Olive Bright, Pigeoneer: A WW2 Historical Mystery Perfect for Book Clubs

Stephanie Graves

Dec 2020 · An Olive Bright Mystery Book 1 · Kensington Books

About this ebook

“A marvelous read.”
—Tasha Alexander, New York Times bestselling author

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 . . .
 
“A delightful classic village mystery studded with little-known World War II facts: a promising series debut.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“[An] enjoyable series launch . . . 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

Ratings and reviews

Spunky Olive Bright! I think that this book was an enjoyable historical fiction/mystery novel. Olive Bright was a brightly curious young woman doing her best to keep busy in trying to help the war effort, like her mother before her. Her main work is with the racing pigeons that she and her father raise and are trying to get approval to turn them into messenger birds for the war. I did like learning about how they are trained with the homing tests and such. That was interesting. This book deals with the pigeons and how Olive is hired to work on the covert side with British Intelligence, which I liked, even with Jamie being cold and mean sometimes. The other drama in this book is the death of Miss Husselbee, local busybody who ferrets out all the secrets in the small town. Olive decides to add the task of solving that mystery as well as work with the pigeons. I liked the pigeons parts better, mostly because there were so many people with different possible motives for murder and it was sometimes hard to keep them straight. I still ended up liking this book, despite the confusion of the names, as it had cool little details with the pigeons and small town life during the war with Girl Guides, changes in dances, things people did to keep up spirits, and even the Mass Observations of Miss Husselbee. I would not mind reading more books with spunky and curious Olive Bright channeling Poirot to solve mysteries and be the best pigeoneer!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I would classify it as historical fiction with a touch of mystery because, while there was a murder to solve, the main focus was on the characters and on everyday wartime life in their village. The murder didn't occur until about a third of the way through the novel, so when it did happen the reader had already had the opportunity to see the suspects and their possible motives. That combined with the focus on the characters and on their everyday life gave me the same comfortable feeling as watching one of my favorite shows, Foyle's War. As for the main character, I found Olive easy to root for with her determination to do her bit despite her certainty that she could never live up to her mother's record. I liked that her feistiness and curiosity were combined with a kind heart, and I loved her relationship with her step-mother and step-brother(Also, I found both of those characters endearing). It was interesting to read about the pigeons. My respect for them and what they did definitely grew while reading this. I got the impression that this will be the first in a series. I hope so because I would love to read more about Olive and her adventures.

Olive Bright is a pigeoneer, veterinary student and Hercule Poirot fan. She has had to come home from school to her small village in Hertfordshire because it is World War II. She is determined to help the war effort and make a difference. Just as she contemplates leaving home to participate more actively in the war effort, Jameson Aldridge shows up wanting to involve Olive's pigeons in carrying messages for a covert British intelligence operation. Around the same time, one of the local villagers, a known busybody, is murdered, her body found right outside Olive's pigeon loft. Olive must juggle her new responsibilities providing pigeons for the war, solving a murder and a budding romance with the gruff, handsome Aldridge. Olive is an intelligent, strong and forthright character who stands up for herself. The story is well-written and moves quickly, with the murderer revealed only at the end, keeping the reader guessing. The romance takes more of a second place to the pigeons and the mystery. Olive Bright, pigeoneer is an entertaining and well-researched book.

About the author

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.