Lone Wolf: An Orphan X Novel

Hurwitz’s creaky latest mission for former black ops assassin Evan Smoak (after The Last Orphan) finds the mercenary getting more than he bargained for when he agrees to track down a missing dog. In the years since Smoak left the shadowy U.S. Orphan Program, he’s spent his days dodging government assassins while making a living as a private gun-for-hire. His latest assignment is more low-stakes than usual: Sofia, his half brother’s 11-year-old daughter, hires him to track down her pinscher/Chihuahua mix. The search for the AWOL pooch takes on bigger stakes when, while casing the neighborhood where the dog was last seen, Smoak encounters the bloody handiwork of Karissa Lopatina, an assassin known as the Wolf. With the help of his allies—including teen protégé Joey and expert forger Melinda Truong—Smoak learns the Wolf is involved in a war between deranged billionaires over a dangerous technology, and enters into a bone-crunching cage match to bring her down. Hurwitz brings more humor to the table than usual this time, and fleshes out Smoak’s family ties in an attempt to add dimension to the character. Still, it’s not enough to enliven the dusty plot. This series appears to be running out of steam. (Feb.)