Action, drama and mystery – the Orphan X series has it all. I was sucked into the show with the very first book, and my husband is now addicted to the show as well. The first book, Orphan X, introduces you to Evan Smoak, retired off-the-books intelligence operative. Evan has reinvented himself, using his skills and resources to help those in perilous situations. He starts the series on his own, a man almost unable to bond, but throughout the series people tend to connect with him. And, in volume 5, In the fire, enters the series a Rhodesian Ridgeback named Dog. It pretty much sealed my love for this series. Book 8, The last orphan releases February 14, 2023 (yay!).
Now I had to wonder – a Rhodesian Ridgeback, it’s a pretty specific breed of dog, with some pretty specific traits – how did it end up in the book? Turns out best-selling author Gregg Hurwitz has a love for the breed, considering they’re part of his family. DOGSTER had the chance to chat with Gregg about his latest release and his puppies.
DOG: Tell us a bit about your dogs…
Greg: We just lost our big boy, Cairo. It was a 125 pound Rhodesian Ridgeback, the biggest we had ever seen. Incredibly sweet animal. You could lie on it like a mattress and take a nap. In the past year he had three legs, having lost a front leg to cancer. Very stoic, never complained. We miss him every day.
Zuma, our middle pup, came from a litter named after my thriller series Orphan X. He is very playful and intelligent. Love hugs. If I’m working and he wants my attention, he’ll climb into my lap. I work in a wheelchair and have a standing desk with wheels; I was at a Zoom conference once and he put his front paws on my shoulders and I grabbed the desk and the whole company – author, dog, chair, desk – rolled across the room and hit the ripe. He weighs around 110 pounds, also a black mask and a devastating beauty.
Nala, our baby puppy, is ridiculous. She sleeps on her back, her legs erect and her head across my neck and face. At 70 pounds, she is what we call our “Miniature Ridgeback.” Absurdly in love.
DOGSTER: In the very first book, Orphan X, when Evan’s neighbor Mia asked him what made him happy, he replied, “Rhodesian Ridgebacks.” How are the likes or dislikes of your main character, Evan, influenced by your own?
Greg: Evan is a tougher, more taciturn version of me. He has a deep connection to the Ridgebacks. After being snatched from a foster home at the age of 12 to be trained to become a clandestine assassin for the DoD, he was raised on the farm of his master, a former CIA station agent. named Jack Johns. Jack had a Ridgie named Strider, and Evan became very close to this dog.
Evan is a silent solo operator, essentially designed to be an expendable weapon. He struggles with personal relationships; I noticed a few times that he doesn’t understand the strange language of intimacy. But he found a strong connection to Strider (and eventually Dog the dog) because dogs represent unconditional love without judgment. A favorite dog joke? If you lock your spouse and your dog in the trunk of your car for 24 hours and then open it, who is happy to see you?
DOGSTER: I was thrilled to see Dog appear in In the fire. Why present it with a dogfight ring?
Greg: Because I needed a good excuse for Evan to kill a whole bunch of people, we would immediately forgive him for killing. And people who run dogfighting rings do the trick. And also, Dog is a wounded warrior much like Evan. Evan was the smallest child in his foster family and had to build himself up to become what he is today: Orphan X. Dog the dog was a bait puppy, injured and small, when Evan rescued him. They look a lot alike.
DOGSTER: Will Dog make an appearance in The last orphan? What else can we expect from this latest Orphan X novel?
Greg: Dog is now part of the core team, so he will definitely make an appearance. The latest Orphan X novel finds Evan Smoak facing his most dangerous mission yet. Although it’s a continuation of the series, it’s also a great starting point for new readers. The dog will be happy to greet anyone.
DOGSTER: You describe Dog as very nice, even though it’s a breed that was bred to hunt and be a protector. What was your experience with the Rhodesian Ridgebacks and do you think writing about one of your shows makes Dog a sort of ambassador for people who don’t know anything about the Rhodesian Ridgebacks?
Greg: They are the perfect animal. They are very sweet and affectionate. They are handsome and dignified, always posing as if waiting for someone to paint their oil portrait. They are very playful and love wrestling. These are serious chowhoounds. And if someone threatens its owners, there are a dozen kinds of badass.
Cairo had a boat that rocked the walls of the house. He used to sit on my lap when I sat in a chair, and he was so tall that his four legs were still on the floor.
I hope I passed that on with Dog the dog and that more readers decide to have Ridgebacks in their homes. They are an impossible breed to upgrade.
DOG: Do your dogs keep you company when you write?
Greg: They’re under my feet when I’m typing or sleeping in my office. I love having them around. Except when they fight, it’s like Jurassic Park in my office. People who don’t know the breed think they are trying to kill each other.
DOG: Do your dogs make appearances with you, like signings?
Greg: I wish. They are too big.
DOGSTER: Where can readers go to learn more about you, your dogs, and your dog?
Greg: Readers can connect with me on Facebook @gregghurwitzreaders, Twitter @GreggHurwitz and Instagram @gregghurwitzbooks and also sign up for my newsletters at www.gregghurwitz.net. And I post lots of pictures of dogs.
Check out the Orphan X series here:
Orphan X (2016)
The Nowhere Man (2017)
Hell (2018)
Out of the Dark (2019)
Into the Fire (2020)
Prodigal Son (2021)
Dark Horse (2022)
The Last Orphan (2023)
