Dark Horse
Evan Smoak is a man with many identities and a challenging past. As Orphan X, he was a government assassin for the off-the-books Orphan Program. After he broke with the Program, he adopted a new name and a new mission--The Nowhere Man, helping the most desperate in their times of trouble. Having just survived an attack on his life and the complete devastation of his base of operations, as well as his complicated (and deepening) relationship with his neighbor Mia Hall, Evan isn't interested in taking on a new mission. But one finds him anyway.
Aragon Urrea is a kingpin of a major drug-dealing operation in South Texas. He's also the patron of the local area--supplying employment in legitimate operations, providing help to the helpless, rough justice to the downtrodden, and a future to a people normally with little hope. He's complicated--a not completely good man, who does bad things for often good reasons. However, for all his money and power, he is helpless when one of the most vicious cartels kidnaps his innocent eighteen year old daughter, spiriting her away into the armored complex that is their headquarters in Mexico. With no other way to rescue his daughter, he turns to The Nowhere Man.
Now not only must Evan figure out how to get into the impregnable fortress of a heavily armed, deeply paranoid cartel leader, but he must decide if he should help a very bad man--no matter how just the cause.
Readers also enjoyed
Gregg Hurwitz
Gregg Hurwitz is a master of heart-pounding suspense, creating thrilling, high-stakes narratives that keep readers on the edge of their seats. With a career spanning multiple genres, Hurwitz is best known for his gripping crime thrillers, including the Orphan X series, which has earned him a dedicated global following. His books are not just fast-paced action-packed reads, but profound explorations into morality, redemption, and the shadows of the human psyche.
Born and raised in the United States, Gregg Hurwitz’s early fascination with storytelling led him to pursue a career that would span beyond writing novels to include screenwriting and graphic novels. This versatility has infused his work with a cinematic quality that’s evident in every page—characters who feel as though they could jump from the page into action-packed scenes, and plots that unfold with the precision of a high-octane thriller. Whether he’s delving into the mind of an assassin or exploring the depths of human resilience, Hurwitz masterfully builds tension while balancing moments of deep introspection.
Orphan X
In a world where shadows linger and justice comes at a steep price, the Orphan X series thrusts readers into a high-stakes narrative centered on Evan Smoak—a man with a past he can never escape. Trained as part of a covert government program that recruits children to become deadly operatives, Evan has long since broken free, but his past is never far behind. Now, operating under the alias "The Nowhere Man," he is determined to use his unique skill set to help those who have nowhere else to turn.
Orphan X consists of eleven primary books, and includes five additional books that complement the series but are not considered mandatory reads and series is set to expand with the upcoming release of one more book. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
