A year after the conclusion of World War II, Livy Nash is really bored and has become an alcoholic after the excitement of serving as an agent of the SOE in France in Spitfire by M.L. Huie. After her intoxication causes her to get turned away from the ceremony to give a posthumous medal to the colleague she had loved and who was executed by the Nazis, Livy thinks she has hit rock bottom. Then she gets fired from her job as a proofreader for a newspaper.
So when Livy meets Ian Fleming (yes, that Ian Fleming, who wrote the James Bond books and who was actually a spy in real life during World War II), she eagerly takes up his offer to spy for him in France under the guise of a reporter. However, once Livy gets to France, she discovers that alliances are confusing, and people who were once friends are now enemies, while she learns that some she thought were friends during the war were really double agents. Livy must carefully navigate the new world of Cold War espionage.
Since most historical spy books of this general era are set during World War II, I enjoyed getting to visit France in 1946 as the Cold War was just getting its start. I do wonder if Paris went back to its normal state by 1946 as much as the book portrays. The book contains a lot of exciting spy action, but I’d consider it more of a spy adventure than a mystery. In addition, the characters of the book did not have as much depth as they could have or that are in similar books set in the era. We see actions, but we don’t really see much motivation other than the mercenary one, or other sides to their characters.
Justine Eyre effectively performs the audio edition of Spitfire. Using good French accents when applicable, Eyre speaks with a British accent that is easily understandable and comfortable to follow. Her expression and other tones keep the book moving quickly.
Overall, I enjoyed listening to Spitfire. I do wish there were more character development and that this book, which is classified as a mystery and compared to the books of Susan Elia Macneal, had more mystery and was not just a spy adventure. However, the book kept me drawn to the exciting plot. I give this book three stars.
