ANTIHERO

5 stars out of 5

Those who know me and/or follow my book reviews know I rarely stray from my favorite mystery/thriller genre, especially those with a legal or medical bent. Well, for the record, there’s one kind from which I typically shy away; those with mayhem that leaves body parts strewn all over four continents and humans who have unbelievable super-human capabilities. You’d think, then, that this series – which is loaded with all that “stuff” - wouldn’t have a lot of appeal.

Well, think again. From the moment I picked up my first – which in fact was the sixth in the series (this is the 11^th) – I couldn’t get enough of Evan Smoak, a.k.a. the Nowhere Man. Groomed from a young age through the Orphan X program to be a killer, he can (and often does) totally incapacitate a much bigger human opponent in 5 seconds flat with what appears to be the touch of a finger. These days, having broken away with the agency that taught him how to deal with danger and kill with no emotion before, during or after, he’s a sort of fixer-upon request for the downtrodden. He’s also wanted by the feds as well as that top-secret agency from which he escaped, so let’s just say life ain’t easy. But he’s got plenty of money, a virtually impenetrable penthouse and close friends who can infiltrate just about any system to retrieve information (or destroy it).

He’s got a few truly strange cohorts and friends, one of whom, Luke Devine, is a super-powerful hedge fund dude (actually, Evan once was charged with killing Devine, but he sort of took a liking to him and spared his life). The guy is seriously psychologically screwed up, though, and contacts Evan for help with getting back to his concept of normal. Evan complies, taking along his No. 1 sidekick, teenager and Orphan X program dropout Josephine Morales (Joey). Just as they’re assessing the Luke situation, Evan learns of a young disabled woman, Anca Dimitrescu, who’s been kidnapped from a subway and brutally assaulted. Helping people who have no one else to turn for help is Evan’s purpose in life, so he leaves Joey to deal with Luke (and use his wild array of tech tools to help Evan find Anca and the four young men who need to be, shall we say, prevented from doing anything that dastardly ever again). He finds her, of course, but she immediately reins in his fury by insisting that he not kill the boys when he and Joey identify and locate them.

Needless to say, from this point on it gets pretty complicated – and unraveling it all for readers is the author’s job, not mine. Suffice it to say it’s a heck of a journey that kept me on the edge of my seat – as always – right up to the end. What I can say, though, is thank you once again to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to get in on the plentiful action by way of a pre-release copy. And, once again, wow!

Antihero by Gregg Hurwitz (Minotaur Books, February 2026); 416 pp.

NEMESIS

5 stars out of 5

Orphan X, a.k.a. the "Nowhere Man," has been a favorite character over the course of several books (this is the tenth in the series). I've loved every single installment, and (no surprise to me!), this one follows the same pattern. There's just something about watching Evan Smoak - who I'd describe as a nearly super-human Jason Bourne - grow up and (in his own way) prosper.

An escapee from the government "X" program that made him what he is - a practiced assassin who now plies his trade for the good of humankind, if you will, Evan lives in a highly fortified mansion with all the bells and whistles he can find (or buy or create). Many of his high-tech goodies (a.k.a., weapons) came from his good friend Tommy Stojack. But when Evan learns that, at least in his own mind, Tommy has betrayed him, all bets are off. Now, he's out to get his former best bud and render him, well, dead - or at the very least, seriously incapacitated).

He gets some help from his young protegee, Josephine (a.k.a., Joey), who's a computer whiz to put it mildly. But even with her in his corner - well, at least when she's not mad at him - it's hard to keep him out of serious trouble. His tracking down of Tommy quickly turns into a battle for their very lives, prompting Evan to double efforts to find Tommy, who in turn has promised to find and protect the wayward son of someone to whom he owes a big favor. 

Uh, oh - do readers get a sense that something's gotta give? It's kind of hard to miss, although the details turn out to be quite an exciting reading experience, albeit with a bittersweet ending.

As for me, I loved it - and I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for once again allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

Nemesis by Gregg Hurwitz (Minotaur Books, February 2025); 464 pp.

LONE WOLF

4.5 stars out of 5

The only disappointment I have with this series is that I didn't get started earlier; my first encounter was the sixth installment (this is the ninth), and I haven't missed one yet. I must say it's probably my least favorite of the four I've now read, but that's not to say I didn't enjoy the heck out of it.

But I do love Evan Smoak, otherwise known as Orphan X and the "Nowhere Man." The former government assassin escaped that program and now operates from a high-tech, high-security penthouse, helping people who have nowhere else to turn. He didn't escape the assassin part, though - when necessary, he doesn't hesitate to take care of business on a permanent basis. But this time, he sort of fell into a case reluctantly, after getting a phone call from his half-brother Andre's young daughter Sophia, who begs him to find her missing dog Loco, Evan ends up in the home of a professor who's been murdered. The man's daughter, a singer, has been shot as well - and in danger of not making it. Evan chases, and loses, the killer - another professional assassin - a woman - known as the Wolf. Clearly, he needs to put her out of business, so early on, the chase is on.

Trying to find her embroils him in other murders and a high-stakes battle between a couple of powerful billionnaires over a product that threatens the future of the world. For help, Evan calls in his super-competent team that includes his young friend Joey, the tech wizard who's growing up fast and starting to explore a "normal" life. All the while, Evan has to keep looking over his shoulder to make sure the Wolf hasn't set her gun sights on it.

It's a complicated investigation that puts Evan's considerable skills to the test way more than once and forces him to deal with emotions he never knew he had (and isn't sure he wants). The chase to the finish reveals an ending twist that really rocks his world - and provides, I'm guessing, fodder for the next installment (to which, of course, I'm looking forward). Meantime, I once again thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review this one.

Lone Wolf by Gregg Hurwitz (Minotaur Books, February 2024); 400 pp.