The Nowhere Man (Evan Smoak)

4.5★s

The Nowhere Man is the second book in the Orphan X series by best-selling American author, Gregg Hurwitz. Evan Smoak has helped another needy person and is about to relax when a loose end niggles, so he follows up, finds there is more to do and proceeds. But, mission not yet complete, he is captured, sedated and imprisoned.

The cell is a luxurious one, resembling a well-appointed bedroom, but it is a prison, without a doubt. The where, the how and the why are gradually revealed, and then it's up to Evan to escape in order to complete his mission (and another, that has since lined up for his attention). He has already managed to kill a few of his guards and keeps a tally of the number of guards and dogs that will be obstacles to his escape: "Two dogs, ten guards, one sniper, Dex and counting. He'd have to kill a lot more of them tomorrow."

While the first instalment of this series saw Evan utilising advanced technology in addition to his personal skills, in this one, Hurwitz puts him in a situation where he has only his own talents on which to rely. These are, of course, not inconsiderable. Needless to say, there's a high body count. The agent of Evan's final, impossible escape will likely be predictable for most readers, but doesn't detract from the enjoyment.

Watching Evan Smoak improvise is certainly interesting, but his attempts to neutralise a dozen guards, two by two, while it might appeal to MMA fans, is likely to make some eyes glaze over. Again, it would be great on the screen. It is easy to see this series becoming addictive in a suspend-all-disbelief-and-hold-on-for-a-wild-ride kind of way. Bring on #3, Hellbent.