keep up with the plot twists and the surprises. This is one of those books that I’ll read 2-3 times just to enjoy the author’s storytelling setup.

I’m happily following this series and tracking down the author’s backlist while I’m waiting for the next release.

This was an incredible thriller, well written with complex characters and a captivating storyline. Fast-paced and full of action. No shortage of drama or suspense and lots of twists. The main character, Evan Smoak is amazing. You'll be on the edge of your seat as you read this book. Definitely a five star read. I read a reader copy via Net Galley and voluntarily chose to write a review.

I really enjoyed this book. Well written, full of mystery and suspense. I can’t wait to read the rest of this series.

Think Jason Bourne meets a Bruce Wayne in his bat cave and throw in a bit of the Pay it Forward philosophy too. Hurwitz has given us an action-packed thriller about a man trained to do covert work, trained since he was pulled from the orphanage years ago. But, he has left his Black Ops agency behind and from his bat cave perched in a condo tower filled with all kinds of technological marvels he reaches out and helps people in trouble - what else can he do with his specific skills - and asks them to refer him to the next person in need. O one around him knows his secret identity, even when he comes into the condo elevator bleeding from his battle wounds. The secret identity bit didn't always feel genuine, but overall this was a well-written, action-packed, page-turning thriller that was a lot of fun to read.

Orphan X (Orphan X, #1)
by Gregg Hurwitz (Goodreads Author)
M 50x66
Lou Jacobs's review Jul 06, 2018 · edit
it was amazing

Move over Jack Reacher .. a delightfully dangerous vigilante has arrived. Not a superhero, but a kind-of Batman ... a highly skilled assassin who just wants to help people.
Evan Smoak, Orphan X, was a 12 year-old boy rescued out of the projects of East Baltimore ... only then to undergo a 7 year grueling training course under the tutelage of his handler, Jack Johns .. who was the closest thing to a father he would ever know.
Evan was part of a black ops "Orphan Program" created by the Department of Defense .... creating a cadre of trained assassins that where deniable and expendable. Each sent on a mission to destroy a high-value target. As his trainer said it was easy to train him to kill, but hard to have him remain human.
Eventually Evan wanted out .. no longer wanting to be a lethal weapon of the government. One of the few Orphans with an actual conscience .. he found himself with a lot of time on his hands and a unique skill set. He embarked on his own program of a pro bono freelancer, helping those who could not help themselves . He was known by the moniker given by his numerous enemies: The Nowhere Man.
This is a high octane roller coaster thriller that deserves a "6 Star" rating .... I dare anyone not to gobble this first installment of Gregg Hurwitz' Evan Smoak series in more than two sittings.

It's been a while since I have read a book like this with the protagonist being a former mercenary turned vigilante and I love this genre when the book is good. Unfortunately most are super technical or violent and end up being a bit dry for me. I really enjoyed this one - The writing is engaging as are the characters. The dialogue is well written, humorous and not forced. The plot is fast paced and interesting with great side characters to offset the intensity of the main character. I read this book in a day and can't wait to read the next in the series. 5 stars.

I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh it was like Christmas getting the first three books in this series from NetGalley! I have had Orphan X on my wishlist for a while now and I devoured this first book in just 24 hours. A thriller that lives up to the hype with a main character that is fantastically written and a story that is so exciting and engaging but also believable. I will have to pace myself with the second and third books as I don't know what I will do with myself once I have read them all. Read them all again I guess.

Evan Smoak was part of the government's black ops 'Orphan Program', which recruited children and trained them to be world class assassins. The Orphans learned how to use weapons of all kinds, became skilled in a variety of martial arts, were taught to blot out pain, became experts in surveillance and bugging, and so on. Dubbed 'Orphan X' Evan eventually carried out many killings assigned by his handler/father figure Jack Johns - who raised and trained Evan from a young age.

After Jack is killed in dodgy circumstances, Evan - who has plenty of money stashed in offshore banks - quits the Orphan Program and begins using his skills to help people. Calling himself 'The Nowhere Man' and working out of Los Angeles, Evan sets himself up in a reinforced, fortress-like, penthouse condominium apartment with all kinds of defensive doodads...just in case. This includes: a parachute to jump off the apartment's terrace; rappelling equipment to climb down the building's wall; bullet proof windows; a door that can withstand explosives; a hidden back room with surveillance equipment; etc. Evan also configures a completely untraceable cell phone so desperate people can call him for assistance.

Early in the story Evan is contacted by a 17-year-old sex slave - Morena Aguilar - who's trying to prevent her little sister from being forced into the trade. To assist the girls Evan has to kill a dirty cop. He then asks Morena to pass his phone number on to ONE person who needs help - Evan's usual method of finding 'clients'.

Evan is then contacted by Katrin White, whose father is being held hostage until she pays off a huge gambling debt. While Evan is trying to help Katrin, he realizes his own life is in danger. It seems another defector from the Orphan Program - 'Orphan O' (working with a team of killers) - is out to get him, apparently having been hired by one of Evan's many enemies.

Since it's a case of 'kill or be killed' Evan and Orphan O use all of their considerable skills to try to outmaneuver each other. Thus the reader is treated to scene after scene of reconnaissance, infiltration, safe houses, safe vehicles, explosions, snipers, stabbings, shootings, hand-to-hand combat, balcony hopping, double dealing and more....carried out with all manner of ingenious high tech toys. I was especially intrigued with the 'contact lens and paste on nails ensemble' used for texting in mid-air.

While all this is going on Evan keeps up a facade for his condominium neighbors, claiming to be an importer of industrial cleaning supplies. This sets the stage for some lighter moments in the story as Evan interacts with his condominium cohorts, including the condo board president (who calls lots of meetings); a nice Jewish lady (who complains a lot about her damaged door); and Assistant District Attorney Mia Hall and her little boy Peter (who takes to sending messages up to Evan's window via balloon).

The book is well-written, suspenseful, and exciting - highly recommended to fans of thrillers. I look forward to reading more of Evan Smoak's adventures.

Note: I like to think Evan Smoak has a connection with Felicity Smoak - the brilliant computer whiz who works with Green Arrow. But - since it's not his real name - probably not. LOL 😎

Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Gregg Hurwitz) and publisher (St. Martin's Press) for a copy of the book.

I really enjoyed this book. I will definitely read the rest of the books in this series.


As a boy, Evan Smoak was taken from a children's home, raised and trained as part of a secret government initiative buried so deep that virtually no one knows it exists. But he broke with the program, choosing instead to vanish off grid and use his formidable skill set to help those unable to protect themselves.

Minotaur Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Orphan X. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

As part of the Orphan program, Orphan X was extensively trained as an assassin, off the books and lethal as any weapon. After tragic events force him to go off the grid, Orphan X - now known as Evan Smoak - decides to use the skills he has learned to help good people with nowhere to turn. Hence, the legend of the Nowhere Man was born. Unfortunately, sometimes even the hunter will become the prey...

This fast paced thriller is a quick read and introduces a character that has possibilities for future plot lines. Evan Smoak is everything I like in a spy thriller main character: resourceful, intelligent, strong, and with compassion for his fellow man. His willingness to help others, whether it is penance or just a desire to use his skills for good, is admirable. The plot is well developed and kept me on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend Orphan X to readers who enjoy the genre or for those who are looking for a character driven novel with a fast paced plot.

I read the blurb today, got the book today and read the book today and I am a fan. There is a perfect blend of backstory and the current story to build a rich world that shows a whole world of intrigue, isolation, family and society at its best and worst. The secondary characters are very vibrant and play crucial roles in this action packed story. There were shades of 007, Bourne Identity, the Hitman and more to this first book of what I anticipate being an epic series with government intrigue, suspense, shocks and more. I loved working through the plot twists with Evan and sharing the surprises as he encountered them. The ending was a new loophole, but one that I had questioned during a certain scene. I can’t wait to read the next book and am off to do so now!

Thanks NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the chance to read this story and share my opinion!

I wanted to read this book for a while but with college, there was never time. Luckily, I got an amazing email from NetGalley. The trilogy was available to read. I couldn't stop myself. I had to binge thanks to the upcoming holiday. The book captured me from the first page. It took off like lighting. I couldn't contain my excitement as I read more. On to the next book. Evan, you are a total baddie !!!!

What a fantastic book! This was a gripping thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat! Evan Smoak was an orphan who was taken from a group home and trained to be a deadly assassin. He was part of a group of orphaned boys who received the same training and worked in the same unit. Evan leaves this life behind and puts his skills toward helping people who are in unbearable situations. In return, he asks them to pay it forward and give his contact info to one other person who needs his help.

Evan was a great character and the storyline kept me engrossed! I loved this one and can't wait to see what happens to Evan next!