Preorder

The Phantom Patrol (A Billy Boyle WWII Mystery #19)

James R. Benn

$27.95

Publication Date: September 3rd, 2024

Publisher:

Soho Crime

ISBN:

9781641295437

Pages:

352

Available for Preorder

Description

An investigation into a gang of Nazi-affiliated art thieves leads Billy Boyle and his comrades directly into the line of fire at the catastrophic Battle of the Bulge.

Winter 1944: Months after the Liberation of France, ex-Boston cop Billy Boyle finds himself in a Paris reeling from the carnage it has endured but hopeful that an end to war is in sight. When Billy finds a rare piece of artwork after a tense shoot-out in the Père Lachaise Cemetery, he thinks it could be connected to the Syndicat du Renard, a shadowy network of Nazi sympathizers known to be smuggling stolen artwork out of France.

Trailing the Syndicat, Billy discovers that someone with a high level of communications clearance—someone in the Phantom regiment of the British Army—may be using his position to aid the thieves. Billy, determined to stop the abettor, heads up to the frontlines where he experiences a last-ditch battle against overwhelming odds. There, the ruinous Battle of the Bulge unfurls in the Ardennes Forest. Can Billy and his team survive the bracing onslaught and return the stolen artwork to its rightful protectors?

About the Author

James R. Benn is the author of the Billy Boyle World War II mysteries. The debut, Billy Boyle, was selected as a Top Five Book of the Year by Book Sense and was a Dilys Award nominee, A Blind Goddess was longlisted for the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, The Rest Is Silence was a Barry Award nominee, and The Devouring was a Macavity Award nominee. Benn, a former librarian, lives on the Gulf Coast of Florida with his wife, Deborah Mandel.

Praise for The Phantom Patrol (A Billy Boyle WWII Mystery #19)

Praise for The Phantom Patrol

“James R. Benn’s The Phantom Patrol is a fascinating and complex tale of stolen art and the heroes who are determined to get it back that really is quite extraordinary. Set during the infamous Battle of the Bulge, Benn’s newest Billy Boyle mystery is a masterful blend of history and heart. I loved this book!”
—Karen Dionne, author of the #1 international bestseller The Marsh King’s Daughter and The Wicked Sister

“This fast-paced thriller will keep you turning the page to the end. As a World War II historian, I love the accurate history in these books. As a lover of well-done mysteries, I can’t get enough of this series. You can’t go wrong hanging out with Captain Billy Boyle and Lieutenant Baron Kazimierz.”
—Thomas McKelvey Cleaver, author of Clean Sweep: VIII Fighter Command Against the Luftwaffe, 1942-45

Praise for the Billy Boyle mysteries

“Full of action, humor and heart.”
—Louise Penny

“Benn is a master of suspense; his work builds to the end and never loosens its grip upon the reader.”
—Charles Todd

“As historical detective series go, this one is extremely well tended by an author who clearly dotes on his hero. As do we.”
—The New York Times