"This book has got it all - an instant classic."

          - Lee Child, author of The Hard Way & other Jack Reacher novels.

"The foggy seas and echoing cannons of World War II have long lured mystery writers.  Against this backdrop, Ken Follett and John le Carre built their reputations....James Benn conjures up the intensity, paranoia, strength and sadness that marked the era and secures his own standing in the genre."

           - Hartford Courant, October 29, 2006

"If you enjoy World War II mysteries...you'll love this book.  It's a whodunit, a spy story and a thriller all rolled into one.  Told in a crisp, breezy first-person narrative, Billy Boyle makes excellent use of Benn's extensive research into time and place.  The realistic dialogue pulls you even further into the action.  All in all, this is one of the best books I've read this year."

           - Mystery Scene magazine, Fall 2006

"Deftly plotted and beautifully written...it's rich in historical detail; it's a thrilling mystery; and the characters are fully realized, each with their own plot line and back story."

           - Crime Spree Magazine, Fall/Winter 2006

"I enjoyed this look at WWII through the eyes of a young Yank...I'll look for another book about Billy Boyle, with pleasure."

           - Deadly Pleasures mystery magazine, Spring 2006

"Benn crafts a crackling good adventure, with much flavorsome period color..."

           - Kirkus Reviews, June 1, 2006.

"A solid addition to mystery collections. Benn provides historically accurate background and appealing characters, spices the narrative with romance and emotion, and ruminates about the consequences of actions, all in a suitably straightforward prose style."

- Library Journal, July 15, 2006

"...great fun.  Benn knows his war history, and loves to drop all the pop stuff, including poking fun at Irish family ties in Boston and having Billy race about London during the Blitz.  And the novel introduces a batch of intriguing characters who seem destined to make another appearance."

- Toronto Globe & Mail, September 17, 2006.

"Boyle is a wonderful character, the quintessential 40s smart-mouth whose hardened and self-centered exterior masks a very different core."

- Rick Koster, The New London Day, August 22, 2006.

"Billy Boyle. Not only of the Greatest Generation, U.S. Army, assigned to find a spy, but an ex-cop. Ex-Boston cop. With a tale as tight as a drum. Doesn't get any better than this."

-Mary-Ann Tirone Smith, author of Girls of Tender Age.

"It is a pleasure marching off to war with the spirited Billy Boyle. He is a charmer, richly imagined and vividly rendered, and he tells a finely suspenseful yarn."

-Dan Fesperman, author of The Prisoner of Guantanomo.

"Slyly plotted, rich with atmosphere and written in a tough noir style that perfectly suits the times, Billy Boyle is a treat from start to finish."

-Owen Parry, author of the Abel Jones Civil War mystery series.

"I read Billy Boyle in a great white fury, impelled along from its captivating start to its resonant finish. Benn illuminates and animates history, all the while spinning a real corker of a detective story."

-Rachel Basch, author of The Passion of Reverend Nash.

"The story, told by Billy Boyle himself, is written with such genuineness, I could hear his heavy Boston accent in every word.  This is one novel you won't be able to put down."

         -Military History Book Club, Fiction Selection

"Very humorously told...a plot rich in adventure."

         -Mysterylovers.com

"Cocky young Lt. William Boyle was, like his father, a Boston cop. He's also a distant cousin of Mamie Doud Eisenhower, which is how he ends up as Ike's personal investigator in this engaging debut novel, set in 1942 at U.S. Army Headquarters in London and Suffolk. With a potential Allied invasion of Norway in the offing, Billy's assignment is to find a possible German spy among the many Norwegians living in exile in England, a task he takes quite seriously as he tries earnestly and often comically to fit in with his British colleagues.  Along the way he gets shot at, searches for a murderer, meets a brave WREN and goes undercover on a dangerous mission that takes him nearly to the Arctic Circle. Billy is just an average Joe who quickly gets in over his head with all these plots and counterplots, where nothing is ever what it seems to be, but he stubbornly soldiers on. The World War II atmosphere and history are expertly handled."

       -The Denver Post, September 2, 2006.

        -Poisoned Pen Bookstore review, First Mystery Club

Sequel to the Dilys Award-nominated "Billy Boyle", The First Wave...is a hard-boiled historical mystery novel....Amid the fog of war, Boyle must solve a series of murders among American and French forces, and rescue a woman he has come to love....Told in gritty first person, The First Wave is an action-packed yet soulful adventure, enthusiastically recommended....

- Midwest Book Review, March 3, 2008

THE FIRST WAVE is a marvelous follow up to last year’s BILLY BOYLE. James R. Benn is an author who takes great care to get things right and does with this tale set in 1942.  Former Boston cop Boyle is...involved in murder investigations, spy missions and invasions. Fast paced and carefully drawn out this is wonderful reading.  A must have from SOHO books.
- Crime Spree Magazine

Very noirish; you feel like you're watching a movie from the 1940s....Like reading Doctorow, a great way to understand history....wonderful.

- Faith Middleton, WNPR, December, 2007.

Benn paints a vibrant and realistic Algerian landscape — palm trees lining city streets that narrow into hard-packed dirt roads outside the French section.  It is a Camus-like mixture of beauty and horror; of unrelenting sun and clear blue sky and sparkling seas clouded by dust, flies and rotten fruit. Church steeples and pristine stone buildings are flanked by mud homes….What propels the novel is the psychological tension.  As Boyle adjusts to the shifty code of morality at war, the necessary compromises, he tries to maintain his personal convictions of right and wrong.  Boyle is suddenly off-balance, but also acutely perceptive. While hanging on to his basic belief in the Allied cause, he singles out the traitor….Boyle's pursuit of justice, a promise he's made for love and revenge, keep "The First Wave" ablaze.

- Jenny Minton, Hartford Courant review, November 25, 2007.

"'The First Wave' finds Boyle coming ashore in the 1942 Allied landing in French North Africa. He’s on a dangerous, if vague, mission to rally support from officers in the Vichy government forces in Algiers and to free a group of French resistance fighters, his English girlfriend among them. A better cop than secret agent, Boyle also gets wind of a smuggling ring that’s depriving soldiers of the new miracle drug, penicillin, and during the course of his investigation discovers that even in the middle of a war a combat hospital offers no refuge from noncombat crimes like drug trafficking, high-stakes gambling, rape and murder.                                    In granting Boyle a measure of maturity, Benn takes care not to put a muzzle on him. 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. Becoming sensitized to the status of female officers — paid half the salary of men, unable to issue an order to the lowliest private and denied the dignity of a salute — is one of those subtle ways. Seeing himself from the perspective of a people whose country his own has invaded is a more striking leap for Boyle, as is his new willingness to judge foreigners by their own standards. In one painful moment of introspection, he even questions his family’s rigid beliefs. Where he comes from, that’s real bravery."

- Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review, Sept. 9, 2007.

"Take a young Irish cop.  Turn him into a lieutenant on Eisenhower's personal staff...set him ashore on the coast of French North Africa along with the first wave of invading American troops.  And watch the mayhem, mystery, and murder that are bound to follow...Benn follows up his first World War II mystery (Billy Boyle) with another danger-filled episode and delivers a cross-genre tale that is at once spy story, soldier story, and hard-Boyled detective.  Bullets, babes, and bombs give Billy Boyle a bad time before he solves the case, but you'll have a good time reading about it.  Highly recommended for all mystery collections."

- Starred Review, Library Journal, July, 2007.

“…as full of action, murder, espionage, and romance as the first book….  Benn…manage(s) to build the suspense and manipulate the historical detail with impressive skill. The story moves quickly, is easy to follow, and offers lots of intriguing information about the war in Algeria. Most importantly, though, the main characters have enough depth and complexity to hold readers' interest and concern.”

-  School Library Journal, August 1, 2007.

"In Benn’s high-spirited second WWII mystery (after 2006’s Billy Boyle), tough, earthy Boston cop turned army lieutenant Boyle hunkers down in a landing craft during the gripping first-wave attack to liberate Algeria in 1942. Once ashore, Boyle sets out on an intelligence mission to sort out the power struggle among Vichy French traitors, free French forces and German occupiers. Boyle is soon taken into custody and catches a glimpse of his ex-girlfriend Diana, a British spy on a similar mission. He returns to friendly territory in time to find that a sergeant’s throat has been cut and vital morphine and penicillin supplies stolen. The enormous multinational cast makes it hard to determine a likely suspect, especially once Boyle uncovers a drug-smuggling network, American officers running poker parties and further murders of enlisted men, all somehow tied to a secret coded notebook. Historical figures like Adm. Jean Darlan give this lively story a bit of period flair."

- Publisher's Weekly, July 23, 2007.

"...combines conventional sleuthing and crackerjack adventure as the body count rises...and the clock runs down...Benn's wide-eyed hero retains his appealing earnestness and infectious spirit, and his escapade is refreshingly free of camp."

- Kirkus Reviews, July 1, 2007.

"Billy Boyle returns in a rousing adventure....This series brings alive WWII for me...a very believable, entertaining, and educational read....I enjoyed the cover art as much as the book, and look forward to the further adventures of Billy."

- Deadly Pleasures Magazine

Billy goes about his assignment with a positive attitude and good humor despite being knocked around a bit. He's a very well drawn character. The mystery here is cleverly conceived with a number of unexpected twists and turns in a multi-faceted plot.  Despite the striking and colorful book cover, The First Wave feels more like a classic noir-ish WWII suspense thriller. Billy's escapades in Algeria are an exciting addition to this well-written series.

- http://www.mysteriousreviews.com

"Lt. Billy Boyle...is back for another rousing adventure....Once again the period details are spot-on and Billy, who doesn't pretend to be anything but what he is, continues to make a thoroughly engaging detective."

- The Denver Post

The First Wave: A Billy Boyle World War II Mystery by James R. Benn, his follow-up to Billy Boyle, continues the exploits and adventures of Boston-born, Irish-American Billy Boyle during World War II….In this outing, Boyle goes ashore with the first wave of troops to liberate the Vichy French-occupied Algeria.…Changing plans is a constant during a war, however. The Vichy French had divided loyalties, some being Nazi supporters, some being in favor of a free France (though still having long-standing animosities towards the English) and wanting to assist the Allies to defeat the Nazis, and some who support whichever side seems to be winning at the time.

The First Wave: A Billy Boyle World War II Mystery has a black-and-white, film noir-ish intensity and feel about it. I was reminded, while reading, of old war movies and Bogart films like The Maltese Falcon...Along for the ride are friends of Billy’s who appeared in the series’ first book, such as the Polish-born Baron Piotr Augustus Kazimierz (affectionately known as “Kaz”); Diana Seaton, the sister of Daphne, Kaz’s love interest in the first book who got killed; and Lieutenant Harry Dickinson, who blames Billy Boyle for the deaths of two of his men in the first novel, the destruction of his ship, and pretty much anything bad in his own life that follows from his past friendship with Boyle.  The First Wave is a novel that will appeal to fans of the first book, Billy Boyle, to those of us who can appreciate the beauty and intricate plots of classic black-and-white film noir flicks, and to lovers of good mysteries in general. In using language and expressions of the era, some of the characters may not seem to be politically correct by today’s standards; but those were different times and the people lived under far different circumstances. If you’re looking for a good historical mystery set in the World War Two era, you can’t go wrong with James R. Benn’s The First Wave.

- Curled Up With a Good Book E-zine      http://www.curledup.com/billyboy.htm

"A solid follow up to Benn's first novel, The First Wave makes me look forward to his next."

- Robert B. Parker, author of the Spenser, Sunny Randall, and Jesse Stone mystery novels.

Immediately engaging...Blood Alone is an intriguing blend of history and fiction, superbly crafted and paced, easily the best period mystery I've read in quite some time.

—Bruce Tierney, Bookpage, September 2008

...a well-engineered tale...with a keen eye on details...the best of a war story as well as a mystery.  Thoroughly enjoyable, and recommended.

—Crimespree Magazine, Midwest Book Review, October 2008

In war-torn Sicily, a sleuthing soldier risks life and limb to crack a baffling mystery...Billy's determination to learn the truth takes him into the heart of Sicily's complex criminal dynasty, as deadly as the encroaching German army.  Another bracing cocktail of period action with a whodunit chaser from the increasingly authoritative Benn.

—Kirkus Reviews, July 2008

Benn continues to create fascinating behind-the-lines mysteries from little-known facets of World War II history….Benn combines the mystery element with a fair amount of frontline battle scenes. The combination makes for a fast-paced mix of action, adventure, and crime solving … Historical detail about the Sicily campaign will grab WWII buffs. A solid series that keeps getting better.

—Bill Ott, Booklist, August 1, 2008

Characterization and atmosphere carry Benn's third WWII mystery (after 2007's The First Wave), a convincing blend of fact and fiction. As part of the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943, Billy Boyle, a freewheeling Boston cop in civilian life now working as special investigator for General Eisenhower, bears a message from the real-life Lucky Luciano to the head of the Sicilian Mafia asking that he order local soldiers to stop fighting American troops. Unfortunately, the chaos of warfare interferes with Billy's mission, as does another mobster out to exploit the situation for money who plots to have Billy killed—while Billy is wounded and suffering from amnesia. The hero's gradual rediscovery of his memories lets him question what kind of person he is, in particular whether he's more than a brutal killer. Benn also does a fine job of depicting a dusty, poverty-stricken Sicily, where warm loyalty is the reverse side of pitiless vendetta.

—Publisher's Weekly, June 23, 2008

...an entertaining read...history buffs and mystery lovers alike will enjoy "Blood Alone".  It's the third in a series...and after reading it, I'd like to find the other two.

—Lucia Anderson, The Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star

The Billy Boyle novels have quickly established themselves as best in class for those seeking historical mysteries that seamlessly blend fact with fiction, are replete with period details, incorporate an engaging, intricate and suspenseful story, and most importantly, have as its central character, the redoubtable Billy Boyle. The author exposes the horror of war yet brilliantly shows the camaraderie men in the face of danger can find. Blood Alone is classic World War II crime fiction and readers will be anxious to discover where Billy finds himself next.

—Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, September 5, 2008

James Benn is a wonderful writer, and Blood Alone is terrific. The premise is irresistible, the pacing nonstop, the prose razor-sharp. Any fan of Ken Follett or Alan Furst, or anyone who enjoys reading about World War II — or just a great story — will love this book.
—Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author of Power Play

Teeming with energy, knowing humor, sorrow and brisk bravado, Blood Alone shows James Benn has once more raised the game in his Billy Boyle series. Drawing on many of the murkier passages of World War II history, Benn sends his appealing and increasingly complex hero on a harrowing adventure that delivers on suspense and, quite movingly, on the emotional registers too.  

—Megan Abbott (The Song Is You, Queenpin)

I really can't say enough about this wonderful series.  Billy is almost the anti-hero, and we know he has gotten jobs due to family connections, but that doesn't stop him from acting bravely, and truly helping the war effort.  Luck might play a part in his success, but skill and natural ability are there as well.  I really like the insights into his relationship with Gen.  Eisenhower...