BOOK REVIEW: Dark Horse (Orphan X # 7) by Gregg Hurwitz

Publication Date: Feb 8, 2022 Format: Paperback Genre:  Vigilante Justice, Assassin

Publisher: Minotaur Books  Length: 432 pages Buy:  Kindle | Hardcover

Synopsis

Evan Smoak is a man with many identities and a challenging past. As Orphan X, he was a government assassin for the off-the-books Orphan Program. After he broke with the Program, he adopted a new name and a new mission--The Nowhere Man, helping the most desperate in their times of trouble. Having just survived an attack on his life and the complete devastation of his base of operations, as well as his complicated (and deepening) relationship with his neighbor Mia Hall, Evan isn't interested in taking on a new mission. But one finds him anyway.

Aragon Urrea is a kingpin of a major drug-dealing operation in South Texas. He's also the patron of the local area--supplying employment in legitimate operations, providing help to the helpless, rough justice to the downtrodden, and a future to a people normally with little hope. He's complicated--a not completely good man, who does bad things for often good reasons. However, for all his money and power, he is helpless when one of the most vicious cartels kidnaps his innocent eighteen year old daughter, spiriting her away into the armored complex that is their headquarters in Mexico. With no other way to rescue his daughter, he turns to The Nowhere Man. 

Now not only must Evan figure out how to get into the impregnable fortress of a heavily armed, deeply paranoid cartel leader, but he must decide if he should help a very bad man--no matter how just the cause.

Review: 

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. 

I love these books.  I love the dark brutal nature of Evan mixed with his more human side and the way the author throws him into situations so outside of his comfort zone.  Narrowly escaping the destruction of his apartment Evan is trying to piece back his apartment and his life.  His adopted "niece" Joey tries to help him along the way with her smart mouth and was of pushing every one of Evan's buttons right down to the disco ball she installs in his living room and the rainbow pebbles she has his new aloe plant living in.  Evan is so uncomfortable around other people its amusing to see his interactions.  Unless he is being sent to murder you he has a tough time.  This book is filled with the usual action and narrow escapes but this one really showcases Evan's more human side, his struggle to connect to people and possibly even make a friend.  

He has a code he lives by but this book will test the code to its limits.  When asked to help rescue a mafia princess from the clutches of a rival and much more ruthless cartel Evan is torn between helping and walking away. Can he see past the surface to see a man like him, broken and not so good, but really trying to do the right thing?

Somehow I missed the book before this so I know nothing about why Evan's apartment blew up and I intend to go back and remedy that immediately but it didn't matter, Evan is still Evan and the growing band of people in his life is making him more human. I guess we will discover if this is a good thing or a bad one for Evan

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