Reviews for Billy Boyle (Billy Boyle World War II Mystery Series #1)

The average rating for Billy Boyle (Billy Boyle World War II Mystery Series #1) based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2011-04-21 00:00:00 Paula Mitchell Publishers Weekly and Booklist gave this book so so reviews. I thought it was great. A very different and original look at WWII. Billy Boyle is a rough Boston cop who will take whatever nepotism dishes out to him: a job as a cop in Boston, a promotion to detective, and later a plum posting to Uncle Ike's staff in London so he can hide out the war in a safe place. Initially he reminded me of George McDonald Fraser's Flashman character, but he's not such a cad and shirker. Billy is a tough character who despite some deprecating views on his life so far proves he is a real officer and gentleman. He's not a lamb but a lion who quickly gets involved in a murder investigation that seems to also involve a spy in the Norwegian exile forces. Benn does a good job of describing: the countryside, the period,and the awkwardness of a newly commissioned lieutenant adjusting to constantly changing circumstances. I kept turning the pages and could not have forseen the ending. I'm looking forward to reading the next one in this series.

Review # 2 was written on 2018-06-03 00:00:00 Edward Sampson I liked the book. But why only three stars? The book was like a song sung off-key. The character voice wavered from hard-boiled to Hardy Boys. Inconsistencies in logic and internal context. The romantic angle was love at first sight by both parties. Some other quibbles like that. At times I thought the author was striving for a YA novel, which is fine, though I was hoping for more Raymond Chandler than Franklin Dixon. But hey. Clean (very little coarse language, one mild scene of light petting) and a decent mystery, Billy Boyle is a nice read.