Best Gregg Hurwitz Audiobooks
Gregg Hurwitz built one of thriller fiction's most compelling protagonists in Evan Smoak — a government-trained assassin turned reluctant protector, operating in the shadows of a world that wants him dead. The Orphan X series runs on lean, propulsive prose and action choreography that feels grounded and kinetic rather than cartoonish. Hurwitz understands pacing the way good cinematographers understand light: every scene either accelerates the tension or deepens the character, rarely both at once, yet somehow the whole thing moves fast. Titles like Orphan X and Hellbent show off his skill at writing morally complicated heroes who live by codes the rest of us can't quite argue with. Scott Brick's narration has become inseparable from the series for audiobook listeners. If you want modern action thrillers with genuine craft and a protagonist worth following for the long haul, Hurwitz delivers.
Where to Start with Gregg Hurwitz
- Best entry point → Orphan X
- Best standalone → The Crime Writer
- Start the Orphan X #10.5 series → The Code: An Orphan X Short Story: Orphan X
- Underrated but highly rated → Lone Wolf
- What fans keep coming back to → The Nowhere Man
- Highest rated by listeners → Hellbent (Orphan X #3)
Best Gregg Hurwitz Audiobooks
- 1
Hellbent
Orphan X • Book 3
Narrated by Scott Brick
★ 4.73 ABR Score (38.1K ratings)★ 4.44 Goodreads (25.3K) ★ 4.75 Audible (12.8K)More about this pick
The Nowhere Man faces his past when his surrogate father Jack Johns is targeted for knowing too much about the secret Orphan X assassination program.
- 2
Into the Fire
An Orphan X Novel • Book 5
Narrated by Scott Brick
★ 4.73 ABR Score (28.5K ratings)★ 4.43 Goodreads (19.1K) ★ 4.79 Audible (9.4K)More about this pick
Scott Brick's relentless intensity transforms this fifth Orphan X into pure propulsive momentum—his voice becomes the weapon, making every tense standoff and moral reckoning land with genuine weight.
- 3
Out of the Dark
An Orphan X Novel • Book 4
Narrated by Scott Brick
★ 4.71 ABR Score (31.8K ratings)★ 4.4 Goodreads (21.6K) ★ 4.77 Audible (10.2K)More about this pick
Scott Brick's measured intensity perfectly captures Evan Smoak's lethal precision—making this fourth Orphan X installment feel like a masterclass in smart thriller narration that never oversells the danger.
- 4
Prodigal Son
An Orphan X Novel • Book 6
Narrated by Scott Brick
★ 4.59 ABR Score (22.9K ratings)★ 4.35 Goodreads (17.7K) ★ 4.69 Audible (5.2K)More about this pick
Scott Brick's narration transforms this spy thriller into something addictive—his measured intensity makes every revelation land harder, and the character work hits deeper than typical action fare.
- 5
Dark Horse
An Orphan X Novel • Book 7
Narrated by Scott Brick
★ 4.59 ABR Score (21.5K ratings)★ 4.37 Goodreads (16.9K) ★ 4.68 Audible (4.6K)More about this pick
Scott Brick's measured intensity perfectly captures Evan Smoak's controlled precision in this seventh installment—a thriller that rewards longtime fans while delivering genuine stakes and moral complexity.
- 6
Lone Wolf
Orphan X • Book 9
Narrated by Scott Brick
★ 4.54 ABR Score (16.3K ratings)★ 4.33 Goodreads (13.4K) ★ 4.68 Audible (2.9K)More about this pick
Evan Smoak faces his most personal mission yet as Orphan X in Hurwitz's ninth installment of vigilante justice. Scott Brick's familiarity with the series adds depth to every action sequence.
- 7
Orphan X
Orphan X • Book 1
Narrated by Scott Brick
★ 4.51 ABR Score (82.4K ratings)★ 4.14 Goodreads (56.7K) ★ 4.53 Audible (25.7K)More about this pick
Evan Smoak helps desperate people who have nowhere else to turn, but his assassin past refuses to stay buried. Brick captures both the character's lethal skills and unexpected compassion.
- 8
The Nowhere Man
Orphan X • Book 2
Narrated by Scott Brick
★ 4.46 ABR Score (45.1K ratings)★ 4.16 Goodreads (32.0K) ★ 4.52 Audible (13.1K)More about this pick
Former government assassin Evan Smoak is captured and tortured, forcing him to escape while protecting those he's sworn to help. Scott Brick's intense performance matches the relentless action of this sequel.
- 9
The Recital
Orphan X #8.5 • Book 8
Narrated by Scott Brick
★ 4.45 ABR Score (3.9K ratings)★ 4.35 Goodreads (3.0K) ★ 4.79 Audible (892)More about this pick
Teenage hacker Joey trades assassination training for piano lessons in this brief but touching glimpse into finding normalcy after a violent past. Scott Brick's warm reading fits the story's hopeful tone.
- 10
The Last Orphan
Orphan X • Book 8
Narrated by Scott Brick
★ 4.43 ABR Score (17.5K ratings)★ 4.23 Goodreads (15.3K) ★ 4.59 Audible (2.2K)More about this pick
Evan Smoak faces his deadliest challenge when the Orphan program's secrets threaten everyone he's tried to protect. Scott Brick brings intensity to every action sequence and emotional weight to Evan's final confrontation with his past.
- 11
Nemesis
Orphan X • Book 10
Narrated by Scott Brick
★ 4.41 ABR Score (12.9K ratings)★ 4.27 Goodreads (10.2K) ★ 4.54 Audible (2.7K)More about this pick
Evan Smoak faces his greatest threat yet when his oldest friend Tommy becomes his enemy, shattering the assassin's moral code. Another solid Scott Brick performance in this explosive series finale.
- 12
Antihero
Orphan X • Book 11
Narrated by Scott Brick
★ 4.28 ABR Score (3.7K ratings)★ 4.46 Goodreads (3.2K) ★ 4.47 Audible (492)More about this pick
Former Orphan X assassin Evan Smoak faces his most complex mission yet, balancing vengeance with mercy in ways that challenge every operational rule.
- 13
The Code: An Orphan X Short Story: Orphan X
Orphan X #10.5
Narrated by Scott Brick
★ 4.20 ABR Score (1.7K ratings)★ 4.21 Goodreads (1.3K) ★ 4.65 Audible (353)More about this pick
Scott Brick captures seventeen-year-old Evan's transformation during the most brutal military training, long before he became the whispered legend Orphan X.
- 14
Buy a Bullet
Orphan X #1.5 • Book 1
Narrated by Scott Brick
★ 4.18 ABR Score (9.9K ratings)★ 3.92 Goodreads (6.1K) ★ 4.39 Audible (3.9K)More about this pick
Before becoming the Nowhere Man, Evan Smoak completes his first unofficial rescue mission in Northern California. This Orphan X prequel shows how a trained assassin transitions into an underground guardian for the desperate.
- 15
The Intern: An Orphan X Short Story
An Orphan X Novel • Book 3
Narrated by Scott Brick
★ 4.10 ABR Score (5.7K ratings)★ 3.77 Goodreads (3.8K) ★ 4.45 Audible (1.9K)More about this pick
Scott Brick's gravelly intensity makes this taut revenge setup crackle—he's the perfect voice for a lethal operative forced to protect an ordinary person caught in the crossfire.
- 16
The Crime Writer
Narrated by Scott Brick
★ 3.95 ABR Score (7.5K ratings)★ 3.68 Goodreads (3.7K) ★ 4.21 Audible (3.8K)More about this pick
Crime novelist Drew Danner wakes up in a hospital with memory loss, discovered holding a knife over his ex-fiancée's bloody corpse. Scott Brick's tense narration matches this psychological thriller's paranoid atmosphere perfectly.