In this 11th book in the 'Orphan X' series, assassin turned vigilante/rescuer Evan Smoak helps a young woman who was assaulted.
Background: When Evan Smoak was a scrawny twelve-year-old living in an orphanage, he was removed 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?"
Evan now resides in a tricked out, completely secure Los Angeles penthouse, his cover story being that he imports industrial chemicals. (Evan's interactions with his neighbors, like Homeowner Association President and busybody Hugh Walters - who's called a meeting about grass length for the landscaping borders - is a hoot.)
Orphan X is the guardian of 17-year-old Josephine (Joey) - aka Orphan J - who washed out of the Orphan program. Joey is a computer hacker who can break into any computer anywhere, and she has a beloved Rhodesian ridgeback called Dog, that Evan saved from a fight ring.
*****
After Orphan X rescues a boy who was attacked by gangbangers, he gets a call from billionaire business mogul/political influencer Luke Devine, whom Evan was once hired to assassinate (but didn't).
Luke lives in a huge mansion in the New York Hamptons - a home with more amenities than a luxury hotel, and a huge state-of-the-art computer complex that can spy on everything everywhere.
Luke is brilliant but his super-charged brain has gone into overdrive, and he's likely to start a nuclear war if Orphan X doesn't take a hand. So Evan arranges to go to New York, and Joey asks to go along, saying she deserves a shot at a field mission. Evan agrees, and he and Joey arrive at Luke's estate via private plane and helicopter.
Evan manages to convince Luke to take a rest, and also picks up another mission. A young woman being entertained in Luke's home is VERY upset. She tells Evan she was on the New York subway and saw a young woman in the midst of an epileptic fit being abducted by four thugs.
To cut to the chase, Orphan X leaves Joey in Luke's mansion to do her computer magic, and goes to New York City. With Joey's help, Orphan X finds the victim: 25-year-old Anca Dumitrescu from the Bronx, who works at a Romanian Orthodox Church called Sfânta Maria.
Anca is VERY badly hurt: she's been abused and repeatedly raped, with slurs written on her body in permanent marker. To make matters even worse, the rapists filmed the assault and sold it to a porn site.
Orphan X helps Anca, and needing womanly assistance, calls in Candy McClure - aka Orphan V - a gorgeous woman with the same assassin skills as Evan.
Knowing the situation, Candy tones down her appearance, and stays with Anca while Orphan X sets out to 'take care' of the rapists and the porn site.
Evan exhibits his usual phenomenal skills, which are high points of these novels for me.
Orphan X has been slowly evolving over the course of the series, from a trained assassin with no personal life, to a man who can have friends and (very limited) relationships. For instance, Evan is friendly with his downstairs neighbors, prosecutor Mia Hall and her son Peter.
And Evan gets all fatherly when he and Joey meet at a restaurant, and Joey - unlike her usual self - gets dressed to the nines and flirts with men.
There are some amusing scenes when Joey calls Orphan X from Luke's mansion, asking advice about North Korea and oil-price gouging....things Luke Devine would address if he wasn't in 'rest' mode.
It's also fun to read about Evan's love of exotic vodka, such as: 'The extra-rare, young-potato vodka rested for two years in half-century old Polish oak barrels. Touch of earth, touch of sweetness, and a lingering, warm finish as smooth as sleight of hand.'
This is an excellent addition to the Orphan X series; it's always satisfying to see abusers get their due. Highly recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley, Gregg Hurwitz, and Minotaur for an ARC of the book.
Rating: 4 stars
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