Blood Alone: A Billy Boyle World War II Mystery - Hardcover

Benn, James R.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1569475164 ISBN 13: 9781569475164

Publisher: Soho Press, 2008

Synopsis

Praise for the Billy Boyle series:

“The brash kid from Southie is still open, direct and fearless in his manner (and in his wonderfully loose-jointed use of the English language) and in no danger of losing his cover as a ‘happy-go-lucky Yank.’ But even amid the excitement of the spirited wartime storytelling, Benn allows Boyle’s experiences to change him in ways both subtle and dramatic.”—Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review

“Thoroughly enjoyable.”—The Seattle Times

“This series brings WWII alive.”—Deadly Pleasures

“Great fun. Benn knows his war history.”—The Globe and Mail

“Kudos to author Benn . . . and here’s hoping that Billy will continue to make his way through his Uncle Ike’s world for many titles to come.”—Bookslut.com

Billy Boyle awakens in a field hospital in Sicily with amnesia. In his pocket is a yellow silk handkerchief embroidered with the initial L. Gradually he remembers: he has been sent ashore in advance of the troops with this token from Lucky Luciano to contact the head of the Sicilian Mafia. But he must also thwart a murderous band of counterfeiters of Army scrip led by Vito Genovese.

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.

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.

From Booklist

Benn continues to create fascinating behind-the-lines mysteries from little-known facets of World War II history. This time it’s the curious fact that, before the invasion of Sicily, the Allied High Command asked various U.S. Mafia chieftains, including Lucky Luciano, to intercede with their Sicilian counterparts to help convince Italian soldiers to switch sides, away from Germany and Mussolini. Benn’s series star, Billy Boyle, special investigator attached to Eisenhower’s staff, is charged with brokering the deal; he lands in Sicily, but before he can make contact with the capo, he is wounded, loses his memory, and soon finds himself in the middle of a Mob-led embezzlement scam. Previous episodes in the series (The First Wave, 2007) have used similar premises, but this time Benn combines the mystery element with a fair amount of frontline battle scenes. The combination makes for a fast-paced mix of action, adventure, and crime solving—and has the added benefit of reducing the space available for Billy’s romantic life (Benn’s decided weak point). Historical detail about the Sicily campaign will grab WWII buffs. A solid series that keeps getting better. --Bill Ott

About this edition

• Publisher: Soho Press
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 1569475164
• ISBN 13: 9781569475164
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 320