I love the Nowhere Man books and this one was no exception. In each one, he is humanized a bit more, this book more than ever.. Always great to see the real world interactions here as well. Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC. There are some breaks from one character to another that were not easy to identify but I'm sure that will be fixed in the edited copy.

I received this ARC from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been a fan of the Orphan X series since its debut novel. After the fourth installment (Into the Dark) I wondered what could possibly be left for Evan Smoak to have to tackle? How is Gregg Hurwitz going to continue build after what he set up for Orphan X in that book? This latest iteration didn’t disappoint.

In Into the Fire, Evan Smoak tackles what he plans to be his last mission. What seems to be an easy and straightforward problem to solve, seems to spiral further out of control at every turn. This book is full barrel through to the end, with the last line being a jaw dropping set up to book six. I can’t wait!

This is the fifth book in the Orphan X series. I have read the other books and this one follows along with Ethan Smoak, who was part of a black ops’ government program. Ethan is the Nowhere Man; he helps people who have nowhere to turn. His latest client is Max Merriweather whose cousin was murdered after giving Max an envelope. Ethan goes about neutralizing the threat but after each time something else comes after them. Each threat is worse than the next. To top it off Ethan is fighting with a concussion he gets at the beginning of the book. In this installment Ethan becomes more human, he has Joey, a young orphan he saved in an earlier book, a dog he rescues, and his neighbors that he helps. He is a good guy and trying to atone for his past.
This book is well written and very enjoyable. I must admit there are many far fetched things that happen in the book, but it is a book and he is Orphan X trained spy and assassin. I was glad to see all the characters from pasts books.
Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for my advance copy of “Into the Fire” by Gregg Hurwitz – for my honest review

HOLY. COW.

X wants out. And he's trying, so hard, to get there... Unfortunately, his latest Nowhere Man case keeps unfolding like an onion from hell, and as he races against his own body and clocks that keep resetting, the options in front of him keep shrinking. Of course, he's Orphan X, so you know he'll wrangle all the pieces together eventually, but there were several points in this one where I honestly didn't see how - even with his mad skills and incredible supporting cast.

Seriously, I don't know how Hurwitz manages to keep ramping up the action AND devising new and incredibly intricate plots for Evan Smoak to unravel, all while maintaining the integrity of the central theme of redemption and never lapsing into any issues of suspended disbelief or incredulity... This is one of my favorite series and this is precisely why: the writing, pacing, characterization, and details are SPOT-ON. Everything Hurwitz puts in the story means something, even if you don't realize what until the bitter end. Every detail about Orphan X makes sense and ties into every detail about the world he lives in (both willingly and unwillingly). It gives the stories an incredible depth and breadth that go beyond its typical genre fare, and really makes them stand out.

This one ended with a FABULOUS twist that I wouldn't have guessed in a million reads. I cannot wait to see where Hurwitz is taking this one - it's a mind-blowing addition to the series, particularly with the conclusion of the latest case and his developing relationships with Mia and Joey. Here's hoping the next installment comes out exceptionally quickly!

This was a great suspense/thriller story. Right from the beginning you jump into the action. Evan who was an orphan and at the age of twelve pick by a government program to be trained with assassin like skills and called
Orphan X. He was able to free himself from the program and decided he would help those in trouble with nowhere to turn and became known as The Nowhere Man. He takes on a mission to help Max Merriweather who was given a thumb drive by his cousin to keep safe should anything happen to him and the next thing he knows his cousin is murdered. Every time Evan takes down what he thinks is the problem another one pops up. He’s hoping this will be the last mission he will do as The Nowhere Man and then he can try and live a normal life but a problem keeps popping up.

This story keeps the suspense going through the whole story and when you think you know who did it you are surprised at the twists that keep coming and the incredible skills Evan has. I would definitely recommend this book.
👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
🤓❤️📚’s❣️

I have read many books written by Gregg Hurwitz and this one was just as good as all the others I have read. Gregg Hurwitz is a great author and his books are easy to follow along with and the characters are amazing to read about. This book was very enjoyable and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great read! Looking forward to reading more in the future. Thank You.

A great continuation in the Orphan X series. The action began on page 1 and almost never let up. I liked the evolution of Evan and Joey’s friendship - their banter and tender moments were great breaks between all the shooting scenes. And oh holy sh*t - that ending!!!! It’s a twist I almost didn’t see coming and I can’t wait to read the next book!

Gregg Hurwitz does it again. Another great Orphan X sequel. This book has everything! Thank you for the opportunity to read and rate this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my advance copy of “Into the Fire” by Gregg Hurwitz – for my honest review


This is the 5th book in the Orphan X Series. I have read all of the previous books in this series, and am a fan.

For those who have not read one yet, They really do no require reading in order as they are a good stand alone read as well.

“Into the Fire” – WOW, what a roller coaster – fast paste and exciting. I am giving this book all 5 starts. It was a fun read from start to finish!

I was a little let down by the previous book - Out of the Dark, but this one was the best so far for me

This was an exciting read, with the main character Evan Smoak “Orphan X”, who is an ex- black-ops government asset.

The storyline will not let you down!

Evan Smoak, a former black ops operator for the government, takes what he decides is his last job of protecting someone who needs help. Max, a day construction laborer who is not exactly appreciated by his family, was given something by his wildly successful forensic accountant cousin to keep in case something happened to him. When he heard his cousin was killed he took it to an investigative reporter as his cousin had directed. Only she was also killed.

This was an excellent book. It had some of the great characters from previous books, like of Tommy, a quirky gun manufacturing expert, Melinda, a spunky forger and, my favorite, Joey, a teenager who flunked out of the same black ops program that Evan was in and who happens to be a computer whiz. Trevor, an autistic man with a strong ability to judge distances also added to the book. I somehow missed the previous book in this series where he was introduced but his depiction in this one was welcome.

The series is best read in order, but it is not a deal-breaker. I am reading the overlooked book now and because of this one I know who survives and dies, but it is not ruining the book.

This is a really great series and I highly recommend it.

Reviewed on Amazon 10-6-19 (Amazon Vine reviewer)

I would rate this book a solid 4-1/2 stars! Even though it is part of a series, you are not lost with a back story ....this could be read as a stand a lone novel! This was my first outing with this author and I thoroughly enjoyed him! I loved his style of writing and his characters kept be engaged and entertained until the end of the book! I felt empathy for Max and all that he went through ...you could feel his pain! Evan's antics were a little far fetched (I mean, the prison scene??!!)...but, I overlooked them, as I was so engrossed in the book ...and, basically, who cares ...I was enjoying this book too much!! There were so many twists in this book that when I thought the story line was coming to an end, I checked how many pages were left and - bang - another turn!!! I will look forward to reading more and more from this author.

I would like to thank Mr. Hurwitz, the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest and unbiased review!

Oh my god, I so love this series! Imagine my excitement when I was able to get an advanced copy of book V in the Orphan X series? I jumped at the chance and much to my amazement was once again mesmerized by the exploits of Evan, who manages such death defying actions, that he is able to save the day each and every time. Who needs Superman when you've got Evan? Seriously, there's not a better bad guy with a wonderful heart than this character. He generates lots of enjoyment and just plain fun!

Our man of derring do is again helping another person who is in deep guano. This time it's Max Merriweather, a man who has gotten caught up in a scenario definitely designed to get him killed. So, Max makes that call and Even answers with his standard "Do you need help?" and the race is one to make sure Max survives. Danger, cunning, and downright peril, meet Evan and Max on every level. Evan though this endeavor was going to be easy, but it turns out to be everything but. After all, this was going to be his last outing as The Nowhere Man, and his thought is one last time into the fire so to speak, and rescue Max who is so in need of help and understanding. Max has always felt worthless while others in his family are so successful. When his cousin is murdered, an envelope that his cousin gave to him becomes the focus of an international monetary laundering scheme worth a whole lot of money and there are many who are out to make sure that Max and Evan does not see the light of day.

If you haven't read this series, what are you waiting for? It's so fun, so full of adventure, so at times tongue in cheek that it's a wonderful way to while away a few hours being highly entertained and mesmerized. I sure hope that this series does continue and as this book closes, we are given a glimmer of hope that Evan will be back.

Thank you to Gregg Hurwitz who provided me with lots of two am reads, to Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this dynamite book.

A new Orphan X book is always a stop everything and read it now scenario for me. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley, that was this week and not January 2020!

This is really fast off the mark, the usual returning cast of characters and some new ones, of course. It’s the usual oz of action, suspense and development of Ethan Smoak’s human side. I felt the tension and suspense was a bit higher than usual on this one - with the events of the last couple of books closed, this is a transition book and you never know how a transition is going to go which puts more tension into the already twisty turns story!

All in all another fantastic adventure and I’m very curious where the story goes after the final pages!

I really enjoyed this book! There were so many dangerous, scary, situations, one after another. Just when you thought X had solved the problem, something even worse came along. Granted, this is all pretty improbable - that SO many bad things would happen, AND be survivable, but I was rapt the whole time. I just love it when the bad guys get their due!!!! What a super hero X is and what a strange life. I was anxious to read this after having enjoyed The Nowhere Man, and it didn't disappoint! The surprise ending leaves us with a lot of questions about what is coming in the next book! I never would have imagined who was on the phone! Now I'm going to have to find and read all of the other 20 + books by Gregg Hurwitz! Many thanks to Net Galley, Gregg Hurwitz and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advanced readers' copy.

The Nowhere Man is an intriguing character that kept me turning the page to see what was going to happen next. This is the fifth book in the Orphan X series, but the first that I read. The author does a great job weaving the backstory into the plot so you don't need to have read the earlier books (although after reading this one, I want to go back to the first one!) .Just when you think everything is resolved in this story, Hurwitz throws in a more complicated plot twist. All of the characters (even secondary characters) are very well developed and make the reader want to get to know them better. Hurwitz does an amazing job of tying up loose ends -- even with respect to some of the minor characters. I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.

The latest in the Orphan X series! I've reviewed previous entries here. I've thoroughly enjoyed The Nowhere Man who gives his help to those who need it.

Poor Evan, his training did little to help him adjust to an ordinary life, but it has given him the skills to help others against overwhelming odds. When he accepts the call to the Nowhere Man from Max Merriweather, he intends for it to be his last mission.

But...each time he thinks he has completed his assignment, he discovers there is another angle, a higher-up that must be taken care of before Max is safe. While the books are not realistic, the reader roots for Evan Smoak as he dedicates himself to saving others, one innocent at a time, and Coleridge's term "suspension of disbelief" is eagerly accepted.

I have no idea where Hurwitz will take Evan next, but please don't leave the Nowhere Man behind.

Read in September; blog review scheduled for Jan.

NetGalley/St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books
Thriller. Jan. 28, 2018. Print length: 400 pages.

Another fantastic book in the Orphan X series. A really great read that continues the story of Evan Smoak and his alter ego, the Nowhere Man. This time he finds his way towards helping a relative of someone who had a copy of something he shouldn't. As Evan tries to unravel the mystery and eliminate the threat, he keeps finding the conspiracy is deeper than he ever imagined. It takes all his strength and intelligence and a lot of help from his sort of daughter and her computer skills to get his charge away from all threats. I live how his on again/off again girlfriend and child were still involved as it adds a touch of humanity to Oprhan X. A fun read that you should not miss.
Thank you Netgalley, Gregg Hurwitz, St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books

The Nowhere Man is at his finest as he sets out to help a man who becomes the intended victim of a series of gangsters, including government officials, master criminals and street thugs. His client is in need of personal salvation as well as protection, and Evan and his friends do much to grow his self esteem as successive layers of the criminal conspiracy are revealed. The story is full of twists and surprises, and the suspense makes it hard to put down. Sadly, the end sets the stage for the Nowhere Man to vanish. I will miss him and his adventures.

In Hurwitz's latest in the Nowhere Man series, Into the Fire (Macmillon 2020),  Max Merriweather engages Evan Smoak, aka the Nowhere Man, aka Orphan X, when Max's cousin is brutally murdered after giving Max an envelope to turn over to the press should said cousin be killed. Max resolves to fulfill his promise but the reporter has also been murdered. He tries to figure out what to do next but has no idea where to even start.  To say he is desperate is like saying the Mona Lisa is a nice painting. So, he turns to a stranger recommended by another stranger he serendipitously met in a coffee shop.

When Evan Smoak gets Max's call, he wants to complete one last case before retiring his Nowhere Man persona, the hat he wears to solve unsolvable problems for ordinary people. Unfortunately, every time Evan thinks he's secured Max's safety, another threat arises until the final one is far too personal for even the Nowhere Man.

If you like brilliant crime solvers that have no quit in them, if you like clever stories that make you think, if you like smart people not afraid to use their brains,  if you are a fan of Hurwitz's Nowhere Man series, this is the novel for you.

--reviewed on my blog, WordDreams, 1/20

Gregg Hurwitz has found the right formula for his series about Evan Smoak aka Orphan X - government assassin turned avenger of the ordinary man against bullies in all shapes and sizes. In this fifth volume in the series, Hurwitz is at his best, balancing our hero's inner struggle about his future with the obligation to his latest "project" that turns out to be much bigger than he first expected.
Smoak's interaction with the other cast members of the series works better in this book than in any of the past four books, which makes it a more pleasant read as Smoak's character becomes more multi-faceted.
Parts of the book are nail-bitingly exciting, and fans of the series will not be disappointed. I have a feeling that the book won't be the last of the series (no spoilers here!)...
A chronological approach to the series is highly recommended, so new readers should not be tempted to start reading the series with this book!