A Blind Goddess: A Billy Boyle World War II Mystery

(Paperback)

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Description

The first is a personal request from an estranged friend: Sergeant Eugene Tree' Jackson, who grew up with Billy, is part of the 617th Tank Destroyers, the battalion poised to make history by being the US Army's first combatant African American company. But making history isn't easy - the 617th faces racism at every turn. One of Tree's men has been arrested for a crime he almost certainly didn't commit. Tree knows US top brass won't care about justice in this instance, and asks Billy to look into it.'

Reviews

Praise for A Blind Goddess

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

[Benn] achieves an impressive authenticity of time and place...without sacrificing a sense of underlying urgency, and its his engaging characters, complex whodunit(s), and subtle humor that will sustain the more traditional mystery reader. Those who are first initiated to Billy Boyle withA Blind Goddesswill find it hard to resist the desire to revisit the authors earlier offerings.
Examiner.com

"Pervasive racism in the U.S. Army during WWII frames Benns excellent eighth Billy Boyle whodunit...The superior plot and thoughtful presentation of institutional racism directed against American soldiers about to risk their lives for their country make this one of Benns best."
Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

If you are already a fan of James R. Benns Billy Boyle World War II mysteries, you wont want to missA Blind Goddess, Billys latest ride, and if you havent yet taken the ride, its time you did....Benns writing is crisp and descriptive as it always is, and his research, again as always, is impeccable.
Weirs Times

Benns thoroughly researched exploration of segregation in the wartime armed services is revealing and sensitively handled. Another nice mix of human drama and WWII history.
Booklist

"Elaborately plotted, Benn's eighth entry in the series (afterDeath's Door) has his World War II sleuth investigating a deplorable side of U.S. military history, His use of an ongoing narrative throughout the book to explain Billy and Tree's backstory is particularly well done."
Library Journal

James Benn has written a gripping and entertaining mystery (think early Ken Follett), but also and perhaps just as importantlyhe realistically and sensitively explores the rarely discussed race relations and power struggles in the U.S. Armed Forces in World War II Britain. A thrilling read.
Susan Elia MacNeal, author ofHis Majestys Hopeand the Maggie Hope mystery series

This series is wonderful at setting the mystery amid a background of lesser known aspects of WWII...Can't wait for number nine!
Anne K. McMahon, Boswell Book Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

"Benn doesnt skate around the issues of race relations and segregation in the 1940s; he dives courageously in with both feet.... With A BLIND GODDESS, [he] has served up yet another delicious mystery to sink our teeth intono way to ration this one."
Crimespree

"A Blind Goddesshits hardest when it examines the issue of internal racial politics during WWII... another fine, and recommended, book in a continuing series of Benns intriguing historical novels."
Deadly Pleasures

A Blind Goddessis a gripping, exciting entry in this outstanding series. The disparate storylines are clever and credible in their setup and execution, resulting in a superior mystery that fans of the series will thoroughly enjoy.
Mysterious Reviews

James R. Benn is getting even better. [A Blind Goddess] is all a big bag of delicious intrigue if you love World War II-era stories. Definitely a series you should look into.
Bookgasm

A good and disturbing read. Highly recommended.
I Love a Mystery

This eighth Billy Boyle mystery has already been lauded as one of the best novels in the series. Not only is it a gripping and exciting suspense story, but James Benn also explores the issue of race, which did present a problem in the US military at the time.
Book Loons

Praise for the Billy Boyle series:

"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."
Wall Street Journal

"Captivating.... Benn does a superb job of simultaneously capturing the personal anguish of war and creating a splendid adventure novel."
Library Journal, Starred Review

"Benn's Billy Boyle mysteries are always entertaining, filled with riveting characters, and beautifully plotted stories."
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

"The Billy Boyle, World War II mysteries are among the most consistently well written and researched crime novels published today, and are highly recommended."
Mysterious Reviews

"If you like WWII mysteries, here is a must-have series."
Bookgasm

Author Bio

James R. Benn is the author of the Billy Boyle World War II mysteries. The debut, Billy Boyle, was named one of the top five mysteries of 2006 by Book Sense and was a Dilys Award nominee. Subsequent books have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and Library Journal, and been listed as the Bookpage Mystery of the Month. Two have been tagged as a "Killer Book" by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association. A librarian for many years, Benn lives in Hadlyme, Connecticut, with his wife, Deborah Mandel.