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Billy Boyle World War II #18
Proud Sorrows
At the height of WWII, Billy Boyle, US Army Captain and detective, finds himself investigating the dark side of a charming English village when a military accident reveals a premeditated murder
Norfolk, England, November 1944: After a series of dangerous missions in the South of France, US Army Captain Billy Boyle is finally on leave, and is settling into a peaceful rest at the country estate of his British lover, Diana Seaton. Seaton Manor is a comfortable haven, and Billy is eager to spend a few precious days in Diana's company pretending the war is far away.
Unfortunately, that illusion doesn't hold for long: the village hosts a top-secret military intelligence operation, home to high-ranking German POWs. When a crashed German bomber resurfaces off the coast with the corpse of a British officer in the pilot seat, Billy is assigned by the commander of the POW facility to investigate. After the plane is discovered, a local villager is murdered—and suddenly what had appeared to be a failed enemy military operation takes on an even more sinister aspect. All Billy's ex-Boston cop instincts are put to the test as he interviews the grieving, angry, and conniving citizens of this idyllic English country village.
Norfolk, England, November 1944: After a series of dangerous missions in the South of France, US Army Captain Billy Boyle is finally on leave, and is settling into a peaceful rest at the country estate of his British lover, Diana Seaton. Seaton Manor is a comfortable haven, and Billy is eager to spend a few precious days in Diana's company pretending the war is far away.
Unfortunately, that illusion doesn't hold for long: the village hosts a top-secret military intelligence operation, home to high-ranking German POWs. When a crashed German bomber resurfaces off the coast with the corpse of a British officer in the pilot seat, Billy is assigned by the commander of the POW facility to investigate. After the plane is discovered, a local villager is murdered—and suddenly what had appeared to be a failed enemy military operation takes on an even more sinister aspect. All Billy's ex-Boston cop instincts are put to the test as he interviews the grieving, angry, and conniving citizens of this idyllic English country village.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 5, 2023
46 people are currently reading
239 people want to read
About the author
James R. Benn
34 books403 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 74 reviews
August 28, 2023
After a couple of harrowing missions, Captain Billy Boyle is looking forward to a leave in the peaceful Norfolk countryside. Best of all, his lady love Diana Seaton will be there too, at her ancestral home, Seaton Manor. Alas, the war has other plans. Billy is assigned to find out how a local man got into the cockpit of a crashed bomber, among other things. Proud Sorrows is an excellent addition to the long-running Billy Boyle World War II Mystery series. The main characters are so well-written that they have become like old friends. The research is immaculate and is woven seamlessly into the plot. Another winner in a stellar series.
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September 27, 2023I really liked this addition to the series. As always, these books have a strong historically-based component to anchor the characters and the setting.
The mystery was strong and interesting, and anchored in pre-war British politics. Honestly, Britain could have come an Axis country as much as it could have joined the Allies, and the background of thsi book reflects that historical reality.
I feel sad that the book is nearing the end of the series (given the timeline is 1944 and its nearing the end of WWII) and the after-war relationship between Billy Boyle remains up in the air.
The mystery was strong and interesting, and anchored in pre-war British politics. Honestly, Britain could have come an Axis country as much as it could have joined the Allies, and the background of thsi book reflects that historical reality.
I feel sad that the book is nearing the end of the series (given the timeline is 1944 and its nearing the end of WWII) and the after-war relationship between Billy Boyle remains up in the air.
December 23, 2023
I love this series. Start with book 1. You are in for a treat! These are mysteries which happen to be set in WWII.
Benn does proper historical research and portrays some of what actually happened in WWII, versus some of the comfortable stories we tell ourselves about it.
At this point, I will read anything Benn writes.
Benn does proper historical research and portrays some of what actually happened in WWII, versus some of the comfortable stories we tell ourselves about it.
At this point, I will read anything Benn writes.
January 29, 2024
Another masterfully written Billy Boyle World War Two mystery.
The setting is in Norfolk, England, November 1944. Billy Boyle, a Captain in the US Army, and a Boston police detective, has been assigned to investigate the mysterious death of a British Officer. The Officer's body was found in a plane crash that occurred two years prior.
Billy's task is not an easy one. It seems the local villagers have secrets that they were not wish to divulge. Billy also finds himself in constant disagreements with the local constabulary on how to proceed with the murder, Billy suspects, investigation.
The setting is in Norfolk, England, November 1944. Billy Boyle, a Captain in the US Army, and a Boston police detective, has been assigned to investigate the mysterious death of a British Officer. The Officer's body was found in a plane crash that occurred two years prior.
Billy's task is not an easy one. It seems the local villagers have secrets that they were not wish to divulge. Billy also finds himself in constant disagreements with the local constabulary on how to proceed with the murder, Billy suspects, investigation.
September 24, 2023
Another very good outing for Billy Boyle, it seems that the author has gotten a second wind this late into the series.
This one is more of a classic English village mystery, with some Nazis and WWII stuff thrown into the mix. Billy is on leave in Seaton Hall, staying at his girlfriend's father's home, waiting for her leave to start as well. It is 1944, the war is slowly grinding to its conclusion, and there is hope that it will all be over by Christmas. When Diana finally shows up, Billy and her discover a German plane that has washed up on the shore. This was a plane that crashed here in 1942, lost when it fell over the cliff and into the sea.
As the plane is salvaged, an unexpected surprise: in the pilot seat is the body of Stephen Elliot of Marston Hall, a local man who disappeared on that fateful night in 1942. How did Stephen get into that plane? What happened to the German pilot? As some of these questions start coming into the light, another murder shows that the answers may still threaten someone today.
A nice village mystery with all of the classic elements, secret passages in old manor houses, potential historic treasure, serving girls with child, missing wills and inheritance. Plus a little bit of history as one of the manor houses is being used to interrogate Nazi prisoners, Kaz's sister recovering from her concentration camp experiences, and the hidden threat of the British Fascists. All in all a good story.
This one is more of a classic English village mystery, with some Nazis and WWII stuff thrown into the mix. Billy is on leave in Seaton Hall, staying at his girlfriend's father's home, waiting for her leave to start as well. It is 1944, the war is slowly grinding to its conclusion, and there is hope that it will all be over by Christmas. When Diana finally shows up, Billy and her discover a German plane that has washed up on the shore. This was a plane that crashed here in 1942, lost when it fell over the cliff and into the sea.
As the plane is salvaged, an unexpected surprise: in the pilot seat is the body of Stephen Elliot of Marston Hall, a local man who disappeared on that fateful night in 1942. How did Stephen get into that plane? What happened to the German pilot? As some of these questions start coming into the light, another murder shows that the answers may still threaten someone today.
A nice village mystery with all of the classic elements, secret passages in old manor houses, potential historic treasure, serving girls with child, missing wills and inheritance. Plus a little bit of history as one of the manor houses is being used to interrogate Nazi prisoners, Kaz's sister recovering from her concentration camp experiences, and the hidden threat of the British Fascists. All in all a good story.
April 18, 2023
Benn has done it again. This 18th in the Billy Boyle series doesn't disappoint. Stronger in the mystery arena, less World War II action this time around, although I was fascinated to learn about the Ritchie Boys and their interrogation methods that were so useful in gathering military intelligence. Those new to the series could start here, but why would you? Highly recommended for all series fans, as well as historical mystery and World War II enthusiasts.
Review based on an eARC received through NetGalley.
Review based on an eARC received through NetGalley.
August 9, 2023
Another excellent addition to the Billy Boyle series of historical WWII mysteries. No spoilers... just go read it and enjoy.
March 2, 2024
Excellent read, good mystery plus WWII history
December 18, 2023
Billy Boyle is looking forward to some time on leave and spending it with his girlfriend at her father's estate in England. But the poor guy never gets a break -- instead he is called on to investigate why the body of a neighbor thought to be missing has been found in a German airplane that has resurfaced after going down in nearby waters two years earlier. Who murdered him and put his body there? What happened to the actual pilot?.... And then someone Billy has been interviewing dies. Are the murders related? (Yes.) Will Billy figure out the guilty party in time to save the lives of others?.... I love the Billy Boyle mysteries: I learn something about WWII and they are trye mysteries. And in this case fairly relevant to circumstances today in terms of folks who want to get rid of non-whites and Jews....
December 22, 2023
I love this series. To paraphrase one of my favorite lines in this book, "does trouble follow you, or did you chase it here?" Billy and his circle of friends and loved ones seem to be very busy in this war, even when they're on leave. I often wonder what their post-war life will look like, and I can't wait to find out.
September 17, 2023
Can't believe i started this series a decade ago now and we're at book 18 towards the end of 1944. Curious how Mr. Benn is going to squeeze more stories into the remaining time but there's postwar occupation settings that would make great noir thrillers and of course the Korean War; but I'm getting WAY ahead of myself here.
We start immediately after the end of Vol 17 (From the Shadows) where Billy expects to be on some well rewarded leave in the English countryside with Diana Seaton. Although the novel opens with a 3rd person narration perspective of people in this village witnessing a plan crashing following a bombing raid back in 1942. But returning immediately to the present we're reunited with Billy, Kaz, Diana, Anglika (Kaz's sister who's been reunited with him), and some new characters such a her nurse Agnes. A mystery quickkly unveils itself when the crashed Luftwaffe plan quickly washes up and they discover the body of a missing noblemen who had disappeared quickly after the plane crash.
Historically we meet skilled German-American Soldier interrogators who are occupupying a nearby manor nicknamed the Ritchie Boys for being trained at Camp Ritchie, Maryland. Additionally, I learned about fascists who went beyond the British Union of Facsists known as the Right Club (how very English) and Imperial Fascist League. Finally a good dose of Shakespeare and medieval history with the story of King John losing the crown jewels in the wash weaves its way into this adventure. Another fun Billy Boyle adventure. However at this point, I feel like we've seen this English countryside setting (Vol. 8 A Blind Goddess, Vol 9. The Rest is Silence, Vol 15. The Red Horse). Now to be fair, this one was more around the Seaton manor involving Diana and Sir Richard Seaton but nevertheless felt a bit like rehashed territority although I commend Mr. Benn for finding more novel historical tidbits from this period to wove into this installment. But hoping to see something more closer to the front or a different setting later.
We start immediately after the end of Vol 17 (From the Shadows) where Billy expects to be on some well rewarded leave in the English countryside with Diana Seaton. Although the novel opens with a 3rd person narration perspective of people in this village witnessing a plan crashing following a bombing raid back in 1942. But returning immediately to the present we're reunited with Billy, Kaz, Diana, Anglika (Kaz's sister who's been reunited with him), and some new characters such a her nurse Agnes. A mystery quickkly unveils itself when the crashed Luftwaffe plan quickly washes up and they discover the body of a missing noblemen who had disappeared quickly after the plane crash.
Historically we meet skilled German-American Soldier interrogators who are occupupying a nearby manor nicknamed the Ritchie Boys for being trained at Camp Ritchie, Maryland. Additionally, I learned about fascists who went beyond the British Union of Facsists known as the Right Club (how very English) and Imperial Fascist League. Finally a good dose of Shakespeare and medieval history with the story of King John losing the crown jewels in the wash weaves its way into this adventure. Another fun Billy Boyle adventure. However at this point, I feel like we've seen this English countryside setting (Vol. 8 A Blind Goddess, Vol 9. The Rest is Silence, Vol 15. The Red Horse). Now to be fair, this one was more around the Seaton manor involving Diana and Sir Richard Seaton but nevertheless felt a bit like rehashed territority although I commend Mr. Benn for finding more novel historical tidbits from this period to wove into this installment. But hoping to see something more closer to the front or a different setting later.
July 3, 2023
It's 1944, and Captain Billy Boyle, former Boston policeman, finally gets a leave and goes to Seaton Hall in Norfolk, England, the home of his girlfriend Diana, who is also getting leave from SOE. Two years before a German plane crashed nearby, and then disappeared in the Wash. It has suddenly showed up on the beach. Marston Hall is being used to interview German prisoners, and the owner, who was a womanizer, disappeared at the time of the crash, and is found wearing his British uniform in the plane. Someone must have killed him and put him there before the plane went off the cliff into the Wash. Shortly after he is found, a local veteran is murdered at the pub. Soon, Billy is asked to investigate by the brass at Marston Hall.
The royal estate of Sandringham is nearby, and although folks have been told the royals are not using it, there appears to be people there off and on. There are also some folks in the area who belong to Nazi groups who would like to harm King George and his family. Thus, Billy comes into danger while continuing his detecting. Fortunately, he is being helped by Diana and Kaz, and finally solves all the mysteries. This is my favorite of the series.
I thank Soho Press and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.
The royal estate of Sandringham is nearby, and although folks have been told the royals are not using it, there appears to be people there off and on. There are also some folks in the area who belong to Nazi groups who would like to harm King George and his family. Thus, Billy comes into danger while continuing his detecting. Fortunately, he is being helped by Diana and Kaz, and finally solves all the mysteries. This is my favorite of the series.
I thank Soho Press and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.
September 6, 2023
I think that this is the eighteenth book in the historical mystery series featuring Billy Boyle that began around 2006. Over the years, Billy has faced many difficult situations as WWII rages, and has met many historical personages along the way. Fans of the series will be eager to read this newest novel to catch up with Billy and those around him.
This time Billy is not in the war zone, but rather in Norfolk (location of Sandringham).. He is hoping for some much needed R&R, as he stays with his romantic partner’s (Diana) family. He is looking forward to being with Diana. But, of course, there would be no book if life were quiet and peaceful for Billy.
Indeed, much happens in these pages. There are many events. A German plane crashes. Why is an Englishman in it? There are POWs and top secrets There is murder. There is so much to sort out. Fans will trust that Billy will get the job done even if the English inspector may not want this American’s help..
This title is highly recommended to fans of WWII fiction and mystery. It is one of the best in the series. Those who are not already acquainted with Billy will undoubtedly be moving to the backlist.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Soho Press for this title. All opinions are my own.
This time Billy is not in the war zone, but rather in Norfolk (location of Sandringham).. He is hoping for some much needed R&R, as he stays with his romantic partner’s (Diana) family. He is looking forward to being with Diana. But, of course, there would be no book if life were quiet and peaceful for Billy.
Indeed, much happens in these pages. There are many events. A German plane crashes. Why is an Englishman in it? There are POWs and top secrets There is murder. There is so much to sort out. Fans will trust that Billy will get the job done even if the English inspector may not want this American’s help..
This title is highly recommended to fans of WWII fiction and mystery. It is one of the best in the series. Those who are not already acquainted with Billy will undoubtedly be moving to the backlist.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Soho Press for this title. All opinions are my own.
September 13, 2023
I love the Billy Boyle books. This is the 18th and I have enjoyed them all. Benn writes military and civilian characters with equal skill. He also has a talent for adding light to a dark, unappreciated or unrecognized part of the conflict.
This time Billy has earned some leave and is spending time at the Seaton Estate near the coast. However when a German bomber that crashed two years before is released from the sands of a coastal bay (or wash) with a body that should not be there Billy's leave orders are countermanded.
I hope to enjoy many more Boyle books to come.
This time Billy has earned some leave and is spending time at the Seaton Estate near the coast. However when a German bomber that crashed two years before is released from the sands of a coastal bay (or wash) with a body that should not be there Billy's leave orders are countermanded.
I hope to enjoy many more Boyle books to come.
September 12, 2023
Proud Sorrows
No matter how much I think I know about WW 2, I always learn something new in a James R Benn Novel. Great characters, wonderful dialogue & a solidly paced story to keep reading along.
No matter how much I think I know about WW 2, I always learn something new in a James R Benn Novel. Great characters, wonderful dialogue & a solidly paced story to keep reading along.
September 24, 2023
Lost treasure from King John, British Fascists, the Ritchie Boys, the Royal Family’s estate in Norfolk, a German bomber, and German POW’s all blend nicely in this mystery set while Billy is on leave with the love of his life.
September 16, 2024
After discovering the series about 2 years ago, I've finally caught up to the current book in author James R. Benn's Billy Boyle World War II mystery series!
In PROUD SORROWS, Billy finds himself on leave. He's spending it at the home of his lover Diana Seaton where the two of them are joined by Billy's partner Kaz who is watching over the recovery of his sister Angelika.
Sir Richard Seaton, Diana's father has had Angelika staying at the manor since she was released from a Nazi POW camp and victimized by unspeakable "medical" experiments. With her tough as nails nurse seeing to her physical recovery, Angelika is making great progress.
Things are good all around and while the leave may be short, the intent to make the most of it is something Billy is looking forward to.
Well, you know what happens when you make plans, right? When a downed German bomber resurfaces from the ocean two years after it crashed near the town where Billy is staying, everyone is shocked to find the body of a man in a British military uniform inside the plane. Who is the man? Could it be the long missing local lord who disappeared the night of the plane crash?
These questions and more nibble at Billy's brain and despite Diana's irritation, he's soon asking questions. When the identity of the body is revealed to be that very missing Lord, Billy's unofficial questioning soon turns into an official assignment.
With a POW camp stationed at the home of the deceased lord and the royal estate of Sandringham nearby, everyone goes on high alert for the possibility of an escaped German. But that's not all Billy has to deal with. The dead man had a lot of enemies and they are all suspects. The local Inspector is an idiot and a seeming fascist who wants all foreigners out of England and Sir Richard is one of those enemies of the victim...and thus a suspect.
It's a sticky wicket for Billy and matters only grow more grave as his investigation uncovers not only the story of a lost royal treasure but any number of Nazi sympathizers in the midst of this English countryside town.
As Billy and Kaz look to uncover the truth of a number of different investigatory paths, they'll have to contend with barely concealed hatreds, feuds, the safety of loved ones and killers who will stop at nothing and kill anyone who gets in the way of their plans. Who needs enemies when you have "friends" like these, right?
With each successive book in the series, I've only become more of a fan. And that is certainly true with PROUD SORROWS. I loved how we get a small look at what life could be like if there was no longer any war to worry about in the beginning of the book. But the way Benn has Billy questioning what life would be like after the war was masterfully done. It added even more context to just how much Billy's love for Diana means to him even while acknowledging there's hurdles to come.
The way the supporting cast was used in PROUD SORROWS was superb as well. Kaz is always a plus in my opinion, but the way Angelika leaps off the page interested me a lot too. While she's probably hiding unseen scars, she seems almost sprightly when the mood is right even when she's groaning through her intense exercises to heal the scars you can see.
I liked the way Sir Richard played a larger role in this story. Between being a suspect, knowing some secrets about why so many people hated the dead man and a less than noble character trait being revealed about him gives readers more insight into him beyond simply being Diana's father. And that doesn't even account for his military connections for when some information needs to be found out.
This book's tie-in to real military history is The Ritchie Boys which comes into play with the POW camp. It made for some interesting reading and learning a bit about what they were tasked with doing in the war can be seen as highly educational if you haven't heard of their deeds before.
With another compellingly written mystery topped off by a climatic reveal and resolution, PROUD SORROWS gives James R. Benn's yet another winning story that keeps me and I'm sure many other readers on the edge of our seats as we wait for what's coming next. This is some of the best mystery /thriller writing I'm reading, period.
In PROUD SORROWS, Billy finds himself on leave. He's spending it at the home of his lover Diana Seaton where the two of them are joined by Billy's partner Kaz who is watching over the recovery of his sister Angelika.
Sir Richard Seaton, Diana's father has had Angelika staying at the manor since she was released from a Nazi POW camp and victimized by unspeakable "medical" experiments. With her tough as nails nurse seeing to her physical recovery, Angelika is making great progress.
Things are good all around and while the leave may be short, the intent to make the most of it is something Billy is looking forward to.
Well, you know what happens when you make plans, right? When a downed German bomber resurfaces from the ocean two years after it crashed near the town where Billy is staying, everyone is shocked to find the body of a man in a British military uniform inside the plane. Who is the man? Could it be the long missing local lord who disappeared the night of the plane crash?
These questions and more nibble at Billy's brain and despite Diana's irritation, he's soon asking questions. When the identity of the body is revealed to be that very missing Lord, Billy's unofficial questioning soon turns into an official assignment.
With a POW camp stationed at the home of the deceased lord and the royal estate of Sandringham nearby, everyone goes on high alert for the possibility of an escaped German. But that's not all Billy has to deal with. The dead man had a lot of enemies and they are all suspects. The local Inspector is an idiot and a seeming fascist who wants all foreigners out of England and Sir Richard is one of those enemies of the victim...and thus a suspect.
It's a sticky wicket for Billy and matters only grow more grave as his investigation uncovers not only the story of a lost royal treasure but any number of Nazi sympathizers in the midst of this English countryside town.
As Billy and Kaz look to uncover the truth of a number of different investigatory paths, they'll have to contend with barely concealed hatreds, feuds, the safety of loved ones and killers who will stop at nothing and kill anyone who gets in the way of their plans. Who needs enemies when you have "friends" like these, right?
With each successive book in the series, I've only become more of a fan. And that is certainly true with PROUD SORROWS. I loved how we get a small look at what life could be like if there was no longer any war to worry about in the beginning of the book. But the way Benn has Billy questioning what life would be like after the war was masterfully done. It added even more context to just how much Billy's love for Diana means to him even while acknowledging there's hurdles to come.
The way the supporting cast was used in PROUD SORROWS was superb as well. Kaz is always a plus in my opinion, but the way Angelika leaps off the page interested me a lot too. While she's probably hiding unseen scars, she seems almost sprightly when the mood is right even when she's groaning through her intense exercises to heal the scars you can see.
I liked the way Sir Richard played a larger role in this story. Between being a suspect, knowing some secrets about why so many people hated the dead man and a less than noble character trait being revealed about him gives readers more insight into him beyond simply being Diana's father. And that doesn't even account for his military connections for when some information needs to be found out.
This book's tie-in to real military history is The Ritchie Boys which comes into play with the POW camp. It made for some interesting reading and learning a bit about what they were tasked with doing in the war can be seen as highly educational if you haven't heard of their deeds before.
With another compellingly written mystery topped off by a climatic reveal and resolution, PROUD SORROWS gives James R. Benn's yet another winning story that keeps me and I'm sure many other readers on the edge of our seats as we wait for what's coming next. This is some of the best mystery /thriller writing I'm reading, period.
August 21, 2023
Spoilers can be subjective. I don't think I let anything "big" or "major" out in my review. But if you want to know absolutely nothing at all about the book beforehand, you might skip the review for now.
First sentence (from the prologue): It began as a glow in the night sky, a faint flicker barely visible in the swirling, low clouds and the pelting rain. Stephen Elliot saw it as he shut the door behind him and made for his automobile.
Premise/plot: Billy Boyle, our soldier-detective protagonist, returns for his eighteenth mystery in Proud Sorrows. In this one, set in November 1944, Billy Boyle (and his friend, Kaz) are on leave and visiting the home/manor of his girlfriend, Diana Seaton. They are guests of her father, but not the only guests. Kaz's sister is a guest as well and recovering from her injuries gotten at a concentration/detainment camp. She was experimented on. (Also a guest, her full-time nurse, a long-time resident of the village.) Diana herself is home on leave at this time. It should make for a lovely holiday--even for war times. Surely the end is near--at least on the European front, right? But this holiday seems doomed...
It isn't too long before Billy Boyle is back hard at work on a case, drawn into a complex mystery involving several dead bodies. A BODY has been found--washed up in the Wash--in a German war plane. Not so mysterious until they realize--almost right away--that it is not the German pilot in the pilot's seat--but a long-missing resident of the village, Stephen Elliot of Marston Hall. HOW did his body get in the plane? What happened to the German pilot? Elliot's death was obviously murder--based on the evidence of his skull--but was the German pilot murdered too? WHICH of the village residents are suspect?
The case keeps getting more complex as he begins to question everything and everyone....there are MANY secrets in the village. Not all relate to the murders, of course, but all must be investigated to sort out WHO had the motive and opportunity to commit what might have been a near-perfect crime.
My thoughts: I loved this one. I ABSOLUTELY loved, loved, loved it. I loved the small ("quaint") British village. I love how the village was peopled--the characterization was marvelous. I love how substantive the mystery was. I love how it hinted at history. (The victim was researching King John and how he lost his treasure when attempting to cross the Wash). I love all the side characters that we've come to know throughout the book series--Kaz, of course, Big Mike, Diana, etc. But I also love all the villagers. (Well, most of them.) The book had a WONDERFUL quality to it. This presents a different element of the war mystery. This isn't so much front-lines and battle zones (as some have been) but more home-front and behind the scenes. This doesn't mean that Billy is safe and that there are no dangers....after all the village has at least one murderer....
Highly recommend the whole entire series.
First sentence (from the prologue): It began as a glow in the night sky, a faint flicker barely visible in the swirling, low clouds and the pelting rain. Stephen Elliot saw it as he shut the door behind him and made for his automobile.
Premise/plot: Billy Boyle, our soldier-detective protagonist, returns for his eighteenth mystery in Proud Sorrows. In this one, set in November 1944, Billy Boyle (and his friend, Kaz) are on leave and visiting the home/manor of his girlfriend, Diana Seaton. They are guests of her father, but not the only guests. Kaz's sister is a guest as well and recovering from her injuries gotten at a concentration/detainment camp. She was experimented on. (Also a guest, her full-time nurse, a long-time resident of the village.) Diana herself is home on leave at this time. It should make for a lovely holiday--even for war times. Surely the end is near--at least on the European front, right? But this holiday seems doomed...
It isn't too long before Billy Boyle is back hard at work on a case, drawn into a complex mystery involving several dead bodies. A BODY has been found--washed up in the Wash--in a German war plane. Not so mysterious until they realize--almost right away--that it is not the German pilot in the pilot's seat--but a long-missing resident of the village, Stephen Elliot of Marston Hall. HOW did his body get in the plane? What happened to the German pilot? Elliot's death was obviously murder--based on the evidence of his skull--but was the German pilot murdered too? WHICH of the village residents are suspect?
The case keeps getting more complex as he begins to question everything and everyone....there are MANY secrets in the village. Not all relate to the murders, of course, but all must be investigated to sort out WHO had the motive and opportunity to commit what might have been a near-perfect crime.
My thoughts: I loved this one. I ABSOLUTELY loved, loved, loved it. I loved the small ("quaint") British village. I love how the village was peopled--the characterization was marvelous. I love how substantive the mystery was. I love how it hinted at history. (The victim was researching King John and how he lost his treasure when attempting to cross the Wash). I love all the side characters that we've come to know throughout the book series--Kaz, of course, Big Mike, Diana, etc. But I also love all the villagers. (Well, most of them.) The book had a WONDERFUL quality to it. This presents a different element of the war mystery. This isn't so much front-lines and battle zones (as some have been) but more home-front and behind the scenes. This doesn't mean that Billy is safe and that there are no dangers....after all the village has at least one murderer....
Highly recommend the whole entire series.
August 21, 2023
Reading a book by the intelligent and thoughtful James Benn is always a pleasure. He’s kept the variety in this long lived series by alternating between tales of full on battle, and more village-y, traditional mysteries, as this one is. Set during WWII, Billy and his girl, Diana, are supposed to be on a much-needed leave, along with their friend Kaz and his sister Angelika, who is recovering from surgery on her leg. They are staying with Diana’s father in a village (King’s Lynn, also the setting for Elly Griffiths’ Ruth Galloway novels) that houses a POW camp for high ranking Nazi officers.
The book opens with a plane crash in the past, and then circles back to it a few years in the future, when Billy and Diana discover the wreckage of a Nazi plane on the beach. The discovery is even more bizarre: how did the body of the missing Stephen Elliott, owner of the huge home where the Nazis are presently housed, end up in the plane? It’s a mystery Billy is removed from leave (much to his annoyance) to solve.
The detective work centers on the occupants of the village, including the dead man’s displaced sister, the vicar, Diana’s father, and various other locals who fill out a rich suspect pool. When a WWI vet is murdered the night of a bombing – right next to Billy, no less – Billy’s detective work takes on even more of an urgency. It’s also poignant, as the man suffered from shell shock and refused to sleep inside. He was a familiar wandering village figure.
“Proud Sorrows” is a wonderful title for this novel, which manages to avoid melancholy but still identifies the different burdens and sorrows war has imposed on everyone in the novel in different ways. Billy is sure his solution is tied to the pain felt by someone he’s encountered. He also comes into contact with a vein of Fascist sympathizers, an underground movement in sympathy with Hitler who feared that Britain would be overrun with foreigners at war’s end. It’s countered by the many veterans in the novel who have a total aversion to the Germans they come across, in any capacity.
Benn manages to construct what is basically a traditional village mystery and combine it with some of the thrilling suspense he’s also known for. Some of the clever detection scenes in the mansion where the Nazis are housed are traditional in the extreme (Sherlock Holmes is referenced), and the suspense and action scenes are just as well handled. There’s also a touch of British history – going back to King John as well as Shakespeare’s play about him – that give the book an even richer tapestry and deepen the mystery.
Benn’s hand with pacing is sure and his way with character is nothing short of brilliant. This is an incredible series, worthy of being savored. Start from the beginning!
The book opens with a plane crash in the past, and then circles back to it a few years in the future, when Billy and Diana discover the wreckage of a Nazi plane on the beach. The discovery is even more bizarre: how did the body of the missing Stephen Elliott, owner of the huge home where the Nazis are presently housed, end up in the plane? It’s a mystery Billy is removed from leave (much to his annoyance) to solve.
The detective work centers on the occupants of the village, including the dead man’s displaced sister, the vicar, Diana’s father, and various other locals who fill out a rich suspect pool. When a WWI vet is murdered the night of a bombing – right next to Billy, no less – Billy’s detective work takes on even more of an urgency. It’s also poignant, as the man suffered from shell shock and refused to sleep inside. He was a familiar wandering village figure.
“Proud Sorrows” is a wonderful title for this novel, which manages to avoid melancholy but still identifies the different burdens and sorrows war has imposed on everyone in the novel in different ways. Billy is sure his solution is tied to the pain felt by someone he’s encountered. He also comes into contact with a vein of Fascist sympathizers, an underground movement in sympathy with Hitler who feared that Britain would be overrun with foreigners at war’s end. It’s countered by the many veterans in the novel who have a total aversion to the Germans they come across, in any capacity.
Benn manages to construct what is basically a traditional village mystery and combine it with some of the thrilling suspense he’s also known for. Some of the clever detection scenes in the mansion where the Nazis are housed are traditional in the extreme (Sherlock Holmes is referenced), and the suspense and action scenes are just as well handled. There’s also a touch of British history – going back to King John as well as Shakespeare’s play about him – that give the book an even richer tapestry and deepen the mystery.
Benn’s hand with pacing is sure and his way with character is nothing short of brilliant. This is an incredible series, worthy of being savored. Start from the beginning!
August 22, 2023
I was very excited to receive an early copy of PROUD SORROWS, the latest Billy Boyle, WWII Mystery by James R. Benn. My anticipation was well rewarded with an intriguing mystery, revelations of little-known aspects of WWII, and a chance to see much loved characters in action again.
It’s November of 1944. Billy, his love, Diana and his best pal, Kaz are supposed to be on a well-deserved 10-day leave. They are spending it at Diana’s father’s estate in Norfolk, close to The Wash, a small, volatile bay of the North Sea. Soon after Diana’s arrival, The Wash spews up the rusting hulk of a German bomber that disappeared over a cliff’s edge into the churning water during a fierce storm in May 1942. Among the dead, the remains of a British officer who was a local landowner missing since that night, is in the pilot seat. The German pilot and two crew members are missing.
The ensuing mystery would have only been of local importance were it not for the proximity of the King’s country estate at Sandringham. During the war, there was the fear that German spies landing close to his property would try to assassinate the King. Besides that, the missing landowner’s home at Marston Hall is now being used for the interrogation of high value German POW’s by an American intelligence unit, made up of German Jewish refugees, whose language skills made them perfect for the task. The officer in charge of that unit drafts Billy to investigate.
Add to this a search for lost treasure, the treachery of British fascists, a long-held grudge, a questionable parentage, a missing will, and lots of action. This is definitely one of my favorite Billy Boyle Mysteries!
It’s November of 1944. Billy, his love, Diana and his best pal, Kaz are supposed to be on a well-deserved 10-day leave. They are spending it at Diana’s father’s estate in Norfolk, close to The Wash, a small, volatile bay of the North Sea. Soon after Diana’s arrival, The Wash spews up the rusting hulk of a German bomber that disappeared over a cliff’s edge into the churning water during a fierce storm in May 1942. Among the dead, the remains of a British officer who was a local landowner missing since that night, is in the pilot seat. The German pilot and two crew members are missing.
The ensuing mystery would have only been of local importance were it not for the proximity of the King’s country estate at Sandringham. During the war, there was the fear that German spies landing close to his property would try to assassinate the King. Besides that, the missing landowner’s home at Marston Hall is now being used for the interrogation of high value German POW’s by an American intelligence unit, made up of German Jewish refugees, whose language skills made them perfect for the task. The officer in charge of that unit drafts Billy to investigate.
Add to this a search for lost treasure, the treachery of British fascists, a long-held grudge, a questionable parentage, a missing will, and lots of action. This is definitely one of my favorite Billy Boyle Mysteries!
December 9, 2024
#18 in the former Boston cop Billy Boyle WW II mystery series.
November 1944, and after a series of dangerous missions in France following the Normandy Invasion, Billy is on leave staying at a country estate in Norfolk, England. However, this doesn't last long as the area hosts both a secret military intelligence operation that is home to high-ranking German POWs when a May, 1942 crashed German bomber resurfaces off the coast with the corpse of a British officer in the pilot seat and Billy is assigned by the commander of the POW facility to investigate what appears to be a failed enemy military operation. Then a villager is murdered as Billy interviews the grieving, angry, and conniving citizens of this idyllic English country village.
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.
November 1944, and after a series of dangerous missions in France following the Normandy Invasion, Billy is on leave staying at a country estate in Norfolk, England. However, this doesn't last long as the area hosts both a secret military intelligence operation that is home to high-ranking German POWs when a May, 1942 crashed German bomber resurfaces off the coast with the corpse of a British officer in the pilot seat and Billy is assigned by the commander of the POW facility to investigate what appears to be a failed enemy military operation. Then a villager is murdered as Billy interviews the grieving, angry, and conniving citizens of this idyllic English country village.
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.
September 1, 2023
3.5 stars
The latest installment of the excellent Billy Boyle WWII series. You would miss out on a lot if you hadn't read previous entries. We've been through the war with Billy and watched him mature and darken from his war experiences. But this story is set in England, where he and his love Diana are briefly reunited while on leave at her father's estate.
But naturally, nothing goes as planned and it's not long before a mystery and a murder crop up and Billy has to go back to work. There's an awful lot going on in this book, including Billy ruminating on what happens to him and Diana after the war. What chance do a British aristocrat and a Boston Irish cop have for a happily ever after? But it's wartime, and they are living in the moment for now.
Lots of plot elements: old animosities in Diana's family and in the village, a Great War vet who was never quite right after his time in the trenches, small town secrets and coverups, misbehaving nobles. I always learn something from a Billy story, and this time it was about the Ritchie Boys, American soldiers of German descent who were specially trained to interrogate and befriend German POWs.
The disappearance earlier in the war of a local man is solved in an odd fashion when an old German airplane wreck is uncovered and the missing man is found in the cockpit, just one of several puzzling events. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The latest installment of the excellent Billy Boyle WWII series. You would miss out on a lot if you hadn't read previous entries. We've been through the war with Billy and watched him mature and darken from his war experiences. But this story is set in England, where he and his love Diana are briefly reunited while on leave at her father's estate.
But naturally, nothing goes as planned and it's not long before a mystery and a murder crop up and Billy has to go back to work. There's an awful lot going on in this book, including Billy ruminating on what happens to him and Diana after the war. What chance do a British aristocrat and a Boston Irish cop have for a happily ever after? But it's wartime, and they are living in the moment for now.
Lots of plot elements: old animosities in Diana's family and in the village, a Great War vet who was never quite right after his time in the trenches, small town secrets and coverups, misbehaving nobles. I always learn something from a Billy story, and this time it was about the Ritchie Boys, American soldiers of German descent who were specially trained to interrogate and befriend German POWs.
The disappearance earlier in the war of a local man is solved in an odd fashion when an old German airplane wreck is uncovered and the missing man is found in the cockpit, just one of several puzzling events. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 21, 2025
The Billy Boyle series is kind of an acquired taste because they're a bit slow. It's one of those series where you read it because you're invested in the characters and the settings rather than the stories. Having said that, it's best to start from book 1 even though you don't have to. Spoilers ahead.
In this book Billy and his lover Diana are in Norfolk for some R&R after their last adventure. A downed German bomber (from 2 years ago) is revealed by the tide one night and when it's being recovered the body of a missing English officer (Stephen Elliot) is discovered inside the plane.
From then on, it's a quest to find out how Elliot got into the bomber. Billy investigates back to the night when the bomber was seen in the sky and crashing into the cliffs near the sea. He finds a WWI shell shocked witness (Archer) who's not quite recovered from PTSD. Archer however has more to reveal to him, about 2 cousins one of who works at the nearby Royal residence and the other a sheep herder but Archer is killed before he can say anymore.
The investigation now focuses on the 2 cousins and in turn leads to British fascists, an uprising and a plot to blow up the Royal cottage. There's also a sideplot that introduces the Ritchie Boys because a nearby mansion happens to be a German POW camp where prisoners are being interrogated for intel.
Overall, still a fairly slow plot but there was enough there to keep me interested.
In this book Billy and his lover Diana are in Norfolk for some R&R after their last adventure. A downed German bomber (from 2 years ago) is revealed by the tide one night and when it's being recovered the body of a missing English officer (Stephen Elliot) is discovered inside the plane.
From then on, it's a quest to find out how Elliot got into the bomber. Billy investigates back to the night when the bomber was seen in the sky and crashing into the cliffs near the sea. He finds a WWI shell shocked witness (Archer) who's not quite recovered from PTSD. Archer however has more to reveal to him, about 2 cousins one of who works at the nearby Royal residence and the other a sheep herder but Archer is killed before he can say anymore.
The investigation now focuses on the 2 cousins and in turn leads to British fascists, an uprising and a plot to blow up the Royal cottage. There's also a sideplot that introduces the Ritchie Boys because a nearby mansion happens to be a German POW camp where prisoners are being interrogated for intel.
Overall, still a fairly slow plot but there was enough there to keep me interested.
March 14, 2024
Excellent addition to the series. Benn does a great job of giving a fictional tale heft with true facts woven in--facts that are generally little known but add a great deal to the story. I had never heard of the Ritchie Boys, a group of German and Austrian Jews who were gathered and trained to interrogate German POWs in England and on the continent during the war. They added to the Allied effort greatly during the war.
And then there were the Fascist groups in Britain who were still ready to overthrow their own government and align with Hitler if he had won. Oswald Mosley I had heard of, but the more extreme Right Club and Imperial League of Fascists were new to me.
An excellent series and one which needs to be read in order, I strongly suggest.
And then there were the Fascist groups in Britain who were still ready to overthrow their own government and align with Hitler if he had won. Oswald Mosley I had heard of, but the more extreme Right Club and Imperial League of Fascists were new to me.
An excellent series and one which needs to be read in order, I strongly suggest.
October 5, 2023
As always, James R. Benn's research and knowledge is top-notch.
I am amazed that after 18 books, James R. Benn can still manage to come up with new story lines and fresh looks into the fascinating historical period of World War II, yet he has done that again in the latest Billy Boyle WWII mystery.
I've always thought of myself as someone who knows much about that conflict which my father fought in, but I always learn something new and it gives me a bit more insight into my father's life and experiences over there.
I have read all of the books in this series, and I will most likely pick up another of James R. Benn's stand-alone novels.
I am amazed that after 18 books, James R. Benn can still manage to come up with new story lines and fresh looks into the fascinating historical period of World War II, yet he has done that again in the latest Billy Boyle WWII mystery.
I've always thought of myself as someone who knows much about that conflict which my father fought in, but I always learn something new and it gives me a bit more insight into my father's life and experiences over there.
I have read all of the books in this series, and I will most likely pick up another of James R. Benn's stand-alone novels.
October 24, 2023
At the height of WWII, Billy Boyle, US Army Captain and detective, finds himself investigating the dark side of a charming English village when a military accident reveals a premeditated murder.
A "premeditated" murder. Isn't that the definition of murder?'
The characters are shallow; attempts are made to make them clever, but it doesn't work.
The events may have some resemblance to history, but surely the author could have managed to write a book that highlighted the War in this part of 4england without an over-reliance on quirky events.
A "premeditated" murder. Isn't that the definition of murder?'
The characters are shallow; attempts are made to make them clever, but it doesn't work.
The events may have some resemblance to history, but surely the author could have managed to write a book that highlighted the War in this part of 4england without an over-reliance on quirky events.
March 3, 2024
I read the first book in the series and this one, Proud Sorrows.<\i> Next, I will read one or two in the middle of the series. Although the historical backdrop of Britain in World War II is interesting, and author Benn has a good grasp of military history, I wasn’t able to warm up to any of the characters. They don’t seem very deep. Billy is a regular guy: smart, not rich, but kind of emotionally flat. His girlfriend Diana is a privileged rich girl. Big Mike makes an appearance but I’m not sure why. Kaz is the likable character but there’s not too much to him in this book.
September 16, 2023
It’s hard to make the 18th book in a great series one of the best but Benn has done just that! The whole gang (Kaz, Diana, Angelika, and eventually Big Mike) all get to team up together at Seaton Manor itself for a fun adventure of a historical treasure hunt filled with secrets, affairs, and of course Nazis and murder! It’s a fun ride with a cute historical cameo and is nearly impossible to put down!
October 3, 2023
Another excellent Billy Boyle mystery
This is another excellent mystery by James Benn. If you've been reading the series, you know what you're getting. If you're new to serious, start at book one and start reading. The use of historical events as a backdrop gives this (and other books in the series) a realistic feel. I'm curious if the sort of communal relationship between prisoners and interrogators at Marston Hall was based on an actual place.
This is another excellent mystery by James Benn. If you've been reading the series, you know what you're getting. If you're new to serious, start at book one and start reading. The use of historical events as a backdrop gives this (and other books in the series) a realistic feel. I'm curious if the sort of communal relationship between prisoners and interrogators at Marston Hall was based on an actual place.
November 22, 2023
4.5 stars. Billy is on leave for two weeks and looking forward to spending it with Diana at Seaton Manor when a serious of mysterious events occur. A storm reveals the wreckage of a German plane that crashed on the cliffs two years earlier — but why was a local landowner in the pilot's seat? And what happened to the pilot? Thus begins another convoluted investigation involving Billy, Diana, Kaz, and Big Mike, as they try once again to uncover the truth. Highly recommended.
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