Very realistic and interesting characters. Fast-paced plot that kept me thoroughly engaged throughout. Enjoyed every page of it!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

Title: Hellbent
Author: Gregg Hurwitz
Release Date: January 30th, 2018
Page Count: 413
Format : Audiobook
Start Date: January 29th, 2020 and February 11th, 2020
Finish Date: January 31st, 2020 and February 12th, 2020

Rating: 5 Stars

Review:

Evan finds everything changed. He's on the run for his life. He's a loose end that the government can't afford to stay alive. If that isn't enough, somebody he thought was dead randomly shows up and rocks his world even further. Just when his enemies think that they are gaining the upper hand, he does something that surprises everybody. He will stop it at nothing to get the payback he deserves. Revenge will be his.
This series has been beyond amazing. I'm so in love with it. There's a twist at every turn. I stated in the first two books that this book reminds me of the movie Hitman and the Dean Koonz Jane Hawk series. I am very infatuated with both of those as well. I am beyond impressed with it. I have to admit, I came into this series completely blind. I did that on purpose. I'm so glad I did. I'd of judged it completely wrong otherwise.
Evan seems to be growing into his own person. He seems to be connecting to his feelings more. He doesn't want anybody to go through the things he grew up with. He thinks that everybody deserves a chance at an actual life rather than being controlled by others to do whatever they desire. His handler was pretty honorable too. I totally understand where his decisions came from. It had to have been very hard for him. The bad guys in here were ones you could love to hate. The kind that I love!
I listened to this book in audiobook as well as the first two. I most likely will not listen to the last two in audiobook. I haven't decided yet. I do plan to own them in audiobook and go back and listen to them when I can. The narrator just made the story so much more intense than it already was. His name is Scott Brick. He narrated the first two books as well. I was very impressed with the performance.
This was a very intense book that had I had my way I'd of finished all in one sitting. I'd of read this entire series back to back if I could. The sacrifice of sleep would have been more than worth it. As it were, I have other things to do that would prevent me from doing this. I can't wait to dig into the next two books. It's an intense and fun journey that I find I just can't get enough of!

The 3rd book in the Orphan X series. I was having a hard time putting the book down. Evan continues to be The No Where Man, helping those who have no one else to help. This time it is closer to home as Jack leaves Evan a last message that becomes his next mission. Joey is a 16 year old girl who is a computer hacker. Evan takes her into his home and together they work to take out the person they think is the top dog in the discontinued Orphan program. If one mission wasn't enough at one time, a father asks Evan to get his son out of the gang that is trying to initiate him. If you like the TV show Equalizer or the original Equalizer, you are going to LOVE this series. I recommend reading them in order as each builds on the last book.

Another excellent novel in the Orphan X series: fast-paced, gripping, with engaging characters, and protagonists you will root for. One of the most consistent thriller authors, I can’t wait to get caught up on the rest of the series. Very highly recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Gregg Hurwitz and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are 100% my own and independent of receiving an advance copy.

Evan Smoak is back as Orphan X in this third book in the series. It is really hard to recap this book without giving away spoilers so I’m going to keep it brief. Evan is still being pursued by Charles Van Sciver. Sanctioned by the government, Charles needs to eliminate Orphan X because he knows too much. Evan’s mentor, Jack, has led him to a young girl Joey. After she bottomed out of the new Orphan program, Jack protected her keeping her hidden. Now Evan has been tasked with getting her to safety. But Charles and his band of orphans are hot on his trail and will use every means at their disposal to wipe him out. Oh wait, his Nowhere phone has rung again. Can he help them, as well as Joey and stay alive?

I really love this series. Each one keeps getting better and this was the best one yet. First you have all the action, suspense, mystery that you want with high tech gadgets and general badass-ness. Evan is an every man, not too tall, not too handsome but very lethal. He fights for those who can’t fight for themselves. He is holding on to his humanity and this book really explores that. I loved how his relationship with Joey developed throughout this story. I was worried that this would get repetitive with Charles hunting him down yet again, but Hurwitz finds a way to keep each book fresh and interesting. There was a satisfying conclusion and I can’t wait to start the next one in the series!

Unfailingly this story did not disappoint ! I have been enjoying the different stories with Evan Smoak, but this time it gets personal. His "handler" aka father figure, Jack is in trouble and only Evan can save him. As always Hurwitz did a fantastic job building the action and intensity of the story , right down to the ending. yet, leaving it open for more Evan later. This will be a series that I re-read or listen to, as I have purchased some of the audiobooks as well.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was lucky enough to receive 5 of the books in this series.

series keeps getting better and better with each book, in fact I'm thinking of doing a re read of this series in 2023 since I liked it so much . no action though out the book .

This is the third book of the series by Gregg Hurwitz about a young boy taken in and trained by the government to become an assassin. What transpires as the years pass is what you will discover when you delve into the books. Hellbent stands on its own but reading this series from the beginning will give you more insight to the secret department and the main characters growth.

If you like an action-packed thrill ride, pick up this book.

I loved reading as I kid but struggle to find time as an adult. It’s often impossible to sit down to focus. While this book was not a favorite if still kept me entertained for the most part, I’m sure it’s not you, dear book, it’s me.

Hurwitz has hit it out of the park again! In this installment, Evan continues to enact vigilante justice in very creative ways. His hi-tech gear is awesome, and his solutions are ingenious. He lives the commandments that he was taught, but he is forced to expand his inner circle of one. We see a little more emotion, a little more looking to the future. I see a couple of new directions his life can take after these experiences. Very well written. Still runs at a break-neck pace. It is another book that you can't put down once you start it. I will definitely continue this series!

This is Book 3 in the Orphan X Series. In this book, Evan must save himself and the last child in the Orphan X Program. The last child in the program, can Evan save them?

Orphan X is such a phenomenal series. I highly recommend it to everyone looking for a fantastic spy thriller. This book is almost impossible to put down so I would plan on reading it when you have a day free otherwise you will lose track of time and not want to put the book down until you finish.

After receiving a phone call from Jack Johns, the man that had trained him to be Orphan X, Evan is set on revenge for the man he called his father. Along the way he meets Joey, a sixteen year old girl that was once part of the new Orphan program. Together they face their nemesis.

This was an action packed sequel that made me love Evan so much. He was becoming pretty human in the first two books, but this one took it to a whole new level. He became so protective of Joey, and even let Mia see emotion from him. It turned Evan into so much more of an awesome character.

I love how we got closure to Van Sciver's plot while also being strung along for a bigger plot. I can't wait to read more.

Once again Hurwitz has created another masterpiece. The reader is treated to a page turning non-stop ride into the life and inner workings of our favorite "Nowhere Man", Evan. We finally get to learn more about the government's Orphan project and reunite Evan and Jack, which begins a harrowing quest for the other Orphans and who's behing them while giving Evan the opportunity to meet new unorthodox allies. It's difficult to write a detailed review without giving away every twist and turn the reader's deserve to discover for themselves, but suffice it to say, any time devoted to this book is time well spent. The racing heart and shallow breathes will have you feeling like you were sprinting after Evan the entire way and you will definitely NOT be ready for the wild ride to end. If only Hurwitz could publish a book ever four weeks we still wouldn't be able to wait for the next installment! Strap in and enjoy the adventure, your only regret is that you didn't start sooner!

I read. I gasped. I screamed "NO". I cried. Aaaaaahhhhhhh....and it was done. I am totally in love with this series!!! I feel Evan's intensity. The machine he was made into by his circumstances. He is a real-life superhero. I am rating it 5+++++.

Oh my! How can this series keep this pace up? I'm not sure, but this book didn't let me down. All the action and Evan may actually rival Bond. This book will keep you awake, make you forget to eat, and stay riveted to the pages. Is this a movie yet? While this could stand alone, you don't want to miss the whole series. I'm not a fan and it's only book three!

Thanks to Net Galley for my copy of this book. This review is mine. It's left of my own volition and a positive review wasn't required.

Hellbent is the third installment in author Gregg Hurwitz's Orphan X series. Summary: When Evan Smoak was young, Jack Johns rescued him from a troubled life and trained him how to be an fully expendable assassin. Evan became known as Orphan X. The Orphan program was buried deep inside the Department of Defense where no blow back could reach anyone of importance. 8 years ago, Evan decided to go rogue. Today, Evan is the Nowhere Man with skills, resources, and a personal mission to help those with nowhere else to turn. No one knows who the Nowhere Man really is, but they know if they call him, he will help rescue them from a seemingly helpless situation.


To make matters more interesting, Evan's nemesis and the new head of the Orphan Program, Charles Van Sciver, has made it his mission to rid the world of Evan once and for all. Unknown to Evan, Charles has been given a mission by someone high up in the American government. His mission is to kill all Orphans but most especially, Orphan X. As the only Orphan to ever go rogue, he might be the most dangerous man alive to some very important people. Evan was taught a sort of 10 commandments by Jack.


This time when Evan answers the 1-855-2-NOWHERE phone and asks “”Do you need my help?” he recognizes the familiar voice on the other end of the phone; it is Jack, Jack Johns. Jack, who turned him into an assassin, and the only father he had ever known. And, Jack answered the question with a single word, “yes.” When Jack meets his fate, Evan decides it's time to bring the game to Charles. Little does Evan know at the time, but Jack has a special package for him. A girl named Joey who washed out of the Orphan program and is now running for her life from Charles and his goons.


Joey will die unless Evan defends her. Both Jack and Joey are plants intended to make the elimination of Evan a fait accompli. Evan now finds himself with a partner of sorts. He is a lone wolf but there is something about Joey that opens a door inside of him. He sees himself as he once was in her and as the story continues his bond with Joey grows stronger. Plus, Joey has some skill sets of her own and isn't a weak character you can overlook.


Evan lives by so called Ten Commandments: 1. Assume nothing. 2. How you do anything, is how you do everything. 4. Never make it personal. 5. If you don't know what to do, do nothing. 6. Question orders. 7. One mission at a time. 8. Never kill a kid. 9. Always play offense. 3 & 10 elude me. As Evan learns more about those who are after him and how high up the orders are coming from that demand his demise, it's now become a race against time to see if Evan can find a way to take out the man responsible. Will Evan be able to once again beat the odds and succeed where everything is ever so stacked against him?


As usual, there's another part of this story as well. We can't have the Nowhere Man not answering calls for help. This call pits Evan against brutal rapist, killers known as MS-13 who certain politicians believe are worth compassion instead of our scorn. MS-13 should be treated as terrorists and not cheered on by any politician of any party. Period. At the end of this book, several key story plots are left open and for good reason. My curiosity actually lays with Orphan C (Candy). I'm curious as to what happens next with her. She made a choice that could lead to a possible alliance with Evan.

Another great installment of Orphan X. I enjoy this series immensely. Great characters, intrigue, action and adventure. Highly recommend!

This was another fun to read book from this series. It was filled with good mystery and suspense. This is a book which I would recommend to others.

I wrote a much longer (5*) review for another title in this series. So I'm not going to do it again. I love Gregg Hurwitz. I love Evan Smoak. Buy this book.