Exit Strategy

I've read a couple of her Otherworld books -- Dime Store Magic and Industrial Magic -- but I haven't read the whole series. However, I liked those well enough that when I saw she was trying something new, I wanted to check it out. I'm delighted I did. Exit Strategy is fabulous. The writing was taut, but descriptive, and the book had an interesting pace. For a thriller, it initially seemed slow, but I thought the choice suited the rather careful main character, Nadia Stafford. I prefer Exit Strategy to her Otherworld series. It's different and fresh with low simmering sexual tension, and a truly intriguing enigma of a hero in Jack. I can't wait to see how that plays out. I'm pre-ordering the next installment and hope this is beginning of a long run. If you're looking for a smart, tough, capable heroine along the lines of Eve Dallas, you can't go wrong with this book.

I've always loved Kelley's Women of the Otherworld series, so I decided to give this one a try. I thought I'd like it, but I enjoyed it much more than I even expected! The main two characters were interesting and likable. I liked the whole idea of Nadia and her "hitman/hitwoman" world. There was plenty of action, character development, and some romance/sexual tension. Kelley is an excellent writer and I can't wait for the next installment in this series!

"Exit Strategy" is a new series from author Kelley Armstrong featuring a hitwoman named Nadia Stafford. She is an ex-cop who was retired after shooting a suspect dead. I like Nadia's character. She is a strong and likable heroine. After leaving the Canadian Police force, Nadia buys a small lodge where she tries to start a new life with the shadow of her past hanging over her. When the lodge threatens to go under from lack of funds, she gets an offer that would help supplement her income and keep the lodge. So, she finds herself working for the Tomassinis doing hits for them on small time criminals. She not only finds herself a new career as a hitwoman, she finds that she is quite good at it. When Jack, her mysterious hitman mentor, comes with an offer to track down and kill a hitman turned serial killer she joins the hunt. She meets some rather complex and cagey characters in the hitman community and has to turn from hunter to hunted to catch the serial killer. I enjoyed this story very much. I liked the relation between Nadia and Jack. Like Nadia, Jack's character is deeply complex. I can't wait to see how that relationship plays out. It is quite different from Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld stories. There is nothing supernatural about this series. It is fast paced and the action doesn't waver. With 500 plus pages, she did a great job keeping my interest going. I can't wait for the series to continue. I suggest more of Kelley Armstrong's work. My favorites include: Bitten (Women of the Otherworld, Book 1), Stolen (Women of the Otherworld, Book 2), and Broken (Women of the Otherworld, Book 6). Jennifer

Kelley Armstrong has always had the ability to draw believable characters. In her capable hands characters come to life, imbued with feelings and motivations that make sense. The reader may not always agree with the actions or reasons, but the author's skill provides a believable backdrop for the individual's actions. A good story directed by a craftsman is a lovely thing to read. Nadia Stafford is a complex character. Cop, true-believer, killer, damaged soul - these are a few of the facets that make up the heroine in "Exit Strategy". This is not a book filled with main-stream characters. Nadia; her mentor, Jack; their fellow hit-men; and those that utilize their talents have scars -some of them obvious and others hidden deeply beneath the surface. Like most of us, the scars are what define these individuals and make their actions and decisions believable. I really enjoyed this book and was happy to see the author successfully branch out into another genre. I love her "Otherworld" books and look forward to reading many more of them, but I hope she will not let Nadia and Jack fall by the way-side. This book was defiantly worth the read.

A nice departure from the "Women of the Otherworld" series. Nadia (an adrenaline junkie and ex cop) is a hitman (no PC here) for a small family so she can keep her lodge afloat. Jack is kind of her mentor (no real clue how he got there) as a more experienced hitman. They are mutually attracted, but kind of iffy about it. The villain is another hitman turned serial killer and they need to stop him before he gets too much attention and it reflects on them. Nice case where neither of the parties is stupid or pulls silly stunts. We used to refer to "Mission Impossible" as amateur hour because of the many silly things done by both sides and the general stupidity. This is much much better written. As a volunteer firefighter for some 30 years and a fire investigator for 7 the natural gas explosion is a little stretch but credible. The characters are good if sometimes a little sketchy. Some humor and a very good plot with lots of twists. There appears to be some inconsistency about the villain's goals though. Overall an excellent read and a promising start to a new series. I just hope the author doesn't follow LKH in getting totally confused.