Solemn Graves (Billy Boyle World War II Mystery #13)

by James R. Benn

Overview

US Army detective Billy Boyle is called to investigate a mysterious murder in a Normandy farmhouse that threatens Allied operations.
 
July, 1944, a full month after D-Day. Billy, Kaz, and Big Mike are assigned to investigate a murder close to the front lines in Normandy. An American officer has been found dead in a manor house serving as an advance headquarters outside the town of Trévières. Major Jerome was far from his own unit, arrived unexpectedly, and was murdered in the dark of night.
 
The investigation is shrouded in secrecy, due to the highly confidential nature of the American unit headquartered nearby in the Norman hedgerow country: the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, aka, the Ghost Army. This vague name covers a thousand-man unit with a unique mission within the US Army: to impersonate other US Army units by creating deceptions using radio traffic, dummy inflatable vehicles, and sound effects, causing the enemy to think they are facing large formations. Not even the units adjacent to their positions know what they are doing. But there are German spies and informants everywhere, and Billy must tread carefully, unmasking the murder while safeguarding the secret of the Ghost Army—a secret which, if discovered, could turn the tide of war decisively against the Allies.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781641290661
Publisher:	Soho Press, Incorporated
Publication date:	08/06/2019
Series:	Billy Boyle World War II Mystery Series , #13
Pages:	400
Sales rank:	325,478
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.50(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

James R. Benn is the author of the Billy Boyle World War II mysteries. The debut, Billy Boyle, was named one of five top mysteries of 2006 by Book Sense and was a Dilys Award nominee. A Blind Goddess was longlisted for the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, and The Rest Is Silence was a Barry Award nominee. Benn, a former librarian, splits his time between the Gulf Coast of Florida and Connecticut with his wife, Deborah Mandel.

Read an Excerpt

Chapter One
(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "Solemn Graves"
by .
Copyright © 2019 James R. Benn.
Excerpted by permission of Soho Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Editorial Reviews

Praise for Solemn Graves

"Enthralling . . . A complex and somber look at life in the midst of war where betrayals can come from your neighbor, who may be a Nazi spy, and gunfire is constantly in the background. Benn’s hallmark of meticulous research shines . . . In a series known for excellence, Solemn Graves stands out."
—Oline Cogdill, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

"A highly entertaining murder mystery, as well as eloquently reflecting on the horrors of war." 
—The Lancashire Post

"The ending was a jaw dropper."
—Deadly Pleasures Magazine

"The stories are riveting, the cast of characters is incredible, and historical accuracy can be found on every page."
—Suspense Magazine
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"Exceptional . . . Benn has never been better at integrating a whodunit plot line with a realistic depiction of life on or near the battlefield."
—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"Once again, Benn has unearthed a fascinating piece of relatively unknown WWII history and built an engaging mystery around it, combining the Ghost Army with a chilling view of the ugly reparations exacted by Resistance fighters on assumed Nazi collaborators. Liberation, Billy is shocked to learn, has its own dark side."​
—Booklist ​

"Benn's plotting and his first-person narrative both acquire more gravitas as they continue to chart the course of World War II. His latest outing is a complex tale that hinges on a particular moment in world history he captures incisively."
—Kirkus Reviews

"The front lines of Normandy in the weeks after the invasion are the setting for this thrilling battle of wits between a dogged US investigator and cunning killer. Deft, gritty, and real as a howitzer blast."
—Andrew Gross, bestselling author of The One Man

Praise for the Billy Boyle WWII mysteries

“Spirited wartime storytelling.”
—The New York Times Book Review

“A fast-paced saga set in a period when the fate of civilization still hangs in the balance.”
—The Wall Street Journal

"Cleverly told . . . the book weaves fascinating military facts with obscure historical details about the islands and native life." 
—The Arizona Republic

"One of Mr. Benn's best books of the series . . . A pleasure to read."
—Seattle Post-Intelligencer

“A smart, fast-paced, action-packed historical mystery series replete with liberal dashes of humor and romance providing broad appeal to readers of military history, thrillers and mysteries. He deftly combines a mélange of edge-of-your seat suspenseful situations with historical accuracy and engaging literary references.”
—BookTrib

“The series as a whole is the best set of wartime novels since those of the legendary Nevil Shute.”
—BookPage

“Full of action, humor and heart.”
—Louise Penny

From the Publisher

★ 07/23/2018
Set in the summer of 1944, Benn’s exceptional 13th mystery featuring U.S. Army investigator Billy Boyle (after 2017’s The Devouring) takes Boyle to Normandy, where Maj. David Jerome, the commanding officer of a signals company, has been found with his throat slit in a villa. A glass near the body with morphine residue at the bottom indicates to Boyle that the murderer spiked the major’s drink to lessen his resistance. Oddly, troops from Jerome’s company who were at the crime scene when Boyle arrived don’t hang around to be questioned—and Boyle must also account for the presence of 20-year-old Yvonne Virot, a mute woman living in the villa, whose clothing is drenched with blood. Complicating Billy’s task are a morally suspect Resistance leader and the villa’s owner, whose code name in the Resistance—Corday—evokes the excesses of the French Revolution. Details about ways to deceive the enemy about Allied army strength lend verisimilitude. Benn has never been better at integrating a whodunit plot line with a realistic depiction of life on or near the battlefield. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

2018-07-02
Brash Billy Boyle faces special challenges as he tries to implement a low-profile probe.A month after D-Day, U.S. Army detective Billy Boyle and Staff Sgt. "Big Mike" Miecznikowski arrive in Normandy, its landscape dotted with dead cows, to investigate the murder of Maj. David Jerome, commanding officer of the Signals Company, 2nd Armored Division, who's been found with his throat slashed at the 30th Division battalion headquarters, a scene marked by a lot of blood, a lot of booze, and the smell of morphine, all seemingly significant clues. Yvonne, the haunted, fragile beauty who discovered the body, is too frightened to answer questions. There are disturbing rumors that Yvonne is a German spy, and the rest of the locals warrant nearly as much suspicion. Billy is just getting a handle on the place and starting his investigation when they encounter another corpse, this one wearing a German uniform and shot through the eye. The arrival of Kaz, Billy's customary sidekick (The Devouring, 2017, etc.), helps the sleuths gain traction as they begin by seeking Jerome's own division headquarters. Though they fill in several minor details about Jerome's movements, their probing mostly confirms that all roads of inquiry lead back to Yvonne. But as the trio digs deeper and deals with more victims, they begin to question the allegiances of everyone in the small community.Benn's plotting and his first-person narrative both acquire more gravitas as they continue to chart the course of World War II. His latest outing is a complex tale that hinges on a particular moment in world history he captures incisively.

Kirkus Reviews