A Mortal Terror

Billy Boyle World War II #6

by James R. Benn

In his time investigating crimes for both the Boston cops and General Ike's European forces, Lieutenant Billy Boyle hasn't encountered a serial killer. But now it looks like he may--a serial killer with a particularly frightening agenda.

Two officers from the American troops stationed in Caserta, Italy, not far from Naples, have been found murdered. Lieutenant Norman Landry was found behind a supply tent with his neck snapped. Captain Max Galante, MD, was strangled on the same night, and his body left in a garden outside HQ. The MOs are completely different, and it seems like the officers had no connection to each other, but one frightening fact links the murders: each body was discovered with a single playing card: the Lieutenant, the ten of hearts; the Captain, the jack of hearts. The message seems to be clear--if the murderer isn't apprehended, the higher ranks will be next.

Billy is sent to Italy for the investigation, which grows increasingly sinister. But he has other things on his mind, too. His girlfriend, Diana, is on a very dangerous spy mission, and Billy doesn't know when--or if--he'll see her again. To make matters worse, Billy's just learned that his baby brother, Danny, is being sent over to Europe as an infantry replacement, an incredibly dangerous assignment. And all around him, he sees GIs suffering from combat fatigue preparing for another battle. As the invasion at Anzio begins, Billy needs to keep a cool head amidst fear and terror as the killer calculates his next moves.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, World War II, Historical, Historical Mystery, Military Fiction

345 pages, Hardcover

First published September 13, 2011

About the author

James R. Benn is the author of Billy Boyle: A World War II Mystery, selected by Book Sense as one of the top five mysteries of 2006 and nominated for a Dilys Award. The First Wave was a Book Sense Notable title.
Benn is a librarian and lives in Hadlyme, Connecticut.

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this sixth installment of the Billy Boyle WWII mystery series, Lt. Boyle is assigned to a murder case, the murder of American officers, behind American lines. Obviously this has the powers that be in a huff and Billy is sent to Italy to investigate. From his arrival things become complex as his case becomes entangled with a major Allied operation at Anzio and a more personal issue---his younger brother Danny is no longer in college, protected from the war. He may, in fact, be on his way to the European Theater at the moment.

At times there seemed to be too much happening in this novel, with the mystery, the personal story and the huge story of the war itself. And Billy finds himself very close to action. But the details of the confusion, skirmishes, daily routines, incidental acts of bravery are well written and appear authentic. The details of new knowledge about combat fatigue are interesting as we today are continuing to come to grips with it's terrible cost.

This is not my favorite of the series but it certainly moves the action along as Billy learns more truths about himself and the nature of good and evil as he fights his part of the war.

3.5 to 4*

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An earlier Billy Boyle book: this time, Boyle is still a Lieutenant and he's taken out of his vacation to investigate a couple of murders in Italy. This is when the Allies just came to Italy and are fighting their way through the country. The murders might be the work of a serial killer with a playing card as a signature. Boyle has to look for clues even when he's close to the front line. Then, he gets news that his younger brother, Danny, has been sent to fight where he is. And Danny might be in the same platoon as the murderer.
If I had been told earlier this year that I would be liking a book series featuring an ex-Boston cop turned Army investigator, I probably wouldn't believe it. But I like these books for the way they're written. Billy Boyle is a great character. There's great imagery of the realities of war. This book also discusses “combat fatigue” or PTSD as we call it now.
Needless to say, I'm already starting the next Billy Boyle book.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solving a murder is hard enough. Solving a murder in the middle of World War II is harder still.

But in James R. Benn's A MORTAL TERROR, Billy Boyle finds himself tasked with hunting down a serial killer not only in the middle of the war, but quite horrifyingly enough, in the middle of one of the biggest battlefields of the war...Anzio!

Of course, things start off a good deal quieter for Boyle. After solving his last case as the personal investigator for his Uncle Ike (AKA General Dwight D. Eisenhower), he's got some downtime and he uses it to meet up with the love of his life Diana.

But his leave is cut dramatically short when he's recalled to duty and given the job of finding out who killed two officers. The bodies were staged and each victim had a playing card that indicates the killer is not only not finished but moving up the chain of command to select the victims. This leaves top brass more than a little fearful they could be next and so Billy finds himself in Italy as the Army preps for what is initially a "top secret" operation. Of course, everyone soon learns where they are going and now Billy is in a race against time, bombs and bullets to track down the killer.

But before he can unmask the killer, more bodies drop and not just officers. Now Billy, along with his friend Kaz, the Polish noble serving in the British Army, needs to find out how all the victims are connected. However, the war and the Germans wait for no man, and soon Billy finds himself under fire as he investigates. As he unravels the clues, he has to continue to dodge those bombs and bullets I mentioned before and navigate Army bureaucracy, a code of silence among the suspect pool of soldiers and find a killer before they can strike again, this time closer to home that Billy could ever imagine.

The Billy Boyle World War II mystery series is fast becoming one of my favorites. I'm starting very late but catching up fast. I love how James R. Benn thrusts Billy into these almost impossible situations, fraught with danger and death as a possibility around every bend, and yet makes each time Billy comes through alive (if not entirely undamaged) seem possible without losing any sense of authenticity. And yet, he doesn't make Billy seem like a superhero in doing so. In fact, the way Billy still has doubts about his own abilities makes him seem all that more real as I read along with the narrative.

Billy's supporting cast of characters like Kaz, Big Mike and Sam Harding are all involved in A MORTAL TERROR and I love how each of them have their own small parts to play on their own as well as when they are with Billy.

The battlefield scenes in the book struck me as being as real as you could get with the written word and Benn doesn't skimp on the horrors of war and the resulting damage left behind by German artillery barrages. The way the Italian citizenry is used for both good and ill effect ramped up the stakes and I found myself turning the pages as fast as I could so I could see what was coming next.

And as the book winds to its explosive conclusion, the killer unmasked faces off with Billy in a confrontation that is sure to leave behind scars both physical and on the psyche of more than few people as the story heads off into surprising new directions by the time readers reach THE END.

A MORTAL TERROR was yet another fantastic read in the Billy Boyle World War II Mysteries series and James R. Benn continues to make these characters come to life in ways both expected and surprising. I can't wait to dive into the next installment that is sure to be fraught with even more captivating mystery and danger.

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Billy Boyle was a Boston cop, from a family of well-connected cops. When the US joined WWII his family pulled strings to get him stationed someplace safe, assigned to a relative's husband who was a general. Of course, it wasn't entirely his safety they had in mind – being a Boston cop is no job for a shirker; the family, Northern Irish, is rabidly anti-English, and they consider the Alliance unconscionable. Little did any of them know that the general they saw him attached to, "Uncle Ike", would wind up commanding the whole shebang, resulting in Billy working his way through exactly the war zones the family was trying to keep him out of. So here at the beginning of A Mortal Terror Billy is, about to be sent off to investigate a pair of murders in embattled Italy – at Caserta Palace, taken over by the Allies, just before Anzio: January 1944 – before it becomes three of a kind.

This is the sixth in the Billy Boyle WWII mystery series, which is great news. I obtained this as an ebook for review from Netgalley – thank you - and it's the best thing I've had from them that was not by Laurie R. King - - so I love knowing that there are five other books ready to be read. A Mortal Terror is terrific. It's different, very different, both from what I've been reading lately and from the mainstream: a knowledgeable and wonderfully detailed depiction of the European theatre of the early part of WWII (lots of room to move there, both in time and space) combined with a good solid murder mystery.

The setting is powerful. This is perhaps the strongest evocation of the front lines of WWII I've ever read … I daresay there are other books more graphic, but I'm not sure I'm constitutionally up to anything stronger. The terror, the continual noise and complete lack of safe places (a bunker was absolutely necessary, but could also be the death of you if it caved in) – and the mortal stupidity of the upper echelons… It all never ceases to amaze. The insane courage it has to take to be handed a gun and pointed in the direction of lots of enemies pointing guns right at you … How do you even do that?

And the setting does not make for an easy murder investigation. Besides the two-fold physical threat against Billy in the form of a murderer becoming aware of the inquiry and the war always trying to kill him, there are the added quirks of witnesses being redeployed, and could at any moment be killed in action (if not by the killer). And then there's the tangle of dealing with not only Military Police, the commanding officers of the soldiers tangentially involved, and his own higher-ups, but also the Italian police – who are now allies, but weren't always. And then, just because Billy didn't have quite enough on his plate, he discovers that his little brother is being unexpectedly transferred from what was thought to be a relatively safe officers' training program to the couldn't-be-less-safe front lines. He barely even has time to worry about the love of his life, who is involved in espionage in Rome.

There is so much scope here – as I said, within the setting, and also within the compass of Billy's job. He can be sent literally anywhere to look into anything. Not to mention I can foresee stories in which his comrade in arms, Polish baron Lt. Piotr Kazimierz (Kaz), pulls him into situations instead of the other way around (which may have already happened; I haven't read up on the previous novels). I can't wait to get my hands on more of Billy Boyle.

Also, the covers? Are gorgeous.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story leads up to the invasion at Anzio, in Italy; and deals with battle fatigue, the murder of seemingly unconnected officers, what happens to the soldiers when the invasion stalls and they are left exposed to the Germans, and how Billy's brother Danny shows up and grows up, with Billy worrying about him. Lots of good thoughts about the value of a life. Do enjoy Billy's moral discussions with himself. And this has given me new information about a part of the war that is not commonly written about - think that Benn's use of smaller areas of conflict, etc. are one of the best parts of the series.

[Maryanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Billy is assigned to investigate the murders of several officers stationed in Anzio and Caserta, Italy with the killer leaving a playing card on the victim. The story includes historical references but it dragged on with long descriptions of bombings, gun battle scenes and the miserable lives of solders during WWII while fighting the Germans. This has been my least favorite book in the series.

[Arnold Kanarek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good addition to the Billy Boyle series. What I like about this series is that although you have similar characters the stories are all quite different.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

James R. Benn has achieved an easy rhythm in A MORTAL TERROR, the sixth entry in his WWII mystery series featuring Billy Boyle. By this time, Boyle is well-established as an investigator for General Dwight Eisenhower, making crimes that would impede the war effort go away. Readers readily recognize the patterns and can easily jump into a comfortable read.

In this case, Boyle is dealing with a serial killer in the midst of the 1944 Anzio campaign on the Italian peninsula. Readers are at home with Boyle's background as an Irish cop in Boston, raised in a family of police officers. In addition, Boyle has assembled a coterie of familiar associates in the previous novels who return here, especially Kaz, the Polish nobleman of many talents and a tragic past who serves as the closest thing to his right-hand man. Big Mike is back, as is Major Cosgrove Boyle's one-time British nemisis, and his immediate superior officer Sam Harding is around as well. In the background, mostly, is Diana, his wartime love who is involved in her own dangerous missions. Diana is off-scene in this novel, but we are once again introduced to a Boyle family member. Billy's brother Danny is now an infantryman in Italy, and in the midst of this tremendous conflict readers know Billy and Danny will meet up.

The story is good enough, in part because of our investment in the main characters, to keep the pages turning despite some extended leaps of faith. Billy is given so much free rein that it beggars all expectations of what would really happen in a military situation, so, he can show up in the middle of a lot of action. Meeting up with family members, and with soldiers he met in previous novels, happens a lot, more than we could expect from chance given the millions of operatives involved in this vast military operation. The villain here has no real outstanding characteristics to identify him as such, until he is identified. The scenario is established for this particular villain to become Billy's Moriarty. Billy's resolution of the "Danny dilemma" is fantastic, not in the good definition of that word.

The novels hold up, though, as a fun read on a winter's night or as a way to pass the time while traveling. The books can be read on their own, but are at their strongest when seen as a serial, one book leading inexorable to the next. The hook at the end of this novel is a strong one.

When Billy shows up
there's going to be trouble.
Not just for him though.

[Jill Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

James Benn, a librarian from Connecticut, is the author of the "Billy Boyle" WW2 series. Six books are in the series, and "A Mortal Terror", is the latest book. I mention all this because Benn is an anomaly of sorts; the author of a series of books where the quality of writing of both plot and characters has improved steadily with each new book. When I look at other series books over time, I often have the feeling that the author has run out of things to say or has lost interest in his or her characters. Or that the writing has become almost "rote". Sometimes noted authors "coast" on their well-established series until either complete ennui has taken over or a publisher explains that sales are flagging and it might be time to move on to a new character or a new plot line. James Benn, on the other hand, has consistently found new plots in which to involve Lt Billy Boyle and has continually advanced the lives of his characters.

Billy Boyle is a Boston cop from a long line of Boston cops, with a few Boston firefighters thrown in the mix to keep the Boyle family interesting. He joins the Army when the US enters the war and his father, not wanting his son to be in too much danger, arranges through influential friends in Washington to have Billy join the staff of a general who is married to Billy's aunt. Now, since the aunt's maiden name is "Doud", you might be able to guess who her husband, the general, is. Billy becomes Eisenhower's "personal cop" and is often sent by the general to handle possibly "delicate" criminal matters. In the series, Billy has operated in England, North Africa, and now, Italy. Sent to southern Italy in early 1944 to investigate a bizarre series of murders of US officers, Billy is caught up in the Allied attacks at Anzio beach.

I'm a reader who reads-to-learn. I actually read more non-fiction than fiction, but I always enjoy fiction which has an historical basis. And Benn's books provide the reader with the chance to learn while enjoying a well-written story. It's best to read Benn with Wikipedia close at hand to look up the events, places, and people he writes about. "Billy Boyle" might be a fictional character, but in James Benn's capable hands, he is the main character with a richly developed history.

If you're just discovering "Billy Boyle", I'd suggest you begin with the first book in the series, "Billy Boyle". Benn introduces Billy and several on-going characters. Some die along the way, but most accompany Billy throughout the next five novels. James Benn's series has just quietly gotten better with each new book. I wish he was more widely recognised for the masterful writer he is.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really excellent book. I like crime fiction but it's a struggle to find something that's intelligent and well-researched without dropping weighty hints about everything the author has read for background. I also find it hard to find something that's not too violent or gruesome, nor equally too fluffy. I have started at the wrong end of this series as this book was the only one the library had on Kindle, but I read it in a day, because it's so well written and so well plotted. The mixture of investigative discovery, character development and contextual history is in perfect balance, and Benn has done a brilliant job of weaving in the horror of war in all its aspects. There are so many books set in wartime, but this one seems to stand out to me for being so naturally written. I'm going back to the beginning of the series now to start in the right place! Highly recommended.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second I have read in the series. Billy is a former Boston cop. He solves embarrassing crimes for the allies in Europe. In this case someone is murdering officers in Italy right before a big battle (Anzio). I don't find psychopath killers all that interesting, and I couldn't remember much about the murderer from when he had appeared earlier in the book. There is the strange situation of solving murders in the middle of a war.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series just keeps getting better and better. I anxiously await the next book in the series.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This, the sixth book in the series, takes Lt. Billy Boyle to the invasion of Italy in 1944. He's called in to investigate the murders of two officers near the Anzio invasion and while the murders seem unrelated at first, it soon looks like the work of a serial killer who left playing cards on the two victims. Soon, other officers are killed, and Boyle becomes convinced the killer is one of the American troops. Who would kill their fellow soldiers? A psychopath, a disorder that is only beginning to be identified at this time and a condition that the Army isn't sure is legit. Plus, how does a cop identify a psychopath who appears "normal" most of the time? The trail leads Boyle into the thick of the battle as the English and American troops are pinned down on the beach without sufficient resources to actually attack the entrenched Germans. To make things even more complicated, Billy's kid brother Danny is assigned to one of the battalions in the front line. The story is tense, constantly changing, and kind of cerebral, as Billy learns more about his quarry from speaking with some of the doctors who are developing theories about serial killers. Be warned, however, the story isn't completely resolved at the end as most of the books in the series. Billy has to make some difficult decisions about the investigation, his brother, and also learns at the end that the woman he loves (in an undercover assignment at the Vatican) has been arrested by the Gestapo. Life isn't neat and tidy, and neither is "Mortal Terror."

[JPT · Rating 4 out of 5]

*
*
*
Audiobook
Story: B, Narration: C

Not a review, just some thoughts for personal reference.

I appreciate the author's research for these books and the opportunity to learn about events I've heard about mistly just in passing. In this case, Anzio.

This story also wove in battle fatigue*, mental illness, and concentration camps and the extermination of Jews. Interesting afternote about these.

*Brought to mind that scene from the movie Patton when General Patton slapped a soldier who had shell shock, resulting in a media firestorm and a reassignment for Patton.

This was a mostly solid entry and it earned a B grade from me. But the narration...ugh. I'm pretty easy-going about narration and almost always assign an A grade. Even when there's a change in narrator, I try to keep an open mind. In this case, my unhappiness was more than just my dislike of change. There was really little attempt at getting regional and national accents correct/believable. And I really disliked his portrayal of most of the main characters. Billy, in particular, comes off as a moronic asshat rather than a mostly street-smart Boston cop. Too tired to write more right now, but I was really put off by the new narrator and hope he makes some changes or I just get more accustomed to him.

[Jim Bodie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Billy Boyle is a cop from Boston who came from a long line of cops. When the US entered WWII, rather than see the young detective be drafted into the infantry a family connection is utilized to put Billy through OCS and then be posted to Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower's staff as his special investigator. In A Mortal Terror, Billy is tasked to find a murderer among thousands of fighting soldiers in the Anzio beachhead.

I like the use of a very real historical setting to tell the story of the young detective and his friends, and love interest, as they make their way through World War II. The posting to Ike's staff is supposed to be safe and keep Billy from the war. Live if funny sometimes and he might have been safer in the infantry.

The story is well imagined and well written. You really get to know Billy and through him, his friends. While the character is completely fictional, everything about him very well could have been real and is quite believable. This book is the 6th in the series and I have enjoyed all 6. In this series you can really see Billy's growth as he changes from a rookie detective turned green US Army Lieutenant as he matures while investigating some pretty heinous crimes for Ike's staff. The best praise I can offer is that each book I read in the series makes me want to keep reading the next books in the series.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

First sentence: Kim Philby owed me one.

Premise/plot: Billy Boyle stars in his sixth book in this historical mystery series. This one begins with a happy reunion between Billy and Diana Seaton. The reunion will be brief—the war is far from over. But their time together ends abruptly (almost as abruptly as the novel itself) when Billy is ordered to investigate a series of murders in Italy. The crimes continue...danger builds. This one has a huge body count...and not just because of the Nazis. Can Billy (and Kaz) solve the mystery in time?

My thoughts: Why does this one end so abruptly?!?! It’s like a slap in the face with its non-ending. That being set aside, it was a fabulously compelling read for mystery lovers. I put off reading this one—my mom warned me—until the next book in the series was ready to go.

Maybe he had been a good man once, before the shooting started. Before the hard choices. That’s how evil made its way in this world. Not with a devil’s face, as the nuns taught us. It slithered between the cracks, caught decent people off guard, dragged them along until they were in too far. Then it made them into something they never thought they could ever be. (165)

[Gerrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my first Billy Boyle mystery and probably my last. My father was in WWll and landed at Anzio, was in Caserta and marched into Rome, so I was very interested in the setting. Benn’s at his best with the descriptions of war. The bombings, tanks, gun battles the daily grind of the GI, all those scenes Benn excels at describing. He sprinkles his story with the names and deeds of actual historical figures. However, I felt as if I was reading a book written by a very knowledgeable WWII history buff who decided to create a implausible mystery so he had a theatre to impart his historical knowledge. The mystery was convoluted, and unnecessarily long, the addition of the “ kid” brother was trite, and the cameo appearance of Audie Murphy a bit over the top. I didn’t find the penultimate scene believable and it made me dislike Billy Boyle. The “ love interest spy” angle left me wondering if Benn took a jar filled with mystery tropes shook it up and dumped it out and then chose a handful to include in this book. Perhaps the other Billy Boyle books are better, but unless you want to read a book that is good at providing a soldier’s view of WWII saddled with a plodding and convoluted mystery I would give this one a pass.

[Grant Masson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Mortal Terror is the sixth book in the Billy Boyle World War II detective series. While the American army is fighting Germany on Italian soil, two strange murders occur. Lieutenant Landry is found in the third division bivouac area between tents with his neck snapped and with a 10 of hearts playing card in his pocket. The same night, Captain Max Galante is found strangled in the palace gardens outside headquarters, a jack of hearts in his pocket. Billy Boyle is called in to find the murderer before more American officers are killed.

In the beginning, the murderer could be one of many people, but as Billy continues his investigation, the circle closes and as the murders pile up, suspects are eliminated by being killed. Still, it is difficult to pinpoint the psychopath, for in wartime, many people become momentarily insane.

This is an uncozy cozy. Wrapped in the cloak of war, with shells dropping and shots flying, it maintains that whodunit suspense that keeps mystery readers guessing. Billy Boyle narrates his adventures in a tough, Sam Spade-like voice. Fans of the series are sure to enjoy this episode, as are those who are new to Billy Boyle.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, some time spent with Diana is interrupted for another assignment. This time Billy is sent to Italy. Two officers were found dead, each with a playing card in the pocket. Col. Harding wants the killer found before the royal flush is completed. Is there a connection between the murders? Can Billy and Kaz figure it out? In the midst of the investigation, Billy gets word that his kid brother Danny is part of a group of reinforcements sent to the region – right into the Division Billy is investigating. Will the additional concern affect Billy’s ability to investigate the murders?
I enjoyed this more that the last few installments because it didn't get bogged down in technical and historic details. Yes, I knew as I was reading that while the murder investigation would be fictional, the location and battles were real. I felt that this moved along better and held together better because of the lack of technical details. It was shortly before Billy figured it out that I had that aha moment and guessed the conclusion but that didn't spoil the ending because it was still a matter of how he was going to wrap it up. I'll definitely go on with the series.

[Rebecca Mulligan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Billy Battles the Monster Within

This is another wonderful book in the Billy Boyle World War II series by James R. Benn. This time, the group is in Italy preparing for the Allied push through Europe. In this episode, Boyle seeks a true serial killer. For each clue he gets, another man is killed. To add to the drama, Billy's youngest brother, Danny, has now joined the Army and is in Enzio. The heartwarming reunion between Billy and his brother Danny is touching, but adds another layer of terror when the killer learns of their relationship. PTSD known as "battle fatigue" in World War II is also explored and many of the characters suffer from it. It is an exciting, suspenseful, compassionate look at World War II and the amount of detail presented is most impressive. I heartily recommend this series and this book in particular.

[Viva · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a fan of the Billy Boyle stories. They are a series of a Boston cop who is now an investigator for the US Army in WWII. I started off with a book somewhere late in the series and have been reading them out of order as I get them. This book deals with serial killer who leaves a playing card with those he has murdered. A lieutenant, a captain... how high will this killer go? Billy Boyle is sent off to catch this killer before he gets a general.

The background of this murder is the invasion of Italy specifically around the time of Anzio. As usual, there is a lot going on and the I feel the plot is somewhat thicker than necessary. But so far, I think this is the better ones in the series. Subplots include discussions of Battle Fatigue and the addition of Billy's brother Danny into a rifle squad and the lengths which Billy would go through to save him.

[Logan Horsford · Rating 1 out of 5]

Was happily listening to all of the audio books in a row when I got to this one.

It was like finding out the happy Santa you were use to had been replaced with a drunk homeless man.

While I'm sure the audio reader does a perfectly adequate job in other books, he didn't fit into these at all. Sounded too contemporary while the previous reader a) could do a Boston accent b) had the more clipped tones they spoke with back in the '40's.

Why did they change the reader? Unless the previous one died or asked for a huge amount of money, someone screwed up badly here. (If bad things happened to reader, this is a grievous loss). If the previous reader was unavailable, they should have gotten someone who sounded much more like him.

It's like watching a poor casting choice in a movie franchise you were enjoying.

[Terry Steinborn · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting entry in this well-developed series set during WWII in Europe. Billy Boyle, General Eisenhower's "nephew", a one-time Boston police detective, serves as the general's trouble shooter and investigator during the war. This time, Billy is stuck in the mess that was the Anzio invasion, where he is called upon to investigate a series of murders in the American ranks that are marked by playing cards left on the bodies of the victims. A generally good story, sprinkled with historic references and an occasional Big Name. The investigation is difficult as it must take place as the people of interest in the case are in the thick of the battles around the beachhead at Anzio. The story goes along well, although I feel the author could have used a bit more imagination is his choice of perpetrator.

[Elsie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love them

I really enjoy these books. Love the characters, Billy Boyle, if course, Kaz, Big Mike, Harding, all of them. I learn something new with every book in this series. They really make me think.
I love this quote from the book:

"There was so much evil in this war. Maybe Luca was a good man, maybe not. Maybe he had been a good man once, before the shooting started. Before the hard choices. That's how evil made it's way in the world. Not with a devils face, as the nuns taught us. It slithered between the cracks, caught decent people off guard, dragged them along until they were in too far. Then it made then into something they never thought they could be. " How true is that?

[Patrick Barry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Number 6 in the Billy Boyle series finds him in Anzio, pinned down by German forces. He finds himself with his newly drafted brother and a also with a psychopath. Billy schemes to get his brother out of combat. He is trying to determine who is the red heart killer. He has killed a lieutenant and left behind the 10 of hearts. He has also killed a captain and left the jack of hearts. There seems to be a progression, with three cards remaining for a major, a colonel, and a general. Can Billy find this person before he kills again? Can he get his brother off the front lines? As usually, multiple questions have a way intersecting in this series. The ending is satisfying as the author presents another unique resolution to the story.

[Scilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Billy Boyle is sent from London to Italy when two Officers have been found killed in Caserta, near Naples. Lieutenant Landry was found with his neck broken with the 10 of hearts in his hand. Dr. Galante, a Captain, was found strangled with a Jack of hearts in his pocket. Billy finds no good reason for either of them to be killed, and then he finds out that his kid brother is being sent overseas.

Soon, another officer, even higher up is killed. Whomever is doing this needs to be stopped and is probably a psychopath. Billy has his work cut out with Germans regularly shooting at them, his brother to protect, Diana on a dangerous mission, and the need to stop the psychopath before he murders a general!

[Joe Santoro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Benn seems to be upping the coincidence meter.. which I'm never a fan of. Not only doesn't Billy end up at Anzio and run into Audie Murphy but he manages to end up having his brother involved with his murder case.

The story itself was good, but it wasn't really much of a mystery where clues were looked for.. pretty much all the suspects died until one was left... so not the best detecting there. I think this was my least favorite of the series, even though one particular event at the end was really interesting and I'm curious at the repercussions in later books.

I do think it was nice to see the author spotlight PTSD, but I'm not sure we really need that these days.

[Gail Burgess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll admit it: I'm hooked on Billy Boyle mysteries. I learn something new about World War II with each book AND I enjoy the way Billy eventually solves the mystery. This book had the added edge of having his brother serving in an area where he was working which actually led to Billy going on the front line at one point..... Just a quick note: I recently read a Churchill biography and was delighted to read about some of the events in books 2 and 3. It reinforced the idea that these fiction books actually contain a fair amount of history. :-)

[Michael Kerr · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this outing, Billy gets roped into investigating murders of American personnel plainly committed by one of their fellow soldiers. But who? And why? The action takes place back in Italy, first at Caserta and then into the chaos of Anzio--where Billy's brother Danny is serving. As always, Benn's settings are well researched and his explorations of less-well-known wartime episodes are welcome. However, I found this plot a bit of a stretch. Nonetheless, a good read, particularly for those of us fascinated by the period.

[Ktmholm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Billy’s certainly in a predicament this time. Not only is he on the track of a serial killer who leaves playing cards on the bodies, working his way up to general—which has the top brass really worried. But this time Billy sees combat—really sees combat—during the battle of Anzio. To make things worse, his kid brother Danny is also involved, just another thing Billy needs to worry about.
If you’re interested in WWII, this is #6 in a great series. The author has a talent for both descriptions and characterizations, and I have learned a lot about lesser-known aspects of the war.