Into the Fire by Gregg Hurwitz

Orphan X, also known as the Nowhere Man, finally freed himself from the government program that created him. Now he wants to take on one last mission before retiring for good.

In Into the Fire by Gregg Hurwitz, Orphan X gets a call for help from Max Merriweather. Max's cousin has been tortured and murdered but he has entrusted a secret to Max. Now some very dangerous individuals are after him. Evan Smoak, the Nowhere Man, steps in to help extricate Max from his predicament. But each time he takes out a threat against Max he finds that the conspiracy runs a little bit deeper. Can Orphan X stop who’s really pulling the strings or has he found a threat even he can't defeat?

Into The Fire is a russian nesting doll of a novel. Each threat against Max is a puzzle. First solve the puzzle to identify the threat, then design a way to eliminate the threat. This leads to a new threat and so on and so on until you reach the top. If only you can be certain it ends there.

There are a lot of great thriller series out there but I don't think any of them are written any better than the books by Hurwitz. His skill as a writer comes through on every page, particularly in his characters. Evan Smoak is as thoughtful and introspective as they come. The introduction of Max Merriweather is a perfect example of Hurwitz’s skill in quickly sketching out a character while making you feel you know him and empathize with him. Smoak’s interaction with his few associates as well as his own inner monologue creates great depth of character. The assistant DA Mia, his mentor’s last protege Joey, crotchety weapons makers, annoying fellow tenants and a heart-melting rescued dog all serve to shine a light on some aspect of Orphan X’s character. Each of the books in the Orphan X series can be read on their own, but taken together, you develop greater sympathy with the main characters and pick up new pieces of the puzzles that make up their lives.

On top of the excellent characters, Hurwitz excel's at creating outstanding action scenes that are both realistic and thrilling. The hurdles that Orphan X has to overcome require not only great physical skill but exceptional planning and creative thinking. The plotting is tight and exceptionally paced from beginning to end. Orphan X is one of my favorite characters and Hurwitz is at the top of his game in this novel. Highly recommended.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher.

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