Description:

Gregg Hurwitz’s New York Times bestselling series returns when Orphan X faces his most challenging mission ever in 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.

Adele’s Review:

I have read every book in the Orphan X series and loved each one. Dark Horse, book seven, is another fast-paced, action-packed novel featuring Evan Smoak as the Nowhere Man. In this standalone story, Evan is no longer working as an off-the-books Orphan operative but devotes his time to rescuing innocent victims in life-or-death circumstances. His astonishing methods require our unwavering suspension of disbelief because Evan’s wild adventures are pure entertainment.

One of the reasons Evan is such a great character is that despite his lethal skills, Evan has maintained his humanity. We watch him struggle between his dedication to duty and his desire for human connection. He’s continually confused by human emotion, yet somehow strikes the balance between adapting to social situations and completing his mission.

Sometimes I miss Evan as Orphan X and hope Hurwitz returns him to his Orphan roots for one more adventure. Did Hurwitz foreshadow the possibility in the Epilogue of this book? We’ll have to see. Whichever way Evan happens to go, I’ll be reading. Dark Horse is one of the best books in the series and is highly recommended. Loved this one!

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4461615716

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Horse-Orphan-X-Novel-ebook/dp/B092T8LJLB/