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Loading... Blood Aloneby James R. Benn
   None No current Talk conversations about this book.  ZoharLaor | Apr 26, 2024 |    ) ewillse | Mar 23, 2014 | ) PatienceFortitude | Mar 6, 2014 | ) PatienceFortitude | Mar 6, 2014 | ) PatienceFortitude | Mar 6, 2014 | no reviews | add a review
Fiction.
Literature.
Mystery.
Historical Fiction.
HTML:Praise for the Billy Boyle series: ??The brash kid from Southie is still open, direct and fearless in his manner (and in his wonderfully loose-jointed use of the English language) and in no danger of losing his cover as a ??happy-go-lucky Yank.?? But even amid the excitement of the spirited wartime storytelling, Benn allows Boyle??s experiences to change him in ways both subtle and dramatic.???Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review ??Thoroughly enjoyable.???The Seattle Times ??This series brings WWII alive.???Deadly Pleasures ??Great fun. Benn knows his war history.???The Globe and Mail ??Kudos to author Benn . . . and here??s hoping that Billy will continue to make his way through his Uncle Ike??s world for many titles to come.???Bookslut.com Billy Boyle awakens in a field hospital in Sicily with amnesia. In his pocket is a yellow silk handkerchief embroidered with the initial L. Gradually he remembers: he has been sent ashore in advance of the troops with this token from Lucky Luciano to contact the head of the Sicilian Mafia. But he must also thwart a murderous band of counterfeiters of Army scrip led by Vito Genovese. James R. Benn is the author of Billy Boyle: A World War II Mystery, selected by Book Sense as one of the top five mysteries of 2006 and nominated for a Dilys Award. The First Wave was a Book Sense Notable t No library descriptions found. |
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 Google Books — Loading...GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.6Literature English (North America) American fiction 21st CenturyLC ClassificationRatingAverage: (3.72)
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Wikipedia in English
1
Blood Alone by James R. Benn is the third book in the Billy Boyle World War II Mystery series. The series follows the former Boston cop solving mysteries in war time Europe while giving the reader a history lesson.
Billy Boyle wakes up in Sicily, Italy, with amnesia. He doesn’t remember what happened, or even who he is, but he does have a yellow silk handkerchief which seems important.
Gradually Bill remembers the reason he was sent to Sicily by his uncle, General Eisenhower, to contact the head of the Sicilian Mafia before US troops land, with a handkerchief from Lucky Luciano.
I read the several Billy Boyle mysteries a while ago, but I saw this book at a library sale and picked it up immediately. At first, I couldn’t remember the supporting cast, but soon the author reminded of who’s who. That being said, this book contains major spoilers for the first two books, but since Billy has amnesia that information is needed.
We seem to forget how the war affected Italy. Blood Alone by James R. Benn makes sure to remind us that the impact was not just on US troops, or Billy, but also on the civilian population.
The author packed a lot into this book, it moves fast and the pacing is uneven. From the American mafia helping the war effort, to the invasion, and of course, a mystery in which Billy is the center of. I think that if I wasn’t already somewhat familiar with the events, both stateside and abroad, I might have gotten lost. The book would have also greatly benefited with the addition of a map, or maps.
This book was much more introspective than the first two, even though Billy’s relationship with Diana was put on the back burner. Being that there are many more books in the series, I’m sure that the relationship will get more page time, but I’m looking forward to reading it myself.
Mr. Benn did a very good job weaving history with fictional mystery which kept me guessing to the end. I loved that much of the book was as historically accurate as possible. (