An Olive Bright Mystery Series

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 séance. 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 séance, 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.

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.

“Delightful.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Charming and exciting…the perfect cozy mystery, with a brilliant heroine you’re sure to adore.”—Apple Books, Best of the Month Selection
 
Set in a charming British village during World War II, Stephanie Graves’ debut mystery introduces Olive Bright, a spirited young pigeon fancier who finds herself at the heart of a baffling murder…

Though war rages across mainland Europe and London is strafed by German aircraft, the little village of Pipley in Hertfordshire bustles along much as it always has. Adrift since her best friend, George, joined the Royal Air Force, twenty-two-year-old Olive Bright fills her days by helping at her father’s veterinary practice and tending to her beloved racing pigeons. Desperate to do her bit, Olive hopes that the National Pigeon Service will enlist Bright Lofts’ expertise, and use their highly trained birds to deliver critical, coded messages for His Majesty’s Forces.
 
The strangers who arrive in Pipley are not from the NPS. Instead, Jameson Aldridge and his associate are tied to a covert British intelligence organization known as Baker Street. If Olive wants her pigeons to help the war effort, she must do so in complete secrecy. Olive readily agrees, but in the midst of her subterfuge, local busybody Miss Husselbee is found dead outside Olive’s pigeon loft. Is the murder tied to Olive’s new assignment? Or did Miss Husselbee ferret out a secret shameful enough to kill for? With the gruff, handsome Jameson as an unlikely ally, Olive intends to find out—but homing in on a murderer can be a deadly business…
 
“Utterly charming… A marvelous read.” —Tasha Alexander, New York Times bestselling author of In the Shadow of Vesuvius

“Smart, energetic, and witty.” —Publishers Weekly

“A fresh, quirky, and charming new heroine.” —Susan Elia MacNeal, New York Times bestselling author of the Edgar-nominated Maggie Hope series

“Entertaining.” —Criminal Element