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Billy Boyle World War II #13
Solemn Graves
US Army detective Billy Boyle is called to investigate a mysterious murder in a Normandy farmhouse that threatens Allied operations.
July, 1944, a full month after D-Day. Billy, Kaz, and Big Mike are assigned to investigate a murder close to the front lines in Normandy. An American officer has been found dead in a manor house serving as an advance headquarters outside the town of Trévières. Major Jerome was far from his own unit, arrived unexpectedly, and was murdered in the dark of night.
The investigation is shrouded in secrecy, due to the highly confidential nature of the American unit headquartered nearby in the Norman hedgerow the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, aka, the Ghost Army. This vague name covers
a thousand-man unit with a unique mission within the US to impersonate other US Army units by creating deceptions using radio traffic, dummy inflatable vehicles, and sound effects, causing the enemy to think they are facing large formations. Not even the units adjacent to their positions know what they are doing. But there are German spies and informants everywhere, and Billy must tread carefully, unmasking the murder while safeguarding the secret of the Ghost Army—a secret which, if discovered, could turn the tide of war decisively against the Allies.
July, 1944, a full month after D-Day. Billy, Kaz, and Big Mike are assigned to investigate a murder close to the front lines in Normandy. An American officer has been found dead in a manor house serving as an advance headquarters outside the town of Trévières. Major Jerome was far from his own unit, arrived unexpectedly, and was murdered in the dark of night.
The investigation is shrouded in secrecy, due to the highly confidential nature of the American unit headquartered nearby in the Norman hedgerow the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, aka, the Ghost Army. This vague name covers
a thousand-man unit with a unique mission within the US to impersonate other US Army units by creating deceptions using radio traffic, dummy inflatable vehicles, and sound effects, causing the enemy to think they are facing large formations. Not even the units adjacent to their positions know what they are doing. But there are German spies and informants everywhere, and Billy must tread carefully, unmasking the murder while safeguarding the secret of the Ghost Army—a secret which, if discovered, could turn the tide of war decisively against the Allies.
400 pages, Paperback
First published September 4, 2018
141 people are currently reading
355 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 93 reviews
May 24, 2022
U.S. Army Detectives Billy Boyle, Big Mike, and Kaz have returned in this mystery series to investigate the murder of an army major in a French home. Everyone keeps disappearing, including a Ghost Army. It is July 1944 in Normandy. The front line is near with encounters of gunfire, bombings, and Germans everywhere. A wrong turn can lead to death. War is a dirty business. For the locals it is full of “betrayals, collaboration, resistance, and shame”, who want revenge and punishment especially for those who worked or slept with or profited from the Germans. This book has many players in this realistic and ever-changing portrayal of death and fighting during World War I. I thoroughly enjoy both the series and characters, especially learning about the Ghost Army that had a cast of over 1,000.
September 30, 2018
First Sentence: The first dead body I saw in Normandy was a cow, tangled in the branches of a shattered tree at a crossroads by the edge of a field, a good thirty feet off the ground.
D-Day has passed but France is still a very dangerous place to be as the war goes on. A man wearing the uniform of an American Army Officer is found murdered in a manor house. Captain Billy Boyle, Staff Sergeant Mike "Big Mike" Miecznikowski go to view the body and ultimately request that Lt. Piotr "Kaz" Kazimierz join them. With spies and informants everywhere, the team must act carefully not to expose the nearby 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, aka, the Ghost Army as doing so could mean disaster for the Allies.
It's an effective opening that reminds one that the cost of war can be more than human lives. However, it does get confusing as there are a lot of characters with different ranks from different areas of responsibility who come and go without our knowing quite how they fit within the plot. Such, one supposes, is the confusion of war.
Madam Janvier, the owner of the manor, presents a small picture of life during the Occupation and a realistic view—"The Germans killed many. Took the Jews and Communists off to God knows where. So many of the old people died last winter, with not enough to eat or fuel to stay warm. Forgive me if I make light of your American chocolate and coffee. Otherwise, I should only weep." Benn is very good at conveying both the realities of war—"Liberation wasn't always about the liberators. Today, it had been about power." At the same time, he is about to balance that with a touch of humor—"GIs worked at unloading a truck, carrying cases of grenades and Spam, each deadly enough in their own way."
One of the many things so interesting about reading Been is learning facts about the war few knew. Here, we learn about the 603 Camouflage Engineers and the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops. It is fascinating—"It's like Broadway invades Europe."—but this is no Bob Hope show for the troops. This was about saving the Allied troops while defeating the Germans, and the Black Legion in Detroit.
Benn has created a wonderful, and interesting, set of characters. For those new to the series, take heart. About one-quarter of the way into the story, one does learn of Billy's background and his relationship with Kaz, an extremely wealthy Polish baron from a country to which he couldn't return. Kaz has known devastating personal loss yet chooses to work with Allies. For those who've read previous books, it is nice to have Diana Seaton, Billy's love, back on the scene, especially with the revelation which follows. It is also nice the Benn recounts an accurate, non-Disney, account of "Sleeping Beauty.
In this time of division over immigration, it makes one wonder how many may be descended from the German and Italian POW soldiers who were sent to the U.S. to work the farms. It's an interesting thought. At the same time, there's nothing like a small truth to make one stop and consider—"'What was it you realized?" "That hatred is incompatible with hope.'" Big Mike, a former cop, knows how to get things done and how to put help others put things into perspective
"Solemn Graves" is really well done for both mystery and history fans alike. It has plenty of action, as well as suspense related to the murder. The motive is very well done and is as old as time. Do be certain to read the Author's Note at the end.
SOLEMN GRAVES (HistMys-Billy Boyle-France-1944) – VG+
Benn, James R.
Soho Crime – Sept 2018
D-Day has passed but France is still a very dangerous place to be as the war goes on. A man wearing the uniform of an American Army Officer is found murdered in a manor house. Captain Billy Boyle, Staff Sergeant Mike "Big Mike" Miecznikowski go to view the body and ultimately request that Lt. Piotr "Kaz" Kazimierz join them. With spies and informants everywhere, the team must act carefully not to expose the nearby 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, aka, the Ghost Army as doing so could mean disaster for the Allies.
It's an effective opening that reminds one that the cost of war can be more than human lives. However, it does get confusing as there are a lot of characters with different ranks from different areas of responsibility who come and go without our knowing quite how they fit within the plot. Such, one supposes, is the confusion of war.
Madam Janvier, the owner of the manor, presents a small picture of life during the Occupation and a realistic view—"The Germans killed many. Took the Jews and Communists off to God knows where. So many of the old people died last winter, with not enough to eat or fuel to stay warm. Forgive me if I make light of your American chocolate and coffee. Otherwise, I should only weep." Benn is very good at conveying both the realities of war—"Liberation wasn't always about the liberators. Today, it had been about power." At the same time, he is about to balance that with a touch of humor—"GIs worked at unloading a truck, carrying cases of grenades and Spam, each deadly enough in their own way."
One of the many things so interesting about reading Been is learning facts about the war few knew. Here, we learn about the 603 Camouflage Engineers and the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops. It is fascinating—"It's like Broadway invades Europe."—but this is no Bob Hope show for the troops. This was about saving the Allied troops while defeating the Germans, and the Black Legion in Detroit.
Benn has created a wonderful, and interesting, set of characters. For those new to the series, take heart. About one-quarter of the way into the story, one does learn of Billy's background and his relationship with Kaz, an extremely wealthy Polish baron from a country to which he couldn't return. Kaz has known devastating personal loss yet chooses to work with Allies. For those who've read previous books, it is nice to have Diana Seaton, Billy's love, back on the scene, especially with the revelation which follows. It is also nice the Benn recounts an accurate, non-Disney, account of "Sleeping Beauty.
In this time of division over immigration, it makes one wonder how many may be descended from the German and Italian POW soldiers who were sent to the U.S. to work the farms. It's an interesting thought. At the same time, there's nothing like a small truth to make one stop and consider—"'What was it you realized?" "That hatred is incompatible with hope.'" Big Mike, a former cop, knows how to get things done and how to put help others put things into perspective
"Solemn Graves" is really well done for both mystery and history fans alike. It has plenty of action, as well as suspense related to the murder. The motive is very well done and is as old as time. Do be certain to read the Author's Note at the end.
SOLEMN GRAVES (HistMys-Billy Boyle-France-1944) – VG+
Benn, James R.
Soho Crime – Sept 2018
October 23, 2021
I really enjoyed this book featuring Billy Boyle. The Allied forces have just landed in Normandy and are fighting their way through France. Billy is asked to investigate a murder of a US officer who was murdered at a French orchard house. The house is being used by US army as a headquarters of sorts during the offensive. Investigating a murder is not easy, more so when there's a war going on all around. I like the way the story is told, having listened to this in the audiobook format. The author is also not shy about going into the gritty details inherent in war. Billy, Big Mike, and Kaz all have to navigate around the conflict, taking care not to get themselves killed as they investigate the crime. This is my 2nd Billy Boyle book and I'm looking forward to reading more of this series.
December 29, 2021
This series is great.
He's very real about WWII though. He does not reside in the comfortable stories various countries and societies tell themselves about the war.
He's very real about WWII though. He does not reside in the comfortable stories various countries and societies tell themselves about the war.
March 16, 2021
Billy finds himself in the hedgerows of Normandy investigating a murdered signals officer. He and Kaz wade into French quarrels involving various factions of the Resistance. There’s also an implausible element with a deception unit operating on the flanks of an infantry division and that division not knowing what’s going on. There’s a beautiful traumatized woman who can’t talk who is a magnet for men living at the murder site, a French home as a temporary battalion headquarters. As Billy investigates there are two more murders . Both shot by a sniper and Billy was right next to the victims. Was he the target? Lots of intrigue which culminates in some behind the lines commando action during the St. Lo breakout. A good page turner.
September 17, 2020
Another great book in the Billy Boyle series. A murder mystery in post D-Day France with lots of historical detail. Highly recommended. Best to read the series from the start and in the right order.
September 5, 2018
Solemn Graves
A Billy Boyle World War II Mystery
By James R. Benn
Soho Crime
September 4, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-6169-5849-7
Hardcover, 360 pp., $26.95
Reviewed by Theodore Feit
The adventures of Billy Boyle during World War II bring him close to the front lines shortly after the D-Day invasion of Normandy to investigate a suspicious murder of a communications major in a farmhouse. He arrives with Big Mike at the house which was occupied by a Nazi military police group and now serves as headquarters for an American battalion.
The investigation is hampered by the existence of a ghost army nearby operated by actors and technicians who perform theatrical stunts to mislead the German forces. Shrouded in secrecy, it makes Billy’s task more difficult. And, of course, the various potential witnesses have their own agenda, withholding information vital to Billy’s solving the case. As a result, Billy dives into the biggest operation of the invasion forces, seeking to interview a Nazi officer behind German lines.
Like all the previous novels in this wonderful series, the descriptions of the battles and army operations are real and gripping. The Billy Boyle series only gets better with each new book. Each has been highly recommended, and Solemn Graves joins that list.
A Billy Boyle World War II Mystery
By James R. Benn
Soho Crime
September 4, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-6169-5849-7
Hardcover, 360 pp., $26.95
Reviewed by Theodore Feit
The adventures of Billy Boyle during World War II bring him close to the front lines shortly after the D-Day invasion of Normandy to investigate a suspicious murder of a communications major in a farmhouse. He arrives with Big Mike at the house which was occupied by a Nazi military police group and now serves as headquarters for an American battalion.
The investigation is hampered by the existence of a ghost army nearby operated by actors and technicians who perform theatrical stunts to mislead the German forces. Shrouded in secrecy, it makes Billy’s task more difficult. And, of course, the various potential witnesses have their own agenda, withholding information vital to Billy’s solving the case. As a result, Billy dives into the biggest operation of the invasion forces, seeking to interview a Nazi officer behind German lines.
Like all the previous novels in this wonderful series, the descriptions of the battles and army operations are real and gripping. The Billy Boyle series only gets better with each new book. Each has been highly recommended, and Solemn Graves joins that list.
August 9, 2018
I’m new to the Billy Boyle series, and although Benn’s well-developed characters immediately took me in, I found the story to be somewhat lacking. In the interest of being non-confrontational, I will post my grievances and invite anyone to explain things I might have missed that would clarify the story for me.
1. An officer is murdered in a house, and when the investigators get there they find a woman in a blood soaked dress, but it doesn’t seem to raise any red flags.
2. Billy Boyle discovers a “ghost army” who use deception (camouflage, inflatable tanks, sound effects) to create the illusion of a large force to distract the enemy. I was really into this aspect of the story, and was sad that it really didn’t have much to do with the plot, and never really returned to the story after it was introduced. In fact, it made me wish that the book had been about the ghost army instead of about the murder of an officer. Other than the fact that the ghost army is a really interesting subject, what did it have to do with the story?
3. Too many characters. Benn did a great job with the main characters, but the peripheral characters were too numerous to keep track of, and often added nothing to the plot. The main case of this would be the introduction of Diane, Boyles’ on again-off again girlfriend, two thirds of the way through the book. I understand that she is probably a character that people who have read the series would recognize, but she really did nothing to move the story along and it would have been fine (better) without her.
4. The woman I mentioned earlier (the one in the blood soaked dress), is mute. For the bulk of the story we are lead to believe that she can no longer speak due to trauma resulting from a horrific experience. Towards the end of the book we are told that she was drugged. Are we to believe that her being drugged was the cause of her being mute? She would have been drugged with morphine, and although I don’t have experience with said substance I’ve never heard that it renders you speechless. Also, the people who wanted her silenced had no problem killing numerous other people. Why did they keep her alive?
Reading this book gave me the same feeling that I would get when I read Red Randall or Dick Donnelly books as a kid. I really wanted to like it, and I did like certain aspects of it, but in the end there were just too many confusing things to ignore.
If I were to try another book in the series, which would you recommend?
1. An officer is murdered in a house, and when the investigators get there they find a woman in a blood soaked dress, but it doesn’t seem to raise any red flags.
2. Billy Boyle discovers a “ghost army” who use deception (camouflage, inflatable tanks, sound effects) to create the illusion of a large force to distract the enemy. I was really into this aspect of the story, and was sad that it really didn’t have much to do with the plot, and never really returned to the story after it was introduced. In fact, it made me wish that the book had been about the ghost army instead of about the murder of an officer. Other than the fact that the ghost army is a really interesting subject, what did it have to do with the story?
3. Too many characters. Benn did a great job with the main characters, but the peripheral characters were too numerous to keep track of, and often added nothing to the plot. The main case of this would be the introduction of Diane, Boyles’ on again-off again girlfriend, two thirds of the way through the book. I understand that she is probably a character that people who have read the series would recognize, but she really did nothing to move the story along and it would have been fine (better) without her.
4. The woman I mentioned earlier (the one in the blood soaked dress), is mute. For the bulk of the story we are lead to believe that she can no longer speak due to trauma resulting from a horrific experience. Towards the end of the book we are told that she was drugged. Are we to believe that her being drugged was the cause of her being mute? She would have been drugged with morphine, and although I don’t have experience with said substance I’ve never heard that it renders you speechless. Also, the people who wanted her silenced had no problem killing numerous other people. Why did they keep her alive?
Reading this book gave me the same feeling that I would get when I read Red Randall or Dick Donnelly books as a kid. I really wanted to like it, and I did like certain aspects of it, but in the end there were just too many confusing things to ignore.
If I were to try another book in the series, which would you recommend?
July 9, 2018
Celebrations start when readers spy a new book in James Benn's sterling Billy Boyle WWII series! Benn provides authentic, deeply researched backgrounds that often reveal little known aspects of World War II in a variety of geographic areas. In this story, we have Boyle and colleagues in Normandy, soon after D-Day, when the fighting is intense and the many French partisan and collaborative groups are as much of a problem as retreating German troops. The mysterious Ghost Army is interwoven into the story, as Benn fleshes out information that was just recently declassified and absolutely fascinating. Benn excels at background but also character development. Readers have followed both Billy and his closest friend Kaz through many tough, horrific situations, and the subsequent effects are not minimized. This fact is one of many to recommend this series.
Readers and fans will find much to enjoy and savor in this new series. Benn again provides top notch entertainment with plenty of action, an easy writing style with wonderful phrasing that cause reflection, and vivid characters that live long after the final page is read.
Readers and fans will find much to enjoy and savor in this new series. Benn again provides top notch entertainment with plenty of action, an easy writing style with wonderful phrasing that cause reflection, and vivid characters that live long after the final page is read.
January 9, 2020
When an American signals officer is murdered on the front in France, Captain Billy Boyle and his Polishpartner, Kaz, are sent to investigate. The silent and alluring Yvonne is the key to the whole investigation as those who try to get close to her are killed. Fans of Agatha Christie and W.E.B. Griffin should this historical fiction set in World War II France.
Read
August 1, 2022This is a great book that delves into the realities of liberating Europe. There were powerplays between resistance fighters, collaborators, and different militaries. The author's notes at the end highlight these events and provides some astute observations.
I can't recommend this series enough.
I can't recommend this series enough.
September 8, 2018
The 13th book of the great Billy Boyle series (which I highly recommend) is sobering and dark (as one would expect from its title and its timing in the war (France about a month after D-Day)). As for the mystery it felt more like a WHYdunit than a WHOdunit but all the adventures the beloved characters go on to unravel the truth makes it a great read! Like all the Billy Boyle fans I can’t wait for September 2019 when the next one comes out!
September 4, 2023
A great listen!
December 23, 2025
War is hell. Dust is death. Words to keep a soldier alive. Billy Boyle is in France to investigate the death of an officer who was clearly the victim of a murder, not combat.
February 9, 2019
Another engaging mystery for Billy Boyle and crew. Well done.
August 27, 2018
These books keep getting grittier (and better). I'm glad the series has finally made it to Normandy.
September 13, 2018
Billy and friends
Absolutely loved each page of this new book , I look forward to each one . I’m was an Army wife for 24 years , love WWll books, and read most that come up on Kindle , also know most of the battlefields on the European front as we lived in Europe and had to Ck each one out . I went thru each investigation with Billy , and the Sargent . Hardy is written very well , hard ass brass ! Impatient, but likes Billy’s work . Looking forward to the next issue of Billy Kaz and Sarg and Diane .
Absolutely loved each page of this new book , I look forward to each one . I’m was an Army wife for 24 years , love WWll books, and read most that come up on Kindle , also know most of the battlefields on the European front as we lived in Europe and had to Ck each one out . I went thru each investigation with Billy , and the Sargent . Hardy is written very well , hard ass brass ! Impatient, but likes Billy’s work . Looking forward to the next issue of Billy Kaz and Sarg and Diane .
September 17, 2018
I don't usually care for novels set during wars or novels with a lot of violence, but Benn is a terrific writer who knows the period well and has created characters who are both interesting and complex. The murder mystery in SOLEMN GRAVES is equally compelling and although I have mixed feelings about the rough justice meted out to the murderer at the end, the only other choice would have been to let the crime go unpunished. This one will stay with you for awhile.
October 16, 2018
I continue to love this series, but this entry was not up to Benn’s usual standards. Billy and company are back at the frontlines to solve a very circuitous murder mystery. Benn’s novels find intriguing, little known aspects of WWII, so when he introduces the “ghost army” I assumed it was integral to the plot. It proved to be a little more than an interesting footnote, though a confusing one. I never could quite conceptualize what the ultimate advantage in these circumstances were. In fact, their presence resulted in regular army casualties because their officer assumed they had a real tank unit to back them up.
I guessed the villains pretty early, so it felt like Billy was being particularly obtuse, making obvious assumptions, unlike his usual skepticism and intuitiveness. The tensions between Billy, Big Mike and Kaz didn’t quite ring true, and distracted from the mystery as well. While the conflicts made sense, one of the major strengths of these novels is the relationships these men have with each other. We didn’t get that here. Having Diana arrive but pay little attention to Billy increased my growing dissatisfaction with their relationship. That they have conflicting duties that keep them apart is powerful, but when they are together Billy seems so much more emotionally invested, while she goes hot and cold, rarely seeing him as her priority. Could be the English reserve. Who knows? But at this point I’d rather have her MIA in these novels.
As a result, this novel was pretty much all Billy all the time and his growing frustrations and numbness after so many years of war and murder and the army’s way of doing things, while trying to investigate often without support and having to fight to see it to its conclusion. As I write this I realize that Benn is being true to the wear-and-tear on individuals and relationships after years under the stresses and horrors of war first-hand, and I salute that, but as a reading experience it was unsatisfying.
I guessed the villains pretty early, so it felt like Billy was being particularly obtuse, making obvious assumptions, unlike his usual skepticism and intuitiveness. The tensions between Billy, Big Mike and Kaz didn’t quite ring true, and distracted from the mystery as well. While the conflicts made sense, one of the major strengths of these novels is the relationships these men have with each other. We didn’t get that here. Having Diana arrive but pay little attention to Billy increased my growing dissatisfaction with their relationship. That they have conflicting duties that keep them apart is powerful, but when they are together Billy seems so much more emotionally invested, while she goes hot and cold, rarely seeing him as her priority. Could be the English reserve. Who knows? But at this point I’d rather have her MIA in these novels.
As a result, this novel was pretty much all Billy all the time and his growing frustrations and numbness after so many years of war and murder and the army’s way of doing things, while trying to investigate often without support and having to fight to see it to its conclusion. As I write this I realize that Benn is being true to the wear-and-tear on individuals and relationships after years under the stresses and horrors of war first-hand, and I salute that, but as a reading experience it was unsatisfying.
October 10, 2018
MAIN CHARACTER: Madam, an Army officer had his throat cut in your Normandy farmhouse last night, and here is his bloody, lifeless body. I'm here to investigate.
FRENCH WOMAN: Oui, too bad, but I know nothing.
MC: Say! Who is the beautiful woman covered in blood that just walked by?
FW: Nobody's quite sure; she lives here, but does not speak.
MC: Well, I'll get to her much later, after I drive around in jeeps and meet Bill Blass.
Some decent D-Day atmospherics get sprinkled into an overly-complicated cast of characters, most of whom come and go like an 'everyone-gets-a-part' grade-school play, and the murder investigation is a frantic muddle. Still, following the main characters around the near-front lines is oddly enjoyable. This is a series, and if you come away liking the featured characters, you may enjoy revisiting them as they do what they do, with the unique backdrop of 1944 to keep things interesting.
FRENCH WOMAN: Oui, too bad, but I know nothing.
MC: Say! Who is the beautiful woman covered in blood that just walked by?
FW: Nobody's quite sure; she lives here, but does not speak.
MC: Well, I'll get to her much later, after I drive around in jeeps and meet Bill Blass.
Some decent D-Day atmospherics get sprinkled into an overly-complicated cast of characters, most of whom come and go like an 'everyone-gets-a-part' grade-school play, and the murder investigation is a frantic muddle. Still, following the main characters around the near-front lines is oddly enjoyable. This is a series, and if you come away liking the featured characters, you may enjoy revisiting them as they do what they do, with the unique backdrop of 1944 to keep things interesting.
July 25, 2018
This is such an amazing series. Set in WWII, they feature Billy Boyle, army detective, and his colleagues, as they solve various crimes. Solemn Graves begins shortly after the D-Day invasion, when an army officer is found murdered in a French chateau that is serving as headquarters for an army unit. The writing is impeccable, the story, characters and dialogue are perfect, and the insights of Boyle are incredibly perceptive. I particularly enjoyed the little details that make each scene and action authentic and vivid, and the nuggets of little-known historical facts that are spread throughout the story. This was my introduction to Benn's Billy Boyle, and now I feel compelled to go back and read them all. Many thanks to NetGalley and Soho Press for the e-arc. Excellent! Strong 4.5 stars!
April 22, 2024
James R. Benn's 13th Billy Boyle World War II mystery, SOLEMN GRAVES, finds Billy and his investigatory team of Kaz and Big Mike sent to a farm house near the front lines in Normandy. It's a month after the D-Day invasion and while there has been some headway made in the invasion, it has come slowly and at a great cost.
But when an Army Major is found murdered in a liberated farmhouse / orchard, Billy has to find out what happened. This is a task made much harder than a typical murder investigation because Billy, Kaz and Big Mike soon stumble onto a secretive military unit that is tasked with a special mission against the Germans.
Making matters worse, the French citizens are split between those who support the Germans and those who support the Allied Forces. And with so much acrimony on both sides, there's reprisals and revenge on the minds of everyone involved.
With so many questionable suspects involved in the case and each of them having their own reasons for being deceptive, Billy will have to track down not only a murderer bent on covering their tracks but figure out who can be trusted before any potential security risks to the invasion forces as well.
And there's the matter of an ethereal beauty found in the farmhouse. Every man who sees her seems to fall in love with her. But some traumatic event has left the woman mute and in her own personal world.
With a deadly sniper on the loose, Billy and his team will have to avoid being picked off if they hope to bring justice to the true killer.
I found SOLEMN GRAVES to be particularly interesting to me. Not just because of an involving and complicated mystery where Billy has to sort out loyalties that seem to be constantly shifting so that he can get to the bottom of the murder investigation. But with all the material I've ever read or watched about World War II, the plotline featuring the Ghost Army gave me a bit of information on something I'd never heard of before reading this book.
The character development in SOLEMN GRAVES was particularly noteworthy. You had to travel along with Billy as he tried to figure out the truth of the various French fighters he came across. There was a bit of added humanity to a couple of Germans featured in the plot that made them more than just the sneering "bad guys". But most captivating for me was the interplay between Billy, Kaz and Big Mike in this story. It wasn't comfortable and there was some real worrisome schisms opened between the three compatriots that would've cast some doubt on how things would eventually work themselves out.
The search for justice and a killer in the midst of the meatgrinder that was World War II might seem a bit strange. One murder when there are millions of deaths behind and in front of the warring sides, but I loved the details of this investigation as Billy tried to piece together the truth from all the clues that are seemingly contradictory to each other. This is brought home even more dramatically in the climax when justice is doled out but not completely in the way readers might expect.
SOLEMN GRAVES is a gripping read that has plenty of twists and turns that left me guessing right up until the final reveal and climax to the story. James R. Benn has done it once again with this book. Is it any wonder why I've become such a fan of the series?
But when an Army Major is found murdered in a liberated farmhouse / orchard, Billy has to find out what happened. This is a task made much harder than a typical murder investigation because Billy, Kaz and Big Mike soon stumble onto a secretive military unit that is tasked with a special mission against the Germans.
Making matters worse, the French citizens are split between those who support the Germans and those who support the Allied Forces. And with so much acrimony on both sides, there's reprisals and revenge on the minds of everyone involved.
With so many questionable suspects involved in the case and each of them having their own reasons for being deceptive, Billy will have to track down not only a murderer bent on covering their tracks but figure out who can be trusted before any potential security risks to the invasion forces as well.
And there's the matter of an ethereal beauty found in the farmhouse. Every man who sees her seems to fall in love with her. But some traumatic event has left the woman mute and in her own personal world.
With a deadly sniper on the loose, Billy and his team will have to avoid being picked off if they hope to bring justice to the true killer.
I found SOLEMN GRAVES to be particularly interesting to me. Not just because of an involving and complicated mystery where Billy has to sort out loyalties that seem to be constantly shifting so that he can get to the bottom of the murder investigation. But with all the material I've ever read or watched about World War II, the plotline featuring the Ghost Army gave me a bit of information on something I'd never heard of before reading this book.
The character development in SOLEMN GRAVES was particularly noteworthy. You had to travel along with Billy as he tried to figure out the truth of the various French fighters he came across. There was a bit of added humanity to a couple of Germans featured in the plot that made them more than just the sneering "bad guys". But most captivating for me was the interplay between Billy, Kaz and Big Mike in this story. It wasn't comfortable and there was some real worrisome schisms opened between the three compatriots that would've cast some doubt on how things would eventually work themselves out.
The search for justice and a killer in the midst of the meatgrinder that was World War II might seem a bit strange. One murder when there are millions of deaths behind and in front of the warring sides, but I loved the details of this investigation as Billy tried to piece together the truth from all the clues that are seemingly contradictory to each other. This is brought home even more dramatically in the climax when justice is doled out but not completely in the way readers might expect.
SOLEMN GRAVES is a gripping read that has plenty of twists and turns that left me guessing right up until the final reveal and climax to the story. James R. Benn has done it once again with this book. Is it any wonder why I've become such a fan of the series?
October 11, 2018
Solemn Graves is the newest of the outstanding Billy Boyle World War II mystery series, set within the Allied High Command in Europe. The focus on the characters’ stories is surrounded with a brilliantly researched, historic time and place. It’s illustrated against a background of military protocol, weapons and culture. The action scenes are vivid and exciting, and skillfully written to convey the essence of this action even to readers who haven’t felt anything like World War II.
This time US Army detective Billy Boyle is called to investigate a mysterious murder in a Normandy farmhouse, threatening Allied operations just a month after D-Day. The investigation is top secret to protect the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, which are also known as the Ghost Army. The activities of the Ghost Army are meant to cause the enemy to think they’re facing larger formations than they really are. That misdirection is meant to change the enemy’s actions and decisions based on misleading information, almost like red herrings are meant to mislead mystery readers. In this book you get two for one fiction, a mystery and a history.
Thoughtful writing describes the investigative drive pulsing through Billy Boyle. Reading through this acclaimed series from its first book, this character learns and grows into his responsibilities. As he now comes into this Normandy murder scene, he positions himself. “I stood back, studying the scene, trying not to draw conclusions and let the room talk to me. It was one of the things my dad had taught me, or tried to, back in Boston. He was a homicide detective, and as soon as I got my badge as a rookie cop, he dragged me along to watch and study him at work . . . so here I was, carrying on the family business in Normandy, wearing khaki, instead of home in Boston, wearing blue.” Stakes are as high as ever this time, unmasking the murderer while safeguarding the secret of the Ghost Army is critical, if that secret is discovered it could turn the tide of war decisively against the Allies.
Author James Benn turned to writing full time in 2011, after over thirty-five years employed in the Library and Information Technology fields. With that background, it’s no wonder that his research is so thorough and interesting. He’s a graduate of the University of Connecticut, receiving his MLS degree from Southern Connecticut State University. When speaking about his Billy Boyle series he emphasizes that it “has brought me an immense amount of joy. I’ve gotten to meet people in person and online from all over the country (and the rest of the world) and hear their reactions, feedback, and most importantly, their own stories.”
And if you want to hear more from the author listen on YouTube to – Kendall & Cooper Talk Mysteries with James R. Benn
This time US Army detective Billy Boyle is called to investigate a mysterious murder in a Normandy farmhouse, threatening Allied operations just a month after D-Day. The investigation is top secret to protect the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, which are also known as the Ghost Army. The activities of the Ghost Army are meant to cause the enemy to think they’re facing larger formations than they really are. That misdirection is meant to change the enemy’s actions and decisions based on misleading information, almost like red herrings are meant to mislead mystery readers. In this book you get two for one fiction, a mystery and a history.
Thoughtful writing describes the investigative drive pulsing through Billy Boyle. Reading through this acclaimed series from its first book, this character learns and grows into his responsibilities. As he now comes into this Normandy murder scene, he positions himself. “I stood back, studying the scene, trying not to draw conclusions and let the room talk to me. It was one of the things my dad had taught me, or tried to, back in Boston. He was a homicide detective, and as soon as I got my badge as a rookie cop, he dragged me along to watch and study him at work . . . so here I was, carrying on the family business in Normandy, wearing khaki, instead of home in Boston, wearing blue.” Stakes are as high as ever this time, unmasking the murderer while safeguarding the secret of the Ghost Army is critical, if that secret is discovered it could turn the tide of war decisively against the Allies.
Author James Benn turned to writing full time in 2011, after over thirty-five years employed in the Library and Information Technology fields. With that background, it’s no wonder that his research is so thorough and interesting. He’s a graduate of the University of Connecticut, receiving his MLS degree from Southern Connecticut State University. When speaking about his Billy Boyle series he emphasizes that it “has brought me an immense amount of joy. I’ve gotten to meet people in person and online from all over the country (and the rest of the world) and hear their reactions, feedback, and most importantly, their own stories.”
And if you want to hear more from the author listen on YouTube to – Kendall & Cooper Talk Mysteries with James R. Benn
August 6, 2018
James Benn has been writing his "Billy Boyle WW2 Mystery series" now for about 10 years. I've read all of them and the only one I was disappointed in was a wild tale set in the Pacific Theater and somehow involved John Kennedy as a young naval officer, facing a murder charge. After that aberration, Benn returned Billy to the ETO, where he and his buddies should be.
In his latest book, "Solemn Graves", Billy is asked to investigate a mysterious murder of an American officer in a French villa that is located within the D-Day range of operations. I've sometimes wondered if its easier to commit a murder in wartime than peace time, but according to James Benn, even those deaths by murder are investigated. Benn sets his book at about D-Day Plus 10, when Billy begins his investigating. Realising he needs help, he brings Big Sam and Kaz over from England to help him. But its a fine mess; the Germans and the Allies are still taking pot shots at each other, and the Billy stumbles on to some Allied "secrets". Future dress designer Bill Blass pops up in the story, which makes it fun for the reader.
James Benn's "Billy Boyle" books are always fun and the discerning reader can usually learn from his writing. I think I enjoyed this one a bit less than some of the others, but I enjoyed reading it and catching up with Billy and his crew. (Just please don't send him back to the Pacific...)
In his latest book, "Solemn Graves", Billy is asked to investigate a mysterious murder of an American officer in a French villa that is located within the D-Day range of operations. I've sometimes wondered if its easier to commit a murder in wartime than peace time, but according to James Benn, even those deaths by murder are investigated. Benn sets his book at about D-Day Plus 10, when Billy begins his investigating. Realising he needs help, he brings Big Sam and Kaz over from England to help him. But its a fine mess; the Germans and the Allies are still taking pot shots at each other, and the Billy stumbles on to some Allied "secrets". Future dress designer Bill Blass pops up in the story, which makes it fun for the reader.
James Benn's "Billy Boyle" books are always fun and the discerning reader can usually learn from his writing. I think I enjoyed this one a bit less than some of the others, but I enjoyed reading it and catching up with Billy and his crew. (Just please don't send him back to the Pacific...)
August 12, 2018
I have read the Billy Boyle World War II mysteries since the beginning. In this 13th entry, the dreariness and horror of the war is even more apparent than usual. This could be read as a standalone, but the reading of the earlier series books really would make the book more easily understood and enjoyed.
Billy Boyle is a young Boston cop, from an Irish family that already reluctantly shed blood for European wars. But Billy is also fictionally Dwight Eisenhower's nephew, and enlists hoping to be assigned less dangerous investigative work.
He is called on to look into the murder of an American officer at a French manor occupied by a widow in Calvados country. There are a lot of characters, and conflicting Resistance groups, and sometimes motives and explanations are a tad confused. I thought this just added to the general mood of pandemonium and disarray in the midst of conflict.
Billy gets a bit philosophical in this one, as do some of the other characters. The author does a great job of peeling away some superficialities to talk about battle, justice, death and loyalty. A mood of fatigue and weariness permeates the book.
These books are interesting and instructive, and in my opinion have gotten stronger as the series has progressed. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in return for my honest review.
Billy Boyle is a young Boston cop, from an Irish family that already reluctantly shed blood for European wars. But Billy is also fictionally Dwight Eisenhower's nephew, and enlists hoping to be assigned less dangerous investigative work.
He is called on to look into the murder of an American officer at a French manor occupied by a widow in Calvados country. There are a lot of characters, and conflicting Resistance groups, and sometimes motives and explanations are a tad confused. I thought this just added to the general mood of pandemonium and disarray in the midst of conflict.
Billy gets a bit philosophical in this one, as do some of the other characters. The author does a great job of peeling away some superficialities to talk about battle, justice, death and loyalty. A mood of fatigue and weariness permeates the book.
These books are interesting and instructive, and in my opinion have gotten stronger as the series has progressed. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in return for my honest review.
December 22, 2024
It is always interesting to learn what new fact James Benn has uncovered to sprinkle through his WWII series.
I was already aware of the horrible things done to both women and men who collaborated with the Nazis. It was interesting to learn how some of the French may have used that reasoning to gain land and other benefits. I was also aware that ghost units acted to try to fool the opposition as to the strength or weakness of allied forces.
I was not aware of some of the other atrocities, as I have always avoided watching war movies. If war upsets you, you may still enjoy reading this series since its focus is on the people caught up in the action.
As always, there are police to investigate murder even during war. Billy, Big Mike and Kaz are together in this investigation involving a US officer whose throat was cut near the front lines in Normandy. Jerome was far from his unit in a manor house where a mysterious young woman suffering trauma is also found in a bloody dress. It is a dangerous process to get from the murder site to interrogate possible witnesses who are now on the front lines.
I felt this very convoluted plot dragged at points. Perhaps I was just overwhelmed by all of the French fighting units and their antagonism towards each other.
I borrowed a copy from the public library.
I was already aware of the horrible things done to both women and men who collaborated with the Nazis. It was interesting to learn how some of the French may have used that reasoning to gain land and other benefits. I was also aware that ghost units acted to try to fool the opposition as to the strength or weakness of allied forces.
I was not aware of some of the other atrocities, as I have always avoided watching war movies. If war upsets you, you may still enjoy reading this series since its focus is on the people caught up in the action.
As always, there are police to investigate murder even during war. Billy, Big Mike and Kaz are together in this investigation involving a US officer whose throat was cut near the front lines in Normandy. Jerome was far from his unit in a manor house where a mysterious young woman suffering trauma is also found in a bloody dress. It is a dangerous process to get from the murder site to interrogate possible witnesses who are now on the front lines.
I felt this very convoluted plot dragged at points. Perhaps I was just overwhelmed by all of the French fighting units and their antagonism towards each other.
I borrowed a copy from the public library.
August 22, 2018
Celebrations start when readers spy a new book in James Benn's sterling Billy Boyle WWII series! Benn provides authentic, deeply researched backgrounds that often reveal little known aspects of World War II in a variety of geographic areas.
In this story, we have Boyle and colleagues in Normandy, soon after D-Day, when the fighting is intense and the many French partisan and collaborative groups are as much of a problem as retreating German troops. The mysterious Ghost Army is interwoven into the story, as Benn fleshes out information that was just recently declassified and absolutely fascinating. Benn excels at background but also character development. Readers have followed both Billy and his closest friend Kaz through many tough, horrific situations, and the subsequent effects are not minimized. This fact is one of many to recommend this series.
Readers and fans will find much to enjoy and savor in this new series. Benn again provides top notch entertainment with plenty of action, an easy writing style with wonderful phrasing that cause reflection, and vivid characters that live long after the final page is read.
In this story, we have Boyle and colleagues in Normandy, soon after D-Day, when the fighting is intense and the many French partisan and collaborative groups are as much of a problem as retreating German troops. The mysterious Ghost Army is interwoven into the story, as Benn fleshes out information that was just recently declassified and absolutely fascinating. Benn excels at background but also character development. Readers have followed both Billy and his closest friend Kaz through many tough, horrific situations, and the subsequent effects are not minimized. This fact is one of many to recommend this series.
Readers and fans will find much to enjoy and savor in this new series. Benn again provides top notch entertainment with plenty of action, an easy writing style with wonderful phrasing that cause reflection, and vivid characters that live long after the final page is read.
December 17, 2018
The Billy Boyle series has become one of my favorite series to read.
If you enjoy reading about World War II, if you enjoy reading history that's not common knowledge, more the obscure historical references; this is the series for you.
Boyle works his way through the various theaters of War, solving crimes while history occurs around him. You read little tidbits of War history that may not be as glamorous, and many times not taught that often.
Over the course of the war he has been at the Vatican, we get a glimpse of wartime Switzerland, Italy, North Africa, Ireland, and in this book post D-Day France.
Billy is brought into investigate the murder of an Army Major, during the course of the story you meet the various underground resistance characters, the different types of Germans French citizens, an allied soldiers just struggling to get through the war.
During the course of the story they dropped in the little-known ghost Army. In fact to this day some of the things that ghost Army did remain top secret.
If you like War history if you like history and if you like mystery this is a good series
If you enjoy reading about World War II, if you enjoy reading history that's not common knowledge, more the obscure historical references; this is the series for you.
Boyle works his way through the various theaters of War, solving crimes while history occurs around him. You read little tidbits of War history that may not be as glamorous, and many times not taught that often.
Over the course of the war he has been at the Vatican, we get a glimpse of wartime Switzerland, Italy, North Africa, Ireland, and in this book post D-Day France.
Billy is brought into investigate the murder of an Army Major, during the course of the story you meet the various underground resistance characters, the different types of Germans French citizens, an allied soldiers just struggling to get through the war.
During the course of the story they dropped in the little-known ghost Army. In fact to this day some of the things that ghost Army did remain top secret.
If you like War history if you like history and if you like mystery this is a good series
November 13, 2024
#13 in the former Boston cop Billy Boyle WW II mystery series. Starts in July 1944 with Billy back in Normandy a month of after the June 6 invasion to investigate the murder of an army officer with Billy interacting with local residents and various factions of the French resistance trying to unravel what happened and why. He is also near the front lines.
Billy is in very early 20's, Boston Irish with a cocky attitude and had just made detective when the war started. His parents used their connections to keep him out of combat by getting him a staff job on cousin's Dwight Eisenhower's staff who at the war's start was based in Washington, D.C. Ike is quickly transferred to London when Billy joins his staff. Billy's goal: stay out of any combat situation and get back to Boston. His investigative style is to poke a stick into things to see what happens. He is impertinent, has a Boston America Irish anti British huge chip on his shoulder, doesn't like superior officers, tends to disobeys orders, takes himself off on his own personal tasks without considering ramifications putting himself in serious situations, and, since he is hero, these personal tasks work out for the best.
Billy is in very early 20's, Boston Irish with a cocky attitude and had just made detective when the war started. His parents used their connections to keep him out of combat by getting him a staff job on cousin's Dwight Eisenhower's staff who at the war's start was based in Washington, D.C. Ike is quickly transferred to London when Billy joins his staff. Billy's goal: stay out of any combat situation and get back to Boston. His investigative style is to poke a stick into things to see what happens. He is impertinent, has a Boston America Irish anti British huge chip on his shoulder, doesn't like superior officers, tends to disobeys orders, takes himself off on his own personal tasks without considering ramifications putting himself in serious situations, and, since he is hero, these personal tasks work out for the best.
December 1, 2018
This is another excellent book in this must-read series. July 1944, shortly after D-Day, an American officer is killed, not in action, but at the farmhouse serving as headquarters as the army tries to push forward through Normandy. Billy and Big Mike are immediately dispatched to the scene to determine just what happened. Despite a lack of clues, a multitude of enemies, and the disorder that is present in an occupied country, they follow the few leads they have, with the help of Kaz and Diana.
As usual, author James Benn paints a realistic portrait of the various factions and the awfulness that is war. But he also includes little known details, along with a cameo appearance by someone who will later become famous, but not as a soldier. Excellent characterization along with a detailed sense of time and place combine to make this hard to put down. Highly recommended.
As usual, author James Benn paints a realistic portrait of the various factions and the awfulness that is war. But he also includes little known details, along with a cameo appearance by someone who will later become famous, but not as a soldier. Excellent characterization along with a detailed sense of time and place combine to make this hard to put down. Highly recommended.
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