A Valiant Deceit: 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 Olive Bright, a young pigeoneer who, along with her racing birds, has been conscripted to aid the fight against the Nazis. It's not the daring role she'd envisioned for herself, but her quiet little English village is not nearly as sheltered as she imagined... Returning to Pipley following her FANY (First Aid Nursing Yeomanry) training, Olive is eager to step up her involvement in the war effort. Her pigeons are being conscripted to aid the Belgian resistance, and it's up to Olive to choose the best birds for the mission. To protect the secrecy of their work, she must also continue the ruse of being romantically involved with her superior, Captain Jameson Aldridge, a task made more challenging by the fact that she really does have feelings for the gruff Irish intelligence officer. But perhaps the greatest challenge of all comes when an instructor at Station XVII, the top-secret training school housed at Brickendonbury Manor, is found dead in Balls Wood by a troop of Girl Guides. The police quickly rule Lieutenant Jeremy Beckett's death an accident, but based on clues she finds at the scene, Olive begins to suspect he might have been a spy. Involving the reluctant Jamie, she is determined to solve the murder and possibly stop a threat to their intelligence efforts which could put the Belgians-not to mention her pigeons-in grave danger.

Reviews

Praise for A Valiant Deceit

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, STARRED REVIEW

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

Perfect for lovers of wartime novels that combine history, mystery, and romance. Kirkus Reviews

Snappy dialogue, excellent wartime detail, a Christie-esque English village, and a delightful grumpy-sunshine fake romance [make this] just the kind of traditional mystery to warm up your winter months! S.C. Perkins, Agatha Award-nominated author of the Ancestry Detective series

A delicious mix of English village mystery and wartime espionage. The feisty Olive Bright and her racing pigeons offer a unique and refreshing take on Britain during the second world war, and Gravess clever plotting plus the appealing cast of characters will delight readersthis is a dont miss series. Erica Ruth Neubauer, author of Danger on the Atlantic

"The irrepressible Olive Bright is at it again in this clever, charming, and witty series addition. An ingenious plot, fascinating historical insights, and an element of romance make this book a pure delight. I enjoyed every minute, and I cant wait to see what Olive, Jamie, and the heroic pigeons get up to next!" Ashley Weaver, author of the Amory Ames Mysteries and the Electra McDonnell series

Author Bio

Stephanie Graves is the author of the WWII-set Olive Bright Mysteries, as well as four novels under the pseudonym Alyssa Goodnight. As a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin, she worked in Austin as a product engineer on automotive application microcontrollers before returning to Houston and becoming the mom of two boys. She is a self-professed connoisseur of British mysteries of all sorts and has done extensive research on the little-known role of pigeons during the war, as well as the Special Operations Executive, particularly their school for sabotage, Station XVII- Brickendonbury Manor. Please visit her online at MsStephGraves.com.