The Code
Before he was the feared black ops government assassin Orphan X, operating in the shadows and spoken about in whispers, Evan Smoak was a teenager, undergoing the most rigorous of training. At 17, Evan is sent off by his handler, ex-CIA station agent Jack Johns, to take the most intense U.S. military training course. But that is only part of the challenge before him - Evan has to get there and back, safely and quietly, maintaining operational security. And along the way, facing unexpected challenges, Evan must use everything he's learned since the day he was taken from the foster home in East Baltimore, lessons that Jack Johns has drilled into him, laws of life and death that are to become The Code.
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.
