The Intern

Orphan X #3.5

by Gregg Hurwitz

The Nowhere Man is a figure shrouded in secrecy—a near legendary figure who helps the truly desperate, those with nowhere else to turn who are lucky enough to be able to reach out to him. When darkness closes in, the Nowhere Man is your last, best hope.

Before he was the Nowhere Man, Evan Smoak was a highly trained government operative known to a few as Orphan X. But he now lives by hiding in plain sight, keeping his head down and his eyes clear. So when a local summer intern for a tabloid news site finds herself trailing an aggressive reporter into a crime zone, things go terribly awry. The only person who can help her is a man with the background and the skills of the Nowhere Man.

From New York Times bestselling author Gregg Hurwitz comes an electrifying, original story in his “nerve-shredding” internationally #1 bestsellling Orphan X series.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Short Stories, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Suspense, Audiobook

16 pages, ebook

First published December 18, 2018

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

[Chad · Rating 2 out of 5]

$.99 for one chapter is a ripoff. 15 pages of original story and a 60 page preview of the new novel. The story isn't very fleshed out. It's just Orphan X stepping in to stop a crime. I feel a bit cheated.

[Linda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Three stars for the (very) short story, the kind authors usually offer their fans for free on their websites.

Zero stars for charging 99 cents for 15 pages of story and the rest a preview of the upcoming novel. I’m a fan of Hurwitz’s Orphan X books, but I’m not a fan of this kind of blatant money-grab.

I’m disappointed.

[Jonetta · Rating 3 out of 5]

the setup…
In the last story, Evan Smoak wreaked havoc on a gang, leaving their lair devastated. Lucas, a tabloid reporter, returns there with an intern, determined to get a glimpse of the Nowhere Man. Only, he finds himself in a trap of his own making when the new residents show up.

the heart of the story…
I’m not sure what the point was for this extremely short story. Lucas had a lot of bravado until he had to make a choice, one of honor or one of survival.

the narration…
I couldn’t listen to an Orphan X story without Scott Brick in my ear.

the bottom line…
This was interesting though I’m not sure of the point. Maybe it’s a setup for these characters in a future story as there was a lot missing. I’m hoping it’s Aurora. Entertaining but not much more.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Intern is a short story in the Orphan X series by best-selling American author, Gregg Hurwitz. It follows on directly from Hellbent. Against her better judgement, summer journalism intern, Aurora is led by TMN’s brash reporter, Lucas, into the wreck of a church, the site of a recent conflagration reputedly initiated by a legendary figure, The Nowhere Man. But the men they encounter within make short work of Lucas’s world-weary ennui and quickly escalate Aurora’s unease. Luckily, Evan Smoak is nearby.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tabloid reporter has been given a tip about a guy who helps the helpless and calls himself the Nowhere Man. The reporter and his intern are trying to run down the story which leads them to an abandoned church in Los Angeles. But when they enter the church, they find a heap of trouble...something only the Nowhere Man can help them with.

This is a VERY SHORT story in the Orphan X series. Don't spend money on it. If your library doesn't have it, just skip it. It really makes no difference in the series. My rating: 2.5 Stars.

[Therese · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short story piggybacking on Hellbent, the previous book in the Orphan X series. A smarmy journalist and his young female intern decide to check out the remains of a church that served as a gang headquarters, and that was destroyed in the last book, hoping for a glimpse of The Nowhere Man, and a scoop for their newspaper. Instead, they find trouble of the worst kind. Is The Nowhere Man just a myth, or can he save them from the sticky situation they’ve gotten themselves into? The author manages to bring the heat as the story races to its exciting, and quite satisfying conclusion.

[Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars for The Intern: Orphan X, Book 3.5 (audiobook) by Gregg Hurwitz read by Scott Brick.

It’s always fun to jump back into the world of the Nowhere Man even if just for a short story. It’s good to know that Orphan X is there if you have an emergency and no one else can help. In this case a young woman finds herself in trouble just trying to report on a news story. And Evan Smoak has amazing timing and saves the day.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Intern, by Gregg Hurwitz, is a short novella that brings us back into the captivating world of The Nowherew Man.
I enjoyed this quick read!

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Intern was an enjoyable addition to the Orphan X series.

When a summer intern at the local tabloid news site finds herself in a dangerous situation after following her boss to a crime zone, there's only one man who can rescue her. The Nowhere Man.

This is a very short story that follows up the Nowhere Man case from the third book in the series, Hellbent. During that case, Evan helps a local teen get out from under a gang leading to the downfall of the gang itself at their headquarters, an abandoned church. In The Intern, a crime reporter learned about what happened at the church and takes his intern out there to see if he can't find anything that will lead to a better story. While there some new unsavory characters who moved in after the gang attack the pair. Evan shows up and rescues the girl after the reporter takes off leaving her to fend for herself. It's a fun story that showcases what Evan does as the Nowhere Man even if there isn't a lot of substance due to how short it is.

Overall The Intern was a fun read that I would recommend reading it immediately after Hellbent.

[Skip · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pitiful excuse for a story. A 16-page story about a inexperienced male reporter dragging a young female intern into a dangerous situation, where he runs off. Miraculously and inexplicably, she is saved by Orphan X . Obvious what was omitted, I'm sure. Really should be 0 stars.

[Dave]

Just a short taste, an appetizer if you will, not really enough to be a story.

[ChopinFC · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars (Excellent)

I really liked this. Yeah I know it was short. Very short. But then again is a damn 'short story', and I don't see the riff people have with that fact that the content was so slimmed down. It was classic 'Evan Smoake' Orphan X stuff, but just a little bit. Just a taste, yet so good.

Highly recommend ( don't buy it, rent it from your local library)

[Allison Brennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Orphan X series. This was a solid little short story about a young reporting intern who looks up to her mentor and finds he falls short. Aurora is a character I wouldn't mind seeing again.

I bought through Audible when they were having a great sale (which is how I get most of the shorter audiobooks because a short story isn't really worth a credit.)

[David Dalton · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice short, very short story. Really about a chapter long. By itself not much. Even at $0.99. Biding time until the next Orphan X novel hits the stands.

[Slaven Tomasi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meet Lucas, a reporter trying to make a name for himself by chasing an urban legend in an abandoned church in LA, just North of Pico, near the 101. The church where ‘someone’ took out a gang of MS-13, the gang from The Mara Salvatrucha. This wet under the ears reporter accompanied by his young intern Aurora enter this church, she is tasked with recording their escapade. As they’re observing, a group of rough looking muscle heads approach. They announce that they have taken over the church as their new home, and from there the reporter and his intern try to leave. Lucas, not being exactly what the group of men are after, is dismissed, but not until he gives up his watch, a stainless steel Breitling. Leaving her there all alone, he bolts.

Aurora, realizing she is about to go through a very brutal experience attempts to put up a fight. she makes a fist, hammers it into one of her attackers’ groin. As she does that, she falls to the ground and notices on the roof a figure of a man. Then, she notices her attackers backed away and hears grunts, hears cracks of skulls, tendons and muscles tearing, gasping. Then, a calm voice reassured her, the urban legend they had been after, calm and relaxed. Not even breathing hard after that ordeal, the Nowhere Man!

Then as fast as he got there, as fast as he dispatched the assialants trying to have their way with this young Intern, he was gone. She goes to leave and notices Lucas parked up the street. She goes up to his car, gets in, hands him back his watch and notices he’s been crying!

A very cool short story that will give you a small Orphan X fix before the highly anticipated Out of the Dark is released on 1/29/2019. This short story takes place between Hellbent and Out of the Dark, as the scene – the church is where Evan took out the MS-13 gang in Hellbent in order to save Xavier, the son of Benito Orellana. If you remember that scene, Evan had a tracking device in his stomach which activates when he eats. He gets there, face to face with Freeway, the gang leader surrounded by his men with guns trained on him, Orphan X pulls out and eats a snickers candy car. Then a Black Hawk full of operators and Van Schiver’s and Candy comes and a deadly battle ensues. Whats left… the ruins of a church described by Lucas in The Intern. Check it out, absolutely nothing Gregg Hurwitz writes is boring. While short – hence the name, The Intern: An Orphan X Short Story. It was most definetely fun to read.

[Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Orphan X stories are always good and this is no exception.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blog Reporter Intern - Orphan X 3.5

Aurora was working as an intern for Lucas, and even though it was mostly a just celebrity blog, Lucas got the big stories and this time he was onto something real. There was an abandoned church in an unglamorous part of town that had been shot up and multiple bad guys left strewn around inside. There were rumors about a guy, Lucas hardly said his name as if it might conjure him out of the air.

But cool Lucas leaves Aurora when things get real, and suddenly she finds herself alone facing at least three very large, very nasty, Arian types. Fortunately, Lucas was right, The Nowhere Man is still watching the neighborhood.

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story is very short. I can’t tell because of those Kindle e-numbers, but maybe 20 pages. Frankly, it’s too short, and Evan Smoak comes out looking more like a pseudo-superhero than a real-life human. Predictable plot, and a thumb-nail look into his “character.” I really like the aspect of The Nowhere Man from a different POV, but I needed more.

For my full review: https://paulspicks.blog/2018/12/26/th...

For all my reviews: https://paulspicks.blog/

[David N · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s a fine little tiny story that took 7 minutes to read. most of the book is a preview of book 4. Not worth the $0.99

[Rellim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is book 3.5 of the Evan Smoak series. This stands on its own and could be read at anytime in the series - even as a little preview of Hurwitz’s writing.

It’s only 30 minutes, but a fun companion to the series.

I enjoyed it, but this really should have been included as a bonus in another novel or all the shorts bundled into one - $4 for a 30 min audiobook is too much.

Narration:
Scott Brick was great.

Note: If you’re buying the ebook, note that only 50% of it is the story. The rest is a preview for Dark Horse

[Marika Charalambous · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very short novella of some 20 pages where each page packed a punch. I can't wait for the new book in January.

[John of Canada · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I cannot get enough of Orphan X.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as good as all the other Orphan X stories. Just disappointed it’s only about 15 pages long...about 1 chapter. The value comes from the extended preview of Out of the Dark at the end.

[3 no 7 · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Intern” by Gregg Hurwitz is a short story featuring Orphan X. Readers get a glimpse of “The Nowhere Man” at work through an incident from the past. Hurwitz sets the stage with anticipation and perhaps dread.

“According to the reports, a lot of people had died there.”

His reputation is legend; his existence, mysterious.

“They say this is the last place anyone saw him,” Lucas said. He never used the name, like he was afraid it was some spell that might conjure the man himself.”

Vivid descriptions put readers right into the scene.

“Yellow crime-scene tape, long dismembered by weather, curiosity seekers, and criminals, fluttered about the perimeter, snared on scraggly dead bushes like spiderweb strands. The steel front door, scorched from an explosive charge of some sort, hung crookedly from a bent hinge. The stained glass windows were blown out, pebbled glass teeth rising from the frames.”

“The Intern” is a short character sketch to fill in some history for readers of the “Orphan X” series. It is quick to read and reminds readers that it is always good to have a phone set to record when one is threatened by thugs and punks.
P.S. It is only 4 stars because it is VERY SHORT

[The Behrg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hurwitz may be adding a little too much Batman to Orphan X's entrances, but his writing style never fails to captivate. A good teaser for next year's release.

[Kristie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There isn't much meat to this one, but it's good for a short story.

[Tracey Mcd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Calling this a short story is ambitious. It’s really a chapter. An enjoyable chapter though.

[Robin Loves Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although only a chapter long, this quick story served to lead right into the next book in the series. In this entry, we see how Evan works to save an intern that was pulled into a difficult situation. The better part of this novella was a sneak peek into the next book in this series.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice little in between story.

[Scott A. Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Typical .5 novella.