4.5 stars

<b>Into the Fire</b> is an exhilarating ride from the first page to the last. The 5th <i>(and possibly last?)</i> book in the Orphan X series finds Evan Smoak planning retirement for "The Nowhere Man". A trained assassin with a conscience, Smoak is trying to make amends for the sins of his past. As The Nowhere Man he helps those in desperate need of his special talents. People whose troubles are so large it seems as if there is no way out. Max Merriweather definitely fits the bill. Tasked by his cousin to deliver a package upon his untimely death he walks into a world that's surely going to get him killed. This is supposed to be Smoak's last case, just another tick on his checklist to say goodbye to a rogue life and settle into normalcy. But every time he thinks he has saved the day another snake rears its ugly head. Will Max Merriweather's troubles prove to be above even The Nowhere Man's paygrade?

<i>Special thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books and Gregg Hurwitz for access to this book.</i>

Action, adventure, violence, humor: all rolled into one terrific story.

Have you met the Nowhere Man? As Orphan X, he carried out all sorts of government-sanctioned deep-cover assassinations. Then he went rogue and walked away from all that, and began trying to live an ordinary life as Evan Smoak, importer of industrial cleaning supplies, with a condo penthouse in the Castle Heights Residential Tower in LA. But secretly, he has been doing penance for all the evil he'd done in the past by working as the Nowhere Man and risking his life to help others who are in dire circumstances...again, and again, and again.

Now Evan believes he's done enough to pay his physic debt and hungers for the things he's missed in life--a normal life including a wife, children, a home. So this will be his last mission...

I received an email from Gregg Hurwitz in which he described the plot as similar to the old childhood rhyme of The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly: each time Evan thinks he has defeated the villain in his latest case, a bigger, more powerful head springs up. A game of Whack the Evil Mole.

This is a very intense and violent thriller, with edge-of-your-seat action. What sets it apart from others of its kind are the laugh-out-loud moments: like when Evan has to deal with the HOA in his condo building--it's his turn to bring 'nibbles' to the meeting. Nibbles?? All he's got in the pantry are olives to go along with his vodka. Or when a dog and teenaged girl invade his home and mess up his perfect obsessive-compulsive environment. Arghhhh!

Unlike other GR reviewers, I don't believe this is the end of the series...Or is that just wishful thinking on my part? A tantalizing ending leads me to hope.

I received an arc of this new thriller from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I honestly enjoy these books sooo much and highly recommend the series to those who love action and adventure! But do start with book one.

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.

Fans of this series know that Evan Smoak, the infamous Orphan X who was trained as an assassin, now uses his considerable powers (and money) for good. They also know that this is going to be a complicated tale with multiple threads, that Evan has (despite his protestations) a big heart, and that he will root out corruption. It's also perfectly accessible as a standalone, and know that you will be hooked. In this latest installment, Max comes to him when his cousin Greg is tortured and murdered as a result of something he's discovered as an accountant. What unravels includes a fascinating look at the Armenian mob, an trip inside a jail, what it's like to function with a concussion, and interesting info about tech stuff (and guns). Evan also finds himself helping an elderly woman, an injured puppy, and Joey, the 16 year old hacker genius he rescued from the Orphan program. It's impossible to write a synopsis - there's too much. Yes it's violent and yes it might be a bit over the top or even implausible in spots but you gotta love a guy who plucks basil off his living wall to add to his vodka before lying down in his floating bed. This is more complex (and rewarding in its way) series than Jack Reacher and some of the others in this genre. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. I'm very much hoping the last sentence means there will be more. It's a terrific page turner. Two thumbs up!

The Nowhere Man Evan Smoak is needed again. This time he has decided it's his final job before retiring. When Max Merriweather needs Evan's help it seems like a simple enough gig. But it spirals out and gets bigger than Evan or his protege Joey ever imagined. The result is pure adrenaline-fueled action.
In this book we encounter a new Evan. His fondness for Joey. His affection for suffering animals. He is not familiar with common human emotions and how people behave in relationships. He does not know what he is if he is not the Nowhere Man or Orphan X. But he wants to find out.
I had mixed feelings about this book. I understand Evan's predicament. The need to be part of society and bond with people. And I also want him to get all that. But I also want more of these exciting books. And judging from the ending, there just might be one more book after this. Fingers crossed!
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy of this book.

Evan Smoak wants a normal life and vows this will be his last adventure. If that turns out to be true, I will be one sad reader, and it does look like this is the case. Orphan X, the Nowhere Man, and Evan may be one and the same person, but each displays somewhat different character traits. All of them live by a strict, almost OCD, code.

To say that INTO THE FIRE is a page-turner would be more than an understatement. As is always the case, it all starts with a phone call answered with the words "do you need my help?" I had mixed feelings about the beneficiary of the aid; he seemed too needy, too wanting. In other words, once the fateful question was asked, this book went in a somewhat different direction than did the four preceding it.

The writing in this book, and the entire series, is excellent. The story lines leave nothing to be desired. The amount of detail is perfect for putting a movie of the adrenalin fueled action scenes in your mind's eye while raising your blood pressure, evoking real fear, and maybe producing a tear or two.

There are two real-world things in this book: a phone number and an email address. I called 1-855-2-NOWHERE on my iPhone. The call does not connect, just a blip and back to the dialer. It was very black ops. I sent an email to the.nowhere.man@gmail.com with the subject simply Testing. It didn't bounce, so I'm guessing it is a real email address.

If this is truly the end, I am sorry to see X go, and I wish him well in attaining his next goal. I have so relished Gregg Hurwitz's writing that I'm going to have to find more books he has written.

This is the fifth book in the Orphan X series. The series features the character of Evan Smoak, who was trained by the government since the age of 12 to do it's bidding, but now works as The Nowhere Man, helping others who have no one else to turn to. In this book Evan is called upon to help Max, whose successful cousin gave him an envelope to deliver to a journalist in case of the his death. When the man is killed as well as the journalist, Max finds Evan's number and asks for help. This is a great recommendation for fans of Lee Child or David Baldacci type books, but I highly recommend starting with the first one 'Orphan X'. If you have not yet discovered the fun of reading this series you are missing out.

Ready yourself for a thrilling roller coaster ride. Is all the action totally believable? Really, when you are reading a story as well-told and riveting as this one, who cares? Just give yourself over to the story. Once known as Orphan X, a member of a super secret government trained assassin program, Evan Smoak has been operating as the Nowhere Man, a last resort for someone whose troubles appear insurmountable. And after this last case, he intends to hang up his RoamZone phone, put down all his fancy artillery and move into a new chapter of, perhaps, normal life. But first, Max Merriweather, a man given up on his life, is thrown into an untenable and life threatening situation by his cousin. As the Nowhere Man nullifies each threat, another one, even more insidious, pops up. Will he be able to finish this case and move on? And what will that new life look like? As I read the last few pages, I was wistful imaging this series was ending. But there is a shocker on the last page...who knows what that will mean. Highly recommended for anyone who loves a propulsive thriller.

This is a 4.5 rounded to a five star. I have loved the character of Orphan X, aka the Nowhere Man, aka Evan Smoak. It is bittersweet to think this may be the end of the series. In perhaps his last and most challenging and final mission, Orphan X receives a call from Max Merriweather. Max’s cousin is murdered and weeks before his death he gave Max an envelope with specific instructions if something happens to him. When the body count starts to rise, Max finds himself in possession of the mysterious phone number for the Nowhere Man. Evan vows to keep Max safe and in exchange he will give himself the freedom to walk away from taking calls as the Nowhere Man. This is a case like no other; however, with villains that just keep multiplying, Evan may have bitten off more than he can chew this time. Filled with high drama, bad ass asskickery and a complex storyline, it is filled with everything that has made the Orphan X novels so much fun. Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy.

Gregg Hurwitz's Evan Smoak is Jason Bourne meets James Bond meets Batman. The Orphan X series is a fast paced, action packed, spy novel thrill ride starring a vigilante with a moral code. Into the Fire is no exception. I found myself pulled back into the world of Evan Smoak and the Nowhere Man from the first pages of Into the Fire. Hurwitz has a talent for making his characters relatable and sympathetic and ensuring the reader is heavily investigated in the outcome of Evan's exploits.

Evan finds himself contemplating retirement and deciding that this will be his one last case. Max Merriweather has found himself in way over his head. His cousin Grant gave him an envelope with instructions to follow in case any harm should come to him. Now Grant has been murdered and Max has arrived home to a thug tossing his apartment. Ostracized from his family and with few resources, Max is desperate and calls The Nowhere Man for help. As Evan goes to work on Max's case, he begins to peel back the layers on a conspiracy that he won't be able to untangle on his own.

I highly recommend Into the Fire and the Orphan X series for fans of spy thrillers.

Fans of action/adventure and thrillers will certainly enjoy "Into the Fire", the latest installment in Gregg Hurwitz' Orphan X series. Well-developed characters, diverse plot lines and lots of action. Evan Smoak's life seems to get more complicated with each adventure, and Hurwitz keeps you on the edge of your seat until the last page!
Long Live the Nowhere Man!

The Nowhere Man does not disappoint !
I have read all the books in this series & throughly enjoyed them all ! They are all stand alone books but it’s much more fun to start at the beginning as I did. There is nobody like Evan Smoak who is always ready to help no matter how serious the consequences are. He just jumps in with both feet . He just asks the person he helps to pay it forward to another person that is in desperate need of help. There are twists & turns in this book that’s filled with excitement. Evan is a superhero but there is some human elements that he doesn’t know quite how to deal with them. I highly recommend this book !

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!

5Thrilling Stars
* * * * *
This series has been a rollercoaster ride for me. In this entry, the Bad Guys just keep coming... it is like the Walking Dead...the endless supply of evil against Evan. It causes him to try to see an ending... that I think will end up another beginning of a new series...

What a roller coaster ride! Into the Fire is a fast-paced thriller with non-stop action. It gets your attention from the start and keeps it throughout. Each time Evan Smoak thinks he has taken out the hitmen who are after Max Merriweather, another group of villains surfaces, each group more dangerous and more determined to not only eliminate Max but also Evan. With numerous twists and unexpected events, this thriller will keep you up all night until you find out what the final outcome is.

From the outset, Evan decides that protecting Max will be his final mission. However, "if he wasn’t the Nowhere Man, who was he? He supposed he was going to have to start finding out."

There are a few unresolved matters that could be developed further in a new novel in this series . . . especially since the book ends with a bit of a cliffhanger that, to me, indicates that there will be at least one more book involving Evan Smoak. I certainly hope so!

Another excellent adventure for Orphan X. This is a series that you can rely on to provide exciting and sometimes unbelieveable action. Sometimes what is needed is to go on an adventure with a character who, while human, many times is able to act as if they were somewhat super human. It is always a happy day when there is a new Orphan X book to get caught up in.

Into the Fire by Gregg Hurwitz is an incredible instalment in the Orphan X series!

Having defeated the last known threat resulting from his time in the Orphan program, Evan contemplates his upcoming retirement from the Nowhere Man as he waits for his final mission. Enter Max Merriweather, a down on his luck man whose desperate for help after his 'perfect' cousin Grant is brutally murdered. Before his demise, Grant had left Max an envelop with instructions to take it to a specific reporter in case anything ever happened to him. When Max tries to take the envelop to the reporter, he discovers he's being hunted by the same people who killed Grant. After hearing Max's story, Evan agrees to accept the mission but each time Evan thinks the mission is finished, another threat appears.

Gregg Hurwitz did a brilliant job structuring this final Nowhere Man mission so that each completed threat leads to a bigger and ultimately more difficult threat. The structure made me feel like I was in a video game with each new threat acting like a new level and I didn't want to put it down!

I loved seeing familiar faces like Tommy, Joey, Mia and Peter. Gregg Hurwitz has done a really wonderful job of building Evan's relationships with these characters and exploring how those relationships have both evolved over the series and changed Evan as a person. The relationships aren't always perfect and that's what makes them so interesting to read.

After reading Out of the Dark, I wasn't sure how the Orphan X series would continue but Gregg Hurwitz brilliantly shifted gears to begin a new journey for Evan. I can't wait to see what he comes up with for the next Orphan X novel!

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Gregg Hurwitz for the digital ARC!

I tossed and turned all night long, with flashbacks from the book. You start off with an accident, a friend is trying to get his injured friend help. Or so we thought, than its murder, torture and more murder. That is the opening and you are off, non stop, with gangs, money laundering, the awful (sorry letting my feelings out) of dog fighting, Because Orphan X (Evan) steps up to help Max who had this dumped in his lap. Max believes himself worthless and his family treats him like sh*t. He steps up and does as Evan tells him, and even gives Evan some things to think about. Evan is OCD (I think that's correct term) he has to have everything just right in his home, clean, etc. As a child, he was he was trained as an assassin. He is now trying to step up and help the truly needy stepped upon, to try and bring a balance a peace to his world, We meet Joey, hacker extraordinaire, fellow orphan and only 16, and Dog, the dog. LOL . MIa who is the District Attorney and her son. Joey, Dog, the dog, and Mia bring moments where you can stop and catch your breath, but they also show us Evan learning to feel. I kept having flash backs from the book, and when a book stays with me, I know its good. This is entertainment, I would hazard a guess that some of it is not realistic, but then I do not work for any government agent and more and more things are happening in this day and age that one use to think was impossible. Thank you for the arc NetGalley, Macmillin, Minotaur Books. I freely volunteer my thoughts and opinions,

I have a literary crush on Evan Smoak. He is everything I like in a character. This is one of my favorite series. I like the entire premise of the book.

I have not read any of the previous Orphan X novels. I will check them out now..
although this is not really a plausible story, nor is it realistic....it is very entertaining.
Our hero ( flawed ) helps a down and out fellow...who has found himself in the middle of a huge conspiracy wherein villains are trying to kill him to keep him silent. after that point the reader meets assorted characters and multiple scenarios of action involving hand to hand combat and other weaponry. As I said, not realistic but close enough to keep you entertained.