Good follow up to the first novel, Orphan X. Could be read as a stand alone but definitely better if read in sequence. Took me a little longer to get into this one, I was over half way through the book before I got that intense, can't stop turning the page feeling. The first half of the book felt somewhat repetitive and jumped around a lot more than the first one. Looking forward to reading more though, love Evan Smoak!

Evan's job has put him in some dangerous spots, but this one may be too much even for his skills. When Evan gets abducted from the site of his latest job, he meets someone as meticulous as himself and he has plans for The Nowhere Man. Another good, fast paced read, and more even more action packed than the first book.

Please note, I received a copy of this book to read from NetGalley, but it had no impact on my review.

Evan Smoak was taken into government custody as an 12-year old child and trained to serve as a soldier and an assassin. Despite the violence, betrayal and the life that he's lead, Evan lives by a strict code. Evan pays his way out of the government system and opens up his own shop. This time he works as a Robin Hood of sorts. He's there to help those who can't rely on the regular justice system, those who need protection immediately and are in desperate straits.

Evan undertakes all sorts of dangerous, difficult tasks and is threatened with exposure. He does this to right the scales of justice. In many ways he reminds me of some of my favorite fictional action heroes (Jack Reacher!!).

In this book, Evan is the target of a billionaire with a desire for revenge. He's gathered together assassins for hire and several of Evan's old enemies that would be willing to pay to have his harmed. Evan will be auctioned off to the highest bidder and out of the woodwork come years worth of enmity. Isolated, tied up and imprisoned, Evan must find a way to survive.

The series is gripping and addictive!

Nowhere Man by Gregg Hurwitz is a 2017 Minotaur Books publication.

This second book in the Orphan X series picks up pretty much where the first book left off. Evan Smoak is doing what he does best, helping people out of hopeless situations. In this case, a young girl is victimized by an online sex trade operation. But, when she tries to get out of the situation, her family is threatened. This is where Evan steps in. Once order is restored to his client he learns there are more victims of this scheme and he begins an urgent race against time to save a teenager being held in a shipping crate.

But, before he can complete his mission, he is ambushed and held captive by a strange, twisted man only out to drain Evan’s substantial bank account. But, with Evan Smoak, he may have gotten more than he bargained for.

As Evan plays a cat and mouse game with his captors, he learns some shocking information about Jack, his handler, and the man who raised him like his own son.

This second outing is not quite as tight or atmospheric as the first book, but is perhaps even more action packed, with evil, diabolical bad guys and many more fantastical twists and turns.

Now, if you are a stickler for realistic crime thrillers, this one might not be for you, as this set up really does require an ability to suspend belief. But, I am at a point where I don’t know if I really need every book I read to be purely realistic. I’m thinking our insistence on that point could stymie the creativity and imagination that makes fiction our first choice. Besides, this series was never meant to be your normal, run of the mill thriller.

So, buckle your seat belt and fall into Evan’s murky world of rogue government operatives and sociopaths, and allow yourself to jeer at the bad guys and cheer for the good ones. Enjoy the action, the suspense, and the non-stop thrill ride and take a break from hardcore reality for a while!

As the book winds down, and Evan turns introspective, allowing himself to believe he can live a normal life....

We get a little bit of a cliffhanger ending- a ‘to be continued’ kind of thing to ensure readers will tune in for the next episode. I don’t normally like that kind of strategy with books, but I didn’t mind it so much in this situation because it means Evan will be back and may face a challenge more personal than any he’s encountered thus far. Can’t wait!!
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Whoa, talk about high octane thrills! Evan Smoak is Jack Reacher on speed! Just when you think he cannot possibly get himself out of the impossible situation he has got himself into, he does and then ends up in an even more impossible situation.

Evan Smoak, previously known as Orphan X in a secret government assassins training program, has left the program but still uses is skills as the Nowhere Man to rescue people in dire need of his services. Evan is busy doing just that when he is kidnapped by a crazed madman and his cartel of thugs in a bid to extort money from him and swept away to a secure mountain location. They have no idea who they have captured but soon find out that this is no ordinary man. Evan can't expect any outside help as the only person he ever loved, his trainer and mentor is dead and he is being hunted by the remaining Orphans still working for the government program. But Evan is used to relying on himself and his special skills and has many inventive ways of causing mayhem.

I really enjoyed this sequel to Orphan X and the developing character of Evan as he reflects back on his childhood and training while he fights for his life. Lots of really high octane action, a fantastic finale to the kidnapping and a cliffhanger of an ending that sent me off to find the next instalment. Sure, much of the action is not believable but it is a lot of fun!

The Nowhere Man is the continued story of Evan Smoak, a former off-the-books assassin in the Orphan program, plucked from a foster home by his government handler and surrogate father who trained him to become a weapon while not losing his humanity. After Smoak received an order to turn on another Orphan and eliminate him, he meets with his handler who is ambushed and killed and Smoak becomes the Nowhere Man - a borderline mythic figure who saves those who have nowhere else to turn. But Smoak is hunted by his former fellow Orphans who will kill him if they find him.

The Nowhere Man picks up with Smoak rescuing a young woman from being targeted by a human trafficking ring and about to save another woman who is being shipped to her purchaser when he is ambushed and abducted. Locked away in a chalet in a mountain valley, penned in by guards and snipers, Smoak is at the mercy of the shadowy Rene - a man obsessed with maintaining his youth and lavish lifestyle at any cost. Rene targeted Smoak as a rube whose bank account could be drained because he was convinced his money had been illegally obtained. Smoak needs to fight his way out to rescue the woman who is about to delivered to her purchaser and the boy who is calling him on his destroyed phone.

I enjoyed The Nowhere Man - it really further developed Evan Smoak's character and was a nice second installment to the series. My main criticism and the reason I gave it 4 stars vs 5 is that it started to feel repetitive and drag a bit toward the middle. Overall, I've found Hurwitz's stories to be interesting, creative, and attention-grabbing. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

In this, the second book in the Orphan X series, Gregg Hurwitz again gives us a fast-paced story, with his fascinating main character, Evan Smoak, doing some soul-searching in between dishing out punishment to those who've earned it. Evan Smoak has transformed himself into the Nowhere Man, who uses the "particular set of skills" he learned in a rogue government program to privately help ordinary citizens who find themselves in extreme danger. All he asks in return is that they “pay it forward” by passing his phone number on to one person who needs his help. This time, though, he finds himself held captive by an extreme narcissist who wants to access his money (of which he has a considerable amount). Evan spends a fair amount of his captivity drugged up, and a fair bit wreaking havoc on his guards. At the same time, he's also being pursued by another orphan, who's been tasked with eliminating him. There's a lot of action, and once again the ending of this one left me ready to move on to the next one (Hellbent). Well done, Mr. Hurwitz, well done!
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

A really good read. Evan Snoak AKA Orphan X puts a human trafficker out of business and then is located by an evil man chasing the fountain of youth and a millions of dollars. It takes all his skill to survive. I look forward to more from the author.
Thank you to Netgalley, Greg Hurwitz, St Martin’s Press and Minotaur books for the ARC for my review.

I am hooked on this series. Lots of action and adventure. I think Evan Smoak is my new hero. Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Once again this author has written a book so full of tense action. What a great novel and a few twisted concepts. Love it!

This is is totally different that the first book. I found it a little harder to read as the hero isn't supposed to be vulnerable but Evan finds a way to help himself, and the innocents still needing help. I still feel that this is a great series and I can't wait to read the next one.

OK, I thought book one was AMAZING, and was cautiously optimistic but a bit fearful, as series like this sometimes peter out after such an initially strong showing - it's tough to follow up AMAZING, after all... But don't fear - book two not only did not disappoint, it upped the ante...

Evan Smoak is such a fabulous character - on one hand, the most talented and incredibly aware professional EVER. On the other, the most clueless self-aware person on a personal level... In this second book, Hurwitz makes Smoak more human, and that was a brave decision but one that I think paid off marvelously. The tables turn in this book, and watching how Smoak handles that tells the reader so much more about him than a recitation of backstory (no matter how carefully presented) ever could have, and that telling really added a depth to the character and series.

The secrets and action are still thick on the ground (thicker, if that was even possible). Watching the delicate rolling out of facts and fictions throughout the course of these novels has been a delicious treat - the reader is given just enough to lead you along, but never so much that you fail to feel like the rug was pulled out from under you when things finally (inevitably) go sideways.

This is an incredible series and I can't wait to see what comes next!!

This book picked up where the first one left off. (Orphan X). This one is different than the first. Evan was part of a program of orphans that were trained to kill. In this one he is captured and imprisoned. They want his money and plan to torture him for it. Evan has been trained by the best. The story does strain creditably. The writing is great. The action scenes are good. Most of the book he was captured, and we see more about his history and how he is foils the bad guys.

I enjoyed the first one more, But liked the cliff hanger and plan to read the third on in the series, Hellbent.
Evan sure loves his vodka! that you Net Galley for allowing me to read this second installment of Orphan X

The Nowhere Man by Gregg Hurwitz another excellent book in the Evan Smoak series! I absolutely have a hard time putting these books down once I pick them up. Evan Smoak was back in this book with a vengeance, with quite a few butts to kick and he does it in only the way that an Orphan can do it. I highly recommend this book and this series! Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur Books for allowing me to read this book and give my honest opinion.

Gregg Hurwitz has molded a character that is able to live in the shadows but give help to those in need. His clients are selected by word of mouth from others who have been helped by the Orphan. This book is a easy flowing, medium paced, must read. I have read his other works but this is my first Orphan read.

What a great series. Could hardly wait to read the next. Very involved story line. Keep me on my toes three the whole book.

I could not put the book down!! Love the characters, love the plot, really love the action. Don't know anything about guns, so those details were over my head and I still enjoyed the entire series. Recommended the books to my husband and sons who DO know about guns...

The Nowhere Man picks up where Orphan X ends. After helping a young girl out of a human trafficking situation, Evan Smoak finds himself in the same type of dire circumstances he’s spent years rescuing others from. He’s being held captive and there appears to be no way out, nor any hope of rescue. This series is the print/digital version of movies like the Jason Bourne series, the Jack Reacher series or Mission Impossible. There is a hero who’s a warrior and there is nonstop action to keep you flipping the pages to find out how it all ends. I enjoyed the book very much and am ready to begin the next Evan Smoak adventure.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital copies of this series.

4 The Table's Turned Stars
* * * * Spoiler Free
After Orphan X, jumping into The Nowhere man was a no brainer. What happened first followed the creed of Orphan X... call if you truly need help.

After he assists and fixes your situation permanently, then the only way to pay him back or thank him is to pay it forward. If you see another person at the end of their rope, give them the same number you had called...give them the life line they need. That is all he asks.

What happens next is the unthinkable, the unexpected... The Nowhere Man seems to be in need of the type of assistance he hands out. He is in a pickle and it keeps getting more and more deadly.

Smart writing and terrific series.

After reading “Orphan X,” I wondered how author Gregg Hurwitz would be able to top his opening book to this series. “The Nowhere Man” takes us on a journey that, while it doesn’t achieve the same heights as the first book, it strives extremely hard to come close.

You have to credit the author for his ingenious approach concerning the plot. Rather than take us on another journey through Evan Smoak’s helping-others adventures, this story centers around Evan being in trouble and essentially neutralized for the majority of the tale.

This doesn’t mean that the story is devoid of action. Mr. Hurwitz injects enough pulse-pounding scenes to easily keep you reading until the end and possibly into the next book. While the pacing felt a bit slow in the opening chapters, everything quickly sped up and rocketed through to the climax. I liked most of the elements of this book, from the characters to the storyline to the miracle.

Miracle? When events happened that seemed miraculous, I questioned whether the author had written such a wonderful, incredible book that he had inadvertently painted himself into a corner. While these events offered a path to book three, I found myself wishing Mr. Hurwitz had found another way to bring the book to a close.

“The Nowhere Man” can be read as a standalone, and readers who missed the first book should be able to glean the essential backstory without reading “Orphan X” (although you’d be missing a great intro to the series). Even the miracle can’t stop me from recommending this book to those who like a good plot, great characters, and a series you can really sink your teeth into. Four stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for a complimentary ebook.