Forewarning this is the third installment in a series. I started reading this book first and while it does make since, now that ive read books 1 and 2 i highly recommend reading them first as they each build upon and connect with the other. Overall this book was pretty solid. I enjoyed the suspense laid out throughout the novel and found the characters and plot compelling. I really enjoyed the addition of Joey. I absolutely adored her. I felt so bad how she was so lost without the program. You can tell she is very troubled but poor Evan has no clue how to deal with a teenager, lol. Overall the mystery and action in this book were top notch and i highly recommend it.

Greg Hurwitz’ Hellbent, the follow-up to the first two books in the series Orphan X and The Nowhere Man, although enjoyable, is better than the second but still not up to the enjoyment I experienced in reading the first book. Hellbent is very good though and I’m probably giving it a lower rating from not being unique the way that Orphan X was when I read it.

As readers of this series know, Evan Smoak is on his own from the government that had trained him for many years after taking and training him and many other orphans to be super-agents for the US. (He was Orphan X and many others have similar letter-based Orphan IDs.) Smoak (not his real name), is out on his own, helping people in need. Although Evan again agrees to help someone in need, he first must help a young Orphan drop out, 16-year-old Joey. She is under pursuit of the government-backed group led by former Orphan Charles Van Sciver, which is also out to get Evan. Lots of action as Evan and Joey try to stay ahead and counteract the work of Van Sciver and his agents.

One thing that was missing in the last book that is in this book is showing more of the human side of Evan. He struggles in how best to take care of Joey, who although young, has some helpful skills. Mia Hall and her son Peter, neighbors of Evan’s main apartment, also have a part in this book and I’m hoping to see more of them in future books in this series. These parts show how Evan struggles to be a regular person adding some humor and breaking up the tension-filled and fast-paced nature of this series.

This series contains a lot of violence so if that’s not something you enjoy, you should stay away. Evan Smoak is well-trained to kill, and he does that well and frequently, although not quite as much as in the second book in the series.

Although I’d certainly recommend starting with reading the first two books in this series, enough of the back story is presented to allow reading without it. Of course, the first book, Orphan X is a great and special book, so no matter what, you should read it.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for a complimentary copy of this book for this honest review.

The 3rd book in the Orphan X series finds Evan Smoak in another tense situation. This one is very close to his heart, the man he loved and trusted as if his father has been targeted by the X program. Evan is too late to save him but has been entrusted with saving another Orphan. In the Nowhere Man, Evan defeats the bad guys by using his skills to free himself. This time, Evan must use the same skills to keep himself and his charge free from the enemies looking to remove the last trace of the "Orphans". A unique twist, the baddest bad guy is also an Orphan. How Evan manages the many situations thrown in his way and keeps his promise to his mentor is sure to keep you reading until the wee hours of the night. Another great book in a great series.

A secret government group is hunting and eliminating the members of the Orphan X program.
Smoak is back and receives word of an assignment from his mentor and father figure. He needs to train his protege and quick.

Though this series is about a well-trained man who helps people who need helping while also trying to dodge another member of the Orphan program, Van Sciver, who wants him dead, it’s also about kids in foster care and the way the system fails these orphans. About not having parents or guardians who are able/alive to care for kids.

There are two stories going on here. One, Evan (Orphan X) is tasked with rescuing a package—the dying wish of his mentor, Jack Johns. And two, a man calls saying his son is being recruited by the notorious M13 gang, which is terrifying on the news in real life and terrifying as described in this novel. He wants Evan to rescue his son before he commits murder and there is no going back. Evan against the entire M13 gang. Why not?

As with the previous Orphan X books, lots of exciting scenes involving guns and hand-to-hand combat fill the novel. I think I ultimately liked this book best of the three because it wasn’t just all thrills. There was more heart in this novel than the others. If you like the Mission Impossible movies, you’d like Hellbent.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and to Minotaur Books for the opportunity to review this novel.

Please don’t tell me this is the final book! I have thoroughly enjoyed Evan Smoak’s story and don’t want it to end yet.

I know this is a short review, but other than giving you a rundown of the book, all I have to say is I enjoyed the story. I found it to keep me in the edge wanting to know what was going to happen next.

Read it!

Hellbent by Gregg Hurwitz is book three in the Evan Smoak Orphan X series. Every installment can be read as a stand alone, but are more enjoyable when read in order. In Hellbent the need to eliminate Evan, previously an active government assassin known as Orphan X, is becoming more imperative for Sciver. The current project runner of the Orphan program catches up with Evan's former handler Jack. Sciver plans to torture Evan's location out of him and assassinate Jack to induce a reaction from Evan that forces him out of hiding.

Hellbent takes on an emotional undercurrent that the other two books have only touched on. Evan is facing his past, his desire for a better life and the consequences the Orphan program created for him. He is now painfully aware of how unequipped he is at dealing with human connections. The addition of Joey serves as a reflection of his past and the turning point in his life that made him what he is. I was just as invested in Joey's salvation as Evan. I want more than anything for both characters to experience a human connection, a sense of normalcy and to not feel so alone.

As always with this series, the action of Hellbent is fast-paced and smart. I spend most of my time on the edge of my seat. Often I do not see a solution for Evan's conflicts, which is quite nerve-wracking. And I love it. Now my eight-day binge reading of this series is over. Only a few months to go before the next installment, which is already on my to-read list. I was granted a copy of this book by St Martin's Press, through Netgalley, for my honest opinion. I encourage all readers to reach their own conclusions.

I am greatly enjoying the Orphan X/Evan Smoak series by Gregg Hurtwitz and Hellbent was my favorite of the series so far. The Orphan X books are fast paced, interesting, and as the series has progressed, the story and characters have developed to be more reader-friendly and a bit less technical.

A cross between Jason Bourne and James Bond, Evan Smoak is a former assassin for a government program who trained him from an orphaned child and eventually burned him. Evan's one-time handler and mentor, Jack Johns, was the one who trained Evan to be an assassin - but also trained him not to lose his humanity. Now Jack has been captured by those inside the Orphan program who want to get to Evan. Evan is racing against time to try to save himself - and the other targets that Jack has hidden away - former orphans and orphan trainees who are now being hunted by those still inside the program. Evan lives by a moral code that he won't break, but he's determined to take out anyone involved and exacting revenge.

I look forward to reading the next in the Evan Smoak series whenever Hurwitz puts it out.

Hellbent is the third of three (so far!) books featuring Orphan X, a quasi superhero who has left a deep dark secret government organization to save helpless people in unbearable situations. No one leaves secret government programs and lives to tell about it Orphan X (who's name is really Evan) has so far managed to do just that. In the process, he has run afoul of a team sent to eliminate all the Orphans from the project. The order to eliminate comes from very high up, and there is a nasty band of enforcers sent to make sure they get them all! Evan has always acted alone, but this time he finds himself with a sidekick, a young woman named Joey. Joey is an Orphan reject with serious self esteem issues and is also a technology wiz. Together the two of the work to save themselves, and the other Orphans targeted for elimination.
Hellbent is my favorite of the three books. I love the character of Evan, and Joey adds a wonderful dimension to the story, both female and youthful. I like that there is more brain work and less shoot'em up in Hellbent (although there is still plenty of shoot 'em up!), and there is the added dimension of Joey helping Evan to better understandhis humanity even with the terrible things he has done. Mia & Peter still figure into Evan's life as well, giving him glimpses of what can be. Will there be a fourth book? I sure hope so! Hellbent is a definitely must read, even better than the previous two Orphan X books!

I received a free copy of this book from the author. I had the opportunity to review or not.

Take an orphan, rescue him from a terrible situation and teach him to become an expert at a trade. A killing trade. Evan Smoak was taken from his foster home and put into a program by the government where he was trained to kill. But Evan was trained by a decent man who taught him more about life than killing. When his mentor was killed by the very people he worked for Evan was left to care for another orphan, Joey.

And then things changed. Joey and Evan needed each other. The government wanted them both dead. Together they set out to discover why and more importantly, to survive. During their time together, they grew fond of one another and began to work together. And Evan began to believe in humanity.

Hellbent is an incredibly human book filled with the foibles and heroism in man. Mr. Hurwitz’s portraits of life in difficult circumstances point out the choices we make can change what we become. This is the first book I have read of Mr. Hurwitz, but I assure you, I intend to read more.

The third book in the Orphan X Series brings up current with what is happening with Evan Smoak and his quest for a real life.

Years hiding from a black ops program totally off the books has not helped Evan work on those social skills he needs in the real world. When his past and his present crash together, the explosion sends him on a quest to avenge those who risked their lives for him as well as giving him a survivor to help him get through it.

The survivor in the guise of a teenage girl throws his life in disarray both professionally as well as personally when he doesn't even know what to say to the woman he has had his eye on for the past year.

There is much I would like to comment on, however, doing so would spoil two of the books so I'm going to leave it as such.

I have to give a high five to Greg Hurwitz because I am in love with the characters in his book. Not just the main character but also all the characters that make up his condo, the people who are in his life who help him, and those who are endearing themselves to him.

Thank you for a wonderful book!

I have been given a copy of this book by Netgalley for a honest and unbiased review.

I didn't think I would like the Orphan X books, but gave them a try because I am a Gregg Hurwitz fan. I'm glad I did, because I've read all 3 Orphan X books and have enjoyed each one. They're sort of a cross between the TV series Person of Interest and the Jason Bourne character. It would be nice to know there was really a hero such as this "out there" somewhere.

Once again Gregg Hurwitz has left me exhausted and speechless. I can not wait to start Hellbent. I was completely captivated by the story and could not read fast enough. Evan Smoak is officially my favorite literary character.

Best read sequentially, but that’s just my opinion, Orphan X, The Nowhere Man and Hellbent. Great gobs of action and a killer plot. Everything included, the improbable to the impossible and the just plain ridiculous. Such are the liberties allowed fiction writers. Even so this is a tough book to put down as it draws you into the plot to the point you feel you are a sideline observer. Combine all the traits of all the superheroes you can think of and you have the main character. Proficient in karate, Muay Thai, Wing Chun, Aikido, Shaolin Kung Fu and monopoly this kid can do it all. Leap across oceans, evaporate at will, see through brick walls and seesaw by himself. It is a superb thriller if over the top at times and no hesitation recommending this.

This book does a masterful job of combining elements of suspense and danger with splashes of romance and humor mixed in. Without giving away much of the plot, the reader should be forewarned that this is another story of a government assassin/agent/spy defying his superiors while always striving to do right while others are doing wrong. The author does it very well here though, and the supporting characters and subplots are nicely drawn. What I like here, as in most stories I enjoy, is the growth and development of the protagonist. So for those (like me)! who appreciate an assassin with a “heart of gold”, you will find this book to be a great read.

My favorite Orphan X book! In this book, Evan shows his heart. He has to deal with a gut wrenching death and young kids who should not be alone in the world- but they are. His confrontation with the Orphan team continues to plague him and provides tons of excitement and suspense. And a great ending!

The Orphan series is a heart pounding riveting read. When you finish one you can hardly wait for the next. A edge of your seat read that you are unable to put down. An amazing thriller by a very talented author. I loved it.

Hellbent exponentially flew high above its preceding novels. With his signature raw and visceral writing, Gregg once again showcased his ability to pen a story with depth and emotion

At this point I don't know what else can be said. This time X is avenging the death of Jack. Yup they got him and now X is going to kill everyone that was in on his death, after he retrieves the package Jack left. There's only so much that can be said about the body count and the ways he kills and how in human he is. How many ways can you talk about the skills he has and has his reputation proceeds him. This is book 3 of mindless killing all because of something that happened in 1997 that X took the kill shot on. The girl Joey is a nice addition but not nice enough. Orphan V getting a heart is also not enough. I found myself scheming just to see if this book was the end. It isn't.

I'd like to say this was a 5 star read but for me it wasn't. I really thought this would be about more than the body count and more vicious ways to kill or steal. The story isn't bad it just isn't what I look for in a read.

Very reminiscent of the Jason Bourne stories but with more intensity and a more morally flexible protagonist. Great reads!