This book is the first of a series about an orphan who is raised and trained to be a lethal agent to handle covert missions for the U.S. government. After years of stealthily assassinating so-called dangerous people, our hero, Evan Smoak, starts to question if he’s really killing “the bad guys” and decides to leave the program. By doing so, he puts his handler, Jack Johns, into a precarious situation. An older man, turns out Johns is more than Smoak’s handler; he’s also the one who raised Smoak since childhood, growing fond of him along the way.
Smoak successfully escapes anyway and transforms himself into an undercover “fairy-tale godmother” by helping one desperate individual a year. Usually, the help involves ridding the bad forces that have made the individual’s life impossible. A bigger-than-life hero is what makes a thriller thrilling, and this story delivers such a character in spades. Prepare for all kinds of action and twists. The second book in the series is now available, The Nowhere Man, and I’m on it! (I just finished reading The Nowhere Man and it is even more action-packed than ever. Our hero finds himself close to being “no more man.”)
I must mention another book similar to this in many ways, and just as thrilling: Kill the Father by Sandrone Dazieri. For a full book review, read Bookidote. (This book is also the first of a new series.)
4/23/17: Subsequently, I’ve gone on to read more of Hurwitz’s books, as listed below.
The Tower
Minutes to Burn
Don’t Look Back
The Nowhere Man (2nd of Orphan X series)
The Crime Writer
Trust No One
Don’t Look Back
They’re Watching
Hell Bent (3rd of Orphan X series)
You’re Next
Out of the Dark (4th of Orphan X series)
Into the Fire (5th of Orphan X series)
Prodigal Son (6th of Orphan X series)
Fun review. I’ll be on the lookout for the book. Is the movie Nowhere man based off of the second book?
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I read that Orphan X was going to be made into a movie. I haven’t heard there’s a movie called Nowhere Man. I also read Bradley Cooper will be starring.
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I think Nowhere Man was a TV series from a long time ago. The only reason I remember it was because the show was filmed where I grew up. Bradley Cooper’s starring in Orphan X 🙂 Okay, now I have to read the book 😉
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That TV series is different from the book, which was published this year.
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I’ve seen this book once or twice in my life, but never took the time to see what it was about. I especially thought it was one of those thrillers that was the 20th of a series following a certain character. Definitely sounds like something fun to check out. Thank you for the shout out too! Truly appreciated. 😀
– Lashaan
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Check it out. So much like Kill the Father in certain ways.
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Thank you for the review. It sounds like a great series!
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They are good reads!
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