Out of the Dark by Gregg Hurwitz

Gregg Hurwtiz’s fourth Orphan X novel may be his best. In Out of the Dark, Evan Smoak (Orphan X) faces an impossible challenge; killing President Jonathan Bennett. Bennett didn’t get to where he is by following the rules, but he is a different breed of corrupt. He has targeted the Orphans for elimination, but particularly Orphan X for reasons that are unclear. What is clear is that Evan Smoak isn’t going to stop until one of them is dead. But Evan isn’t just an assassin. He is also the Nowhere Man. The person who people with nowhere left to turn call. This time, Trevon Gaines calls him after his entire family has been slaughtered and the drug smugglers who did it keep him alive to serve their twisted needs. Now Evan has to find a way to get Trevon out from under their thumb while also finding a way through the security of the most well-protected man in the world.

Evan Smoak, aka Orphan X, aka The Nowhere Man is a unique hero, but will sometimes remind you of other icons such as Jack Reacher, James Bond or John Wick. He is sophisticated with refined tastes, he’s a loner with investigative skills and unmatched powers of observation, and a one-man wrecking crew when it’s called for. The plot is always moving swiftly as Evan travels between his home base of Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. where he is casing the president’s security, probing for weaknesses and planning his attack. There are plenty of fights, chases and gunplay along the way.

Hurwitz not only excels at the plotting, but his characters have depth and intelligence. Evan is set on killing the president, not bringing him to justice, and you sympathize and agree with his choice. Evan Smoak has a moral core and he has no illusions about what awaits him and what he deserves in the event he gets caught. The discipline with which he pursues his goal lets him remain true to himself. It shows in the relationship he has with a mother and her son in his apartment building. A glimpse into a sort of life that his self-imposed obligations keep pushing out of reach. It shows in his work as The Nowhere Man, who won’t turn down someone who truly needs his help, even if it interferes with a job that is more personal to him.

Trevon Gaines is a particularly sympathetic character. An intellectually challenged young man whose world is turned upside down, but he remains true to the skills and behavior his mother taught him. Hurwitz skillfully portrays him not as someone to be pitied, but someone to be admired. The villains, some of them other Orphans and some of them leaders of the free world are not cookie cutter evil. They have complicated but intellectually understandable motivations.

The skill with which the characters are drawn adds emotional heft to the action. You care about what happens to Evan and the others and you fear that he may come up short. The thrills come fast and furious as Evan is a magnet for trouble and powerful forces are arrayed against him. If you like high-octane action and a real page-turning thriller, Gregg Hurwitz and the Orphan X novels are for you. It’s not impossible to jump into the series with this book, but it’s a richer experience with a lot of important details that’s better read from the beginning, starting with Orphan X. I recommend them all.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

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