Publishers Weekly
12/19/2022
In bestseller Hurwitz’s wild eighth Orphan X novel (after 2022’s Dark Horse), a lapse on the part of Evan Smoak (aka the Nowhere Man), who was once turned by the U.S. government into “an expendable weapon who could execute missions illegal under international law” but now helps those in trouble for free, leads to his capture by a small army on the orders of the U.S. president, Victoria Donahue-Carr. Donahue-Carr will reinstate an informal presidential pardon for Smoak if he agrees to take out Luke Devine, a billionaire with enough leverage on powerful people to “become his own nation-state,” who’s opposing the passage of a trillion-dollar environmental bill that Donahue-Carr’s reelection hinges on. Smoak’s reluctance to pursue Devine changes when the plutocrat’s implicated in a double murder, and the sister of one of the victims asks for justice. The over-the-top aspects of Smoak’s life, which include sleeping on a bed “held three feet off the floor by herculean magnets,” and the many plot contrivances demand a lot from readers. Fans of Robert Ludlum’s action-packed novels featuring another skilled killer protagonist looking to do the right thing, Jason Bourne, are most likely to be satisfied. Agent: Lisa Erbach Vance, Aaron Priest Literary. (Feb.)
From the Publisher
"There is simply no one writing thrillers like Gregg Hurwitz. He’s a beautiful writer who dives deep into character but never takes his foot off the gas when it comes to action and suspense. If you haven’t read Gregg Hurwitz, you’re missing out.” —Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of The New Couple in 5B
"Just when I thought the Orphan X novels couldn’t get any better, Gregg Hurwitz takes the series to an even higher level. The Last Orphan is pulse-pounding, heart-stopping, and thought-provoking. I loved it.” —Meg Gardiner, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“The Last Orphan is a top-notch thriller and action packed joyride. Readers will not want to put it down.”
—NYT and International Bestselling Author, Karin Slaughter
"...the writing is crisp, the action scenes are both clever and cinematic, the dialogue is pitch perfect, and the villains are deliciously detestable. First-class." —Booklist
"A crackerjack thriller that briskly enhances the legend of Orphan X." —Kirkus Reviews
"This is another great Orphan X novel, filled with dramatic moments, fights, shootouts, and witty writing that we have come to love in this series. Fans of X will be very happy." —Red Carpet Crash
"Gregg Hurwitz has never taken his foot off the gas pedal. The Last Orphan continues his trend of complex thrills with an engaging protagonist." —Bookreporter
"The Last Orphan has it all... a story that has more unexpected twists and turns than a Disney World rollercoaster." —Midwest Book Review
"Reading an Evan Smoak tale is truly a guilty pleasure, like eating dessert before dinner... Hurwitz proves to be a master storyteller as he uncouples this riveting barnburner of a thriller. " —Mystery & Suspense
"Another smart thriller from a master of the genre." —The Winnipeg Free Press
Kirkus Reviews
2022-11-29
Has the invincible Nowhere Man finally met his match?
A dark prologue follows horny young lamb Johnny Seabrook to a tryst that turns into a bloody slaughter. Readers will need to put a pin in this, for the narrative drifts to Iceland, where Evan Smoak, the former government assassin known as Orphan X, seeks serenity, or at least escape, in a desolate bar in the middle of nowhere. Evan’s backstory is lengthy and complex; Hurwitz shrewdly paints in primary colors and keeps the action moving. Orphan X has been a freelance avenger for a long time, and the feds would love to eliminate him. Thus the reappearance of his nemesis, Special Agent in Charge Naomi Templeton, and her tense meeting with President Victoria Donahue-Carr, who has sometimes targeted, sometimes allied with Evan in the past, depending on the circumstances. Capture and escape form a recurrent pattern in this eighth Orphan X caper, long on gritty action and crackerjack dialogue, as it ricochets from Europe to Beverly Hills to various points in the New York metropolitan area. Evan reconnects briefly with ladylove Mia, enlists the help of Orphan V after a particularly brutal killing, and eventually gets around to avenging Johnny. The short, punchy chapters’ piquant titles add another tongue-in-cheek layer to the proceedings. With its shoot-the-works plot and cameos by characters from previous Orphan capers, this thriller feels like a finale. But who knows if, like Michael Myers, the unstoppable Evan Smoak will delight fervent fans by coming back?
A popular series ends, or not, with a bang and a healthy dose of wry humor.
