Great story. Tons of fun. Was delighted to see the audiobook is over 16 hours. That’s 16 hours with Evan Smoak and Scott Brick. Can’t beat it.

Mr. Hurwitz does some experimentation with this novel, with “prologue” type chapters (and I say ‘type’ because it happens in a couple of places in the book, not just in the prologue) written in present tense, while the bulk of the story is written in the more commercially normal past tense. Also, there is one chapter near the end in which the author breaks the fourth wall and talks directly to the reader, addressing the reader as “you.” It all sounds pretty avant garde, and for genre fiction it might be. But don’t worry, it’s not distracting and if you’re just following along with the story you might not even notice.

The author also goes more deeply than ever into his characters and relationships. He attacks some pretty morally complex issues, and the emotional forces at work within and around those issues, in a way that is definitely uncommon in action thrillers. You could also say that he takes seemingly morally unambiguous situations and, by adding a deeper-than-normal-for-thrillers human element, makes them complicated. I’d say this is where he really does get kinda avant garde.

Mr. Hurwitz uses character as a primary plot mover, too. This is also uncommon in thrillers, which generally take a more Manichean and simplistic view of moral and human complexity and let events, not people, drive the plot. In this novel, Mr. Hurwitz puts ‘good guy’ characters in some morally confusing but emotionally compelling positions, resulting in unexpected conflict. This is done mostly to good effect.

The prose in this novel continues the trend in the Orphan X series of becoming ever more descriptive, and of using more and more precise language and connotation to convey imagery. There are passages here that risk becoming purple. Some are at least a little bit mauve. A few times, I kind of winced. Many more times, I paused to appreciate the beautiful (or simply clever) phrasing.

Overall a fun thriller, but Mr. Hurwitz may be in danger of writing a literary novel in the future.