annieb123's Review of A Courage Undimmed (An Olive Bright Mystery, #3)

by Stephanie Graves

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.

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

A Courage Undimmed is the third Olive Bright historical WW2 spy mystery by Stephanie Graves. Released 24th Jan 2023 by Kensington Books, it's 320 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback format due out in 4th quarter 2023 from the same publisher. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats, it makes it so easy to find info with the search function.

This is a very well wrought and realistically rendered WW2 novel set on the home front in late 1941. Series protagonist, intelligent and capable Olive Bright is less than pleased by the higher ups' disdain for her covert program raising racing/carrier pigeons for the war effort. She receives an assignment to escort a visiting officer from Royal Naval Intelligence, Ian Fleming (yes, that one) who turns out to be a disapproving and arrogant, but undeniably clever, pain in the nether regions. She's soon drawn into murder, espionage, and intrigue alongside Fleming.

I enjoyed the skillfulness with which the author wraps the fictional narrative around a framework of actual historical people and events. It's done so skillfully that it's not always apparent where fact shades into fiction.

Four stars. With three books extant in the series, it would make a good choice for a binge/buddy read or even a book club reading project. The author has included good background historical notes at the back of the book (spoilers involved, don't read before finishing reading). Fans of Anna Lee Huber and Rhys Bowen will likely enjoy this series.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Reading updates

23 April, 2023: Started reading

23 April, 2023: Finished reading

23 April, 2023: Reviewed