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James R. Benn is an America novelist from New York City, New York is best known for the Billy Boyle World War II Mystery series. These are historical thriller mysteries set in the World War II era. A graduate of the University of Connecticut and with a Master of Library of Science from the Southern Connecticut State University, Benn started writing his first novel when he was fifty years old. He started writing in 2006 and went full-time in 2010.
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Order of Billy Boyle World War II Mysteries Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Billy Boyle | 2006 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | The First Wave | 2007 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | Blood Alone | 2008 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | Evil for Evil | 2009 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | Rag and Bone | 2010 | Description / Buy | |
| 6 | A Mortal Terror | 2011 | Description / Buy | |
| 7 | Death's Door | 2012 | Description / Buy | |
| 8 | A Blind Goddess | 2013 | Description / Buy | |
| 9 | The Rest is Silence | 2014 | Description / Buy | |
| 10 | The White Ghost | 2015 | Description / Buy | |
| 11 | Blue Madonna | 2016 | Description / Buy | |
| 12 | The Devouring | 2017 | Description / Buy | |
| 13 | Solemn Graves | 2018 | Description / Buy | |
| 14 | When Hell Struck Twelve | 2019 | Description / Buy | |
| 15 | The Red Horse | 2020 | Description / Buy | |
| 16 | Road of Bones | 2021 | Description / Buy | |
| 17 | From the Shadows | 2022 | Description / Buy | |
| 18 | Proud Sorrows | 2023 | Description / Buy | |
| 19 | The Phantom Patrol | 2024 | Description / Buy |
Order of James R Benn Standalone Novels
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | On Desperate Ground / Desperate Ground | 2000 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Souvenir | 2012 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | Shard | 2021 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | Freegift | 2022 | Description / Buy |
Order of James R. Benn Collections
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Refusal Camp | 2023 | Description / Buy |
James R. Benn Anthologies
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Usual Santas | 2016 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, September-October 2021 | 2021 | Description / Buy |
James R. Benn series of novels center on the adventures of Billy Boyle a detective in the Boston Police Department. “Billy Boyle” was the first novel in the series published in 2006 to critical acclaim and much commercial success. The Billy Boyle series of novels is one of the most popular historical thrillers, with a quirky character that offers spectacular insider insights on the workings of the American military during the Second World War. The novels have sold thousands of copies over the years.
JAMES R. BENN AWARDS
James R. Benn Billy Boyle series of novels has won several prestigious awards over the years. His first novel “Billy Doyle” made the shortlist for the 2006 Dilys Award. “A Blind Goddess” the eighth novel in the series made the long list for the Dublin literary award, Ireland’s most prestigious literary honor. The 2014 published “The Rest is Silence” made the finals for the Housatonic Book Award and the Barry Award for Best Novel in 2015.
BEST JAMES R. BENN BOOKS
Three of James R. Benn most appreciated novels in the Billy Boyle series of mystery novels are:
Blue Madonna: The 11th novel in the Billy Boyle World War II Mysteries sees ex Boston cop and US Army detective Billy Boyle face up to one of his toughest assignments yet, as he has to infiltrate enemy lines in preparation for the Allied invasion of Normandy. His dangerous mission came about as a compromise between going to prison and losing his officers rank, after he is found guilty of black market dealings. His first stop is a petite chateau in Chaumont, first used by fleeing Huguenots in the 1600s.
But there is something eerie about the safe house as most agents that pass through it are getting murdered by an unknown killer. Parachuted into Chaumont just before D-Day as part of a three-man team, he needs to resolve the mystery of the killings before leading his team back to England with the killer and Germans hot on their heels.
The Rest is Silence: The Barry Award Winning novel is an epic historical thriller set in England’s southern coast during World War II. Lieutenant Piotr Kazimierz and his partner and friend Army Captain Billy Boyle are the case officers for the case involving a floater off the Slapton Sands. It is an important case as the dead body has been found on Devonshire Beach, the setting for the rehearsal of the D-Day beach invasion of the Normandy.
Finding a distraction when they are invited to the home of one of Kaz’s high school classmates, they suddenly find themselves with an intriguing case on their hands. Just as they are wrapping up the floater case, a tragedy hits Operation Tiger, and they now have to deal with a case involving hundreds of bodies that could point to some sinister plot.
A Blind Goddess: With the European war slowly but surely ending, US Army Lieutenant is back in England where he hopes to kick back after a tough but successful mission in Italy. But as soon as he gets back, he is saddled with two of the toughest cases of his investigations career. The first is a request from Sergeant Eugene Jackson, a longtime friend who he grew up with and served with in the military that is now facing racism as well as conspiracy in his unit.
Even as he is now on vacation, it will not be so easy to help his friend, as Major Cosgrove of British Intelligence wants his expertise on a delicate and bizarre case of the murder of a British accountant, which may be linked to some higher ups in the US Army. Cosgrove gives him very scanty information about the murder, which makes him think that maybe the army major has something to hide. But with the mysterious murder set in the village near Sergeant Eugene’s regiment, Billy Boyle may just have the opportunity to resolve both murder mysteries.
When Does The Next James R. Benn book come out?
The next book by James R. Benn is The Phantom Patrol and will be released on September, 3rd 2024. It is the newest book in the Billy Boyle World War II Mysteries Series.