A Courage Undimmed: A WW2 Historical Mystery Perfect for Book Clubs

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Weaving wartime intrigue, rural village life, and little-known historical facts about the role of carrier pigeons in WWII, Stephanie Graves continues the adventures of British pigeoneer Olive Bright, but as bitter cold weather forces her racing birds indoors in November 1941, Olive is assigned to a new role in the war effort - escorting none other than Lieutenant Commander Ian Fleming on his visit to the Brickendonbury Manor spy training center... As the weather turns bitterly cold in the dark days of November 1941, fewer pigeons are being conscripted for missions into occupied Europe and Olive fears her covert program may be dropped altogether. In fact, the new CO of the Baker Street intelligence operation at Brickendonbury Manor, Major Blighty, has expressed his doubts regarding her birds-not to mention Olive herself-and assigned her to a far more insignificant role- escort to a visiting officer of the Royal Navy Intelligence Special Branch. She's none too keen on her assignment or her charge-the aloof and arrogant Lieutenant Commander Ian Fleming-but the last place she expects to accompany him is to a seance. Self-proclaimed medium Velda Dunbar-new to the village of Pipley-has drawn fascination and skepticism after a very public channeling of a doomed seaman aboard the HMS Bartholomew, which she claims has sunk. Fleming remains tight-lipped about his reason for attending her seance, but his arrival with Olive raises eyebrows as she is still maintaining the ruse of dating Captain Jameson Aldridge. When murder occurs before her very eyes, Olive must trust her own instincts and not rule out anyone as a suspect-including the secretive Fleming-for one of them is harboring a hidden deadly agenda. Praise for A Courage Undimmed "A charming portrayal of village life, romance, and sacrifice set against the horrors of war." -Kirkus Reviews "Fascinating historical detail, as Graves paints a gritty picture of war on the home front. This portrait of sacrifice, bravery, and the unbreakable power of a community during WWII should win Graves new fans." -Publishers Weekly "Graves brings the classic British village alive like a warm hug, then deftly blends it with the espionage and intrigue of WWII. The historical facts, engaging mystery, and the clever and charming Olive Bright put this series on my list of auto-buys!" -Dianne Freeman, Agatha and Lefty award-winning author of The Countess of Harleigh mysteries "Another fabulous entry in a stellar historical mystery series! Seriously, this one has it all--a smart and witty heroine, well-drawn characters, insightful history, intricate mysteries, and a swoon-worthy romance. If you haven't yet made the acquaintance of sleuth Olive Bright, you really must remedy that ASAP." -Anna Lee Huber, USA Today bestselling author.

Reviews

Praise for A Courage Undimmed

A charming portrayal of village life, romance, and sacrifice set against the horrors of war. Kirkus Reviews

Fascinating historical detail, as Graves paints a gritty picture of war on the home front. This portrait of sacrifice, bravery, and the unbreakable power of a community during WWII should win Graves new fans. Publishers Weekly

"Another fabulous entry in a stellar historical mystery series! Seriously, this one has it all--a smart and witty heroine, well-drawn characters, insightful history, intricate mysteries, and a swoon-worthy romance. If you haven't yet made the acquaintance of sleuth Olive Bright, you really must remedy that ASAP." Anna Lee Huber, USA Today bestselling author

Graves brings the classic British village alive like a warm hug, then deftly blends it with the espionage and intrigue of WWII. The historical facts, engaging mystery, and the clever and charming Olive Bright put this series on my list of auto-buys! Dianne Freeman, Agatha and Lefty awardwinning author of The Countess of Harleigh mysteries

Praise for the Olive Bright Mystery series

Gravess sequel to Olive Bright, Pigeoneer combines well-developed characters with the fascinating role of carrier pigeons in World War II, historical fact, and mystery. Library Journal on A Valiant Deceit STARRED REVIEW

Gravess focus on a fascinating bit of WWII history makes this stand out among lighter wartime mysteries. Publishers Weekly on A Valiant Deceit

A delightful classic village mystery studded with little-known World War II facts: a promising series debut. Kirkus Reviews on Olive Bright, Pigeoneer

Graves smoothly integrates the little-known story of the wartime pigeon service into the intriguing plot. Readers will look forward to seeing more of smart, energetic, and witty Olive. Publishers Weekly on Olive Bright, Pigeoneer

The English village setting, spunky heroine, and intriguing male interest provide plenty of appeal. Its evident Graves has done her research in the pigeon department, and the use of these birds by Baker Street agents is firmly based on historyOlive Bright, Pigeoneer proves a most pleasant escape from the stresses of modern life; a WWII whodunit set in a bucolic English village, with some unusual twists. Historical Novel Society on Olive Bright, Pigeoneer

An entertaining debut novel in a series that promises lots of wartime intrigue deftly intertwined with cozy village murder shenanigans, as Olive follows in the footsteps of her literary heroes to win the day. Criminal Element on Olive Bright, Pigeoneer

Olive Bright, Pigeoneer is the perfect escape read for troubled times. The classic village mystery with its quirky cast of characters, including pigeons, plus the heightened danger of WWII. Rhys Bowen, New York Times bestselling author of the Royal Spyness mysteries plus the #1 international bestselling The Tuscan Child on Olive Bright, Pigeoneer

From literary-themed pigeons to a cozy village seething with dark secrets and populated by a delightful cast of characters, Olive Bright, Pigeoneer is fresh, original, and sure to enchant. An absolute winner! Deanna Raybourn, New York Times bestselling author of A Murderous Relation on Olive Bright, Pigeoneer

Readers will flock to engaging young Olive Bright and her racing pigeons, who send secret messages for British Intelligenceas well as solve a village murder. Inspired by little-known (and true!) facts of World War II, Graves brings us a fresh, quirky, and charming new heroine. Susan Elia MacNeal, New York Times bestselling author of the Edgar-nominated Maggie Hope series on Olive Bright, Pigeoneer

A marvelous read. Tasha Alexander, New York Times bestselling author on Olive Bright, Pigeoneer

Author Bio

Stephanie Graves is the author of the Olive Bright mystery series and four romantic novels, written under the pseudonym Alyssa Goodnight. She lives in Houston with her family. Visit her online at msstephgraves.com.