The First Wave - Hardcover

Benn, James R.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1569474710 ISBN 13: 9781569474716

Publisher: Soho Press, 2007

Synopsis

Praise for the Billy Boyle series:

“A meaty, old-fashioned and thoroughly enjoyable tale of WWII-era murder and espionage.”—The Seattle Times

“The World War II atmosphere and history are expertly handled.”—Denver Post

“Great fun. Benn knows his war history. . . . The novel introduces a batch of intriguing characters who seem destined to make another appearance.”—The Globe and Mail (Toronto)

“A memorable debut.”—BookPage

“A must for history buffs and mystery fans.”—Connecticut Post

“If you enjoy World War II mysteries . . . you’ll love this book. . . . One of the best books I’ve read this year.”—Mystery Scene

“Benn crafts a crackling good adventure, with much flavorsome period color.”—Kirkus Reviews

“I’ll look for another book about Billy Boyle, with pleasure.”—Deadly Pleasures

Lieutenant Billy Boyle reluctantly accompanies Major Samuel Harding, his boss, in the first boat to land on the shores of Algeria during the Allied invasion. Their task is to arrange the surrender of the Vichy French forces. But there is dissension between the regular army, the local militia, and De Gaulle’s Free French. American black marketeers in league with the enemy divert medical supplies to the Casbah, leading to multiple murders that Billy must solve while trying to rescue the girl he loves, a captured British spy.

About this title

About the Author

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

Reviews

In Benn's high-spirited second WWII mystery (after 2006's Billy Boyle), tough, earthy Boston cop turned army lieutenant Boyle hunkers down in a landing craft during the gripping first-wave attack to liberate Algeria in 1942. Once ashore, Boyle sets out on an intelligence mission to sort out the power struggle among Vichy French traitors, free French forces and German occupiers. Boyle is soon taken into custody and catches a glimpse of his ex-girlfriend Diana, a British spy on a similar mission. He returns to friendly territory in time to find that a sergeant's throat has been cut and vital morphine and penicillin supplies stolen. The enormous multinational cast makes it hard to determine a likely suspect, especially once Boyle uncovers a drug-smuggling network, American officers running poker parties and further murders of enlisted men, all somehow tied to a secret coded notebook. Historical figures like Adm. Jean Darlan give this lively story a bit of period flair. (Sept.)
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Like Mark Frost in The Second Objective (2007), Benn builds his Billy Boyle series around little-known snippets of World War II history: Billy Boyle (2006) concerned a proposed Allied invasion of Norway, and this time the focus is on Eisenhower's plan to invade Vichy-held Algeria, anticipating a quick surrender by the French. It doesn't happen quite like that, and along the way, Boyle, a special investigator with Eisenhower's staff, finds himself trying to solve a series of murders connected to black marketeers and working to rescue the captured British spy with whom he fell in love in the first book. The unusual premises are the best part of this series and will be certain to appeal to WWII fiction fans, though Benn continues to struggle with the nuts and bolts of character development and plotting. The identity of the Allied traitor is obvious early on, and the interpersonal relationships still fall prey to the kind of melodrama associated with WWII tearjerkers. Still, Benn is improving from book to book, and as his storytelling skills inch closer to his feel for the historical moment, this series could come into its own. Ott, Bill

Edition details

• Publisher: Soho Press
• Publication date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1569474710
• ISBN 13: 9781569474716
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 304