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Orphan X #5
Into the Fire
The New York Times bestselling Orphan X returns—facing his own uncertain future and undertaking one last mission.
Taken from a group home at age twelve, Evan Smoak was trained as an off-the-books government assassin: Orphan X. After breaking with the Program, he reinvented himself as The Nowhere Man, a figure shrouded in shadows who helps the truly desperate. But the government didn’t let go of him easily, sending their best to hunt him down and eliminate him. All of them failed. With his deadliest enemies behind him, Evan is facing a new challenge—what is he going to do now that no one is after him?
Max Merriweather is at the end of his rope. Separated from the woman he loves and barely scraping by, Max is a disappointment to everyone in his life. Then his very successful cousin Grant is brutally murdered. Two months before, Grant left Max an envelope with instructions to take it to a reporter if anything happened to him. Now the reporter is missing and Max’s apartment is ransacked. A man at the end of his rope, he calls The Nowhere Man.
With mixed feelings, Evan takes on this mission, easily finding the men who are after Max and executing a plan to keep him safe. But it isn’t as obvious as it seems—and Evan finds himself enmeshed in one of the most challenging missions of his life, one that he can’t survive on his own. With the help of Joey Morales, a genius-level hacker and the last Orphan recruited into the Program, and the brilliant, off-the-books gunsmith, Tommy Stojack, Orphan X once more heads…Into the Fire.
Taken from a group home at age twelve, Evan Smoak was trained as an off-the-books government assassin: Orphan X. After breaking with the Program, he reinvented himself as The Nowhere Man, a figure shrouded in shadows who helps the truly desperate. But the government didn’t let go of him easily, sending their best to hunt him down and eliminate him. All of them failed. With his deadliest enemies behind him, Evan is facing a new challenge—what is he going to do now that no one is after him?
Max Merriweather is at the end of his rope. Separated from the woman he loves and barely scraping by, Max is a disappointment to everyone in his life. Then his very successful cousin Grant is brutally murdered. Two months before, Grant left Max an envelope with instructions to take it to a reporter if anything happened to him. Now the reporter is missing and Max’s apartment is ransacked. A man at the end of his rope, he calls The Nowhere Man.
With mixed feelings, Evan takes on this mission, easily finding the men who are after Max and executing a plan to keep him safe. But it isn’t as obvious as it seems—and Evan finds himself enmeshed in one of the most challenging missions of his life, one that he can’t survive on his own. With the help of Joey Morales, a genius-level hacker and the last Orphan recruited into the Program, and the brilliant, off-the-books gunsmith, Tommy Stojack, Orphan X once more heads…Into the Fire.
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First published January 28, 2020
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About the author
Gregg Hurwitz
302 books6,798 followersGregg 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,588 reviews
January 20, 2020
Gregg Hurwitz writes what looks to be his final addition to his excellent thriller series featuring his all action man, Evan Smoak, Orphan X, hero to the desperate who have nowhere else to go as he comes to their aid as The Nowhere Man. So right, you are going to have to park your sense of disbelief before embarking on this spectacular train ride of thrills after thrills, as The Nowhere Man steps for the last time into the fire in his efforts to gain absolution from his past as a assassin, hungering for a life more ordinary and more human. He is a socially awkward man, with OCD when it comes to his ultimate tech secure penthouse apartment, an oasis of order in comparison to the chaotic world outside, with the gnawing fear that perhaps he is too damaged to fit in a world of intimate relationships that require the baring of your soul and open you up to the possibility of a world of pain that family and close friends can mean.
And his last client, Max Merriweather, a broken man rejected by his family and feeling an abject failure after the breakdown of his marriage to his beloved wife, Violet, illustrates to Evan just what love and being human means. Does he really have the strength and courage to open himself to this quagmire if he is no longer The Nowhere Man? Little does he know it, but he is already on his way, as can be seen in the snarky yet tender relationship the young hacker extraordinaire, Joey Morales, has with him, particularly as he gifts her a injured bait dog he rescues. Then there is the elderly irascible Ida, who is mugged for her necklace, where he just can't stop himself from coming to her aid. So okay District Attorney Mia Hall does not view him in the most positive of lights but then she is to find herself in circumstances where things become far less black and white.
Evan finds himself tested to his absolute limits as he suffers a concussion that mar his abilities to operate at his best, and where everytime he thinks he has secured the safety of Max who is dropped into a horrifying scenario after his cousin Grant is tortured and murdered, he finds a more dangerous set of foes that he must confront. This is a fast paced, intense, riveting thriller where the non-stop action had me biting my nails and totally enthralled right up to the unbelievable finale. I am hoping that Hurwitz returns to Evan Smoak in the future, a protagonist that has managed to capture the hearts of so many readers. Highly recommended if you love your thrillers. Many thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for an ARC.
And his last client, Max Merriweather, a broken man rejected by his family and feeling an abject failure after the breakdown of his marriage to his beloved wife, Violet, illustrates to Evan just what love and being human means. Does he really have the strength and courage to open himself to this quagmire if he is no longer The Nowhere Man? Little does he know it, but he is already on his way, as can be seen in the snarky yet tender relationship the young hacker extraordinaire, Joey Morales, has with him, particularly as he gifts her a injured bait dog he rescues. Then there is the elderly irascible Ida, who is mugged for her necklace, where he just can't stop himself from coming to her aid. So okay District Attorney Mia Hall does not view him in the most positive of lights but then she is to find herself in circumstances where things become far less black and white.
Evan finds himself tested to his absolute limits as he suffers a concussion that mar his abilities to operate at his best, and where everytime he thinks he has secured the safety of Max who is dropped into a horrifying scenario after his cousin Grant is tortured and murdered, he finds a more dangerous set of foes that he must confront. This is a fast paced, intense, riveting thriller where the non-stop action had me biting my nails and totally enthralled right up to the unbelievable finale. I am hoping that Hurwitz returns to Evan Smoak in the future, a protagonist that has managed to capture the hearts of so many readers. Highly recommended if you love your thrillers. Many thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for an ARC.
December 4, 2020
My favorite in the series (so far)!
"He looks like an ordinary man. He is not."
"He looks like an ordinary man. He is not."
January 12, 2020
4.5★
“‘They say being brave doesn’t mean you’re not scared,’ Max said. ‘It means you’re scared and do it anyway.’
Evan halted. He didn’t answer. But he turned around. Max scratched at his neck, his fingernails raising red streaks. He was backlit, the shadows catching on his face, veiling his eyes.
‘Is that . . . is that true?’
Evan said, ‘I’m not scared yet.”
Well I sure was! Often, and so many times! This is number 5 in the Orphan X series, and the best so far, I think, but I had to just take it on faith that Evan Smoak could actually perform all these feats and survive all the assaults on his mind and body while suffering from a brain-bruising concussion early on.
He is collecting an extended family in spite of himself, and his pristine, untouched, polished environment at home is severely tested by a 16-year-old and a dog, which is a welcome comic relief against the non-stop physical action.
Max, who was asking about being brave, is a man who needs his help. He is being hunted by the bad guys because his cousin left something with him that they want, and he’s miserable because he lost the love of his life. He is not brave, not an action man, just a sorry mess.
“Two years and seven months later and he still couldn’t think of Violet without feeling it in his chest, a ping to the soft tissue. He knew he wore the weight of it in his face, in the knots of his shoulders, in the stiffness of his back. These days people looked at him like they didn’t want him to rub off on them. He couldn’t blame them. He didn’t want to rub off on himself.”
It's all very full-on, and the title, “Into the Fire” is apt, as once he extricates himself from one situation, he lands in another. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, time after time, fire after fire.
Evan keeps hoping to retire, plans on it, doesn’t like killing people for a living, but I didn’t even attempt a body-count in this. He is a killing machine, but they’re all the sort of people you’d be happy to have wiped off the face of the earth, and they’re trying to kill him and some other very nice folks, so all good, right?
He still gets sidetracked with small private jobs for people who have no idea he is the Nowhere Man. He feels compelled to help little old ladies in distress. But his real job as the Nowhere Man is to deal with the lowest of the low from the dark side.
I did love our OCD hero getting into his arms dealer’s truck. Evan is a stickler for cleanliness and order.
“Evan lifted his boots, sunk to the ankles in discarded Starbucks cups, Red Bull cans, and empty ammunition boxes that clustered around the base of the seat.
‘Sorry ’bout the truck mulch,’ Tommy said. ‘But that’s how you get a vehicle, you know. You grow it from the ground up.’”
It’s a fast, exhausting ride full of high-tech gear as well as down-to-earth physical fights. He is especially good at neutralising an opponent with a well-timed kick or blow
“A crackle of gristle as bone and cartilage yielded.”
I loved it! I’m not a blood-and-guts enthusiast, but there’s something about Evan Smoak and the over-the-top tricks he uses that keep me coming back. Kind of like McGyver on steroids, perhaps,.
Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s press for the preview copy from which I’ve quoted. I’m looking forward to the next one!
“‘They say being brave doesn’t mean you’re not scared,’ Max said. ‘It means you’re scared and do it anyway.’
Evan halted. He didn’t answer. But he turned around. Max scratched at his neck, his fingernails raising red streaks. He was backlit, the shadows catching on his face, veiling his eyes.
‘Is that . . . is that true?’
Evan said, ‘I’m not scared yet.”
Well I sure was! Often, and so many times! This is number 5 in the Orphan X series, and the best so far, I think, but I had to just take it on faith that Evan Smoak could actually perform all these feats and survive all the assaults on his mind and body while suffering from a brain-bruising concussion early on.
He is collecting an extended family in spite of himself, and his pristine, untouched, polished environment at home is severely tested by a 16-year-old and a dog, which is a welcome comic relief against the non-stop physical action.
Max, who was asking about being brave, is a man who needs his help. He is being hunted by the bad guys because his cousin left something with him that they want, and he’s miserable because he lost the love of his life. He is not brave, not an action man, just a sorry mess.
“Two years and seven months later and he still couldn’t think of Violet without feeling it in his chest, a ping to the soft tissue. He knew he wore the weight of it in his face, in the knots of his shoulders, in the stiffness of his back. These days people looked at him like they didn’t want him to rub off on them. He couldn’t blame them. He didn’t want to rub off on himself.”
It's all very full-on, and the title, “Into the Fire” is apt, as once he extricates himself from one situation, he lands in another. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, time after time, fire after fire.
Evan keeps hoping to retire, plans on it, doesn’t like killing people for a living, but I didn’t even attempt a body-count in this. He is a killing machine, but they’re all the sort of people you’d be happy to have wiped off the face of the earth, and they’re trying to kill him and some other very nice folks, so all good, right?
He still gets sidetracked with small private jobs for people who have no idea he is the Nowhere Man. He feels compelled to help little old ladies in distress. But his real job as the Nowhere Man is to deal with the lowest of the low from the dark side.
I did love our OCD hero getting into his arms dealer’s truck. Evan is a stickler for cleanliness and order.
“Evan lifted his boots, sunk to the ankles in discarded Starbucks cups, Red Bull cans, and empty ammunition boxes that clustered around the base of the seat.
‘Sorry ’bout the truck mulch,’ Tommy said. ‘But that’s how you get a vehicle, you know. You grow it from the ground up.’”
It’s a fast, exhausting ride full of high-tech gear as well as down-to-earth physical fights. He is especially good at neutralising an opponent with a well-timed kick or blow
“A crackle of gristle as bone and cartilage yielded.”
I loved it! I’m not a blood-and-guts enthusiast, but there’s something about Evan Smoak and the over-the-top tricks he uses that keep me coming back. Kind of like McGyver on steroids, perhaps,.
Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s press for the preview copy from which I’ve quoted. I’m looking forward to the next one!
December 20, 2020
Into the Fire by Gregg Horwitz is a 2020 Minotaur publication.
Supercharged, "Smoaking" hot, action and adventure!
Evan Smoak- aka- Orphan X- aka- The Nowhere Man, has come to a crossroads of sorts. He’s ready to explore life on his own terms now. But will his enemies and those who need his specialized help allow him to retire?
In this fifth installment of the series, Evan is summoned to help Max Merriweather, who is on the run from the ruthless assassins who just murdered his cousin.
Hoping this is the last time he answers the 1-800-NOWHERE hotline, Evan discovers this case is going to be one of his most difficult to contain.
I love this series more with each installment. Evan is a machine- tough, smart, unstoppable! But, beneath that exterior is a lonely man, one who was robbed of normalcy, who pines for a break from all the danger and violence.
Readers root for him on both fronts. We cheer for him as he fights the bad guys, but also sympathize with his sensitive side too- wishing he didn’t have to necessarily choose between the two.
The addition of Joey to the series is simply perfect, and the banter between she and Evan is often hysterically funny.
This chapter has a finality to it that is bittersweet- until…
The conclusion is a breathtaking stunner… promising more exciting adventures for our hero in the future.
4.5 stars
Supercharged, "Smoaking" hot, action and adventure!
Evan Smoak- aka- Orphan X- aka- The Nowhere Man, has come to a crossroads of sorts. He’s ready to explore life on his own terms now. But will his enemies and those who need his specialized help allow him to retire?
In this fifth installment of the series, Evan is summoned to help Max Merriweather, who is on the run from the ruthless assassins who just murdered his cousin.
Hoping this is the last time he answers the 1-800-NOWHERE hotline, Evan discovers this case is going to be one of his most difficult to contain.
I love this series more with each installment. Evan is a machine- tough, smart, unstoppable! But, beneath that exterior is a lonely man, one who was robbed of normalcy, who pines for a break from all the danger and violence.
Readers root for him on both fronts. We cheer for him as he fights the bad guys, but also sympathize with his sensitive side too- wishing he didn’t have to necessarily choose between the two.
The addition of Joey to the series is simply perfect, and the banter between she and Evan is often hysterically funny.
This chapter has a finality to it that is bittersweet- until…
The conclusion is a breathtaking stunner… promising more exciting adventures for our hero in the future.
4.5 stars
February 26, 2020
I read and enjoyed the first book in the series, Orphan X and although I usually don’t read a series out of order, I decided to jump into this latest release. It worked well as a standalone, and now I have the pleasure of going back and reading the three I missed.
Evan Smoak, AKA Orphan X, AKA The Nowhere Man, is a man with a troubled childhood, saved by the government as a 12 year old and trained and used for their own dark purposes. The same government who then wanted to eliminate him. Now his mission is to help others who need his particular set of skills, which are numerous.
Evan is at loose ends and wanting out when he is contacted for what he expects will be his last case. What fun to immerse myself in this story and enjoy the suspenseful wild ride with Evan as he finds himself in ever more dangerous and precarious situations. Watching him get out of these scrapes using his significant intellect and skill set is fantastic. Adding to the fun is the snarky humor.
This is pure page-turning fun – highly recommended!
*I received a digital copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Evan Smoak, AKA Orphan X, AKA The Nowhere Man, is a man with a troubled childhood, saved by the government as a 12 year old and trained and used for their own dark purposes. The same government who then wanted to eliminate him. Now his mission is to help others who need his particular set of skills, which are numerous.
Evan is at loose ends and wanting out when he is contacted for what he expects will be his last case. What fun to immerse myself in this story and enjoy the suspenseful wild ride with Evan as he finds himself in ever more dangerous and precarious situations. Watching him get out of these scrapes using his significant intellect and skill set is fantastic. Adding to the fun is the snarky humor.
This is pure page-turning fun – highly recommended!
*I received a digital copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 7, 2020
Okay, before you start reading this book make sure you have left all of your sense of realism outside the room. You will not need it. This one is for those of us who enjoy super heroes, crazy amounts of action and no concern for the bad guy who always dies anyway.
Evan Smoak is our super hero, a man who apparently can go days without sleep, continues to function beyond human levels even with a concussion and can take on any number of baddies in a fight and still win. On the other hand he only kills bad guys, goes to the nth degree to help the unfortunate and loves dogs. He is also rich, no actual amount ever being mentioned but it appears to be infinite.
Did I enjoy Into the Fire: An Orphan X Novel? I sure did. It is action packed with great characters and a multi layered story. The final gunfight would make a superb movie scene. An intriguing event at the end leaves the way open for another book in the series and maybe one which takes the story in a different direction. Fingers crossed!
My thanks to Goodreads for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Evan Smoak is our super hero, a man who apparently can go days without sleep, continues to function beyond human levels even with a concussion and can take on any number of baddies in a fight and still win. On the other hand he only kills bad guys, goes to the nth degree to help the unfortunate and loves dogs. He is also rich, no actual amount ever being mentioned but it appears to be infinite.
Did I enjoy Into the Fire: An Orphan X Novel? I sure did. It is action packed with great characters and a multi layered story. The final gunfight would make a superb movie scene. An intriguing event at the end leaves the way open for another book in the series and maybe one which takes the story in a different direction. Fingers crossed!
My thanks to Goodreads for the opportunity to read and review this book.
November 10, 2021
In this 5th book in the 'Orphan X' series, the death of a forensic accountant enmeshes Evan Smoak in a fight against formidable opponents. The book provides enough background information to be read as a standalone.
*****
When Evan Smoak was a spindly twelve-year-old living in an orphanage - where he slept on the floor between bunks - he was 'rescued' and placed in a black ops program that trained orphans to be highly skilled assassins. Evan was dubbed Orphan X.
After doing his assassin job for many years, Orphan X left the black ops program and set himself up as 'The Nowhere Man', a badass who helps people in trouble. When a person in dire straits is given Evan's number by a former client, the call goes to Evan's uber-encrypted RoamZone phone, which he answers with the phrase "Do you need my help?"
Max Merriweather badly needs Evan's help. A few months ago, Max was entrusted with a yellow envelope by his cousin, forensic accountant Grant Merriweather.
Max was instructed to give the envelope to Los Angeles Times reporter Lorraine Lennox in the event of Grant's death. Now Grant has been brutally tortured and killed.....and when Max tries to give Lennox the envelope, he finds her dead. Max is now REALLY scared.
Max is a sad sack who's a failure in a family of overachievers and whose ex- wife - whom he still pines for - can't bear to look at him. Wanting to do at least one good thing in his life, Max is determined to take care of the envelope business before it blows back on Grant's wife and pregnant daughter.
Terribly frightened and not knowing what to do, Max stumbles into a coffee shop and collapses onto a stool. As it happens Evan's previous client, an autistic savant named Trevon Gaines, sits down beside Max.....and the RoamZone number is passed on.
Max calls the RoamZone, and Evan agrees to help the beleaguered man.....which turns out to be a Herculean task.
The envelope Max was given contains a thumb drive that details an Armenian gang's multi-million dollar money-laundering scheme. The Armenians are determined to kill Max and get the drive, so they search Max's house, ransack Grant's office, and eliminate anyone who gets in their way.
Evan manages to hide Max in a dilapidated house in the poorest part of Los Angeles, where the downtrodden man is supposed to remain until the coast is clear.
Evan uses his superb skills to neutralize the Armenian gang, and thinks job well done. Max is now safe.
But nooooo. It turns out there's someone more powerful than the Armenian gang leader calling the shots, and that person continues to send killers after Max and the thumb drive.
As things shake out, every time Evan defeats a nemesis, there's someone even higher up - and better connected - going after Max and the drive. (In my own mind, I was thinking, 'How far up does this go. The mayor? the governor? the President? Putin?' 😏)
The book isn't quite non-stop action, but it's pretty close, and Evan has to grapple with innumerable human killers as well as vicious fighting dogs. This gives Evan the opportunity to show his softer side, since he rescues a 'bait dog' and brings it to his protégé, a 16-year- old girl called Joey.
Joey is a gifted computer hacker who has an apartment chock full of computers, monitors, and high-tech gadgets....and a healthy supply of orange juice, Red Bull, and Twizzlers.
For a bit of light relief, Evan interacts with the other tenants in his apartment building, who think he's an importer of industrial cleaning supplies. When Evan is charged with bringing 'nibbles' to an HOA meeting, he's REALLY out of his depth. 😊 Still, Evan is compassionate when a mugger snatches a necklace from his neighbor - octogenarian Ida Rosenbaum - and that thief is in for a bad time.
As usual in this series, Evan gets into trouble with Mia, the district attorney who lives a few floors below him. Mia is attracted to Evan, but knows there's something 'off' about him.
For his part, Evan likes Mia and her 9-year-old son Peter. In VERY different circumstances, Evan and Mia might be a couple, but killers like Evan can't form romantic bonds.
As Evan deals with one threat to Max after another, he keeps saying he's going to quit being 'The Nowhere Man' after this mission, so he can lead a normal life. That would be a shame.
I like the novel, which is fast-moving, exciting, and a good primer about various weapons and explosives. If you enjoy action stories, this is the book for you.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Gregg Hurwitz) and the publisher (Minotaur Books) for a copy of the book.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....
April 7, 2020
WOW! Incredible!! Fantastic!!! 10 of 10 stars
October 19, 2020
Heart Stopping and Completely Thrilling!
Just when Evan Smoak has decided to turn over a new leaf and stay out of trouble, he finds himself in the thick of it. This time, helping a man whose cousin was murdered and whose family has completely turned against him. A man named Max Merriweather who is now on someone’s hit list for unknown reasons.
Evan would like nothing more to just walk away from it all and yet, it is not in him. He is a man who lives by a code.
“Into the Fire” started off on a bit of a depressing note, with Evan feeling lost and alone. Being the person that I am, loving Evan the way that I do, I wanted to dive into the book and comfort him and tell him that everything would be alright. That being said, Evan is a survivor and triumphs over all.
This novel was pulse pounding, highly emotional and it put me through the absolute ringer. Reading this series, I sometimes wonder how on earth I pull through! What I loved most about this book was Evan’s interaction with Joey Morales. Joey is a fantastic addition to this series and I love the witty banter between these two. If you’re looking for a series that will entertain and make you feel alive, the Orphan X series is definitely it!
“Into the Fire” was another fabulous buddy read with Kaceey!
Thank you to my local library for loaning me a copy of this book (and series). I have loved it so much that I went out and bought the entire series!
Published on Goodreads on 10.18.20.
Just when Evan Smoak has decided to turn over a new leaf and stay out of trouble, he finds himself in the thick of it. This time, helping a man whose cousin was murdered and whose family has completely turned against him. A man named Max Merriweather who is now on someone’s hit list for unknown reasons.
Evan would like nothing more to just walk away from it all and yet, it is not in him. He is a man who lives by a code.
“Into the Fire” started off on a bit of a depressing note, with Evan feeling lost and alone. Being the person that I am, loving Evan the way that I do, I wanted to dive into the book and comfort him and tell him that everything would be alright. That being said, Evan is a survivor and triumphs over all.
This novel was pulse pounding, highly emotional and it put me through the absolute ringer. Reading this series, I sometimes wonder how on earth I pull through! What I loved most about this book was Evan’s interaction with Joey Morales. Joey is a fantastic addition to this series and I love the witty banter between these two. If you’re looking for a series that will entertain and make you feel alive, the Orphan X series is definitely it!
“Into the Fire” was another fabulous buddy read with Kaceey!
Thank you to my local library for loaning me a copy of this book (and series). I have loved it so much that I went out and bought the entire series!
Published on Goodreads on 10.18.20.
September 28, 2019
Evan Smoak, also known as Orphan X, also known as the Nowhere Man, is a killing machine. He knows all kinds of hand-to-hand combat fighting techniques and every weapon ever made. But he only kills bad people, and I find him to actually be an inspirational character, strangely.
Hurwitz is great at getting his readers to sympathize with his characters immediately. They are good people with some serious life-or-death problem that Evan Smoak as the Nowhere Man can help out with. In this fifth, and I guess last book of the series ( ☹ ), Nowhere Man gets a call from Max Merriweather, a man whose cousin has recently been murdered, and now some men are after him and the item his far more financially successful cousin left with him. I like Evan, I like Max, I like the cast of supporting characters.
As with the other books in the series, the reader has to figure out how Evan will get himself out of seemingly impossible situations, often without any weapons other than himself. This makes for a fast, page-turning read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book, which RELEASES JANUARY 28, 2020.
For more reviews, please visit: http://www.theresaalan.net/blog
Hurwitz is great at getting his readers to sympathize with his characters immediately. They are good people with some serious life-or-death problem that Evan Smoak as the Nowhere Man can help out with. In this fifth, and I guess last book of the series ( ☹ ), Nowhere Man gets a call from Max Merriweather, a man whose cousin has recently been murdered, and now some men are after him and the item his far more financially successful cousin left with him. I like Evan, I like Max, I like the cast of supporting characters.
As with the other books in the series, the reader has to figure out how Evan will get himself out of seemingly impossible situations, often without any weapons other than himself. This makes for a fast, page-turning read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book, which RELEASES JANUARY 28, 2020.
For more reviews, please visit: http://www.theresaalan.net/blog
March 4, 2024
Will describe this book in a few words that will tell you enough about this book one of the best so far a stellar narration by Scott Brick he was awesome how would I describe this book?
Compelling, gritty compulsive reading, great characters plus we see Evan has a weakness Loved.💞💞💞
Compelling, gritty compulsive reading, great characters plus we see Evan has a weakness Loved.💞💞💞
October 24, 2019
If you are looking for an exciting thriller that will keep you up all night with non-stop action, Into the Fire, the fifth Orphan X novel, is just your ticket. Hurwitz fills each page with excitement. If you are new to the series, Evan Smoak (Orphan X), is an ex- black-ops government asset, pulled from the orphanage at a young age and trained to be invincible.
On his own now after a departure, he is the Nowhere Man who answers calls from people who need help. And, then asks them to pass on the number. You need to suspend disbelief at his batcave-like Bruce Wayne like life in a fancy condo with secret rooms, endless money supplies, every technological marvel he could ever need, and his own secret hacker extraordinaire. And, of course, liked the caped crusaders, he always succeeds against all odds. Also, accept the many-tentacled conspiracy he goes after. Then, sit back and enjoy all the action.
This novel, which doesn't require reading the previous four, has Evan tangling with a foe who is like an iceberg which is more hidden than visible. He tackles just about everything including breaks no into a jail to take out an enemy. Again, a non-stop thrill ride.
On his own now after a departure, he is the Nowhere Man who answers calls from people who need help. And, then asks them to pass on the number. You need to suspend disbelief at his batcave-like Bruce Wayne like life in a fancy condo with secret rooms, endless money supplies, every technological marvel he could ever need, and his own secret hacker extraordinaire. And, of course, liked the caped crusaders, he always succeeds against all odds. Also, accept the many-tentacled conspiracy he goes after. Then, sit back and enjoy all the action.
This novel, which doesn't require reading the previous four, has Evan tangling with a foe who is like an iceberg which is more hidden than visible. He tackles just about everything including breaks no into a jail to take out an enemy. Again, a non-stop thrill ride.
March 30, 2020
4.5 stars.
The fifth book in Gregg Hurwitz's Orphan X series, Into the Fire is a pulse-pounding thriller with emotional heft to it.
Evan Smoak has been moving since he was young. Pulled out of a foster home and recruited into a super-secret government program, he once was Orphan X, one of the most lethal assassins ever.
When he had enough of killing because people told him to, he reinvented himself as the Nowhere Man, a guardian angel for those in the most desperate of situations. He’ll do whatever it takes to help those truly needing the kind of help he can provide.
Max is that person. Living a desolate, lonely life, his cousin, a forensic accountant, was just brutally murdered. The same cousin who once gave him an envelope with a key in it and told him what to do in the event he died. And now people are looking for the key, some who are clearly evil and some who hide their evil deep below the surface. Max may not be happy with how his life turned out but he doesn't want to die yet.
What seems like a dangerous but fairly simple operation for Evan turns out to be anything but. And as the puzzle becomes more and more complicated—and deadly—to solve, he is torn between this mission of the Nowhere Man he gave himself and the desire for a “real” life.
"'Redemption' was an imperfect word for what he was seeking. Confronting the world with his own code, illuminating the darkness with the guttering light of his own morality—that was a process of becoming. Becoming less sharp. More human."
This is one of the best thriller series out there. Evan Smoak is such an incredible character and Gregg Hurwitz has created an amazingly complex world, and in doing so, has written a thriller series that balances incredible action scenes with rich character development.
I can’t wait to see where Hurwitz goes with this series. My thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review!!
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2019 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2019.html.
Check out my list of the best books of the decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
The fifth book in Gregg Hurwitz's Orphan X series, Into the Fire is a pulse-pounding thriller with emotional heft to it.
Evan Smoak has been moving since he was young. Pulled out of a foster home and recruited into a super-secret government program, he once was Orphan X, one of the most lethal assassins ever.
When he had enough of killing because people told him to, he reinvented himself as the Nowhere Man, a guardian angel for those in the most desperate of situations. He’ll do whatever it takes to help those truly needing the kind of help he can provide.
Max is that person. Living a desolate, lonely life, his cousin, a forensic accountant, was just brutally murdered. The same cousin who once gave him an envelope with a key in it and told him what to do in the event he died. And now people are looking for the key, some who are clearly evil and some who hide their evil deep below the surface. Max may not be happy with how his life turned out but he doesn't want to die yet.
What seems like a dangerous but fairly simple operation for Evan turns out to be anything but. And as the puzzle becomes more and more complicated—and deadly—to solve, he is torn between this mission of the Nowhere Man he gave himself and the desire for a “real” life.
"'Redemption' was an imperfect word for what he was seeking. Confronting the world with his own code, illuminating the darkness with the guttering light of his own morality—that was a process of becoming. Becoming less sharp. More human."
This is one of the best thriller series out there. Evan Smoak is such an incredible character and Gregg Hurwitz has created an amazingly complex world, and in doing so, has written a thriller series that balances incredible action scenes with rich character development.
I can’t wait to see where Hurwitz goes with this series. My thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review!!
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2019 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2019.html.
Check out my list of the best books of the decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
January 22, 2020
I know these books are crazy outlandish, but if you are looking for a thriller, I think they are awesome! Completely unrealistic but I’m always cheering for our hero Evan to save the day, yet again.
This book in particular would seem like it was wrapping all the loose ends and coming to a conclusion many times before the ending. Others may find this frustrating but it just added to my anticipation. Highly recommend!
*Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
This book in particular would seem like it was wrapping all the loose ends and coming to a conclusion many times before the ending. Others may find this frustrating but it just added to my anticipation. Highly recommend!
*Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
October 4, 2019
Oh my god, I so love this series! Imagine my excitement when I was able to get an advanced copy of book V in the Orphan X series? I jumped at the chance and much to my amazement was once again mesmerized by the exploits of Evan, who manages such death defying actions, that he is able to save the day each and every time. Who needs Superman when you've got Evan? Seriously, there's not a better bad guy with a wonderful heart than this character. He generates lots of enjoyment and just plain fun!
Our man of derring do is again helping another person who is in deep guano. This time it's Max Merriweather, a man who has gotten caught up in a scenario definitely designed to get him killed. So, Max makes that call and Even answers with his standard "Do you need help?" and the race is one to make sure Max survives. Danger, cunning, and downright peril, meet Evan and Max on every level. Evan though this endeavor was going to be easy, but it turns out to be everything but. After all, this was going to be his last outing as The Nowhere Man, and his thought is one last time into the fire so to speak, and rescue Max who is so in need of help and understanding. Max has always felt worthless while others in his family are so successful. When his cousin is murdered, an envelope that his cousin gave to him becomes the focus of an international monetary laundering scheme worth a whole lot of money and there are many who are out to make sure that Max and Evan does not see the light of day.
If you haven't read this series, what are you waiting for? It's so fun, so full of adventure, so at times tongue in cheek that it's a wonderful way to while away a few hours being highly entertained and mesmerized. I sure hope that this series does continue and as this book closes, we are given a glimmer of hope that Evan will be back.
Thank you to Gregg Hurwitz who provided me with lots of two am reads, to Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this dynamite book.
To see reviews of book 4 and 5, you can go here: http://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpress...
Our man of derring do is again helping another person who is in deep guano. This time it's Max Merriweather, a man who has gotten caught up in a scenario definitely designed to get him killed. So, Max makes that call and Even answers with his standard "Do you need help?" and the race is one to make sure Max survives. Danger, cunning, and downright peril, meet Evan and Max on every level. Evan though this endeavor was going to be easy, but it turns out to be everything but. After all, this was going to be his last outing as The Nowhere Man, and his thought is one last time into the fire so to speak, and rescue Max who is so in need of help and understanding. Max has always felt worthless while others in his family are so successful. When his cousin is murdered, an envelope that his cousin gave to him becomes the focus of an international monetary laundering scheme worth a whole lot of money and there are many who are out to make sure that Max and Evan does not see the light of day.
If you haven't read this series, what are you waiting for? It's so fun, so full of adventure, so at times tongue in cheek that it's a wonderful way to while away a few hours being highly entertained and mesmerized. I sure hope that this series does continue and as this book closes, we are given a glimmer of hope that Evan will be back.
Thank you to Gregg Hurwitz who provided me with lots of two am reads, to Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this dynamite book.
To see reviews of book 4 and 5, you can go here: http://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpress...
January 27, 2020
Evan Smoak, the Nowhere Man, also known as Orphan X, is tired. He is tired of being on the run from his own government, he is tired of being unable to have a normal life, is tired of not being normal. Of course, how anyone with his background as an off the books government trained (from childhood) government assassin could ever be normal is a bit of a conundrum. Most of all the Nowhere Man is tired of being the Nowhere Man, the man who is the last resort of survival. When his phone number is hesitantly given to someone, that person is beyond desperate.
Yeah, yeah, I know books of superheroes, supermen, unstoppable men are almost a dime a dozen. But Smoak is just enough this side of different to make him intriguing, and the books a terrific read.
So, back to the desperate guy in Into the Fire. His name is Max Merriweather and he is desperate on so many levels. He is the family black sheep, low achiever, and loser. Somehow Yiddish says it best, the schlemiel. Max grabs at his chance to do something right and he agrees to hold the “life insurance” of the family super star, Grant, a forensic accountant. It is never a good idea to hold the life insurance of someone who helps bring down criminals. It just always ends badly with bodies scattered from here to there, including the person who took out the insurance.
Tropes, motifs and clichés are all there. I don’t care; they are in all action thrillers. With Into the Fire they are all imaginatively used and positioned, they move the story along rather than have the reader moan, “oh not again.” There is one welcome absence, hot sex to interrupt the action when the writer can’t think of anything else to do. Instead there may be the beginning of a sweet, mature romance.
I am always fascinated to read of the advanced weaponry, technology and computer/hacking skills utilized in the Orphan X series. Most mentioned I know are out there, the rest I assume are accurate. Hurwitz uses them well, avoiding an over-reliance on tech and other skills.
For a man who has very definite OCD tendencies, who craves quiet and routine, and is a total vodka snob, Evan Smoak is going to have a long road back to normalcy. Not that those are the only roadblocks.
This is a book that ratchets up the excitement and the interest in all of the characters. There is tenderness to balance the violence. This is a thriller to read and enjoy. Even without reading the previous books. But do go back and do so.
The book begins with Smoak wanting to retire. It ends with him answering his phone with “Hello?” Is this the first step back toward normalcy? I wouldn’t bet on it.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Yeah, yeah, I know books of superheroes, supermen, unstoppable men are almost a dime a dozen. But Smoak is just enough this side of different to make him intriguing, and the books a terrific read.
So, back to the desperate guy in Into the Fire. His name is Max Merriweather and he is desperate on so many levels. He is the family black sheep, low achiever, and loser. Somehow Yiddish says it best, the schlemiel. Max grabs at his chance to do something right and he agrees to hold the “life insurance” of the family super star, Grant, a forensic accountant. It is never a good idea to hold the life insurance of someone who helps bring down criminals. It just always ends badly with bodies scattered from here to there, including the person who took out the insurance.
Tropes, motifs and clichés are all there. I don’t care; they are in all action thrillers. With Into the Fire they are all imaginatively used and positioned, they move the story along rather than have the reader moan, “oh not again.” There is one welcome absence, hot sex to interrupt the action when the writer can’t think of anything else to do. Instead there may be the beginning of a sweet, mature romance.
I am always fascinated to read of the advanced weaponry, technology and computer/hacking skills utilized in the Orphan X series. Most mentioned I know are out there, the rest I assume are accurate. Hurwitz uses them well, avoiding an over-reliance on tech and other skills.
For a man who has very definite OCD tendencies, who craves quiet and routine, and is a total vodka snob, Evan Smoak is going to have a long road back to normalcy. Not that those are the only roadblocks.
This is a book that ratchets up the excitement and the interest in all of the characters. There is tenderness to balance the violence. This is a thriller to read and enjoy. Even without reading the previous books. But do go back and do so.
The book begins with Smoak wanting to retire. It ends with him answering his phone with “Hello?” Is this the first step back toward normalcy? I wouldn’t bet on it.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
![Profile Image for Terence M - [Quot libros, quam breve tempus!].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1712357414i%2F6658001._UY200_CR4%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
January 15, 2025
30/04/2022 - listened Second Time - 5.0 Stars!
What a great series - I’ve loved re-hearing every book so far!
The following rating and comments relate to my FIRST hearing of this book: 22/05/2020
5.0 Stars of 5.0 - "It Was Amazing!"
Into the Fire (Orphan X, #5) by Gregg Hurwitz.
Narrator: Scott Brick - (A brilliant interpretation!)
Another amazing book in the "Orphan X" series! Full of pace, energy and credibility-bending intensity, this book, for me, undoubtedly deserved a 5-Stars Rating!
I have listened to all six books in this series (including a novella, #1.5), and every one of them deserved and was awarded a 5-Stars rating! An wonderful effort by Gregg Hurwitz, who has proved himself to be an outstanding author of high-action fiction.
As I listened to the last fifteen minutes or so, I was reasonably confident that Hurwitz was going to finish the "Orphan X" series with this exciting, energising, thriller; but, I wondered, how can he reach this peak and leave us dangling, wondering about his last few words of "Into The Fire"?
I can now rest easily😊! "Prodigal Son", (The sixth book in the Orphan X series), is due for publication some time in 2021!
I should add here: "Into The Fire, #5" can be read as a standalone novel, but for readers new to the "Orphan X" series, I highly recommend that you start at "#1, Orphan X" and work through the series. It will be a most enjoyable experience!
What a great series - I’ve loved re-hearing every book so far!
The following rating and comments relate to my FIRST hearing of this book: 22/05/2020
5.0 Stars of 5.0 - "It Was Amazing!"
Into the Fire (Orphan X, #5) by Gregg Hurwitz.
Narrator: Scott Brick - (A brilliant interpretation!)
Another amazing book in the "Orphan X" series! Full of pace, energy and credibility-bending intensity, this book, for me, undoubtedly deserved a 5-Stars Rating!
I have listened to all six books in this series (including a novella, #1.5), and every one of them deserved and was awarded a 5-Stars rating! An wonderful effort by Gregg Hurwitz, who has proved himself to be an outstanding author of high-action fiction.
As I listened to the last fifteen minutes or so, I was reasonably confident that Hurwitz was going to finish the "Orphan X" series with this exciting, energising, thriller; but, I wondered, how can he reach this peak and leave us dangling, wondering about his last few words of "Into The Fire"?
I can now rest easily😊! "Prodigal Son", (The sixth book in the Orphan X series), is due for publication some time in 2021!
I should add here: "Into The Fire, #5" can be read as a standalone novel, but for readers new to the "Orphan X" series, I highly recommend that you start at "#1, Orphan X" and work through the series. It will be a most enjoyable experience!
February 14, 2024
These books are outstanding. Everything to love with the writing, characters, and the story arc. Orphan X knows what it is to be unmoored and undertakes every fathomable amazing step to right the wrongs in his mission to save strangers. and this heart-warming endless goodness must help those who would simply die if they did not reach out to him for help. The nature of this process is in itself perfect. Each troubled soul tasked with passing his untraceable contact details to the next person in need. Here we meet Max, caught up in an impossible web of greed, impacted to the degree of corruption previously indestructible, therefore left to flourish. Until now.
Evan Smoak contacts the prior recipient from book 4, asking him to carry out a brief act of service. It was great to see him again. Trevon was hurt immeasurably the last time we met, a young man who happened to teach Evan something sorely needed. Evan can do everything as we are witness to time and again, but this magnificent character isn’t great with people. Trevon unwittingly helped him with this, and this time around we see Evan quietly advising the next man in need amongst the carnage, helping him see life needing changes while saving his life. This is always interesting as Evan is thoroughly aware of his own shortcomings, and we see this vulnerability conveyed with a subtle effectiveness. I love his interactions with Joey, the young woman with skills such as he, the way they converse. Their mutual love and affection hidden from site, acknowledged only internally. Jack Johns is always in Evan's heart and via his internal dialogue my heart breaks in every instance.
Evan is the penultimate observer, astute at all things, and with our knowledge of his upbringing and his rise and fall within the secret society known as the Orphan programme, we are consistently crushed by his need to love Mia and Peter like other unencumbered men can.
The crescendo was startling, he was able to save the lives of two people immeasurably important to him, leaving a long-held secret cracked open abruptly and effectively. Oh, and Ida Rosenbaum and the rest of the crew at Castle Heights provided a darkly comedic break that I believe Evan sorely needs, even if it means this added another side bar crime to solve. He is so amazing. Swoon.
A grinding wheel that honed him into a razor sharp implement. His handler Jack Johns raised him not merely to be a top tier assassin but also a human being. The reactive elements that if put under enough pressure might combust.
I listened to this on the Libby platform, via my public library. The next audio book will be devoured post-haste.
Evan Smoak contacts the prior recipient from book 4, asking him to carry out a brief act of service. It was great to see him again. Trevon was hurt immeasurably the last time we met, a young man who happened to teach Evan something sorely needed. Evan can do everything as we are witness to time and again, but this magnificent character isn’t great with people. Trevon unwittingly helped him with this, and this time around we see Evan quietly advising the next man in need amongst the carnage, helping him see life needing changes while saving his life. This is always interesting as Evan is thoroughly aware of his own shortcomings, and we see this vulnerability conveyed with a subtle effectiveness. I love his interactions with Joey, the young woman with skills such as he, the way they converse. Their mutual love and affection hidden from site, acknowledged only internally. Jack Johns is always in Evan's heart and via his internal dialogue my heart breaks in every instance.
Evan is the penultimate observer, astute at all things, and with our knowledge of his upbringing and his rise and fall within the secret society known as the Orphan programme, we are consistently crushed by his need to love Mia and Peter like other unencumbered men can.
The crescendo was startling, he was able to save the lives of two people immeasurably important to him, leaving a long-held secret cracked open abruptly and effectively. Oh, and Ida Rosenbaum and the rest of the crew at Castle Heights provided a darkly comedic break that I believe Evan sorely needs, even if it means this added another side bar crime to solve. He is so amazing. Swoon.
A grinding wheel that honed him into a razor sharp implement. His handler Jack Johns raised him not merely to be a top tier assassin but also a human being. The reactive elements that if put under enough pressure might combust.
I listened to this on the Libby platform, via my public library. The next audio book will be devoured post-haste.
May 24, 2023
the setup…
Evan Smoak (Orphan X) is reassessing his life now that he’s eliminated all of those within the government who were hunting him down. There is only one possibility remaining of him receiving a request for help as The Nowhere Man and he may end it there. When he receives the call, it’s from Max Merriweather, a man who’s down on his luck, alone and now running for his life. His cousin Grant was recently murdered but had left him an envelope to deliver to someone in the event of his death. He’s tried to do that but now knows he’s being hunted by an extremely dangerous man.
the heart of the story…
Evan was distracted throughout this story as he tries to determine who he’s going to be beyond The Nowhere Man and that seriously put him off his game. The threat against Max was monumentally larger than either of them thought and Evan kept ignoring instincts, increasing the risk to his own livelihood. Now that Joey has returned to Los Angeles, he has help and someone who has his back. I’m loving how their relationship is deepening as both are in over their heads in uncharted territory here. I also liked that Max’s personal circumstances were explored, providing insights about him that strangely gave Evan perspective as he navigated his own new directions.
the narration…
Brick is the voice of the series as well as Evan and I’m loving his performances. He outdid himself here.
the bottom line…
Each time I start the next book in this series, I can’t imagine how it will outdo the last or go somewhere new and each time I’m nicely surprised. Evan had me worried for his safety and survival for most of the story and his dangerous encounters were over-the-top scary. This one was beyond exciting and emotionally draining…in a good way. Still fresh after five books.
Posted on Blue Mood Café
Evan Smoak (Orphan X) is reassessing his life now that he’s eliminated all of those within the government who were hunting him down. There is only one possibility remaining of him receiving a request for help as The Nowhere Man and he may end it there. When he receives the call, it’s from Max Merriweather, a man who’s down on his luck, alone and now running for his life. His cousin Grant was recently murdered but had left him an envelope to deliver to someone in the event of his death. He’s tried to do that but now knows he’s being hunted by an extremely dangerous man.
the heart of the story…
Evan was distracted throughout this story as he tries to determine who he’s going to be beyond The Nowhere Man and that seriously put him off his game. The threat against Max was monumentally larger than either of them thought and Evan kept ignoring instincts, increasing the risk to his own livelihood. Now that Joey has returned to Los Angeles, he has help and someone who has his back. I’m loving how their relationship is deepening as both are in over their heads in uncharted territory here. I also liked that Max’s personal circumstances were explored, providing insights about him that strangely gave Evan perspective as he navigated his own new directions.
the narration…
Brick is the voice of the series as well as Evan and I’m loving his performances. He outdid himself here.
the bottom line…
Each time I start the next book in this series, I can’t imagine how it will outdo the last or go somewhere new and each time I’m nicely surprised. Evan had me worried for his safety and survival for most of the story and his dangerous encounters were over-the-top scary. This one was beyond exciting and emotionally draining…in a good way. Still fresh after five books.
Posted on Blue Mood Café
January 13, 2021
4.5 STARS
Another brilliant book in this fast paced series! And the ending was a bit of a cliffhanger, so I'll be reading Book 6 from Netgalley ASAP! The newest (Prodigal Son) publishes 1-26-21.
July 27, 2023
UPDATE 28/07/2023 - Gripping because I love the characters so much!
Another excellent addition to this really entertaining, action packed series!
Another excellent addition to this really entertaining, action packed series!
January 20, 2020
There’s something scary in Max Merriweather’s neighbourhood. Who’s he gonna call? The Nowhere Man (dun nuh nuh nuh nuuuh)! He ain’t afraid of no crooks!
Gregg Hurwitz’s Orphan X books are fairly standard action thrillers where the hero is the usual Jason Bourne-type, an unstoppable special forces guy who’s taking on the world (Americuh, fuck yeah!). The specifics of Into the Fire don’t really matter as it’s just more of the same that’s gone before: someone needs Evan’s help so he helps them, which always takes the form of killing baddies like gangsters and corrupt public officials. Like the other Orphan X books, Into the Fire isn’t bad but it’s nothing that special either.
Up to about the halfway point, the story was unremarkable in that Evan was effortlessly pushing the fight back into enemy territory – and then he suffered a severe concussion and things got interesting as he became more vulnerable and less assured. Some of the scenes after that were good – the whole prison episode in particular – and I liked when he helped out his elderly neighbour who got mugged, especially as her reaction to being helped isn’t as straightforward as how he dealt with it was.
It was amusing how things kept escalating despite Evan thinking he’d cut the head off the snake - wait, there’s another head to cut off! And another! Etc. And my heart went out to Dog, the Rhodesian ridgeback Evan saves, in every one of his scenes – as a dog lover I’m an easy mark for that kinda stuff and I liked how that subplot developed.
The story ends on an almost comical note when Hurwitz mixes OTT Michael Bay-esque action with an attempt at a charged emotional climax that seemed too incongruously silly to take seriously. And any story where the main character talks to the President of the United States always feels plain daffy to me. Like every Orphan X book I’ve read, there’s never really anything too challenging or insurmountable that Evan can’t overcome, which makes for a predictable and, ironically, unexciting narrative - he’s far too powerful a character.
Hurwitz is still pushing the District Attorney single mom Mia as a viable love interest for Evan and it continues to feel forced, unconvincing and unnecessary. And the conclusion was much too neat with all but the cliffhanger wrapping everything up cleanly and conveniently.
But Hurwitz knows how to write well so his novels never become so boring as, say, a Lee Child novel, which feel to me like reading a manual on spanners. Hurwitz sets up Into the Fire as the final Orphan X book but, even without that cliffhanger, I suspect the books are too popular for him to stop writing them at this point.
It’s a smooth read that’s occasionally exciting but Into the Fire never really rose above your average action thriller – a genre story done well but nothing memorable, sensational or original either.
Gregg Hurwitz’s Orphan X books are fairly standard action thrillers where the hero is the usual Jason Bourne-type, an unstoppable special forces guy who’s taking on the world (Americuh, fuck yeah!). The specifics of Into the Fire don’t really matter as it’s just more of the same that’s gone before: someone needs Evan’s help so he helps them, which always takes the form of killing baddies like gangsters and corrupt public officials. Like the other Orphan X books, Into the Fire isn’t bad but it’s nothing that special either.
Up to about the halfway point, the story was unremarkable in that Evan was effortlessly pushing the fight back into enemy territory – and then he suffered a severe concussion and things got interesting as he became more vulnerable and less assured. Some of the scenes after that were good – the whole prison episode in particular – and I liked when he helped out his elderly neighbour who got mugged, especially as her reaction to being helped isn’t as straightforward as how he dealt with it was.
It was amusing how things kept escalating despite Evan thinking he’d cut the head off the snake - wait, there’s another head to cut off! And another! Etc. And my heart went out to Dog, the Rhodesian ridgeback Evan saves, in every one of his scenes – as a dog lover I’m an easy mark for that kinda stuff and I liked how that subplot developed.
The story ends on an almost comical note when Hurwitz mixes OTT Michael Bay-esque action with an attempt at a charged emotional climax that seemed too incongruously silly to take seriously. And any story where the main character talks to the President of the United States always feels plain daffy to me. Like every Orphan X book I’ve read, there’s never really anything too challenging or insurmountable that Evan can’t overcome, which makes for a predictable and, ironically, unexciting narrative - he’s far too powerful a character.
Hurwitz is still pushing the District Attorney single mom Mia as a viable love interest for Evan and it continues to feel forced, unconvincing and unnecessary. And the conclusion was much too neat with all but the cliffhanger wrapping everything up cleanly and conveniently.
But Hurwitz knows how to write well so his novels never become so boring as, say, a Lee Child novel, which feel to me like reading a manual on spanners. Hurwitz sets up Into the Fire as the final Orphan X book but, even without that cliffhanger, I suspect the books are too popular for him to stop writing them at this point.
It’s a smooth read that’s occasionally exciting but Into the Fire never really rose above your average action thriller – a genre story done well but nothing memorable, sensational or original either.
July 6, 2023
Evan Smoak takes on city corruption in Los Angeles that has already ripped one family apart… and may be threatening the few people he has come to care about in his spartan existence. I liked how this wound down the series, keeping the badass Orphan X missions (and all the Joey scenes—so my favorites!) while showing Evan’s human side and that he couldn’t keep up the former assassin turned hero defender side of what he did forever. The last action scene was one of my favorites of the series.
November 2, 2024
This time is meant to be Evan’s last mission as The Nowhere Man, he is contemplating the possibility of living a normal life. Evan will pick the phone one last time and embark on another crazy mission, if not the craziest of all.
Evan will help a man whom everyone seems to have turned against.Max’s cousin was killed leaving him with a hardrive and people trying to end his life. Everytime Evan thinks the mission is over, something bigger and more dangerous comes up. Our MC will go days without sleeping and still find a way to function with a concussion.
Gregg Hurwitz never disappointed me since I started the series. The plot is engaging, the characters interesting with a perfect pace. This book works great as a standalone and no crumbs are left with the mission.
Evan will help a man whom everyone seems to have turned against.Max’s cousin was killed leaving him with a hardrive and people trying to end his life. Everytime Evan thinks the mission is over, something bigger and more dangerous comes up. Our MC will go days without sleeping and still find a way to function with a concussion.
Gregg Hurwitz never disappointed me since I started the series. The plot is engaging, the characters interesting with a perfect pace. This book works great as a standalone and no crumbs are left with the mission.
October 15, 2019
Orphan X is one of my favorite characters! Great addition to the series.
June 19, 2020
Following the 2019 blockbuster hit Out of the Dark, Evan Smoak—aka Orphan X aka The Nowhere Man —returns in the latest high-octane thriller from New York Times bestselling author Gregg Hurwitz.
Now, following intense few years of being hunted by the very government that once plucked him from an orphanage as a boy and turned him into a skilled, calculated killer, Evan Smoak wants to retire. But what is retirement for a guy like Evan, who broke from the Orphan Program and went on to become a feared vigilante known as the Nowhere Man?
Of course, nothing is ever that easy in the life of Evan Smoak, who once again finds himself outnumbered and up against the odds.
Max Merriweather has nowhere to go. Previously, his cousin Grant, a forensic accountant, gave him an envelope containing a flash drive with instructions to hand everything over to a media contact should anything ever happen to him—which, of course, it does. Someone, after first appearing to try and save Grant’s life following a serious car accident that leaves him unconscious, ends up killing him in the hospital. Then they take out the LA Times reporter who was supposed to take the envelope.
Suddenly, Max fears for his life and turns to the Nowhere Man for help.
Evan, unable to turn his back on Max, jumps in to lend a hand—but when he and Joey Morales, his smart-talking sixteen-year-old protegee, discover that Grant’s flash drive contains detailed readouts regarding various criminal records, he inadvertently finds himself sucked into LA’s dark underworld, where danger awaits him at each and every turn. Complicating matters further is Evan’s inability to respond physically the way he’s used to after sustaining a series of concussions that leaves him battling troubling symptoms on top of the bad guys.
With any hope of retirement put on hold until he’s able to save Max and make sense of the information in their possession, Evan must first run through yet another gauntlet of dangerous adversaries to save the day. But this time, with everything working against him and the clock rapidly ticking down, he realises he may have met finally met his match.
Gregg Hurwitz brings here one of the best in the series so far, one of Evan Smoak's toughest challenges, in fact, challenge after challenge, but also with touches of great humour, especially from Joey.
Evan Smoak—who has emerged as one of the genre’s premier heroes alongside the likes of Mitch Rapp, Scot Harvath, Jack Reacher, Victor The Assassin, Ryan Kaine's 83 series, Beatrix Rose, John Milton, Dewey Andreas, John Stone, Kyle Achilles —waits a bit longer to hang up the roam zone, and with Hurwitz continuing to find creative ways to use his star protagonist, the sky is the limit for this franchise moving forward.
Start reading this series.....
Exploding with action packed sequences, a lot of story in one book
Five stars
Now, following intense few years of being hunted by the very government that once plucked him from an orphanage as a boy and turned him into a skilled, calculated killer, Evan Smoak wants to retire. But what is retirement for a guy like Evan, who broke from the Orphan Program and went on to become a feared vigilante known as the Nowhere Man?
Of course, nothing is ever that easy in the life of Evan Smoak, who once again finds himself outnumbered and up against the odds.
Max Merriweather has nowhere to go. Previously, his cousin Grant, a forensic accountant, gave him an envelope containing a flash drive with instructions to hand everything over to a media contact should anything ever happen to him—which, of course, it does. Someone, after first appearing to try and save Grant’s life following a serious car accident that leaves him unconscious, ends up killing him in the hospital. Then they take out the LA Times reporter who was supposed to take the envelope.
Suddenly, Max fears for his life and turns to the Nowhere Man for help.
Evan, unable to turn his back on Max, jumps in to lend a hand—but when he and Joey Morales, his smart-talking sixteen-year-old protegee, discover that Grant’s flash drive contains detailed readouts regarding various criminal records, he inadvertently finds himself sucked into LA’s dark underworld, where danger awaits him at each and every turn. Complicating matters further is Evan’s inability to respond physically the way he’s used to after sustaining a series of concussions that leaves him battling troubling symptoms on top of the bad guys.
With any hope of retirement put on hold until he’s able to save Max and make sense of the information in their possession, Evan must first run through yet another gauntlet of dangerous adversaries to save the day. But this time, with everything working against him and the clock rapidly ticking down, he realises he may have met finally met his match.
Gregg Hurwitz brings here one of the best in the series so far, one of Evan Smoak's toughest challenges, in fact, challenge after challenge, but also with touches of great humour, especially from Joey.
Evan Smoak—who has emerged as one of the genre’s premier heroes alongside the likes of Mitch Rapp, Scot Harvath, Jack Reacher, Victor The Assassin, Ryan Kaine's 83 series, Beatrix Rose, John Milton, Dewey Andreas, John Stone, Kyle Achilles —waits a bit longer to hang up the roam zone, and with Hurwitz continuing to find creative ways to use his star protagonist, the sky is the limit for this franchise moving forward.
Start reading this series.....
Exploding with action packed sequences, a lot of story in one book
Five stars
January 27, 2020
Hurwitz has done it again with his Orphan X series. The Nowhere Man takes on what may be his last case in a down on your luck, working man who is sucked into a large cover up after being asked to hold onto some incriminating data. I like how Hurwitz ratchets up the tension in this one. Every time X thinks he's got all the bad guys, he finds out there's another ring of bad guys above that one. I also like his interaction with Joey. I like seeing Evan become more human, and curious to find out what a normal life would be like. While this feels like it could be the end of the Orphan X series, Hurwitz does leave a door open for further adventures. I would love to read more.
Received a review copy from St. Martins Press and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
Received a review copy from St. Martins Press and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
October 6, 2019
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my advance copy of “Into the Fire” by Gregg Hurwitz – for my honest review
This is the 5th book in the Orphan X Series. I have read all of the previous books in this series, and am a fan.
For those who have not read one yet, They really do no require reading in order as they are a good stand alone read as well.
“Into the Fire” – WOW, what a roller coaster – fast paste and exciting. I am giving this book all 5 starts. It was a fun read from start to finish!
I was a little let down by the previous book - Out of the Dark, but this one was the best so far for me
This was an exciting read, with the main character Evan Smoak “Orphan X”, who is an ex- black-ops government asset.
The storyline will not let you down!
This is the 5th book in the Orphan X Series. I have read all of the previous books in this series, and am a fan.
For those who have not read one yet, They really do no require reading in order as they are a good stand alone read as well.
“Into the Fire” – WOW, what a roller coaster – fast paste and exciting. I am giving this book all 5 starts. It was a fun read from start to finish!
I was a little let down by the previous book - Out of the Dark, but this one was the best so far for me
This was an exciting read, with the main character Evan Smoak “Orphan X”, who is an ex- black-ops government asset.
The storyline will not let you down!
July 15, 2022
5 Stars for Into the Fire: Orphan X, Book 5 (audiobook) by Gregg Andrew Hurwitz read by Scott Brick.
This series just keeps getting better and better. In this story we get to see how Evan wants out of this life and how the president may have a way out for him. I also liked the recurring characters. That’s definitely giving the story more depth.
This series just keeps getting better and better. In this story we get to see how Evan wants out of this life and how the president may have a way out for him. I also liked the recurring characters. That’s definitely giving the story more depth.
December 28, 2019
With only a few days left in the year, I found myself reading two books in parallel - a paperback of Blue Moon by Lee C, and, when a bout of insomnia necessitated starting an ebook so I could read in the dark, I allowed myself the pick of my pending ARCS, and started this. Next day, a dilemma - which to continue? The latest from one of my all time favourite series, or this? Turns out there was no contest - the Orphan X series is just that good. Don’t worry Jack, I’ll return to you shortly...
Into the Fire is the fifth full book in this series. If you haven’t read any of the previous ones, I recommend starting from the beginning, forgiving the pretentious and rather ridiculous vodka-name dropping and trusting me that the books will get better and better as Evan grows on you. While each story stands alone, there are multiple ongoing characters and knowing his backstory adds a whole other dimension to this story. This is another winner.
When Evan Smoak’s trusty RoamPhone rings to announce his latest mission, he has already decided that it will be his last, feeling that he has almost done enough to atone for his past. Max Merriweather, divorced black sheep of a successful family, is being chased by crooks after a thumb-drive full of evidence, entrusted to him as a safety net by his accountant cousin Grant, who has just been murdered. Taking out the nasty Armenian gangster in charge seems simple, but Evan soon learns that the conspiracy goes much higher up and to protect Max he will need to endanger himself as never before.
What a thrill-ride! Hurwitz has a knack for putting Evan in increasingly preposterously dangerous situations, and finding outrageously original ways for him to extricate himself by always being one step ahead of the bad guys.
One battle has him desperately trying NOT to hurt his attackers, since his code involves not harming the innocent. The souvenir that he retains made me adore him all the more, and led to some of the more humorous scenes in the book.
It sometimes feels as if he has it too easy but in this one Evan is handicapped by a serious head injury - I sort of wish the author had consulted a neurosurgeon to get the medical details right as none of what he does would’ve been possible with a blown pupil - but I forgive him as these are not exactly realistic scenarios! I love the way he MacGyvers his way out of trouble but also how his loyal friends come to the rescue once more.
I was slightly worried that all the references to this being his last outing as The Nowhere Man, so the ending introduced an unexpected and intriguing twist that sets us up for an interesting change of direction that ensures there will be at least one more book - and hopefully many more.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc which allowed me to give an honest review. Into the Fire is published on 28th January - and if you’re a fan you’ll want to clear your calendar for it!
Into the Fire is the fifth full book in this series. If you haven’t read any of the previous ones, I recommend starting from the beginning, forgiving the pretentious and rather ridiculous vodka-name dropping and trusting me that the books will get better and better as Evan grows on you. While each story stands alone, there are multiple ongoing characters and knowing his backstory adds a whole other dimension to this story. This is another winner.
When Evan Smoak’s trusty RoamPhone rings to announce his latest mission, he has already decided that it will be his last, feeling that he has almost done enough to atone for his past. Max Merriweather, divorced black sheep of a successful family, is being chased by crooks after a thumb-drive full of evidence, entrusted to him as a safety net by his accountant cousin Grant, who has just been murdered. Taking out the nasty Armenian gangster in charge seems simple, but Evan soon learns that the conspiracy goes much higher up and to protect Max he will need to endanger himself as never before.
What a thrill-ride! Hurwitz has a knack for putting Evan in increasingly preposterously dangerous situations, and finding outrageously original ways for him to extricate himself by always being one step ahead of the bad guys.
One battle has him desperately trying NOT to hurt his attackers, since his code involves not harming the innocent. The souvenir that he retains made me adore him all the more, and led to some of the more humorous scenes in the book.
It sometimes feels as if he has it too easy but in this one Evan is handicapped by a serious head injury - I sort of wish the author had consulted a neurosurgeon to get the medical details right as none of what he does would’ve been possible with a blown pupil - but I forgive him as these are not exactly realistic scenarios! I love the way he MacGyvers his way out of trouble but also how his loyal friends come to the rescue once more.
I was slightly worried that all the references to this being his last outing as The Nowhere Man, so the ending introduced an unexpected and intriguing twist that sets us up for an interesting change of direction that ensures there will be at least one more book - and hopefully many more.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc which allowed me to give an honest review. Into the Fire is published on 28th January - and if you’re a fan you’ll want to clear your calendar for it!
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