Livy Nash is a former spy. The War is over yet she feels the trauma and heartache of her experiences still. Imprisoned and tortured by the Nazis, she was forced to witness the murder of the man she loved. She drinks too much and gets little satisfaction from her job. When the opportunity to rejoin the spying game and avenge her lover arises, , she leaps at the chance.to join the Cold War. The danger is still deadly; the paranoia is constant; it’s even become more difficult to distinguish the good guys from the bad. There are twists and revelations, some not so surprising. M.L. Huie has given us a fearless and skilled, though damaged, character in Livy, but also demonstrates how one war, seemingly won, leads to another more complex.

I recently was bored as there was nothing that interested me on TV and I hadn't been able to find a read that clicked. I picked up a magazine but then decided to look over my Netgalley list and found a historical fiction book set right after WWII - I decided to give it a whirl.
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Well my friends this book, Spitfire, has helped me get out of my slump. Set during 1946, it follows Olivia Nash a former British OES agent who worked out of France during the last years of the war. Her life has been significantly impacted by her war experience and eventual return to civilian life. When the opportunity to work again with the OES, now under Ian Fleming, she finds she cannot resist it.
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Livy's venture into the spy world of the British, French, Russians, and Americans in post war Paris was fascinating and I quickly became wrapped up in her life and work. She is a complex woman who's backstory intertwines with her current situation making for a wild ride of figuring out how this will all go down. The twist near the end was well played and I was curious how Livy would react. She did not disappoint!
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This is the first in a new series and I am excited to see what the future holds for Livy - both from a personal and professional aspect. And may I add that I haven't seen a lot of historical fiction written during this time period and after reading Spitfire I am hopeful it will be more explored.
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Thank you Crooked Lane Books, not only for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book but for publishing a story that has helped me get out of my reading slump.

While I appreciate the advanced copy of this book, I must be honest and say that I couldn’t finish it. I was eager to read this book per the description. I read about a third of it, and that took some doing. The story is very disjointed and not very believable. I think the biggest issue for me is that the main character, Lucy Nash is written as if she were a man. I found absolutely nothing relatable about her. That being said, there is a lot of good writing in this book, and the story could be very good, it just did not inspire me to read further. I don’t think comparing this character to Maggie Hope is a good way to advertise this book.

Spitfire is the first of the Livy Nash series being written by M. L. Huie and provided me with a book that I did not want to put down due to the pace created by the author when he wrote this book. Livy is one of those famous operatives that were dropped into the French country side by the SOE to team with the French resistance and fight the German war machine by actions of sabotage. In post war England Livy struggles in her attempts to forget her past while proof reading a trite advice column for the women of this post war England.
Recruited by Ian Fleming to return to the Paris as a covert operative in the guise of a journalist..
It is at this point that the book steps up its pace and takes te reader on a breakneck ride. While Livy is a flawed character she develops appeal to the reader. I am sure that the next book will develop her character further.

This is the first book in a series and I can't wait to read more. This is historical fiction espionage. It is fast paced and hard to put down.

Spitfire by M.L. Huie

The first of what will be the Livy Nash Mystery Series by M.L. Huie is very well titled: Spitfire. Olivia Nash is a spitfire all the way.

Bored with her job with a small London newspaper, this drinker of cheap gin, almost broke Livy hopes Ian Fleming can add some drama to her life by way of a job. Having been an agent in the Special Operations Executive (SOE) in WWII, Livy speaks fluent French and has plenty of covert war experiences.

There are British, Russian and American characters in this tale which all add complexity to Livy’s new spy responsibilities in post WWII France. Several characters have multiple names, so try to keep up. Her past collides with her present obligations, adding tension to a well told story.

Follow this cute, spunky and sly Livy as she attempts to complete her mission.

Spitfire is a great historical fiction novel. It has wonderful characters and storyline. The book is well written and I would read more by this author.

I loved this first in a new series featuring a gutsy but imperfect heroine set just after WWII in London and Paris. SPITFIRE is as thrilling as the fighter planes themselves, replete with Ian Fleming, spies, unpredictable political landscapes swirling with post-war intrigue, and a taut narrative that grips from page one. A compelling start to what could be a new fave series. 5/5

Pub Date 07 Jan 2020.

Thanks to M. L. Huie, Crooked Lane Books, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

#Spitfire #NetGalley

Spitfire by M.L. Huie is an excellent post-WWII historical fiction/thriller full of cloak and dagger, mystery, espionage, and double-crossing prose.
This is the first of the Livy Nash series and it is divine.
I love Olivia (Livy) Nash and her flawed character. I love how she evolves and gets her footing as the book progresses. Livy has to face her demons head on and decides to swim against the currents vs sink.
I also love the supporting cast. All of the characters are intriguing and almost no one is as they seem.
I love the story line and the twists and turns that take the reader for a wild ride. It was thrilling to the end.
The ending was satisfying, yet leaves us with somewhere to go for the next book.
I cannot wait to read the continuing installments because I feel this has the potential to be an amazing series. In a market saturated right now with WWII era books, this sets itself apart from the rest.

5/5 stars enthusiastically

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this amazing ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

Thank you