18 page turners, picked by Lee child

Reading lists

18 top page turners, as picked by Lee Child

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Interviews

‘I read Stephen King under the bed with a flashlight’: 21 Questions with Gregg Hurwitz

Nemesis

THE INCREDIBLE TENTH BOOK IN THE ORPHAN-X SERIES - GUARANTEED TO THRILL YOU FROM PAGE ONE . . . 
‘First-rate and deftly varied combat scenes. Rewardingly, it's more plugged into the mood and issues of the present than a Lee Child slugathon’ The Times 
‘Laughs as well as action. A thriller that makes the Jack Reacher books look quaint’ Sun 
‘He is a weapon of mass entertainment and the action never stops’ Express 
-- 
 
NO GREATER FRIEND 
 
Evan Smoak is the guy you want on your side. A former government black ops assassin, he'll be there for you in your darkest hour - and he'll rain hell and thunder on those who caused your pain. 
 
NO WORSE ENEMY 
 
A lone wolf operator, Evan can't afford to lose any of the few people he likes and trusts. But when Tommy Stojack, Evan's loyal, long-time gunsmith and armourer, betrays him, it's war. 
 
Because a good assassin keeps his friends close, but his weapons closer . . . 
 
--- 
 
Praise for the Orphan X series 
 
'Feels like a missile launch' DAVID BALDACCI 
 
'Outstanding in every way' LEE CHILD 
 
'Weapons-grade thriller writing' GUARDIAN 
 
'An immensely entertaining adventure' THE TIMES

Laughs as well as action. A thriller that makes the Jack Reacher books look quaint

He is a weapon of mass entertainment and the action never stops

First-rate and deftly varied combat scenes. Rewardingly, it's more plugged into the mood and issues of the present than a Lee Child slugathon

Gregg Hurwitz is the No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling author of the Evan Smoak thrillers Orphan X, The Nowhere Man, Hellbent, Out of the Dark, Into the Fire, Prodigal Son, Dark Horse and The Last Orphan. He is also the author of You're Next, The Survivor, Tell No Lies and Don't Look Back. He lives with his family in LA, where he also writes for the screen, TV and comics.

NO GREATER FRIEND 
Evan Smoak is the guy you want on your side. A former government black ops assassin, he'll be there for you in your darkest hour - and he'll rain hell and thunder on those who caused your pain. 
 
NO WORSE ENEMY 
A lone wolf operator, Evan can't afford to lose any of the few people he likes and trusts. But when Tommy Stojack, Evan's loyal, long-time gunsmith and armourer, betrays him, it's war. 
 
Because a good assassin keeps his friends close, but his weapons closer . . .

The Recital

A SHORT STORY FROM THE WORLD OF ORPHAN X 
 
The Orphan Program—which recruited and trained off-the-books assassins for the government—was responsible for creating some of the world’s most dangerous individuals. 
 
Evan Smoak, also known as Orphan X, is one of the few still surviving. 
 
Josephine “Joey” Morales was the last recruit of the program, now a world-class hacker. 
 
Still a teenager, trying to learn how to live as a normal person in the world, she sends Evan on his most unusual mission yet for which he must recruit some of the most elusive and deadly individuals: Candy McClure (Orphan V), Tommy Stojack (black market gunsmith), and Arragón Urea (former drug kingpin). 
 
Their help doesn’t come free. 
 
But Evan will face whatever danger he has to help Joey face her own greatest fears in The Recital.

Gregg Hurwitz is the No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling author of the Evan Smoak thrillers Orphan X, The Nowhere Man, Hellbent, Out of the Dark, Into the Fire, Prodigal Son, Dark Horse and The Last Orphan. He is also the author of You're Next, The Survivor, Tell No Lies and Don't Look Back. He lives with his family in LA, where he also writes for the screen, TV and comics.

The Orphan Program—which recruited and trained off-the-books assassins for the government—was responsible for creating some of the world’s most dangerous individuals. Evan Smoak, also known as Orphan X, is one of the few still surviving. Josephine “Joey” Morales was the last recruit of the program, now a world-class hacker. 
 
Still a teenager, trying to learn how to live as a normal person in the world, she sends Evan on his most unusual mission yet for which he must recruit some of the most elusive and deadly individuals: Candy McClure (Orphan V), Tommy Stojack (black market gunsmith), and Arragón Urea (former drug kingpin). Their help doesn’t come free. But Evan will face whatever danger he has to help Joey face her own greatest fears in The Recital.

Lone Wolf

One of the world's best-loved heroes Evan Smoak, otherwise known as Orphan X, returns in an all-new thrilling adventure 
 'Put Jack Reacher and Jason Bourne into a blender. Add one drop of nitro-glycerine and three of sulphuric acid. Switch on, and don't be surprised if the lid blows off. You've just mixed your first Orphan X' Richard and Judy Book Club Pick 
 ---- 
EVERY LIFE HAS ITS PRICE 
 
 She’s known as the Wolf: an assassin working through a kill list with cool efficiency. 
 Then someone gets in her way: Evan Smoak. 
 First, he refuses to conveniently die. 
 Then he stops her killing others. 
 Evan has the Wolf’s measure. He met plenty like her in a former life. 
 But not since he's had so much to lose. 
 And the powers behind her are bigger than he could possibly imagine. 
 
 The Wolf's got Evan in her sights. 
 She won’t stop. It’s kill – or be killed. Cat and mouse. 
 And Evan has one fatal weakness. 
 His humanity . . . 
 ---- 
Praise for the Orphan X series 
 
 'Feels like a missile launch' DAVID BALDACCI 
 
 'Outstanding in every way' LEE CHILD 
 
 'Weapons-grade thriller writing' GUARDIAN 
 
 'An immensely entertaining adventure' THE TIMES

As Orphan X, Evan Smoak has fought international crime syndicates, faced the world's most powerful people and even brought down a President. 
 
This time, his task is a little girl who's lost her dog. 
 
Not a mission Evan embraces with enthusiasm. But this tiny job quickly explodes into his biggest pursuit yet, with gut-wrenching personal stakes. 
 
Pushed to his limit, Evan must hunt down a mysterious female assassin known only as the Wolf- seemingly a mirror of Evan himself. Matched skill for skill, instinct for instinct, Evan must outwit an opponent who will literally stop at nothing to destroy him...

The Last Orphan

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 
 
The electrifying new ORPHAN X adventure in the bestselling series - Evan Smoak returns with a mission which could cost him everything . . . 
 
'A stellar series, and the stories get better with each instalment' DAILY MAIL 
 
'[A] witty, satisfying thriller' SUN 
__________ 
 
A heavily-armed counter-assault team, a convoy of tactical vehicles plus decoys, air support, a sedative more commonly used to knock out large animals, arm and leg restraints, a hood, mouthguard and a Secret Service Agent asking for a selfie. 
 
This was not your average invitation to meet with the President. 
 
But then Orphan X is not your average guest. The last survivor of the off-the-books programme that raised and trained him, Evan Smoak was sent around the world to do his government's dirty work. Until he escaped. 
 
Now once again in need of his particular skill-set, the President tracks him down and offers him a deal: kill a man she deems too dangerous or be executed himself. 
 
Evan must decide whether to accept. He's spent years trying to atone for his former life. But if by taking on the mission he must betray the very principles he now lives by, what is left? 
 
One thing becomes clear to the President soon enough: no one should ever try to force Evan's hand. Because putting Orphan X in an impossible spot only makes him more dangerous . . . 
 
__________ 
 
'As a crafter of wham-bam action and suspense, leavened with a healthy dose of humour, Hurwitz's abilities are as fine-tuned as ever' DAILY EXPRESS 
 
Praise for the Orphan X series 
 
'Feels like a missile launch' DAVID BALDACCI 
 
'Outstanding in every way' LEE CHILD 
 
'Weapons-grade thriller writing' GUARDIAN 
 
'An immensely entertaining adventure' THE TIMES 
 
*The Last Orphan: On The Sunday Times bestseller list February 2023*

wham-bam action and suspense, leavened with humour

Praise for The Last Orphan-

The Last Orphan is pulse-pounding, heart-stopping, and thought-provoking. I loved it

Meg Gardiner,  No. 1 New York Times bestselling author

The Last Orphan is a top-notch thriller and action packed joyride. Readers will not want to put it down

Karin Slaughter, New York Times bestselling  author

As a crafter of wham-bam action and suspense, leavened with a healthy dose of humour, Hurwitz's abilities are as fine-tuned as ever

Hurwitz gives his seventh Orphan X thriller an epic scope, writing with verve and color . . . A crackerjack thriller

Nonstop action and relentless pacing are matched in The Last Orphan by deeply philosophical and powerfully emotional undertones

A stellar series, and the stories get better with each instalment. [Evan Smoak is] the man you want in your corner when justice is needed

Orphan X blows the doors off most thrillers I've read and catapults the readers on a cat-and-mouse that feels like a missile launch. Read this book. You will thank me later

Orphan X is his best yet - a real celebration of all the strengths Gregg Hurwitz brings to a thriller

Orphan X is most exciting new series character since Jack Reacher. A page-turning masterpiece of suspense

Mind blowing! A perfect mix of Jason Bourne and Jack Reacher

Dark Horse

The electrifying new adventure in the Sunday Times bestselling series - in which Orphan X faces his most challenging mission ever . . . 
 
'A series character to rival Reacher' INDEPENDENT 
 
'Gregg Hurwitz has outdone himself. Readers will get whiplash . . . The action strikes like lightning' LUIS URREA, Pulitzer finalist for The Devil's Highway 
_______ 
 
Can you remain a good man when you help a bad one? . . . 
 
Former government assassin Orphan X, Evan Smoak broke free to use his skills to help the good but powerless. But what if the person asking for help is neither? 
 
When the daughter of a Texan crime boss is kidnapped by a ruthless drugs cartel, he asks Evan to rescue her. 
 
The girl is innocent of her father's crimes. 
 
But in taking the case is Evan crossing a line? 
 
To find out he must break into an impregnable Mexican fortress. 
 
Then somehow get her out alive . . . 
_______ 
 
Praise for the Orphan X series 
 
'Feels like a missile launch' DAVID BALDACCI 
 
'A stellar series, and the stories get better with each instalment' DAILY MAIL 
 
'Outstanding in every way' LEE CHILD 
 
'Weapons-grade thriller writing' GUARDIAN 
 
'A stellar series, and the stories get better with each instalment' DAILY MAIL 
 
'An immensely entertaining adventure' THE TIMES 
 
 
Sunday Times bestseller, February 2023

Nonstop action and relentless pacing are matched by deeply philosophical and powerfully emotional undertones. Unlike comparable series that tend to lose steam after several instalments, this series just gets better as it evolves

Hurwitz gives his seventh Orphan X thriller an epic scope, writing with verve and color . . . A crackerjack thriller that briskly enhances the legend of Orphan X

The Orphan X series has always been about moral ambiguity and the razor-thin line separating right from wrong, but this novel takes Evan even farther down the dark road than he's been before . . . Evan Smoak is one of thrillerdom's most compelling characters, and Hurwitz keeps revealing new aspects of his complex personality. Another sure-fire hit

Sheer escapist fantasy . . . Sharp, stylish prose, an immensely entertaining adventure

Orphan X is the most exciting thriller I've read since The Bourne Identity ... A new thriller superstar is born!

Orphan X is not good. Orphan X is great. Whatever you like best in a thriller - action, plot, character, suspense - Orphan X has it

A new series character to rival Reacher . . . anyone reading Orphan X won't be surprised that a cadre of peers, from Tess Gerritsen to Lee Child, have lined up to praise it

Bestseller Hurwitz melds non-stop action and high-tech gadgetry with an acute character study in this excellent series opener . . . Evan Smoak is an electrifying character

In terms of plot, characters, suspense and innovation, Orphan X is outstanding . . . I've always thought that one reason for Tom Clancy's success was the endless detail he provided about military hardware, and that the James Bond novels benefited from the loving attention Ian Fleming devoted to the martinis, expensive cars and gorgeous women he so admired. Hurwitz outdoes both writers . . . Orphan X is a smart, stylish, state-of-the-art thriller. It's also the start of a series, one that might give Lee Child's Jack Reacher books a run for their money

A masterpiece of suspense and thrills . . . Turn off the real world and dive into this amazing start to a new series

THE HERO 
Evan Smoak: former off-the-books assassin - code name Orphan X. His world is divided into those who deserve his help and those who've brought his singular brand of justice upon themselves. 
 
THE VICTIM 
A desperate father reaches out. His teenage daughter Anjelina has been kidnapped by a brutal criminal cartel and spirited over the border into Mexico. And while money is no object, Evan soon realises that his prospective client's past is as clouded and compromised as his own. 
 
THE MISSION 
If Evan is going to put his life on the line to rescue Anjelina, he must first decide whether he can act on behalf of a bad man. And even then, up against the men who are holding his daughter, there will be no guarantee of success...

An Orphan X Short Story

The Intern

PRE-ORDER A THRILLING SHORT STORY FEATURING ORPHAN X 
 
The Nowhere Man is a figure shrouded in secrecy-a near legendary figure who helps the truly desperate, those with nowhere else to turn who are lucky enough to be able to reach out to him. When darkness closes in, the Nowhere Man is your last, best hope. 
 
Before he was the Nowhere Man, Evan Smoak was a highly trained government operative known to a few as Orphan X. But he now lives by hiding in plain sight, keeping his head down and his eyes clear. So when a local summer intern for a tabloid news site finds herself trailing an aggressive reporter into a crime zone, things go terribly awry. The only person who can help her is a man with the background and the skills of the Nowhere Man. 
 
From New York Times bestselling author Gregg Hurwitz comes an electrifying, original story in his "nerve-shredding" internationally #1 bestsellling Orphan X series.

The Nowhere Man is a figure shrouded in secrecy-a near legendary figure who helps the truly desperate, those with nowhere else to turn who are lucky enough to be able to reach out to him. When darkness closes in, the Nowhere Man is your last, best hope. 
 
Before he was the Nowhere Man, Evan Smoak was a highly trained government operative known to a few as Orphan X. But he now lives by hiding in plain sight, keeping his head down and his eyes clear. So when a local summer intern for a tabloid news site finds herself trailing an aggressive reporter into a crime zone, things go terribly awry. The only person who can help her is a man with the background and the skills of the Nowhere Man. 
 
From New York Times bestselling author Gregg Hurwitz comes an electrifying, original story in his "nerve-shredding" internationally #1 bestsellling Orphan X series.

The Nowhere Man

The No. 1 Bestselling The Nowhere Man is a thrilling, pulse-pounding ride for readers and the hero of Orphan X . . . 
 
'THE PACE NEVER LETS UP' DAILY MAIL 
 
 
THEY TRAINED HIM TO HUNT. NOW HE'S THE HUNTED . . . 
 
A former government military asset code-named Orphan-X, Evan Smoak works as the Nowhere Man out to protect the helpless. 
 
Until the night it all goes wrong. 
 
Ambushed, drugged and kidnapped, Evan wakes in a locked room. He's outnumbered and outgunned. His captors are sure they've outsmarted him. 
 
But they've got it all wrong. 
 
He's not locked up with them. 
 
They're locked up with him . . . 
 
___________ 
 
'MEMORABLE AS ALL HELL' JAMES PATTERSON 
 
'A DIZZYING RIDE' TESS GERRITSEN

He was once called Orphan X. 
 
As a boy, Evan Smoak was taken from a children's home, raised and trained as part of a secret government initiative buried so deep that virtually no one knows it exists. But he broke with the programme, choosing instead to vanish off grid and use his formidable skill set to help those unable to protect themselves. 
 
One day, though, Evan's luck ran out . . . 
 
Ambushed, drugged, and spirited away, Evan wakes up in a locked room with no idea where he is or who has captured him. As he tries to piece together what's happened, testing his gilded prison and its highly trained guards for weaknesses, he receives a desperate call for help. 
 
With time running out, he will need to out-think, out-manoeuvre, and out-fight an opponent the likes of whom he's never encountered to have any chance of escape. He's got to save himself to protect those whose lives depend on him. Or die trying . . . 
 
The Nowhere Man delivers another masterclass in hi-octane thriller writing. A rare thing, The Nowhere Man is better than the original!

Out of the Dark

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 
 
'ONE OF THE BEST THRILLERS OF THE YEAR' ASSOCIATED PRESS 
 
 
HOW DO YOU STOP THE MOST POWERFUL MAN ON EARTH? 
 
 
Evan Smoak, code-named Orphan-X, was raised in a secret government programme. 
 
He left it behind long ago but now someone has been killing off the orphans - and all evidence of the programme. 
 
Only one person would and could do this. The man who created it. 
 
He'll do anything - anything - to save himself. 
 
But what can one man - even an Orphan - do alone? 
 
Against the President of the United States . . . 
 
 
'THE CHAPTERS SPEED BY LIKE AUTOMATIC GUNFIRE' PUBLISHERS WEEKLY 
 
'WEAPONS-GRADE THRILLER WRITING' GUARDIAN

THE PRESIDENT 
For President Jonathan Bennett, reaching the White House was the realisation of lifetime's ambition. He's leader of the free world and the most powerful man on earth. But public support for his administration is wearing thin. And if the truth about his rise to the top was exposed it would bury him. 
 
THE ASSASSIN 
As a boy, Evan Smoak was taken from his foster home and inducted into a top secret Cold War programme. Codenamed Orphan X, he was trained to become a lethal weapon, then despatched around the world to do whatever was required to keep his country safe. When Evan discovered the mission was rotten to the core he got out, using his skills to hide in plain sight while helping those left behind by mainstream justice. 
 
THE RECKONING 
But Evan knows about the President's dark past. And that's dangerous knowledge. To save himself and his country, Evan must ask himself one simple question: how do you kill the most well-protected man on earth? And, when he knows you're coming for him, how do you stay alive long enough to try? One thing is certain: a desperate call for help from another unfortunate in urgent need of Evan's protection isn't going to make it any easier ... 
 
Breathtakingly bold, brilliantly accomplished and blisteringly fast-paced, Out of the Dark is The Day of the Jackal for the twenty-first century.

Into the Fire

THE GRIPPING NEW SUNDAY TIMES TOP 5 BESTSELLER FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF OUT OF THE DARK AND ORPHAN X 
 
'STELLAR. GETS BETTER WITH EACH INSTALLMENT' 
DAILY MAIL 
 
 
HE WANTED TO END IT. BUT IT CAN NEVER BE OVER. 
 
 
Evan Smoak - former government assassin, 'Orphan-X', turned white knight of last resort - is hanging up his gun. 
 
When he gets one last call. 
 
A man, left a package by a murdered cousin, has an assassin on his trail. Easy work for Evan. 
 
Except behind the assassin is someone worse. And behind them something darker still. 
 
How long can Evan keep standing? 
 
How many times can a man step into the fire? 
 
 
 
'Memorable as hell' James Patterson 
 
'A new series character to rival Reacher' Independent

Evan Smoak - former government assassin, 'Orphan X', turned white knight of last resort - is planning on hanging up his gun. 
 
Then he gets one last call. 
 
Max Merriweather has lost his wife, home and career. Now it looks like he's going to lose his life. A murdered cousin has left him a package and a team of assassins on his trail . . . 
 
Nothing Evan can't handle. 
 
If it weren't for the fact he's carrying a brutal concussion that's made him vulnerable. Or that the simple job of keeping Max safe quickly escalated into a mission unlike anything he's ever encountered. 
 
But as Evan's problems mount just one thing is clear: he is now in the most dangerous position of his life . . .

Prodigal Son

The thrilling new Orphan X book and SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER from bestselling author Gregg Hurwitz 
 
'Feels like a missile launch' DAVID BALDACCI 
_______ 
 
 As Orphan-X, Evan Smoak was trained to be a secret government assassin - until he quit. 
 
 As the Nowhere Man, he's the guy to call if no one else can help. He'll save you. 
 
 But when a woman gets in touch claiming to be his mother, he can't know if his true family needs help or this is a trap. 
 
 Has Evan's past reached out to claim him? 
 
 Or is someone out to ensure he has no future? 
_______ 
 
'A stellar series, and the stories get better with each instalment' DAILY MAIL 
 
 Praise for Orphan X 
 
 'Outstanding in every way' LEE CHILD 
 
 'Weapons-grade thriller writing' GUARDIAN 
 
 'A stellar series, and the stories get better with each instalment' DAILY MAIL 
 
 'An immensely entertaining adventure' THE TIMES

There is a 'this time it's personal' feel to this latest in the violent, classy series and the action never flags

As Orphan-X, Evan Smoak was trained to be a secret government assassin - until he quit. 
 
As the Nowhere Man he's the guy to call if no one else can help. He'll save you. 
 
But when a woman gets in touch claiming to be his mother, he can't know if his true family needs help or this is a trap. 
 
Has Evan's past reached out to claim him? 
 
Or is someone out to ensure he has no future?

A Dark Conspiracy. An Innocent Victim

Hellbent

The explosive Orphan X thriller from bestselling author Gregg Hurwitz. 
 
'HURWITZ FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS' GUARDIAN 
 
TO THOSE WHO TRAINED HIM, HE'S ORPHAN-X. TO THOSE WHO NEED HIM, HE'S THE NOWHERE MAN. 
 
Once a secret government assassin, Evan Smoak walked away to help others. 
 
But when his old handler calls with a warning - the Orphans are being killed off - he also receives a final mission. 
 
A young girl - the last Orphan recruit - is in danger. First, Evan must find her. Then he must protect her. 
 
But those tasked with her elimination will not stop. 
 
And leading them is one of Evan's fellow Orphans - who'll do anything to see him dead . . . 
 
_______________ 
 
'WONDERFUL' THE TIMES 
 
'MEMORABLE AS HELL' JAMES PATTERSON

If Bond and Bourne had a lovechild, Evan would be that end product. We're treated to a superb combination of suspense, action, and plot twists from cover to cover.

Nail-biting, twisty thriller . . . [that will] appeal to devotees of Robert Ludlum's "Bourne" series

This is a great novel ... Do not miss this one

As well-done as the rest of the series and bloody good fun

A serious contender for best thriller of the year

Hellbent is Gregg Hurwitz firing on all cylinders

Orphan X is the most gripping, high-octane thriller I've read in a long, long time!

Orphan X is most exciting new series character since Jack Reacher. A page-turning masterpiece of suspense

Orphan X is the most exciting thriller I've read since The Bourne Identity ... A new thriller superstar is born!

Orphan X is not good. Orphan X is great. Whatever you like best in a thriller - action, plot, character, suspense - Orphan X has it

In terms of plot, characters, suspense and innovation, Orphan X is outstanding . . . I've always thought that one reason for Tom Clancy's success was the endless detail he provided about military hardware, and that the James Bond novels benefited from the loving attention Ian Fleming devoted to the martinis, expensive cars and gorgeous women he so admired. Hurwitz outdoes both writers . . . Orphan X is a smart, stylish, state-of-the-art thriller. It's also the start of a series, one that might give Lee Child's Jack Reacher books a run for their money

A masterpiece of suspense and thrills . . . Turn off the real world and dive into this amazing start to a new series

To some he was Orphan X. Others knew him as the Nowhere Man. But to Jack Johns he was a boy named Evan Smoak. Taken from an orphanage, Evan was raised inside a top-secret government programme and trained to become a lethal weapon. By Jack. And yet for all the dangerous skill he instilled in his young charge, Jack Jones cared for Evan like a son. 
 
But Jack knew too much about a programme that had gone rotten - he was a loose end that needed to be dealt with. But if you go after the only person who ever treated him like a human being, you can guarantee that the Nowhere Man will be coming for you. Hellbent on making things right . . . 
 
With Hellbent, Gregg Hurwitz raises the bar again with a masterclass in hi-octane thriller writing.

Orphan X

'Outstanding in every way' Lee Child 
 
'The page turned of the season' The Times 
____________ 
 
'Do you need my help?' 
 It was the first question he asked. 
 They called him when they had nowhere else to turn. 
 
 As a boy Evan Smoak was taken from an orphanage. 
 Raised and trained in a top secret programme, he was sent to bad places to do things the government denied ever happened. 
 
 Then he broke with the programme, using what he'd learned to vanish. Now he helps the desperate and deserving. 
 
 But someone's on his trail. 
 
 Someone who knows his past and believes that the boy once known as Orphan X must die . . . 
____________ 
 
'Read this book. You will thank me later' David Baldacci 
 
'A rival to reacher' The Independent 
 
If you loved Orphan X, read the gripping follow-up The Nowhere Man and brand new sequel Out of the Dark!

The page-turner of the season is Orphan X . . . Wonderful

A masterpiece of suspense and thrills . . . Turn off the real world and dive into this amazing start to a new series

'There is a pristine classicism to Gregg Hurwitz's Orphan X, which borrows from Robert Ludlum and superhero lore to bring us Evan Smoak, adopted as a child by a shadowy figure called Jack and trained to be an assassin as part of a secret US government scheme. When the Orphan programme (as it is known) is disbanded, Evan moves to California and devotes himself to good works - taking out a slum-landlord paedophile cop, for example, after his victim calls Evan's special number. However, his meticulously compartmentalised life makes him vulnerable . . . Orphan X is tight and tense in all the right places. But it wouldn't work half as well if we didn't feel Evan's pain and share his panic as the worst-case scenario unfolds: another former Orphan, with a less noble agenda, seems to be hunting him. Orphan X is weapons-grade thriller-writing from a modern master

Pure nail-biting stay-up-all-night suspense

Bond, Frodo, Paddington Bear - some of literature's greatest heroes have been orphans. Add Orphan X's Evan Smoak to the list

'Do you need my help?' 
 
It was always the first question he asked. They called him when they had nowhere else to turn. 
 
As a boy he was taken from an orphanage, then raised and trained. As part of a top-secret programme, he was sent out to do the things his government denied any knowledge of. 
 
Then he broke with the programme, using everything he'd learned to disappear. He wanted to help the desperate and deserving. 
 
But now someone's on his tail. Someone who has issues with his past. Someone who knows he was once known simply as Orphan X.

The List

A thrilling new short story featuring Gregg Hurwitz's bestselling Orphan X! 
 
Joey Morales was the last recruit of the government's full black operation, the Orphan Program. Trained to be an assassin until she washed out, she was rescued by Evan Smoak, the former agent known as Orphan X. 
 
Now Joey, still a teenager and under the watchful eye of Evan Smoak, lives on her own (with Dog the dog) and attends college. 
 
While on campus, she tries to stop a young woman's suicide attempt - and fails. Then Joey uncovers the reason for Becca Morgan's desperate act - a document called The List, which ranks and rates women around campus based on their sexual appeal and performance. 
 
Determined to find the boys behind The List, the ones whose callous acts drove Becca Morgan to suicide, Joey recruits the help of her mentor, Orphan X, and uses all her skills to uncover and expose the ones responsible. 
 
Usually working from the shadows, Joey has to put herself on the line and in harm's way this time to not just avenge the dead but to protect the rest of the women who are targets of the hidden cabal behind The List. 
 
Praise for Orphan X 
'OUTSTANDING IN EVERY WAY' LEE CHILD 
'WEAPONS-GRADE THRILLER WRITING' GUARDIAN

A thrilling new story featuring Gregg Hurwitz's bestselling Orphan X! 
 
Joey Morales was the last recruit of the government's full black operation, the Orphan Program. Trained to be an assassin until she washed out, she was rescued by Evan Smoak, the former agent known as Orphan X. 
 
Now Joey, still a teenager and under the watchful eye of Evan Smoak, lives on her own (with Dog the dog) and attends college. 
 
While on campus, she tries to stop a young woman's suicide attempt - and fails. Then Joey uncovers the reason for Becca Morgan's desperate act - a document called The List, which ranks and rates women around campus based on their sexual appeal and performance. 
 
Determined to find the boys behind The List, the ones whose callous acts drove Becca Morgan to suicide, Joey recruits the help of her mentor, Orphan X, and uses all her skills to uncover and expose the ones responsible. 
Usually working from the shadows, Joey has to put herself on the line and in harm's way this time to not just avenge the dead but to protect the rest of the women who are targets of the hidden cabal behind The List. 
 
Praise for Orphan X 
'OUTSTANDING IN EVERY WAY' LEE CHILD 
'WEAPONS-GRADE THRILLER WRITING' GUARDIAN

The Rains

WINNER of the ITW THRILLER AWARD - Best Young Adult Novel 
 
THE FIRST BOOK IN THE HIGH-OCTANE YOUNG ADULT ADVENTURE THRILLER SERIES FROM BESTSELLING AUTHOR GREGG HURWITZ. 
 
It's never really been my thing to be the brave one - that's always been my older brother Patrick - but something world-changing is happening in our small town of Creek's Cause. Parasites have infected everyone over the age of eighteen, making them violent, and if they even sniff a kid they either bash our brains in or take us back to their creepy lair. 
 
We're trapped at the school with the other remaining survivors, including Patrick's girlfriend Alex, and we don't know how long we'll last. The school is surrounded by infected adults, and we're sure that there is something else out there, something controlling the people that used to be our parents, our guardians. 
 
 But here's the real problem, Patrick is turning eighteen in a few days, so it's up to me - Chance Rain - to find a way to save him. And maybe, just maybe if we survive the next few weeks then we can help save humanity. 
 
From the New York Times bestselling author of Orphan X and comics in the Batman, Wolverine, and Punisher universes comes The Rains, a thrilling adventure as relentless as The Hunger Games and as page-turning as Rick Yancey's The 5th Wave.

A brilliant, terrifying, rule-breaking reimagining of the zombie novel.

Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of Rot & Ruin

One of those all-too-creepy-and-believable stories. Chilling!

Ridley Pearson, New York Times bestselling author

Readers with a 5th Wave-shaped hole in their sf-loving hearts will rejoice.

In his first book for teens, Hurwitz crafts a tense, disturbing tale that's simultaneously a story driven by brother love and the determination to survive against impossible odds.

The alien-zombie mashup that science-fiction fans won't want to miss . . . This zombie-esque sci-fi novel will feed the needs of readers looking for a fast-paced, adrenaline-pumping story with elements of horror.

The Rains is a fearsome exploration of survival that turns the horrors of the natural world into our worst nightmares. Readers will hold their breath for the whole adrenaline-packed, terrifying ride. Biological sci-fi at its best.

It's never really been my thing to be the brave one - that's always been my older brother Patrick - but something world-changing is happening in our small town of Creek's Cause. Parasites have infected everyone over the age of eighteen, making them violent, and if they even sniff a kid they either bash our brains in or take us back to their creepy lair. 
 
We're trapped at the school with the other remaining survivors, including Patrick's girlfriend Alex, and we don't know how long we'll last. The school is surrounded by infected adults, and we're sure that there is something else out there, something controlling the people that used to be our parents, our guardians. 
 
 But here's the real problem, Patrick is turning eighteen in a few days, so it's up to me - Chance Rain - to find a way to save him. And maybe, just maybe if we survive the next few weeks then we can help save humanity. 
 
From the New York Times bestselling author of Orphan X and comics in the Batman, Wolverine, and Punisher universes comes The Rains, a thrilling adventure as relentless as The Hunger Games and as page-turning as Rick Yancey's The 5th Wave.

Last Chance

THE SECOND BREAKNECK PACED YOUNG ADULT ADVENTURE THRILLER IN THE RAINS BROTHERS SERIES FROM BESTSELLING AUTHOR GREGG HURWITZ. 
 
Chance, that's me, the youngest Rain brother - and right now I'm kind of stuck between a rock and hard place.... Or more specifically, tied up and kidnapped. My captors? We call them Drones, and they serve the Harvesters that have infected all the adults in our town of Creek's Cause with parasites, turning them into mindless rage zombies that have only two objectives: capture or kill. 
 
What we know so far is that there are two factions of Drones, one that wants my big brother Patrick and me to save the world, and the other that is taking kids and using them to hatch something... otherworldly. I don't want to know what they are, but I'm pretty sure I'm about to find out. 
 
What I do know is that Patrick and his girlfriend Alex are out there, they aren't dead and they won't let me die at the hands of the Harvesters. Not when we have things to do: because come on, the world isn't going to save itself. 
 
Last Chance is the relentlessly action-packed sequel to The Rains. Fans of The Hunger Games and Rick Yancey's The 5th Wave will love this thrilling adventure from the bestselling author of Orphan X and comics in the Batman, Wolverine and Punisher universes.

Chance, that's me, the youngest Rain brother - and right now I'm kind of stuck between a rock and hard place.... Or more specifically, tied up and kidnapped. My captors? We call them Drones, and they serve the Harvesters that have infected all the adults in our town of Creek's Cause with parasites, turning them into mindless rage zombies that have only two objectives: capture or kill. 
 
What we know so far is that there are two factions of Drones, one that wants my big brother Patrick and me to save the world, and the other that is taking kids and using them to hatch something... otherworldly. I don't want to know what they are, but I'm pretty sure I'm about to find out. 
 
What I do know is that Patrick and his girlfriend Alex are out there, they aren't dead and they won't let me die at the hands of the Harvesters. Not when we have things to do: because come on, the world isn't going to save itself. 
 
Last Chance is the relentlessly action-packed sequel to The Rains. Fans of The Hunger Games and Rick Yancey's The 5th Wave will love this thrilling adventure from the bestselling author of Orphan X and comics in the Batman, Wolverine and Punisher universes.

Buy a Bullet

AN EXCLUSIVE EBOOK SHORT STORY, NOT A FULL-LENGTH NOVEL. 
 
Taken from a children's home as a young boy, Evan Smoak was a trained to become a government operative known as Orphan X. But then he broke with the programme. 
 
Now living out of sight and out of reach of his former employers, Evan chances upon a young woman in a coffee shop in Northern California who needs his help. Brutalized and under the control of a very powerful, dangerous man, she knows her life is at risk if she doesn't escape. And Evan knows that only a man with his particular set of skills has any chance of setting her free. His next move was never in doubt. 
 
Buy A Bullet is the story of the day Orphan X became The Nowhere Man. 
 
 
Praise for Orphan X: 
 
'Outstanding in every way' 
LEE CHILD 
 
'Read this book. You will thank me later' 
DAVID BALDACCI 
 
'The most gripping thriller I've read in a long, long time!' 
TESS GERRITSEN 
 
'The page-turner of the season is Orphan X ... Wonderful' 
THE TIMES 
 
'Memorable as hell' 
JAMES PATTERSON 
 
'The most exciting thriller I've read since The Bourne Identity' 
ROBERT CRAIS 
 
'A page-turning masterpiece' 
JONATHAN KELLERMAN 
 
'A new series character to rival Reacher' 
INDEPENDENT 
 
'A masterpiece of suspense and thrills . . . Turn off the real world and dive into this amazing start to a new series' 
DAILY MAIL 
 
'There is a pristine classicism to Gregg Hurwitz's Orphan X, which borrows from Robert Ludlum and superhero lore to bring us Evan Smoak . . . Orphan X is tight and tense in all the right places . . . Orphan X is weapons-grade thriller-writing from a modern master.' 
GUARDIAN 
 
'Pure nail-biting stay-up-all-night suspense' 
HARLAN COBEN 
 
'Orphan X is not good. Orphan X is great. Whatever you like best in a thriller - action, plot, character, suspense - Orphan X has it' 
SIMON TOYNE 
 
'Mind blowing! A perfect mix of Jason Bourne and Jack Reacher' 
LISA GARDNER 
 
'Bond, Frodo, Paddington Bear - some of literature's greatest heroes have been orphans. Add Orphan X's Evan Smoak to the list' 
SHORTLIST 
 
'Orphan X is outstanding . . . a smart, stylish, state-of-the-art thriller' 
WASHINGTON POST 
 
'Bestseller Hurwitz melds non-stop action and high-tech gadgetry with an acute character study in this excellent series opener . . . Evan Smoak is an electrifying character' 
PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY 
 
'A masterpiece of suspense and thrills . . . Turn off the real world and dive into this amazing start to a new series' 
ASSOCIATED PRESS

The most gripping thriller I've read in a long, long time!

The page-turner of the season is Orphan X ... Wonderful

The most exciting thriller I've read since The Bourne Identity

A new series character to rival Reacher

A masterpiece of suspense and thrills . . . Turn off the real world and dive into this amazing start to a new series

There is a pristine classicism to Gregg Hurwitz's Orphan X, which borrows from Robert Ludlum and superhero lore to bring us Evan Smoak . . . Orphan X is tight and tense in all the right places . . . Orphan X is weapons-grade thriller-writing from a modern master.

Orphan X is not good. Orphan X is great. Whatever you like best in a thriller - action, plot, character, suspense - Orphan X has it

Mind blowing! A perfect mix of Jason Bourne and Jack Reacher

Orphan X is outstanding . . . a smart, stylish, state-of-the-art thriller

Bestseller Hurwitz melds non-stop action and high-tech gadgetry with an acute character study in this excellent series opener . . . Evan Smoak is an electrifying character

He is known by some as Evan Smoak. To a few he is known as Orphan X. But generally he is not known at all. 
 
Taken from a children's home as a young boy, Evan Smoak was a trained to become a government operative known as Orphan X. But then he broke with the programme. 
 
 
Now living out of sight and out of reach of his former employers, Evan chances upon a young woman in a coffee shop in Northern California who needs his help. Brutalized and under the control of a very powerful, dangerous man, she knows her life is at risk if she doesn't escape. And Evan knows that only a man with his particular set of skills has any chance of setting her free. His next move was never in doubt. 
 
 
Buy A Bullet is the story of the day Orphan X became The Nowhere Man.

Don't Look Back

Don't Look Back is the brilliant new thriller from Gregg Hurwitz. 
 
Alone 
It was the holiday of a lifetime - a chance for Eve Hardaway to rediscover herself following the break-up of her marriage. Until Eve catches a glimpse of someone she should never have seen. 
 
 Afraid 
 She was not the first to do so. But a woman who previously laid eyes on this mysterious stranger has disappeared without trace. Soon Eve and her travelling companions look set to suffer the same fate. 
 
 On the run 
 Then a storm cuts off their remote jungle camp from the outside world. And Eve knows that if she is ever going to see her young son again, she will be forced to find reserves of courage and resourcefulness she never dreamt she possessed. Or die trying ... 
 
 With great pace and pitch-perfect characterisation, Gregg Hurwitz ratchets up the tension in Don't Look Back, his exceptional new thriller. Fans of Harlan Coben and Simon Kernick will be hooked from the word go. 
 
 Praise for Gregg Hurwitz: 
 
'Outstanding in every way' Lee Child 
 
'Pure nail-biting stay-up-all-night suspense' Harlan Coben 
 
'Thriller writing at its best' Tess Gerritsen 
 
'Memorable as hell' James Patterson 
 
'So fast it should come with and airbag' Linwood Barclay 
 
 Praise for Don't Look Back: 
 
 'Hurwitz never disappoints and with Don't Look Back he takes his storytelling talents to new heights of suspense and terror ... From the opening moment of tension to the singularly terrifying final act, this story of survival and death left me breathless.' James Rollins 
 
 'Thrilling ... Hurwitz skilfully ratchets up the tension as his characters prove their mettle through nerve-wracking and exciting trials' Publishers Weekly 
 
 'Hurwitz again proves himself a plot master ... he adds to his string of imaginative thrillers with an action-adventure story ready for blockbuster Hollywood' Kirkus Reviews 
 
 'A terrific book. Terrifying and exhilarating ... Don't Look Back is thrilling beginning to end and powerfully gratifying.' Megan Abbott 
 
 'A taut, smart, suspense-filled ride to satisfy the most discerning of thrill seekers.' Library Journal 
 
 Gregg Hurwitz is the internationally bestselling author of You're Next, Or She Dies, We Know and I See You. A graduate of Harvard and Oxford Universities, he lives with his family in California, where he writes screenplays, television and comics including Batman and Wolverine.

Tough, well-written, and memorable as hell

Leaves your nerves jangled and your braincells melted

Simply brilliant . . . infinitely more than a thriller, yet thrilling to the last page . . . An unforgettable read

Hurwitz never disappoints . . . with Don't Look Back, he takes his storytelling talents to new heights of suspense and terror . . . From the opening moment of tension to the singularly terrifying final act, this story of survival and death left me breathless. Not to be missed

Thrilling ... Hurwitz skilfully ratchets up the tension as his characters prove their mettle through nerve-wracking and exciting trials

Hurwitz again proves himself a plot master ... he adds to his string of imaginative thrillers with an action-adventure story ready for blockbuster Hollywood

A terrific book. Terrifying and exhilarating ... Don't Look Back is thrilling beginning to end and powerfully gratifying.

A taut, smart, suspense-filled ride to satisfy the most discerning of thrill seekers.

It should have been the holiday of a lifetime - a chance for Eve Hardaway to rediscover herself following her marriage break-up. Then she catches a glimpse of someone she should never have seen. 
 
She was not the first. But the woman who first laid eyes on the mysterious stranger has disappeared without trace. And soon Eve's travelling companions start to follow. 
 
Then a storm cuts off their remote jungle camp. Eve knows that if she is ever going to see her son again, she must find reserves of courage and resourcefulness she never dreamt she possessed. Or die trying...

Tell No Lies

Tell No Lies is the outstanding new thriller from Gregg Hurwitz. 
 
NO CHOICE 
Daniel Brasher is leaving behind his job as a probation counsellor working with hardened criminals to spend more time with his wife, now well again after serious illness. However, nothing is ever that simple . . . 
 
NO TIME 
When he finds a scrawled message in the post at work - 'admit what you've done or you will bleed for it. You have 'til midnite' - he is horrified but relieved to discover it's not addressed to him. Then he learns that the intended victim is already dead. 
 
 
NO ESCAPE 
More death threats signal a series of gruesome, seemingly inexplicable murders. Until a note is addressed to Daniel himself. And with the clock ticking he must discover who wants him dead. And why. Or become the next victim . . . 
 
Perfect for fans of Harlen Coben and Linwood Barclay, Tell No Lies is Gregg Hurwitz's best thriller yet, guaranteed to keep readers up all night. 
 
Praise for Gregg Hurwitz: 
 
'Outstanding in every way' Lee Child 
'Pure nail-biting stay-up-all-night suspense' Harlan Coben 
'Thriller writing at its best' Tess Gerritsen 
'Memorable as hell' James Patterson 
'Gripping. Hurwitz knows how to write a thriller' Michael Connelly 
'Simply brilliant' Anne Rice 
'So fast it should come with and airbag' Linwood Barclay 
'Chilling and riveting' Jonathan Kellerman 
'Gregg Hurwitz deservedly takes his place at the forefront of suspense writers' David Baldacci 
'A quantum leap forward in suspense' Dennis Lehane 
'Exerts a vice-like grip on the reader . . . reminiscent of another American master, Harlan Coben' Crimetime 
 
Gregg Hurwitz is the internationally bestselling author of You're Next, Or She Dies, We Know and I See You. A graduate of Harvard and Oxford Universities, he lives with his family in California, where he writes screenplays, television and comics including Batman and Wolverine.

Pure nail-biting  stay-up-all-night suspense

Tough, well-written, and memorable as  hell

Leaves your nerves jangled and your  braincells melted

Sharing a room with criminals is an occupational hazard for probation counsellor Daniel Brasher. 
 
And he's ready to leave it all behind, for good. Until, Daniel finds a note in his pigeonhole: 'admit what you've done or you will bleed for it. you have 'til november 15 at midnite' 
 
But the message was meant for someone else and the deadline has passed. The intended recipient is already dead. 
 
Further warnings herald a series of gruesome murders. Then a note is addressed to Daniel himself. With the clock ticking he must discover who wants him dead, or become the next victim.

Last Man Standing

Pre-order the explosive new Orphan X thriller from Sunday Times bestselling author Gregg Hurwitz now. Perfect for fans of Lee Child, David Baldacci and Harlan Coben.‘Pure nail-biting stay-up-all-night suspense’ Harlan Coben--- 
 DO YOU NEED MY HELP?It’s the only question Evan Smoak still answers. Once a government black-ops assassin codenamed Orphan X, he now lives by a single rule: help the desperate, the vanished, the ones the system has already abandoned.Brook Hawthorne is all three. Taken with others and locked into a scheme so brutal it rewrites the meaning of cruelty.Behind it stands Houston Bozwell—a cold, rage-fueled predator with the power, the protection, and the absolute refusal to let anything threaten what he has built.Even Evan.What follows is not a rescue. It is a collision. To stop Bozwell, Evan will have to reclaim the one thing his former life nearly stripped from him: his humanity.Or lose everything. For good. 
--- 
 
 
PRAISE FOR THE ORPHAN X SERIES 
 
'Weapons-grade thriller writing' The Guardian 
 
'Feels like a missile launch' David Baldacci 
 
'Outstanding in every way' Lee Child 
 
'Makes the Jack Reacher books look quaint' Sun

DO YOU NEED MY HELP? 
It’s the only question Evan Smoak still answers. Once a government black-ops assassin codenamed Orphan X, he now lives by a single rule: help the desperate, the vanished, the ones the system has already abandoned. 
Brook Hawthorne is all three. Taken with others and locked into a scheme so brutal it rewrites the meaning of cruelty. 
Behind it stands Houston Bozwell—a cold, rage-fueled predator with the power, the protection, and the absolute refusal to let anything threaten what he has built. 
Even Evan. 
What follows is not a rescue. It is a collision. To stop Bozwell, Evan will have to reclaim the one thing his former life nearly stripped from him: his humanity. 
Or lose everything. For good.

Move over Jason Bourne, there’s a new assassin ready to help those who deserve it the most – Gregg Hurwitz‘s Evan Smoak, aka Orphan X.Evan Smoak was trained to be one of the world’s deadliest assassins. Now he uses those skills to help the desperate when no one else can.When Brooke Hawthorne calls his secret number, Evan is drawn into a conspiracy more dangerous than anything he has faced before, and into the sights of a ruthless enemy who will stop at nothing to destroy him . . .To save Brooke and protect the people he loves, Evan must become the man he was trained to be.Because this time, failure means losing everything.

Gregg Hurwitz

Laughs as well as action. A thriller that makes the Jack Reacher books look quaint

[Hurwitz] is a weapon of mass entertainment and the action never stops

First-rate and deftly varied combat scenes. Rewardingly, it's more plugged into the mood and issues of the present than a Lee Child slugathon

Two problems: A tech-billionaire whose psychological crisis could have catastrophic implications for the global order. And the abduction of vulnerable young woman, Anca, seized from the New York City Subway, held, hurt, then discarded like trash. 
 
One solution: Evan Smoak, a former black ops assassin codenamed Orphan X, now dedicated to helping the desperate with nowhere else to turn. 
 
But saving the world from a powerful man who has lost his mind while pursuing justice for an innocent survivor will test Evan like never before. Especially when complicated by Anca's inconvenient insistence that he show some measure of mercy to the men who abducted her. 
 
Because if the world's greatest assassin cannot kill, then this mission just got a whole lot more daunting and dangerous. 
 
As lethal threats mount, Evan may have to choose between upholding a higher code . . . and his own life.

Gregg Hurwitz

Books by Gregg Hurwitz

Series by Gregg Hurwitz

An Orphan X Novel8 Books

Rains Brothers2 Books

Articles featuring Gregg Hurwitz

18 top page turners, as picked by Lee Child

‘I read Stephen King under the bed with a flashlight’: 21 Questions with Gregg Hurwitz

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