Gregg Hurwitz, Hellbent

Hellbent is the third book in Gregg Hurwitz's Orphan X series. Evan Smoak, trained from puberty as part of a black ops program, now uses his formidable skills to help the helpless.

That calling has its own considerable dangers. But he's also being hunted by similarly trained operatives who've been tasked with tying up loose ends.

Evan necessarily lives a secretive life—two lives, really. He excels at the lethal ninja stuff, but he's still learning how to play the average guy, which makes for some amusing interactions.

This time around, Evan has run-ins with Charles Van Sciver (his nemesis), Van Sciver's various cronies, and the L.A. chapter of MS-13. But his trip to Target with a new friend may be the most traumatic experience for him.

I really enjoy the Orphan X novels. They're great thrillers. Evan is an interesting, likable character who's growing as a person as we read, and events in this latest installment humanize him just a bit more. It just keeps getting better.