Rag and Bone
A Billy Boyle, World War II Mystery
James R. Benn
Review: Military investigator Billy Boyle, a newly promoted 1st Lieutenant in the US Army, is sent to London to determine if the murder of a Soviet official was a random killing or a pre-meditated act of revenge in Rag and Bone, the fifth mystery in this series set during World War II by James R. Benn.
In the spring of 1943, thousands of bodies of Polish soldiers were discovered in mass graves deep inside the Katyn Forest in German-occupied Russia, each with their hands tied behind their back, a single bullet to the head. Eight months later, a Soviet officer based in London is killed in the same manner. Detective Inspector Horace Scutt of New Scotland Yard is certain he has the killer: Lt. Kazimierz, a member of the Polish government in exile, whose hatred for the Russians is widely known. Billy knows "Kaz" and doesn't believe he is guilty ... but is put in an awkward position since the Russians are allies in the war against Germany and he must strive to uncover the truth without appearing to favor the prime suspect. Once in London, clues lead him to other potential suspects, including the leaders of an East End gang involved in the black market, any number of government spies, even another high ranking Russian official. Can Billy prove Kaz didn't kill the Russian in retaliation for the deaths of so many of his countrymen?
Benn seamlessly weaves a real event -- the Katyn Massacre -- into a fictional murder investigation, the result being yet another superb entry in this already outstanding series. The depictions of the people and places of London at war seem spot on, giving depth and richness to the story. Billy's investigation into the Russian officer's murder is far from linear, but the twists and turns it takes are not artificially introduced, but are written as a natural consequence of what he learns. Government politics and military politics play a role here and are well integrated. Both a mystery and an adventure story to be sure, there is also some gentle humor and displays of loyalty, comrades in arms, as it were. This series just keeps getting better, and Rag and Bone doesn't disappoint in any way.
Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Rag and Bone.
Acknowledgment: Soho Press provided an ARC of Rag and Bone for this review.
Review Copyright © 2010 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Selected reviews of other mysteries by this author …
Evil for Evil
Soho Press (Hardcover), September 2009
ISBN-13: 9781569475935; ISBN-10: 1569475938
A Mortal Terror
Soho Crime (Hardcover), September 2011
ISBN-13: 9781569479940; ISBN-10: 1569479941
Location(s) referenced in Rag and Bone: London, England
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Rag and Bone by James R. Benn
Publisher: Soho Press
Format: Hardcover
ISBN-10: 1-56947-849-X
ISBN-13: 978-1-56947-849-3
Publication Date: September 2010
List Price: $25.00
Synopsis (from the publisher): Billy is sent to London in the midst of a Luftwaffe bombing offensive to investigate the murder of a Soviet official. There's reason to believe that the crime could be connected to the recent discovery of mass graves in the Katyn Forest, where thousands of Polish officers were executed. Is a killer is out there, targeting Soviet officials in revenge for the Katyn Massacre? If so, the diplomatic stakes couldn't be higher as the uneasy relationship between the Soviets and the other allied powers hangs in the balance. Further complicating matters, Scotland Yard names Billy's friend Kaz, now working for the Polish government in exile, as the prime suspect. Billy must track the killer through London's criminal underworld and save his friend.
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