Olive Bright, Pigeoneer by Stephanie Graves is an excellent historical fiction/cozy mystery that kept me thoroughly entertained.
This WWII, small village cozy mystery is just perfect in every way. Despite the seriousness of the time period and some of the subject matter, through witty dialogue and Olive's adorable characteristics and personality, the book seemed to feel lighter and more enjoyable. I really enjoyed the concept of adding the cozy murder/mystery plot within the overall WWII concept of pigeons as messengers and also some of the special operations units that were implemented during the war.
I really enjoyed the pacing, plot, the complexities that were added from the multiple facets, as well as the full cast of characters that lived within the village that added a great collection of potential suspects. The author definitely kept me guessing.
I loved Olive as the main character. She was fun, smart, stronger then she realized, intelligent, and feisty. She really kept me entertained with her witty dialogue, responses, one-liners, and banter. It added seamlessly to the fantastic plot. Olive was realistic, likeable, and overall just a great main character. A new series could definitely be created just from her character and the cast of villagers alone. I also enjoyed the character of Jameson Aldridge. I think that they make a good team of sorts and I look forward to the possibility of a further installment with them teaming up again.
I also enjoyed the addition of the concept of the NPS (National Pigeon Service) and learning more about how it fit in to the bigger picture of the war efforts. I enjoyed the author's note at the end to give more of a historic note in regards to the NPS and the SOE. I have already read quite a bit about both organizations in the past, but it is still nice to have a refresher and additional context.
An excellent book for anyone that enjoys cozy mysteries, historical fiction, and excellent female amateur sleuths.
5/5 stars
This WWII, small village cozy mystery is just perfect in every way. Despite the seriousness of the time period and some of the subject matter, through witty dialogue and Olive's adorable characteristics and personality, the book seemed to feel lighter and more enjoyable. I really enjoyed the concept of adding the cozy murder/mystery plot within the overall WWII concept of pigeons as messengers and also some of the special operations units that were implemented during the war.
I really enjoyed the pacing, plot, the complexities that were added from the multiple facets, as well as the full cast of characters that lived within the village that added a great collection of potential suspects. The author definitely kept me guessing.
I loved Olive as the main character. She was fun, smart, stronger then she realized, intelligent, and feisty. She really kept me entertained with her witty dialogue, responses, one-liners, and banter. It added seamlessly to the fantastic plot. Olive was realistic, likeable, and overall just a great main character. A new series could definitely be created just from her character and the cast of villagers alone. I also enjoyed the character of Jameson Aldridge. I think that they make a good team of sorts and I look forward to the possibility of a further installment with them teaming up again.
I also enjoyed the addition of the concept of the NPS (National Pigeon Service) and learning more about how it fit in to the bigger picture of the war efforts. I enjoyed the author's note at the end to give more of a historic note in regards to the NPS and the SOE. I have already read quite a bit about both organizations in the past, but it is still nice to have a refresher and additional context.
An excellent book for anyone that enjoys cozy mysteries, historical fiction, and excellent female amateur sleuths.
5/5 stars