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Book Review of Exit Strategy (Nadia Stafford, Bk 1)

Exit Strategy (Nadia Stafford, Bk 1)
jai avatar reviewed on + 310 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5


I liked this book because of the smart heroine. Nadia Stafford has to be, she's a hitman. People just don't last long in that business without brains. Either you get caught or you get killed. Nadia, or "Dee" (as she is called by other assassins who don't know her real name), was once a cop, born into a family of cops. After a traumatic childhood event, all it took for Nadia to take things into her own hands was one criminal scumbag who had hurt a young girl. Clearly she has issues brimming under the surface, but it may be her passion that makes her a good hitman. In Exit Strategy, she agrees to join a team of other hitmen who are going after one of their own. A professional killer has turned into a serial killer, and it has caused a shakedown from the law against the whole profession. This is NOT a paranormal, even though Kelley Armstrong is well known for her paranormal series, the Women of the Otherworld. Being a hitman was REALLY interesting to read about, especially things like trying to retire or having a family. No one trusts anyone, everyone has a hidden real identity, everyone's motives are suspect.. most people never retire: they die. And almost everyone in this book is the strong silent type. It's interesting how subtle the communication is between assassins. Facial expressions and head movements mean more than words. Actions speak loudest. I found the writing which moves between Nadia and the killer and his victims, very powerful. There is also there is a very subtle hint of a romance (I am thinking love triangle) in this book. It is barely even there, it's all in the silent communication. That's my take. I really want to know what happens in book 2. An interesting thriller.