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Billy Boyle is an Irish Southie from Boston; he has recently become (with the aide of his uncles and father) a detective on the Boston Police Department. Being a Boston cop, particularly a detective was the family business, and since he had put in his time as a beat cop the family felt time he move up. In spite of getting the job by patronage he was becoming a pretty good dick. However, his draft number came up and Billy is going to be sent to war. The family had lost an uncle in the First World War, and didn’t want to lose another Boyle in the Second World War, especially fighting for the English. Billy’s mom is a second cousin to Mamie Eisenhower. After writing to her cousin Billy is seconded to Uncle Ike’s staff. Little does he know that the general doesn’t believe in cushy staff jobs for relatives and wants to use his courtesy nephew’s civilian training and background to investigate the type of crimes best kept away from the mainstream police--or the even the Military Police. His job doesn’t turn out to be as safe and secure as it first appeared. Benn has written a fascinating story. The action takes place during WWII in Sweden and London; it involves the various intelligence agencies, but it is first and foremost a mystery. I was fascinated by the plot; I very much enjoy novels and mysteries set during this period, and am very disappointed when they don’t seem to have been researched and true to the era. Young Boyle does turn out to be a gifted detective. The author writes believable and likeable characters. His plot was fascinating and the ending great. If I had a quarrel with this book at all it would be that Benn went a little overboard in creating the stereotypical young, brash American so prominent in the old movies from that time. The main character cracked wise just a little too often, and seemed just a little too naive. I highly recommend this book and hope that a major publishing firm would take the author on thus allowing the series to continue. There is already available, from the above publisher, a second Billy Boyle story.
Reviewed by Martha Hopkins, January 2003
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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