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Billy Boyle World War II #8
A Blind Goddess
March, 1944: US Army Lieutenant Billy Boyle, back in England after a dangerous mission in Italy, is due for a little R&R, and also a promotion. But the now-Captain Boyle doesn't get to kick back and enjoy his leisure time because two upsetting cases fall into his lap at once.
The first is a personal request from an estranged Sergeant Eugene "Tree" Jackson, who grew up with Billy in Boston, is part of the 617th Tank Destroyers, the all-African American battalion poised to make history by being the US Army's first combatant African American company. But making history isn't easy, and the 617 faces racism at every turn. One of Tree's men, a gunner named Angry Smith, has been arrested for a crime he almost certainly didn't commit, and faces the gallows if the real killer isn't found. Tree knows US top brass won't care about justice in this instance, and asks Billy if he'll look into it.
But Billy can't use any of his leave to investigate, because British intelligence agent Major Cosgrove puts him on a bizarre and delicate case. A British accountant has been murdered in an English village, and he may or may not have had some connection with the US Army—Billy doesn't know, because Cosgrove won't tell him. Billy is supposed to go into the village and investigate the murder, but everything seems fishy—he's not allowed to interrogate certain key witnesses, and his friends and helpers keep being whisked away. Billy is confused about whether Cosgrove even wants him to solve the murder, and why.
The good news is the mysterious murder gives Billy an excuse to spend time in and around the village where Tree and his unit are stationed. If he's lucky, maybe he can get to the bottom of both mysteries—and save more than one innocent life.
From the Hardcover edition.
The first is a personal request from an estranged Sergeant Eugene "Tree" Jackson, who grew up with Billy in Boston, is part of the 617th Tank Destroyers, the all-African American battalion poised to make history by being the US Army's first combatant African American company. But making history isn't easy, and the 617 faces racism at every turn. One of Tree's men, a gunner named Angry Smith, has been arrested for a crime he almost certainly didn't commit, and faces the gallows if the real killer isn't found. Tree knows US top brass won't care about justice in this instance, and asks Billy if he'll look into it.
But Billy can't use any of his leave to investigate, because British intelligence agent Major Cosgrove puts him on a bizarre and delicate case. A British accountant has been murdered in an English village, and he may or may not have had some connection with the US Army—Billy doesn't know, because Cosgrove won't tell him. Billy is supposed to go into the village and investigate the murder, but everything seems fishy—he's not allowed to interrogate certain key witnesses, and his friends and helpers keep being whisked away. Billy is confused about whether Cosgrove even wants him to solve the murder, and why.
The good news is the mysterious murder gives Billy an excuse to spend time in and around the village where Tree and his unit are stationed. If he's lucky, maybe he can get to the bottom of both mysteries—and save more than one innocent life.
From the Hardcover edition.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 3, 2013
69 people are currently reading
716 people want to read
About the author
James R. Benn
34 books404 followersJames 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.
Benn is a librarian and lives in Hadlyme, Connecticut.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
December 19, 2020
This is an historical mystery set in England in 1944. The protagonist is Billy Boyle, a former Boston police officer who is now a newly-promoted Captain in the United States Army . He is assigned to Supreme Headquarters as a special investigator for General Eisenhower, who is related to Boyle. It is the most recent in a series of Billy Boyle World War II mysteries. I have not read any of the other books in the series, which I am sure provide some back story to the relationships among Boyle and his colleagues. However, it is not necessary to have read the other books in order to enjoy this one.
The book covers several concurrent investigations. First is the murder of a Constable, for which an African American soldier has been arrested. Tree, a childhood friend, asks Boyle to prove the innocence of the soldier. Second, an extremely secretive member of British intelligence asks Boyle to investigate the murder of a mortgage banker. Finally, Boyle is pulled into the case of a missing girl. All three of the mysteries are interesting. The book is well plotted and a quick read. Boyle and his colleagues are intelligent characters with both humor and compassion.
What keeps this book from being a routine police procedural are the WWII details. There are heartbreaking descriptions of the insults and violence to which the strictly segregated African American troops were subjected by other Americans, although not by the English. There are also descriptions of food rationing and other war time deprivations. In addition, there is the story behind Boyle's strained friendship with Tree. I liked this book a lot.
I received a free copy of an advance uncopyedited edition of this book from the publisher.
The book covers several concurrent investigations. First is the murder of a Constable, for which an African American soldier has been arrested. Tree, a childhood friend, asks Boyle to prove the innocence of the soldier. Second, an extremely secretive member of British intelligence asks Boyle to investigate the murder of a mortgage banker. Finally, Boyle is pulled into the case of a missing girl. All three of the mysteries are interesting. The book is well plotted and a quick read. Boyle and his colleagues are intelligent characters with both humor and compassion.
What keeps this book from being a routine police procedural are the WWII details. There are heartbreaking descriptions of the insults and violence to which the strictly segregated African American troops were subjected by other Americans, although not by the English. There are also descriptions of food rationing and other war time deprivations. In addition, there is the story behind Boyle's strained friendship with Tree. I liked this book a lot.
I received a free copy of an advance uncopyedited edition of this book from the publisher.
May 9, 2015
I am liking this series. I've read two books from the Billy Boyle WWII series. I like Billy and his Irish background. He is a great MC. I like that these aren't too graphic. It is a crime that needs to be solved, while other crimes are being committed.
This book had a lot going on. It isn't a book you read and put down, read and put down, etc., unless you have a great memory (which I'm getting too old for). There is much to keep track of in this one, which probably kept the pace fairly brisk in this book.
My only complaint is that the title was stupid.
This book had a lot going on. It isn't a book you read and put down, read and put down, etc., unless you have a great memory (which I'm getting too old for). There is much to keep track of in this one, which probably kept the pace fairly brisk in this book.
My only complaint is that the title was stupid.
July 30, 2016
I don't read Billy Boyle for the mysteries. The mysteries are no better than "okay"—far too much coincidence for my taste. But I love mysteries set in authentic historical settings, and Benn's WWII settings are as authentic as they come.
That said, once you get past the coincidence of Billy being asked by a friend to investigate one murder, and being sent to the same location by his bosses to investigate another, the mystery is pretty well done.
The most annoying thing about the book is the cover: it depicts Billy being hit over the head and pushed into a canal. A crime that occurs but is never solved in the book. The cover shows the assailant as being another soldier. Why? It seems a little too specific for the usual excuse: which is just that the artist didn't actually read the book.
There are no happy endings. As with most of Benn's books, this is his way of airing historical dirty laundry: in this case the shameful treatment of black American soldiers during WWII—as Benn points out, to the serious detriment of the war effort.
March 27, 2017
Billy Boyle is sent to a small community in rural England where a Black American soldier is accused to murdering an English constable. The local police are more concerned with a missing teenage girl. Boyle is soon caught up in the investigations amid racial strife and has his hands tied by British intelligence. A good World War II mystery on the vein of writers like W.E.B. Griffin.
March 18, 2014
Just prior to the Normandy invasion in 1944, Billy Boyle, just promoted to the rank of Captain, is handed an assignment by Britain’s MI5: work with the local police to find the murderer of a supposed civilian, without any background, but the admonition to “stay away” from a couple running a rooming house. At the same time, a boyhood friend, a Negro sergeant in a tank destroyer platoon, beseeches him to look into the arrest of his gunner after the murder of a local policeman, stressing the man is innocent.
As in the previous novels in the series, the book traces various aspects of World War II in which Billy, who serves on Dwight Eisenhower’s Supreme Headquarters staff, acts as a detective, solving crimes and other mysteries. Only this time, the author also portrays the injustice of race relations, since the army continued to be segregated until after the war. And the indignities suffered by Black servicemen.
The plot proceeds smoothly with unexpected turns, but with familiar faces from previous novels, including Kaz and Big Mike, as well as Major Cosgrove and Billy’s girlfriend, Diana. Once again, Mr. Benn has done a superlative job of creating a first-class mystery while authentically describing the period and circumstances.
Highly recommended.
As in the previous novels in the series, the book traces various aspects of World War II in which Billy, who serves on Dwight Eisenhower’s Supreme Headquarters staff, acts as a detective, solving crimes and other mysteries. Only this time, the author also portrays the injustice of race relations, since the army continued to be segregated until after the war. And the indignities suffered by Black servicemen.
The plot proceeds smoothly with unexpected turns, but with familiar faces from previous novels, including Kaz and Big Mike, as well as Major Cosgrove and Billy’s girlfriend, Diana. Once again, Mr. Benn has done a superlative job of creating a first-class mystery while authentically describing the period and circumstances.
Highly recommended.
April 5, 2017
This one is a "must read" category. A great series, but this one is the best one thus far.
April 6, 2023
In James R. Benn's A BLIND GODDESS, World War II detective Billy Boyle is back on the case.
This time around, he's sent to the English countryside tasked with investigating the potential of a serial killer on the loose. A man has been found murdered. Needing to solve the case, Billy finds himself handcuffed by his superiors. While working the case, he's forbidden to talk to certain witnesses and every time he digs deeper into newly discovered clues and/or information, his friends Kaz and Big Mike are ordered away from the case and brought back to London.
Someone's hiding information key to the case but dividing his focus to find out the who and why of his investigation being hamstrung leaves less time to find that actual killer. Complicating matters further is his English counterparts searching for a missing girl in town.
If that isn't enough for Boyle, an old "friend" from his childhood in Boston comes calling, looking for his help. Friend is a strong description and perhaps not entirely accurate because "Tree" Jackson and Billy had a falling out as teens. Worse yet, "Tree" being an African American means his moves are not only suspect by the Army higher ups but by the white rank-and-file soldiers. Segregation is still strong in the army and the so-called "Negro" units aren't any better off in the Army than they are as civilians.
Tree comes looking for Billy to get him to help clear a squad mate accused of murdering an English man. "Angry" Smith was having an affair with the man's wife and a lazy investigation didn't look any further than the nearest black man with an unfortunate nickname.
Billy will have to work double time to accomplish his official and unofficial cases, but when he's attacked and nearly drowns, he knows that he is on the right track...but for which case? And can he find the true culprits before he or anyone else dies by a killer's unmerciful hand?
I remain rather impressed with the Billy Boyle series. Because I've loved the stories James R. Benn is telling, I am kind of bummed out that I've taken so long to discover the series in the first place.
But I'm catching up and A BLIND GODDESS is a real winner in my book. There are plenty of developments with the main plotlines. As Billy digs into the case, his doggedness will either reveal the truth or get him killed. (Okay, it's a continuing series so his death is unlikely but as you are reading, you can by into the possibility of him being hurt by the killer. Or worse, failing his mission and continuing to irritate any number of his superiors.
That Benn doesn't skimp on developing the supporting cast (Kaz, Big Mike, Diana Seaton and the British Major Cosgrove) helps deepen the authentic feel of the novel's time and place. Frustration with damaging decisions both small scale and on a global level serves as a catalyst for actions for some characters with consequences for their actions.
And the way Benn delves into the issue of the black soldiers during the war was smartly done. While anyone with an inkling of historical knowledge will know the basics, there are some things I didn't know on a specific level and man that was eye-opening. Even the stuff that sounds like it might've been made up for the story turns out to be true according to the afterword.
But even with the dive into the politics and ramifications from the Army segregating the races while fighting a world war, the book never suffers a letdown in terms of pacing. You keep reading along as Billy Boyle hunts for a killer in two cases. I found that the balancing act James R. Benn does with the factual history and the energetic plot made A BLIND GODDESS one hell of a read!
This time around, he's sent to the English countryside tasked with investigating the potential of a serial killer on the loose. A man has been found murdered. Needing to solve the case, Billy finds himself handcuffed by his superiors. While working the case, he's forbidden to talk to certain witnesses and every time he digs deeper into newly discovered clues and/or information, his friends Kaz and Big Mike are ordered away from the case and brought back to London.
Someone's hiding information key to the case but dividing his focus to find out the who and why of his investigation being hamstrung leaves less time to find that actual killer. Complicating matters further is his English counterparts searching for a missing girl in town.
If that isn't enough for Boyle, an old "friend" from his childhood in Boston comes calling, looking for his help. Friend is a strong description and perhaps not entirely accurate because "Tree" Jackson and Billy had a falling out as teens. Worse yet, "Tree" being an African American means his moves are not only suspect by the Army higher ups but by the white rank-and-file soldiers. Segregation is still strong in the army and the so-called "Negro" units aren't any better off in the Army than they are as civilians.
Tree comes looking for Billy to get him to help clear a squad mate accused of murdering an English man. "Angry" Smith was having an affair with the man's wife and a lazy investigation didn't look any further than the nearest black man with an unfortunate nickname.
Billy will have to work double time to accomplish his official and unofficial cases, but when he's attacked and nearly drowns, he knows that he is on the right track...but for which case? And can he find the true culprits before he or anyone else dies by a killer's unmerciful hand?
I remain rather impressed with the Billy Boyle series. Because I've loved the stories James R. Benn is telling, I am kind of bummed out that I've taken so long to discover the series in the first place.
But I'm catching up and A BLIND GODDESS is a real winner in my book. There are plenty of developments with the main plotlines. As Billy digs into the case, his doggedness will either reveal the truth or get him killed. (Okay, it's a continuing series so his death is unlikely but as you are reading, you can by into the possibility of him being hurt by the killer. Or worse, failing his mission and continuing to irritate any number of his superiors.
That Benn doesn't skimp on developing the supporting cast (Kaz, Big Mike, Diana Seaton and the British Major Cosgrove) helps deepen the authentic feel of the novel's time and place. Frustration with damaging decisions both small scale and on a global level serves as a catalyst for actions for some characters with consequences for their actions.
And the way Benn delves into the issue of the black soldiers during the war was smartly done. While anyone with an inkling of historical knowledge will know the basics, there are some things I didn't know on a specific level and man that was eye-opening. Even the stuff that sounds like it might've been made up for the story turns out to be true according to the afterword.
But even with the dive into the politics and ramifications from the Army segregating the races while fighting a world war, the book never suffers a letdown in terms of pacing. You keep reading along as Billy Boyle hunts for a killer in two cases. I found that the balancing act James R. Benn does with the factual history and the energetic plot made A BLIND GODDESS one hell of a read!
March 19, 2024
One of my favorite of the series. All the great personalities are there including Kaz, Billy, Big Mike, and the rest of the crowd. The case is a local murder that gets the US Army and MI5 involved. The highlight is meeting Billy's friend "Tree", a friend from Boston, who is in the Black Battalion. The author deals honestly with the racism that was experienced by these soldiers from the white Southern soldiers. All in all a great addition to the Billy Boyle series.
July 26, 2014
Thanks to a review in Publishers Weekly, I learned about this mystery and this author. Although I prefer to start at the beginning of series, reading the books in order, I do on occasion read a book out of order and then go back to read the others. That's what I did in this case: I decided to read A Blind Goddess to see if I liked the mystery and the writing.
The mystery takes place in England during World War II, in the days leading up to D-Day. Lieutenant Billy Boyle, the protagonist, is an Army special investigator who is (probably against his wishes) working with British Intelligence to determine who murdered "a chap named Stuart Neville," found at a boarding house with his head bashed in. At the same time, Boyle is asked by an American Negro soldier, Sergeant Eugene "Tree" Jackson, to help clear another Negro soldier of a different murder. (Two murders in the same small village.) To complicate matters even further, two schoolgirls are missing. One is found dead: raped and murdered. That makes three murders.
Though I easily figured out the concerns of British Intelligence, it was more difficult for me to figure out who the rapist-murderer was and who murdered Stuart Neville. I found the pace of the story a bit slow: that is, some of the back-and-forth delays seemed unnecessary. And while I did feel as if I were in Britain during World War II, I could have used even more details about setting. The story is told in first person point of view and that works well for the most part. . . I had a hard time picturing what Billy Boyle looked like physically and a hard time figuring out his age.
But I liked this enough that I'll read more in the series, starting with the first one. I liked how the author depicted the troop movements just before D-Day, and so I look forward to seeing whether he starts the first book at the beginning of the war and, if so, which battles he chooses to depict.
The mystery takes place in England during World War II, in the days leading up to D-Day. Lieutenant Billy Boyle, the protagonist, is an Army special investigator who is (probably against his wishes) working with British Intelligence to determine who murdered "a chap named Stuart Neville," found at a boarding house with his head bashed in. At the same time, Boyle is asked by an American Negro soldier, Sergeant Eugene "Tree" Jackson, to help clear another Negro soldier of a different murder. (Two murders in the same small village.) To complicate matters even further, two schoolgirls are missing. One is found dead: raped and murdered. That makes three murders.
Though I easily figured out the concerns of British Intelligence, it was more difficult for me to figure out who the rapist-murderer was and who murdered Stuart Neville. I found the pace of the story a bit slow: that is, some of the back-and-forth delays seemed unnecessary. And while I did feel as if I were in Britain during World War II, I could have used even more details about setting. The story is told in first person point of view and that works well for the most part. . . I had a hard time picturing what Billy Boyle looked like physically and a hard time figuring out his age.
But I liked this enough that I'll read more in the series, starting with the first one. I liked how the author depicted the troop movements just before D-Day, and so I look forward to seeing whether he starts the first book at the beginning of the war and, if so, which battles he chooses to depict.
March 16, 2014
The most recent of the Billy Boyle WWII mystery series is another winner. In this episode Billy, newly promoted to captain, is sent to a small English village to investigate the murder of a local man. Outwardly this seems both simple and odd. Why would an American soldier investigate the murder of a British citizen? Actually he has been sent by MI5, with whom he has worked before, ostensibly because the body was found by an American soldier. This much you will know within the first few pages. I will tell you no more as it would spoil the many layered mystery.
There are also other issues in the same country area. There is a missing young girl. And a former friend from Boston comes to Billy with his own request. This friend happens to be a Negro, stationed in a nearby village. A friend has been arrested for murder ostensibly "for being black". The disparate attitudes toward race between American servicemen and British citizens is interesting. All of this is happening as everyone is waiting for the call up for invasion of France in 1944.
Benn has obviously done much research (as for past books) on major aspects of WWII and it shows. His afterword, while brief, is very interesting.
I continue to recommend this series to readers of historical fiction and those interested in the war years.
A copy of this book was provided to the reader by the publisher for the purpose of review.
There are also other issues in the same country area. There is a missing young girl. And a former friend from Boston comes to Billy with his own request. This friend happens to be a Negro, stationed in a nearby village. A friend has been arrested for murder ostensibly "for being black". The disparate attitudes toward race between American servicemen and British citizens is interesting. All of this is happening as everyone is waiting for the call up for invasion of France in 1944.
Benn has obviously done much research (as for past books) on major aspects of WWII and it shows. His afterword, while brief, is very interesting.
I continue to recommend this series to readers of historical fiction and those interested in the war years.
A copy of this book was provided to the reader by the publisher for the purpose of review.
March 26, 2018
I won an advance copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway promotion.
I had not read the previous books in this series so was hoping that I didn't get lost in the back story and not know what was going on with the protagonist. I found that the book was so well written that not having read the previous books was not a problem. The author told me just enough back story to keep me up to date but not so much that I felt like I was reading a biography and not a mystery.
This book is set in 1944 during World War II, in England, outside of London. There is a racist thread through it but the author expressed it in such a way that I was not offended but still felt like I was learning how it was to be a Negro in that era.
What I thought was going to be one mystery turned out to be several. The author's way of keeping them separate but still inter weaving them was exciting. The way he kept me guessing as to had possibly committed each of the crimes and the ending was so well brought together.
I had not read the previous books in this series so was hoping that I didn't get lost in the back story and not know what was going on with the protagonist. I found that the book was so well written that not having read the previous books was not a problem. The author told me just enough back story to keep me up to date but not so much that I felt like I was reading a biography and not a mystery.
This book is set in 1944 during World War II, in England, outside of London. There is a racist thread through it but the author expressed it in such a way that I was not offended but still felt like I was learning how it was to be a Negro in that era.
What I thought was going to be one mystery turned out to be several. The author's way of keeping them separate but still inter weaving them was exciting. The way he kept me guessing as to had possibly committed each of the crimes and the ending was so well brought together.
November 19, 2014
It's March 1944 & Billy Boyle has been promoted to Captain in the US Army. He's in London & just about to go on leave with his sweetheart Diana Seaton. However, he's been contacted by an old friend from Boston, a Negro, with whom he had an off/on again friendship. The man is a Sgt. with a Tank Destroyer group and his gunner has been arrested for the murder of a constable in the town where the group is stationed. Diana is OK with Billy going off to check this out because she has plans to meet with high-up British authorities regarding the extermination/concentration camps in the East. Billy had encountered racism in South Boston, but nothing like what he encounters while trying to help his friend. Oh, there's also a murder to solve & who slugged Billy in the back of the head and tossed him in to a freezing canal? As with all the previous Billy Boyle books, this is an excellent read - particularly if you want to learn information about WWII.
January 6, 2016
It is always a joy to read a Billy Boyle book, mainly because of the atmosphere. The mystery side of it isn't always that believable (too many coincidences) but the history side is always interesting and the books have a nice pace. This time one of the subjects is the horrible way black American soldiers were treated by white American soldiers and the whole racial problem at the time in the US of A. (Unfortunately this has become and issue again over recent years but that's another story.)
The Billy Boyle series is highly recommended. Best to start from the first book because the characters evolve and in the story it sometimes refers back to what happened before, in previous books.
The Billy Boyle series is highly recommended. Best to start from the first book because the characters evolve and in the story it sometimes refers back to what happened before, in previous books.
February 17, 2017
Another excellent entry in this series. As always, Billy Boyle's investigation uncovers more than a murder - in this case, the bizarre, troubling, and disgraceful way the Army treated black soldiers during WW2. Separate but not equal, with Jim Crow attitudes and actions following them across the sea to England. Boyle must try to clear an old friend, while that friend just wants to fight to save a country that seems uninterested in saving him. Benn's books are always satisfying as mysteries, convincing as evocations of a time, and complex as examinations of war, and how many different wounds it can inflict.
November 4, 2015
This was my eigth Billy Boyle World War Two mystery novel. They keep getting better. There are several murders that Billy is called upon to help solve. There is also the disappearance of a young 14 year old girl, which raises all sorts of fears. The adventure takes place in England--we don't adventure to any European war theaters! There is also the story of the difficulties that African American soldiers had when they tried to share in the war! We've come a long way!
October 13, 2013
An excellent addition to the 'Billy Boyle' series of mysteries. Billy just wants some R&R, but he gets pulled into two mysteries. Set against the backdrop of invasion prep and American racism, the story gets complicated fast, with too many players, too many motives and too little information. It's up to Billy to dig out the truth from some very secretive and distrusting people.
February 27, 2016
Billy is asked by Tree, a friend from home, to help him prove his fellow GI is innocent of killing a policeman in the countryside town where both are stationed. In addition, Billy is asked by his uncle, General Eisenhower, to help in the solving of a crime committed in the same county. Another exciting Billy Boyle mystery.
September 27, 2013
This is a dandy little series. I particularly like that the author uses some generally little known element of WWII as a focal point. This time, American segregation and the workings of the Twenty Committee form the basis of the mysteries.
October 5, 2014
I'm so surprised none of the Billy Boyle books have been made into movies! They seem like ready made screenplays. I always enjoy how Benn examines archetypal conflicts in the context of WWII. Real people with problems that still exist today and have occurred since time immemorial.
October 31, 2014
The subject of racism in America is unusual for a WWII novel. I appreciated the awareness of how ingrained it was in our culture.
June 24, 2014
A great read
James Benn does it again. holding you in suspense with all the twists. can't wait until September when the next book comes out!
James Benn does it again. holding you in suspense with all the twists. can't wait until September when the next book comes out!
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July 10, 2014Fairly engaging installment of this series. I was impressed with the effort to provide reflection of the different views of "race relations" between American forces and the English
September 26, 2014
Excellent, though not quite as good as the others in the series.
December 3, 2020
I am writing this review of "A Blind Goddess", comparing it with James Benn's previous work and with other historical novels set in WW2.
Author James Benn is a good - not great - writer but he seems to have found his niche in his Billy Boyle series, set in WW2. His main character - reluctant soldier Billy Boyle - is a Boston cop from a long familial line of Boston cops. His father is his mentor in his career and it is an important relationship, particularly in "A Blind Goddess". Though Billy's father is not a character in 1944, their relationship - as well as the father/son relationship of another soldier, also from Boston and a father/son set of police officers in a village in England - is at the heart of the book.
Billy Boyle returns with his regular cast of supporting characters. His great friend - "Kaz" - is with him when he is asked by his own command to look into a murder of a man in a local village, not far from London. The area is also temporary home to US forces who are working towards the eventual invasion of France. There's plenty of on-going racial tension between the black units and the white units stationed in the village and fights and brawls are common. At some point, someone's going to get hurt. Along with Kaz, several government and military figures also pop up. The most important is Billy's cousin, a certain Allied commander named Eisenhower, who has appointed Billy as his dogsbody in looking into troublesome matters. (Also introduced in the novel is John Masterman, the real head of the "Double X System".)
Benn does an excellent job in his books at looking at the war at a micro-level. The reader knows that preparation for the Allied invasion of France is taking place, but Benn concentrates on matters in the village and some other murders and possible abductions that have come to light. The ugly racial divide between blacks and whites is a simmering pot on the stove that threatens to boil over. And it finally does. Billy's old friend from Boston - the black soldier from whom he has been estranged - "Tree" Jackson is the pivotal character in that subplot. He is the son of the father/son from Billy's youth in Boston. Billy's "love interest" - a generic enough blonde aristocrat named Diana Seaton - has also returned but aside from her investigating and trying to expose the Nazi "Final Solution", she is not an important part of the plot. I've often wondered if James Benn's publisher told him the books had to have a "love interest" so he invented Diana Seaton. She's not very interesting - though she probably could be. I don't think the books need her - but what do I know?
One of the joys about reading series books is the return to old characters we've grown to know and like in past books. It's comforting to know that Billy Boyle and Kaz and Big Mike and others will return to us yet again. (That's not a spoiler!) James Benn has returned to us in September, 2013, with an excellent book about Billy Boyle and WW2. (I'm also wondering if Benn used the name "Stuart Neville" as the name of one of the murder victims as an honor of his fellow author, Stuart Neville?)
Author James Benn is a good - not great - writer but he seems to have found his niche in his Billy Boyle series, set in WW2. His main character - reluctant soldier Billy Boyle - is a Boston cop from a long familial line of Boston cops. His father is his mentor in his career and it is an important relationship, particularly in "A Blind Goddess". Though Billy's father is not a character in 1944, their relationship - as well as the father/son relationship of another soldier, also from Boston and a father/son set of police officers in a village in England - is at the heart of the book.
Billy Boyle returns with his regular cast of supporting characters. His great friend - "Kaz" - is with him when he is asked by his own command to look into a murder of a man in a local village, not far from London. The area is also temporary home to US forces who are working towards the eventual invasion of France. There's plenty of on-going racial tension between the black units and the white units stationed in the village and fights and brawls are common. At some point, someone's going to get hurt. Along with Kaz, several government and military figures also pop up. The most important is Billy's cousin, a certain Allied commander named Eisenhower, who has appointed Billy as his dogsbody in looking into troublesome matters. (Also introduced in the novel is John Masterman, the real head of the "Double X System".)
Benn does an excellent job in his books at looking at the war at a micro-level. The reader knows that preparation for the Allied invasion of France is taking place, but Benn concentrates on matters in the village and some other murders and possible abductions that have come to light. The ugly racial divide between blacks and whites is a simmering pot on the stove that threatens to boil over. And it finally does. Billy's old friend from Boston - the black soldier from whom he has been estranged - "Tree" Jackson is the pivotal character in that subplot. He is the son of the father/son from Billy's youth in Boston. Billy's "love interest" - a generic enough blonde aristocrat named Diana Seaton - has also returned but aside from her investigating and trying to expose the Nazi "Final Solution", she is not an important part of the plot. I've often wondered if James Benn's publisher told him the books had to have a "love interest" so he invented Diana Seaton. She's not very interesting - though she probably could be. I don't think the books need her - but what do I know?
One of the joys about reading series books is the return to old characters we've grown to know and like in past books. It's comforting to know that Billy Boyle and Kaz and Big Mike and others will return to us yet again. (That's not a spoiler!) James Benn has returned to us in September, 2013, with an excellent book about Billy Boyle and WW2. (I'm also wondering if Benn used the name "Stuart Neville" as the name of one of the murder victims as an honor of his fellow author, Stuart Neville?)
July 25, 2017
“A Blind Goddess” eBook was published in 2014 and was written by James R. Benn. Mr. Benn has published 10 novels all in the “Billy Boyle WWII Mystery” series, with this being the 8th in the series.
I purchased this novel and read it on my Nook reader. I categorize this novel as ‘PG’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The story is set in World War II England. The primary character is Captain Billy Boyle, a former Boston Detective. Now Boyle is on General Eisenhower’s staff, handling investigations and special projects that need careful processing.
Boyle is sent to investigate the death of British citizen found outside a small hotel. He is involved, ostensibly, because a US Army Sergeant is romantically involved with the daughter of the owners. Boyle finds though that there is much that has not been revealed to him about the situation.
Boyle also had a side investigation of his own when a former friend from Boston comes to him. One of his crew members has been arrested for a murder he says he didn't commit. This is complicated because the friend is serving in an all black unit and there are racial issues to be considered. Then Boyle is drawn into the search for a local girl who has disappeared.
Are these three separate crimes or are they somehow connected?
I thoroughly enjoyed the 8+ hours I spent reading this 336 page Mystery set in World War II. While this one had little to actually connect it to the War other than the time period, the US military presence in England is a major factor in the story. I liked the plot and how Benn has woven into his story many facts from the period. The cover art is OK as it relates to one part of the story. I give this novel a 5 out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
I purchased this novel and read it on my Nook reader. I categorize this novel as ‘PG’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The story is set in World War II England. The primary character is Captain Billy Boyle, a former Boston Detective. Now Boyle is on General Eisenhower’s staff, handling investigations and special projects that need careful processing.
Boyle is sent to investigate the death of British citizen found outside a small hotel. He is involved, ostensibly, because a US Army Sergeant is romantically involved with the daughter of the owners. Boyle finds though that there is much that has not been revealed to him about the situation.
Boyle also had a side investigation of his own when a former friend from Boston comes to him. One of his crew members has been arrested for a murder he says he didn't commit. This is complicated because the friend is serving in an all black unit and there are racial issues to be considered. Then Boyle is drawn into the search for a local girl who has disappeared.
Are these three separate crimes or are they somehow connected?
I thoroughly enjoyed the 8+ hours I spent reading this 336 page Mystery set in World War II. While this one had little to actually connect it to the War other than the time period, the US military presence in England is a major factor in the story. I liked the plot and how Benn has woven into his story many facts from the period. The cover art is OK as it relates to one part of the story. I give this novel a 5 out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
February 11, 2020
Military investigator Billy Boyle — now Captain Boyle — is in England looking to take a break from the action on the Continent when he's asked by Sergeant Eugene "Tree" Jackson, a black man who grew up with Billy in Boston, to help him defend one of his men accused of killing a white cop, in A Blind Goddess, the eighth mystery in this series by James R. Benn.
Abraham Smith is no stranger to violence. Indeed, his quick temper has earned him the nickname "Angry". But it is March 1944, and the army still harbors deep-seated racial prejudice, even among senior officers, who make little effort to defend Smith. Billy concludes that Smith couldn't have committed the murder, but the evidence is scant. And he really doesn't have the time to investigate as he's officially assigned another case: find the killer of an accountant with ties to the military, who has been murdered in a nearby town. Strangely, he's hampered in his efforts here, too, though for less obvious reasons.
A Blind Goddess is a gripping, exciting entry in this outstanding series. Here, Billy is faced with dealing with — and overcoming — both racial and Army politics during World War II. Though the British Army was tolerant of blacks within their ranks and their communities, the visiting US soldiers largely were not. Scenes of racial intolerance by Americans of Americans are deftly handled here, with Billy Boyle not afraid to use his own political connections — "Uncle Ike", General Eisenhower to everyone else, is a close friend of the family — to diffuse tense situations. The disparate storylines are clever and credible in their setup and execution, resulting in a superior mystery that fans of the series will thoroughly enjoy.
Abraham Smith is no stranger to violence. Indeed, his quick temper has earned him the nickname "Angry". But it is March 1944, and the army still harbors deep-seated racial prejudice, even among senior officers, who make little effort to defend Smith. Billy concludes that Smith couldn't have committed the murder, but the evidence is scant. And he really doesn't have the time to investigate as he's officially assigned another case: find the killer of an accountant with ties to the military, who has been murdered in a nearby town. Strangely, he's hampered in his efforts here, too, though for less obvious reasons.
A Blind Goddess is a gripping, exciting entry in this outstanding series. Here, Billy is faced with dealing with — and overcoming — both racial and Army politics during World War II. Though the British Army was tolerant of blacks within their ranks and their communities, the visiting US soldiers largely were not. Scenes of racial intolerance by Americans of Americans are deftly handled here, with Billy Boyle not afraid to use his own political connections — "Uncle Ike", General Eisenhower to everyone else, is a close friend of the family — to diffuse tense situations. The disparate storylines are clever and credible in their setup and execution, resulting in a superior mystery that fans of the series will thoroughly enjoy.
February 5, 2025
A BLIND GODDESS continues the solid storytelling of the previous seven "Billy Boyle" books, plus. It offers one of the better "whodunit" investigations in the series to date, and adds depth with a straightforward presentation of the racial issues that bedeviled the United States during World War II.
In this novel, Billy is back in England weeks before an expected invasion of France. His closest friends and his girlfriend, Diane Seaton, are together with him, a rare occurance amongst the recent entries in this series. MI5 disrupts a pending leave by asking Boyle to investigate a murder in a village outside London. The investigation quickly becomes more delicate and more explosive than Boyle expected. The investigative process for this case alone is intriguing and makes this book worth the price of admission.
Simultaneously, though, Boyle is asked by an old friend from Boston, nicknamed Tree, to help exonerate Tree's colleague of murder charges. Tree and the unjustly accused colleague are both Black men serving in the U.S. Army and currently stationed nearby Boyle's MI5-induced investigation. Benn's unflinching look at the travails facing Black soldiers elevates this book. Tree and his fellow Black soldiers are fighting daily battles on multiple fronts. Tree's stories about training in the Deep South ring true and are chilling, and the back story on how he ended up serving in the Army adds nuance to the series and Boyle's character.
In this novel, Billy is back in England weeks before an expected invasion of France. His closest friends and his girlfriend, Diane Seaton, are together with him, a rare occurance amongst the recent entries in this series. MI5 disrupts a pending leave by asking Boyle to investigate a murder in a village outside London. The investigation quickly becomes more delicate and more explosive than Boyle expected. The investigative process for this case alone is intriguing and makes this book worth the price of admission.
Simultaneously, though, Boyle is asked by an old friend from Boston, nicknamed Tree, to help exonerate Tree's colleague of murder charges. Tree and the unjustly accused colleague are both Black men serving in the U.S. Army and currently stationed nearby Boyle's MI5-induced investigation. Benn's unflinching look at the travails facing Black soldiers elevates this book. Tree and his fellow Black soldiers are fighting daily battles on multiple fronts. Tree's stories about training in the Deep South ring true and are chilling, and the back story on how he ended up serving in the Army adds nuance to the series and Boyle's character.
December 4, 2019
First sentence: Tree didn’t speak.
Premise/plot: Billy Boyle stars in his eighth historical mystery in A Blind Goddess. In this one he has several seemingly unrelated mysteries to solve. One mystery is unofficial, a favor for a friend. Tree’s friend, Angry, is innocent but charged with murder. Both fear that the color of his skin (Tree and Angry are black and serving with a colored unit. Remember this was during a time of segregation and racism.) Officially, he is investigating the murder of Stuart Neville. Semi-officially he is helping local police looking for missing girls and a kidnapper. This small, quiet town has much going on!
My thoughts: I loved, loved, loved this one. I love that all my favorite recurring characters make substantial appearances. Diana and Billy have a chance at long last to get some time together. Diana has a month long leave after her ordeal. But she can’t forget the atrocities of the extermination camps. Billy is supportive of her efforts to get the word out. Billy is super, super busy solving mysteries. He’s helped by Kaz (whom I adore) and Big Mike. I loved meeting Tree. I loved Inspector Payne, the local detective. I loved the flashback scenes. I loved how everything comes together.
This is a thought provoking read that tackles subjects that some might find uncomfortable. These issues are still relevant, unfortunately.
Premise/plot: Billy Boyle stars in his eighth historical mystery in A Blind Goddess. In this one he has several seemingly unrelated mysteries to solve. One mystery is unofficial, a favor for a friend. Tree’s friend, Angry, is innocent but charged with murder. Both fear that the color of his skin (Tree and Angry are black and serving with a colored unit. Remember this was during a time of segregation and racism.) Officially, he is investigating the murder of Stuart Neville. Semi-officially he is helping local police looking for missing girls and a kidnapper. This small, quiet town has much going on!
My thoughts: I loved, loved, loved this one. I love that all my favorite recurring characters make substantial appearances. Diana and Billy have a chance at long last to get some time together. Diana has a month long leave after her ordeal. But she can’t forget the atrocities of the extermination camps. Billy is supportive of her efforts to get the word out. Billy is super, super busy solving mysteries. He’s helped by Kaz (whom I adore) and Big Mike. I loved meeting Tree. I loved Inspector Payne, the local detective. I loved the flashback scenes. I loved how everything comes together.
This is a thought provoking read that tackles subjects that some might find uncomfortable. These issues are still relevant, unfortunately.
May 4, 2022
It was March, 1944, and everyone on base and in the surrounding areas knew the invasion was on the horizon. However, Billy (Ike's nephew and special investigator) was busy trying to discover why an accountant was killed on the doorstep of a German refugee family. And was it connected to the disappearance of a local schoolgirl? Not only that, but a childhood friend from Boston, ‘Tree’, now part of a tank destroyer battalion, was after Billy to prove that one of his men was innocent of a murder charge.
I’ve enjoyed all the previous books in the series, many of which described lesser-known aspects of the war. This one impressed me with its sensitive handling of two shameful topics: race relations in the military, and those few who ignored the existence of Nazi concentration camps. It’s not necessary to have read the previous volumes, but do go back and read them; it’s too good a series to miss.
I’ve enjoyed all the previous books in the series, many of which described lesser-known aspects of the war. This one impressed me with its sensitive handling of two shameful topics: race relations in the military, and those few who ignored the existence of Nazi concentration camps. It’s not necessary to have read the previous volumes, but do go back and read them; it’s too good a series to miss.
November 16, 2022
I’m a fan of military historical fiction and the Billy Boyle series fits nicely in that arena. I have read several earlier Boyle books and am now in the process of adding a couple more to my “read” list. There’s always one or more ‘whodunits' per book. Lt (now Capt) Boyle utilizes his Boston Police experience to solve these crimes. The supporting characters always do a decent job in their ancillary roles. This particular book also shows the then racism and how it afflicted the US Army. Bottom line, I enjoyed this book. On a side note, “Captain Sobel” is mentioned several times as commanding the jump school at Chilton Foliat. Those that have read or watched Band of Brothers will recognize this as factually correct. Sobel was the Captain that harassed the legendary Dick Winters until Sobel was transferred out of Easy Company and sent to Chilton Foliat before the Normandy invasion.
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