Olive Bright, pigeoneer

In 1941, Olive Bright, the 22-year-old heroine of this enjoyable series launch from Graves (Austentatious as Alyssa Goodnight), has grown impatient knitting socks for the war effort in the English village of Pipley. She wants to make a meaningful contribution and live up to the example of her late mother's heroic service to king and country in the previous war. For some time, Olive and her father have been hounding the army to enlist their prize racing pigeons as battlefield messengers, so when Olive is approached by two officers who invite her and her birds to join a covert operation, she's delighted, even though her mission is complicated by her testy relationship with her handler, Capt. Jameson Aldridge, a handsome Irishman. When the body of the village scandal-monger is discovered near Olive's dovecote, Olive sets out to unmask the murderer. In the process, she uncovers many long-hidden secrets in Pipley. 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. Agent: Rebecca Strauss, DeFiore & Co. (Jan.)

A resourceful young Englishwoman gets involved in a homefront World War II mystery. The departure of Olive Bright's friend George for air force training leaves her at loose ends but eager to do something to live up to her mother's World War I ambulance service. There's plenty to keep Olive occupied in the small village of Pipley, especially once she assumes the care and training of her father's racing pigeons. Her father, a veterinary surgeon, is trying to get the pigeons included in the war effort. The villagers are going all out for victory, but hidden currents are being stirred up by nosy Verity Husselbee. When Jameson Aldridge shows up to see the pigeons, Olive, under the impression that he's from the Pigeon Service, gives him a tour only to learn that he works for the secretive Baker Street intelligence organization. Sparks fly between Olive and Jamie, and she agrees to work with him and keep her father out of the loop. Leaving the village dance, Olive and Jamie, who are pretending to be dating, find that Olive's helper, Jonathon, has stumbled over the body of Miss Husselbee, dead after eating a poisoned Spam cake at the refreshment table. Resolving to use the skills she's learned from reading Agatha Christie novels to solve the crime, Olive must consider even her best friend a potential killer. As she juggles detective work with training her pigeons and cultivating her relationship with Jamie, she turns up some bombshell revelations. A delightful classic village mystery studded with little-known World War II facts: a promising series debut. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.