An Orphan X Novel
(Evan Smoak #2)
By: Gregg Hurwitz
ISBN: 9781250067852
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: 1/17/2017
Format: Hardcover
My Rating: 4 Stars Spoken about only in whispers, the Nowhere Man can only be reached by the truly desperate, he can —He will do anything to save them. Evan Smoak is the Nowhere Man. Taken from a group home at twelve, Evan was raised and trained as part of the Orphan Program, an off-the-books operation designed to create deniable intelligence assets—i.e. assassins. Evan was Orphan X. He broke with the Program, using everything he learned to disappear and reinvent himself as the Nowhere Man.
But his new life is interrupted when a surprise attack comes from an unlikely angle and Evan is caught unaware. Captured, drugged, and spirited off to a remote location, he finds himself heavily guarded and cut off from everything he knows. His captors think they have him trapped and helpless in a virtual cage but they don’t know who they’re dealing with—or that they’ve trapped themselves inside that cage with one of the deadliest and most resourceful men on earth.
Continuing his electrifying series featuring Evan Smoak, Gregg Hurwitz delivers a blistering, compelling new novel in the series launched with the instant international bestseller, Orphan X.
My Review
A special thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Greg Hurwitz returns with highly anticipated THE NOWHERE MAN following Orphan X (Evan Smoak, #1) landing on my Top 50 Books of 2016 and Buy a Bullet (Evan Smoak #1.5), also highly recommend. “How deep do you need to bury the past before it will stay dead? “— Alan Moore, Swamp Thing Antihero, Evan Smoak returns for the most intense task yet. “He finds himself in the tightest spot, both emotionally and literally – he’s ever been in.” With a highly creative twist reversal, the author places Evan in exactly the kind of situation he usually rescues other people from. Readers are able to see both sides of the man. For more than a decade, he had been the top asset in the top-secret government operation, The Orphan Program. Trained by the US military as killers. Mission: to assassinate government’s designated enemies. He is trained, skilled, intelligent, and resourceful. Now, Evan is "The Nowhere Man." A personal mission--to help those with nowhere else to turn. The Tenth Commandment loomed above all else. Never let an innocent die. He is known by some as Evan Smoak. To a few, Orphan X, but in general he is not known at all. The Nowhere Man. Evan has gone rogue to do right. In the previous book and novella, Evan he has been using his talents to pay it forward to those who need his skills. Evan still faces many enemies who wish him grievous harm even while off the grid. One of them is Charles Van Sciver, the most brutal of the Orphans, who’s now running the program and is on a mission to hunt down former members of the organization. Now he's been kidnapped, drugged, and hidden away by order of the new head of the Orphan program, who intends to have him eliminated. Trapped without hope of escape. Psychological terror. The book starts out with the secret Facebook of Hector Contrell. Trolling the middle schools. Girls. A sales catalog. Given immigration confusion, gang influence, and splintered family trees, disappearances aren’t rare when you’re dealing with broken ethnic girls. A renewable resource. Something awful is coming. A girl needs help. 1.855.2. NOWHERE. A magical fix-it line. The first commandment Assume nothing – demands it. A task, a purpose, an act of empowerment that transitioned them from victim to rescuer. Evan knew all too well that some wounds never healed, not fully. But there were ways to contain the pain, to take ownership over the scars. The seventeen-year-old girl locked inside Container 78653-B812 being delivered to Jacksonville Port Authority. Who has purchased her? Evan has so many days to rescue the girl. He has to save himself first. A race against time. During this time he faces every danger imaginable (nail biting terror). Being held captive, taken to a secret location and tortured by a very powerful and devious man, René Peter Cassaroy who had at his disposal an army of ruthless men. Who will be the next client to pass on the Nowhere Man’s number? How many more Hector Contrells would he face? The RoamZone vibrates. Do you need my help? Classic. Bold. Innovative. Action-Packed Adventure. Explosive. Suspenseful. Non-Stop thrills. An electrifying and entertaining series! Can’t wait for the next. Hurwitz is already under contract for three more Orphan X novels, and Bradley Cooper’s production company has picked up the film rights. (Hurwitz, who has published 16 novels, scripted comics for Marvel and DC, written for network television, and sold numerous screenplays, is penning the big-screen adaptation himself.) "I would say, he knows what he is doing! "
Review Links:
Praise
Praise for The Nowhere Man
“Superb on all levels and a must-read for all thriller fans.” ―Providence Journal
“Hurwitz knows how to put the reader deep in the mind of his hero as the pace never lets up.” ―Associated Press
“Will keep readers on the edge of their seats… Hurwitz’s engaging, sympathetic characters place this thriller above the pack.” ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A brilliant sequel. As good as Orphan X was, this is an even better novel, mostly because of its more claustrophobic setting, its captivating villain, and the way the author keeps ratcheting up the danger, including one really clever twist near the end of the book. Where there’s Smoak, there’s fire―and plenty of it.” ―Booklist (starred review)
“Fans of Jack Reacher will love Evan Smoak, a man who will do anything to aid the innocent (something he never was).” ―Library Journal
WHO IS ORPHAN X?
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 not merely a 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. Taken from a group home at twelve, Evan was raised and trained as part of the Orphan Program, an off-the-books operation designed to create deniable intelligence assets—i.e. assassins. Evan was Orphan X. He broke with the program, using everything he learned to disappear and reinvent himself as the Nowhere Man.
"Gregg Hurwitz's Orphan X is his best yet—a real celebration of all the strengths he brings to a thriller." — Lee Child
Orphan X Someone is on Evan Smoak’s 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 reader from the very first page, Orphan X is a masterful thriller, the first in Gregg Hurwitz’s electrifying new series featuring Evan Smoak. Read My Review
About the Author
Gregg Hurwitz is the New York Times bestselling author of 15 thrillers, most recently, ORPHAN X. His novels have been shortlisted for numerous literary awards, graced top ten lists, and have been translated into 29 languages.
He is also a New York Times Bestselling comic book writer, having penned stories for Marvel (Wolverine, Punisher) and DC (Batman, Penguin).
Additionally, he’s written screenplays for or sold spec scripts to many of the major studios, and written, developed, and produced television for various networks. Gregg resides in Los Angeles. Read More
