The newest Orphan X book features Evan Smoak continuing to help people in need. His friend Tommy breaks a major rule by helping criminals. Evan doesn't know Tommy had good reasons and starts searching for him.

Tommy goes to a town with clear problems: racism, corrupt police, and a targeted Hispanic community. He's keeping a promise to a friend. As he investigates a situation involving four young men (including his friend's son), Tommy knows Evan is looking for him. Both Tommy and Evan are being hunted by other dangerous people.

Nemesis has all the elements Gregg Hurwitz fans want: strong writing, familiar characters like Joey the hacker, Evan's neighbors, and a faithful dog. The book combines evil villains with high-tech tools, making it impossible to put down.

I'm a huge fan of the Orphan X series. The Nowhere Man's commitment to assisting those in need usually provides a thrilling experience filled with non-stop action. However, in the newest installment, there is no call to the Nowhere Man's Roam Zone. Instead, we see Evan dealing with his hurt feelings because his friend and weapons supplier, Tommy, provided an assassin weapons that was used against him. Since Tommy doesn't adhere to Evan's 'code', Evan feels like it is his "mission" to stop Tommy from hurting innocents with his guns. Yet, Tommy is on his own mission to help the son of an old friend. This is where the story jumped the shark. Tommy acts as if Hick and his racist friends are just misguided boys who needs guidance and understanding to overcome their racist hatred and violence. This made it difficult to keep reading.

This book has a slower pace and features significantly less action. At least we finally learn about the backstory of Evan and Tommy's friendship. I will continue to read the Orphan X series but we need to go back to old writing styles.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Gregg Hurwitz for an ARC of "Nemesis" in exchange of an honest review.

There has always been a disconnect between human emotion and Evan Smoak. His time as Orphan X has warped his sense of humanity into something that easily alienates and pushes away so many of those that want nothing more than to help him.

In this installation of the Orphan X series, we learn the back story for so many of the little things that have come to define this character. If you’ve ever wondered about his Original SWAT boots, you’ll find your answer.

Picking up where Lone Wolf concluded we are thrust into a myriad of emotions as Evan struggles to process what’s been happening and how to love forward. This one was one of the best Hurwitz has written in my opinion.

I thank the publishers and netgalley for granting me access.

I really like the characters Hurwitz has created for this series. Evan struggles with his social skills and his quasi-parenting of Joey, an orphan teen computer genius who failed to complete the Orphan program. Tommy is outwardly the tough guy you don’t want to meet in a dark alley with a heart of gold when it counts. There is a lot of life’s lessons conveyed throughout the story without becoming overly moralistic.

Awwww this was such a cute story. I was just captivated by everything that was taking place. It was just so easy to get into these characters lives and you just can't help but fall in love with them. I can't wait to see what's next from this author.

Ever since I picked up a copy of Orphan X from the sale/bargain table at Barnes and Noble over 10 years ago, I have been hooked into the story of Evan Smoak, and eagerly look forward each February to the next installment. Evan Smoak is back and I couldn't be happier. I flew through this book as usual, and particularly love how Gregg Hurwitz manages to weave the character development and personal lives of the various characters and how they interact, in between all the action scenes. Some thriller/spy/avenger series books tend to focus more on the action than on revealing much about the characters. Hurwitz manages to blend both seamlessly, and is one of the main reasons why I love reading about Evan Smoak's adventures ever since I picked up Orphan X all those years ago.

Thank you to the publisher and net galley for this free arc in exchange for my honest review.

Relentless, high-octane, and emotionally charged, Nemesis delivers everything Orphan X fans crave. Hurwitz blends blistering action with razor-sharp tension and a hero who's as haunted as he is lethal. Evan Smoak is back, and he's better than ever.

Hurwitz's Orphan X novels are some of the most innovative in the thriller genre. This one is one of his best. Orphan X is part of the United States dark side. He was recruited to fight enemies of the state because he is an orphan with no ties to humanity. As time evolves he develops some ties and many skills as an assassin, problem solver, and even as a friend. His worst enemies are those who know his skills. In this twisty thriller, he must find out who those enemies are and solve a crime involving a young woman's father. Using his connections, the tech skills of a young woman whom he has (against his better judgement) allowed into his life, and his own sense of danger, Orpan X sends readers on a thrill ride. Loved this newest novel. Thanks to #GregHorowitz#NetGalley#OrphanX for the opportunity to read this book

I'm a huge fan of the Orphan X series, but much as I've loved every book in the series, after finishing the previous book in the series, Lone Wolf, I was almost afraid of where this next one would go. And y'all, it went deep. Evan and his good friend (and weapons supplier) Tommy are at odds - just when they really need each other. Tommy's trying to fulfill a promise to a military buddy from long ago. He's also trying to dodge a particularly nasty assassination team. Evan has his own issues with said assassination team. This one has all the action, all the humor, all the social commentary and all the introspection and revelations from the past that fans have come to expect from this series. The conflict between Evan and his friend Tommy elevates everything, and at times broke my heart. It just might be my favorite of the series to date. Scott Brick's narration of the audio version is, as usual, elite. He handles the action scenes with the intensity required, and the introspective scenes with the necessary sensitivity - it's a perfect pairing of artist and material.
Many thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing a digital copy for an unbiased review.

In this 10th in the series, the Nowhere Man has learned that his oldest friend, armorer Tommy Stojack armed a female assassin who killed relentlessly in the previous episode, and almost took Evan down.

He considers it a betrayal of their friendship and what he had believed their shared code. Meanwhile, the armorer has been called upon to keep a promise to help a dead friend's son in Calvary.

Several violent plot threads are intertwined and come to an explosive crescendo in Calvary involving - a white supremacist militia group that slaughtered a Mexican family; a dirty cop; a team of vicious killers hired by human traffickers; Tommy - and Evan. It's a bloodbath.

This story finds Evan and his oldest friend Tommy Stojack against each other from Tommy breaking one of Evan's "Ten Commandments." In the midst of their feud Tommy is trying to help the son of an old military buddy who has gotten himself in a load of trouble. On their tail is an enemy considered more deadly than Orphan X. A definite edge of your seat, can't put it down story.

Evan Smoak (Orphan X) was drafted into the Orphan program after being plucked out of his foster home. He was raised to be an assassin. He extricated himself from the program and now is known as the Nowhere Man, helping people who don't have power to fight against those who do. Yet Evan still lives by the rules and sticks to the code he was taught by the man who trained him.

Evan and Tommy have been friends for many years - as much as men like them can be friends. Until Tommy broke the code. Now Evan sees only one way to answer Tommy's betrayal. But Tommy has answered a call for help by the son of a man Tommy used to serve with. Evan and Tommy agree to a truce to unravel the twisted set of events that led to that call for help. But after that.... all bets are off.

This tenth book of the series starts with some unusual action that lead to the fight scenes we expect. The pace is rapid and the action intense. There are a few distinct storylines winding through each other, eventually intertwining. Through it all, Evan is questioning himself, the way he's been living his life. We are starting to see another side of Evan as his inner inflection continues. He's been noticing his differences from the rest of society, brought into focus mostly as he tries to help Joey work through some seventeen year old girl growing pains.

The story ends with an unexpected twist that hits hard.

This is a riveting story made all the more so by Evan's growing inner struggle. I look forward to the next book to see where Evan's journey leads him.

NEMESIS is an emotional roller coaster!

As with all the books, we have lots of action and a few different, intersecting storylines. But with this book we get a more personal view of Evan, and for the first time we also get Tommy's perspective.

While you probably could get away with reading this as a stand-alone, I recommend reading at least a couple of the other books first. It helps to have a sense of these characters and their relationships.

*Thanks to Minotaur Books for the free copy.*

I think, although I am not sure, that this is my favorite Orphan X novel. Evan Smoak, formerly "Orphan X" and now the "Nowhere Man" has sadly found himself at serious odds with his only adult friend and weapons provider Tommy Stojak. Early on, they meet and Tommy lets Evan know that he should never return to Tommy's place. When Evan does go to Tommy's, the message to stay away is plain. Tommy plans to kill Evan. Evan's issue in the fight was that Tommy sold weapons to a person who harmed innocent people and tried to kill Evan. Tommy's not willing to share his reasons for this behavior, but in talking to Evan, his point of view amounts to, "Just who is the bad guy?" What is moral and what is not. Who is Evan to question Tommy's values? This theme continues in the story that evolve as each of them end up in a little town where some older teenaged boys ran a truck into a Quinceañera" being held on town picnic grounds. They killed several adults and an eight year old boy. There has been close to zero police interest in this crime. Feels like a coverup.

Evan is there in his capacity as the Nowhere man, who brings what justice he can to those who are wronged. In this case it means he will try to solve the crime and bring the murderers to justice on behalf of the little boy's family. Tommy is in town with the culprits, one of whom who has asked for his help. He is the son of a man Tommy served with in Vietnam. He promised his now dead friend he would look after the sone. The boy he is helping lives with a ragtag group of would be white supremacist anti-Islam, anti-hispanic older teenagers with guns who spend too much time on their phones. Tommy seeks to work with them to get those who are accountable to be accountable and those who are not to do better. But none of them will listen to him when he warns them that going after Evan, who is in their way, will cause serious harm or death to them. Thus, Evan and Tommy are in an armed, real life battle about good and evil, each holding deep views of how to help those who have been hurt. Those who have been hurt are a family whose eight year old was murdered and a group of boys who grew up in abusive homes with no good role models, just at the brink of manhood where their beliefs could solidify or … not.

As usual, there are some themes with humor involving Joey, the computer wizard who Evan mentors and works with. They are in a fight because he criticized her for causing a meme to go viral, meant to be supportive to Islamic women, but in fact stereotyping and causing pain to many Islamic women. Joey doesn't like that X is telling her she did something wrong and that she needs to dig deeper before she takes a mistaken or simplistic view of a subject. They are not talking when the new job arises. They agree to work on the murder and only communicate in a businesslike manner. Thus, we follow Joey's continuing "coming of age."

There are many flashbacks in this novel about Jack, the man who served as Evan's handler and trainer in the Orphan X program, making him a killer that he hoped would retain some humanity. The burden on Evan was huge and the relationship complicated. As a result, we are considering the late teenage lives of Joey, of the ragtag group of teenaged boys and of Evan. I liked that juxtaposition very much.

In Nemesis, as Evan and Tommy sometimes talk, sometimes make clear either would kill the other, and sometimes actually communicate effectively, it becomes apparent that a far more sinister force is after one or both of them and steps must be taken.

I love the range of characters, issues they faced and the writing as usual. Remember that Evan and Tommy and that group of boys, as well as the villains who seek to harm some of them, live in a violent world and there is explicit violence in this novel. And I am addicted to Orphan X.

X forever!

Orphan X is that series that is my guilty pleasure. I have been reading and/or listening to it from the first book and I have enjoyed Evan's character arc over the books. It is that reason that I recommend you read this series in order. In this book, Evan finds himself at odds with his oldest friend, all the rules he lives by shatter, and it could end in death. Tommy Stojack crossed the line by selling weapons to child killers. While Evan is trying to find Tommy, Tommy has crossed the US to small town Georgia?? to help the son of someone who he knew in the armed forces. He called Tommy for help stating that he accidentally ran over 3 Mexicans and now they are after him. Now Evan has to follow him across the country. Who is going to survive this one?

Oh my goodness, talk about a moral dilemma. This is one of the most action packed stories so far. My heart rate sped up while listening to this one and I couldn't sleep after I finished it. I was heartsick about the situation between Evan and Tommy and I was worried about how that would play out. You will have to read the book to find out. I liked the message that Tommy was trying to send to "Hick" and his friends. They were extremely racist and he was trying really hard to make them think about their actions and beliefs. There are some issues between Evan and Joey (his sort of foster daughter) and once again Evan had to get her to think for herself and not follow others. This is an extremely topical books with issues that are coming to a head today. Overall, this was a high octane story from the first page to the end and I was engaged all the way through.

Nemesis is the latest book in the Orphan X series, and I'm always impressed by Hurwitz's ability to write a twisty plot while maintaining character growth--not an easy feat. Evan Smoak, world-class assassin, is at odds with friend Tommy, who he's considered his best friend, and who even helped Evan with weapons and combat gear. Mystery has shrouded their relationship, and what Tommy really is, but now, they're dealing with betrayal, and Evan must kill Tommy. The central theme here is that Tommy is both his best friend, but also, now his enemy--and how he deals with that internally and externally. If you've enjoyed the Orphan X series, you'll love this latest addition.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC! I have read all of Gregg Hurwitz's Orphan X novels. While this brings the typical story building, suspense, and cast of characters, I felt this was a weaker storyline than others. Perhaps it's simply hard to create more suspenseful narratives with this background story. However, that being said, I still feel it far surpasses many other thriller / suspense authors and stories, and I did read it fairly quickly. In typical fashion, it navigated the storyline with some unexpected twists and turns which I enjoyed. For that, I have given 4/5 stars.

Gregg Hurwitz is one of my all-time favourite authors and I loved this 10th book in his "Orphan X" series!
"No better friend. No worse enemy."
Highly trained former government assassin Evan Smoak has survived for many years by keeping to himself with only a few trusted friends and strict rules he calls "The Ten Commandments". But when Evan suddenly discovers his oldest friend has crossed one of his hardest lines their argument explodes into rage and Evan vows to end him.
There is so much more to this fast-paced thriller with recurring characters that I have become quite attached to. With each book I love this series more and more!
I can't recommend it highly enough!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This is book 10 in the Orphan X series and every time I read these I am impressed that Hurwitz can write new and diverse plots, but keep the majority of the main characters interesting. In this one, Evan Smoak, a trained assassin, finds himself at odds with his friend Tommy. It has taken Evan a long time to even figure out what a friend is, and now that he has, this friend has done the absolute worst and betrayed him-and the only option is to kill Tommy for what he has done.

What i liked:
I enjoyed Joey more in this book. She was not nearly as annoying as the previous book.
It was interesting that the Roam Zone phone did not ring, and Evan just went after this on his own.
I enjoyed the action and twists, as usual.
Moral philosophizing that Tommy, Evan and Joey go through.Lots of hard truths.
Evan is getting more human feelings
The ending was quite a surprise (although there was foreshadowing during the book)

What i did not love:
-The 4 horsemen and their names were super annoying. I wanted to just skip those chapters
-This was a little more gruesome than most of the other books, i found myself skim reading some parts because it was just so outlandish.

This book does not end on a cliffhanger, so it will be interesting to see if this is the last one?

The Orphan X saga continues. This time, it pits friend against friend. Evan is going after one of his only friends for selling arms to an assassin that not only tried to kill him but also hurt innocent people. Evan can't let that stand. This one pulls you back and forth. You don't know who to root for at times. Evan knows what he should do, but he doesn't want to harm his friend. This is a fast paced book and I couldn't put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Gregg Hurwitz for the opportunity to listen to this book.