Review of "Prodigal Son: An Orphan X Novel" by Gregg Hurwitz

 

In this 6th book in the 'Orphan X' series, Evan Smoak protects the life of an impound lot worker who witnessed a crime. The book can be read as a standalone, but familiarity with the series is beneficial.

*****

When Evan Smoak was a spindly twelve-year-old living in an orphanage - where he slept on the floor between bunks - he was 'rescued' and placed in a black ops program that trained orphans to be highly skilled assassins. Evan was dubbed Orphan X.



After doing his assassin job for many years, Orphan X left the black ops program and set himself up as 'The Nowhere Man', a badass who helps people in trouble. When a person in dire straits is given Evan's number by a former client, the call goes to Evan's uber-encrypted RoamZone phone, which he answers with the phrase "Do you need my help?" The 'help' always involves Orphan X killing people, so it's frowned on by the authorities.



Evan's controversial work puts him the sights of government assassins until Evan makes a deal with President Victoria Donahue-Carr. POTUS grants Evan an unofficial pardon with the stipulation that he has to give up being the Nowhere Man.



In accordance with his deal, Evan stops answering the RoamZone phone. However one caller is very persistent, phoning again and again. When Evan finally responds, the caller claims to be his mother, who gave him up as an infant. The woman, whose name is Veronica LeGrande, has a mission for Evan.



Veronica implores Evan to protect a man called Andrew Duran, who's the target of assassins. Duran was working at a Los Angeles impound lot when he was visited by two people claiming to be U.S. Marshals.



The supposed marshals coerced Andrew into informing them when a man named Jake Hargreave was coming to pick up his battered truck. Duran complied, and when Hargreave showed up at the impound lot, he was killed.



Duran - who saw the murder - was targeted as well, but managed to escape. Now the killers are after him.

When Evan meets his mother, he experiences all kinds of emotions. Evan longs for the connection, but is angry that Veronica abandoned him to a miserable life in a downtrodden orphan asylum.



Evan has flashbacks to the institute, where he was housed with a bunch of 'lost boys' who were always clawing for food, space, and the chance to get out.



This is the first time we get a clear look at Evan's childhood, and his acceptance into the Orphan Program, and it helps us understand the direction his life took.

In any case, Evan agrees to protect Andrew Duran, who's an impoverished alcoholic living in a hovel above a Chinese restaurant. Duran scrimps and saves to provide child support for his 11-year-old daughter Sophia, but is too embarrassed by his circumstances to actually SEE the girl. Moreover, Duran is so depressed he doesn't even want Evan's help.



Evan forges on regardless, and gets assistance from his 16-year-old protégé Josephine (Joey), who's one of the best computer hackers in the world.



Evan discovers that Jake Hargreave was killed because he was about to expose a controversial government program involving killer microdrones that mimic dragonflies.



Proponents of the scheme are determined to go forward, and will kill anyone who gets in the way. They're now after Duran and his protector Orphan X.

As always in this series, there's plenty of action, including hand-to-hand fighting and skirmishes with (almost) surreal advanced weaponry, some of which is provided by Orphan X's friend Tommy Stojack - who's on the cutting edge of weapon design. Beautiful former Orphan V, Candy McClure, helps Evan as well.



We also get to see Evan's fortress penthouse apartment, which has a secret surveillance/computer/

weapons room; a parachute to jump off the building; and a freezer room filled with expensive vodka.

When Evan isn't actively pursuing his mission he shows his softer side, which includes looking after the welfare of Joey and her pooch Dog; visiting his neighbor Mia and her 9-year-old son Peter; attending the moving party of an elderly Jewish woman in his building; chatting with the doorman; and so on. Most of this is very difficult for Orphan X, whose upbringing gave him no facility for social interactions.

There are plenty of twists in the story, and a dramatic finale that has me anxious to read the next book in the series.

Thanks to Netgalley, Gregg Hurwitz, and Minotaur Books for a copy of the book.

Rating:  3.5 stars