When one of the only “friends” The Nowhere Man has ever had seemingly betrays his trust and his code, Evan Smoak aka The Nowhere Man aka former Orphan X, goes on the offensive, determined to uphold his Commandments.
In the tenth installment in the Orphan X series, Gregg Hurwitz delivers yet another thriller that is sure to top the Best of 2025 lists next year. He is Escher with the pen, creating mind-bending twists and turns leaving you with your eyes crossed, but still willing his readers to finish yet another chapter. Hurwitz books are renowned thrillers due to their intricate, detailed yet spell-binding prose. It drifts readers across the pages like a musical staff, each note perfectly placed, complete with sharps and flats, false endings, and crescendos. Hurwitz is A Midsummer Night’s Dream or The Great Gatsby, and each novel leaves me intoxicated on X's vodka, sending me into a spiral as we await the next book in the series.
It’s hard to convey how well written and stellar these books are. This book takes a turn deep into the psyche of The Nowhere Man, battling with his ever-growing “human” side. As much as I yearn to learn more of Smoak’s relationship with Mia, this novel takes a sharp turn into his brotherhood with Tommy Stojack, the hilarious and gruff arms dealer. It is a beautifully knit tale of friendship, strife, silence, and doing the right thing.
One of my favorite parts of a Hurwitz book is his ability to weave in life lessons that the reader can literally take and implement into their lives — about being a proper human, about your relationship with yourself and your emotions, and friendship.
This novel is bound to stick with readers for a long time. And I will now pour a plastic handle of Svedka into a highball glass with a dozen ice cubes to mourn the fact that I will dearly miss Smoak, Joey, Tommy, Dog, and Vera until the next time I pick up an Orphan X book. Come to think of it, now may be the perfect time to re-read the entire series…
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Purchase Nemesis
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Barrington Books
Chapter 2 Books
Murder By The Book
Once Upon A Crime
The Book Dragon
The Poisoned Pen
