The First Wave (Billy Boyle World War II Mystery Series #2) Book

Doesn't everyone love a Boston Irish lad? A little charming, a little awkward with the ladies (yet successful enough to win a beautiful blonde girlfriend), impulsive enough to disobey orders whenever necessary, smart-talking, informal and rumpled, brave enough (or love-sick enough) to walk through fire to rescue the lady, devoted enough (or stupid enough) to get off his cot despite a fractured skull to save the life of his best friend. Billy Boyle (who just happens to be a nephew of the general he calls Uncle Ike) is among the first wave of Americans to invade Algeria. The plan is to quickly liberate Algiers from the Vichy French and Germans. But morphine, and a new wonder drug called Penicillin are stolen from the army hospital. Boyle gets assigned to uncover and break up the smuggling ring. But the ring includes some powerful and ruthless men, as well as at least one American traitor. There are fire fights, knife fights, broken glass, jeep chases, druggings, a secret code to break, and a whole lot of lies to uncover. It's a man's man's book. It's an action movie, with a little brain-power detection work, and the occasional beautiful woman thrown in. But the best part is that the sights and sensations of WWII Algiers are depicted in sweat-drenched and often smelly immediacy, and the delicate politics between the various occupying factions are explained. It's good to learn something about a part of the war that is less well known. And the Irish lad does what he sets out to do, but ends up sadder but wiser, humbled by the violence of war.