About the Book
Book: The Bachelor Spy (A Freddie and Grace Mystery Book 5)
Author: Pepper Basham
Genre: Christian Fiction/Historical Fiction
Release Date: July, 2026
Spies Infiltrate Havensbooke Hall. . .and Another Mystery Adventure Begins
Stephen Blake’s life goal is to protect people, especially those closest to him, but war in 1914 England doesn’t follow any rules. When Blake is informed that a noted German spy may have taken up residence at Havensbrooke Hall—his cousin Lord Astley’s estate, which is being used as a convalescent war hospital—he’s sent there to uncover the plot.
Lady Grace Astley has become a force to be reckoned with while Frederick is out on the war front. With Havensbrooke as a hospital, she’s shocked by the devastation the war is bringing home; but ever hopeful, she is determined to help these weary soldiers find some relief. However, not everything is as it seems inside Havensbrooke. Precious items soon start disappearing. . .and not just the kind that are worth a lot of money.
Through a case of mistaken identity, a comedy of errors, a kidnapping, and a race for time within the crumbling subterranean passageways beneath Havensbrooke, can Blake and Gracie work together to root out the criminals, thieves, and spies before time runs out?
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My Thouhghts:
What another fun installment in the Freddie and Grace Mysteries. This one finds us with Grace facing many fears, one her husband Freddy is off to war, and then the greatest fear she has ever had has come upon her. She needs her husband desperately. Not only that but they have decided to open their home to be a convalescent hospital. But more than wounded soldiers have come through their doors. Thieves and spies have apparently made their way in also.
This story opens with a doozy of a dilemma for Frederick's cousin Stephen Blake. Wounded and fighting for his life in more ways than one, he is also recovering from the biggest shock of his life. He ends up on his way to Grace and Freddie's home. Grace realizes she has another partner for her sleuthing ways and this time it is to protect her family and home.
The atmosphere was ripe with tension and I so enjoyed not only Freddie and Grace but Blake and Evie's situation. The author has certainly given us another couple to root for and maybe even have more stories with. I also enjoyed the family dynamics and the faith and hope that was portrayed even in the midst of so much uncertainty. The ending surprise was the cherry on top.
I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.
About the Author
Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor with southern Appalachian flair. Both her historical and contemporary novels have garnered recognition in the Grace Awards, Inspys, and ACFW Carol Awards. Her historical romance, The Thorn Healer, was a finalist in the 2018 RT Awards. Her historical romance novels, My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge and The Red Ribbon, and her contemporary novels, the Mitchell’s Crossroads and Pleasant Gap series, showcase her Appalachian heritage, as well as her love for humor and family. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the mom of five great kids, a speech-language pathologist to about fifty more, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus.
Excerpt
Prologue
May 7, 1915
Stephen Blake had been trailing the presumed spy most of the voyage—first to secure his target, and then. . .to strike. Every clue pointed to the fact that the gregarious businessman Donald Leaman was none other than Albert Stein, a German informant ferrying English war secrets straight to the fatherland.
Unfortunately, every opportunity Blake had found to confront the man had been thwarted: too many watchful eyes, too much pomp and luxury for a clean cornering. With the Lusitania’s transatlantic voyage ending in less than a day, his time to complete this mission was slipping away.
Worse, he couldn’t shake the feeling he was being followed himself. Only a limited few knew of his operation to uncover a ghostlike informant who’d used their “ordinary” position to gain extraordinary intelligence—from transfer stations, casualty clearing posts, even a general’s bunker at the Western Front. The spy had proven madden-ingly elusive, slipping through every trap British intelligence laid
with almost theatrical flair.
But what did they know? Stein was the spy’s last contact. And Blake was tasked with finding out what he knew.
The Lusitania was hardly Blake’s first ship, but certainly it was the grandest. It felt as though Claridge’s, the famous hotel in London, had taken to the sea, complete with its extravagant marble floors and its crystal chandeliers, with champagne in the air and ease all around. Just after luncheon, Stein had excused himself early and started down the grand staircase toward the lower decks. An odd choice for a first-class passenger, especially so near the end of the trip and with
his companions urging him to remain for cards.
So, of course, Blake followed.
Deck by deck, corridor by corridor, until the music and chatter faded into the deep measured thrum of the engines.
Occasionally, Stein cast a look behind him but never appeared concerned enough to stop his descent. This was certainly a planned meeting.
The elegance of the upper floors gave way to simpler decor, narrower corridors. Second-class accommodations. Stein stopped before a cabin door. His knock held an unnatural rhythm—three quick raps, a pause, two more. After only a beat of silence, a murmur from within responded.
Stein’s immediate whispered answer? “Octavia.” A code word, no doubt.
The door opened. Stein slipped inside, but before the door could click shut, Blake rushed soundlessly forward and caught it with his fingertips.
Perfect.
He released a self-satisfied grin and then pressed himself against the corridor wall, listening through the crack over the hum of the ship’s engine.
The cabin was small—voices carried easily in the confined space—and the faint scent of cigarette smoke drifted through the opening. “You’re late.” A man’s voice, crisp and impatient. Something about the cadence nagged at Blake’s memory, but he couldn’t place
- English, certainly. Kentish?
Blake frowned. He could overpower Stein easily—the man was more socialite than combatant, the sort who’d probably never thrown a proper punch in his life. But this unknown fellow, clearly in charge and confident enough to smoke a cigarette while conducting treason? That suggested either experience or exceptional stupidity. Blake hoped for the latter but suspected the former.
“It was difficult to get away without raising suspicion,” Stein replied, his accent thickening into full German. “Blake is on this ship.”
Blake’s pulse quickened. So Stein knew he was being followed. “I know.” The other man’s tone didn’t waver. A long exhale
followed, as if he were breathing out smoke. “We’ve been watching him to ensure he didn’t wreck things.”
We? Who?
Blake’s mind raced through the passenger manifest, through his team members, through every face he’d seen on this voyage. That voice. . .
“But with that in mind, we need to move quickly,” the Englishman continued. “What do you have for me?”
A rustle of papers. “The Midnight Angel’s next assignment. She’s to embed herself in a convalescent hospital—but not in France this time. There is too much interest in her there.”
Blake’s breath caught. She was called the Midnight Angel? The informant they’d been hunting for months. And she was a woman.
“Italy, then?”
“Nein,” Stein answered simply. “A place much closer to your front door, mein Herr.”
England? A convalescent hospital in England?
“Perfect,” the Englishman murmured. “Wounded officers talk too freely around nurses they think are angels of mercy.”
“Clever, no?” Stein’s voice held a note of pride. “No one suspects the nurses. They’re invisible, really. Moving between stations, tending to generals and privates alike. She’s already proven invaluable.”
“This is excellent information, Stein.” A pause. “And you’ve given
it so freely. Too freely, I’m afraid.”
Blake froze. He knew that tone—the shift from curiosity to finality. The Englishman was finished with Stein. The German had served his purpose, been found wanting, and now. . .had become a liability.
He couldn’t wait any longer. Stein had to be taken alive—had to be questioned, catalogued, and wrung dry of every detail about the Midnight Angel and her network before—
He drew his revolver and pushed through the door. The scene materialized in a horrifying instant.
Stein stood near a narrow desk, documents scattered before him. And holding a gun already drawn, already aimed at Stein’s head with casual confidence, stood Evan Montgomery.
Blake’s breath squeezed closed in his throat.
Montgomery? His colleague. His friend. The man he’d trained with in Scotland, shared terrible army rations with in the trenches, trusted with his life on half a dozen missions across the Channel. The man whose sister Blake had been half in love with for six months but was far too professional to mention. The man who was, apparently, a traitor.
Blog Stops
Babbling Becky L’s Book
Impressions, July 30
Book
Reviews From an Avid Reader, July 30
Melissa’s
Bookshelf, July 30
Debbie’s
Dusty Deliberations, July 31
Happily
Managing a Household of Boys, July 31
Texas Book-aholic,
August 1
Books
You Can Feel Good About, August 1
For Him and My
Family, August 2
Book Holds and
Jello Molds, August 2
Sylvan
Musings, August 3
Jodie Wolfe,
August 3
Truth and Grace
Homeschool Academy, August 3
Where Faith
and Books Meet, August 4
Connie’s
History Classroom , August 4
Simple Harvest
Reads, August 5 (Guest Review from Donna)
The Vine
and The Branch, August 5
Stories By Gina,
August 6 (Author Interview)
Betti Mace,
August 6
Mary Hake,
August 6
Min Reads
and Reviews, August 7
Wishful Endings,
August 7
She
Lives To Read, August 8
Blossoms
and Blessings, August 8
Labor Not in
Vain , August 9
Holly’s Book
Corner, August 9
Lily’s Corner,
August 10
Cover
Lover Book Review, August 10
Locks, Hooks
and Books, August 11
Pause for Tales,
August 11
The Sacred Line,
August 12
Devoted to Hope,
August 12
Mrs. Ryan
Moser’s Book and Movie Reviews, August 12
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Pepper is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon e-Gift Card and a print copy of the book!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://gleam.io/ovQ5J/the-bachelor-spy-celebration-tour-giveaway
