Antihero by Gregg Hurwitz

About the Book:

Once a black ops assassin for the government known as Orphan X, Evan Smoak broke with the program and went deep underground, using his operational rules and skills to help the truly desperate with nowhere else to turn.

When Luke Devine, one of the most powerful men in the world, has a psychological crisis, Evan flies to the East Coast to help him. While there, he learns of a young woman who was kidnapped off the New York City subway, clearly in danger and in need of aid. With no name and few clues, Evan and his team track down the missing woman, who was assaulted and abandoned. Evan offers his help―and sets out finding the young men responsible. But the woman insists that Evan abandon his usual methods―no vengeance and, in particular, no killing. Which will prove no easy feat given the mounting incoming threats from all sides. In a mission that takes Evan from coast to coast, from the poorest corners of society to the richest, Orphan X must figure out a way to protect the innocent, avenge the victimized, and balance justice with a measure of mercy.

My Review:

This is not my favorite in the series. I get irritated when a dream is presented to readers as an actual happening and Hurwitz did that early on with Joey. And then, as Evan and Joey approach Divine's residence, we read of a suspenseful confrontation. Then I came to, “But none of it had actually happened.” (733/5001) I wanted to quit reading right there. An author should be able to produce enough action so that more does not have to be imagined. And the “psychological” crisis Divine went through was just too weird. And the descriptive sexual violence was too much for me. Trigger situations abound.

I slogged through a little more of the book, through the imagined floating staircase, but did not finish. I don't think I'll read any more of this series. It has just gone off the rails. I want the old Orphan X, Nowhere Man back, the one who was nice to the lady and child who lived in his building. There is enough backstory included one could read this novel on its own. It is so different from the earlier books, however, one might get the wrong impression of the series. I did like the earlier novels.

My rating: 3/5.

About the Author:

Gregg Hurwitz is the New York Times, #1 internationally bestselling author of 23 thrillers, including the Orphan X series, and two award-winning thriller novels for teens. His novels have won numerous literary awards, graced top ten lists, and have been published in 33 languages. Gregg currently serves as the Co-President of International Thriller Writers (ITW).

Minotaur Books, 416 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)