What a totally unexpected book. This book starts in a Boy Group Home and it really is very sad situation. Then you learn about Andrew a guy hanging on by a thread financially, struggling to pay child support to his daughter and now feeling good enough to even see her. Andrew also battling with alcohol. Then you learn about Evan a smaller boy from the group home that managed to be selected at a young age to group up into a man no one would ever want to mess with.
This story goes in directions I never expected and has you on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next. When a woman reaches out to Evan and ask him to help Andrew, it will take him on an unexpected journey, and he will discover more about his past than he has know in all his life. Add in some intriguing new technology and you have the makings of an amazing story.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a well written adventure that really will keep you reading.Thank you to Netgalley for this complimentary copy. The thoughts and opinions are my own.

Orphan x, the nowhere man, is Evan Smoak. An incredibly trained, never defeated, assassin-for-hire. Once a fostered young man, never adopted, found his way into a secret society— his only way out of the dead-end life he was trapped within.

This story is part of an adventure-thriller good-versus-evil deadly series. The techy gadgets & drone warfare mentioned in this book would also make for an exciting on-screen experience. Great cliff hanger too!

I came into this series at the end. I knew that was a gamble. Didn't matter. I was hooked pretty early. Enough of the character's backstory is given that I didn't feel like I HAD to know everything that happened before. I know that Orphan X, the Nowhere Man, use to be a very dangerous man. He is supposed to behave now. But a woman calls claiming to be his mother and starts him on a path he can't NOT take. So, I know a little, but not all and I can follow along just fine. However, I WANT to know more. I enjoy a character who is self aware and has a biting inner voice. I immediately ordered Orphan X so I can watch how this may have developed over the series.

I enjoyed this book. It is a story that is full of emotion, action and suspense. This is my first book by this author and I look forward to reading more from him in the future. This is a well developed story about a man who was put into the foster care system only to have his biological mother pop up in his life as an adult. He never expected for her to ask for his help but it also means that he puts his life on the line. What happens next, I highly recommend reading this book. It is worth the pick up. It kept me turning pages to the end. It was engaging and also easy to read. I highly recommend this book.

When I realized this was the 6th book in a series, I was a bit wary of reading in case it was one of those that has to be read in order to get the best experience. I was pleased to find that was not the case at all.

Evan (Orphan X) has retired from his dangerous line of work, but a woman contacts him out of the blue and for reasons I will not mention, he feels compelled to help her out. This leads to some deep reflection for Evan—about his past, his relationships and what he most desires.

This story was fast-moving and full of action. I’m really not into reading about advanced weapons and crazy inventions, but this didn’t turn me off in the least. While this is usually not the type of story I gravitate to, I will be anxiously awaiting the next in the series and possibly reading some of the others in the series.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press-Minotaur Books for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.

Actual rating: 4.5 out of 5

I love the Orphan X series! Non-stop action!

Evan Smoak has an unofficial pardon from the US president and he is finally able to retire Orphan X/The Nowhere Man...until he answers a call from his mother. The mother that gave him up for adoption when he was a baby. She needs Evan to find a man and help him. But Evan struggles with the man that Jack (the man that raised/trained him) made him into and the man he wants to be with a normal life.

This book has everything I want in a good book—brilliant plot, strong characterization, witty dialogue, and it's a fast-paced, page-turner. I can't wait to read the next book especially with that cliffhanger. I definitely recommend this whole series if you like to read action-packed thrillers.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Gregg Andrew Hurwitz for my advanced copy to read and review "Prodigal Son".

This is the sixth book in the Orphan X series featuring Evan Smoak. This continues the story with a bit of a twist. Someone claiming to be his mother enters the picture causing come consternation and confusion. As with the other five books in the series I recommend this one, but do recommend starting with the first book in the series to get the full enjoyment from this one.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook page.

This is not my genre but this is the fourth Orphan X novel I’ve read and enjoyed. I usually skew more toward romance, historical fiction and YA. The Orphan X series retains enough humanity in the midst of the violence and gun/tech fetishism to keep my interest. Evan Smoak is an endearing character and this entry into the series extends his humanity in a great way. I enjoyed this read.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Evan Smoak is back with a more realistic scenario than recently. It’s great to see Joey have a more pivotal role, as well.

This book in the Orphan X series hails back to when Evan Smoak was first introduced. While I’ve read all of the novels by Gregg Hurwitz, I found the last couple to be a little far-fetched and did not enjoy them as much as his previous works.

Prodigal Son has an earlier feel to it. The situations and solutions Evan encounters, while dealing with futuristic technology, seems plausible. The personal and emotional attachments are expanding in a way someone previously closed off to emotions would begin to experience them. I was pleased the author took another look at where Orphan X was headed and reigned him in.

As an aside, I placed an order for Ao Vodka. I just have to try it.


I received an ARC from Minotaur Books through NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book. I am voluntarily submitting this review and am under no obligation to do so.

Well, gregg hurwitz has done it again...this is book 6 in his Orphan X series and he’s managed to raise the stakes while keeping tension, suspense, and drama high!
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I’ve read every one of the books in this fantastic series which focuses on Evan Smoak, an assassin trained by our own government in a highly black ops program. This is the first time, however, that I’ve listened to one of the books and I absolutely loved the narration!
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Evan was recruited as an orphan when he was living in a group home and he performed his duties until one-day things changed and he became The Nowhere man, there to help those in dire trouble.
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If you like complex characters, vigilante justice, intricate plots, and nonstop action, you’ve GOT to try this series. Hurwitz does an amazing job in this book of giving just enough backstory so you’ll understand who Evan is but I highly recommend you start with Orphan X because the progression of Evan’s life, the awesome side characters and the true depths of the plot are worth starting at the beginning! In my opinion, the quality of writing in this series is outstanding and i think if you enjoyed books like I Am Pilgrim then you should give this series a try. And that ending!

4.5 stars rounded up! Prodigal Son by Gregg Hurwitz is another thrilling instalment in the Orphan X series.

The sixth book in the series finds Evan Smoak attempting to settle into retired life. But his plans for a peaceful retirement go up in smoke when he receives a call from a woman claiming to be his birth mother. With the chance to finally get some answers about where he came from, Evan sets off to meet this woman and winds up taking on a new case as The Nowhere Man. As Evan works to stop a nasty brother and sister duo from assassinating Andrew Duran, he slowly starts to get answers about his past and finally gets a chance to decide what kind of future he wants for himself if he can make it out alive.

I'm always so impressed with the character growth Gregg Hurwitz builds into each Orphan X novel and Prodigal Son does not disappoint on this front! I loved how this novel’s case causes Evan to finally face his past and evaluate the relationships in his life, especially his relationships with Joey and Mia. They’re two of my favourite characters and I hope they both have prominent roles in the next novel.

The ending of this novel is a serious nail biter! I cannot wait to see what happens in the next.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books and the author for the chance to read this digital ARC.

Every time I read an Orphan X, I swear to myself that Gregg Hurwitz can't outdo the last book. I'm am never been happier to be wrong.

This book was thrilling, fast paced, exhilarating and exciting. It starts and ends with a bang. In the process Evan learns secrets of his past and opens himself up to new things. I love most the growing relationship between Evan and Joey (and Dog the dog).

This book sees Evan grow as a person. I wish I could give it 10 stars, it was fantastic and would highly recommend to anyone that wants a great read. Although I must warn them never to start it in the evening or it will be a sleepless night!

Prodigal Son was an excellent evolution of the Orphan X series. In this installment, we see a more humanized Orphan X through glimpses of his past that crafted the hard and soft edges reflected in his character. The action, intrigue and suspense are still plentiful, but it was good to see the series grow through the added dimensions of Ethan's character. Many series seem to lose steam over time or get trapped in the same formula after a while, but Prodigal Son manages to dodge these potential pitfalls with fresh storylines and a compelling twist that promises continued momentum to the next book.

Evan Smoak, plucked from a group home at age twelve and trained to be an elite assassin in the Orphan program, left the program - and his designation of Orphan X - behind to become The Nowhere Man. He uses his considerable skills to help one person with no other options, the only condition being that person give his phone number to one person who needs his kind of help. In previous installments of this series, Evan went against the US government and has agreed to halt his Nowhere Man activities in exchange for an informal immunity agreement. But, at the end of "Into the Fire", he receives a call from his mother.

Prodigal Son picks up from there. But this is not a mere action-packed thriller (though it is that, too). This is a character study of Evan. The contact with his mother and other people from his past, along with the current people in his life (Joey, Mia, and Peter mostly) leave Evan reflecting on the choices he's made in life. He has a big one to make now: to keep his word with POTUS along with his immunity or to risk it all to do what his mother asks and help a man he knew when they were boys in the group home.

The look into Evan's character and his past is fantastic. The recurring characters, which are well-rounded and interesting, all get a bit of face time. The book is filled with wry humor and emotion that resonates from the page. The villains are a bit over-the-top here and some of the technology stretches into science fiction territory (fans of James Rollins' Sigma Force will be at home here). An entry in the author's notes regarding the basis for this technology, particularly the Doctor's creations, would have been helpful.

This is not family friendly due to profanity, violence, and one scene filled with sexual situations.

Overall, Prodigal Son is a solid entry in the Orphan X series. Excellent character development and plenty of action.

And one excruciating cliffhanger....

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Let's say there are readers out there who insist their books are literate and intelligent, with complex characters who wrestle with values and their own inner conflicts. But these readers need more: they need propulsive plots and reality-based suspense.

Folks, that's why the literary gods made Gregg Hurwitz. As good as Lee Child's Jack Reacher is, I like Hurwitz's Evan Smoak better, for his motivation, for the solid research, for the timeliness of the stories and the fuller character development.

Speaking of character development, Orphan X (Evan Smoak's early-life designation) has evolved more than any other series lead I can recall -- and this book shows he is not through growing as a human being. He is poised to integrate the violence for which he was trained (and has opted to use solely for just causes) with his search for intimacy, unknown to him until now.

And the structure of the books! If I were teaching creative writing/genre fiction, I would add this novel to the syllabus and say "THIS is how you do alternating time lines!"

Tip of the fan's hat to Gregg Hurwitz, and thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance readers copy.

I need to preface my review by saying that I have not read any of the other Orphan X books by Gregg Hurwitz, Prodigal Son is number 6.

I had very mixed feelings about Prodigal Son. I did not ever want to stop reading the book,as I wanted to know how the story ended. Gregg Hurwitz did a great job with character development and creating a thriller that draws the reader in and makes you want to find out what happens next. That being said, I found parts of the book to be more complicated than necessary, often creating confusion. There were parts of the book that I had to read twice, and I was still unsure what was being described or explained. However, it did not detract from the story and although frustrating at parts, I was still able to fully grasp the gist of the story and enjoy it.

Evan Smoak is Orphan X, a government assassin. He was given an offer to be unofficially pardoned if he stops his clandestine activities, meaning Evan has to live a normal life. Until he gets a class from his mother, who gave him up for adoption as a baby, to help Andrew Duran. Duran witnessed something that makes him the target of powerful and deadly assassins. Evan is the only one who can help him.

If you are looking for a more complicated thriller, definitely give this a try!

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martins Press and Minotour Books for my Advanced Reader Copy.

I very much enjoy thr Orphan X series and look forward to each new book.. Prodigal Son surpassed expectations. Highly recommend.

Awesome action thriller right up there with all of the other books in the series. If you want 4 on 1 street fights - you got it, if you want a tactful mystery/action/thriller- you got it. This iteration of the Orphan X series lives up to the name amd I camt wait to see it as a tv series or movie!

Didn’t Evan say he was going into retirement or be forced into it? Maybe he’ll take it easy and help out the HOA in his building, Ha! The feds have already told him that after all that fun in Into the Fire he’s now on super secret probation. One more mission helping people and he could be locked up… or worse.

And then the RoamZone rings and a woman leaves a message claiming to be Evan’s mother. The Nowhere Man is curious. Curious enough to go to Buenos Ares, contact his “mother,” and try to get back to LA without getting on the President’s radar. Fortunately, he’s successful at keeping his head down and finds that Ms. Veronica is not just looking for a reunion but help for a young man who happens to live in the LA area. And thus Even has a new mission. Newly entangled with this “mother” and the feelings it regretfully brings, Evan has to get back in the game.

Several questions immediately popped into my head when I saw this title announced was: Do we need another Orphan X book? Can the characters and the series hold up over this many titles? The answer that I came up with is it depends. I know that’s a wimpy answer, ha! But it’s true. What are you looking for in a thriller series? Great close-quarters fight scenes, fantastic tech descriptions, a slowly evolving main character, and a couple really good secondary characters. The one item in the list that readers may get caught up on is the “slowly evolving main character.” Yes, we have learned and in Prodigal Son, we will learn a little more about the Orphan program and all the missions he has been on, and we continue to hear all about his Vodka obsessions (Ha!), but is there enough real character depth for you? This book gives you more than some when we get a chance to meet Evan’s mother, if that is really her… I won’t give up any spoilers!

I’m reading several different thriller series right now. Petrie’s Peter Ash series. The Department Q books. And Orphan X. I love these series because they are light and help me cleanse my palette between large SFF books… but I do love them. Great page-turners! Like this new Orphan X, Prodigal Son.

4 out of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and the author for an advance copy for review.

A fantastic continuation of the series.Besides showing an expert knowledge of vodka brands,the Nowhere Man keeps being both gracious to his neighbors and lethal to his enemies.The characters do not have many flaws,they are well balanced and both the story and the action scenes are well crafted.The bad guys,a brother and sister team of contract killers are extremely psychopathic and their actions add salt and pepper to a very surprising family reunion in the making.