Blue Madonna: A Billy Boyle World War II Mystery

(Paperback)

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Description

1944. Captain Billy Boyle is court-martialled on spurious charges of black market dealings. Stripped of his officer's rank and sentenced to three months' hard labour, Billy is given an opportunity: he can avoid his punishment if he goes behind enemy lines to rescue a high-value Allied soldier. A secret chamber has since been taken over by the Allies. But this 'safe house' turns out to be anything but - two downed airmen have been murdered. Billy is flown in and must solve the mystery of who is behind the murders with both the Germans and a killer hot on their heels.

Reviews

Praise for Blue Madonna

"A non-stop action story that adds in the goldennugget of a really cool history lesson."
Suspense Magazine

"Benn's 11th Billy Boyle mystery has snappy dialogue, satisfying action scenes, and much interesting history about D-Day."
Kirkus Reviews

"This is a thoroughly entertaining, well-told war adventure, and since the book ends on June 5, 1944, we know there's much more to come."
Booklist

"The suspenseful story line, set on the eve of the Normandy invasion in 1944, will keep readers turning the pages... Benn movingly depicts Nazi cruelties that Boyle and his comrades witness."
Publishers Weekly

Praise for the Billy Boyle series

Terrific . . . Razor sharp.
Joseph Finder

Full of action, humor and heart.
Louise Penny

Billy Boyle gets better and better. This is a must-read series.
Lee Child

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

A complex tale that maps the human cost of warfare in the South Pacificand delivers a deft portrait of a young Jack Kennedy struggling to recover from the losses of PT-109. Poignant and riveting.
Francine Mathews, author of JACK1939

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

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

"[An] 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

Author Bio

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. A librarian for many years, Benn lives in Connecticut with his wife, Deborah Mandel.