Greg Hurwitz's Orphan X series is incomparable. Throw-away kids are saved from a life of poverty and misery by a stranger who then trains them to serve the government by killing bad guys. Evan Smoak was one of the chosen boys, became the best at his job, and then couldn't live with what he was doing so quit, vowing to use his prodigious skills to save people in impossible circumstances. In Book 6 of the series, Prodigal Son (Minotaur Books 2021), the case involves Andrew Duran, a young man working minimum wage jobs to pay child support for a daughter he loves more than anything. When he's blamed for a murder, he must run for his life but he's no match for the forces arrayed against him. Enter Evan Smoak--Orphan X. He is slow to commit to help this desperate man until he finds out pieces of Duran's backstory that make Evan understand he must help, and for all the right reasons. The fact that he's made a deal with the government to retire from what he calls his 'Nowhere Man' business, this situation transcends even their threat to prosecute him and toss him in a prison he'll never escape.

The story, like all in this series, is fast paced with lots of nuance and clever characters you’ll like spending time with. It's highly recommended to those who love thrillers. In fact I have three more of the books on my table waiting anxiously to be read

Hurwitz continues the saga of Orphan X aka Evan Smoak in Prodigal Son. Seemingly retired as both an assassin and as the Nowhere Man in exchange for a secret presidential pardon, he is drawn back into action by a woman who purports to be the mother he has never known. She asks him to look after a ne'er-do-well semi-recovering alcoholic who is working as a security guard at a police impound lot.

The action takes off from there as does Evan's voyage of discovery of his self and his past. He runs into mercenaries, a mad scientist who has created autonomous killer microdrones based upon insects, and a pair of psychopaths killers that are brother and sister.

I won't go into what Evan finds about himself, his purported mother, and the ne'er do well as I don't want to spoil the story for the reader. Needless to say, it draws you in.

After the story is seemingly settled, Hurwitz leaves the reader with a cliffhanger thus promising that there will be more in the Orphan X series.

As the book is not yet eligible to be reviewed on Amazon.com, I will just leave this here until then.

In the bool Prodigal Son, you learn of Evan’s backstory, and some of the people in his life before he entered the program. To be honest, it took me a bit to start the book. But kept reading and was glad I did.
I enjoyed of the book, but I think it would have been better if I had read the past books in the series.
Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC for an honest review.

I have not read any of the previous Orphan X books by Gregg Hurwitz but I will now. Let me say it did not impact this reading experience but I’m sure readers in the know are a step ahead of newbies understanding all the inter-connections. The characters are intriguing. The plot-lines are non-stop. It was a page turner.

Thank you NetGalley, St Martins Press and Gregg Hurwitz for this enjoyable read.

I have read alI have read all the books written about Evan Smoak. This one delved into his past. We see Evan’s backstory, and some of the people in his life before he was taken to the ‘program’. It took me a bit to start the book. But kept reading and was glad I did. The writing as usual was particularly good. The author fleshed out a few of the recurring characters which I enjoyed.
Your enjoyment of the book will be better if you have read the past books in the series. Now I want a book based on Orphan V!
Thank you Net Galley for an advanced copy for an honest review

What a book. I think it’s going to be a transition to a new Orphan X (Y) but this was a really great book. Orphan X has transitioned over the series and grown as a person but especially emotionally. The technology was cool and how it interacted with the story. If this is the technology of the future, look out.

I’m looking forward to the next one-whoever is X.

I received a free ARC ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Orphan X, aka Evan Smoak, is one of my favorite series characters. In Prodigal Son our intrepid hero comes into contact with some of the ghosts of his past - specifically some of the boys he grew up with in foster care. Evan clearly lives a carefully structured life, a life he has earned through his years as a government assassin and then as the Nowhere Man. Solitary and emotionally isolated, Evan has made some progress in connecting with others but he has never really thrown off the burden of his past. Confronted with the troubled existences of his former peers, Evan is forced to imagine what might have been if he had not been chosen for the Orphan program.

This time around, the antagonist is referred to as the doctor - a brilliant designer of miniature deadly drones. The science behind the technology is clearly detailed and seems all too possible. Evan puts his life in danger to help one of his childhood friends, Andre, whose own existence is battered and messy. Andre has always taken one step forward and two back. After witnessing a murder Andre becomes the next target.

This book relies heavily on the earlier titles for full understanding of the characters.
#ProdigalSon #NetGalley

Crank up the engines and drag race through the streets. For that is the ride that Hurwitz is going to give you in this 6th book in the series of Orphan X, Evan Smoak. It is taut and gripping and brings suspense to arresting heights. Although this can be a stand alone book, I feel that there is so much richness to at least read the first book. Evan was named Orphan X as someone who doesn't exist according to the government to execute assassins. He left that job to become the Nowhere Man, an individual who helped people in need. He is trying to retire but faced with a call by a woman who claimed to be his mother he cannot stem his curiosity. She asks him to help a man named Andre, who was in the orphanage with him. Andre, who works in a car impound lot, observes a murder. The killers then are after him in high pursuit that involves military technology of the highest classification. I loved ogling the other characters from previous books and watching the emotional development of Smoak. The reason I did not give it 5 stars was I got tired of the abundance of technical information regarding guns and military ops. However, that is a small complaint against a novel that crackles with excitement.

Hurwitz did it again! Evan Smoak "retired" is a laughable thought. Still talking to his aloe plant. Still loves vodka. Still in hijinks. Fast action book as all of the Orphan X books are. Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy.

Gregg Hurwitz has written another great book in the Orphan X series. This book was intense from beginning to end, with a few unexpected twists along the way.

Evan Smoak claims he’s retired but it’s hard to leave a profession that is part of you for almost your entire life and people desperately need your help. Answering his mother’s call, Evan is asked to help one more time. With his trusted friends by his side, Evan tackles evil and develops emotion. I love his relationship with Joey and their conversations made me laugh out loud every time.

I don’t know what I’ll do without anymore Orphan X books in my future.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the arc.

this was another great book in the orphan x series, I enjoy the way Mr. Hurwitz writes and I enjoyed the characters.

First, thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the Advance Readers Copy of Prodigal Son, by Gregg Hurwitz. This is #6 in the Orphan X series, which just seems to get better and better as the books roll on. I'd have to say this is in my top 3 book series, along with the Jack Reacher series and the Scot Harvath books. Hopefully, we'll have many more Orphan X stories to look forward to in the future. This novel probably did the most to develop depth to the Orphan X character, along with his "ward" Joey, and also featured a guest appearance by one of my old favorites, Orphan V. Best of all, we learned a lot about X's early life and how he came to be picked for the Orphan program. Can't wait to read more! Keep these coming!

I got this ARC from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I have not read the other Orphan X books, but I will now. This was an excellent book! You obviously can read it as a stand-alone, but I am sure it would be even better having read the previous books for more background.

Evan Smoak was put into the foster care system by his mother, and taken out of the system by an organization to be made into an assassin. In this book his mother calls him to ask for his help. One of his childhood friends from the foster home are in trouble. He risks life and limb to protect him and in the process finds out that he does have a family, and also that families aren’t just made by blood.

Can’t wait to read the rest of the books, as well as the next in the series!

I almost didn’t finish this book. I actually almost didn’t even start this book. I started the first page and I thought I had made a mistake. I re-read it several times and finally just pushed through and I’m so glad that I did. This book was amazing! I was absolutely captivated by the storylines, I could barely put it down. I loved all the plot lines! It was easy to follow yet you had to pay attention. It wasn’t a love story which I thought was perfect. I loved the mystery and suspense. I thought it was fantastic and so well written. It was a page turner! I loved the mystery until the end. Little secrets were revealed throughout the book which was a huge winner with me because there’s nothing worse than the ending revealed halfway through and then drawn out or worse, revealed in the last couple pages and then abruptly ended. There was suspense until the last page and this book just really won me over.

I've been a fan of the Orphan X series since book one. Evan Smoak is a hero in the spirit of Jack Reacher: only he has fewer lady friends and has way more money. The last book ("Into the Fire") wasn't up to the quality of the rest of the series, so I was starting to worry that the Orphan X chronicles were running out of steam. Fans should worry no more, because Prodigal Son is excellent.

The story opens with Evan trying to adjust to his retirement from being The Nowhere Man. Trouble always finds him though, and when a woman claiming to be his birth mother asks for his help on behalf of a friend whose life is in danger, Evan's curiosity and compulsion to right wrongs gets the best of him. He becomes embroiled in a conspiracy involving shady scientists working secretly for the government and some seriously scary contract killers. The job also opens old wounds for Evan, as his past and present intersect in surprising ways.

It is difficult to review this book without giving away any spoilers. Although plenty of background is given, this would not be a great place for readers new to the series to start, as the most enjoyment will be for readers who know Evan's personal history and his struggles. At times the book seems a little long, but there is enough action scattered between the relationship-oriented sections to satisfy thriller readers. The cliff hanger ending is a whopper.

I received a free egalley of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for Macmillan and NetGalley.

Really looking forward to reading this and was not disappointed. Evan continues to evolve, loved the insight into his birth mother and early childhood. Kept me reading until I completed the book, good thing I have a few days off. Can't wait for the next book in this series. Highly recommend.

My favorite by far of all the Orphan X novels! The author packed so much into this thriller, but it never feels like it's all over the place. Conversely, we feel more deeply drawn into who Evan Smoak is as he learns the deepest secrets that have evaded him his entire life.

If you want a recap of the book, read the blurb. This review gives my overall thoughts and feelings as to the quality of the read and how well the author carried it off to keep me engaged.

To be honest, once I picked up the ARC, I only put it down to get something to eat (eating while I read) and to use the bathroom. And this is not a short read. Finished it at two in the morning, wide awake and wanting more because, holy blast-it-all, that ending ! They say the beginning of a book should hook the reader in, and the ending should propel said reader into buying the next book. Mission accomplished, Gregg Hurwitz. Back to the review.

The reader learns Evan's background in bits and pieces, placed perfectly throughout the book. It's the personal, inside story--earlier and the present--within the larger, outer story of scary tech and makes you wonder how much of the technology is based on current reality.

Pacing and characters are perfection. Never once did I skim. Details are just enough, placed where they should be, internal discovery and struggle juxtaposed against the threat facing humanity. Settings became more than just a place for something to happen. So many moral questions posed on numerous levels. I loved how the book made me stop and think at several points along the way.

While the author gave the reader an exquisite thrill ride, he also slowed things down at crucial moments to give us the heart of the man, Evan Smoak. And I, for one, treasured it all.

First thanks for the opportunity of reading your new book pre published. FYI I read 3-4 books a week and do lots of beta reading and proofreading for indies and I’m pretty good at it. I only give honest reviews and offer constructive ideas. Your book is part mystery, thriller, sci-fi and drama and I don’t mind the mix. I liked the plot, characters and themes of the book but I would like to have had more of the backstory so I would know how he was trained, what he did to earn all the money and why he was retired so I could make sense of who he is. The backstory ends and he’s in LA retired and rich. There is enough fluff in the book to eliminate something and add this.

Too many words nobody uses and if I have to continuously go to dictionary I’m not happy. I’m 78 and have read everything from the classics to modern thrillers and I don’t remember the last time I didn’t know a word. Also too many misspelled words or words that have no meaning. This is not Plato I’m reading. It’s a thriller that should move along at a fast pace with words anyone knows.

Overall it could use some tighter editing. It’s pretty long for a thriller. There were times when it got boring I sped read to get to the action. To me the mark of a great thriller is the seamless and urgency to start the next chapter. I didn’t get that with your book.

The ending I guess leads to the next book but when you leave with explosives without having the next book ready your losing me since If I have to wait another year I’ll forget the story.

In your case you might want to consider a prequel to better flesh out the whole story of his history. Certainly you need a next book ready to go when this book goes live. You always need to keep your reader wanting more and ready to give it to them.

I hope you’re not upset at my comments but I don’t give fluff reviews. You can always email me for anything else. Thanks

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

Evan Smoak, once arguably the best assassin in an off-the-books program known as the Orphan Program, chose to break away from the program and adopted a new mission. Rather than continue as Orphan X, he became the Nowhere Man, the one person willing to step up for those in desperate need of help.

Offered an unofficial pardon by the president, Evan put aside his work as the Nowhere Man and made an effort to live something akin to a normal life. But a phone call from a woman claiming to be his mother, requesting his help for Andrew Duran, puts a reluctant Evan in the middle of a clandestine operation run by powerful men and in the crosshairs of a brother and sister team intent on ending his life.

There’s no one to help him, no place to turn. Is this the end for Orphan X, for the Nowhere Man, for Evan Smoak?

For readers, Orphan X stories are like welcoming an old friend into your home for a delightful visit.
Sixth in the series, "Prodigal Son" works as a stand-alone, but reading the earlier stories will give readers clearer insight into the character and the events that have shaped Evan’s life to this point.

With some flashbacks to Evan’s years in the foster system, readers glimpse his early life and gain a better understanding of how he came to the Orphan Program. As the captivating story unfolds, the intriguing plot twists and turns, taking the story in unexpected directions as Evan finds himself caught between Veronica’s request and the feelings that keep battering him as he walks a fine line in order to keep from jeopardizing the unofficial pardon that is the only thing allowing him to live free.

There are some wonderful moments between Evan, his charge, Joey, and Dog the dog; others between Evan, Peter, and Mia . . . all heartwarming and prone to making readers smile [and chuckle] even as Evan struggles to deal with the emotions connected to his interactions with these people. With strong, nuanced characterizations, a whip-smart [and terrifying] plot, and danger in every quarter, readers will find it impossible to set this book aside before turning the final page. Don’t miss this one.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley
#ProdigalSon #NetGalley

This is the latest book in the Orphan X series by Gregg Hurwitz. It is a quick read with  fast paced action throughout. It picks up with the Nowhere Man retired and trying to adjust to a normal life. But that does not last long as he deals with his past and both human and technological threats. One of my favorite series.


*will post closer to publication. Love this series!