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39th out of 437 books
—
1,525 voters
Made to Be Broken (Nadia Stafford #2)
by
Kelley Armstrong (Goodreads Author)
The author of the acclaimed Women of the Otherworld series returns with her latest novel featuring an exciting heroine with a lethal hidden talent. This time she’s hot on the trail of a young woman no one else cares about—and a killer who’s bound to strike again.
Nadia Stafford isn’t your typical nature lodge owner. An ex-cop with a legal code all her own, she’s known only...more
Nadia Stafford isn’t your typical nature lodge owner. An ex-cop with a legal code all her own, she’s known only...more
Paperback, 416 pages
Published
February 24th 2009
by Bantam
(first published February 17th 2009)
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"Made to Be Broken" is a taut read by Kelley Armstrong. It's book two in her series about a female contract killer and is a far cry from her 'Underworld' paranormal urban fantasy series. These books are a combination of murder, mystery, action, and suspense that grab you from the first page and carry you along as you delve into, not just the mystery, but the psyche of the lead characters and their decision-making processes. As a fan of her 'Underworld' books, when I picked up "Exit Strategy", th...more
The second Nadia-Stafford-book, and I loved it as much as I loved the first one. It has equally great storytelling, equally great worldbuilding, very nice protagonists and...
Okay, it's as good as the first one, now let's cut that stuff and talk about the love triangle.
Nadia and Quinn. Quite nice, the two! An intelligent, caring, good-looking, interested guy, well educated, well mannered - and they are so alike!! Same character treats, same thinking, same hobbies, same anything - if you wouldn'...more
Okay, it's as good as the first one, now let's cut that stuff and talk about the love triangle.
Nadia and Quinn. Quite nice, the two! An intelligent, caring, good-looking, interested guy, well educated, well mannered - and they are so alike!! Same character treats, same thinking, same hobbies, same anything - if you wouldn'...more
‘Made to Be Broken’ by Kelly Armstrong
Published by Sphere, March 2009. ISBN: 978-0-7515-3813-7
I found this an unusual book. Maybe because I am so used to the black and white of good and evil – the good don’t kill and the evil do. However, that turns on its head with this book as the protagonist Nadia Stafford who, as she puts it, moonlights ‘as a hitman to keep my business – a wilderness lodge – open’ .
When Sammi Ernst, a single mother who works at Nadia’s lodge as a waitress, disappears, no one...more
Published by Sphere, March 2009. ISBN: 978-0-7515-3813-7
I found this an unusual book. Maybe because I am so used to the black and white of good and evil – the good don’t kill and the evil do. However, that turns on its head with this book as the protagonist Nadia Stafford who, as she puts it, moonlights ‘as a hitman to keep my business – a wilderness lodge – open’ .
When Sammi Ernst, a single mother who works at Nadia’s lodge as a waitress, disappears, no one...more
Second in the Nadia Stafford suspense series, the title is a theme, which runs throughout the series and particularly applies to this installment.
The Story
The disappearance of a local young girl and her baby triggers a flashback and the need to know for Nadia. The girl is not from a respected echelon of society and she can’t get the cops interested enough to look into it even though there are just too many clues indicating foul play. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough of the right kind of clues...more
The Story
The disappearance of a local young girl and her baby triggers a flashback and the need to know for Nadia. The girl is not from a respected echelon of society and she can’t get the cops interested enough to look into it even though there are just too many clues indicating foul play. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough of the right kind of clues...more
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I actually liked this better than Nadia Stafford #1 because there was less chance that the utter ridiculousness of a semiromance/supernatural genre author knowing anything about hitman society would come to the fore. The book focuses on Nadia's emotional problems regarding her childhood that make her need to kill rapists/murderers of the innocent, and how she hunts down and kills people who are killing teen mothers in order to take and sell their babies. So it's much more "believeable" and the s...more
I have never read any other of Kelly Armstrong’s books, although I am aware of her other world series. It was never my cup of tea, so I never had any interest. In fact, I never realized this was the same author when I brought the first one home. I can’t compare this to her other writing, just the first book in the series. I was attracted to this book at first, because of the female hitman angle. I wasn’t sure how they would keep this up in the second book, especially when it’s based around her h...more
I love Kelley Armstrong mostly for her credible characteriations, and think that her skill in keeping her characters plausible even in a supernatural setting - I don't think anyone but her could have believably pulled off a pregnant werewolf.
While not featuring any supernatural elements, a cop-turned-hitwoman is almost as high on the improbability scale as werewolves, witches and vampires, and again one has to admire Kelley Armstrong's talent in being able to depict a heroine like Nadia Stafford...more
While not featuring any supernatural elements, a cop-turned-hitwoman is almost as high on the improbability scale as werewolves, witches and vampires, and again one has to admire Kelley Armstrong's talent in being able to depict a heroine like Nadia Stafford...more
This was a great edition to Kelley Armstrong's Nadia Stafford series. In this installment one of her employees, a teenage mother. The very bad part is that the baby is also missing. Despite how hard the employee's life has been she has studied and done everything within her power to be a good mother and ensure she does not end up on government assistance. Unfortunately, everyone in town expects nothing less of Sammi given her and her mother's background. Nadia is suspicious. Jack, Quinn and Evel...more
I haven't actually READ Kelley Armstrong, which is stupid considering she has one of the best werewolf books out there so I hear? Next on my list, except they're charging 9.99 for a PAPERBACK THAT'S 3 YEARS OLD ON THE KINDLE! So...yeah. Maybe I'll get that book LATER.
THIS BOOK is really interesting, I accidentally picked this one up, the second in the series, and it was easy to find out what was happening. There is a LOT of killing in this book, I mean, they're hitmen, but I really liked it. May...more
THIS BOOK is really interesting, I accidentally picked this one up, the second in the series, and it was easy to find out what was happening. There is a LOT of killing in this book, I mean, they're hitmen, but I really liked it. May...more
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Although there aren't any supernatural elements in the Nadia Stafford books, if you like Armstrong's writing style, you will probably like this series. There are less "rules" to the world to deal with so she doesn't have to spend as much time with that, and she can focus more on the characters. Also, there are fewer characters clamoring for attention so she can fully explore them. If you're looking for resolutions for any relationships in this book, you won't find them. In fact, they just get de...more
I enjoyed "Made to be Broken" much, much more than "Exit Strategy." Truthfully, although I didn't dislike the first book, I considered dropping the series and not continuing on to MTBB after finishing ES.
Something made me reconsider, though, and I forged ahead. I was not disappointed. While ES was slightly too graphic (when describing the murders from the serial killer's perspective)and a little bit of a slow-starter for me, MTBB was practically perfect! I think I devoured it in about 3 days, w...more
Something made me reconsider, though, and I forged ahead. I was not disappointed. While ES was slightly too graphic (when describing the murders from the serial killer's perspective)and a little bit of a slow-starter for me, MTBB was practically perfect! I think I devoured it in about 3 days, w...more
I liked this one better than book 1. I think it's because the subject matter seems more personal. Not that I even have kids, but the fact that you get a feel for the victim. Also, it's more personal to Nadia and what happens is even more socially taboo than what happened in book 1. The theme makes you become more emotionally involved.
I like Nadia a lot, but I'm getting impatient to see what's going on with Jack. Of course, it's written to make me feel that way. I thought the last chapter was rea...more
I like Nadia a lot, but I'm getting impatient to see what's going on with Jack. Of course, it's written to make me feel that way. I thought the last chapter was rea...more
Nadia Stafford is a part-time hitman (woman?, person?). The rest of the time she runs a wilderness lodge in Ontario. One of her employees, a young teenage mom, goes missing. Sammi comes from the wrong side of the tracks and her mother is the town drunk. With the exception of her best friend Tess, no one seems to care that Sammi and her baby are gone. Nadia begins to investigate Sammi's disappearance and is soon following a dark trail of clues.
The premise is quite intriguing, but this book didn'...more
The premise is quite intriguing, but this book didn'...more
This book was the second instalment to the Nadia Stafford series, and I enjoyed this one much more than the last one.
Kelley Armstrong positioned this series as that of the mystery genre, with Nadia as the heroine who struggled with the emotional scars left by her past. The book picked up quickly and early on in the story, with the disappearance of the teenage employee on Nadia’s staff at her lodge business. Nadia enlisted the assistance of her mentor on the “killer-for-hire” profession, Jack, an...more
Kelley Armstrong positioned this series as that of the mystery genre, with Nadia as the heroine who struggled with the emotional scars left by her past. The book picked up quickly and early on in the story, with the disappearance of the teenage employee on Nadia’s staff at her lodge business. Nadia enlisted the assistance of her mentor on the “killer-for-hire” profession, Jack, an...more
This is the sequel to Exit Strategy and it is very good. The story picks up a little bit after Exit Strategy ends so it is helpful to have read the first book, but not necessary. Nadia is a lodge owner, former cop, and a hitman (or more technically a hitwoman) for a small crime family. She has her own sense of right and wrong. When one of her employees disappears Nadia takes a personal interest and finds herself in a far more convoluted plot than she imagined. She gets help from Jack, her mentor...more
Nadia Stafford, with her dual lives of hitwoman extraordinaire and outdoor pursuits lodge owner, gets worried when one of her employees, a young girl with a baby goes missing. Neither the local police nor the girls own mother seem to care. Jack comes to stay at the lodge after breaking an ankle following a job and he wants to help. Quinn comes on board confusing Nadia further where he is concerned and then Evelyn invites herself into the mix, hinting at a vigilante organisation she thinks Nadia...more
I just have to say that I absolutely love Kelley Armstrong. I get swept up into her stories. Her characters are complex but not boring. Can't say I love the love interest in this one. Prefer the other relationship, the one that would be a little harder. The one that they both try to deny their feelings for each other. I don't think her love interest in this book will last. The premise of this book was to solve a teen mother murder/baby kidnapping spree. It had a lot of twists and turns. Always k...more
This is my second time reading this series and I loved it even more the second time around.
I don't think any 2 characters have ever captivated and frustrated me as much as jack and nadia! In this 2nd book, they tag-team it to find a missing employee of nadia's and have quite a bumpy ride. First off, jack has been keeping his distance ever since learning that nadia and quinn have been staying in touch...and nadia of course mistakes this for just being too busy for her. That's the start of many mi...more
I don't think any 2 characters have ever captivated and frustrated me as much as jack and nadia! In this 2nd book, they tag-team it to find a missing employee of nadia's and have quite a bumpy ride. First off, jack has been keeping his distance ever since learning that nadia and quinn have been staying in touch...and nadia of course mistakes this for just being too busy for her. That's the start of many mi...more
This book was very similar to book 1, in that I was disappointed and underwhelmed. I was expecting this book to pick up a bit more and have more development in the Jack and Nadia relationship. I think I prefered the story in book 1 because it had a bigger sense of danger. This was again quite slow and understated, but has the potential for brilliance, with great characters. I only have to wait for a few months for book 3, but if I had to wait 3 years to see if Jack and Nadia get their act togeth...more
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While I like the premise of the series, I didn't think this was particularly strong. The villains, other than the initial one who was dispatched early, were bureaucrats - faceless and not all that compelling. The "love" "triangle" just isn't holding up for me, and the main character's deep dark subconscious secret was so obvious that it took me a book and a half to realize that it was supposed to be a secret. It is nice to read a noir-ish thriller written from a feminist perspective, but I certa...more
This is the second novel in Kelley Armstrong's new series about ex-cop turned hitwoman Nadia Stafford. It is even better than the first book, Exit Strategy. The writing flows more smoothly and tt is obvious Kelley Armstrong has found her voice and became more comfortable in Nadia's skin.
- Armstrong's characterzitaion is always one of the strongest and best traits of her novels. Her characters in Made to Be Broken are no exception. Those who read Exit Strategy couldn't wait to see Nadia, Jack, Q...more
- Armstrong's characterzitaion is always one of the strongest and best traits of her novels. Her characters in Made to Be Broken are no exception. Those who read Exit Strategy couldn't wait to see Nadia, Jack, Q...more
This is an unexpectedly charming and engaging book about a 33-year-old former policewoman, Nadia Stafford, who now operates a vacation wilderness lodge in Ontario, but works as a contract killer for extra cash.
The characters in this book are incredibly interesting and appealing, and yes, make me want to be a contract killer when I grow up! The plot has a nice mix of serious issues, humor, and romance, without going overboard on any of them. I was pleasantly surprised and definitely would read an...more
The characters in this book are incredibly interesting and appealing, and yes, make me want to be a contract killer when I grow up! The plot has a nice mix of serious issues, humor, and romance, without going overboard on any of them. I was pleasantly surprised and definitely would read an...more
Made to be Broken, is the second book in Kelley Armstrong's Nadia Stafford series.
Nadia Stafford returns in “Made to be Broken, and she is still hit woman in her spare time. Nadia works hard to hide her secret life. She is known as ‘Dee’ to the crime family that pays her to eliminate traitors. Nadia is working at her lodge, when a teenage girl and her baby, who works for her vanishes. Though the people in town think the girl ran off with her baby, Nadia suspects something is not right. She mana...more
Nadia Stafford returns in “Made to be Broken, and she is still hit woman in her spare time. Nadia works hard to hide her secret life. She is known as ‘Dee’ to the crime family that pays her to eliminate traitors. Nadia is working at her lodge, when a teenage girl and her baby, who works for her vanishes. Though the people in town think the girl ran off with her baby, Nadia suspects something is not right. She mana...more
Highly enjoyable romantic suspense with a chilling yet believable plot centered around black-market adoptions. Dealing with themes of slut-shaming, teen pregnancy and how rape culture influences the justice system, there was far more substance in Made To Be Broken than there was in the first Nadia Stafford book, which had a less original plot involving the standard thriller fare of psychotic serial killers.
Nadia's gentle sarcasm and her banter with Jack and Quinn just manage to keep the book fr...more
Nadia's gentle sarcasm and her banter with Jack and Quinn just manage to keep the book fr...more
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4.5 stars I couldn't quite give this book 5 stars because it's not the best book ever written (and I try to be very stingy with my 5 stars) but it's definitely a strong 4.5 and I LOVED it! I can't even really say why. It's pretty long so you would think it drags at some point, but I was constantly involved and interested without it being non-stop action. The story/mystery portion in this book and the first one were extremely well developed (did not see where they would end up) without being over...more
Nadia is a genuinely unique character, a female assassin who occasionally manages to show a little weakness. She has her own demons, as most assassins (especially female ones) in novels do, but she often thinks about her cousin's rape and murder instead of pushing it aside. She seems less hardened than other characters in the same types of books.
Nadia's relationship with Quinn progresses slightly further but she is also beginning to view Jack as a potential love interest. When considering who is...more
Nadia's relationship with Quinn progresses slightly further but she is also beginning to view Jack as a potential love interest. When considering who is...more
Nadia Stafford spends most of her time working as a nature lodge owner in Canada, but twice a year she moonlights as a hitwoman, taking down gang members for the Tomassinis. She manages to keep both parts of her life nice and separate until one of her employees, a teenage mother from a bad family, goes missing. After looking at the facts, Nadia knows that Sammi has been kidnapped, but the local police, giving the girl's background, refuse to take it seriously. Nadia, with the help of her mentor...more
Nadia Stafford isn’t your typical nature lodge owner. An ex-cop with a legal code all her own, she’s known only as “Dee” to her current employer: The Tomassinis a New York crime family that pays her handsomely to bump off traitors. But when Nadia discovers that a troubled teenage employee and her baby have vanished in the Canadian woods, the memory of a past loss comes back with a vengeance and her old instincts go into overdrive.
There are an assortment of characters in this book. Jack, her ment...more
There are an assortment of characters in this book. Jack, her ment...more
You wouldn't think a book about a hitwoman could be a comfort read, but I am finding Made to be Broken, book #2 in the Nadia Stafford series, to be deeply satisfying and comforting for two reasons:
1. The absolute expertise of the heroine Nadia.
2. The deep sense of understanding between Nadia and Jack, her hit man mentor
It is such an enjoyable world to be in for these two reasons. Of course it's also great fun to see these two use their hit man know-how solve the crime.
Basic setup: Nadia (who s...more
1. The absolute expertise of the heroine Nadia.
2. The deep sense of understanding between Nadia and Jack, her hit man mentor
It is such an enjoyable world to be in for these two reasons. Of course it's also great fun to see these two use their hit man know-how solve the crime.
Basic setup: Nadia (who s...more
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Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers' dismay. All efforts to make her produce "normal" stories failed.
Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked a...more
More about Kelley Armstrong...
Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked a...more
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“I love that woman. The only thing I want is for her to be happy. I'll do whatever it takes to see that happen. Do you get that?”
—
3 people liked it
“That's my point, you dumb f-ing Mick. You're not just letting him poach on your turf--you're opening the gate and inviting him in...Why don't you just hand him a bouquet of roses and a box of f-ing condoms while you're at it, Jacko?"
"It's not like that," Jack said.
"No? Nadia is yours, and it's about time you had the balls to do something about it.”
—
1 person liked it
More quotes…
"It's not like that," Jack said.
"No? Nadia is yours, and it's about time you had the balls to do something about it.”
