An Absolute Secret

Stortorget Square, Stockholm, 1945.

"In a side street, Peter waited near the car with Evdokia dressed in a grey raincoat. Her head was covered with a black cloth bag. A car stopped on the opposite side of the square. Two men emerged. Peter recognized one of them as the NKVD head of station, Major Vladimir Petrov, in a business suit and a fedora. He led the way, followed by a second man wearing a workman’s cap over his white hair. The hand-off was to happen in the middle of the square. Evdokia stumbled badly on the cobblestones in her heels as Peter brought up his Webley revolver to show the Russians he was taking no chances.

“Mr Faye. Thank you so much for bringing my wife,” Vladimir said. “Why have you put a bag on her head?”

“To shut the bitch up, Mr Petrov.”

“Ha, ha. You have a sense of humour. You don’t intend to shoot her, do you?”

“Maybe I will, Mr Petrov. Is this your man Sasha?”

“Yes, this is Sasha from Moscow.”

“You will not live long, Mr Faye,” Sasha said. “Your friend Bernie Dixon screamed like a pig. We do the same to you.”


On his first mission for MI6, British agent Peter Faye is dispatched to Stockholm to spy on German intelligence officer Karl-Heinz Kramer. At the British legation, he meets his new supervisor, Bridget, a very proper, smart-as-a-whip diplomat's daughter, and immediately falls in love with her. Despite their differences—Peter is a merchant seaman and school teacher with street smarts—they must navigate the treacherous world of espionage together. With the help of Hanne, a Jewish cleaning lady working for the Kramers, they obtain access to highly sensitive documents that cause a huge commotion in London. But the discovery of a network of Soviet moles within British intelligence turns the mission deadly. Pursued by a ruthless NKVD hit squad, Peter and Bridget are on the run with no place to hide.


A Nordic noir spy story based on true wartime stories with their heroes and villains.


From the bestselling author of Playing Rudolf Hess, Shipwrecked Lives, Remembrance Man, Kentucky Choirboy and White Slaves comes this brilliantly imagined spy thriller based on real wartime intelligence operations carried out in neutral Sweden. A gripping story of love, betrayal, and survival, An Absolute Secret captures the dangerous moral ambiguity of wartime espionage. Intelligent and atmospheric, it belongs in the same vein as John le Carré’s novels, blending historical realism with emotional depth.


REVIEWS:


"A remarkable story with a Canadian connection." CBC Radio.


"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 thoroughly enjoyed this book and can wholeheartedly recommend it." BookSirens.


"Enjoyed this book because it's a fast read and 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 on the story because of my intense interest in the characters. This is a good book and I give a high recommendation." BookSirens.


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


"I bought this book as I am very interested in WW2 history. I was not disappointed. Kinsey has written an exciting, fast-paced espionage thriller set in wartime Sweden. It is well written, and I was immediately caught up in the story finding it extremely difficult to put down. It is based on actual wartime stories and is a haunting account of those dangerous and difficult times." Amazon