[Codename Nicolette] [By: Oliver, Toby] [September, 2013]

by Toby Oliver

In 1941, after a telephone tip off to the Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan police the body of a young woman, Sarah Davis is discovered during the hours of the Blackout and at the height of a bombing raid by two Scotland Yard Detectives. The murder victim as reported to the Yard was found on the floor of the master bedroom in a rather rundown South London terraced house in a side street off the Kennington Road. This was a swift, clinical killing, and a single bullet wound to the forehead had killed Sarah Davis instantly. With the nightly Blackout crime was easy to conceal, the house was already damaged by a bomb blast; a direct hit would have obliterated any chance of finding forensic evidence. If they hadn’t reached the body, the auxiliary services would simply have pulled Sarah’s mutilated body out of the rubble without a second thought, and assumed she died as a result of the bombing.As Chief Inspector Luke Garvan knelt over the body illuminated by the weirdly intense bluish light of the incendry bombs exploding along Monkton Drive, he felt that this was no ordinary murder; it had all the hallmarks of a professional killing. On returning to the crime scene the following day his suspicions were confirmed when he found the leading Home Office Pathologist Sam Menzies examining the body rather the local Police Surgeon.Back at Scotland Yard during a meeting with the Assistant Commissioner he is introduced to Spencer Hall who claims to be from The Home Office, he is in fact like Sarah Davis a member of MI5’s shadowy Twenty Committee. In normal circumstances Special Branch would have taken the lead on an investigation involving the security services, but for some reason MI5 demanded that Garvan head up the inquiry. Garvan’s initial instinct that the murder had all the hallmarks of a professional killing are confirmed when Spencer Hall explains that MI5 believe Sarah was killed by one of their double-agents on the direct order of German Intelligence, and that as a consequence the Twenty Committee is on the brink of disaster. Their work is vital for the future conduct of the War; and one rogue agent could bring the entire system crashing down like a pack of cards. The price and the stakes are high; the Investigation becomes a race against time to track down the killer of Sarah Davis before it’s too late, and Britain’s counter-espionage battle against the Abwehr is lost, and the result, could quite literally affect the final outcome of the War against Nazi Germany.

Paperback

First published August 13, 2013

About the author

Biography
Toby Oliver was born in London, and since 2007 moved to the countryside of West Sussex with his family in England. For many years he worked as an Administrator in Central London. His first novel Codename Nicolette is based upon the real-life secret work of MI5's Double Cross System, who was responsible for controlling turned Nazi agents based in Britain during World War II. His other works include Mission Lisbon - The Double Cross, Dead Man Walking - A Spy Amongst Us, and The Downing Street Plot - An Agent's Revenge. His latest book is Duty and Betrayal, a Cold War thriller set in the 1960s.

He decided to write books that he liked to read: and that was a mixture of crime and espionage stories, coupled with close family connections to the British Army, and his degree in politics, his books about WWI and the Cold War-era encompass all of the above. His latest novel To Catch A Spy And Traitor was published November 2020.

Reviews

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished Codename Nicolette by Toby Oliver. A great read. Set during WW2 in London, a murder takes place. I have had Toby on my list for a while. So glad I finally got to read him. He has a few more books which I would like to read now as well.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Increasing risk factors quickly escalate out of control when a victim associates with Winston Churchill’s secretive Double Cross Committee. Scotland Yard inspects, and lives are changed forever after a lethal sleight of hand was played to do with the death of a young woman.

The Blackout made the corruption easy to obscure, and the elimination and murder were rapid and irrefutable. Time is of the essence to find the one who murdered Sarah.

This crime drama is fastened with affluence and realistic elements. The characters are intriguing, and the plot is well done. There are various thrilling twists and turns throughout. Bravo to Author Toby Oliver!

[Good Reader! · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read a few other WWII espionage thrillers by Oliver and thoroughly enjoyed them, so I decided to give this one a try & found it excellent as well. Like the others, it grips you quickly with an action-packed plot, filled all the details needed to make readers feel like they’re one with the story. Loved all the plot twists as well – like the other novels I’ve read by Oliver it really kept me guessing.

It’s reminiscent of John Le Carre & has the makings of a mini-series or full-length feature film. Highly recommend this spy thriller!

[Ian_dobbshotmail.co.uk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, very atmospheric, a great combination of a good murder investigation with connections to the goings-on of MI5 during World War II in Britain. Looking at the reviews on Amazon this would appear to be this author's first novel, which is quite an achievement. Let's hope Toby Oliver writes many more. If you want to get a feel for the work of Scotland Yard and the murky world of MI5 this read is a must, coupled with the brilliant descriptions of a London torn apart by the war.

[Rebecca Hemshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this story- slow to start but quickly became a page turner- a thoroughly good read

[Gino Cox]

Codename Nicolette will appeal to fans of John le Carré’s espionage mystery/thrillers.

The murder of a beautiful female British intelligence officer sets off investigations by both the intelligence service and Scotland Yard. Suspicion quickly focuses on two double-agents, one of whom is suspected of turning triple-agent. It is a story of intrigue, betrayal, divided loyalties, betrayal of trust, patriotism, friendship, unsung heroes, and a few femmes fatales, with a dash of unrequited love.

However, the story is more than a routine espionage mystery/thriller. It is an intriguing glimpse into the world of intrigue by an author who is clearly an authority regarding Britain’s highly effective World War II counter-intelligence efforts. The backdrop of war-torn London and the internecine rivalries seem authentic and credible. The characters are multi-dimensional, the settings three-dimensional.

[Osvaldo Querin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just ok

The book starts very well and has nice character developments. Up to the climax its very well write. But it lacks any sort of a twist. Otherwise a pleasant read.

[Kerstin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave up on this 80% into it and really felt let down. Interesting premise, great story, so much potential but this book is badly let down by the editing. I found spelling and grammar mistakes, inappropriate language. Worst of all, the story just needs to be tighter. The character names are inconsistent, making this a frustrating and confusing read. Hope the author invests in an edit and republishes.

[Joanna Parry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a bad story, but very poorly edited as there is a punctuation, spelling or grammar error on every page. Also some jarring elements such as the use of A4 when talking about paper - not introduced in the UK until 1955.