I really liked this initial entry in the "Orphan X" series by Gregg Hurwitz. The character is Evan Smoak (a nom de guerre), an orphan taken in as a 12-year old to a clandestine program to train untraceable killers. He is accomplished at his job, paranoid about privacy and security, and also empathetic to human pain and suffering When the Orphans program is terminated and his mentor killed, Evan becomes a pro bono free-lance helper--a bit like "The Equalizer"-- taking on one new client at a time referred strictly by previous clients. But suddenly he finds himself the target of another former Orphan and it will require every bit of his resourcefulness and determination to stay alive.
Booklist gives this a starred review, concluding with "Knowing that this is the start of a series reduces tension only a sliver in this high-tech, nonstop thriller. Hurwitz, known for this kind of adrenaline-producing fiction ...adds enough humanity to the action to make this a standout, and readers should get in at the start." Publishers Weekly offers this summary and review: "Bestseller Hurwitz ... melds nonstop action and high-tech gadgetry with an acute character study in this excellent series opener. Evan Smoak, who was trained to be an assassin under the government’s secret Orphan Program, is now a rogue operator known as the Nowhere Man with a mission to help those in need. As payment, each of his clients refers him to another innocent person in trouble. But Evan becomes the hunted when he tries to help Katrin White, whose father will be killed unless she pays gambling debts. A sense of authenticity permeates the story, no matter how outlandish the tech toys or over-the-top the action. Evan is an electrifying character who chooses daily to do good. Run-ins with his L.A. condo board add a bit of levity while a growing relationship with neighbor Mia Hall and her eight-year-old son, Peter, reinforce that a normal life is just out of Evan’s reach." Kirkus is more measured in their review, concluding, "Hurwitz closes with an unexpected narrative left turn, but even though he’s painted Evan adequately, including vague hints of possible romance with neighbor Mia, a widowed single mother, Evan will need another adventure or two before he grows into an empathetic hero. With his digital-age The Avenger, Hurwitz races by minor plot holes and spins a web of relentless intrigue with bursts of tensely sketched violence." The Guardian recommends the book by saying, "Orphan X is weapons-grade thriller-writing from a modern master."
Movie rights have already been sold. I look forward to reading further installments.
