I thoroughly enjoyed this first-in-a-new series post World War 2 spy novel/mystery. In fact, it's one of the best series debuts I've read in a long, long time.

After the war ended and with her career as a spy, Livy Nash ended up back home in England in a dead-end publishing job when she is offered the chance to work, once again, as a spy, this time under Ian Fleming.

I loved the plot and all the historic details. Loved the characters.

I'm eager to read the next book in the series, which I understand is scheduled to be released in September, 2020. I can hardly wait.

Highly recommended!!

"SPITFIRE" by M.L. Huie

I loved this book so much! A historical fiction mystery and thriller read that kept me glued to this book for the few days I have been immersed in this wonderful book! I was transported right away to the 1940's during the WWII as the country is recovering from the war. Livy Nash is an amazing character that is very well written and I am hoping to read more of her character in future books in the series. The world building as you read this book is simply out of this world. You will feel the immersion as Paris comes to life in that era - the sights, the sounds, the people. This is not just another Historical Fiction novel - this one is about espionage and the thrilling element with a splash of revenge and redemption is what makes this read absolutely phenomenal!!

I was really looking forward to this book based on the reviews I had seen. However, when I started to read it, the book didn’t grab my interest. For me, it dragged and I couldn’t concentrate on the storyline.

This book was nice it had all the ingredients of a good spy book with a female spy, a change from always having a male character.
Livy had to learn like everybody else how to live a regular life after the war. Working at a newspaper wasn"t much fun and money was tight until one day someone a Mr. Fleming comes along and puts Livy back to what she knows best. The war has ended it seems for the general population if they only knew.
Lies, traitors, past lovers etc... this book had it all.
I want to thank Netgalley and M.L. Huie for this advance copy in exchange of an honest review.

Spitfire by M.L. Huie is the first in a new series featuring Livy Nash who had been a spy during World War II but now was an alcoholic employed as a copy editor for a third-rate newspaper in London. The things she had seen had proven to be too much. As we open, there is to be a ceremony at the Palace recognizing those who had fulfilled this mission. She was to go but when she arrived, circumstances kept her from entering and being award a medal. She did however, run into her editor's wife, a woman she had little respect for, sadly. She crept into the nearest pub where she was contemplating her past when she was approached by a man names Ian Fleming, who represented a news conglomerate. He gave her his card and set an appointment for the following day. It turns out it was a good thing, because the editor's wife had described their run-in to her husband and she was summarily fired the next morning. She was two hours late for her appointment with Mr. Fleming.

I heard about this book from a group of mystery authors at a book signing. There is no higher recommendation than this. It turns out they were right. This is set to be a terrific series. It was a great beginning. Ivy has been traumatized and has taken to drink, but she knows this might be her last chance and so she really tries. She learns all he wants her to learn, but when her first assignment arrives, it doesn't work out. It was a test, she hopes, and not the real thing. She is sent to post-Nazi France in search of a list of names of people who make up a spy network, which had been in place during her previous time there...on the other side. Somehow they were still functioning and could be a great asset if they could be turned. When shown his picture, she recognized the leader, a double agent who had betrayed her and her boss, who had ended up dead. She promised herself she would not let him get away with it. Ivy is a terrific character and the mystery was a good one. Huie did a good job with misdirection so that the finale didn't come until it was time. No guessing ahead of time. A good book. I look forward to more. I highly recommend it.

I received a free copy of Spitfire from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #spitfire

Spitfire is a part spy part war book. Livy Nash was a British spy in France during WWII. One year later she finds herself working as a copy editor for a second rate newspaper in London until one day a mysterious man invites her for an interview. The best Nazi spy network during the war is still active and is up for sale. Apparently the person selling the list of members has specifically requested Livy to come to Paris to retrieve the list. In a race to get the network will Livy win or will the Russians? But is the leader of the network who they think it is.

The book was okay but it did not intrigue me enough to look for the next in the series. I did not find Livy an overly likable character and the spy work aspect of the story felt lacking. If you are going to have Ian Fleming as a character the spy work needs to be the best.

Livy Nash is a former spy turned columnist after WWII, mainlining black market vodka. She is approached by Ian Fleming with a job offer that will put her back in the action, and the opportunity to face the man who killed her one love long ago.

The premise of this book is what drew me in, a historical mystery novel with a female spy at the center. I also really liked that it took place after the war, that it focused on the aftermath and lingering conflict, the shifting of allies.

The story moved at a steady pace to keep my interest but there were some inconsistencies to the time period, references to “human trafficking”, etc.
I liked not being able to distinguish the good guys vs bad guys, which makes for a good mystery.

Thank you Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an advance e-copy

First in the series and a new to me author. I was intrigued by the premise. Livy Nash, a washed up war spy is drinking her way through the aftermath of war. He significant other was murdered by the Nazis and she doesn’t know how to move on from that devastation.

In comes Ian Fleming, a frontman for a news agency. Offers her a journalist job and chance at revenge. Livy has many character flaws.
This was an easy read. I would suggest phrase from post 1940 not be used in this period piece.

A spy mystery in the settings of world war 2 is one of my favorite backdrop for historical fiction so the summary itself got me interested. I enjoyed the characterization of Livy, the way she handles various tasks and her missions is very gritty and interesting. The plot has decent action and enough twists to keep the reader engaged. It felt very slow for me but I guess this was intended that way. It will suit a certain set of readers who would prefer a slow burn.

I am keen to know what her future holds as I feel her personal life could be more interesting.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy to review!

Livy Nash had been a spy during WWII. Now, home in London, she has had trouble readjusting..drinks a lot of black market vodka and her job as a proofreader for a dull newspaper. Livy is recruited to go back to France by Ian Fleming to track down the person who killed the man she loved. Thoroughly engrossed, this was a quick read for me, I liked the character of Lily and think this debut novel and the first in the Livy Nash series will be a success. Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC of M. l. Huie’s book in exchange for an honest review,

I had to keep on reading. You get to know Olivia Nash as woman full of courage holding her own in a man's world. (not the often portrayed sexy spy). After the war she has trouble adjusting to the civilian life, dealing with her loss and becomes a heavy drinker until she gets talked into going back to France. Finding the spy game completely changed from the wartime experience it's hard to tell who is friend or enemy. This book keeps you guessing till the end. Hope we get to see a follow up in this series.

I really enjoyed this spy mystery book set after WWII. Great character development and the story keep me wanting more. I definitely will be reading the next one.

Livy Nash, who has been drowning herself in black market vodka since the end of WWII, finds herself enlisted by Ian Fleming in the UK to track down the notorious head of a German spy team in Europe. See, she speaks both French and English AND she served behind enemy lines. AND, someone is asking for her. She picks herself up, dries herself out, and takes on the challenge. Paris in post-War days was a morass of spies- Americans, Brits, and Russians. Livy calls on some of her old connections and her dormant skills to get to the root of the problem. AND NO SPOILERS! This has some great characters (oddly, Mirov the Russian), a tragic back story, and enough twists to surprise even me. It's not really a mystery, Fleming is only there in a. more or less cameo role, and Livy-well she's great. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Huge has left things open for another book and I'm curious where it will take her. It's a very good read.

Livy Nash, ex spy, had been burying her life inside a vodka bottle since the end of the war. In a dead-end job, she was astounded to be approached by Ian Fleming with a job prospect for her. Livy spent some time training, brushing up on her old tricks, before heading back to Paris to find the man who’d killed the one man she had ever loved.

But things had changed since the war – would her undercover job as a journalist bear the scrutiny it needed? As she was approached by different men, first at the dodgy theatre, then in the café, Livy had no idea who she could trust. She knew though that to find the traitor she was after, Livy would need to take big risks.

Spitfire is the 1st in Livy Nash Mystery series by M.L. Huie and it’s also his debut novel. A historical mystery, which is one of my favourite genres, Spitfire didn’t quite hit the mark for me. Livy wasn’t a likeable character – right from the beginning she grated on me. And I disliked the way she called everyone “luv” – it was slightly incongruous. The city of Paris is a beautiful setting and was portrayed as such. The timing – after the war – was something different to the usual war stories, which I also enjoyed. Recommended to fans of historical mysteries, it’s sure to hit the right note for others.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the gritty character of Livy Nash, a rough around the edges British Spy in post-war Paris. She gets involved in a messy mission with Russian and American players, as well as a former lover and Ian Fleming! I’ll look forward to the next adventure.

Pleasantly surprised by this debut novel and the first in a new historical series. And I will definitely want to continue with future adventures.

Livy Nash is a British spy during and post WWII. She is out for revenge for the death of her leader/lover while also striving to retrieve a master spy network list. She’s tough, determined and flawed. And while there were some unbelievable moments and times when she frustrated me, I was entertained and eager to see how it turned out and was especially caught off guard by a late-in-the-game plot twist. 👍 Would definitely recommend for spy and historical mystery lovers.

Many thanks to #CrookedLaneBooks and #NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.

A former British spy known as Spitfire, working behind the scenes in France, Livy Nash is now a hard-drinking woman working as a lowly proof-reader for a second-rate newspaper in a London still bearing the scars of WWII. That is until she is recruited by the enigmatic Ian Fleming to participate in a secret mission for which she was specifically requested.

Agreeing only after learning that her main target is someone she knows, Livy tries to tamp down her tendency to drink away the pain and throws herself headfirst back into the subterfuge she thought was behind her, heading back to the country where she'd endured so much pain at the hands of the Nazi's ... and some Frenchmen.

These days, a single-voice narration is rare, so it was refreshing to see it in Spitfire. Flashbacks provided timely insight into Livy's time behind enemy lines during WWII. Add in back-stabbing and overtures by agents from other nations, good pacing, a perfectly imperfect heroine, some well-placed plot twists (along with one massive one!) and Spitfire - the first in the Livy Nash Mysteries series - is most definitely a page-turner.

What I Loved: Livy Nash is my kind of girl - imperfect and somewhat unreliable. There are more than a few times where you aren't sure whether you actually want to root for her because ... well, you'll see! M.L. Huie also provides some great plot-twists and suspense.

What I Didn't Love: There was a point where there was some drag, though it picks up quickly, and you do have to suspend a little bit of belief in certain situations (I mean how did a borderline-alcoholic manage to just dive back in with minimal training?). I'd have also liked to have seen a little bit more of Livy's WWII days.

Conclusion: Spitfire is well-paced (for the most part), with an imperfect heroine and deft plot-twists, with enough suspense to keep you on your toes. Throw in a handful of charmingly untrustworthy co-stars and Spitfire is an easy, quick read and a definite contender for fans of WWII historical fiction.

Livy Nash spent her war as a courier dropped in France to be part of the Resistance. She had many hard times culminating with being arrested by the Nazis, imprisoned, and tortured. She watched the man she had come to love stood up in front of a firing squad and shot just before a shell hit that kept her from being killed too.

She's been back in England for a while, working as a copy editor for a third rate publication, and drinking herself into oblivion to try to forget her loss. When Ian Fleming who runs a spy agency loosely disguised as a news bureau comes to her and offers her a job and a chance to get revenge on the man who betrayed her and her lover, Livy is eager to go. Besides the adrenaline rush of war is the only thing that makes her feel alive.

She's sent back to France where she quickly discovers that the political landscape is shifting and new alliances are being formed making old friends into new enemies.

The story was packed with action. Livy was a sort of female James Bond with her derring-do. I liked the way she played all the different parties off against each other to find her own solution to the job she was sent to do.

Fans of fiction set in World War II and spies will enjoy this fast-paced story.

Received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own


Easy to read spy novel. Not bad but not great either. It’s a nice way to spend a few hours. But I’m not loving it so much that I’ll read the next one.

If you like a spunky female lead who knows how to stand for herself, WWII and spy novels, look no further. Livy Nash is a former British intelligence operative who had worked behind the enemy lines and assisted the French resistance. At the very end of the war, she and her colleague and lover Peter Scobee were betrayed by the man they knew as Luc. Livy and Peter were captured and only Livy was able to escape in the end. Now, with the war over, Livy struggles to adjust in the post-war London. She drinks herself to sleep most nights and is barely able to make ends meet. But then out of the blue, a man named Ian Fleming approaches her in a bar with an offer to jump back in the game and have a shot of avenging Peter's death. This is a fast-paced mystery set in London and Paris, and is sure to be enjoyed by all historical mystery lovers.