The Prodigal Son, An Orphan X Novel, Book 6, Gregg Hurwitz, author; Scott Brick, narrator
Evan Smoak was Orphan X. Abandoned by his mom, he lived in the Pride House Group Home. One day, a man, Jack, who seems to “trade” in orphans, came to choose a strong boy to “adopt”, but no one knew who the man was or what it was he did with the boys he takes. Still, all the boys thought it was their ticket out of the orphan home. When he didn’t choose Evan, it didn’t stop him. Evan was small, but he made up for his lack of size and brawn with brains and courage. He wheedled his way into the good graces of the man and entered his world to be trained as an assassin, doing clandestine work for America. He no longer was Orphan X, but became the Nowhere Man.
Now retired, Evan lives quietly, enjoying his life. A phone call changes all that. A woman claims to be his mother and insists that she needs his help. She knows he has “helped” people, and her friend is in need of his help. She has no idea how he helps people, however. Evan secretly travels to see his mother, breaking the agreement with the President of the United States to remain in retirement, in exchange for his freedom. He does not want to go to prison. However, he becomes entangled in a diabolical web of intrigue that involves her friend. A barbaric weapon has been developed that seems to be out of science fiction. It is a tiny drone like insect which was used to murder the whistleblower intent on exposing the developers of this doomsday weapon. His mother’s friend has witnessed the murder of this man, Hargreaves, and now he is their target.
Andrew Duran is the man her mother wants him to help. Once independent and happy, his life has fallen apart. He is ashamed of his job as the caretaker of a graveyard for battered cars. He doesn’t see his ex-wife or their daughter. He is broke. When an odd, well-dressed couple came to the car “boneyard” and announced they are FBI agents, he agreed to help them. They wanted to know when a Mr. Hargreaves returns to pick up his wreck. He agreed to call them because he was offered a sum of money that would solve many of his problems. He knew it sounded odd, but he thought, how could it hurt to help them? He checked on them when it was too late, after he had witnessed a murder. Now they wanted to murder him, also. The weapon he saw them use was out of science fiction, and he was terrified.
Evan agrees to help this man because he feels he owes it to his mother. He discovers many secrets in the effort to help him. Soon, Evan too, is in grave danger. His charge, Joey, a computer genius, helps him try to save Andrew and then, himself. Older than her 16 years, she is also an orphan. They have an unusual kind of friendship.
I found the book confusing and longer than necessary because it couldn’t seem to decide whether it was a thriller, a sci-fi novel, a psychological self-help book or a book about undiscovered relationships and the importance of family and roots. The language was unnecessarily foul at times, and the dialogue seemed trite and out of place. The ending leaves the reader in the dark as to Evan’s future, or as to the plot of the next novel in the series.
As a reader, I was left with many questions. Who was the Prodigal Son of the title? Was it the younger Andrew? In the Parable of Jesus, it is the younger brother who is given the second chance and forgiven for his misdeeds. It is the older one who is angry, because he has always been obedient and has not been rewarded. However, the father explains, his younger son has been resurrected, so it calls for a celebration. From one of the parables of Jesus: “It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found”. Does that mean Andrew is going to be featured in future books in the series?