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.

TL;DR: Kiwi's Quick Take

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.