Cover Image: Prodigal Son

Prodigal Son

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Member Reviews

Not too strong on atmosphere
3 stars

As a boy Evan had had a difficult childhood being brought up in foster homes having been abandoned by his mother. His life changed when he is chosen to be trained as a black ops assassin. We join him as he has given up his shadowy life in favour of a quiet retirement.....until he gets a most unlikely phone call requesting his help which he feels unable to refuse.

This is the 6th in the Orphan X series (Evan being the orphan in question). I had not read any of the previous thrillers which might explain why I was unable to immerse myself in the plot and empathise with the protagonist. I could not relate to Evan or any of the other characters which resulted in not caring what happened to them. Additionally, there were so many characters that it was difficult to keep up. All rather confusing.

Some of the dialogue felt very forced and contrived and there was little tension built up. A little light and shade always helps to change the pace and allows the reader to draw breath but this was sadly lacking. The ending could be described as being a dramatic cliff-hanger but it came across as rushed.

I am sure Hurwitz has many avid followers and I repeat that my review might well have been more enthusiastic had I read the earlier novels but as a stand-alone it was rather disappointing and at times a bit of a chore to read.

mr zorg
Elite Reviewing group received a copy of the book to review.

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Can’t believe I missed sending in my review. I love this series so much. As a reader you invest in an author and character and follow their journey. The Orphan X series just gets better and better, which is a such an achievement. Thank you so much Gregg Hurwitz!

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I loved it. I read quite a few of the author’s books and this one was an anticipated read for me. It didn’t disappoint at all.
Gripping, fast paced and full of intriguing characters, unpredictable turns and twisted secrets, it’s a must read novel for any thriller lovers.

Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy

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Wow. What a ride. Really loved learning more about Evan’s history, but what a cliffhanger. Thanks for the opportunity to read

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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book. This was an excellent read.
Thoroughly recommended

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The latest Orphan X novel and it is a high octane thriller. Lots of action.and hyper weapons though as a reader I was not gripped or involved . Jack Reacher fans will enjoy.

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I haven't read any of the previous books in the series, so was obviously missing a lot. On its own the book was an exciting read with lots of action.. The lead character was interesting and believable.

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Absolutely brilliant instalment in the Orphan X series. Without a doubt one of my favourite discoveries of the last five years. Such a well-crafted world, with a protagonist that has many more layers to him than you might expect just by reading the blurb. The action is off the charts as ever, but this book gives us as much insight into Evan ‘s backstory as we’ve ever had, A very, very easy five stars.

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WOW 🤩 yet another fantastic read in one of my favourite series’s . Authors sometimes run out of originality when they’ve done several books in a series, however , Gregg Hurwitz makes every book more gripping than the last one ! This book left with a massive cliffhanger that just wants me to read the next one straight away !! Can not recommend this series enough !!

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This is only the second Orphan X book I've read and it reads really well as a standalone. It was good to find out more about Orphan X's background as a child.
Fast paced, gimmicky and with thoughtful observations of life , social disadvantage, poverty and the foster care system. Alongside this, the plot was well paced and equally well-written with enough adrenaline high moments to keep me engrossed from start to finish.
A range of characters reflected the contrast between rich and poor and allowed for meaningful interchanges between characters.
I loved it!

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This isn't normally the sort of book I read but I have to say I've really fallen for Orphan X and enjoy every minute of his exploits! This story is good, it's very original and yes, it might be a bit far fetched but it's a book that I really enjoyed and will definitely recommend.

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This is an adrenaline-inducing thriller, but with surprising emotional depths not normally associated with Orphan X, The Nowhere Man. There is sufficient background detail to enjoy this thriller without reading previous books. This one is particularly insightful, revisiting Ewan's beginnings and forcing him to reacquaint with his little-used emotions.

The characters are vibrant, and there is an addictive blend of action and introspection past and present, which keeps the reader engaged.

I received a copy of this book from Penguin Books UK -Michael Joseph via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Orphan X continues to be Orphan X - Gregg Hurwitz is churning these out, probably because it's the same novel over and over. Bad guy shows up, good guy does his thing - really unsurprising and uninteresting "thriller" for the most part. I'm not that taken with the whole father/son thing - never have been with this dry character - and I'm done with the series now. It's one too many and much too boring to keep bothering reading the same story again.

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Gregg Hurwitz can be relied on for a riveting story. Plenty of excitement and another page turner in this excellent series.

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Another brilliant instalment in the Orphan X series. Hurwitz’s writing is up there with the best. The action is thrilling as always, and kept me turning the pages well into the night. The character development of Joey and Evan has been exceptional throughout the series, with their relationship extremely well written. I cannot fault this book or the series, and am already looking forward for he bet one. I would strongly recommend this book and the Orphan X series to anyone who likes action, thriller, or just good writing.

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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.
This was an excellent read, filling in some of the gaps in the back story of the main character, Evan Smoak, and leaves a very good cliffhanger.
This is a continuation of the series, but you could also read this book on its own and understand the plot.
Thoroughly recommended.

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The sixth in the exciting 'Orphan X' heart-pounding action thriller series. Former black ops assassin turned avenging angel the 'Nowhere Man' aka Evan Smoak returns from retirement after a request from an unexpected source, his mother. She asks him to help Andre, who was a resident at the Boy's home that Evan grew up in until he was recruited into the Orphan programme. Andre has witnessed a murder using an insect like micro-drone that a DoD contractor, the 'doctor' is desperate to cover-up. With plenty of twists & turns and an explosive cliffhanger, can't wait for the next installment.

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I love Greg Hurwitz' work and The Orphan X series is no exception.
This time we delve a little deeper into his past and for the first time see a little compassion which doesn't normally shine through his steel exterior.
All the usual action and adventure we have come to expect makes this a great escapism novel

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I absolutely love the Orphan X series, and this has been a great addition! I really wondered where they were going to take Evan's character after the last book, and this was a great way to introduce more of his past.

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Once again Gregg Hurwitz give us readers a cracker of a book. I absolutely love the character Evan, he may be a trained killer but he also has a heart and for us ladies, he even takes the trash out after a night of fun!
the plot for this book is fasted paced, easy to read and is as engaging as the other books in this series. This can be read as a stand alone but to enjoy Evan as much as I do, then i would say read the whole of the orphan x books

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