The Last Orphan by Gregg Hurwitz

 

The Last Orphan by Gregg Hurwitz presents Orphan X with one of his greatest tests. A test of his principles. 

Evan Smoak was taken from an orphanage because he wouldn't be missed. He was raised and trained as an assassin known as Orphan X, operating off the books. When he realized that his actions weren't as clean as he thought they were, he broke away and became The Nowhere Man, vowing only to help those who were truly desperate and needed assistance only he could provide. As the government shut down the Orphan program and eliminated the other Orphans, Evan successfully evaded them. Until now. 

The president offers Evan a choice. Eliminate a powerful US citizen who she believes poses a threat to the country and he gets to keep his freedom. Now the question before him is what is more important? His principles or his life?

Orphan X has always been an everyman sort of hero. He is not bigger, stronger, or more handsome than other heroes. He is exceptionally well-trained, disciplined, and focused. This discipline and the "commandments" that he was taught (how you do anything is how you do everything) by his trainer/father figure have allowed him to retain his humanity. It has also closed him off from allowing other people in his life. As he has grown over the course of the series, some people have crept in, like Joey, the young, partially trained Orphan and skilled computer hacker, as well as Mia, the assistant district attorney who lives in his building and would have to arrest him if she truly knew what he did. His struggle to adapt to these changes is one of the best things about this series.

In The Last Orphan, Evan must decide if he can kill a billionaire named Luke Devine, sort of a Jeff Besos/Elon Musk-on-steroids sort of manipulator. While weighing whether or not he deserves to die, he discovers a pair of dead young people with ties to Devine. Devine's culpability is what he must discover. In his way are a heavily fortified estate and a group of shadowy ex-mercenaries who provide protection for the billionaire. This is where Hurwitz truly delivers the goods with some explosive fight scenes and unparalleled action that make this one of the best thriller series going. The planning and preparation that goes into Orphan X's missions only make the payoff that much better. The growing cast of people in Evan's life are equally compelling and makes the book that much more enjoyable. One of my favorite series and one of the best thrillers of the year!

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