Part of Orphan X
First published 2022
Evan Smoak wants nothing more than to rebuild his life. The former government assassin turned vigilante has lost his base of operations and barely survived a recent attack. His relationship with neighbor Mia Hall grows more complicated by the day. The last thing he needs is another mission. Then Aragon Urrea arrives with an impossible request. The South Texas drug kingpin controls a vast criminal empire, yet he also provides jobs and protection to his community. When a rival cartel kidnaps his eighteen year old daughter and takes her to their heavily fortified compound in Mexico, Urrea discovers the limits of his power. He turns to The Nowhere Man for help. Evan faces a brutal choice. The cartel headquarters is virtually impregnable, bristling with weapons and paranoid security. Getting inside seems impossible. Getting out alive with the girl seems even worse. But the deeper question haunts him: should he risk everything to help a criminal, even if the cause is just?
Genres: adventure, crime, adult, adult-fiction, thriller, action
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, gritty, morally-complex, suspenseful
Tropes: anti-hero, forced-proximity, impossible-mission, reluctant-hero
Setting: South Texas, Mexico
432 pages · Hardcover · Minotaur Books
Content warnings: drug-use, kidnapping, murder, violence