Orphan X is back in Gregg Hurwitz’s latest, “The Last Orphan”, featuring ex-government assassin Evan Smoak, known as The Nowhere Man, helping the helpless in their most desperate hour.

But Evan doesn’t get to play as the Nowhere Man this time – the government sets a trap for him and he is forced to do the dirty work for the President – someone has gotten too big and powerful and needs to be taken care of. It seems that they have Evan just where they want him.

Or do they? Using his usual cast of characters (Joey the computer genius, Tommy the weapons expert, and Orphan V the deadly bombshell), Evan escapes and goes off on his own. But curiosity has gotten the better of him – who is this rich playboy who has the President worried? What is behind him, what
is his plan? And is he guilty of the disappearance and murder of a couple of people who may have seen too much?

Suspend your disbelief and enjoy the action. For once it looks like Orphan X might actually be human, as the government does succeed in capturing him (for a short time anyway), but you knew that wasn’t going to last too long. Mr. Hurwitz does a good job mixing the story up from the usual formula, and creates a fun diversion. As usual, the chapters where Evan tries to be human and social get a bit painful, this is not the strong suit of the series. Mia and Peter once again take a back seat, and the story is better for that.

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

I really enjoyed this book. Evan, our hero, was trained as a special killer and is now on his own. He is dedicated to acting for those that have no one else. He treads a fine line with the authorities, but has enough sense of self to be willing to step out if necessary.
He's a dangerous to bullies and I really enjoyed his ability to be Jack Reacher when necessary. His cast of characters that support him are fun as well, the brilliant computer type, the grizzly transporter, the wealthy guy with the planes- s he has the network he needs to get things done, quickly and clearly, without concern of expense.
The action moves quickly and is dynamic with a satisfactory ending.
Highly recommend and look forward to the next one. 4.5 stars

When I read an installment of a book series, I know enjoying it when I look to purchase the earlier books in the series.

I had not read Orphan X before and despite being unfamiliar with the storyline or characters, I was immediately taken in and held captive until the very end.

I probably don’t need to tell many of you who Orphan X is or how he came to be or describe his skill set. But to those unfamiliar let me ask this: are you familiar with Jason Bourne? 🤩

In this book, X (Evan) is dragged off the sidelines Riley help solve a murder and the action hits page one and is nonstop! (Pssst…it reads like there could be another book coming. Yay! And I have time to go back and read all the other books in the series!)

Do I recommend it? Yes! If you are a reader who enjoys thrillers, spy craft-y books, action—this one is for you. If you aren’t living under a book rock and already know all about X what are you waiting for!? 😉

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to the publisher for the e-ARC of this installment of the Orphan X series.

The newest in the Orphan X canon, this latest installment picks up where the last left off. For fans of Joey, she makes another appearance, showing both her youth, and her impressive hacking skills. Though this wasn't my favorite of the series, I still enjoyed it, and look forward to more of Evan Smoak.

The Last Orphan by Greg Hurwitz is the latest installment in the superb Orphan X series. It is the continuing story of Evan Smoak, an unwanted orphan who was taken from his home and expertly trained to be a government assassin.Evan has left government service and on the run. He is known as the Nowhere Man, who helps others using honed lethal skills.

Evan is challenged to make decisions against personal interests. Will he stay true to the code of his mentor and surrogate father? As per previous books in the series, events come from the news of today with political power plays to eliminate foes and powerful men improperly influencing political processes.

As in Hurwitz prior Orphan books, I really enjoy the techie tools and weapons incorporated in the story.  Hurwitz does a great job of building tension and humanizing characters. A good read with plenty of action.

I have just read The Last Orphan by Gregg Hurwitz.

This is book number 8 in the An Orphan X Series.

I have read all of the books in this series, and have enjoyed each of them, some a little more than others.

The new book does not disappoint and is an over-the-top action-packed story.

This book has the main character Evan Smoak, who is known as The Nowhere Man under the control of the president

He helps those in desperate situations..

Great book.

Thank You to NetGalley, Author Gregg Hurwitz and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for my advanced copy to read and review!

#NetGalley

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read the ARC of The Last Orphan (Orphan X #8). I'm a huge fan of this series, and have read all the previous books in order. All of the previous books were excellent, and this newest adventure was no exception. The action sequences were outstanding, the tech was very interesting, and I thoroughly enjoyed repeat appearances by Joey, Tommy Stojack, and Orphan V. Orphan X's uneasy truce with the President ends with her request for the Nowhere Man to do a job for her, and sends him from coast-to-coast, encountering others that he needs to help along the way. I can't recommend this series enough - it's tremendous!

I received a free copy of the THE LAST ORPHAN (Book 8 of the Orphan X series) by Gregg Hurwitz in exchange for an honest review.. Evan Smoak made a mistake, and POTUS found out Evan broke their agreement by continuing his private work outside of the U.S. government penumbra. POTUS confronts Evan and offers to let the violation slide if Evan would just kill this one thorn in her side. I really enjoy this series and recommend it to readers interested in seeing a little vigilante Equalizer-type justice.

I have loved the Orphan X novels from the very first, and this is no exception. When he left the government program, Evan Smoak swore to only use his skills for good; to help the helpless.

But now the President has offered him absolution in return for killing a man she considers dangerous to the country, or at least to her administration. Orphan X needs to decide which he values most: his principles or his freedom. Highly recommended. #TheLastOrphan #NetGalley #SaltMarshAuthiors

I enjoyed reading this book. It had a good story to it. I liked the variety of characters in it. It was a well written book. I have read other books by this author and liked them too.

Read this book!. Read every book in the Orphan X series! Evan Smoak was always an amazing asset to have on your side in any situation, but Evan Smoak continues to grow emotionally. His relationship with Joey is getting stronger. He also seems closer to Peter and Mia. Candy McClure also ...... Basically, Orphan X is feeling feelings and I love it. He is still the go-to guy when help is needed. People with power or strength still take advantage of people and Evan Smoak is there to avenge those who cannot fight back against these powerful people. I love the prowess that Evan Smoak displays in his action-packed sequences. I find myself leaning forward when I read those passages as though I'm actually seeing them acted out before me. Evan Smoak is at his best when he is righting wrongs, but there is a side of Evan Smoak that is slowly being revealed. We met his mother and brother. previously. We had a tease of another family member at the end of 'The Last Orphan.." I love this series and eagerly await each new entry. I am anxiously waiting to see what new emotional growth I will get to experience with Evan Smoak. I don't like waiting, but some things are worth the wait.

Another great adventure for Orphan X. I missed Joey a bit, but the anthropomorphized Vera III made up for it. I enjoy Hurwitz's writing and I'm glad he seems to have realized the "do I look scared?" bit was getting old.

The 8th book in this series and I have loved them all. Evan Smoak aka The Nowhere Man has his toughest assignment to date. If he does the President’s bidding his unofficial pardon will be reinstated. If not, it won’t. You need to read the book to find out. Loved more time with Joey, Tommy and Candy. A little bit with Mia and Peter. Please write more books in this series. Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and the Author for allowing me to read and review this book.

I think I'm ready for the Nowhere Man to return completely. The last 2 books seem to have skewed more toward Evan Smoak trying to escape aiding others and save himself. In addition, we only see a glimmer of the great peripheral characters that Hurwitz has built up so carefully over the last decade that The Last Orphan didn't quite measure up to his past books. Evan Smoak aka Orphan X is a great character as is - his adventures are exciting and not something we need to change up.

I absolutely love this series and get so excited when a new book releases. I read this one in less than 24 hours. The Nowhere Man is back with a new assignment from the President of the United States but is it a worthy cause to take on? Evan Smoak, aka The Nowhere Man, aka Orphan X has been asked by the president to take out Luke Devine a man who blackmails high ranking officials to do his wishes. In the process Evan discovers that two people have been murdered and that they are a worthy cause. This book does not disappoint! There is plenty of action and plot twists and turns. Some of my favorite characters from previous books pop in to help Evan out with this mission. I can't wait for another Orphan X book to come out. I would love to see a movie or movie series made from these books.

The Last Orphan by Gregg Hurwitz

Absolutely love this series, It is so hard to wait till the next installment comes out. Which in turn makes me try to stretch out the newest book and that's near impossible as they are always so good. This one is full of ass kicking and brings in some of my other favorite characters, Candy and Joey. Was not disappointed in any way with this book. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book and leave my opinion.

Another great chapter in the Orphan X series! If you haven't read any , not to worry, you'll be caught up (mostly) in the first few chapters.
This book allows Orphan X (Evan) to be humanized a bit, which is a welcome change. You also see a bit more growth inn his relationships with others. This is the first Orphan X book in a while where you are not quite sure of the outcome until its made.
Thanks to NetGally and the publishers or the ARC!

What can I say without revealing to much?

Suspenseful, thrilling, unexpected twists and turns.

Highly anticipated, does not disappoint.

A must read from a great author!

Five plus stars!

A huge thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for granting me a copy of this much anticipated novel in return for my honest opinion.

I have to admit that my expectations were high for this book. The Orphan X series is one of my favorite. I felt the last book had a few too many unreasonable events, like Jack Reacher books have gotten when he fights a dozen people at a time. The hero in this series, Evan Smoak/Orphan X/Mr. No Name/Nowhere man did fight several people at once, but it approached believable.

The Orphan program took children from the foster care system and trained them to be assassins and to otherwise help in black operations. I am not sure why it is called the Last Orphan as he is far from the last. This episode included some of my favorite characters and former pawns in the Orphan program in bit parts - Candy and Joey.

In this book Evan was commanded by the U.S. President to kill a man who was using his influence to block legislation and change policies.

I enjoyed that this showed much more of Evan's human side. He struggles with some slowing down of reflexes. His name of Evan was used more than in other books, and he met a family that he obviously cared about and who cared about him. Plus the interaction with Candy and Joey.

I strongly recommend this series to friends when we are discussing good reads. I suggest reading them in order.

As far as rating this in the series, it probably isn't my favorite as I liked the initial introduction in Orphan X, but it is a close second.

There are some pretty big holes. The one that continues from previous books is that he has an aloe plant, Vera III, which requires lots of light, in a dark vault and with no mention of a grow light. He waters it with an ice cube on its leaves. I don't think it will be long before Vera IV is needed.

Mild spoiler: there is a huge estate with lots of technology. Evan is able to cut power to the house. No backup generator? The only thing that still works is an indoor waterfall. Hmm.

Spoiler: The suitcase at the end didn't make much sense. How did he get explosives into the airport? Private planes don't require screening, but when the suitcase was brought into the international airport it would have been. And it was not explained how the person set up with the suitcase would have been tied to it. There are certainly lots of security cameras that would show the suitcase being carried by other than the target.

4.25 Stars ✨

I think it is safe to say that this is one of my favorite series....period. There is just something about Evan Smoak/Orphan X that pulls at you once you begin to understand what he has been through in his lifetime, and how that has shaped the person that he has become. No matter how much the government tried to extinguish his humanity, Jack was there from an early age to make sure that he kept it. Now, he is an adult and on his own but in some ways he is like an emotional child - experiencing new feelings and disappointments and not really understanding how to process some of these thoughts.

When we last left Evan, it was a heart breaking experience as we watched him try to be strong as Mia was going in to surgery for a very possible terminal brain tumor. We saw him try to be strong for Peter, while at the same time understanding that Mia was trying not to show her real fear that Evan might not be capable of being there for Peter should something go wrong. Ugh...it was hard.

We also were left with the cliffhanger that the President (through certain Intelligence Agencies) was able to pinpoint Evan's location by that exact visit to the hospital. She made it clear that she had decided that his Pardon was officially over. This book starts from there.

What I found interesting is that we had a unique entrance to this book in that we begin by following a young man and the unfortunate path that leads to his death in a Prologue. It isn't until later that we even understand how that Prologue ties into the journey that Evan finds himself on.

I have to admit, this book -while still good - was missing something for me. Yes, there is action galore. Evan is still the conflicted protagonist that we have come to love. We do get to see appearances from Joey, Tommy and even Candy....but....I'm not even sure if I can put my finger on what I want to say, or what it was that fell a little flat to me.

The beginning of the book had my heart pounding. The events at the hospital and the resulting actions towards Evan had me holding my breath. But, in true Orphan X fashion, it was fascinating (and exhilarating) to follow along and see what actions Evan decides to take. He is then put in a difficult position by the President and given an assignment. If he chooses not to fall in line and complete this action, his freedom will cease to exist. Most of the rest of the book is spent with him trying to get to the bottom of "why" this particular person needs to be eliminated and whether or not he feels it is warranted. In Washington, things invariably fall into political lines and he isn't sure if the justification for this action is necessary for the common good, or if this is a political manipulation that is going to elevate the President in her re-election campaign. And we know that Evan has decided that he will NOT be made to kill again for anyone and will only take action if he feels it is warranted.

Then, at the beginning of his investigation he discovers 2 deaths that are possibly connected to his "target" (and this is where the events of the Prologue get tied in). This part of the book I really liked. The family that he meets and the feelings it invokes in him. The teamwork that develops with Candy and Joey's help - these are all classic Orphan X.

Where I began to feel like we began to lose the pathway a little was with the events surrounding this "target". He is an extremely wealthy man who surrounds himself with some not so great people in his protection detail. Are these guys bad because they are directed into bad actions from the top or are they just awful themselves? That is the dilemma for the crux of the book. The main antagonist in this book is odd. I don't think that I ever really "got" him. Is he good or bad? Honestly, I have no idea. I just know that I really didn't like him. Did Evan make the right choice? Again, I don't know.

It also just never felt settled for me. Usually, once I start a new Orphan X book, it is over before I even realize it. I am so lost in the book that I am shocked when I realize that the book is over. It usually just flew by. This one was a bit different. Yes, it is a good book. But, I had many moments where I was pulled out of the book. I even had to make myself go back to the book when there were times I had to step away and that has NEVER happened to me before with this series. We are also given an ending that is not really clear. While not a cliffhanger like the last book, we are still left with a loose end on something that is fairly important.

All in all, I WAS thrilled to have gotten to read this ARC. I am still extremely in love with this series and I think that because the bar has been set so high by Mr. Hurwitz in the past, it just might be me who was the problem this time. I am still eager for the next book to come out. I am excited to continue to follow Evan on this journey that he is on as he attempts to continue creating a life - one that he has never had, but has recently realized that he wants.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. The opinions above are mine and mine alone.