Nightshade

Livy Nash #2

by M.L. Huie

How far would you go to rescue a friend?

British spy Livy Nash has never had many friends. But fellow agent Margot Dupont was the exception to the rule. At least, until she disappeared during one of their missions in World War Two, never to be heard from again. Since then, Livy's made do. Some people, you just can't replace.

But when the British pick up Margot's call sign--NIGHTSHADE--years after the war, Livy can't help the glimmer of hope that she might see her old friend again. But Livy has her doubts: what their enemies are using it to lure out Livy and her team? What if it's all a trick?

Despite her unease, Livy dives headlong into finding Margot, aided by her boss, the charming Ian Fleming. When evidence arises that a handsome Russian spy might have information about Margot, Livy agrees to her most dangerous mission yet: going undercover as a double agent to spy on the infamous "Red Devil".

As Livy is pulled deeper into the shadows of treachery, the possibility of finding Margot alive diminishes as the danger grows. How much will she have to sacrifice to find a friend she thought she'd lost forever?

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Thriller, Historical Mystery

311 pages, Hardcover

Published September 8, 2020

About the author

M.L. Huie is a writer, teacher and actor. He has worked as a features journalist, but currently is an instructor of theatre and acting at a university. He is a member of Actor's Equity Association and has worked professionally for more than 20 years. He has traveled in England extensively and, like Livy Nash, has a love for all things Lancashire. He lives in North Carolina with his genius wife and two perfect children. SPITFIRE is his first novel. The second book in the Livy Nash series —NIGHTSHADE—will be published in 2021.

Reviews

[eyes.2c · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping!

My heart was in my mouth as Olivia (Livy) Nash once again tackles undercover work under the auspices of Ian Flemming. She volunteers to become a double agent, tracking Russian spies in order to search for one of their own embedded agents.
The object is to discover what's happened to a fellow agent who'd been behind enemy lines when the Russians liberated Ravensbruck. That agent happened to be a close companion of Livy's.
This means not only does she become embroiled in a tussle between the Brits, Americans and Russians, but she has to reacquaint herself with a dangerous Russian Agent who'd been known as the Red Devil. Someone from her past when she was working behind enemy lines in France.
I was on a knife edge during Livy's trials and sound myself teetering on a cliff edge a the close.
During the story we come to learn so much more about Livy--the depths she can go to and the steel that is her backbone.
Reliving Olivia's harsh years during her time in France brings new understandings about her. Her struggle with alcohol is just part of it. I will admit to shedding a tear in the later pages.
I am enjoying her story.

A Crooked Lane ARC via NetGalley

[Chrysta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful second installment to this series! I love Livy and how passionate she is about everything she does! This book has her going double agent to find out what happened to a friend of hers from the war and it puts her in a deadly relationship. The twist and turns had me guessing and gasping throughout especially towards the end. Plus that ending! I am dying to know what’s going to happen next! I will most definitely continue to be a fan of this series!

[Edwin Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

In NIGHTSHADE, by M.L. Huie, Livy Nash has tried to separate herself from her life in WWII and after: the espionage, the booze, the reckless abandon that made her a great spy and a troublesome one at the same time. But when a secret wing of the British government appears to ask for her help to find an old and dear fellow spy friend, Livy is quickly thrust back into life as a double agent. Can Livy draw out the whereabouts of her friend before she is discovered and disposed of.
An exciting cold war spy novel, Huie does an excellent job creating the atmosphere of the time. Every person the reader seems to have secrets and suspect that everyone else has secrets. Livy Nash is a wonderful creation. Instead of being a weak woman that has some strong moments that is often portrayed in this kind of novel, she is a strong woman who has weak moments which is so refreshingly unique. The way she shifts between sexiness and strength and always with a charming outward confidence, is such a joy to read. I think of this book as a classic snowball action story; the plot keeps moving faster and tenser until thrilling finale and wow, what a cliffhanger that will make the reader yearn for the next Livy Nash book.
From beginning to end, NIGHTSHADE is an action-packed spy thriller that whisks the reader back to a time where everyone is suspect and no one is who you think the are. A pleasure to read and I look forward to reading about Livy Nash again soon.
Thank you to Crooked Lane Books, M.L. Huie, and Netgalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review!

[Kathy Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Livy Nash is just about to resign from her position with the Kemsley News Service run by Ian Fleming. She has been running a double agent and has gotten enough of a scare that she thinks she might prefer an ordinary life. But when a coded message is received by an old friend thought lost during the war, Livy is willing to do anything to find her friend.

But the "anything" that needs to be done is to become a double agent working with the Russians who might have an idea where to find Livy's missing friend. It so happens that the Russian she needs to convince of her change of heart happens to be a man who was once her lover. That makes it both harder and easier to play the part.

Yuri Kostin is in line for the head of the office in Berlin but he is facing internal difficulties and the FBI really wants Livy to find a way to discredit him. But Livy needs him to find the information on her friend for her and parts ways with the FBI.

This was a twisted and tangled story of post-war spying filled with agents from a number of countries and Livy still pretty much on her own. Fleming has an unofficial relationship with Britain's MI6. MI6 isn't giving Fleming all the available information which puts Livy into even more danger. The Russians seem to have at least two different factions of spies operating. And Livy needs to find a way to maneuver around them all to complete her mission of locating her friend.

The story was action-packed and filled with tension. I really liked Livy and could understand how hard it was for her to do her job. The story didn't stint on the difficulties of being a spy. I really hope that this is the middle book in a trilogy about Livy because the ending demands another story. Talk about a cliffhanger!

[Emily Emerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Huie really hits his stride with the second offering in the Livy Nash series. This book finds Livy in Washington, D.C., and revisiting her past in surprising ways. From the start, Huie's writing captures the reader and locks them in until the very last page. I found myself wondering, "What else could possibly happen?", only to be surprised a moment later. The plot and characters are taut and engaging, and I truly hope that we see a third installment of this series, as the cliffhanger at the end will keep me wondering until then.

[Jean Kolinofsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Livy Nash wished her friend Margot good luck as she left on an assignment in occupied France. As SOE agents they knew the dangers that they faced. Livy survived the war, but Margot was listed as missing, presumed dead. Two years after the war ended a transmission was picked up by Intelligence from Nightshade, Margot’s code name. Colonel Dunbar from MI6 calls on Ian Fleming for assistance in finding Margot. After the war, Fleming set up a news service with reporters around the world, his own intelligence service that occasionally assisted MI6. Among them was Livy Nash.

As allies, Livy had mixed socially with the Russians. A brief affair with Yuri Kostin now provides a chance to find Margot. Yuri is a diplomat in Washington who is soon to transfer to Berlin. It is believed that Margot has been a prisoner of the Russians since the end of the war and he may be able to provide answers. Sent to Washington to work with the FBI, Livy is to offer information to the Russians as someone who feels abandoned by her own government. In exchange, she will ask for information on Margot.

The FBI‘s operation has a different goal in mind and MI6 has withheld information from Fleming and Livy that was vital to her mission. Livy must draw on all of her training from SOE to survive the assignment while also dealing with an attraction to Yuri and a relapse with her drinking problems. M.L. Huie’s novel is set at the beginning of the Cold War, when former allies are now becoming opponents. Trust is in short supply even between allied agencies. The finale leaves Livy’s future in question but I am hoping to see her return for future intrigues. This is recommended for fans of The Alice Network. I would like to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for making Nightshade available for my review.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good installment in this historical mystery series.

Livy is a British spy asked to go undercover as a double agent to learn the location of a friend/fellow agent believed to have been killed in WWII.

Lots of action, heroics and sacrifice plus a very surprising cliffhanger twist. Looking forward to number three!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for providing me the ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! Nightshade is the second book in a series that just gets better. It is 1947 and Livy Nash (exSOE Agent) is asked to become a double agent to discover the whereabouts of another SOE agent thought dead until her signal was intercepted. World War Two is over and Livy is figuring out how to live with a different kind of war. This book was tightly paced and well plotted. The characters are as nebulous as the world they inhabit. I am very much looking forward to the next entry in this series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for sending me a copy for review.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

The game is afoot as the spies of WWII are pitched headlong into the tension of the Cold War. Livy Nash is an indomitable heroine who drew me in with her bleak outlook and iron will. I loved seeing her character fleshed out more in this second novel, and this tale takes a darker, grittier turn than the first. Betrayal, danger, survival, and friendship play out on the pages. This is a taut, edge of your seat read that left me keen to read the next book.

[Litzsiereads · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Page swiping good!
There was a perfect balance of pace, suspense and character development in Nightshade from beginning to end. Even though I didn't read the first book in the series, I never felt confused or details being dragged on. If anything, it made me want to read the first book even more so I can know more about the characters. Livy was a character you admired from afar but is dying to know the ins and outs of who she really is. For the book to end the way it did, I am hoping so so bad there will be a third in the series. This fast paced read was the perfect book for me because it wasn't overly descriptive, there was always something happening and the detail written allowed me to fill in the small gaps and bring the story to life in my own way.

Overall, I am a fan. Truly enjoyed this and was what I needed.

Thank you Crooked Lane Books through Netgalley for approving my request to read Nightshade in exchange for an honest review.

[Lovely Loveday · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nightshade is a wonderful second installment to A Livy Nash Mystery series! A story full of twists and turns that keeps the reader guessing and gasping throughout, especially towards the end. The ending is sure to take you by surprise! I can't wait to find out what's going to happen next! I can't wait to read more in A Livy Nash Mystery series!

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, that ending . . .

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was certainly darker than the first book but still a decent read if you liked the first book. I think I would have enjoyed it more if the ending hadn’t been so depressing. I do think Livy as a character was a little more three dimensional in this book, I didn’t think she was a well developed character in Spitfire. Worth a read if you liked the first book.

Full review to come closer to publication date.

[Alyona Pakhomova · Rating 1 out of 5]

This might be a good story if not so many inaccuracies to put it mildly (or lies to be precise).
The whole plot is based of the affair between Livy and Kostin - absolutely impossible and makes the rest of the book just a fantasy. Kostin is a communist and holds a high position, an affair with any foreigner would costs him a career. It's almost impossible for him not to be married. And it looks like the author has no idea of soviet people mentality which is very different from the brits or americans mentioned in the book.
Another lie - the scene with Gennady. They are co-workers, they have the same goals, they think the same way, if Gennady has reasons not to believe Livy, Kostin would listen to them, he would never believe her just because she is a pretty girl, they would doubt and double check everything (exactly same about Margot). No way Kostin killing Gennady in general and especially the way described. They are both high class professionals, they have perfect control of their emotions and acts. They are not stupid as described in the book.
Russians drinking vodka non-stop is another common myth.
My opinion is if you want to write about people from other countries you should do your homework and learn about them at least a little bit.

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fans of "The Alice Network", "Code Name Verity" and other WWII spy stories with British, female heroines will likely enjoy this book....despite the fact that the story takes place almost entirely in the late 1940s, and not in Europe.

I couldn't put this book down, and for the most part I really enjoyed it.

The bulk of the novel was packed with stressful situations for the characters, that put them to the test but time and time again I just kept wanting more information. I love the thrill of a good spy novel just as much as the next person. BUT I felt like because all of pages dedicated to action, the book sacrifices the chance to explain the motivation of the different characters and explain seemingly random plot lines that never get wrapped up.

The ending caught me by surprise and felt like it wrapped up way too quickly after so much build up. I also couldn't get over how dark the last few pages got. I didn't read the first book of the series, and maybe if I had I wouldn't be left with so many questions about Livy's final decision. As it stands though it felt like a cheap set-up for a sequel. Which I'll probably read.

[Mystica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Livy and Margot became close when they were working in the closed atmosphere of espionage during WWII. Livy did not make friends easily but Margot was special. When Margot disappeared it was presumed she had died in one of the internment camps under Nazi Germany.

Suddenly years after the war is over her call sign so very distinct to a good signalsman is received loud and clear indicating she is very much alive. When this is followed days later with a SOS British Intelligence knows they have to do something to get her out.

Livy is more than willing to be a pawn in the espionage game, especially since her opening to the Berlin scene would be her former lover Soviet spy Kostin. What unfolds is that things certainly never go to plan and Livy makes the sacrifice to save her friend.

This was good writing - into the world of espionage, but also about friendship and survival. Another excellent read about WWII and aspects that we may as civilians not know anything about.

[Linda Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The intrigue that is Nightshade is so captivating I literally couldn’t put it down. M.L. Huie’s writing keeps you on the edge of your seat and sometimes you find you’re holding your breath. You become friends with Livy Nash – so real is her character. You understand what she’s doing, although you won’t often agree with her decisions. She’s a remarkable woman in a time where women aren’t taken seriously, yet she’ll have none of it. She’s out to prove that she can do the job every bit as good, and yes sometimes better, than any man. While Nightshade didn’t exactly end in a cliffhanger, it was very obvious to me that Mr. Fleming will find a way out for Livy. This is one excellent read that I recommend to anyone who likes the historical spy thriller genre. I am so looking forward to book 3 in Livy’s story.

[Val · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a throw back to the old school espionage novel. Livy Nash had been a spy for Britain in France during WWII. Now she's back home after the war, being put out the pasture. But when coded messages are received from Margot Dupont, an operative thought dead, Livy is called back into service. Ian Fleming (the author of the James Bond novels, in case you didn't know) is her supervisor, and he sends her to the US to work as a double agent with the Soviets to find out where Margot is. I thought this was far more complicated than it had to be. Plus, the ending wasn't an ending at all, but a set-up for the next Livy book.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Livy Nash has a new mission. A voice from the past has resurfaced in the form of a wartime friend's radio sign has been heard in Soviet controlled Germany. Livy's job, get close to Yuri Kostin, a Soviet agent based in Washington, D.C., by providing information in exchange for her location. The problem, Kostin and Livy had an affair shortly after the War. But with her boss's aid, Ian Fleming, Livy is sent undercover to Washington, D. C. as a stringer for Fleming's paper. Now, all she had to do was assist the FBI in trying to turn Kostin, obtain, the needed information and not get caught. Will Livy manage her act or will she be lost in her role? Read Nightshade and find out.

[Susanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the author, Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a dark and intense read, and it was obvious that the author had done his homework on the time period and history. Through the first half of the book, I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the immediate post-war years that the author was able to create - but the second half was too action-packed and violent at the cost of loose plot threads, and permeated by a deep hopelessness engendered by the heroine's perspectives on life, not to mention the bleak future she decided to go for.

[Hadiqa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dudeeeeee! That was one hell of a reading ride. It felt like I was watching an action movie and oh lord those sex scenes.... O_o... I mostly skipped them but man what a life it must've been for spies in those days, especially for women. Smh!

Tbh, I have an interesting thought. What should happen is sex scene should be written in a certain color (red would do :p), and I can easily skip over them lol. Just because my imagination is really vivid and I might hallucinate between real life and the fictitious stuff I'm reading *nervous laugh *

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars
This book was better than the first while really invoking the early days of the Cold War. Livy is sent to America with the mission of developing as a "double", using a previous Russian acquaintance to "sell" herself to the MGB. It is a game of cat-and-mouse as the FBI interjects themselves into the fray. Through it all Livy keeps her sights on the mission, the ultimate prize, Nightshade, her friend Margot, a fellow SOE agent trapped in Russia. The ending does have a bittersweet twist, one that begs for a third book, but alas none seems to have been written.

[SFrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are about 3 or 4 sentences that need to be re-worked due to what I believe might be errors.

I thought Spitfire(#1) was more interesting.

Am guessing there will be a third A Livy Nash Mystery in the future. I certainly hope so.

If you are looking for a quick engrossing read, this would be one.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! Post WWII spy thriller, well written and suspenseful. Though a female protagonist, this is for anyone who enjoys character driven, suspense/mystery, historical fiction. Can’t wait for the next book!

[Joe O'Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very Good; Continuing character: Livy Nash; when Livy finds out she may be able to help save a friend from her training for the war, she travels to America and puts herself at the mercy of Russians to try and get answers; requires another sequel

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping story! Kept me reading, almost all of it in one day! A great follow up to spitfire. The plot was intense and surprising. Great read!

[Jodie Molzahn-Brunner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again the ending was a complete surprise. I look forward to the next book in the series to see how this resolves.

[Carol Lander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this post WW II novel. I have a few corrections for the author though.

[Kimberly Amos · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a whirlwind, and an ending I didn't expect and feel so hurt by it. Livy is a bada**, what a great character. Bravo.

[Marseydoats · Rating 2 out of 5]

Excellently written, but really sad. Would have rated it higher, but I hated the ending.