He set his hands on the bars of the eight-foot-high gates. The trees of the South Lawn formed a funnel leading to the White House, which would have been a fine metaphor for Evan’s own narrowed focus if he were the type to bother with metaphors. The relationship between Evan and Mia is problematical because Mia is a prosecutor and Evan is a shady character, but they're drawn to each other anyway. In this book Mia experiences a health scare, and Evan gets even more involved with the prosecutor and her boy.

Otherwise, this is just what you'd expect from an Orphan X book. There is action, growth of characters, changes in relationships, more new characters to enjoy. I hope to see some of the new characters pop up in future installments. Evan is an assassin who tries to do good for others and only kills known bad guys. (Naturally, he has access to all manner of intelligence to ensure he only gets true bad guys.) I find these novels super fun and fast-paced. The descriptions of fight scenes are incredibly well done. I never understand anything about all the weapons Evan manages to use, but Hurwitz does a great job of getting you to wonder how Evan will prevail, even though you strongly suspect that, in the end, he will. Evan . . . sat in the rear of the dark auditorium as the PowerPoint continued, urged glacially onward by a matronly headmistress who seemed intent on reading every last bullet point.Evan is an over-achiever, the best of the best, but can he stay one step ahead of his fellow orphans gunning for him? High energy action, moments of sweet connections and gut-deep revelations make this addition to the Orphan X series another powerful, and magnetic read!

Evan also has a side “business” as the Nowhere Man where he helps people who are at their last resort and desperate. Evan is a man the reader roots for. He’s like Superman, conquering evil at every step.For the first time ever, I must admit to skimming an Orphan X novel. I’m sorry to say it but Dark Horse didn’t thrill me. We learned in the last book who really was behind the mission to eliminate the remaining Orphans in the program…Jonathan Bennett, the President of the United States. He’s the man who created the program and Evan Smoak, Orphan X, is his next target. But Evan is turning the tables on him, putting him on notice that he’s coming after Bennett. The President knows his only chance for survival is Orphan A, Judd Holt, who he activates from prison. It’s an unevenly matched battle as Bennett has the full resources of the Secret Service and law enforcement behind him but Evan is prepared to die trying. In a world of anti-heroes, Orphan X has set the bar for greatness and Gregg Hurwitz has created a fine line for Evan to balance between good and evil, justice and justifiable a she becomes something between a saint with tarnished wings and a sinner with a crooked halo. Joey is also there and in her true form but all is not wonderful in the world as they still stumble and fumble, trying to find their proper footing together. This is my favorite book of the series so far. It doesn't spend as much time reflecting on the past, instead focusing on X's current missions. I really liked Mia and Peter's interactions in this outing as well. Mia is X's long standing will they, won't they partner. X is torn between keeping them safe and actually having a personal relationship.

Each of the Orphan books has a mission/problem that solved, but the repercussions of Evan’s decision to leave the Orphan program and his relationships are ongoing and progressive, so I think it’s best to start the series from the beginning. Evan Smoak was taken from a group home at age twelve and raised and trained as part of the Orphan Program, an off-the-books operation designed to create deniable intelligence assets: assassins. Evan was Orphan X. But he broke with the Program, using everything he learned to disappear and reinvent himself as the Nowhere Man, someone who could help the truly desperate when all hope was lost. But now Evan’s past is catching up to him—and there’s no one left to rescue but himself. Last we saw Orphan X his high rise ultra secure lair had been blown up and he was falling from the sky so to speak. Orphan X who is really Evan Smoak is busy rebuilding and improving it and is hiring illegal's to do the work but paying them exorbitant wages as he is that type of guy. X is part of a now defunct government run op who is a lethal weapon and literally see things unfold steps ahead of everyone else. With all the bad he has done X now pays it forward by helping people in need. Once helped your bill as his customer is to provide his phone number to another person who is in need of true help. The Orphan X series may be long on action, but the story doesn’t depend on it or hide behind it. This is a stylish series, smart, and expertly plotted, with a nice emotional depth blended in to ensure our attachment to Evan and other recurring characters, as well. At an early age, Evan Smoak was taken from a children's home and trained as an assassin, becoming Orphan X. After years of killing on behalf of the government, Evan went off the grid as he stepped away from the program. Now he has become the Nowhere Man, a guy who helps those who can't help themselves.Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Gregg Hurwitz), and the publisher (Minotaur Books) for a copy of the book.