The Survivor

by Gregg Hurwitz

A pulse-pounding thriller from the bestselling author of Richard & Judy Book Club selections, ORPHAN X and YOU'RE NEXT.From the eleventh storey of a Los Angeles high-rise, Nate looks out on the city - the traffic, the trees, the beach beyond. He breathes deeply. And then he moves one foot off the ledge and into thin air.But before he can jump, gunshots ring out from within the building. A robbery is in progress. And Nate, with nothing to lose but the life he was about to give up, decides to intervene.What happens next plunges Nate into mortal danger . . . and reunites him with the family he hasn't known for years - a family he will do anything to protect.Packed with twists and suspense, hurtling forward at relentless speed, The Survivor is a gripping, unforgettable story of sacrifice, redemption and heroism - a thriller to rival the very best of Linwood Barclay and Harlan Coben.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Audiobook, Mystery, Suspense, Crime, Mystery Thriller

443 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 12, 2012

About the author

Gregg Hurwitz is the critically acclaimed, New York Times and internationally bestselling author of 20 novels, including OUT OF THE DARK (2019). His novels have been shortlisted for numerous literary awards, graced top ten lists, and have been published in 30 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.

Reviews

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

After previously reading a couple of excellent books by this author I have been planning to read more of his work for sometime. So when I had 'The Survivor' recommended to me I decided to finally read another book by Gregg Hurwitz.
The story is based in Los Angeles and features Nate Overbay who is a divorced former solider suffering from PTSD and slowly dying from ALS. He has decided to end his life and after going up to an eleventh-floor bank, climbs out of the bathroom window onto the ledge, and gets ready to end it all. But as he is preparing himself he watches a band of robbers bursting into the bank shooting employees and customers. He decides to confront the robbers and with nothing to lose overcomes them one by one but is given a warning by the last member of the gang.

Nate soon learns what that message meant. He is kidnapped by Pavlo, a savage Russian mobster and mastermind of the failed heist. Unable to break back into the bank to get the critical item inside, Pavlo gives Nate an ultimatum, break in and get what he needs or watch Pavlo slowly kill the one thing Nate loves most, his ex-wife Janie and his teenage daughter Cielle, both lost when he came back from Iraq broken and confused. Now he's got one last chance to protect the people he loves, even if it's the last thing he is able to do.
This is an excellent action filled read that features some really good characters and multi levelled plots.
I don't plan on leaving it so long to read another book by this author.

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

An excellent beginning before a remarkable plunge into darkness and despair at the hands of a homicidal maniac in the name of family. 4 of 10 stars

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

Whenever I read action genre books, I expect to accept some things that don't quite mesh with reality. No problem. My problem with this story is the book is laced with silly and unnecessary unbelievable things. Big gun battles ending with hero about to fire the final kill shot to kill an enemy only to hear a 'click'. Twice in the same story! Really? Evil doers who seem omniscient in that they know every ATM withdrawal the hero's wife makes but can't track the hero despite the fact he carries his cell phone switched on. Enemy who is described as a massive, superhumanly strong man. Gets in tussle with hero who has been shot in shoulder of arm weakened by ALS yet hero manages to gain advantage in struggle for a weapon they both grab at once. The list goes on. Too bad. Basic plot is good, but the nonsense got tiresome.

[Steven Walle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an other faboulas read by the master. This was a very fast paced novel of a man who was mentally scarred by war. He protected his family from the Ukranion mafia whalst suffering from the symtems of ALS more commonly known as Lou Garic's disease. It is a great novel of courage, strenth and humility. I highly recommend it to all.
Enjoy and Be Blessed.
Diamond

[E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was looking for a mystery/thriller that would "wow" me. I've just finished a couple in that genre that fell a little flat.
This one was "the one". From the first page, Nate looking down the side of the building, eleven stories high, ready to jump, my stomach was flipping with anxiety. I think through the course of this book I felt every emotion. Fear, heartbreak, thrill, joy, relief, anger, hopefulness...
It wasn't just the story that dragged me all over the emotional map, but the writing! This guy Hurwitz has a way with words. There was beauty in the heartbreak, humor in the angst, descriptive war flashbacks where time slowed to a crawl revealing every nuance of the moment.
The character development was quite detailed, even the bad guys, but not overly so. My favorite was Nate's friend killed in the war. The embodiment of guilt and trauma.

The story itself was good too. Halfway through it seemed like it was over. What more could happen? A lot more! Twists, turns, obstacles hurled in the way. Layer upon layer of situations, moral dilemmas, problems and adversities.
I'm glad I took a chance picking this book up. Frankly I was not expecting too much, Hurwitz doesn't seem to be on very many radars, but he's on mine now and I'm already starting a second book.

[Michael Sherer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gregg Hurwitz’s SURVIVOR sends me into manic-depressive swings, the turbo-charged plot producing a high so exhilarating from the very first page that meth might as well be Valium, and writing—oh, that kid’s prose—that makes me weep with the knowledge that I could never be that good, that lyrical, in my dreams.

Once again, Hurwitz takes a sympathetic, ordinary guy, gives him some inner angst and throws him into an impossible, life-threatening, morality-questioning situation and lets the guy’s adrenaline and inner hero take over. After that, all you can do is fasten your seat belt, hang on tight, let the G-force slam you back in your reading chair and let the music of Hurwitz’s words carry you on one hell of a ride.

Absolutely the best thriller I’ve read this year (despite Gillian Flynn’s brilliance, JT Ellison’s heart, Allison Brennan’s gumption, etc.). Hurwitz is among a very small cadre of authors at the top of their game—amazing storytellers with an incredible ear for language and facility with words. Six out of five stars, and I’m only a quarter of the way through.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 10th book by this author that I've read and he is consistent. All of them, so far, have been a solid 4 stars. There aren't too many authors I can say that about.

I like his stories. They have a great pace and there's lots of action. I like that the characters experience some extremely bad luck, but it is tempered with good things too. I can never guess how they are going to get out of their current predicament. I like those kinds of surprises....and there are lots of them in this book. The MC is endearing as he tries to cope with some big issues and yet he needs to save his family from destruction. Overall, I liked this one....so 4 stars.

[✨Susan✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A down and out war veteran has come to the end of his rope when he gets thrown into the middle of completing a bank heist, attempted by a Ukrainian mob, that he foolishly thwarted. His family is at risk if he does not comply and he is given a deadline, however, what they are asking for could bring on many innocent deaths.

This book got a little slow through the middle but kept my interest and the ending was a little cliche but still held a slight mystery. Scott Brick did a good job bringing the characters to life without over exaggerating the accents.

[Ian Hughes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't bother finishing this one which is highly unusual for me. Got 100 pages in. It was making me depressed to be honest!

[Ineffable7980x · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't been reading as many thrillers lately, but this one has been sitting on my shelf for a few years since I found it at a library sale. It came highly recommended by a few people I trust, so I dove in as a kind of palate cleanser. And it delivered. This book is like reading an action movie. The plot moves propulsively from page one. The events are a bit preposterous, of course, but always emotionally gripping. This is a writer who has total control over the genre.

It should be noted that this book is a standalone story. It is not part of the author's popular Orphan X series, of which I have read the first 4 books.

The story bears an eerie similarity to the novel The Husband by Dean Koontz. An all round decent guy gets sucked into involvement with a fiendishly evil group of people, who threaten his family and he has to go against his principles to eliminate the threat. I did some digging and the two books were published in the same year, 2012. I am not sure if that means anything.

Recommended if you like thrillers.

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unless you have a very strong stomach, I would not recommend this book.
I, myself, almost did not continue reading after the first 50 pages.
It's not a happy book in the least. The only saving grace is that in the end poor Nate gets revenge and finds a way out that is satisfactory.
Much violence. But a great psycological mystery about Nate's tragic character. I'm glad I stuck with it, yet I'm glad it's done.

[Mike Finn]

Set aside at 40%

'The Survivor' was my second Gregg Hurwitz novel. The first was 'Orphan X', the thriller that made Gregg Hurwitz's reputation and launched a hugely popular series. It was a well-written example of a male wish fulfilment fantasy, where the reader plays the tough, competent hero in a world where problems can be solved with violence and sacrifice, women need to be rescued and bad people need to be killed. 'The Survivor', a standalone thriller published four years earlier, has some similar traits but the hero, while competent, is deeply damaged emotionally and it's not nearly as well-written.

I loved how 'The Survivor' started. Our hero, Nate, is standing on the ledge of a tall building, summoning the courage to step off and fall to his death, when he hears gunshots and with, nothing left to lose, decides to intervene. The tension was high. The descriptions worked. I was hooked.

The initial action was followed by flashbacks to key moments in Nate's life. They'd work well as a movie montage and had some original touches but the text felt a little thin - too much of précis of a life rather than a shared experience of it.

For me, the central problem with the novel was that the well-written, clever, action-packed, thrilling plot kept being sandbagged by poorly-written, annoyingly maudlin passages explaining what a mess Nate's life was and how bad he felt about it all. I could see that Nate's experiences should be what powered the story. They are what brought him to that ledge, ready to jump and what motivates him to risk his life when his family is threatened. Unfortunately, while there were flashes of things that felt real about Nate's relationships, they were almost lost pace-killing passages when Nate wallowed in self-pity, grief and guilt. He had good reason to be self-pitying but I found the sentimental way in which the grief and guilt were treated annoying.

I kept reading because the plot was clever, the situation was unusual, the baddies were both scary and believable, the time pressure was tight and, nearly halfway through the book, I had no idea how Nate would save the day and whether he'd survive.

The problem was that I was reading to see how the plot would work out rather than because I cared about Nate. I ought to have been having fun. Instead, I was running the audiobook at x1.5 speed to get through the sentimentality and the clumsy descriptions of emotions.

I realised, five hours into the book, that I didn't want to spend another eight hours wading through the prose to see how the plot worked, so I set the book aside.

When it comes to Gregg Hurwitz novels, I'll stick to the Orphan X books from now on.

[Marleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s been awhile since I’ve read a Gregg Hurwitz book. To be honest, The Survivor has been on my to-read list for awhile. I’m glad I finally got around to it. This author is a master at creating anti-heroes, and Nate Overby doesn’t disappoint. He’s an absolutely wonderful character. I couldn’t get enough of Nate.
I agree with what most the reviewers say, that this book is gripping from the very beginning and starts to slack a bit over the middle part. It was much of the same; Nate trying to secure his family’s safety and being confronted with his illness.
Honestly, sometimes the story-line bordered on the improbable – For instance, why were the bad guys able to track Nate so well – and all the time? While all the law enforcement agencies were nowhere to either believe, support or help Nate and his family. I thought that was a bit far-fetched.
Overall, there were elements that I absolutely liked: the normalcy of Nate’s family and what he went through after coming back from the war. Also, the ending brought a lump to my throat.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thriller master Gregg Hurwitz creates his most compelling protagonist yet in his latest superb novel, THE SURVIOR.
Once again Hurwitz hooks the reader In the first few pages. This time by having an ALS victim's suicide attempt interrupted by a vicious bank robbery. Hurwitz ramps up the action and squeezes the tension out of every page, all the while creating a complicated character with an intriguing backstory. A great read!

[Adah Udechukwu · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Survivor was totally spectacular

[Banner · Rating 4 out of 5]

We often hear the phrase, "page turner" when describing a fast paced novel. Nowhere will you find that phrase more aptly used that right here. Beginning where a bank robbery interrupts our protagonist committing suicide, the characters are real and so likable (well except for the bad guys).

Not going to say a whole lot about this one, but it is very enjoyable and suspenseful.

[Jon Seals · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

There are a couple of personal reasons this isn't a 4.5- or even 5-star book.

First off, it needs an edit. (Go figure.) It gets a little muddy in parts. A nice clean-up would go a long way.

Secondly, I didn't like how they told backstory on a couple of main characters. I was a little confused.

(Truth be told, I started this book a month ago and didn't come back for a few weeks. I didn't retain much. It helped to go back and re-read a few chapters, but I'm sticking with this second critique.)

It also needs a better title. "The Survivor" seems relatively lame.

Nitpicking aside, this could make a great movie. It's a really good one-off story.

I liked it. I might have even loved it had I read it within a day or two.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nate Overbay is a down on his luck guy who is suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder after his best friend was killed in combat. He is ready to end his life after finding out he has been diagnosed with another ailment. He will be leaving his wife and daughter behind but he has pulled away from them over the years after his return from service. He is on the 11th story edge of the bank building when he hears gun shots inside the back. He peeks into the window nearest him and see six armed men taking over the bank. Before he knows it, he has entered the window and starts taking out the bank robbers. There is one man left and he leaves Nate with a warning that his life could be in danger. Nate is confronted by a Ukrainian mobster and told that he must retrieve the item they were robbing the bank for or his wife and daughter will be in danger. Nate now has to focus on keeping his family safe and not focus on his lack of will to live before it is too late.

Hurwitz did not disappoint with his latest book. It started out with an action scene and never let up. I found myself knowing that things could not be so easy for Nate but I had no idea how Hurwitz would add more suspenseful twists without the story getting too unbelievable but he succeeded. Of course some of the situations seem unfathomable to the common person but it was not so over done that I rolled my eyes at absurdity.

There were moments in this book that I was on the edge of my seat and then there would be a paragraph that would have me on the edge of tears. Hurwitz had me on an emotional roller coaster throughout the book. I was rooting for Nate to repair his relationships with his wife and daughter, work through is new health diagnosis, figure out how to deal with his Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and fight back against the group of Ukrainians coming after him.

I felt that the characters were well developed. There was enough detail to keep me informed and have a clear picture in my mind but there was not so much detail that I became bored while I was reading. I also liked that the intimate scenes were not too graphic. The interactions and responses from the characters seemed realistic to me and made me want to know even more about them when I finished the book.

Overall, this is another Hurwitz book that I would highly recommend. I find Hurwitz to be a refreshing author. He adds suspense but keeps things somewhat realistic throughout the book, so it keeps you hooked from the very start of the book. He is a creative author and I have not read any of his books that let me down. I look forward to more Hurwitz books in the future.

(Library Book; Read Sept 2012)

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review posted on MADreads - http://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/m...

You know you're having a bad day when your suicide attempt is interrupted by a bank robbery. Just the kind of day Nate Overbay is having. He's on an 11th floor ledge - having crawled out of the window of his bank - very carefully choosing his landing spot in a dumpster (so he doesn't squash anyone) when he hears a gunshot and sees the blood splatter on the window next to him. When he realizes that a group of masked gunmen are robbing the bank, Nate is torn. He's determined to go through with his jump, but the gunmen have already killed a couple of people and they make clear they're perfectly willing to kill more, including a little girl who reminds Nate of his own daughter. What's an ex-soldier to do?

Nate does do the right thing and foil the bank robbery. But the ringleader escapes after warning Nate that "he" will make him pay in ways he can't possibly imagine. For Nate, the threat holds little weight. He was just about to kill himself after all. And if suicide doesn't get him, then his recently diagnosed Lou Gehrig's disease will. It is that diagnosis on top of the PTSD he can't shake and the finalization of his divorce that has brought Nate to this point and he is finding it surprisingly freeing to not care. Even when the "he" of the threat (Ukrainian mobster Pavlo) kidnaps him and makes clear that very bad things are going to happen, Nate is ready. What he isn't ready for is the threat to his daughter Cielle and that changes everything. Now he's got only a few days to complete the task set for him by Pavlo. If he fails it is Ciele who will pay.

I've been in a reading slump lately. It's not that I haven't read any good books, I have, it's just that nothing has been ringing my bell. You know what I mean. That book that grabs you and enthralls you and leaves you wanting more. The one that is just so good you have to keep reading well past your bedtime. I know you've all read them. Survivor has broken my slump. Certainly this is a page-turner, but it is also a deeply moving story of a man who is struggling and remains human throughout. This is the best thriller I've read this year.

[Best Crime Books & More · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have only read one of Gregg Hurwitz' books and really enjoyed it, so when I saw his new release out I promptly downloaded it onto my Kindle. Luckily for me I had a few days off work and decided this was a perfect time to settle down and make a start. However, I probably should have known better and realised very quickly that this book certainly wasn't one that would make me settle!

From the very beginning the action is full on, Gregg Hurwitz put the pedal to the metal and the reader has no choice but to go along for the ride. The opener of the book (and this is not a spoiler as it is on the main synopsis on the back of the book); starts with Nate Overbay looking down eleven floors whilst contemplating his own suicide. Within seconds he hears gunshots and realises that he is witnessing a major bank heist and that people's lives are at risk other than his own.

From this very first chapter the book is very high octane (LOVE those words together) and Nate decides to put other people's feelings before his own. Nate was a former military guy and his training kicks in and he makes a decision to tray and save these people. What Nate fails to realise is that the one man that got away is also the same person that will make his life hell.

From this point on we see Nate try to keep his estranged family safe. The book takes some amazing turns and at times I felt worn out by Nate's attempts to keep his family safe. This book may be a slight stretch on the truth but it certainly keeps you hooked. The one element of this book that I liked was the fact that Nate was ill with a disease that I didn't know all that much about. It seemed to me by the end of it that Gregg Hurwitz did an amazing job of making this part of the story without overdoing it.

I must say that by the end I not only felt worn out, but was disappointed to have finished a great book. Thankfully I have lots of his other books in my large and ever extending to read list. A definite must for fans of the action packed kinda book!

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nate Overbay is afflicted with Lou Gehrig's disease. He's been told that he has about six months of good health before his body begins to break down. Feeling despondent, he goes to a downtown L.A. building to commit suicide.

He notices that there is a robbery going on in the bank where he was planning suicide. The robbers are in a frenzy and shoot the employees if they don't act quickly enough for them. Nate is someone who likes to help others and he spots a gun on the floor. He creeps into the bank and, not caring if he's shot or not, begins shooting the robbers. He kills all but one and that man runs out but before doing so, tells Nate, "He will make you pay in ways you can't imagine."

Nate becomes an overnight hero. He has one wound and after returning from the hospital, the surviving gunman and three other men are waiting in his apartment. The leader is a man named Pavel and Nate is told that he must retrieve something in a safe deposit box at the bank or Nate's daughter will be made to suffer in ways that Nate couldn't forsee.

Now he must try to find what's in the safe deposit box and find a way to stop these men while still saving his daughter from harm. This must be done as his body is becoming weaker from the ALS.

Yes, this is a thriller but it also conveys strong messages to the reader, told by a number of well described and memorable characters.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second book by Gregg Hurwitz and he is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. After reading, "You're Next", and loving it he does not disappoint with "The Survivor".

Nate Overbay, an ordinary guy with a beautiful wife and daughter, is deployed to Afghanistan where he witnesses the death of his best friend. Upon his return he suffers with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and is then diagnosed with a terminal illness.
The book begins with Nate standing on the ledge of the 11th floor bank building where he has decided to end his life. He hears gun shots from inside and peeks in the window where he sees armed men robbing the bank, He quickly becomes a hero and kills five of the robbers unwittingly setting himself up for the revenge of a Ukranian mobster who needs an item from a safety deposit box in the vault. Nate then has five days to retrieve the item or his daughter will be killed.
The roller-coaster ride begins and doesn't end until the very last page!

Gregg Hurwitz gives us such a serious story, not only with the robbery and murders, but with the attempted suicide because of a future Nate cannot face, and then adds humor in just the right places to make this an amazing read!

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I was reading Survivor, I decided that the writer had written this book with a movie in mind. It's that kind of non stop action story with a sympathetic hero (PTSD AND ALS)dead best friend who appears as a ghost Rescue Me style from time to time and a Ukranian mob villian who's the baddest badass, except when it comes to his 17 year old daughter.

I call this an airplane book. It's very entertaining but when the story is over, its not one you are going to spend any time afterwards thinking about. Best to leave it in the pocket for the next passenger to read to kill a few hours.

Turns out that Gregg Hurwitz has written for television, the movies and comics. That probably explains his style. In fact, when I read his biography I was reminded of Robert Crais. Turns out Crais has done an interview with Gregg Hurwitz.

While the characters behave fairly predictably, and the story is a wee bit formulaic, The Survivor is entertaining and a fun and thrilling read. In the end, sometimes that's just what you're looking for.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

An ordinary man in desperate straits turns a corner to find himself in extraordinary circumstances. This was a fast-paced story with likable characters, even though I wanted to scream at the 15 year old daughter at times. There was much violence and death as a warning to those turned off by that. I was satisfied with the denouement. One question I had was regarding a key and why didn't Nate handle that differently.

[Lee Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was just ok. I've read other books by this author. I'm not certain why I couldn't get into this book, but I couldn't. Near the end I began skimming

The beginning was riveting. I began losing interest when Nate's daughter entered the story. Her character didn't ring true to real life. She irritated me till the end.

[Cynthia · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author is the same one that writes the "Orphan X" books. While some of them are MUCH better than others in the series, overall, they are rather good.

This story was horrible! The characters were unbelievable. The plot laughable! The only good character was the dog. The dog was the only reason I continued to read this book. I just wanted to know he was okay, and he was!

[James Conway · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best thriller I've read in years. I've been a fan of Hurwitz, really liked Trust No One and They're Watching. They were excellent, this novel is spectacular. If you like well-drawn, complex characters, non stop action and unpredictable twists and turns do not miss The Survivor!

[Roxanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3. I'm not sure how I feel about this book. I love this author's Orphan X books, but this one was harder to like. Took a long time before I cared about the main character and there were many parts that were just too unbelievable. Did not really like the ending either.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio Scott Brick narrator
I've been critical of Brick before, but this one he hit out-of-the-park. I don't think anyone could have done better.
This book consisted of two distinct parts for me. The first part, which consisted of Nate in Iraq thru Nate's incident at the bank, was so well written that it could have been a stand alone five star short story. The remainder, although entertaining, was standard suspense.

[Shiloh · Rating 4 out of 5]

FYI... Hurtwitz tortures the crap out of his MC in this. Fascinating read, though.