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ROAD OF BONES by James R. Benn

ROAD OF BONES

by James R. Benn

Pub Date: Sept. 7th, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-641-29200-9
Publisher: Soho Crime

A World War II supersleuth, deprived of his usual backup, unravels a tangled web of criminality in Russia.

September 1944 finds Capt. Billy Boyle enjoying a short respite with his closest pals, Lt. Piotr “Kaz” Kazimierz and Big Mike Miecznikowski, between cracking tough cases. The plan is to visit Billy’s love interest, Diana Seaton, a British agent recuperating in the nearby countryside after having been held by the Gestapo. But Col. Bull Dawson, who has different ideas, summons Billy to an air base in Russia to solve a baffling crime: two murdered soldiers, one American, one Russian. Billy brings Big Mike but lets Kaz sit this assignment out. The flight east is an adventure in itself: Aboard the Banshee Bandit, Billy has a front row seat for an air battle with the Luftwaffe, and he sees Sweet Lorraine, the plane carrying Big Mike, go down. A handful of colleagues greet him in Russia, where he learns that Big Mike has survived and been taken to the hospital. Billy faces numerous obstacles in his probe. The bodies of Lt. Ivan Kopelev and Sgt. Jack Morris have already been taken away. Both men were wearing their guns when they were killed, and neither seems to have any enemies. Without his wingman, Billy must decide on his own whom he can trust. His Russian counterpart, Sidorov, warns him against his translator, Maiya Akilina, and there’s an additional layer of odd Russian characters, led by Tatyana, the “Night Witch.” In a welcome change of pace, Billy’s 16th adventure has more action and history than his previous cases. Sturdy Kaz enters the story at a crucial moment to help capture the guilty.

Benn’s well-crafted series deepens with every installment.