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.

Orphan X undertakes his last act as the Nowhere Man.  His last is as exciting as the first.

Gregg Hurwitz’s writing is always superb and Into the Fire fits that bill.  Another adventure for Evan Smoak and it maintains the on-the-edge-of-your-seat action and tension.  

Max Merriweather is in trouble.  The problem is that his woes may not be as simple as he and Even may think.  Every time they think they have cut off the neck of the dragon, two more grow in its place.

If this ends up being the last exploit for the Nowhere Man, I will greatly miss knowing he is just a phone call away.  It is too sad to think “Do You Need My Help?” will be retired.

As expected, the characters are rich and complicated.  The high danger in this book provides for some mental gymnastics that will keep the reader guessing.  

Gregg Hurwitz has been and will continue to be one of my favorite all-time authors!


I received an ARC from St. Martin Press through NetGalley.  This in no way affects my opinion or

This was my first nail biting, seat gripping, heart pounding adventure with Evan Smoak, a/k/a Orphan X. It becomes clear very early in the story that he has had a falling out with his country and his former employer, some paramilitary arm of the United States Government. Orphan X has gone rogue, but in a good way. Well, in a good way for the folks who contact him with a major problem. Now that was an interesting hook – being known for playing it forward.

This was a well written, fast-moving thriller for the first part of the story. A little bit of 007 deploying all his gadgets and devices. The technical information on the weaponry was overly involved and lost on me. The plot started out just fine but around the time that Smoak realizes that he is dealing with a “hydra” the motion slowed and became a little bogged down and exhausting. Really, how many bad guys can you take out while almost off your feet with a major concussion?! OK many, a lot, more than you can even imagine. The supporting characters have great language and real moxie and throw in a beaten-up dog to really stir the pot and emotions. Lots and lots of bad guys killing and blowing up things and one white knight standing in the light. I liked it.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books

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!

This series keeps getting better and better. Orphan X has defeated his ultimate nemesis from the last book in the series and has accepted his life path as the Nowhere Man. So when he gets a call for help he answers and thinks he's handled the issue at hand. But he is SOOOO wrong, and he realizes that there are many layers to the onion that need to be peeled back and dealt with.

What I liked other than the general plot, of Orphan X helping out the person in distress is seeing his evolution from assassin to anti hero and him getting more in touch with his human side. The author makes a a calculated choice to have Orphan X be partially impaired in this story which works well as a plot device. And the set up is ready for the next book in the series, which I will definitely be reading. Well done!

Fast paced thriller that will keep you turning pages. I'm inclined to think this is a book that will be liked by both male and female readers.  Some of the scenes are over the top but,it is fiction, and easy to imagine it being movie worthy. Sorta of reminds you of an updated version of "The Equalizer" tv series except with new technology and a younger man with special training.  Blurb by publisher is adequate description of .storyline.  Great read. 
I received this book as a complimentary copy for an unbiased review.The opinions expressed are my own. Thanks to NetGalley,the publisher and author for the ARC.

Money laundering, dog fighting, and the Armenian underground of Los Angeles. Evan Smoak, aka Orphan X, is back to take on another case.  He gets the call on the RoamZone from a man named Max whose cousin has been murdered. Max Merriweather feels he’s also in danger now. His cousin Grant had left him a mysterious envelop with evidence of placement, layering, and integration of massive amounts of money. Time for an Orphan X investigation…

Yet, Evan may be at a crossroads himself. He’s not sure if he will be continuing his service of helping people, especially after knocking out those trying to clean up the remnants of the Orphan program in Out of the Dark. Is it time to close it all down and go legit? After rough patches with his neighbor, the DA Mia, he definitely sees what he is missing.

Into the Fire is full of detective work… computer hacking, tech gadgets. But also the action I’ve come to expect and love from Hurwitz. Full-out building assaults, stealthy surveillance, sniping, grappling, and more! There’s three or four threads vying for Orphan X’s attention during the course of the novel, and his frustrations ramp up as each ‘solution’ only begets more problems for Max and thus Evan. One of the best things about this book is the crew he pulls together to help him… a couple old standbys and some new ones for us to meet.

I love this series and am constantly recommending it to others who have the thriller bug.  I put this series on the shelf next to some other authors I have been following lately: Joe Ide’s IQ books and Nick Petrie’s Peter Ash novels. If you like nonstop action and characters you can really care about, then Orphan X is for you!

5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and the author for an advanced copy of the book.

This is by far the best in the series. A rabbit hole of corruptionl leads Orphan X aka Even into the under belly of a money laundering system whose end seems endless. I was much more engaged with this story and was shocked along the way.

A fantastic entry to the Orphan X series.

The Nowhere Man - aka Orphan X, aka Evan Smoak -is having a bit of an existential crisis and is on the outs with Mia, the lovely Assistant DA raising a son alone. But he still picks up the phone when Max Merriweather calls him.

Max's cousin Grant, an apparent crackerjack forensic accountant, has entrusted Max (who is the schlub of the family) with an envelope to be opened if something happens to him.

It does.

The envelope contains spreadsheets that appear to be the workings of a money laundering organization. And it is, to a certain extent, but it's also much larger than that.

Evan agrees to help Max, telling himself that this is the last mission. And what a mission it is. After chopping off the head of the operation - or so he thinks - Evan is pulled back in when another head pops up. Then another. And another. Each step he takes is in  direct conflict with Mia, for reasons I won't go into for spoilery reasons.

There are tons of dead bodies along the way, tense moments with Mia, and a bait dog saved from a dogfighting ring Evan gives to Joey, hacker extraordinaire and an able partner for Evan on the back end of things. She also presents some comedic moments as Evan gets drawn more deeply into the giant conspiracy and the higher ups bound to it by the steely woman in charge.

While there are some things IT-related that people who work in IT may roll their eyes at, that isn't really anything new for this series, and the suspension of disbelief isn't that difficult to do in favor of everything propelling the story forward.

There's a surprise at the end that is a true surprise, and one I wasn't expecting. Assuming the Nowhere Man keeps his boots on, and with the parameters set in place toward the end, but before the surprise, the next book (assuming there is one, and I truly hope there is) should be quite interesting.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the reading copy.

This series is so much fun to read, despite all the mayhem! Orphan X is back from semi-retirement, one last time, to help someone who needs him.  This time he may have underestimated what he is actually up against! Loved it from start to finish!

"Do you need help?"

With those words, off goes Evan Smoak, an ex-government agent known as Orphan X, now the Nowhere Man, trying to atone for all the wrongs he has done in his past.  This is the fifth novel featuring Smoak by Mr. Hurwitz, and it’s a non-stop thrill ride all the way.

This time it’s Max Merriweather calling, on the run from gangsters who have killed his cousin.  His cousin has given him an envelope, and the gangsters want it back.  Should be pretty easy and straight forward, right?  Just eliminate the gangsters.  Well, not exactly… those gangsters work for someone else, so it’s another round of tracking and vigilante justice.  But that’s not the end either…

And that’s where the novel gets a bit tiring.  Evan must fight through many levels, with a rotating cast of troubles thrown at him, including crooked cops, a concussion, a very personal attack on someone close, and a stint in jail to get at a bad guy behind bars.  As the situations get more and more preposterous, Evan becomes more and more unbelievable, which takes some of the steam out of the book – the character is much more interesting when he’s seen as human instead of some sort of superhero.

The scenes with Joey, Mia and Peter, and the rest of his supporting cast are both touching and humorous, as Evan desperately tries to fit in to regular society.  The descriptions of his various weapons tend to be a bit too technical, although I do appreciate the different descriptions of the vodkas Evan drinks!  And throughout the adventure, he claims that this is his last go-around as the Nowhere Man, that he’s going to retire and try to live a normal life… although the ending might mean something completely different for Orphan X.

I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from St. Martin's Press / Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

Evan Smoak, where have you been all of my life?  I will tell you; for some unaccountable reason I thought from the title that the first book in this series, “Orphan X,” was Chinese science fiction, and I never looked any further.  More fool I!  “Into the Fire” is a fantastic thriller, and I can only assume that the preceding four books are just as good.  I already bought “Orphan X,” and am looking forward to it.

Evan Smoak, also known as Orphan X and the Nowhere Man, is a former assassin for the government.  In expiation of his sins he helps people who are in great danger.  In this book he helping Max Merriweather, a man who has a host of personal problems, but his most pressing problem is that his much more successful cousin, a forensic accountant, two months after leaving some information as insurance with Max, has been murdered, and now the killers are after Max.  This is a fairly easy problem for Evan to fix, but then everything starts getting more complicated, with layer upon layer of problems.

I don’t like spoilers, so I am not going to give any.  I will say that Hurwitz writes a thrilling book, with twists that the reader does not see coming.  You do not have to have read the previous books, this works as a standalone with minor references to earlier installments, all satisfactorily explained.  This was a tension-filled book, enough so I had to put it down sometimes for a minute, before snatching it up again to see what was going to happen.  If you like thrillers, you will love “Into the Fire.”  I did.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.