An Absolute Secret: A Spy Thriller set in Wartime Sweden

by Nicholas Kinsey

A spy thriller set in wartime Sweden when Stockholm was a bourse for foreign intelligence and German war booty. British SIS officer Peter Faye is sent to Stockholm to spy on German Intelligence Officer Karl-Heinz Kramer. With the help of his assistant Faye recruits an Austrian maid working for the Kramer household who manages to sneak out secret documents belonging to Kramer. The documents are so sensitive that they cause a commotion in London. With the help of Swedish journalist Anders Berger, Faye discovers a network of Soviet moles working in British Intelligence.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Espionage

390 pages, Hardcover

Published September 15, 2024

About the author

Nicholas Kinsey is a Canadian / British writer and director of feature films and television drama. He has been a successful director, scriptwriter, director of photography, film editor, and producer over a long career. He is the owner and producer at Cinegrafica Films (www.cinegrafica.net) since 2014. As a screenwriter Kinsey has written some 20 feature and television drama screenplays and directed 5 feature films and hundreds of dramas and documentaries. He has written five novels of historical fiction.

Reviews

[Deacon Tom (Feeling Better) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Enjoyed this book because it's a fast read in a pretty strong plot. Additionally, it was based on the actual facts of Sweden in World War II.

The major strength was the characters, and therefore it strengthened the plot, because I became more focused the story because of my intense interest in the faith of the characters.

This is a good book and I give a high recommendation.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Texas · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Absolute Secret - I had a hard time getting into the story but it turned into an interesting, although wordy, read. Source: BookSirens. 4*

Shipwrecked Lives - An interesting story but a bit long winded. Well written and easy to read with a good blend of fact and fiction. Source: BookSirens. 4*

Remembrance Man - I am disappointed in the vulgar language in an otherwise interesting and immersing story. Besides the deaths from cholera, there are many intriguing deaths attributed to it. Interesting story lines and interesting characters set at a constant pace made for easy, entertaining read about the area near York (Toronto) and its inhabitants during the 1832 cholera epidemic. Not your usual plague story. Source: BookSirens. 4*

White Slaves: 15 Years a Barbary Slave - Worried about the length of this book, I wasn't sure what I was getting into but I soon forgot about the number as I became immersed in the pages. Well written, the author uses actual history to weave an interesting, intriguing narration about a town in Ireland that had its population captured and sold into slavery.

Through my years of historical research, I knew many of my ancestors were slaves during different periods of conquests, whether the Vikings or the Romans or the 'crews' of Khan and the Hun, to name a few 'winners'. I never knew about Baltimore and its inhabitants, although I had read much about slavery, and history, worldwide.

The interesting story lines about the lives of the slaves run true to other historical books I have encountered through the decades. In his note to the reader, the author makes a comparison between the European slaves verses the Black slaves that began near the end of this story. Sure, the numbers are greater looking at one period of history, but the complete history of man will show greater numbers of slavery per race. After all, we have all been slaves at one time or another. Unfortunately, for some slavery still exists. Source: BookSirens. 4*

[Emelia Hendrix · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't read a lot of historical spy fiction but a friend recommended this one and I'm really glad I gave it a shot. An Absolute Secret does something that's harder than it looks, it makes the political complexity of wartime Stockholm feel genuinely tense without losing you in the details.
Peter Faye is a compelling protagonist. He's not your typical flashy spy, he's methodical, patient, and a little world weary, which made him feel real to me. The recruitment of the Austrian maid is one of the most quietly suspenseful sequences in the book. There's no explosion or car chase, just two people navigating trust and danger in a very confined world. That restraint is what sets this apart.
The Soviet mole subplot adds a layer that keeps you second guessing right up to the end. Kinsey clearly knows his history and it shows, but he never lets the research get in the way of the story.
My only gripe is that some of the secondary characters could've used a little more depth. But overall this is a smart, atmospheric read that fans of le Carré will appreciate.

[Phil Ashton · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘An Absolute Secret’ hit the spot for me, an immediate grab from the start then a perfect, gradual immersion into the brilliantly researched story.

I have read just about everything written by John le Carré, Len Deighton, Charles Beaumont and Mick Herron so I am not an easy reader to please; the bar has been set pretty high. Nicholas Kinsey has written a book that will comfortably sit along with the best writers of this genre.

I was lucky enough to receive an advance review copy of this book from BookSirens for which I am extremely grateful as I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can wholeheartedly recommend.

[ABrahosky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had much higher expectations, but the story was good. Too many characters seemed to sort of intertwine and conflate without any real individuality.

Pretty routine spy stuff, although the Swedish setting was nice.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this war time spy thriller, set in Sweden. Looking forward to reading more from this great author in the future.

[Stacey Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed An Absolute Secret. What stood out most to me was the unique setting, wartime Sweden isn’t the backdrop you usually find in spy thrillers, and Nicholas Kinsey does a great job of bringing it to life with atmosphere and detail. The story balances intrigue, tension, and human emotion really well, keeping me hooked throughout.