Evil for Evil

Billy Boyle World War II #4

by James R. Benn

Fifty Browning Automatic Rifles have been stolen from a US Army base in Northern Ireland. His “uncle” Ike Eisenhower sends Billy to recover the weapons, which might be used in a German-sponsored IRA uprising. Bodies begin to accumulate as Billy finds unexpected challenges to his Boston-Irish upbringing and IRA sympathies. There are rogues on both sides, he learns.

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

337 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2009

About the author

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

Reviews

[Mark Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Billy Boyle has been asked to find fifty stolen Browning Automatic Rifles. He’s less than thrilled, however, because it appears that the thieves are the IRA, and Billy and his family have always supported the IRA in their quest to unite Ireland. Still, if the IRA is planning to give the guns to the Germans, he knows he needs to find them. His investigation makes him question what he has always thought about the people of Ireland. But as the bodies pile up, can Billy find the guns before it is too late?

I’m really torn with this series. On the one hand, I enjoy the history we get as we delve into another aspect of World War II. It really makes the World War part come into focus. The mystery is good, with plenty of twists and action without being too over the top. Billy is a fantastic main character who matures a little here once again. We don’t see much of the supporting characters, but the new characters are strong and help pull us into the story. Unfortunately, I feel like the story and characters are drowning in too much detail. It might be me since these books take me longer to read than I am used to. But I can’t help but think a little editing would make me enjoy these books more because there are definitely parts I do enjoy.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the story and subplots in this book. I also appreciated learning a bit more about Ireland and its (their?) interactions with the U.K. However, for me there were two drawbacks to the book: i) Billy's poor treatment of Diana, and ii) I found that there was a little too much of Billy woolgathering about Ireland, his heritage, 'what is right', etc. for my taste. I think these elements of the story were somewhat important, but too many of them were included such that it all became a bit too repetitive and a little tedious.

Overall, a solid read. I will look up the next one in the series.

[Renée Gendron · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great edition to the series. This story takes Billy Boyle to Ireland to track down some stolen weapons. As with all of Benn's books, this book is well researched. The conflict between the Protestants and Catholics along with the British concern of Ireland turning pro-Germany are very well portrayed. Characters all sides of the Irish conflict are nuanced and sympathetic. It's an interesting book because it highlights WWII dynamics that aren't often discussed --- most other books will focus on D-Day or The Blitz or the Pacific War.

Billy Boyle had some key insights into his own heritage and war and his romantic interest, Diana.

For those who love historical fiction set in WWII, this is your book.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

My second book with an Irish setting completed in 2 days. While not as poetic as The Secret Scripture by Barry, this World War II mystery also was well written and captured the divisions, hatreds and complexities of what is Ireland. It is set in Northern Ireland where Billy (A distant relative of Eisenhower) is sent to investigate the theft of new automatic weapons, purportedly by the IRA. To do his duty he must work through his divided loyalties, being a Boston Irishman, and sidestep all of the many factions existing in Northern Ireland during the war (and in history). History lives forever there as in many places in the world.

This was a very interesting companion piece to Barry, very different, but also in some ways reflecting some of the same anguish, hatreds, etc. I would highly recommend it to readers of historical fiction and mysteries. This is, I believe the strongest of the series so far.

My rating is probably a 4.5.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This title in the series was interesting to me in what I learned about both parts of Ireland and their involvement in WWII. There was much I did not know, and Benner really does provide good history on the politics of England's involvement with the Irish and its long term residue even fighting the evil Nazis. Having said that, there were so many different organizations and alliances talked about that I found it a bit confusing in the beginning. I appreciated Billy's moral anguish as someone coming from a family who strongly supported (financially and otherwise) the IRA and who then was faced with facts that brought some of that support into question. Life is never black or white--only those shades of gray. The older you get the more you understand this. I hope this attitude adjustment will show up in future books in terms of how Billy sees Ike and his driver Kay, his own family back in Boston, and his relationship with Diana.

[Vincent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read as have the first three books. Billy is maturing and perhaps more hardened by his previous actions. Interesting choice to leave the supporting characters from the first 3 books elsewhere and provide new ones. Although based on the context and setting of this book it is unlikely to see them again.

Very much enjoyed it and looking forward to continuing with the series.

[Margaret D'Anieri · Rating 4 out of 5]

In addition to the mystery part of this series, what I like is the way they evoke the atmosphere of the place (in this case, Unionist Ireland, and unknown (to me) parts of WWII history - in this case, the complicated relationship of Catholic Ireland and the IRA to the war effort.
And I just love Billy!

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best one yet. Billy is all alone in Ireland on a mission to find some missing rifles that the IRA presumably stole. However, Billy is never alone with his people skills. He quickly connects with a variety of folks some of whom end up dead. The usual theme of graft and corruption twists between suspects and the other theme of mission or terrorism just like in the preceding three mysteries. This one though is more personal as the tension/conflict of an Irishman from Boston working with the Ulster Constabulary and the forces of the Crown against "his own" people. My only regret was that there was no map in this book. After reading this book Benn has me wanting to visit Northern Ireland with his vivid descriptions of the scenery. Billy also has a "guardian angel" monitoring his activities and this was quite a surprise at the end.

[Mattaniah Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without question, this is the best book in the series I've encountered thus far. I doubt any subsequent entries can match "Evil for Evil." Having been set up by the previous books, were now ready to see Billy Boyle the Irish-American cop from Boston confront his heritage and see the fantasy shattered by the hammer of reality.

Unlike the previous entries, the antagonists are well written and there are surprises about them. And some of them very human. Billy's emotions are on full display here and the adventure truly takes unexpected twists and turns.

If for no other reason than to get to this book, read the series (don't jump it here, you need the character context from 1-3 to reap the full effect.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoyed the setting (Ireland during World War II) this one wasn't much of a mystery to me. If one cannot discern the villain behind all the plotting and nefarious activity one just isn't paying attention, for he is revealed quite early in Billy Boyle's investigation. I have enjoyed this series up till now, and the historical background made me keep my reading nose to the grindstone, but this one just did not particularly grab me.

Benn is a competent enough writer and obviously has done his research. However, Billy's investigation seems more like it stumbles upon him instead of cleverly discovering the clues, etc.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't say why I have a weakness for this series, but in this matter I seem to have about as much insight as Billy Boyle himself. Maybe it’s how Boyle’s American attitude shows itself (and evolves) as, in each book, he is yet again a Southie-fish out of water. Evil for Evil is my favorite (so far): the Irish milieu is nicely realized, the action is fun and Benn seems more confident as a writer.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little light at the beginning; but improves as the reader gets past the "Uncle Ike" relationship and into the development of the story. It became a more compelling read about half way through. Along the way, the story provides insight on the relationship between England, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland. Also, there is an interesting side note about the Irish in the American Civil War. An okay read.

[Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this was a really great story.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great adventure!

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fourth book in the Billy Boyle World War II mystery series by James R. Benn finds Lieutenant Billy Boyle enjoying some downtime in Algiers with his girlfriend Diana Seaton, the Englishwoman who has become part of his life in both love and work. But as the couple argues over Diana's desire to go back to field work after escaping a harrowing capture, Billy is called away to conduct another investigation for is "Uncle Ike", general Dwight D. Eisenhower.

For any Irishman (or woman), returning home to Ireland is something that pulls at them. But when Billy finds out that his new investigation will take him instead to Northern Ireland, ingrained prejudices come out. Home to British Loyalists who are Protestants, the sectarian violence against those from the Republic of Ireland (and returned in kind by the IRA), Northern Ireland is likely one of the last places on Earth that a good Irish boy from Boston wants to be. Particularly one who has deep familial ties to the IRA.

But a shipment of weapons has been stolen from the US Army and it's up to Billy to track down and return the weapons. The IRA is seen as the prime suspects and the Northern Ireland cops want the thieves tracked down before more violence is unleashed.

However, as Billy digs into the case, he stumbles across far more than he could've imagined. Forced to team up with the Royal Ulster Constabulary and MI-5 to track down those that would be his "brothers-in-arms", Billy finds his long held beliefs challenged at every turn.

As Billy begins to uncover evidence that the IRA may have been framed, there are a number of people who cross his path and give him information (both factual and figurative). As he gets closer to unraveling the conspiracy, he finds himself in the crosshairs of any number of antagonists who will do anything to stop him from discovering the truth and interfering with their plans.

Despite all his own beliefs, Billy must stop any attacks that could de-stabilize the region and throw a wrench into Ireland's wartime neutrality and cause chaos throughout the two countries. Not too mention throw the Allied Forces plans into disarray.

While the investigation and hunt for the stolen weapons at times felt like it was dragging the plot along a bit too slowly, the way James R. Benn introduces a variety of new characters into Billy's world worked wonders. From every side of the Irish equation, Billy's eyes get opened as he meets fair-minded people amongst those he was raised to believe were monsters while discovering that tales he learned growing up might not be fully true. It is the slow maturation of his character that really draws the reader into the story.

As the pace of the story picks up, you are soon treated to a number of high stakes confrontations that will have long ranging consequences for all parties involved and demonstrate to Billy the now old axiom about "The first casualty, when war comes, is truth".

While a bit slow in the early parts of the book's investigatory sections, EVIL IS EVIL, is a darn fine read that will once again shine a bright light on James R. Benn's impressive Billy Boyle series.

[ManOfLaBook.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

For more reviews and bookish posts visit: https://www.ManOfLaBook.com

Evil for Evil by James R. Benn is the fourth book in the Billy Boyle World War II historical mysteries. The series follows the former Boston cop solving mysteries in war time Europe while giving the reader a great history lesson.

Ex-Boston Cop turned Army investigator Billy Boyle is sent by his uncle, General Eisenhower, to investigate the theft of 50 Fifty Browning Automatic Rifles and thousands of rounds of ammunition in Ireland. Billy needs to find the weapons before any damage is done.

An American of Irish heritage, Boyle is torn between his upbringing of championing a free Ireland and the IRA, to working for the British Crown. But a Nazi-sponsored IRA uprising is the real threat and must be stopped.

I bought the paperback copy of this book, and as much as I enjoyed the story, I have a warning for us old guys. The page count is misleading; the font is small and difficult to read. It should be about 720 pages or so.

Evil for Evil by James R. Benn has the best plot in the Billy Boyle series. It is complex, the characters are torn between duty and loyalty, and there are twists all around. Best of all, the historical story-line is something I never read much about, and learned a lot.

Billy Boyle seems to mature with every adventure. Through his young eyes, we see World War II from an optimistic but conflicting angle. In this story, however, Billy’s loyalties are conflicted between his Irish Catholic upbringing in Boston, and the reality on the ground where things are not black and white, but shades of gray. The contrast between the romanticized ideals which he was taught, and the experience of a country torn by a civil war was, for me, the most interesting aspect of the book.

Mr. Benn did not write a typical WWII historical fiction book. The lines between good guys and bad guys are blurred. Every character has suffered injustice inflicted on them by “the other side”, a complex situation where everyone is right and wrong at the same time.

I specifically enjoyed the author’s note at the end of the book. The IRA’s covert attempts to gain Nazi assistance with the S-Plan, a bombing campaign on English soil is a piece of fascinating history that I haven’t heard about.

[JPT · Rating 5 out of 5]

*
*
*
Audiobook
Story: A-, Narration: A

Not a review, just some thoughts for personal reference.

Once again, I really liked the richness of the historical detail in this book. Despite being fiction, I like the deep dive into little slices of the period--not just the big sweeping events, but the more personal, daily life kinds of things. From how Eisenhower had to juggle the massive egos of Patton, Clark, Montgomery, et al, to how supply sergeants and cooks handled their duties.

Kay Summersby has been a character in this series from the beginning, but in this book the questions concerning her relationship with Eisenhower are raised. I remember when her books came out back in the day, and even read one of them. Still don't know what to think, and there's certainly a lot of debate among people with more expertise than I have. It had to be acknowledged, but certainly won't be resolved in this series, and is really only important in how it affects Billy and the storyline.

I wasn't sure how I'd like the setting/storyline in this book as it was so far away from the "action" and the characters I was used to, but i was pleasantly surprised. Eons ago, I took an Irish history course in college but I retained only a few details. In addition to the refresher on historical events, I appreciated the depiction of the trauma experienced by the Irish of all stripes and how it resonated in every aspect of their lives.

For the not so great, I've noted before that Billy is too quick to trust the wrong people, and it happened here again. I didn't know all the pieces, but there was one particular person I was suspicious of from the outset and I couldn't figure out why Billy was so open. There were also a lot of events that were fairly predictable, including a couple of supposedly shocking things that happened at the end that were telegraphed way out.

I was also ready to blast Billy for his behavior at the beginning of the book, but he redeemed himself. But I feel like I'm on a roller-coaster with the Billy-Diana thing.

Lots I could note, but I'll just add that, for the most part, Billy is really showing a lot of development.

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual for me, just a few comments rather than a real review, of which there are already plenty.

First, why I knocked off a star from my usual 5 for fully-hits-its-target: With several allegedly competent police brass supervising, and multiple men on the ground, the screamingly obvious location of the climactic ambush couldn't have been missed until moments before the last minute. Dramatically effective, yes, but it required deploying a whole crate full of idiot balls, and not fully describing the layout to us readers.

Second, if I were an Irish-American Catholic--instead of just a white American Catholic, which does come to about 2/3 of the same thing emotionally--I expect I would have been in tears a few times. Benn effectively illuminates the fratricidal cost of The Troubles.

Third, the mystery worked for this reader. Once we learned whodunnit (or who was behind it), I was kicking myself over "How could you have missed that appearance?", so I can believe a reviewer like David who declares, "If one cannot discern the villain behind all the plotting and nefarious activity one just isn't paying attention". I respond, "Yes, but when a stage magician does that to one it's called misdirection", and I praise Benn for his success in misdirecting me.

Finally, at the end of ch. 1, as Diana parts from Billy we have this:
"No, you don't [love me]", she said. "You want to possess me. I've been waiting for you to learn the difference."
It's hardly a spoiler, but still I'll mark it as such, that over the course of the novel, Billy reaches the same conclusion as King Arthur in Camelot: as to "How to Handle a Woman": It's "to love her, simply love her/Merely love her, love her, love her". And despite being a naturally insensitive het guy, Billy understands how to do it. I actually like a romance sub-plot when it works like that.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

In EVIL FOR EVIL Lt. Billy Boyle takes his investigative talents to Northern Ireland. It is 1943 and Boyle is an investigative jack-of-all trades for General Dwight Eisenhower, taking on tasks that are best resolved quickly and discreetly so as not to hinder the war effort. For this assignment, Boyle is loaned out to Great Britain's MI-5 unit to find the whereabouts of a large cache of BAR machine guns, seemingly stolen by the IRA from Allied supplies. The potency of these weapons, alongside the possible cooperation between German infiltrators and IRA elements, could throw all of Ireland into a maelstrom, drawing in British and American forces and diverting precious resources from the struggle on the European continent.

Complicating already complicated matters is that Billy Boyle is an Irish Catholic policeman in Boston during peacetime, with a family history of IRA support and anti-British sentiment. Now, Boyle is forced to work for the British authorities and with Ulster police forces, none of whom trust him any more than he trusts them.

Boyle discovers that despite what he learned as a youth, the issues aren't so black and white when in Northern Ireland and the people are not so easily defined as good or bad. He also discovers that violence can beget violence for anger's sake, and little more.

The varied settings are becoming one of the finest aspects of author James R. Benn's "Billy Boyle" series. The depictions of the land, the culture, and the people of Northern Ireland are strong here. Yes, the action can be a bit predictable, as Boyle is perpetually resolute and indestructible, but the plot is intriguing enough to keep the pages turning while the characters and the settings add depth.

Unthinking anger
prevails in the north. But no,
there's much more to come.

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

#4 in the former Boston cop Billy Boyle WW II mystery series opening in November,1943 with Billy in Jerusalem and is assigned to work with British Intelligence on a mission that takes him Ireland and the IRA.

Fifty Browning Automatic Rifles have been stolen from a US Army base in Northern Ireland. His “uncle” Ike Eisenhower sends Billy to recover the weapons, which might be used in a German-sponsored IRA uprising. Bodies begin to accumulate as Billy finds unexpected challenges to his Boston-Irish upbringing and IRA sympathies. There are rogues on both sides, he learns.
it appears that the thieves are the IRA, and Billy and his family have always supported the IRA in their quest to unite Ireland. Still, if the IRA is planning to give the guns to the Germans, he knows he needs to find them. His investigation makes him question what he has always thought about the people of Ireland.

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, doen'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.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

First sentence: This was the Holy Land, and I had never felt so far from home.

Premise/plot: Evil for Evil is the fourth book in Benn’s historical mystery series starring former police detective Billy Boyle. In this one, “Uncle Ike” sends Billy Boyle on a dangerous mission in Northern Ireland. It will require him to ask a lot of questions—questions that could get him killed by the Red Hand or the IRA. (I think there’s another extremist group as well...) Boyle has always been sympathetic to the IRA before—growing up in an Irish Catholic community in Boston. Will seeing the extremists on both sides change his mind?! This one has a massive body count. It may be the largest body count I’ve ever encountered in a murder mystery. Will Boyle make it out of Ireland alive?

My thoughts: This one started off on the slower side—especially considering how the third one begins. But by the end it was intense and packed with action. I was surprised a time or two with this one. Kaz and Diana are absent and nearly absent respectively in this one. I missed Kaz especially. Plenty of new characters were introduced. The storytelling is still hooking me this many books into the series. I also have my mom hooked on the series.

[Joe Santoro · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far the best of the series so far! Billy goes to his ancestral homeland and gets to see the Irish conflict he was raised on first hand. The author did an amazing job of showing all the sides and having Billy experience it from his unique view of being a romanticised believer from afar in Boston... both an outsider and a participant at once.

The character growth here, while somewhat predictible, was fantastic, and the fact that it made sense didn't make it any less poignant. The author also managed to work in some great side stories, even one about Irishmen fighting in the Civil War, that seem random but were great none the less.

We also get to mean Billy's Uncle Dan, which was very interesting, having him work a case along side the uncle that is portray equal parts his hero and the scary black sheep of the family. He lives up to both and the interactions really emphasized Billy's growth from a sheltered kid protected by his family in Boston to a great detective in his own right.

I wasn't sure how much of this series I was going to read at first... I'm not a huge WWII buff, but I think after this one I'm in for the duration.

[Bill Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well plotted; the suspense and dialogue are good with well-drawn characters, excepting the main bad guy, whom we do not meet until the end. We are told through exposition about his various reasons for what he does and this technique makes him a plot device rather than a person. There is another villain who is much more clearly defined as Boyle interacts with him throughout the book, so I am uncertain why bad guy #1 was given short shrift, there being no suspense at risk by allowing the character to be flesh and blood. Boyle does too munch mental cud chewing for my taste, but never lapses into wallowing Wallander moments of agonized guilt and self-recrimination. His ruminations evolve into epiphanies that result in today's common coin of gender pandering as Billy realizes the errors of his ways, recants and begs forgiveness. He could have just been understanding at the beginning, but... The material is in sharpest focus when portraying what life is like if you and most around you are nursing grudges from what happened last week and for the last 400 years.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

American and Irish and Catholic: Lt. Boyle goes to Ireland

Lt. Boyle is sent off to Ireland on another mission. He is the 1st in his family in several generations to set foot on his ancestors soil. It is difficult especially since tensions and hatred between the 2 Ireland's run hard and deep.
Billy is a well oiled veteran now. He keeps his Catholic devotions and his family's ties to the IRA in check as he maneuvers throughout the countryside in search of stolen guns and ammo.
Body counts increase as he realizes there are many who have much to gain and more to lose. Motives and actions are not necessarily what they seem.
I gained a !itt!e more understanding of the conflicts between Northern Ireland a d Ireland. I was fairly young when the 2 fought with bombings. My young mind thought the fighting was mere Protestant vs Catholic. But it was so.much more.
There were a lot of characters and even more history lessons woven into the story. I feel the need to read more on the subject on the conf!icy because it was a complicated read.

[Ktmholm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 4th appearance of Lt. Billy Boyle, Boston police detective assigned to the service of his “Uncle Ike” (better known as General Eisenhower). Eisenhower is concerned with the theft of 50 Browning automatic rifles from an army depot in Northern Ireland, and he sends Billy to investigate. Members of the British high command are worried that the guns were hijacked by the IRA, with plans to join forces with the Germans to throw Britain and the rest of the Allies into chaos. Because of his Irish-American upbringing, Billy must rid himself of preconceived notions and tread carefully, as tensions between Catholics and Protestants are still tense. As the body count slowly starts mounting, Billy uses all of his resources to find the missing rifles and prevent further bloodshed (with a little help from his Uncle Dan, visiting from Boston). Recommended for readers interested in this time period.

[Grant Masson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A twisting, turning plot drives Benn’s gripping fourth WWII mystery to feature Lt. Billy Boyle (after 2008’s Blood Alone ). Billy, a former Boston cop and a nephew by marriage to General Eisenhower, on whose staff he serves, receives orders in late 1943 to look into a raid on a U.S. Army depot in Northern Ireland. The thieves took 50 new Browning automatic rifles plus 200,000 rounds of ammunition. A few miles from the depot, the body of a known IRA man was found shot in the back of the head with a pound note in his hand—the mark of an informer. Billy’s military superiors suspect the Germans are supporting an IRA uprising. As an Irish-American whose family is sympathetic to the Republican cause, Billy struggles to remain impartial as he investigates the various factions on both sides of the Catholic-Protestant divide. Benn offers no easy answers in this rich mix of Irish history and wartime intrigue. Author tour.

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave this a reluctant 3 star rating so as not to be too harsh. My gripe is that after the plot gets rolling -- our hero Billy Boyle torn from his sweetheart Diana to "run an errand" for Uncle Ike in Northern Ireland (to find some missing guns and stop an outbreak of violence against the Brits) --, it tends to go around in circles. Of course, many mystery stories do this, and that's where the skill of the writer who lays out the red herrings comes in, to make it more interesting than less, more plausible than less, etc. Anyhow, we get to meet Billy's uncle Dan (a real uncle) in a slightly plausible turn of the plot, and we get to see our hero truly excel as a cop and grow up a bit. However, if one takes as a rule of thumb of the genre that the least likely character is the one to watch out for, then this plot's outcome is somewhat obvious despite some unforeseen twists. But after all this whining, I still want to move on to the next volume in the series.

[Terry Steinborn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another entry in the rather uneven Billy Boyle series. This one takes place primarily in Northern Ireland, deeply mired in all of the long-time animosities that the Irish seem to cherish so thoroughly. Billy is sent by Uncle Ike to resolve a local problem (theft of 50 BARs from the US Army) before it blows up into a major problem, possibly resulting the the Irish Republic entering WWII with the Germans. Billy is forced to work through the local animosities, involving his working with the sworn enemies of Boston Irish Catholics, against his inbred allegiance to the Catholic cause. As a result, the story bogs down (pun intended) at times and the greater problem of WWII gets rather lost. Lots of double crosses and plot twists of course occur. I hope BB gets back to the main business of WWII in the next book, if I decide to read it.

[Michael Kerr · Rating 4 out of 5]

After 50 Browning Automatic Rifles are stolen from an American base in Northern Ireland, Billy Boyle is dispatched to investigate and recover the weapons. The worry is that the guns will be used to trigger a civil war in Ireland, potentially pushing the neutral Republic into the arms of the Germans. Of course, Billy is an Irish-American Catholic Southie from Boston with an already-ambivalent attitude towards fighting on the side of the British.... And who to trust in this melee of conflicting loyalties and historic bitterness? Benn, as always, manages to illuminate an overlooked subject-area vis-a-vis World War II, and this is no exception. This is a strong addition to the series, made more so by the evolution of Billy's character. I'm looking forward to reading more.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this book at first was confusing as the author gave you lots of characters to follow and info on all the divisions of the Irish people- Catholic/ Protestant, IRA and more, I did find the story very compelling. The stuff of war, how it effects men, and the way we all have to deal with unresolved emotional issues, sadness, loss of life, and many events that war entails, was fully explored in this book. As I read on I got more and more involved in the story, the pace quickened, tension rose, and the reader really wanted to know who was the traitor, or saboteur, and what events would occur if the culprits were not found. The thief of rifles that fired many rounds made this reader think of the mass shootings and firing weapons used by those who caused immense harm.