Part of Orphan X
First published 2016
Evan Smoak sits in a Northern California coffee shop after wrapping up his latest mission. The former government operative once known as Orphan X has reinvented himself as the Nowhere Man, a secretive figure who aids desperate people who manage to contact him. At the coffee shop, he notices a young woman whose battered appearance tells a story of violence and control. She lives under the thumb of a dangerous man with significant power, and her situation grows more perilous by the day. The woman needs to disappear, but escaping requires resources and expertise she doesn't possess. Smoak recognizes her plight and realizes he may be the only person capable of extracting her from this deadly predicament. His specialized training and covert skills make him uniquely qualified for such rescues. This marks Smoak's inaugural mission operating under his new identity, transforming from a government asset into an underground savior for those who have nowhere else to turn.
Genres: suspense, crime, contemporary, adult-fiction, thriller, action
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, gritty, intense, suspenseful
Tropes: found-family, mission-based, reluctant-hero
Setting: Northern California
16 pages · ebook · Minotaur Books
Content warnings: abuse, domestic-violence, violence