It’s an Orphan X novel so even before I began reading I knew Dark Horse was going to be fun, full of thrills and lots of action. I was not wrong. Dark Horse takes the reader back into the world of Evan Smoak, an Orphan (note the capitalisation) who uses his very specialist skills to help those in need. Evan is contacted by telephone, he speaks with those in need and he decides if he can help them with their predicament. He never knows when a call may come in and he relies upon people he helps to pass on the word – if there is too long a gap between missions Evan will start getting restless. He is very much a man of action and it feels he needs a mission to keep him going.

So what is an “Orphan”? Evan was recruited as a child when he was in the care system. He was taken into a secret Government project where children were trained to be killers, focused lethal weapons who would do the dirty work of the US Government. Totally off the radar and if they should ever fail or be caught in the execution of a state sanctioned mission then the US Government would have total denial of their existance. Expendible resources and the early books in the series show how that project didn’t come to a pleasing conclusion for anyone involved. The Orphan’s were all extremely well paid for their trouble and Evan has significant wealth which allows him to hide (also a skill he was taught) from authorities as he suspects his own Government would kill him without a second’s pause if they knew where he was.

In Dark Horse we see Evan receive a call. A distraught father wants to recruit the help of “The Nowhere Man” (Evan) as his daughter was kidnapped from her birthday party by men who are “business competitors” of her father. The dilemma for Evan is that the man calling him has made his money trading drugs and other illegal goods – he’s a dangerous individual in his own right and keeps his own cartel in a remote town where all the locals know and respect him. If Evan is going to step in and help then he is going to have to get around a heirarchy of thugs, goons and trusted “soldiers” of a dangerous man. And the enemy he will have to rescue the kidnapped girl from are equally well resourced.

The power dynamic in Dark Horse is significantly different from the earlier novels. Evan is working for a client that feels he is more powerful than Evan (that’s new) but he understands Evan has skills which he does not have at his disposal so there should be no problem securing the support he needs – finding the right man for a tricky job has never been a problem to him before. But with his daughter’s life at stake there’s no room for error. He’s also a man used to keeping secrets and not showing weakness so how does Evan know what his is being told is accurate and trustworthy?

Away from the latest “mission” we find Evan has more problems. He has taken on a young computer whiz-kid (also associated to the Oprhan project) as Joey…and her dog…need supervised. She’s a teen on the cusp of adulthood and she doesn’t appreciate being treated like a child. Joey has plans of her own and wants to travel but Evan is reluctant to let her go off on her own, even if she is likely to be the most dangerous person in any room she is in. Plus Evan has some domestic issues which need to be resolved, decorating and rebuilding his home, and while he is away on a mission he needs someone at home to supervise the contractors to make sure the work is done to his own specification. Entrusting that responsibility to a grumpy teenager may not be the smartest move Evan could make. It is a real distraction from the mission and Evan is a man of supreme focus so you know there will be issues.

Watching Evan juggle personal issues while trying to single handedly outsmart a slick cartel of criminals is extremely entertaining. The action moments benefit from some more light-hearted scenes (though Evan doesn’t see the funny side) but it helps Gregg Hurwitz make his hero more relatable as a man with real-life issues and not just a slick machine of destruction.

Through terrible planning on my part I accidentally read Dark Horse before I read Prodical Son (the story which immediately preceeds Dark Horse). Unfortunately it seems Prodical Son has something of an explosive cliff-hanger ending and, more so than any of the other novels in the series, there are spoilers at the start of Dark Horse as the readers are brought up to speed on events immediately after Prodical Son. Normally I’d be explaining that the Orphan X novels can each be read as a stand-alone book in the case of Dark Horse that comes with a small caveat – it CAN be read as a stand alone but if you are planning on reading the other books (and you really should) then Dark Horse will tell you some of what occurs at the end of Prodical Son. But a new reader to the series could absolutely jump into Dark Horse and still be treated to a really enjoyable thrillfest.

There aren’t many authors that can deliver a gripping adventure of this quality but Gregg Hurwitz seems to be able to do it year in and year out. His Orphan X books are tremendous additions to my bookshelves each year and I savour the anticipation ahead of starting a new book and try not to rush through each new story so it lasts!

Dark Horse is an easy book to recommend – the whole series are easy books to recommend. However, this story really pushes Evan’s moral compass. He is engaged by a man who has accumulated wealth through criminal acts. He should be the enemy for Evan but as his client is now a victim will Evan step up to help him recover his daughter? This is reading time very well spent.

Got so far and gave up. Something felt off this time round - I usually really like these books but not this time.

Started this one months ago, and got 1/3 way through and either got distracted by another book or it just wasn’t grabbing me in the way all the previous Orphan X books have.
So glad I picked it up again. This is X learning to break from the limits of his training, the ‘one mission at a time’ commandment, to give up a little of the control he values in life and embrace new things - even if they include Velcro suits and disco balls! Just picked up #thelastorphan from @norfolklibraries and I can’t wait 🤩

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 neighbour Mia Hall, Evan isn't interested in taking on a new mission. But one finds him anyway.

#bookstagram #books #thrillers #libraries #orphanx #gregghurwitz #darkhorse #evansmoak #reading

Book 7 in the Orphan X series and another good read. I found this one to be a little slow and not as gripping as most of the others, it only really got going about half way through. Saying that it was a great ending that you were left with a cliffhanger!

8/10

This series is one that I always keep my eye out for. Evan Smoak has plenty of skills to keep me reading and the pages turning but there are also plenty of times when I find myself laughing along to it too, nicely breaking up the flow of the story.

This outing has Evan in unknown territories, he's embedded himself in with a Mexican Cartel to try and help the leader of less(?) shady US drug Cartel. As usual, the story has many layers and isn't what is offered at face value but teases it out as you go along. There are a lot of moral grey areas here too which leads Evan to question his moral compass. The characters are fully fleshed out from the previous novels but they are good fun to read and have enjoyable interactions between characters like Evan, Joey, Peter and Mia. Don't forget Dog the dog either.

This book wasn't the best in the series, there were a few points where you really needed to suspend belief and it was a little bit long overall but these were minor quibbles. I look forward to seeing where the series goes next. I'm definitely glad I read it.

!If you like Jack Reacher style books then give the Orphan X series a try - you won't regret it!!

Dark Horse is the 7th in the Orphan X series and it's packed full of action.

Evan Smoak as the Nowhere Man decides to help out an unlikely character, a drug dealing leader of a cartel whose daughter has been kidnapped.

Evan sees sights that he can't un-see in this latest job and gets fully embroiled in a cartel rivalry all whilst juggling his personal life that he is as uncomfortable with as ever.

I was happy to see at the end of this book that there will be another and we don't have to wait long as it is going to be released in 2023.

Another brilliant and exciting installment from Gregg Hurwitz in the story of Orphan X. He certainly knows how to grip the reader's attention - in the way that the early Lee Child did with the Jack Reacher series. I really appreciate the fact that one cannot anticipate the direction of the storyline - very imaginative.

The seventh novel in this exciting, violent action thriller series featuring US government trained assassin Orphan X aka Evan Smoak. His latest client a drug kingpin, asks for help when his daughter is kidnapped by a Mexican cartel. The body count soon mounts up when Evan goes on a rescue mission. A great instalment.

I think we have been spoilt up until now.

Absolutely loved the early Nowhere Man and Orphan X books, loved Mia and Peter, loved the introduction of characters like Joey but was slightly disappointed by Prodigal Son and even more so by Dark Horse.

Is Evan becoming too much of a super hero with superpowers as he is virtually indestructible and getting more and more far fetched.

Didn't like any of the other characters in the book too.

Just hope Evan stays in Castle Heights more, we have more Mia, Peter, Joey, Dog and the Castle Heights residents and less ultra baddy drug cartels in the next books.

Dark Horse by Gregg Hurwitz

I’ve only read one other book by the author previously, but the only thing that comes to mind now it's that this story is out of this world. I'm a huge fan of thrillers and there are so many out there none in the latest years can compare to Dark Horse.

The writing took me on another level of being captivate of the story with each page turned and scenes.

I just felt like being there in the front row of all the action and sometimes watching a human robot taking down a whole cartel. Yes, it sounds unbelievable, but the author has a gift with words that makes it believable whether you want it.

I loved how while Evan is like a machine, his feelings are always in balance because trying to be good and do good in front of his personal life and believes. But he's also fighting the challenges of his job is not always an easy task, and that's what makes him more human and the touch of reality was just on point.

If you're looking for a full-time adrenaline rush story, read this book now. I loved it and can't wait to see where the next books takes me on this crazy ride.

Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy through NetGalley

Perhaps best to cut to the chase - first thing: whilst the Orphan X novels are self contained it’s probably best to read them in order to see the evolution of Evan Smoak character as the series progresses. Next - well, if hardcore action and violence in a good cause are your thing, then this novel will not disappoint. Greg Hurwitz has honed to a very high degree of perfection his ability to capture violent action sequences in which our hero takes on opponents, often against impossible odds. Hurwitz’s uncanny ability to convey the kinetic nature of a fight sequence transports the reader so that s/he is so close that the sound and smells of the action are almost physically present. Somewhat less convincing is our hero’s continuing journey as he learns to emote and empathise like ‘normal’ people, although this does enable a sub plot to develop nicely. As I’ve reported previously, great literature this is not, but as a standout example of an action thriller there are few writers that even get close.

I actually enjoyed this one a lot more than the last few - it definitely upped the stakes, and though it bordered on unbelievable at times (a whole cartel??) it was highly entertaining. I liked the greyness of Aragon’s character, that you weren’t entirely sure you wanted to root for him. I thought the brutality of the cartel was well written, it didn’t try to glamourise that life, and it was just overall well done. Angelika was a difficult character to like as well - you start off with this picture of her only to find that she’s made a really dumb mistake The side stories with Joey and Mia all worked together as well, and i like the growth that we’re starting to see in Evan’s character. I also liked the epilogue, with the President and Naomi both making reappearances. Overall it was worth the read.

Wowza can Greg Hurwitz get better than this???
I am a huge fan of the Orphan X Series and have been following it from the beginning. This has been the best book for me by far. It is one of those books you really want to read slowly but it is impossible to do.
In this book, Evan must take on the drug cartels. He's also facing a moral dilemma because if he takes on this job it means he's helping a bad man. This goes against his principles. On a personal front, there are more developments with Mia and not just the obvious as well as some issues between him and Joey the computer whizz.
Will he be able to juggle all the balls or is this an impossible mission?
There is enough action in this book to leave you drenched in sweat. I would also say this is the most brutal of all the books in the series and definitely not for the faint-hearted.
You don't have to read the series in order or have read any of the previous books to thoroughly enjoy this one but it is so good that I would suggest you read all of them.

I loved the description of the Grey man....
"The Gringo attached to it had a quiet energy and stillness that made the world around him seem to flutter with nervous energy"

If you need a helping hand you know what to do......just dial 888NOWHERE......

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin UK, Michael Joseph for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

My thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph U.K. for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Dark Horse’ by Gregg Hurwitz in exchange for an honest review.

This is Book 7 in Hurwitz’s Orphan X series of full-on high action thrillers. Book 6 had ended with a heart-stopping cliffhanger, though Gregg Hurwitz makes us wait a short while for a flashback chapter to learn the outcome.

Still, the opening remains very dramatic and sets up the current mission. In Texas Anjelina, the teenage daughter of prominent narco Aragon Urrrea, is kidnapped by a brutal rival cartel and spirited over the border into Mexico. The desperate father reaches out to Evan Smoak, the Nowhere Man, for help.

Even though Anjelina is an innocent, Evan first has to decide whether he can act on behalf of a bad man. If he accepts he will then face the seemingly impossible task of liberating Angelina from a heavily guarded impregnable fortress.

While there is a great deal of action and violence, what distinguishes the Orphan X series from many shoot-em-ups is the contrast between the missions and the challenges Evan faces seeking to integrate into society.

Among these concerns is Evan finding ways to manage his OCD, balancing his role as mentor and protector to teenage hacker, Joey, and her rescue dog, Dog. There is also his relationship with Mina Hall, local district attorney and single mother who lives with her young son, Peter, in the same building as Evan. Her profession necessitates Evan keeping his activities secret.

‘Dark Horse’ is a fantastic combination of nail-biting action sequences with these quieter interludes. The banter between Evan and Joey is always a delight. Here Evan also faces a formidable adversary in the form of the officious president of his building’s home owner’s association, who is always on high alert for any violations including ‘no pets’!

Overall, an impressive addition to this excellent series of high octane action thrillers. The Epilogue teases new challenges for the Nowhere Man.

I certainly look forward to more Orphan X novels as well as catching up with the earlier books in the series.

An enjoyable book. Although the whole Orphan X series is a load of hokum, I did find this a stretch too far - Evan destroying one drug cartel leader for the benefit of another. There's the usual one man against 40, all armed to the teeth. Despite this and myself, I still enjoyed reading the book and look forward to the next one.
This is an honest review of a complimentary ARC.

This is a great series with more depth than you would expect of the genre. A cross between Jason Bourne and The Equaliser, Evan Smoak uses his considerable skills to help those in need. He is keen to compensate for the bad stuff he has done by sticking to principles and core beliefs. But his latest request for help comes from a very unlikely source, a cartel kingpin…….

An interesting dynamic is introduced as an innocent girl is kidnapped by a vicious cartel and Evan decides to help find her, but there are conditions that will not make him popular in the battle of two cartels. Plenty of thrills, violence and twists as one would expect. But it is also the characters that make this, his friend Joey is brilliant and the dynamics between them are a joy. Evan has a degree of OCD, great when going into action, less so when dealing with people! So in addition to the action we get to see a balance between a tier one operator/predator and someone out of their comfort zone.

Welcome addition to a great series.

A return to form for the Orphan X series, with some great new characters and even better old ones. Previous books have delved a little too much into Evan's past for my liking, so I enjoyed him having to deal with present-day threats, both personal and professional. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

Another great read with The Nowhere Man. I overstate how much I have enjoyed this series and the interplay between the characters.

Dark Horse is another well written, slick novel, that highlights the two realities The Nowhere Man finds himself in, with added moral dilemma.

I find the world Hurwitz has created as very cinematic and hope this series gets that treatment at some point.

As always, can't wait for the next one!!

The Orphan X series contains great reads and the latest addition did not disappoint. One of its most interesting aspects is the new layer it adds to the main character, Evan Smoak; more introspection.

In Dark Horse Evan takes on the drug cartels. The action, as usual, is frenetic with plenty of explosive moments. The great characters from the previous books are back. I was especially pleased to see Joey and Dog. This is, as they say, a ripping yarn. You don't have to had read the previous novels, although I really recommend them. This is just as enjoyable as a standalone.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Evan Smoak grew up in a care home until he was admitted into the Orphan Programme, a black ops government scheme to create highly skilled assassins. He broke away from this programme to become The Nowhere Man, someone who helps those who can’t get help elsewhere. This time when his phone rings the person on the other end is Aragon Urrea, a kingpin of a major drug dealing operation in Texas. His problem? His teenage daughter has been kidnapped by his rivals and he needs Evan’s help to get her back.

I’m not usually a fan of cartel stories but this one was better than most and that’s largely due to the characterisation and development of Evan. After years of being on his own he has now formed attachments and he has to find a way to reconcile that with his life as The Nowhere Man. He also has to face moral questions as to whether Aragon is man worth helping. The discussions of morality between the two men were wonderful and really highlighted Evan’s growth.

All of the usual action was here that at times makes you feel out of breath. You have to suspend your disbelief for some of it and the technical descriptions were completely lost on me; but it’s a really fun and exciting ride. All of the supporting characters were present including Mia, Peter, Joey and Dog the dog. It was fun to see how Evan navigated these relationships and the problems they created.

In the current climate I feel like sometimes you need a read like this, where you know that in the end the good guys will prevail.