LAST MAN STANDING by Gregg Hurwitz

5 stars

Orphan X’s fantastic latest outing truly stands out, as suddenly Evan Smoak is experiencing deep emotions, valuing human relationships, and transforming from single vigilante to team player. Orphan X has been trained since childhood to be an assassin, and since leaving the government black ops program he worked in for years, has been out to protect and revenge innocent victims. When his RoamZone phone always be his side rings, it’s a young woman being held prisoner working for an elaborate online fraud operation needing Evan’s help.

But this outing proves profoundly different for Evan, as he morphs from orphan to a person with a gathered family of choice around him. This includes Joey, another survivor of the Orphan Program, who’s a teen computer genius and increasingly emotionally reliant to Evan as a surrogate uncle. Then there is Mia, a prosecutor who lives in Evan’s building with her young son, and who’s been Evan’s off and on lover. Until now, Evan has kept Mis separate from his illegal vigilante work, but this time he includes her in the action as they form a true romantic partnership. There’s a crazy and often evil billionaire Luke, who Evan saved in the past from self-destruction, and who in a budding friendship of sorts has made his super-computer, mansion, as well as private plane available for missions. Candy, a gorgeous and deadly Orphan program frenemy also jumps in to help, forming a more ongoing mutual support relationship with Evan. Even Dog, Joey’s dog given to her by Evan, gets to partake in Evan’s new willingness to share affection.

There’s non-stop action, loyalties tested, rescues to be mounted, and bad guys with evil world plans to be taken out of commission.

At the heart of the novel, as Evan works to manage his OCD and let go of his trained lack of affect, a world of new possibilities opens in this exceptional series.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.

Stacy DeBroff

Stacy DeBroff, founder and CEO of Mom Central.com and social and digital consultancy, Influence Central, is a social media strategist, attorney, and best-selling parenting author. A sought-after expert for national media, she trend-spots regularly with national brands and speaks frequently to national and international audiences on a wide range of subjects, including influencer marketing, social media, entrepreneurship, and consumer trends. A passionate cook, gardener, reader, and tennis player, she adores this new chapter of post-college-age parenting.