Hellbent

Hellbent by Gregg Hurwitz

Hellbent is the 3rd Orphan X novel. I really liked this one. 4.2 of 5 stars. I recommend it. Yes, you can read it alone, I think that would be a horrible idea and may spoil the 6 book experience (as of Jan 2020).

Evan Smoak has become one of my favorite characters. I think the molding of Mr. Hurwitz's character, Evan Smoak, is being done with a hammer on an anvil — and I'm confident Mr. Hurwitz has been required to routinely open a vein and pour some of his writing heart and soul into the character. He didn't pour the Orphan X books into the genre mold, tweak it here and there, and then put some extra meat or bones into the plots. By the end of Hellbent, if you're a seasoned reader, you know that our author has spent countless hours with Evan Smoak, and he knew what Evan was going to do in book six before he was half finished writing book one. I may be wrong…

What would it take for you to become "hellbent"?

Movie goers may recall when Jason Bourne's girlfriend is murdered. Bourne was hellbent! Similar excitement junkies clearly understand "Hellbent" when John Wick's dog is killed and his car stolen.

John Wick's "bogeyman" is vaguely analogous to Orphan X's, "The Nowhere Man". Imaginary action caricatures you don't want to be "Hellbent" while present in your city.

While there are dramatic similarities to John Wick and Jason Bourne, Evan Smoak is a different creature. He is forged in the same genre but Evan Smoak's mentor, Jack, while confident about training Evan into being the most efficient execution phantom in the county's history--he also eminently yearns for Evan to retain his humanity.

Jack knew deep black operators too often lose their humanity in the process of their brutal training and unprecedented missions. So Jack meticulously drilled Evan with The code; The commandments. Lines, if crossed, would seriously damage his moral compass and risk the loss of his fragile link to humanity.

Over the Orphan X novels, Jack becomes ever more present as Evan's conscious. "The way you do anything is the way you do everything." "Don't assume." "Never make it personal." "If you don't know what to do, do nothing" and most urgently, "One Mission at a time" derived possibly from "Be Here Now". Orphan X's mentor, friend, father figure, and creator, was James Allen, Sun Tzu, Carl Young, and Yoda, rolled into one walking, rarely talking, living example of who Evan Smoak should become. The best fathers know the greatest lesson they can teach is the example of how they live, and die.

When Evan finally pieces together the clue Jack left him during their last conversation, before Evan became HELLBENT. He realizes it was a "do it now" mission order that is days old. Pick up the package at an address across the country.

Evan was HELLBENT on a very personal and extremely important mission already. Two missions. Both urgent, and both very personal.

Orphan X is not a mental midget. In his business it is abnormal if things didn't go sideways. In the past Jack's commandments, rules, and wise sayings were the answer to chaos. They were guidance when things went wrong. Now everything is coming apart but the commandments, rules, and wisdom are creating the chaos. They are the obstacles. No longer are they solving problems, they are becoming problems.

To Evan Smoak this is as overwhelming as a milk glass ring on his kitchen counter.

Before he can process these dilemmas the RoamZone, 1-855-2-NOWHERE, "mission" phone rings. Evan Smoak is The Nowhere Man. The Nowhere Man who will always answer the THAT phone. The Nowhere Man who is a last and only hope for someone calling THAT phone.

Evan Smoak is the human who becomes The Nowhere Man wraith who must answer THAT phone so the ghoul can redeem the human's soul. He picks up the mission phone and asks, "Do you need my help?"

The answer is… The Nowhere Man, Orphan X, and Evan Smoak now have 3 impossible missions when only one is permitted. He can not fail, he must not fail.

He assumes while diverted to mission number two and is shaken when a 16-year-old girl manages to break his nose and escape in possession of Jack John's last mission order package.

Read on August 6 & 7, 2019. Here are all my Goodread's Reviews.