Dark Horse (Orphan X #7) by Gregg Hurwitz
Narrated by Scott Brick
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
Published: February 8, 2022

Dark Horse is the seventh book in the Orphan X series by Gregg Hurwitz. I am absolutely obsessed with this series! Thanks for Kindle Unlimited (& an Audible sale) I have been able to get caught up with the series and dive into this one! Dark Horse can be enjoyed as part of the series or as a standalone mystery.

Wow! Just wow!!! I don’t even know where to start. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book and I found it was even more than I could have hoped for. I now understand the hype around this series!

The author has created such depth in his characters. I really like Evan and found him to be fascinating. The storyline was amazing and well crafted. There was so much depth to uncover and it kept me so engaged.

The narration by Scott Brick was fantastic! I loved how he brought the characters to life! I can't imagine anyone else reading these books!

I highly recommend Dark Horse!!!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Try as I did I just could not get hooked into this book. Does that mean it’s not good. No. It means it did not grab me.

In Gregg Hurwitz's "Dark Horse," the latest installment in the Orphan X series, we are once again thrown into the thrilling world of Evan Smoak, a former government assassin turned vigilante. The novel delves into Evan's pursuit of justice while grappling with his own past and the complexities of his identity. Hurwitz masterfully combines heart-stopping action with poignant character development, keeping readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. Scott Brick's narration adds another layer of depth, bringing the characters and their emotions to life in a truly captivating manner.

3.5⭐️

The narrator has a great voice for the grittiness of this story. He uses good pacing and inflection. I would be happy to listen to other audiobooks he narrates.

I’ve read anything from this series or the author, but surprisingly it didn’t feel like I was missing too much important background, even though this is book 7 of a series. The story is so action packed that I found it hard to stop listening. One thing I especially enjoyed is the conflict in Aragon’s character. He most definitely qualifies as a bad guy, yet does good for others in many instances. The main character, Evan, clearly has his own struggles, which lends another layer to the story as well.

One big drawback for me is the significant use of profanity, especially the F-word. Some of this is true to the characters and situations, but some of it feels unnecessary. Readers should be aware of the graphic violence contained in the book as well.

Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

When Evan Smoak morphed from Orphan X to The Nowhere Man, he became a force for the good. He spends his time and efforts helping those who have no other choices. His talents and skills are such that he can blend into any setting and perform even the most difficult of tasks with ease. Almost sounds like Superman but he can't fly, yet! This is Book #7 in this Better than Bourne series. Each book is a fantastic read, but together.....well let's say if you've not read any of them yet, you should plan a binge weekend soon.

In DARK HORSE, the good guys are not necessarily good and the bad guys hide behind the innocent victims of their crimes. When one of those "not neccessarily good" guys calls the Nowhere Man for help, he must decide if saving an innocent teenager is within his power.

The narration of this book was so good, I had to stop my multi-tasking and just listen. The emotion was there, the tension was building and I almost expected the Nowhere Man to walk through the door. WOW!!!

I did not like this book I DNF at 25%. I am not a huge fan of the cartel plot. I found it extremely boring and there were too many details. I don’t know that I would ever read anything else by this author.

Love Orphan X books! The relationship and character growth in this book are great. Evan has to navigate being there for people that aren’t’ “a mission” and he had to decide to help someone he typically would take out. I can’t wait for more Orphan X!

Scott Brick is a great narrator and I enjoyed listening to him.

Sometimes Even Villains Need Help.

The narration (audiobook) of this strong, fierce story perfectly enhanced its telling. In Orphan X, author Gregg Hurwitz has created an anti-hero who does horrible things but, generally, for the right causes. Even when he worked for the law he operated outside of it. Now he rescues those for whom there is no other resource.

This time he is being asked to help a man he would ordinarily be taking action upon rather than on his behalf. But for his daughter...

My own preference would be for less poetically and graphically described violence, but it does provide a gritty texture to the extremely well-written action.

I have already enjoyed several other titles in the series and strongly recommend this one.

Scott Brick is one of the best narrators as all of the characters sound different and as one would think they should sound. He brings the stories to life and I would listen to anything he narrates because of it.

Such a fast paced bingeable read. I think narrator was great and kept me fully engaged. Lots of twists and turns and action to keep you listening.

Evan Smoak is back in "Dark Horse," another thrilling novel in the Orphan X series by Gregg Hurwitz. I normally steer away from violence in novels, but I've been an Evan fan since the first. Now, he's joined up with super-hacker teen Joey who causes Evan to question his own beliefs in right and wrong. When a drug cartel leader calls on Evan to help rescue his kidnapped daughter, it crosses a moral line even for this jaded do-gooder of a different kind!

Evan has made it his career to help those who can't help themselves. To protect the innocent and terrorize the guilty. The daughter is an innocent, but the father - he's far from it. But even the bad can have feelings.

This latest novel takes Evan to a more emotional level as he tries to deal with his own feelings, emotions that he usually can push below existence. And the level of violence is ratcheted up, making it difficult to tolerate, read or listen to.

All in all, Hurwitz continues to show Evan's development, taking him further from his "Orphan" upbringing and life-changing missions. It will be interesting to see what comes next for Evan, Joey, buddy Dog and their growing relationships.

Another great entry in the Evan Smoak series! If you haven’t read any of these books, Evan Smoak is a former government assassin for the off-the-books Orphan Program. Taken when he was a child and trained to be Orphan X, one of the best government assassins, he broke from the program and became The Nowhere Man and was determined to help others in need.

Evan operates out of a luxury penthouse condo with his vodka collection. He runs his operation while trying to hide his true identity from his friend Mia and her son Peter as well as the rest of the nosy residents of the building.

There is a lot in these books that you will need to suspend belief for, although I sometimes wonder how much of this is real. In Dark Horse, Evan must rescue a drug kingpin’s innocent 18-year-old daughter from a ruthless cartel in Mexico. With the help of his “adopted” daughter and former orphan operative Joey, they must figure a way into the armored complex of the evil cartel. What happens next is explosive.

Scott Brick, the narrator, is one of my favorites. His deep voice is perfect for this book and lends believability to the story. Evan Smoak books are always a great adventure and I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read/listen to this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I gave it four stars.

I somehow received both the ebook and the audio for this title. I read the ebook and listened to parts of the audiobook.
Good story, I like the character of Evan Smoak, however, this one seemed even darker and more violent.

Can't say. I keep running out of time on your app to listen to the book. I didn't get a chance to hear it so I can't really comment except to say how much I don't like this Netgalley app.

Dark Horse is book number 7 in Gregg Hurwitz Orphan X series and what another great installment!!

This audiobook was great. The narration kept me fully engaged and had me binge listening to see what was going to happen next!

Can’t wait for the next installment!!

A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Love this book. Kept me looking for more. Would highly recommend. Looking forward to more from this author!!!!

I really enjoyed this book. The narrator was easy to listen to and I think helped to make this a very enjoyable book to listen too. There are so many twists and turns in it that it kept my attention and on the edge of my seat This was my first book by Gregg Hurwitz but it won’t be the last. I highly recommended this book if you are interested in fast paced thriller crime stories You won’t be disappointed!!

This story is definitely gripping and reads like a movie. Great detail and perfect pacing. The narrator's voice is great, very deep and expressive, great storytelling style. I found some "hispanic" references distracting like a "quinceañera" for an eighteen year old and a very English name, Aragon, for a hispanic character (who is of course, a drug kingpin). There are more details like thing, but for readers that are not Hispanic, I'm guessing they won't notice. The parts written from an American perspective of course read more naturally and overall it was an entertaining book. I would read more from Orphan X series.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan audio for the early listen. Narrator did a great job telling the story and giving each character their own voice. Will recommend.

This was my first Gregg Hurwitz book/audiobook, but it certainly will not be my last! I could not get enough of the creative way the author takes us readers on the ride of our life, navigating all of the twists and turns the plot reveals. I am a commuter, and this book kept me wide awake and attentive on my drive. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy of this audiobook for an honest review.