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Orphan X
Written by Gregg Hurwitz
Narrated by Scott Brick
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"Orphan X is the most gripping, high-octane thriller I've read in a long, long time. Hang onto your seat because Gregg Hurwitz will take you on a dizzying ride you'll not soon forget!" -Tess Gerritsen
The Nowhere Man is a legendary figure spoken about only in whispers. It's said that when he's reached by the truly desperate and deserving, the Nowhere Man can and will do anything to protect and save them.
But he's no legend.
Evan Smoak is a man with skills, resources, and a personal mission to help those with nowhere else to turn. He's also a man with a dangerous past. Chosen as a child, he was raised and trained as part of the off-the-books black box Orphan program, designed to create the perfect deniable intelligence assets-i.e. assassins. He was Orphan X. Evan broke with the program, using everything he learned to disappear.
Now, however, someone is on his tail. Someone with similar skills and training. Someone who knows Orphan X. Someone who is getting closer and closer. And will exploit Evan's weakness-his work as The Nowhere Man-to find him and eliminate him. Grabbing the listener from the beginning, Orphan X is a masterful thriller, the first in Gregg Hurwitz's electrifying new series featuring Evan Smoak.
Book Actions
Start ListeningBook Information
Orphan X
Written by Gregg Hurwitz
Narrated by Scott Brick
Description
"Orphan X is the most gripping, high-octane thriller I've read in a long, long time. Hang onto your seat because Gregg Hurwitz will take you on a dizzying ride you'll not soon forget!" -Tess Gerritsen
The Nowhere Man is a legendary figure spoken about only in whispers. It's said that when he's reached by the truly desperate and deserving, the Nowhere Man can and will do anything to protect and save them.
But he's no legend.
Evan Smoak is a man with skills, resources, and a personal mission to help those with nowhere else to turn. He's also a man with a dangerous past. Chosen as a child, he was raised and trained as part of the off-the-books black box Orphan program, designed to create the perfect deniable intelligence assets-i.e. assassins. He was Orphan X. Evan broke with the program, using everything he learned to disappear.
Now, however, someone is on his tail. Someone with similar skills and training. Someone who knows Orphan X. Someone who is getting closer and closer. And will exploit Evan's weakness-his work as The Nowhere Man-to find him and eliminate him. Grabbing the listener from the beginning, Orphan X is a masterful thriller, the first in Gregg Hurwitz's electrifying new series featuring Evan Smoak.
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Reviews
When Evan was young, a man rescued him from the orphanage. He was living a tough life and was happy to go with him. The man, Jack John, became a surrogate father to Evan, he also became his handler. This was an off the books, black ops training program which took children from difficult life situations and taught them to be employed as assassins. He trained him in every imaginable form of self-defense, weaponry, meditation, hand-to-hand combat and intelligence. Evan became one of the best operatives in the Orphan Program. Evan took the last name of Smoak as they never used their real names. As far as the program was concerned, the Orphans were known only by letters—Evan became Orphan X. When the program was disbanded and Jack killed, Evan went into hiding. He grew restless and knew he needed to do something.
Using the skills that Jack had taught him, wanting to honour Jack and help others, he became the Nowhere Man, the last resort for a person in desperate trouble. No one knows who the Nowhere Man is, but they know if they call him, he will help rescue them from a seemingly helpless situation. The only way someone can contact him is if he/she is given his contact information by the previous beneficiary of his services. Once they have passed on the number, there is no contact between them anymore.
It's a lonely existence, but it is the only existence he knows. When he begins to have feelings for Mia, a single mother in his building and her young son, he is not sure what to do. He does not want to get involved, but he is pulled by the innocence and genuineness of both of them. When something goes awry with his latest client and he realizes that the sniper shooting at them in a restaurant is really after him, he is upset that he is put his newest client in danger. What happens next will keep you on the edge of your seat.
I really liked Evan. He was caring and compassionate when he did not want to be, put himself out there to help others, was smart and did not give up. Mia and Peter were the relief in his life and were very likeable. Peter was a curious, funny yet very innocent. Mia had to be strong for Peter, but was just like the rest of us, vulnerable and let it out when she thought no one was around. The suspense was well written and kept you guessing right to the end. There was a little too much killing for my taste, which is why I gave it 4 stars and not 5, but it was an essential part of the plot.
If you like thrillers with a lot of action and killing, you will love this book. Even though I am not a big fan of a lot of violence, I still liked it and am getting ready to read the next one in the Evan Smoak Series. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.
Using the skills that Jack had taught him, wanting to honour Jack and help others, he became the Nowhere Man, the last resort for a person in desperate trouble. No one knows who the Nowhere Man is, but they know if they call him, he will help rescue them from a seemingly helpless situation. The only way someone can contact him is if he/she is given his contact information by the previous beneficiary of his services. Once they have passed on the number, there is no contact between them anymore.
It's a lonely existence, but it is the only existence he knows. When he begins to have feelings for Mia, a single mother in his building and her young son, he is not sure what to do. He does not want to get involved, but he is pulled by the innocence and genuineness of both of them. When something goes awry with his latest client and he realizes that the sniper shooting at them in a restaurant is really after him, he is upset that he is put his newest client in danger. What happens next will keep you on the edge of your seat.
I really liked Evan. He was caring and compassionate when he did not want to be, put himself out there to help others, was smart and did not give up. Mia and Peter were the relief in his life and were very likeable. Peter was a curious, funny yet very innocent. Mia had to be strong for Peter, but was just like the rest of us, vulnerable and let it out when she thought no one was around. The suspense was well written and kept you guessing right to the end. There was a little too much killing for my taste, which is why I gave it 4 stars and not 5, but it was an essential part of the plot.
If you like thrillers with a lot of action and killing, you will love this book. Even though I am not a big fan of a lot of violence, I still liked it and am getting ready to read the next one in the Evan Smoak Series. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.
This book is truly amazing. It’s a taut thriller that did the impossible - it kept me on the edge of my seat. Evan Smoak has a very specialized set of skills and if you’re in trouble, he’s the one you want on your side - a killer with a conscience. What happens when the hunter becomes the hunted? Magic. That’s what. The characters are well-drawn and interesting and the book is full of twists and turns. I cannot wait for the next installment of Evan’s adventures.
I've been wanting to begin this series for a couple of years, and finally got around to it. This is a brand new (to me) exciting series with Evan Smoak as the protagonist. He is also know as Orphan X, one of the team of orphans that were recruited at a young age to work in a very clandestine, government-approved counter-terrorism group as paid killers and assassins. Evan (and that's not even his real name) was adopted at the age of 12 by Jack, the man he comes to think of as the only father he has ever known. For seven years Evan is put through a stringent training program that teaches him everything he'll need to know to survive and thrive in the super-secret world he will be living in. After a number of years in the program, Evan breaks from it and starts out free-lancing on his own by helping people that are in desperate need of his help in the guise of the Nowhere Man. He uses all his spy-craft skills, fighting skills, armed and hand-to-hand combat skills and his innate knowledge of the underworld and all its blackness to help people that have reached the end of their rope. This goes on for four or five years, and then, all of a sudden, Evan realizes that he has now become the hunted one, and he's being shadowed by other Orphans who grew up and trained in the program. They have skills equal to his, and Evan finds himself actually questioning everything. One thing that was never taught in the program is trust, so he has no skills or knowledge how to even make a judgement as to who and what can be trusted. He learns many hard lessons in this book because of this lack of knowledge. This is an explosive beginning to a hot new series that shows endless potential. I really couldn't put the book down. If you decide to begin this series, I suggest you pick a day or two when you have absolutely nothing else planned because you won't want to leave Evan's scary world.
Orphan X by Gregg Hurwitz is a 2016 Minotaur publication. Spare, but very potent thriller! The Nowhere Man- He’s the guy you call when you are desperate- very desperate- life and death desperate- with no other recourse. Some call him a legend…Ethan Smoak was chosen as a child to be a part of a special ops mission. He’s been specially trained- as an assassin. These days he uses his training to live under the radar, helping those in extreme and dire situations. The only payment he requires is that they pay if forward, so to speak, by finding someone else in need of Ethan’s specialized skills so that he can continue fulfilling his mission. However, someone has him in their sights- and there is only one kind of person out there who could have located Ethan- someone just like him. Not only has he been found, his ‘clients’ are being used as pawns to fish him out into the open…I try not to judge a book by its cover- but sometimes I judge them by the title. For some reason, anytime this series popped up on my radar, I ignored it because the title made me think the book was probably a science fiction novel. I never bothered reading the synopsis or do any further research, I just made a presumption and went with it. Thankfully, the publisher sent out a promotional email about this series and this time, I didn’t dismiss it out of hand. As it turns out, this is a very compelling thriller, nothing even remotely close to SF or Dystopian, which are the two genres I am less likely to read. Yikes! Glad I discovered the truth, otherwise I’d have missed out on this awesome book!Evan Smoak is a sort of like ‘The Equalizer’ on steroids. His training, unlike that of the other “Orphans”, left his deep seated moral code intact. He carries guilt and remorse with him everywhere, as well as his conscience. He’s one of the good guys, but don’t get on his bad side. His humanity is evident, but he still strictly adheres to the rules instilled within him by his handler- Jack- a man who was more like a father to him. Still, Evan’s personality is muted, as he fiercely controls all his emotions. The secondary characters provide the dramatic dialogue, while Evan internalizes and reminds himself of how to respond to complex situations. There is no reliance on gimmicks, no slick polish or shine, the dialogue is sparse, to the point, without a lot of time spent on descriptive text. The story moves at an incredibly swift pace, formatted almost like long form vignettes. It was a unique presentation, for sure, but it also helped to create a tense, suspenseful atmosphere, adding just the right amount of poignancy to the story, which allowing me to fall under Ethan’s spell. I found myself cheering him on, developing a connection to him, caring about what may happen to him as he continues his lonely journey. This book is nothing at all like what I expected and is very different from the thrillers I ordinarily read. That may be part of the attraction, I think, but, I am very impressed, so far, and can see myself becoming fully invested in the series the further it goes along. 4 stars
Fast paced, quick read, leaving the reader looking for more, exactly what the first book of a series should be. I'm looking for the next installments so you can guess how I feel about this story. Fairly standard plot concerning the creation of government assassins, who unsurprisingly begin to fight among themselves due to incompetent management or just lack thereof. Characters are sympathetic and easily related to as our their motives. All told an enjoyable read.
4.5, I'm thinking, and looking forward to book 2, "The Nowhere Man".
Don't know that I'll bother with 1.5 (prequel?), as I feel there was enough background in this book, and sometimes more is too much.
Reminds me of the Bourne series - movies, as I've still not read the books (on The List). Sorry if this pains you Mr. Hurwitz, but I assure, it is a high compliment. I love those stories, and it's a malleable set of plots that can go on and on.
Which I hope will happen with Orphan X.
A secret training operation, that remains murky and.... sketchy. An almost-creepy recruitment program. A non-traditional family (several, really), and the lesson that commandments need to be modified to guidelines....
Recommended for Jason Bourne, Harry Bosch & Jane Whitefield fans.
Don't know that I'll bother with 1.5 (prequel?), as I feel there was enough background in this book, and sometimes more is too much.
Reminds me of the Bourne series - movies, as I've still not read the books (on The List). Sorry if this pains you Mr. Hurwitz, but I assure, it is a high compliment. I love those stories, and it's a malleable set of plots that can go on and on.
Which I hope will happen with Orphan X.
A secret training operation, that remains murky and.... sketchy. An almost-creepy recruitment program. A non-traditional family (several, really), and the lesson that commandments need to be modified to guidelines....
Recommended for Jason Bourne, Harry Bosch & Jane Whitefield fans.
I came to enjoy this book more as I progressed through it. I was a little frustrated at the outset as I found it too contrived and not too believable - but hey, it's fiction! I also had recently finished the superb Thomas Perry's 'Shadow Woman' which has similarities in that the hero 'saves' persons in huge danger. While this book was no Perry book it was a satisfactory read and while not very challenging it was easy to read.There's a bit of 'far-fetched' in the hero's lifestyle which I found somewhat difficult. There's also explicit violence.
This was my first Hurwitz. What a way to start, a great thriller, lots of action and hard to put down.
A fast paced - action filled thriller with enough character development and plot twists to make it very engaging. I am looking forward to read some of the authors earlier books as well as his sequel to this one - "Nowhere Man".
I don't know how Gregg Hurwitz's books have escaped my attention before now. This is the first book of his that I've read, but it will absolutely not be the last.This book hits all the triggers for me: captivating characters, compelling plot, thought-provoking content, and not a moment to breathe easy.Evan is an unforgettable, complicated character. He's light and dark and shrouded in shadows. He's the bad boy hero we can't help but love.The plot has many layers, without ever feeling confusing or overly complicated. Hurwitz pulled off what many thriller authors struggle with by making this story completely believable. The fact that this could happen (or might already have) made it all the more terrifying. While the book did have a complete ending, it also left the door wide open for a sequel. I hope to be spending more time with Evan in the near future.*I was provided with an advanced copy of this book from the publisher, via Amazon Vine, in exchange for my honest review.*
This is a really great thriller. I found it action packed and a really good story line. I was pretty blind going in to the book, only knowing what the synopsis said. I think it was the best way.I did find the start quite slow. I wasn't until the end of chapter 3 that I was hooked and wanted to keep reading so I knew what was going to happen next. The character building was good, I came to really like and root for Evan. The story is very violent and at times quite graphic, but to me it value added and not detracted. I found that I wasn't surprised by the ending, but I was ok with that. I am very keen to see where the second book takes the character(s) and the story line.
Excellent writing. Lots of detail but not excessive and lots of action. This would make a good movie.
Can’t wait to read the next one.
Can’t wait to read the next one.
This is the first book in the Orphan X series, and what a great start to a series. Fast-paced, with a fascinating main character in Evan Smoak. His background is a bit reminiscent of Vince Flynn’s Mitch Rapp character, but Evan Smoak has transformed himself into the Nowhere Man, who uses the skills he learned as a government operative to privately help ordinary citizens who find themselves in extreme danger, and then asks them to “pay it forward” by passing his phone number on to one person who needs his help. But this time he finds himself unsure of who whom he can trust when two different people say his last client has passed his number to them. The end left me anxious to move on to the next book in the series - and to me that’s an excellent recommendation for the first book in a series.
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for providing a copy for an unbiased review.
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for providing a copy for an unbiased review.
It was okay, I like you’re next so much better. What I detest about this writer is how he portrays women- like what woman is going to even mention persecuting you for saving her sons life-
Every freaking book this dude writes the reader has to contend with the misogynistic way thiscromagnum author portrays women
Every freaking book this dude writes the reader has to contend with the misogynistic way thiscromagnum author portrays women
great book can't wait till the next one I hope it comes soon
I couldn't stop listening to this white knuckle thriller. So many twists and twists on twists. Evan Smoak is someone I want to follow. Can't wait for the new book coming out in 2017
Kept me rapped until the bitter end. Going for book 2 now.
Had our attention from the first page to the last page. Excellent book.
This was one of the best books I have read in a long time! It was very captivating with an interesting plot and great characters. I can’t put my finger on why I liked it so much but I can say that it was very enjoyable to read. Fight scenes that reminded me of. A Reacher novel, other scenes reminded me of Gray Man, others scenes was like a Vince Flynn or Brad Thor book. Really great!
I liked Evan and his dedication to #10. Yeah, Scott!
At first I thought this was promising, despite its far-out premise. But the story soon turned into an action movie screenplay. And this ridiculous science-fiction touch completely knocked away my suspension of disbelief: > Once ingested, the sensors massed, generating a slight voltage when digestive juices were stimulated. This voltage sent a signal to the patient's skin, where a patch relayed the blood-sugar readings to the cell phone of the treating physician. The variation Evan had acquired conveyed instead the GPS bearings of its carrier.
Let's get this out of the way, there's more than a little Jason Bourne type action going on here. Let's call it a quality hommage. The thing that makes it good is that the main character is really good, but not perfect. The story is exciting and makes one want to see what happens next. I look forward to the series continuing. Worth the read.
The narrator is good. Too bad he's reading from the shallowest vigilante story I've ever read. It could make some sense if it had been rated as 'young adult', but it's more like 'dumb adult'. Just the premise: orphan turned pro-bono killer, socially awkward but with a starts-on-page-4 budding romance with the single-mom-widowed-district-attorney-downstairs neighbor. Come one. Plus the Jordan Peterson quotes squicked me out monumentally. Who on earth would pepper their books with the consanguine offspring of facebook inspirational mush and Ayn Rand's neo-Nietzschean rants?
The twists I never saw coming My new fav.
This started of like a tiny snowball on top of a giant steep snow covered mountain. The snowball rolls down the mountain picking up speed and size and becomes an unstoppable force! Love this book!
I made it about 20% into this potboiler before I just couldn't go on. This is the first of a series about Evan Smoak, who was raised by a mysterious man named Jack. Jack trained Evan with methods which were basically child-abuse to act as a vigilante (the author would probably prefer to think of him as a paladin). At the beginning of the book there is a list of much better iconic characters from much better thrillers. It was very daring of this author to present such a list, since the protagonist of this book doesn't hold up well in a comparison to those other characters.We learn that Evan is very rich, we can tell this by the description of the penthouse in which he lives including all the expensive products that he names. This is a very gadget-driven thriller. There was a self-importance about all of this that I did not enjoy. I also did not enjoy the violent action scenes. Most people seem to have loved this book but I found it all incredibly cheesy.This was my first experience with this author and needless to say I will not be continuing with the series. I also didn't like the narrator of the audiobook, Scott Brick, who I thought was excessively melodramatic.
If Jason Bourne and Jack Reacher had a baby, it would be Evan Smoak. Great fun and I look forward to more books featuring the Nowhere Man.
This is the usual sort of lone-assassin turned good-guy (in this case, doing a version of "The Equalizer") having to take on an entire army of other assassins, some of whom are part of their own previous secret government unit. If it is the first time you've read or seen one of these it may be more impressive. If it's the 100th time it feels like just more of the same.An extra point for Evan Smoak's bed which hangs in the air supported by magnets. Presumably that is a symbol of how he is untouchable and is an island alone from the rest of the world. That at least was a memorable image.
Gregg Hurwitz has created a suspense thriller that introduces another anti-hero in the vein of Jason Bourne...a loner created by a mysterious group, which might be the government but deep cover government if it is. When we meet Orphan X, aka, Evan Smoak, he has already been removed from the program, but he continues to find desperately helpless people and rescue them regardless of the danger involved.He has the skills, he has the smarts, and has no family or loved ones to complicate his life. No one will search for or worry about him in spite of the dangerous situations in which he frequently finds himself. But that begins to change as he meets more and more of the folks who share his address in a fairly exclusive high rise apartment.In addition to that, he gets two calls in short order for people in desperate need of help. In his carefully orchestrated plan, only one of the calls should have come to him.
This is a wonderful action-packed story about an assassin, Evan Smoak, who once worked for the government in a secret capacity who left that life for reasons that made it impossible for him to continue in that line of work. Instead he becomes a man of mystery who lives a very uncomplicated but secretive lifestyle in the open, opting to help people in distress who have nowhere else to turn. However, in this first novel in what I hope becomes a series, his past catches up to him, and in an exciting game of cat-and-mouse, Smoak must outwit his pursuers to survive. Great story.