Product Description

To the outside world Nadia Stafford is a smart, good-looking, law-abiding citizen. Well, two out of three's not bad...An ex-cop with a legal code all her own, Nadia has a secret life as a world-class assassin. She works only for one New York crime family, who pay her handsomely to bump off traitors. But when a troubled teenager and her baby vanish in the woods near her home, Nadia's old detective instincts - and the memory of a past loss - compel her to investigate. With her enigmatic mentor Jack to support her, Nadia unearths sinister clues that point to an increasingly dark and deadly mystery. As her obsession over the case deepens, Nadia realises that the only way she can right the wrongs of the present is to face her own painful ghosts - or die trying. And so she sets off on the trail of a young woman no one else cares about - and a killer who is bound to strike again...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13651 in Books
• Published on: 2009-02-26
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 416 pages

About the Author
Kelley Armstrong is married with two children. She lives in Ontario.

Customer Reviews

Action adventure all round.
Made to be Broken is the sequal to Exit Strategy the first of Kelley Armstrongs books featuring the hit woman Nadia Stafford.(For those readers of Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series, this book is not urban fantasy.) Exit Strategy introduced the character of Nadia Stafford - an ex cop turned wilderness lodge owner who also moonlights as an assassin to make enough money to keep her business running. Nadia for all she is a cold blooded killer is acctually quite an engaging character that the reader warms to far more than you might expect. In Exit Strategy a group of hit men teamed up to find a hit man turned serial killer and leading to an all action thriller or a novel.

In Made to be Broken, a teenage mother employed by Nadia goes missing with her daughter. When the police, her mother and almost everyone else show no interest in her disappearance Nadia (aided by Jack, Quinn and Evelyn) starts to investigate her disappearance. This book does not have the same non stop action pace of Exit Strategy, and while there is much more character insight, I didn't find the story to be as strong. Kelley Armstrong is a very good writer and this is a competent and enjoyable book but though a very good read, it's not quite up to her best standards hence the four stars.

Return of Nadia and Jack !
Made to be Broken (Nadia Stafford)this is a great book and I really enjoyed getting a further insight into Nadia's past and a more detailed look at her life at the lodge . Despite the fact she is a hit woman she is a very hardworking ,charitable and caring person and I find her a heroine who I can really root for and care about .
Jack was a bit more forthcoming about his past but I still find myself wishing he was more open in his feelings for Nadia . That is the only bone of contention for me with regards to this book .They are like some victorian star crossed lovers unable to communicate their feelings for each other and even though Nadia wants Jack she is willing to settle for Quinn thinking Jack isn't intrested!!!!
I hate triangles ,they are sleazy , unprincipled and ickky ,though many authors use them to manipulate readers into following a series to find out who ends up with who ,or who is cheating on who !!
I hope Kelley Armstrong does not follow such a cheap ploy and compromise Nadia's integrity . I don't want Nadia to have sex with Quinn only to find out later that Jack does care for her and she got it all wrong !!!
Quinn is sexy but it is Jack that has that dangerous edge about him and who has been at her back from the start . If Nadia crosses the line with Quinn for a momentary thrill it will totally ruin the series for me and lump Nadia into the same catogory as all the other dithering ,unprincipled heroines already littering the bookshelves.
Can't wait for the next book.Kelley Armstrong grabs your interest and keeps it hooked throughout the book .

Made to be read
Fans of Kelley Armstrong will perhaps know her best for her Supernatural writings in her Otherworld series along with her Young Adult Darkest Powers series, yet this offering might not be getting the full press to which it rightly deserves as we follow the exploits of an ex-cop turned assassin. Its well written, its gripping stuff and above all, she brings her trademark sassiness along with well rounded characterisation to the book.

Its something that may elude a number of readers due to being plain fiction but its definitely a series that I highly recommend to readers who want something a little different and as a good example of character creation and development.