Book Review: Hellbent by Gregg Hurwitz (Orphan X #3)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Fast paced thriller, strong characters and writing

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

Evan in action

Fast paced, thrilling adventure

Can’t put it down read

Things Get More Personal for Evan

Every so often, I take a break from my normal reading choices, and one of my go to authors is Gregg Hurwitz.  His thrillers are always top notch, and now that he is writing a series, I’ve become hooked on Evan Smoak, aka Orphan X.  I was happy to revisit him in Hellbent, and the pages couldn’t fly fast enough.

For those who haven’t yet met Evan, he was taken from a group home as a twelve-year-old and trained to be a top operative for the USA.  However, a few years ago, he retired and set himself up to help those in desperate need of saving.  He has a special high security phone and a special phone number he uses to connect with these clients.

However, the phone call he is currently getting on his phone comes from a voice he knows – Jack Johns, the main who trained him and the closest thing Evan has ever had to a father.  The phone call changes Evan’s world, and Evan find himself setting out to pick up a package for Jack in addition to working on a very personal mission.  Will Evan succeed?

I am being vague above, and I am doing that on purpose.  That’s because the twists start quickly.  Honestly, this book will have your attention from page one, and it won’t let go until you finish the story.

Part of that is because there is a lot happening in this book.  The pace never slows down once.  We’ve got a couple of sub-plots that add to the story, and I love how things weave together at the end.

I do have a couple of warnings to issue, however.  This is a thriller, so it contains more language and violence than the cozies I normally read.  It’s not excessive and realistic for the characters and situations.  Just know that going in.

The bigger warning is to read this series in order.  I cannot stress this one enough.  While you could certainly jump in here and follow what is happening, it means more if you have the background of the previous two books.  This story is self-contained, but it is part of a bigger story going on.

Another reason to enjoy these books in order is the character growth we are seeing in Evan.  He is definitely a different character than I normally read about.  He’s a fully formed character, and the events of the series are causing quite a bit of growth in him.  I love it, and I can’t wait to see how that continues in the next in the series.  That’s not to say that the rest of the characters aren’t equally strong, but he truly stands out to me.

I have to mention Gregg’s writing as well.  He does a fantastic job of painting the scene without slowing things down at all.  When I picked up this book, I would get completely lost in Evan’s world, being right there with him.

Hellbent is another fantastic adventure with Evan Smoak.  The pages flew by all too quickly, and I’m already looking forward to meeting him again.

Enjoy more action with the rest of the Orphan X series.